JPH03137467A - Automatic ice making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make ice having a high degree of transparency and a high degree of purity by a method wherein as a predetermined amount of water is supplied into an ice making pan, a freezing is carried out from a water surface with cold air within a cooling chamber in concurrent with a thermal insulating action by a thermal insulating tank and a heating action of a heater applied from a lower surface of it and then ice crystals are produced. CONSTITUTION:As water is supplied by a water supplying pump 22 into one location of a small segment of an ice making pan 33, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to other small segments through a communicating groove. Then, cold air cooled at a cooling device 8 by an air blower 9 is forcedly aerated onto a water surface of the ice making pan 33 through an aeration passage 60. A metallic plate at a bottom surface is heated by a heater 32 arranged at a bottom surface within a thermal insulating tank 28. An outer periphery of the ice making pan 33 is covered or enclosed by a thermal insulating material within the thermal insulating tank 28 so as to restrict a cooling action given from the surrounding atmosphere. A freezing action advances in one direction from an upper part to a lower part of the ice making pan 33 and in the event that a freezing speed is properly slow, gaseous substance resolved in water or various impurities contained in it are drive out of the ice crystal and discharged into non-freezed water. Thus, the ices formed in sequence become ices having a quite high degree of transparency and a high degree of purity with a less amount of impurities.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice-making device that is installed in a refrigerator and is particularly capable of automatically producing transparent ice.

2. Description of the Related Art An example of an automatic ice making device that has been conventionally adopted in some home refrigerators is shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 17139/1983, and the conventional example will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. do.

1 is the refrigerator itself, and 2 is the outer box. It is composed of an inner box 3 and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. Reference numeral 6 denotes a partition wall that divides the inside of the refrigerator main body 1 into upper and lower sections, and a freezer compartment 6. A refrigerating chamber 7 is defined in the lower part.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a cooler of a refrigeration cycle provided on the back side of the freezer compartment 6, and 9 is a blower for forcing the cold air cooled by the cooler 8 into the freezer compartment 6 and the refrigerator compartment 7.

Next, 10 is an automatic ice maker provided in the freezer compartment 6,
A drive device 11 containing a motor, a group of reduction gears (not shown), etc. An ice tray 13 with a support shaft 12 connected and fixed in the center.
It is composed of a frame 14 and the like for pivotally supporting the ice making tray 12 on the driving device 11. Note that 15 is a stopper provided on a part of the outer shell of the drive device 11 in order to distort and deform the ice tray 13 to remove ice;
is a backing plate attached to the ice tray 13 so as to come into contact with the stopper 16. Further, 17 is the automatic ice making machine 1
This is a water storage box provided below the o.

18 is a water tank for storing water for ice making;
It is detachably provided on one side of the refrigerator compartment 7. Also 19
is a water supply port of the water supply tank 18, which is opened and closed by a valve 20. 21 is a water storage tray provided below the water supply port 19 of the water supply tank 18, and when the water supply tank 18 is set with the water supply port 19 facing downward, the valve 20 is pushed up and the water supply port 19 is opened. It is configured so that Further, 22Vi is a water supply pump for pumping water received in the water 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 maker 10. This is the water supply pipe installed.

In this configuration, when the water supply tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 20 is pushed up, the water supply port 19 is opened, and the water storage tray 21 is filled with water. After that, the filled water is transferred to the water supply pump 22
The water is pumped up and poured into the ice tray 13 via the water supply pipe 23.

In this way, a predetermined amount of water is poured into the ice cube tray 13 into the freezer compartment θ.
The cooling effect within the container causes it to freeze, producing ice. When ice making is completed, the ice making tray 13 rotates in reverse around the support shaft 12 due to the rotational action of the drive device 11, and as the backing plate 16 comes into contact with the stopper 16, the ice making tray 13 is distorted and deformed. The ice within 13 is released. Further, the ice that has been released falls into the water storage box 17 and is stored therein, and the ice tray 13 whose ice removal action has been completed is returned to the drive device 11.
It returns to its original state by the reverse rotation action.

