Patent Application
20190331382
This application claims the priority benefits of Japan Patent Application No. 2018-083738, filed on Apr. 25, 2018. The entirety of each of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
At least an embodiment of the present invention relates to an ice maker that supplies water from a water supply mechanism to an ice making tray to store water therein to make ice, and a control method for an ice maker.
An ice maker installed in a refrigerator is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-155926. The ice maker in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-155926 includes an ice making tray, a driving unit configured to rotate the ice making tray around a predetermined axis, and a water supply mechanism configured to supply water to the ice making tray. The driving unit includes a motor as a drive source, a rotation transmission mechanism configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor, a cam gear to which the rotational force of the motor is transmitted by the rotation transmission mechanism, and a casing configured to house these components. The cam gear is shaped integrally with an output shaft. The output shaft protrudes from the casing and is connected to the ice making tray. The driving unit flips the ice making tray from a water storage position where its opening faces upward to an ice removal position where the opening faces downward, and vice versa. The ice maker stores water supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray in the water storage position to make ice. If the ice making is completed, the ice maker rotates the ice making tray to reach the ice removal position and drops the ices downward.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-197119 describes a water supply adjusting device capable of setting a water supply time of water to be supplied to an ice making tray. The water supply adjusting device includes a setting switch configured to set the water supply time, a display panel configured to display the set water supply time, and a control unit configured to drive a water supply valve configured to open and close the water channel of a water supply mechanism. The setting switch and the display panel are provided in a refrigerator. If the water supply time is set based on the operation on the setting switch, the control unit opens the water supply valve for the set water supply time for supplying water. Here, the water supply time is set according to the water pressure of the water flowing through the water channel. By setting the water supply time, even if the water pressure of the water flowing through the water channel is high or low, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the ice making tray from the water supply mechanism.
PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-155926
PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-197119
It is conceivable to configure the water supply adjustment device to be included in the ice maker. However, providing the display panel for confirming the set water supply time in the ice maker results in increased manufacturing cost.
In view of the above problems, at least an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an ice maker capable of confirming a set water supply time without providing a display panel, and a control method of the ice maker.
An ice maker of at least an embodiment of the present invention includes an ice making tray; a driving unit configured to flip the ice making tray around a predetermined axis from a water storage position where an opening faces upward to an ice removal position where the opening faces downward, and vice versa; a control unit configured to drive a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the ice making tray to supply water to the ice making tray in the water storage position and configured to drive the driving unit to cause the ice making tray to reach the ice removal position from the water storage position to remove made ice from the ice making tray; and a setting switch configured to set a water supply time of water to be supplied to the ice making tray, wherein the control unit includes a water supply time setting unit configured to set the water supply time to a first water supply time or a second water supply time different from the first water supply time based on an operation on the setting switch, and a setting confirmation unit configured to perform a setting confirmation operation in which the driving unit is driven to swing the ice making tray in a first form if the water supply time is set to the first water supply time, and the driving unit is driven to swing the ice making tray in a second form different from the first form if the water supply time is set to the second water supply time.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, if the water supply time of water to be supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray by the operation on the setting switch is set to the first water supply time, the ice making tray swings in the first form. Further, if the water supply time of water to be supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray is set to the second water supply time by the operation on the setting switch, the ice making tray swings in the second form. Therefore, an operator who has set the water supply time can visually confirm the form in which the ice making tray swings, thereby confirming which water supply time has been set. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a display panel on the ice maker to confirm the set water supply time. Further, since the ice maker includes the driving unit configured to rotate the ice making tray, there is no need to additionally provide a mechanism for swinging (rotating) the ice making tray to confirm the set water supply time. Therefore, even if a mechanism for confirming the set water supply time is provided in the ice maker, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the ice maker can be suppressed.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, in the first form, the ice making tray can swing a first number of times, and in the second form, the ice making tray can swing a second number of times different from the first number of times. In this way, the set water supply time can be confirmed based on the number of times the ice making tray swings.