JP5261552B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an ice making device.

  Conventional refrigerators equipped with an ice making device are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. This refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and an ice making room. The ice making chamber communicates with the freezing chamber, and ice making is performed by the ice making device and ice separated by the ice making device is stored.

  The ice making device has a water supply tank arranged in the refrigerator compartment and an ice making tray arranged in the ice making room and supplied from the water supply tank. An ice storage container is arranged below the ice tray. The ice tray has flexibility and is rotatably arranged, and is driven by a shaft provided at one end. The ice making tray has a plurality of ice making pockets having the same shape divided by a vertical partition wall extending in the axial direction and a horizontal partition wall obliquely intersecting the vertical partition wall. Since the horizontal partition wall obliquely intersects the vertical partition wall, the ice making pocket and the surface area of the ice can be increased with respect to the capacity of the ice tray. As a result, the ice making speed is increased and ice making can be performed in a short time.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, when the water in the ice tray is frozen and ice making is completed, the ice tray is rotated. The ice tray is twisted by locking one end in the axial direction at a position where the upper surface of the ice making pocket faces downward and rotating the other end. As a result, the ice is released from the ice making pocket and falls and is stored in the ice storage container.

JP 2003-269832 A JP2001-194037

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, the ice tray that is twisted at the time of deicing has a small circumferential displacement at the axial end and a large circumferential displacement at the central portion. Further, since the surface area of the ice making pocket is large, the adhesion force between the ice making pocket and ice is increased. As a result, there has been a problem that the ice-breaking property of the ice making pocket is lowered at the axial end where the displacement due to twisting is small.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator provided with an ice making device that has a high ice making speed and can prevent a decrease in deicing properties.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flexible ice making tray provided with a plurality of ice making pockets having an upper surface opened to supply water, and an ice making device that rotationally drives a shaft provided at one end of the ice making tray. An ice making device having a motor and a locking portion for locking one end in the axial direction away from the shaft portion at a position where the upper surface of the ice making pocket faces downward, the ice making pocket extending in the axial direction; A wall, a first horizontal partition wall orthogonal to the vertical partition wall, and a second horizontal partition wall that is inclined with respect to the vertical partition wall, and is arranged at at least one end in the axial direction of the ice tray. The wall surface of the ice making pocket is formed by a first horizontal partition wall.

  According to this configuration, when the shaft portion is rotationally driven by the ice making motor, the other end in the axial direction away from the shaft portion is locked at the position where the upper surface of the ice making pocket faces downward, and the ice tray is twisted. Ice is released from the ice-making pocket. At this time, a plurality of deformed ices having different shapes are simultaneously made by a combination of an ice making pocket whose wall surface is formed by the first horizontal partition wall and an ice making pocket whose wall surface is formed by the second horizontal partition wall. In addition, the ice making pocket whose wall surface is formed by the first horizontal partition wall is superior in ice releasing performance to the ice making pocket whose wall surface is formed by the second horizontal partition wall.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator configured as described above, a wall surface of the ice making pocket on the side of the locking portion is formed by a first horizontal partition wall.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, a wall surface of the ice making pocket on the shaft side is formed by a first horizontal partition wall.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the wall surfaces of the ice making pockets at both ends in the axial direction of the ice tray are formed by first horizontal partition walls.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the present invention provides a first horizontal partition wall and a second horizontal partition wall disposed on one side with respect to the vertical partition wall, and a first horizontal partition wall disposed on the other side and The intersection with the second horizontal partition wall is arranged on the vertical partition wall. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of nodes serving as a joint between the vertical partition wall and the first horizontal partition wall or the second horizontal partition wall. Thereby, the rigidity of the ice tray with respect to twist is lowered, and the ice detachability of the ice tray is increased.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the bottom surface of each ice making pocket has a plurality of planes that are non-parallel to the water surface. According to this configuration, the surface area of the bottom surface of the ice making pocket is increased.