Thereafter, this action is repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up, thereby automatically making ice and storing water.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with such an ice making method, the freezing of the water in the ice tray 13 when ice is generated is caused by the contact surface between the ice tray 13 and the water and the contact between the cold air and the water. As it progresses from the contact surface to the center, gaseous components, soluble salts, and insoluble impurities dissolved in the water are trapped in the center of the ice, resulting in a cloudy, opaque center. However, there was a problem in that the purity of the ice was still low and the taste was not good, and the ice was not sensually suitable for drinks such as whisky.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an automatic ice making device that can produce highly transparent and highly pure ice.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, an automatic ice making device such as a refrigerator according to the present invention is provided in a heat insulating tank provided in one section of the cooling chamber, the top surface of which is open, and a heater provided at the bottom of the inner surface. A driving device is provided for superimposing the ice making tray and rotating the ice making tray and a draining tray arranged in parallel about their respective support shafts. A drain tray and a drain pipe connected to it are installed below the drain tray, and a water tank, a water storage tray and a water pump to receive this water are installed outside the cooling chamber, and the water supply pipe is guided to the top of the ice making tray to make ice. It is constructed by forming a water flow groove projecting toward the drainage tray at the top of one end of the tray.

According to the above-described structure, when a predetermined amount of water in the water tank is supplied into the ice tray via the water storage tray and the water supply pipe, the water is heated by the heat insulating effect of the heat insulating tank and the heating effect of the heater from the bottom. The cold air in the cooling chamber causes a unidirectional freezing effect from the ice surface downwards, and ice crystals are formed while gaseous components and impurities in the water are discharged into the water below. Next, when the drive device is activated when the ice reaches an appropriate thickness, the ice making tray rotates and reverses to remove the ice, causing the ice to fall onto the draining tray, increasing the concentration of gas components and impurities. The unfrozen water passes through the water outlet integrated into the ice cube tray and is separated and
The water is drained and drained through the drain pan and drain pipe below.

Next, when the draining tray loaded with ice is rotated and reversed by the driving device, highly transparent and pure ice falls into the water storage box and is stored therein.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an automatic ice making apparatus such as a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

Incidentally, the same components as those in the prior art are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

24 is a partition wall containing a heat insulating material 26 inside, and a freezer compartment 26. A refrigerating chamber 27 is defined in the lower part. 2
Reference numeral 8 denotes a concave-shaped heat insulating tank with an open top surface, which is placed on the partition wall 24, and includes an outer frame 29 made of resin, a metal plate 3° (for example, an aluminum plate) placed on the bottom of the concave portion, and the outer frame. 2
9. A heat insulating material 31 surrounded by a metal plate 3o, and the metal plate 3
It is composed of a heater 32 that is thermally conductively fixed to the back surface of the o. Reference numeral 33 denotes an ice tray whose outer shape is formed to overlap with the inner surface of the heat insulating tank 28, and an ice tray 33, which has a small section 34, a partition frame 35 that partitions this small section 34, and an ice tray formed on this partition frame to communicate between the small sections 34. The communication groove 36 and the water flow groove 37
It is made up of. Reference numeral 37 designates a grid-shaped draining tray arranged in parallel with the ice tray 33, a first support shaft 39 is connected to one end of the ice tray 33, and a second support shaft 4o is connected to one end of the drain tray 38. Fixed. 41 is the first support shaft 38. This is a drive device that rotates the second support shaft 40 to rotate the ice tray 33 and draining tray 38, and has a motor, a group of reduction gears, etc. (not shown) built therein. 42
The ice tray 33 and draining tray 38 are connected to the drive device 41 on the first support shaft 39. This is a frame for pivotal support via a second support shaft 4o. 43.44 is a stopper provided on a part of the outer shell of the drive device 41; 45.
Reference numeral 46 indicates the ice tray 33 so as to come into contact with the stoppers 43 and 44 when the ice tray 33 and the drain tray 38 are inverted.
and a backing plate attached to the draining plate 38, respectively. next,
Reference numeral 47 indicates a drain plate provided below the drain plate 38, and 48 indicates a drain pipe connected to the drain plate 47.
9.50 are arranged in a thermally conductive manner. Further, 51 is a water storage box provided adjacent to the drain tray 47 below the drain tray 38 when it is in an inverted position. Further, the drain pipe 48 passes through the heat insulating material 26 of the partition wall 24 and the heat insulating material 4 of the main body 1, and communicates with a machine room 62 provided at the bottom of the main body 1. And 63 is an evaporator, which includes a heating plate 66 to which a high-temperature, high-pressure heating tube 56 piped from the compressor 64 of the refrigeration cycle is closely attached, and an evaporating plate 57 placed on the heating plate 66.
It is composed of Further, 68 is a water conduit pipe connected to the outlet of the drain pipe 48 for guiding water into the inside of the evaporating dish 67.

