JPH0593565A - Automatic ice making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce ice having a high degree of transparency by a method wherein a vibration energy is set high when an ice making speed determined by a heating amount applied from an upper part of an ice making pan and by a cooling amount applied from a lower part of the ice making pan and in turn when the ice making speed is slow, the vibration energy is set low. CONSTITUTION:A stepping motor starts to rotate in concurrent with a production of ice from a lower part of an ice making pan. Its rotation is transmitted by a rotary shaft 33 and a cam 32 is rotated. Once the cam 32 is rotated, an ice making pan 13 is reciprocated. As the ice is being made, the gaseous substances resolved in water are discharged into non-freezed water. However, the ice making pan is vibrated by the stepping motor 31, so that dispersion of the gaseous substances is promoted, not caught by the produced ice, but ice having a high degree of transparency is produced. Vibration energy applied is required to be varied in response to an ice making speed defined by a heating amount given to an upper part of the ice making pan and the cooling amount given from the lower part of the ice making pan. If the speed is fast, the vibration energy is increased and the gaseous substances are promoted in their dispersion with the result that the transparent ice can be obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device provided in a refrigerator and capable of automatically producing highly transparent ice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of an automatic ice making device conventionally used in a domestic refrigerator is shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 54-17139, which will be described with reference to FIGS.

A refrigerator body 4 is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3 and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. Reference numeral 5 is a partition wall that divides the inside of the refrigerator body 1 into upper and lower parts, and forms a freezing compartment 6 in the upper part and a refrigerating compartment 7 in the lower part.

Reference numeral 8 is a cooler of the refrigeration cycle provided on the back surface of the freezing compartment 6, and 9 is a blower for forcedly ventilating the cool air cooled by the cooler 8 into the freezing compartment 6 and the refrigerating compartment 7.

Next, 10 is an automatic ice-making machine provided in the freezer compartment 6, which includes a drive unit 11 having a motor, a reduction gear group (not shown) and the like, and a support shaft 12 connected and fixed to the central portion. The ice tray 13 and the frame 14 for supporting the ice tray 12 by the drive unit 11 are constituted.

Reference numeral 15 is a stopper provided in a part of the outer shell of the drive unit 11 for straining and deforming the ice tray 13 to perform ice making, and 16 is abutting against the stopper 15. It is a backing plate attached on the ice tray 13. Reference numeral 17 denotes an ice storage box provided below the automatic ice making machine 10.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a water supply tank for storing ice making water, which is detachably provided on one surface of the refrigerating compartment 7. 19 is a water supply port of the water supply tank 18,
It is opened and closed by the valve 20. 21 is the water supply tank 18
Is a water storage tray provided below the water supply port 19 and is configured such that when the water supply tank 18 is set with the water supply port 19 facing downward, the valve 20 is pushed up to open the water supply port 19. There is. Reference numeral 22 is a water supply pump for pumping the water received in the ice storage tray 21, and 23 is connected to the water supply pump 22 so that its outlet faces the ice tray 13 of the automatic ice making machine 10. It is a water supply pipe provided.

In this structure, when the water tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 20 is pushed up to open the water supply port 19 and the ice tray 21 is filled with water. .. After that, the filled water is pumped up by the water supply pump 22 and poured into the ice tray 13 through the water supply pipe 23. In this way, the water filled in the ice tray 13 by a predetermined amount is frozen by the cooling action in the freezer compartment 6 to form ice, and when the ice making ends, the ice tray 13 is rotated by the driving device 11 so that the support shaft 12 When the contact plate 16 contacts the stopper 15, the ice tray 13 is distorted and deformed, and the ice in the ice tray 13 is released. Further, the released ice falls into the ice storage box 17 and is stored therein, and the ice tray 13 which has completed the ice removing operation is returned to the original state by the reverse rotation operation of the drive device 11 again. After that, this operation is repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up to automatically perform ice making and ice storage.

[0009]

However, according to such an ice making method, the ice tray 13 when ice is produced is formed.
The freezing of the water inside proceeds from the contact surface between the ice tray 13 and water and the contact surface between cold air and water to the central portion, so that the gas components dissolved in the water are confined in the central portion of the ice. As a result, there is a problem in that the central portion becomes opaque ice with a cloudiness in the central portion, and the ice does not become sensually suitable for beverages such as whiskey.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic ice making device capable of producing ice with high transparency.

[0011]

According to the present invention, water supplied from a water supply device is stored in an ice tray to make ice, and after ice making, a drive mechanism rotates the ice tray around a support shaft to turn it upside down. In an automatic ice making device configured to remove ice, a lid configured by a heater for heating the upper portion of the ice tray and a heat insulating material, and a cooling unit configured to be cooled mainly from the lower portion of the ice tray, The ice tray comprises a vibration imparting means for moving the shaft of the ice tray and vibrating the ice tray at the time of ice making, and an ice making speed determined by a heating amount from the ice tray upper portion and a cooling amount from the ice tray lower portion When the speed is high, the vibration energy is increased, and when the speed is low, the vibration energy is decreased.

