KR100612101B1 - Ice outlet on the refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice discharge port of the refrigerator, in particular to improve the structure of the closing delay means for delaying the closing of the stopper until the ice in the ice discharge port is completely discharged to prevent damage of the closing delay means. It relates to an ice discharge opening and closing device of a refrigerator.

Ice discharge opening and closing device according to the present invention is a stopper one side is rotatably mounted around the ice discharge port so as to open and close the outlet of the ice discharge port formed in the door, hinged to the exit side of the ice discharge port to open and close the stopper Ice discharge opening and closing of the refrigerator having a discharge lever coupled to the lower portion extending downward, and a solenoid drive unit for maintaining the opening of the stopper for a predetermined time even after releasing the pressing of the discharge lever to completely discharge the ice in the ice discharge port The apparatus is characterized in that one side of the solenoid drive portion directly supports one side of the stopper so that the opening of the stopper can be maintained irrespective of the return operation of the discharge lever.

Description

Opening / closing device for ice outlet of refrigerator {OPENING AND CLOSING DEVICE FOR ICE DISCHARGE PORT OF REFRIGERATOR}

1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an ice discharge opening and closing device of a conventional refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall internal configuration of the refrigerator to which the present invention is applied.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ice discharge opening and closing device of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

4 to 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the ice discharge opening and closing device according to the present invention, showing the operation of the opening and closing device step by step.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10: main body, 11: storage room,

12: door, 15,16 ice maker,

22: ice outlet, 23: ice feeder,

25: ice compartment, 27: operation switch,

30: ice outlet switchgear, 40: plug,

41: connecting member, 42: support bracket,

43: hinge shaft, 44: torsion coil spring,

46: locking piece, 50: discharge lever,

51: upper support part, 52: pressing part,

53: rotation shaft, 55: obstacle,

60: shatterproof cover, 70: solenoid drive,

71: support shaft, 72: working rod.

The present invention relates to an opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice discharge port of the refrigerator, and more particularly, the ice discharge port of the refrigerator having an improved structure of the closing delay means for delaying the closure of the stopper until the ice in the ice discharge port is completely discharged It relates to a switchgear.

In general, a freezer of a large refrigerator is provided with an automatic ice making device for producing ice by freezing water supplied from the outside, and the ice produced by the ice making device is stored in an ice storage container installed therein. In addition, the door of the refrigerator is provided with an ice discharge port and an ice storage space communicated with the inside so that the user can take out the ice inside the storage container without opening the door, and the transfer device for transferring the ice of the storage container to the ice discharge port inside the freezer compartment. Is provided. And the outlet of the ice discharge port communicated to the outside of the door is provided with an opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice discharge port.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ice discharge opening and closing device of the refrigerator includes a stopper 2 rotatably mounted on the outlet side of the ice discharge hole 1, and the ice discharge port is operated by operating the stopper 2. The discharge lever 3 which opens and closes (1) is provided. And the front of the discharge lever 3 is provided with a scattering prevention cover 4 for preventing the scattering of ice to be discharged.

The stopper 2 is coupled to the upper end of the ice discharge port 1 to be rotated back and forth. To this end, both sides of the stopper 2 are provided with a connecting member 2a having a shaft coupling hole 2b formed at an upper end thereof, and an upper portion of the ice discharge port 1 for supporting the connecting member 2a rotatably. The support bracket 5 in which the hinge hole 5a is formed is provided, and these are connected via the hinge shaft 6. In addition, the hinge shaft 6 is provided with a torsion coil spring 7 so as to keep the plug 2 normally closed.

The discharge lever 3 has a pressing portion 3b extending long to the lower end of the semi-circular upper support portion 3a surrounding the stopper 2, and on both sides of the lower end of the upper support portion 3a, the pivot shaft protrudes outward. 3c) is provided. And this rotating shaft (3c) is rotatably coupled to both sides of the lower end of the ice discharge port (1). In addition, the upper end of the upper support portion (3a) is formed with a locking projection (3d) protruding inward to open and close the stopper (2) during the operation of the discharge lever (3), the locking projection (3d) It is configured to engage the engaging piece (2c) extending to both sides from the connecting member (2a) of 2). This causes the stopper 2 to be opened by the locking projection 3d pushing the locking piece 2c when the upper support part 3a is rotated forward by pressing the pressing part 3b of the discharge lever 3.

