JP3429838B2 - Refrigerator with ice machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator with an ice maker for automatically making ice, separating ice and supplying water. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventional automatic ice machines for refrigerators include:
For example, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-23230. [0003] The above-mentioned conventional refrigerator with an ice maker will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a front view of a main part of a conventional refrigerator with an ice maker with a door opened, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ice storage box of the ice maker shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, which is constituted by a heat insulating wall, and has a door (not shown) provided on the front surface thereof so as to be openable and closable. In the refrigerator main body 1, a freezing room 2 and a refrigerating room (not shown) are formed by being partitioned by a heat insulating wall. Reference numeral 2 denotes an automatic ice making machine, and a freezing room 2
It is arranged in. [0005] Reference numeral 4 denotes an ice storage box, which is mounted so that it can be pulled out toward the front of the refrigerator main body 1 by suspending a flange provided at the upper part of the ice storage box 4 on a rail provided at a lower part of the automatic ice making machine main body 3. ing. Reference numeral 5 denotes an ice tray, which is rotatably supported inside the automatic ice making machine body 2. Reference numeral 6 denotes a notch, which is provided in an arc shape on the rear wall of the ice storage box 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a substantially U-shaped arm, the end of which is rotatably supported by a shaft 8, and is inserted through the notch 6. The notch 6 has substantially the same shape as the trajectory of the rotation of the arm 7. The rear wall of the ice storage box 4 allows the arm 7 to be always located in the space inside the ice storage box 4.
It is always divided into a part located outside the ice storage box 4. The operation of the refrigerator with the ice maker constructed as described above will be described below. First, when the control means of the automatic ice maker detects the completion of ice making in the ice tray 5 provided in the automatic ice maker main body 3 in the upper part of the freezing chamber 2 based on temperature or time, the drive motor (not shown) is turned on. Let it work,
The ice tray 5 is rotated to release ice, and the arm 7 is rotated about the shaft 8. As the arm 7 rotates, a part of the arm 7 moves downward in the cutout 6 provided on the rear wall of the ice storage box 4. At this time, when the arm 7 hits the ice in the ice storage box 4, the control means stops the operation of the drive motor,
By stopping the subsequent rotation of the drive motor,
The subsequent water supply operation is stopped. On the other hand, when taking out the ice stored in the ice storage box 5, the user pulls the ice storage box 5 forward. At this time, even if the arm 7 is located deep inside the ice storage box 4, the shape of the arm 7 conforms to the shape of the notch 6, so that when the ice storage box 4 is pulled out, when full ice is detected, or The arm 7 does not collide with the rear wall of the ice storage box 4 regardless of the non-detection time. However, since the notch 6 is provided on the rear wall of the ice storage box 4, ice pieces adhere to the notch 6 when the ice is removed from the ice tray 5. There is a disadvantage that the arm 7 does not bite and move. When the notch 6 is made large to prevent the arm 7 from being bitten, the ice chips are removed.
There is a drawback that the ice storage box 4 scatters out of the freezer compartment 2 and lowers the structural strength of the ice storage box 4. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator with an ice maker that can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems without lowering the strength of the ice storage container and preventing scattering of ice pieces from the ice storage container. Aim. In order to achieve this object, a refrigerator with an ice maker according to the present invention is provided in a freezer compartment defined by a heat insulating wall in a refrigerator body, and provided in the freezer compartment. An ice maker having an automatic ice maker main body provided with an ice maker, an ice storage amount detection lever rotatably supported by the automatic ice maker main body, and an ice storage container provided to be able to be pulled out below the ice maker. In a refrigerator equipped with, a part of the rear wall of the ice storage container
It has a projecting slope, and the slope and the ice storage amount detection level
The right and left positional relationship with the bar is configured to match, and the lowermost end of the inclined portion is configured to be lower than the lowermost point of the ice storage amount detection lever movement locus. In the refrigerator with an ice maker of the present invention, even if the ice storage container is pulled out during the ice storage amount detection operation, the detection lever contacts the inclined portion provided on the rear wall of the ice storage container and moves upward. Pushed up,