On the other hand, 59 is a water supply pipe for supplying water temporarily stored in the water storage tray 21 from the water supply tank 18 to the ice making tray 33 using the water supply pump 22, one end of which is connected to the water supply pump 22, and the other end of which is connected to the water supply pump 22. It is opened so as to face the top surface of the ice tray 33. Further, 60 is a ventilation passage located in the freezer compartment 26 and for guiding cold air to the upper surface of the ice tray 33;
detects the temperature inside the freezer compartment 26 and operates the blower 9. This is a temperature control device that controls operation and stop of the compressor 64.

In this configuration, when the water supply tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 2o is pushed up, the water supply port 19 is opened, and the water storage tray 21 is filled with water. After that, the filled water is transferred to the water supply pump 22
The water is pumped up by the water pipe 59, and water starts to be supplied to the ice tray 33 via the water supply pipe 59. When water is supplied to one of the small sections 34 of the ice tray 33, a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the other small sections 34 through the communication groove 36.
2). This state is shown in FIG. 3, where the draining tray 38 is in an inverted position away from the draining tray 47.

In this state, the cold air cooled by the cooler 8 is forcedly ventilated by the blower 9 onto the ice surface of the ice tray 33 through the ventilation path 6o, thereby starting a cooling action. At the same time, the heating action of the heater 32 disposed on the bottom of the heat insulating tank 28 is started, and the metal plate 3o on the bottom is heated. Also, ice tray 33
The outer periphery of the ice cube tray 33 is surrounded by a heat insulating material 31 inside the heat insulating tank 28, which suppresses the cooling effect from the outer periphery of the ice tray 33.
It progresses in one direction from above to below.

For this reason, if the freezing speed is appropriately slowed down (for example, 6
mm/h) As ice formation progresses, gaseous components dissolved in the water and various impurities contained are precipitated outside the ice crystals and discharged into the unfrozen water below. In this way, the ice that is produced sequentially over time has extremely high transparency and is highly pure ice with few impurities. Then, as the predetermined cooling time elapses, ice of a required appropriate thickness (for example, 26 cubes) is generated. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the state diagram shows a state in which highly transparent and pure ice coexists in the upper part of each small section 34 of the ice tray 33, and unfrozen water with reduced purity coexists in the lower part. It has become.

In this state, the drive device 41 operates to move the first support shaft 39. The second support shaft 40 starts rotating, and first the draining tray 38 is reversed and set above the draining tray 47, then the ice tray 33 rotates and leaves the insulation tank 28, and the draining tray 38 that was set earlier is set above the draining tray 47. It is inverted to a position close to the plate 38 so as to overlap above it. At the same time, the heater 3 in the insulation tank 28
The heating action of 2 is stopped. Then, the backing plate 46 fixed to the ice tray 33 comes into contact with the stopper 43 provided on the drive device 41, and by applying rotational force to the drive device 41 or the ice tray 33, the ice tray 33 is distorted and deformed. At the same time as the ice in the small sections 34 is released, most of the ice in each small section 34 passes through the water grooves 37 formed in the ice tray 33 and drains into the drain tray 47, and the ice is placed on the drain tray 38. Fall.