In addition, the conventional ice discharge opening and closing device is provided with a closing delay means for delaying the closing operation of the stopper 2 during the time that the ice in the ice discharge port 1 is completely discharged even if the discharge lever 3 is released. The closing delay means includes a support shaft 8 extending to protrude laterally from the upper outer surface of the discharge lever 3 and an actuating rod 9a of the solenoid drive unit 9 rotatably coupled to the support shaft 8. )

Here, the solenoid drive unit 9 is fixed to the inner surface in the ice storage space, the operating rod (9a) for moving forward and backward in the forward and backward direction is rotatably coupled to the support shaft (8) to support the support shaft (8). At this time, the actuating rod 9a supports the support shaft 8 for a predetermined time even when the pressing of the discharge lever 3 is released, thereby delaying the return operation of the discharge lever 3 and the stopper 2, so that the stopper 2 is closed. Keep it open for a period of time. Then, after a certain time has elapsed, the stopper 2 can be closed by pulling the upper end of the discharge lever 3 backward while the operating rod 9a retreats.

However, the conventional ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator configured as described above forces the pressing portion 3b of the discharge lever 3 to be forcibly returned while the ice is accidentally discharged by the user, or the power is applied to the refrigerator due to a power failure or the like. If the discharge lever 3 is forcibly operated in a non-state state, there is a problem that the support shaft 8 or the operating rod 9a of the solenoid drive unit 9 on the upper end of the discharge lever 3 is damaged.

The present invention is to solve such a problem, an object of the present invention is to support the operation of the solenoid drive unit delaying the closure of the stopper directly to one side of the stopper to free the operation of the discharge lever, the operating rod and the solenoid drive unit It is to provide an ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator that can prevent the damage to the support shaft coupled thereto.

The ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the stopper and the one side is rotatably mounted around the ice discharge port to open and close the outlet of the ice discharge port formed in the door, opening and closing the stopper And a release lever hinged to the outlet side of the ice discharge port and having a pressing portion extending downwardly, and maintaining the opening of the stopper for a predetermined time even after releasing the pressing of the discharge lever to completely discharge the ice in the ice discharge port. In the ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator having a solenoid drive unit to be characterized in that, one side of the solenoid drive unit directly supports one side of the plug so that the opening of the plug can be maintained irrespective of the return operation of the discharge lever. do.

In addition, the solenoid drive unit is provided with an operating rod to move forward and backward, characterized in that the front end of the operating rod is rotatably coupled to the support shaft protruding from one side of the stopper.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator to which the present invention is applied is provided with a freezing compartment 11 that is formed vertically long in the main body 10 and whose front surface is opened, and a door that opens and closes the front surface of the freezing chamber 11. 12 is installed. At this time, the door 12 is hinged to one side of the main body 10 to rotate and open and close. And an evaporator 13 for generating cold air is installed on the rear wall of the main body 10, the compressor 14 is installed in the lower rear of the main body 10.

In the freezer compartment 11, a first ice maker 15 and a second ice maker 16 are provided at upper and lower parts of the freezer compartment 11, and an ice reservoir for storing the manufactured ice is provided at the lower part of the ice makers 15 and 16. 17,18). At this time, each ice maker 15, 16 is connected to the water supply pipe 19 so that water from an external water supply source can be supplied. In addition, the freezer compartment 11 is provided with a shelf 20 and a plurality of storage boxes 21 for storing frozen food.