[0012]

By heating from the upper portion of the ice tray and cooling from the lower portion of the ice tray, ice is generated from the lower portion of the ice tray and grows to the upper portion to finally form the water surface. At the same time, if the ice tray is vibrated by the vibration imparting means, the air contained in the water will rise above the water surface. Here, if the ice-making speed determined by the heating amount from the ice-making tray upper portion and the cooling amount from the ice-making tray lower portion is fast, the vibration energy is increased, and if it is slow, the ice-making speed is decreased. Even if the ice making speed changes, it is possible to make stable and transparent ice.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the same components as those of the related art are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an automatic ice maker provided in the freezer compartment 6, which is an ice tray 13 to which a drive unit and a support shaft 12 are connected and fixed, a frame 14 for supporting the ice tray 12 by the drive unit 11, and the like. 24 is a heat insulating lid provided on the top of the ice tray, and is composed of a plastic upper lid 25, an aluminum plate 26 having good heat conduction, a heater wire 27, and a heat insulating material 28.

Reference numeral 29 is a DC motor, which is a reduction gear group 30.
The rotation is transmitted to the support shaft 12. Reference numeral 34 is a vibration applying means, 31 is a stepping motor, and a cam 32 is attached to a rotation shaft 33 thereof. A coil spring 35 is attached so as to pull the support shaft 12 in the direction of arrow a. Reference numeral 36 denotes a cool air discharge air passage, which is configured to guide cool air to the lower portion of the ice tray 13.

In such a structure, when the water supply tank 18 is set by the user, the valve 20 is pushed up to open the water supply port 19 and the water receiving tray 21 is filled with water. After that, the filled water is pumped up by the water supply pump 22 and poured into the ice tray 13 through the water supply pipe 23.

The water thus filled in the ice tray 13 with a predetermined amount is cooled from the lower portion by the cool air guided by the cool air discharge air passage 34. At the same time, the heater 27 is energized to heat from the water surface via the heating plate 26. Therefore, ice is generated from the bottom of the ice tray. Further, at the same time, the stepping motor starts rotating. (Eg 15 rpm)
The rotation is transmitted by the rotation shaft 33 and the cam 32 rotates.
When the cam 32 rotates once, the ice tray 13 is reciprocated once.

The gas component dissolved in water is discharged to the upper unfrozen water as the ice formation proceeds, but the ice tray is vibrated by the stepping motor 31 so that the gas component is promoted to diffuse and generated. A more transparent ice will be generated without being supplemented by the ice and the appropriate vibration energy to be applied will be shown in the heater 27 above the ice tray.
The ice-making speed (in other words, the speed at which the freezing surface advances) determined by the amount of heat given from the
It is necessary to change according to

According to the experiment, if the ice making speed is fast, the vibration energy is increased to promote the diffusion of the gas component, so that the transparent ice can be produced. FIG. 5 describes the detailed experiment.

In the experiment, a vibration having an amplitude of 2 mm and a sine wave was applied and the frequency was changed. For example, it is necessary to give a frequency of 5 (or more) to the ice making speed of 4 mm / h. That is, the appropriate vibration energy is not constant, but if it is changed according to the speed of ice making, transparent ice can always be obtained.

After a certain period of time elapses, after the water tank 52 filled with water in the water tank 55 is set by the user, these series of steps are automatically performed until the water in the water tank 55 is used up. Repeatedly makes transparent ice.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The water in the ice tray is cooled from below by cold air.
At the same time, the upper heater of the ice tray is energized and heated, and ice is generated from the lower portion of the ice tray. As the ice formation progresses, the gas components dissolved in water are discharged to the upper unfrozen water,
The vibration imparting means for vibrating the ice making tray promotes diffusion of the gas component and produces ice with high transparency without being supplemented by the ice produced.

(2) The vibration energy applied to the ice making tray is not constant but is changed as the ice making speed increases, so that the transparent ice is always obtained reliably by changing it according to the ice making speed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of an automatic ice making device for a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the horizontal plane of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 at the water surface.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a refrigerator including the automatic ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the frequency required for making transparent ice.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator including an automatic ice making device showing a conventional example.

7 is an enlarged perspective view of the automatic ice making device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 rotating shaft 13 ice tray 24 heat insulating lid 26 heater 28 heat insulating material 34 vibration imparting means 36 cold air discharge air passage 41 drive device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic system for storing water supplied from a water supply device in an ice tray to make ice, and after ice making, the drive mechanism rotates the ice tray around a support shaft to turn it upside down to remove ice. In the ice making device, a lid configured by a heater for heating the upper portion of the ice making tray and a heat insulating material, a cooling unit configured to be cooled mainly from the lower portion of the ice making tray, and the ice making tray as the shaft portion. The ice making tray is made to move and the ice making tray is vibrated during ice making, and the ice making speed determined by the heating amount from the upper portion of the ice making tray and the cooling amount from the lower portion of the ice making tray.
An automatic ice-making device comprising: a vibration applying means for increasing the vibration energy when the speed is high and decreasing the vibration energy when the speed is low.