In addition, since the draining plate 38 is formed in a lattice shape and most of the through holes are occupied, even in the unlikely event that water does not accumulate on the draining plate 38, it will fall into the draining plate 4A, and the water will be separated. be done. That is, only ice with high transparency and purity is left on the draining tray 38. This state is shown in FIG. On the other hand, drain plate 4
The unfrozen water that has fallen into the pipe 7 is passed through the drain pipe 48 to the water conduit pipe 5.
8, the water is drained into the evaporating pan 67 of the evaporator 63 in the machine room 62.

Thereafter, the water drained into the evaporating dish 57 is evaporated by the heating action of the heating plate 6e that is brought into close contact with the heating tube 6S through which the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor 64 flows. In addition, the drain plate 47. In order to prevent the running water from freezing in the drain pipe 48, appropriate heating is performed by heaters 49,60.

On the other hand, since the ice thus left has moisture attached to a portion of its surface, it is cooled and dried as it is for a suitable period of time. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the drive device 41 is operated again to rotate the first support shaft 38° and the second support shaft 40, and first the ice tray 33 is rotated and set in the heat insulating tank 28. On the other hand, the draining plate 38 is inverted from the top of the draining plate 47 and the backing plate 4 is fixed to the draining plate 38 above the water storage box 51.
6 comes into contact with a stopper 44 provided on the drive device 41.

Then, as the drive device 41 further applies rotational force to the draining tray 38, the draining tray 38 is distorted and deformed, and the ice placed on the draining tray 38 is released and placed in the ice storage box 61 provided below. falls and is stored as ice. This state is shown in FIG.

In this way, after the water supply tank 18 is set by the user, these series of steps are automatically repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up.

As a result, only a large amount of highly transparent and highly pure ice is stored in the water storage box 51, and the user can produce extremely sensually excellent ice for eating and drinking with almost no effort. It can be used at any time.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, by separating unfrozen water containing gaseous components and impurities discharged as ice continues to form, highly transparent and pure ice is kept in the water storage box. Since a large amount of water is automatically stored, the user can use ice, which is very sensually excellent for drinking and drinking, at any time.

On the other hand, as an ice-making system, by moving most of the unfrozen water to the drainage tray without passing through the draining tray, the heating efficiency of the heater that prevents water from flowing into the drainage tray and freezing is good, and the capacity can be reduced. It becomes possible. Further, unfrozen water during rotation does not flow into the back surface of the ice tray, making it possible to provide highly reliable ice making function.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts of an automatic ice-making device such as a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with the automatic ice-making device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. A cross-sectional view showing the state in which water is supplied to the automatic ice making device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the automatic ice making device shown in Fig.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which ice making has progressed from the state shown in Figure 4. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which ice has been removed and water has separated from the state shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which ice has been separated from the state shown in Figure 6. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice-making device showing a conventional example, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts of the automatic ice-making device shown in FIG. 7. . 18... Water supply tank, 21... Water storage tray, 22... Water supply pump, 26... Freezer room (cooling room), 28...・Insulation tank, 32...
... Heater, 33 ... Ice tray, 37 ...
・Running groove, 38...Draining plate, 39...
First support shaft, 40...Second support shaft, 41.
... Drive device, 47 ... Drain pan, 48.
...Drain pipe, 51...Ice storage box, 69...
・Water supply pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a heat insulating tank with an open top surface provided in one section of the cooling chamber; a heater disposed around the bottom of the inner surface of the heat insulating tank; an ice tray that overlaps the inner surface from the opening of the heat insulating tank; and the ice tray. a first support shaft connected and fixed to one end; a draining tray installed in parallel with the ice tray; a second support shaft connected and fixed to one end of the draining tray; a drive device that rotates the ice tray and rotates the draining tray about the second support shaft; a draining tray provided below the draining tray;
a drain pipe connected to the drain tray, a water storage box provided adjacent to the drain tray, and a water supply tank provided outside the cooling chamber;
Consisting of a water storage tray that stores water from the water tank, a water pump that pumps up the water in the water storage tray, and a water supply pipe connected to the water pump and led to the top surface of the ice tray,
An automatic ice-making device comprising: a water groove projecting toward the drainage tray formed at the top of one end of the ice-making tray.