In addition, the door 12 is formed with an ice discharge port 22 which communicates with the inside of the freezer compartment 11 to guide the discharge of ice so that the ice inside the ice storage container 17 can be taken out without opening the door 12. Inside the freezing chamber 11 is provided with an ice conveying device 23 for transferring the ice of the ice reservoir 17 toward the ice discharge port (22). At this time, the front of the door 12 is formed with an ice storage space 25 recessed inward to facilitate receiving the ice discharged through the ice discharge port 22, the outlet of the ice discharge port 22 in the storage space 25 At the same time opening and closing the ice discharge port opening and closing device 30 for operating the conveying device 23 in the freezer compartment 11 is installed.

Referring to Figure 3, the ice discharge opening and closing device 30 is a stopper 40 is rotatably mounted on the outlet side of the ice discharge port 22, the operation of the stopper 40 to open and close the ice discharge port 22 And a discharge lever 50. In addition, in front of the discharge lever 50, a scattering prevention cover 60 for preventing the scattering of ice to be discharged is provided. And one side of the stopper 40 is a characteristic configuration of the present invention, even if the release lever 50 is released, the closing to delay the closing operation of the stopper 40 while the ice in the ice discharge port 22 is completely discharged A delay stage is provided. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part of the ice outlet opening and closing device will be described in detail.

The stopper 40 is coupled to the upper end is rotatable back and forth to the top of the ice discharge port (22). To this end, both sides of the stopper 40 are upwardly extended, and a connecting member 41 having an axial coupling hole 41a formed thereon is provided at an upper end thereof, and the connecting member 41 is rotatable on an upper portion of the ice discharge port 22. The support bracket 42 is fixed to support it. At this time, the support bracket 42 is fixed to the inner surface 25a of the ice receiving space 25 through the fixing screw 42a, and the hinge hole corresponding to the shaft coupling hole 41a of the connecting member 41 at both ends thereof. The support part 42b in which 42c was formed is provided. The rod-shaped hinge shaft 43 is fitted into the hinge hole 42c of the support part 42b and the shaft coupling hole 41a of the connecting member 41 to interconnect them. In addition, the torsion coil spring 44 is installed on the hinge shaft 43 so as to keep the stopper 40 closed. The torsion coil spring 44 has one end in a state of being fitted to the outer surface of the hinge shaft 43. It is supported by the inner surface of the support bracket 42 and the other end is supported by the back surface of the stopper 40, thereby providing a closing force to the stopper 40. In addition, reference numeral 46 denotes a locking piece for allowing the stopper 40 to open in conjunction with the discharge lever 50, which will be described later.

The discharge lever 50 has a pressing portion 52 that extends long to the lower end of the semi-circular upper support part 51 surrounding the stopper 40, and a rotating shaft protruding outwards on both lower ends of the upper support part 51. 53). And the rotation shaft 53 is rotatably coupled to the shaft fixing portion 54 provided on both sides of the lower end of the ice discharge port (22). In addition, the inner upper end of the upper support portion 51 is formed with a locking projection 55 protruding inward so that the stopper 40 can be opened during the operation of the discharge lever 50. At this time, the locking projection 55 is configured to be caught by the locking piece 46 extending outward from both sides of the connecting member 41 of the stopper 40. And the ice shatterproof cover 60 coupled to the front of the discharge lever 50 is fitted to the fixing projections 56 whose both ends protrude from both outer surfaces of the upper support (51).

 The closing delay means is fixed to the support shaft 71 protruding from one side of the stopper 40 and the inner surface 25a of the ice storage space 25 so as to support the support shaft 71, and moves forward and backward. And a solenoid drive 70 having a rod 72. At this time, the support shaft 71 is formed of a rod-shaped projection extending in the lateral direction from the outer surface of the connecting member 41 extending upward from the rear surface of the stopper 40. And the operating rod 72 of the solenoid drive unit 70 extends long toward the support shaft 71 of the stopper 40, the tip is fitted to the support shaft 71 so that rotation is possible. At this time, the tip of the operating rod 72 is formed in a ring shape to be fitted to the support shaft (71).

Such a configuration is that the support shaft 71 provided on the upper end of the discharge lever 50 is provided on one side of the stopper 40 so that the stopper 40 remains open regardless of the return operation of the discharge lever 50. In order to prevent damage to the support shaft 71 and the operating rod 72 due to the excessive return operation of the discharge lever 50.