  According to the present invention, the first horizontal partition wall orthogonal to the vertical partition wall of the ice tray and the inclined second horizontal partition wall are provided, and the wall surface of the ice making pocket at least one end in the axial direction is the first horizontal wall. Since the partition wall is used, the surface area of the ice making pocket can be increased to increase the ice making speed, and the ice making pocket can be prevented from deicing at the axial end where the displacement is small due to twisting.

Side surface sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The perspective view of the ice tray which concerns on the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The top view of the ice tray which concerns on the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The perspective view of the ice made with the ice tray which concerns on the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. In the refrigerator 1, a refrigerator compartment 2 is arranged at the top, and a vegetable compartment 18 is arranged below the refrigerator compartment 2. The refrigerator compartment 2 refrigerates and preserves stored items, and the vegetable compartment 18 refrigerates and preserves stored items at a refrigeration temperature suitable for preserving vegetables and the like that are hotter than the refrigerator compartment 2.

  Below the vegetable compartment 18, an ice making compartment 3 communicating with a freezer compartment (not shown) is arranged. The freezing room and the ice making room 3 are maintained at a temperature lower than the freezing point. The refrigerator compartment 2 is opened and closed by a door 8, and the ice making chamber 3 is opened and closed by a door 13. Further, the refrigerator 1 is provided with an ice making device 20 having a water supply unit 5 disposed in the refrigerator compartment 2 and an ice making unit 6 disposed in the ice making chamber 3.

  The water supply unit 5 includes a water supply tank 4, a water supply pipe 14, a water supply pump 7, a water supply tank detection unit 19, and an antifreezing heater 15. The water supply tank 4 stores water for ice making and is detachably disposed from the refrigerator compartment 2 by opening and closing the door 8. The water supply pipe 14 is led out from the water supply tank 4 and is provided to extend onto the ice tray 21 of the ice making unit 6.

  The water supply pump 7 is arranged in the path of the water supply pipe 14 and pumps water from the water supply tank 4 to supply water to the ice tray 21. The water tank detection unit 19 detects the mounting state of the water tank 4. The antifreezing heater 15 is provided in contact with the water supply pipe 14 and prevents freezing of water flowing through the water supply pipe 14. An antifreeze heater may be provided around the water supply tank 4. Thereby, freezing of the water in the water supply tank 4 is prevented.

  In the ice making chamber 3, the ice making unit 6 of the ice making device 20 is disposed above the ice storage container 11. The ice storage container 11 can store ice 16 and can be taken in and out by opening and closing the door 13. The ice making unit 6 includes an ice making tray 21, an ice making motor 10, and a detection lever 17. The ice tray 21 is supplied with water from the water supply tank 4 to make the ice 16 in the ice making chamber 3 below the freezing point. The ice making motor 10 rotationally drives the shaft portion 12 provided at one end of the ice tray 21. The ice making chamber 3 is provided with a locking portion (not shown) for locking the ice tray 21 on the opposite side of the shaft portion 12 when the ice tray 21 is rotated. As a result, the ice tray 21 is rotated by the drive of the ice making motor 10, locked to the locking portion, and deiced while twisting. The detection lever 17 detects whether or not the ice storage container 11 is full.

  2 and 3 show a perspective view and a top view of the ice tray 21 as seen from above. The ice tray 21 is made of polypropylene containing silicon, has flexibility, is rotatably arranged, and is rotationally driven by a shaft portion 12 provided at one end.

  The ice tray 21 is formed with a plurality of ice making pockets 28a and 28b whose upper surfaces are opened. The ice making pockets 28a and 28b are divided into a plurality of sections by a vertical partition wall 29, a first horizontal partition wall 22a, and a second horizontal partition wall 22b extending in the axial direction of the shaft portion 12. The first horizontal partition wall 22 a is orthogonal to the vertical partition wall 29, and the second horizontal partition wall 22 b is inclined with respect to the vertical partition wall 29. Further, the first horizontal partition wall 22a and the second horizontal partition wall 22b arranged on one side with respect to the vertical partition wall 29, and the first horizontal partition wall 22a and the second horizontal partition wall 22b arranged on the other side. The intersection with is arranged on the vertical partition wall 29.