Since the detection lever is not damaged, there is no need to provide a conventional notch. Further, even if the ice storage container is pulled out during the ice storage amount detection operation, the rear wall of the ice storage container comes into contact with an inclined surface provided at a portion of the detection lever facing the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container. Since the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container goes under the detection lever along the surface, the detection lever is not pushed up and the detection lever is not broken, so that there is no need to provide a conventional cutout. Hereinafter, a refrigerator with an ice maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator with an ice making machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice storage container shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a main body of an automatic ice maker, which is provided in the freezing compartment 2 and is a driving motor (not shown) which is a driving means for rotating the ice tray 12 and a detection lever 16 which will be described later. It has. Reference numeral 13 denotes an ice storage container, which is located below the automatic ice maker main body 11 and the ice tray 12, and is installed so as to be drawn out by sliding on the bottom of the freezing compartment 2. Reference numeral 14 denotes a detection lever (ice storage amount detection lever) serving as ice storage amount detection means, the tip of which is formed as a curved surface, which is pivotally supported by the automatic ice making machine body 11 about an axis, and moves up and down in the ice storage container 13. The ice storage container 1
3. Detect the amount of ice in 3. Note that the detection lever 14 is located outside the ice storage container 13 when not operating. Reference numeral 15 denotes an inclined portion, which protrudes from a part of the rear wall of the ice storage container 13 so as to be inclined from the rear side of the freezer compartment 2 toward the front side of the refrigerator body 1. The height of the lowermost end of the inclined portion 15 from the bottom surface of the ice storage container 13 is formed so as to be lower than the position where the height of the detection lever 14 from the bottom surface of the ice storage container 13 is lowest. And
The positional relationship between the detection lever 14 and the inclined portion 15 in the left-right direction is configured to match. The operation of the refrigerator with an ice maker constructed as described above will be described below. First, when the automatic ice making machine main body 11 detects that the ice making is completed in the ice making tray 12, the drive motor (not shown) is operated, and the ice making tray 12 is rotated to apply a twisting operation to remove ice. Do
Ice is dropped into the ice storage container 13. After a predetermined time, the detection lever 14 is rotated downward by the drive motor, and the detection lever 14 descends in the ice storage container 13 and comes into contact with ice, thereby detecting the amount of ice. At this time, when the refrigerator user accidentally pulls out the ice storage container 13 to take out the ice from the ice storage container 13, the tip of the detection lever 14 is moved to the inclined portion 15 provided on the rear wall of the ice storage container 13. Abut And ice storage container 1
3 is further pulled out, the detection lever 14
Is pushed up along the inclination of the inclined portion 15. When the detection lever 14 is pushed up to the uppermost part of the inclined portion 15, the tip of the detection lever 14 rides over the rear wall of the ice storage container 13, and the entire detection lever 14 comes out of the ice storage container 13, and gradually descends to a predetermined position. Stop at the position. Immediately thereafter, when the refrigerator user finishes taking out the ice and pushes the ice storage container 13 into the deep side of the freezing compartment 2,
The upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 13 contacts the detection lever 14.
When the ice storage container 13 is further pushed in, the tip of the detection lever 14 climbs over the rear wall of the ice storage container 13 and descends along the inclined portion 15, so that the detection lever 14 as a whole also descends inside the ice storage container 13. Then, after a predetermined time, a control unit (not shown) connected to the detection lever 14 detects the ice storage amount. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the detection lever 1 by pulling out the ice storage container 13 during the ice storage amount detection operation.
Since the conventional notch is not provided to prevent breakage of the ice 4, it is possible to prevent the scattering of ice pieces from the ice storage container 13 at the time of ice removal without reducing the strength of the ice storage container 13. Although the detection lever 14 in this embodiment is a straight rod, it may be substantially L-shaped or substantially U-shaped, so that the area that can be brought into contact with ice is increased, and more accurate. Ice storage can be detected. . Although the detection lever 14 of this embodiment is located outside the ice storage container 13 when not in operation,
If the height of the tip of the detection lever 14 from the bottom surface of the ice storage container 13 is higher than the height of the lowermost end of the inclined portion 15, a part of the detection lever 14 May be located. Further, the lowermost end of the inclined portion 15 of this embodiment is in contact with the rear wall of the ice storage container 13.