Although the solenoid drive unit 70 is not shown in the drawings, it is configured to retreat back and forth the operating rod 72 protruding to the outside using a conventional electronic solenoid, the control operation of the refrigerator control unit (not shown) provided separately To be controlled by In addition, the refrigerator control unit is to maintain the protruding state of the operating rod 72 of the solenoid drive unit 70 for a predetermined time even if the pressing of the discharge lever 50 is released, so that the capping operation of the stopper 40 is delayed. do. And after a certain time elapses, the solenoid drive unit 70 should pull the operating rod 72 to close the stopper 40.

The following describes the opening and closing operation of the ice discharge port opening and closing device according to the present invention configured as described above.

As shown in Figure 4, the usual stopper 40 is kept closed by the elasticity of the torsional coil spring (44). In this state, when the user presses the lower end of the pressing portion 52 of the discharge lever 50, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge lever 50 rotates about the rotation shaft 53. When the discharge lever 50 rotates, the locking protrusion 55 protruding from the inner surface of the upper end of the discharge lever 50 pushes the locking piece 46 protruding to both sides of the connection member 41 of the stopper 40 forward. . Therefore, the stopper 40 is opened while rotating around the hinge shaft 43 of the upper portion. At this time, since the support shaft 71 provided on one side of the stopper 40 moves forward, the operating rod 72 of the solenoid drive unit 70 is pulled forward.

In addition, the stopper 40 is opened by the rotation of the discharge lever 50, and at the same time, the back of the pressing portion 52 of the discharge lever 50 presses the operation switch 27 which slightly protrudes into the inner surface 25a of the storage space. Ice is discharged to the ice discharge port 22 by applying an ice discharge signal to the transfer device 23 inside the refrigerator storage chamber 11.

When the ejecting lever 50 is released after the appropriate amount of ice is discharged, as shown in FIG. 6, the back surface of the ejecting lever 50 is spaced apart from the operation switch 27 and at the same time the ice conveying apparatus inside the storage compartment ( 23) The operation stops. And the stopper 40 is to be closed again by the elasticity of the torsion coil spring (44). However, because the operating rod 72 of the solenoid drive unit 70 supports the support shaft 71 connected to the stopper 40, the stopper 40 remains open for a while even after the operation of the ice feeder 23 ends. By doing so, the ice that did not escape from the ice discharge port 22 is discharged. At this time, since the discharge lever 50 maintains the free state irrelevant to the operation of the stopper 40, even if the user forcibly returns the discharge lever 50, It is possible to prevent breakage. Then, after a certain time elapses, when the solenoid drive unit 70 is operated, the stopper 40 is closed while the operating rod 72 is pulled out.

As described above in detail, the ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator according to the present invention is connected to the support shaft provided on one side of the solenoid drive unit, the operation of the discharge lever is free, the user forcibly returns the discharge lever Even if it is possible to prevent the damage of the operating rod and the support shaft coupled to the solenoid drive unit.

Claims (3)

A stopper one side of which is rotatably mounted around the ice discharge port so as to open and close the outlet of the ice discharge port formed in the door, and a pressing part which is hinged to the exit side of the ice discharge port so as to open and close the stopper and extends downwardly. In the ice discharge port opening and closing apparatus of the refrigerator having a discharge lever having a and a solenoid drive unit for maintaining the opening of the stopper for a predetermined time even after the release of the discharge lever to release the ice in the ice discharge port completely, And one side of the solenoid drive unit directly supports one side of the stopper so that the opening of the stopper can be maintained regardless of the returning operation of the discharge lever. The method of claim 1, The solenoid drive unit is provided with an operating rod for moving forward and backward, the ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator, characterized in that the tip of the operating rod is rotatably coupled to the support shaft protruding from one side of the stopper. The method of claim 2, The support shaft is formed of a rod-like projection projecting outwardly from the stopper, the tip of the operating rod is an ice discharge port opening and closing device of the refrigerator, characterized in that the annular shape for receiving the support shaft rotatably.

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