  The ice making pockets 28a and 28b are arranged in two rows in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and arranged in four rows in the axial direction. Ice making pockets 28a are disposed at both ends of the ice tray 21 in the axial direction, and ice making pockets 28b are disposed at the center in the axial direction.

  The ice making pocket 28 b has a larger surface area than the ice making pocket of the same capacity because the second horizontal partition wall 22 b obliquely intersects the vertical partition wall 29. As a result, the ice making speed in the ice making pocket 28b is increased, and the ice making tray 21 as a whole can be made in a short time.

  On the other hand, since the first horizontal partition wall 22a is orthogonal to the vertical partition wall 29 in the ice making pocket 28a, the surface area is smaller than the ice making pocket of the same capacity. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the adhesion force between the ice making pocket 28a and the ice accompanying the increase in the surface area. By disposing the ice making pockets 28a at the end portions in the axial direction, it is possible to prevent the ice making pockets 28a from being deiced at the end portions in the axial direction where the displacement is small due to twisting.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ice 16 made in the ice making pocket 28b. The bottom surface of the ice making pocket 28b has a plurality of planes that are non-parallel to the water surface. As a result, the ice 16 produced in the ice making pocket 28b is formed into a polyhedron having more faces than a hexahedron. Therefore, the ice 16 can be formed into a rock ice shape, and the appearance of the ice 16 can be improved. In particular, since the ice 16 made in the ice making pocket 28b is formed in a trapezoidal shape when seen in a plan view, it can be formed in a more lock-like appearance.

  The first horizontal partition wall 22a, the second horizontal partition wall 22b, and a part of the vertical partition walls 29 are formed with a groove 22c having an open upper surface. Water is supplied from the ice making pockets 28a and 28b directly below the water supply pipe 14 to the ice making pockets 28a and 28b through the groove 22c.

  In addition, the ice tray 21 is provided with shielding ribs 23 that hang from both side surfaces of the upper end and face the side surfaces of the ice making pockets 28a and 28b. The cold air hitting the upper portions of the ice making pockets 28a and 28b is shielded by the shielding ribs 23. The shielding rib 23 is provided with a notch 23a facing the horizontal partition wall 22b. The notch 23a can reduce the rigidity of the ice tray 21 so that the ice tray 21 can be easily twisted.

  In the refrigerator 1 configured as described above, when the water supply tank detection unit 19 detects that the water supply tank 4 is mounted, the freeze prevention heater 15 is driven. When a thermistor (not shown) detects that water is not supplied to the ice tray 21, the water supply pump 7 is driven to supply water into the ice making pockets 28 a and 28 b of the ice tray 21.

  When water supply is performed to the water supply level of the ice making pockets 28a and 28b, the water supply pump 7 is stopped, and the water in the ice making pockets 28a and 28b is gradually frozen by cooling with the cold air in the ice making chamber 3, whereby the ice 16 is obtained.

  After the ice tray 21 is supplied with water, it is determined that the ice making is completed when a predetermined time elapses. Thereby, when it is detected by the detection lever 17 that the ice storage container 11 is not full, the ice removing operation is performed. That is, the ice tray 21 is rotated by the ice making motor 10. The ice tray 21 is twisted by rotating the shaft portion 12 with one end in the axial direction away from the shaft portion 12 being locked at the position where the upper surfaces of the ice making pockets 28a and 28b face downward. As a result, the ice 16 is removed from the ice making pockets 28 a and 28 b and falls and stored in the ice storage container 11.