May be in contact with the bottom surface of the ice storage container, thereby making it possible to increase the movement trajectory of the detection lever and to prevent the ice at the bottom of the ice storage container 13 from being taken out forever and remaining. Furthermore, although the inclined portion 15 of this embodiment has a flat inclined surface, the inclined surface may be a curved surface. Next, a refrigerator with an ice maker according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components as those of the conventional and the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator with an ice maker according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes an ice storage container, which is located below the automatic ice making machine main body 11 and the ice tray 12, and is installed so as to be drawn out by sliding on the bottom surface of the freezing compartment 2. 22 is a detection lever (ice storage amount detection lever) as ice storage amount detection means,
The distal end is curved and the distal end side is bent upward in a substantially L-shape to form a bent portion 23, which is pivotally supported by the automatic ice making machine main body 11 about an axis. The detection lever 22 moves the bent portion 23 up and down in the ice storage container 21 so that the ice storage container 2
Detect the amount of ice in 1. It should be noted that the detection lever 22 is located outside the ice storage container 21 when not in operation, and even when the detection lever 22 is rotated to the lowest position in the ice storage container 21 during operation.
The tip is located above the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21. The operation of the refrigerator with the ice maker constructed as described above will be described below. After a lapse of a predetermined time from the ice release operation, the detection lever 22 is driven by the drive motor.
Rotates downward, and the detection lever 22 and the bent portion 23 descend inside the ice storage container 21 and come into contact with ice, thereby detecting the amount of ice. At this time, when the refrigerator user accidentally pulls out the ice storage container 21 to take out ice from the ice storage container 21, the bent portion 23 of the detection lever 22 comes into contact with the rear wall of the ice storage container 21. Then, as the ice storage container 21 is further pulled out, the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21 is bent.
The detection lever 22 is pushed up so as to go under the detection lever 22 along the inclined surface 3. When the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21 reaches the bending point of the detection lever 22,
The detection lever 22 is in the state of being pushed up to the highest.
When the ice storage container 21 is further pulled out, the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21 is pulled out of the ice storage container 21 from the bending point of the detection lever 22, and the entire detection lever 22 is gradually lowered and stopped at a predetermined position. I do. Immediately thereafter, when the refrigerator user finishes taking out the ice and pushes the ice storage container 21 into the freezer compartment 2,
After the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21 comes into contact with the detection lever 22, the detection lever 22 is pushed up, and the bending point of the detection lever 22 crosses over the rear wall of the ice storage container 21, and the detection lever 22 descends in the ice storage container 21. Then, after a predetermined time, a control unit (not shown) connected to the detection lever 22 detects the ice storage amount. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the detection lever 2 by pulling out the ice storage container 21 during the ice storage amount detection operation.
In order to prevent breakage of No. 2, the conventional notch is not provided, so that the strength of the ice storage container 21 is not reduced, and the scattering of ice pieces from the ice storage container 21 at the time of ice removal can be prevented. The amount of ice stored in the ice storage container 21 can be increased. Although the detection lever 22 of this embodiment has a substantially U-shape, it may have an arc shape or a triangular shape having a substantially U-shaped inclined portion. Although the detection lever 22 of this embodiment is located outside the ice storage container 21 when not in operation, the tip of the detection lever 22 on the side closest to the rear wall of the ice storage container 21 is A part of the detection lever 22 may be located in the ice storage container 21 as long as the detection lever 22 is located above the upper end of the rear wall of the ice storage container 21. As described above, according to the present invention, the conventional notch is not provided to prevent the detection lever from being damaged by pulling out the ice storage container during the ice storage amount detection operation. Of the ice pieces from the ice storage container at the time of ice removal can be prevented without lowering the strength of the ice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator with an ice maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ice storage container shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator with an ice maker according to a second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of a main part of the conventional refrigerator with an ice maker with a door opened. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the ice maker shown in FIG. 1 Refrigerator body 2 Freezer compartment 11 Automatic ice maker body 12 Ice tray 13 Ice storage container 14 Detection lever (ice storage amount detection lever) 15 Inclined portion 21 Ice storage container 22 Detection lever (ice storage amount detection lever) ) 23 Bent part

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A freezer compartment defined by a heat insulating wall in a refrigerator body, an automatic ice making machine body provided with an ice tray provided in the freezer compartment, and the automatic ice making device In the refrigerator with an ice maker having an ice storage amount detection lever rotatably supported by the machine body and an ice storage container provided so as to be able to be pulled out below the ice tray, a part of a rear wall of the ice storage container is provided. It has a projecting inclined portion, and the left-right positional relationship between the inclined portion and the ice storage amount detection lever is configured to be the same, and the lowermost end of the inclination portion is the lowest position of the ice storage amount detection lever movement locus. Refrigerator with ice machine lower than point.