  According to this embodiment, the first horizontal partition wall 22a orthogonal to the vertical partition wall 29 of the ice tray 21 and the inclined second horizontal partition wall 22b are provided, and the ice making pocket 28a and the ice making pocket 28b are formed. A plurality of deformed ices having different shapes can be made simultaneously. Further, by forming the wall surface of the ice making pocket 28b with the second horizontal partition wall 22b, it is possible to increase the ice making speed by providing a large surface area of the ice making pocket 28b. Further, by forming the wall surface of the ice making pocket 28a with the first horizontal partition wall 22a, it is possible to provide a small surface area of the ice making pocket 28a and suppress a decrease in the adhesion force between the ice making pocket 28a and ice accompanying the increase in the surface area. For this reason, by disposing the ice making pockets 28a at both end portions in the axial direction, it is possible to prevent the ice making pockets 28a from degrading at the axial end portions where the displacement is small due to twisting.

  Moreover, you may provide the 1st horizontal partition wall 22a only in one edge part of an axial direction. By forming the wall surface of the ice making pocket 28a on the locking part side with the first horizontal partition wall 22a, the deicing property on the locking part side where the upper surface of the ice tray 21 twisted at the time of deicing is directed downward is reduced. A decrease can be prevented. Further, by forming the wall surface of the ice making pocket 28a on the shaft portion 12 side with the first horizontal partition wall 22a, the strength of the shaft portion 12 twisted by the ice making motor 10 is increased, and the rigidity of the ice making tray 21 against twisting is increased. It is possible to prevent a decrease in deicing property on the shaft portion 12 side.

  Further, the first horizontal partition wall 22a and the second horizontal partition wall 22b arranged on one side with respect to the vertical partition wall 29, and the first horizontal partition wall 22a and the second horizontal partition wall 22b arranged on the other side. By arranging the crossing point on the vertical partition wall 29, the number of nodes 29a serving as a joint between the vertical partition wall 29 and the first horizontal partition wall 22a or the second horizontal partition wall 22b can be reduced. Thereby, the rigidity of the ice tray 21 with respect to twisting can be reduced, and the deicing property of the ice tray 21 can be further increased.

  Further, since the bottom surfaces of the ice making pockets 28a and 28b have a plurality of planes that are not parallel to the water surface, the rock ice-shaped ice 16 can be made. Therefore, the appearance of the ice 16 can be improved.

  According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator provided with the ice making apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigeration room 3 Ice making room 4 Water supply tank 5 Water supply part 6 Ice making part 7 Water supply pump 8 Door 10 Ice making motor 12 Shaft part 13 Door 14 Water supply pipe 15 Antifreeze heater 16 Ice 17 Detection lever 18 Vegetable room 19 Water supply tank detection part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Ice making apparatus 21 Ice making tray 22a 1st horizontal partition wall 22b 2nd horizontal partition wall 22c Groove part 23 Shielding rib 23a Notch part 28a Ice making pocket 28b Ice making pocket 29 Vertical partition wall 29a Node

Claims (3)

A flexible ice making tray provided with a plurality of ice making pockets that are supplied with water being opened, an ice making motor that rotationally drives a shaft provided at one end of the ice making tray, and the upper surface of the ice making pocket is downward An ice making device having a locking portion for locking one end in the axial direction away from the shaft portion at the facing position, wherein the ice making pocket is seen from the upper side of the vertical partition wall extending in the axial direction and the top surface of the ice making tray. The ice tray is partitioned by a first horizontal partition wall extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and a second horizontal partition wall extending in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction when viewed from the upper surface side of the ice tray. A wall surface of the ice making pocket arranged at both ends in the axial direction is formed by a first horizontal partition wall. The intersection of the first horizontal partition wall or the second horizontal partition wall disposed on one side with respect to the vertical partition wall and the first horizontal partition wall or the second horizontal partition wall disposed on the other side is the vertical partition wall. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is arranged on a partition wall . The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a bottom surface of each ice making pocket has a plurality of planes that are non-parallel to the water surface .

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