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, in the first form, the ice making tray can swing by a first angle, and in the second form, the ice making tray can swing by a second angle different from the first angle. In this way, the set water supply time can be confirmed based on the angle by which the ice making tray swings.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that in the setting confirmation operation, an angle by which the ice making tray swings around the axis is smaller than an angle between the water storage position and the ice removal position around the axis. In this way, the setting confirmation operation can be performed in a short time.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that there is provided a changeover switch for switching an operation mode between an ice making mode for making ice and a setting mode for setting the water supply time, and the water supply time setting unit sets the water supply time if the operation mode is the setting mode. In this way, if the setting switch is operated by mistake during ice making, the water supply time is set and the setting confirmation operation is performed, thereby preventing the ice making tray from swinging.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that there is provided a power switch configured to turn on a power source, wherein the changeover switch includes the power switch and the setting switch, and if the power source is turned on by a simultaneous operation on the power switch and the setting switch, the ice maker is activated in the setting mode. In this way, it is possible to avoid switching the operation mode of the ice maker from the ice making mode to the setting mode, for example, if the setting switch is operated by mistake during ice making.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, the setting switch may be a push button type switch, and if the setting switch is further depressed until a predetermined input reception time has elapsed from when the setting switch is depressed, the water supply time setting unit may count the number of times the setting switch is depressed until the predetermined input reception time has elapsed in a state of no depressing of the setting switch from when the setting switch is last depressed, and set the water supply time based on the counted number of times. In this way, the water supply time can be set based on the number of times the setting switch is depressed. Therefore, the water supply time can be easily set.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, if the setting switch is not depressed until a predetermined shift elapsed time has elapsed from when the operation mode is shifted from the ice making mode to the setting mode, the water supply time setting unit may make no change in the water supply time. In this way, it is not necessary to operate the setting switch, for example, if the ice maker enters the setting mode by mistake.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that the driving unit includes a casing configured to house a drive source of the driving unit, and the power switch and the setting switch are provided on a lower surface of the casing. In this way, it is possible to prevent or suppress the power switch and the setting switch from being operated by mistake by a user who uses the ice maker.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that the water supply mechanism includes a water channel through which water supplied to the ice making tray flows, and a valve configured to open and close the water channel, and the control unit includes a valve driving control unit configured to control driving of the valve, wherein the valve driving control unit drives the valve into an open state only for the water supply time set when water is stored in the ice making tray. In this way, water can be supplied to the ice making tray only for the set water supply time.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, the water supply mechanism may include a water channel through which water flows toward the ice making tray, and a valve configured to open and close the water channel, and the control unit may include a valve driving control unit configured to control driving of the valve, wherein the valve driving control unit can drive the valve into an open state only for the water supply time set when water is stored in the ice making tray. In this way, water can be supplied to the ice making tray only for the set water supply time.
Next, at least an embodiment of the present invention is a control method for an ice maker including an ice making tray and a driving unit configured to flip the ice making tray around a predetermined axis from a water storage position where an opening faces upward to an ice removal position where the opening faces downward, and vice versa, and a control unit configured to drive a water supply mechanism to supply water to the ice making tray in the water storage position to make ice, and to drive the driving unit to flip the ice making tray to cause the ice making tray to reach the ice removal position to remove the made ice, the method comprising: providing a setting switch configured to set a water supply time of water to be supplied to the ice making tray; setting the water supply time to a first water supply time or a second water supply time different from the first water supply time based on an operation on the setting switch; and performing a setting confirmation operation in which the ice making tray swings around the axis in a first form if the water supply time is set to the first water supply time, and the ice making tray swings around the axis in a second form different from the first form if the water supply time is set to the second water supply time.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, if the water supply time of water to be supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray by the operation on the setting switch is set to the first water supply time, the ice making tray swings in the first form. Further, if the water supply time of water to be supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray is set to the second water supply time by the operation on the setting switch, the ice making tray swings in the second form. Therefore, an operator who has set the water supply time can visually confirm the form in which the ice making tray swings, thereby confirming which water supply time has been set. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a display panel on the ice maker to confirm the set water supply time. Further, since the ice maker rotates the ice making tray to remove the made ice, it is not necessary to additionally provide a mechanism for swinging (rotating) the ice making tray to confirm the set water supply time. Therefore, even if a mechanism for confirming the set water supply time is provided in the ice maker, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the ice maker can be suppressed.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, in the first form, the ice making tray can swing a first number of times, and in the second form, the ice making tray can swing a second number of times different from the first number of times. In this way, the set water supply time can be confirmed based on the number of times the ice making tray swings.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, in the first form, the ice making tray can swing by a first angle, and in the second form, the ice making tray can swing by a second angle different from the first angle. In this way, the set water supply time can be confirmed based on the angle by which the ice making tray swings.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that in the setting confirmation operation, an angle by which the ice making tray swings around the axis is smaller than an angle between the water storage position and the ice removal position around the axis. In this way, the setting confirmation operation can be performed in a short time.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, a changeover switch for switching an operation mode between an ice making mode for making ice and a setting mode for setting the water supply time may be provided, and in a state where the operation mode is the setting mode by an operation on the changeover switch, if the setting switch is operated, the water supply time may be set based on the operation on the setting switch and the setting confirmation operation may be performed. In this way, it is possible to prevent the ice making tray from swinging by performing the setting confirmation operation during ice making.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided a power switch configured to turn on a power source, and there may be provided, as the changeover switch, the power switch and the setting switch, and if the power source is turned on by a simultaneous operation on the power switch and the setting switch, the ice maker may be activated in the setting mode. In this way, it is possible to prevent the operation mode from being inadvertently switched from the ice making mode to the setting mode.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided, as the setting switch, a push button type switch, and if the setting switch is further depressed until a predetermined input reception time has elapsed from when the setting switch is depressed, the number of times the setting switch is depressed may be counted until the predetermined input reception time has elapsed in a state of no depressing of the setting switch from when the setting switch is last depressed, and the water supply time may be set based on the counted number of times. In this way, the water supply time can be set based on the number of times the setting switch is depressed. Therefore, the water supply time can be easily set.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, if the setting switch is not depressed until a predetermined shift elapsed time has elapsed from when the operation mode is shifted from the ice making mode to the setting mode, no change in the setting of the water supply time may be made. In this way, it is not necessary to operate the setting switch, for example, if the ice maker enters the setting mode by mistake.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that the driving unit includes a casing configured to house a drive source of the driving unit, and the power switch and the setting switch are provided on a lower surface of the casing. In this way, it is possible to prevent or suppress the power switch and the setting switch from being operated by mistake by a user who uses the ice maker.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is desirable that the water supply mechanism includes a water channel through which water flows toward the ice making tray and a valve configured to open and close the water channel, and the valve is opened only for the set water supply time to store water into the ice making tray. In this way, water supplied for the set water supply time can be supplied to the ice making tray.
In at least an embodiment of the present invention, if the water supply time of water to be supplied from the water supply mechanism to the ice making tray by the operation on the setting switch is set, the ice making tray swings in the form corresponding to the set water supply time. Therefore, an operator who has set the water supply time can visually confirm the form in which the ice making tray swings, thereby confirming which water supply time has been set. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a display panel to confirm the set water supply time. Further, since the ice maker includes the driving unit configured to rotate the ice making tray, there is no need to additionally provide a mechanism for swinging (rotating) the ice making tray to confirm the set water supply time.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which:
Below, an ice maker according to at least an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Overall Configuration)
An ice maker 1 in the present example is installed in a refrigerator. As illustrated in
The water supply mechanism 8 supplies tap water to the ice making tray 5 as ice making water. The water supply mechanism 8 includes a water supply pipe 10 having a water supply port 10a located above the ice making tray 5, a connection pipe 11 connecting the outlet of the pipe of tap water to the water supply pipe 10, and a solenoid valve 12 (valve) provided on the way of the connection pipe 11. The solenoid valve 12 opens and closes the connection pipe 11 (water channel) through which water flows toward the ice making tray 5. To the solenoid valve 12, a wire 9 (see
The ice making tray 5 has a substantially rectangular planar shape. The ice making tray 5 has a plurality of water storage concave portions 14 for storing the water supplied from the water supply pipe 10. The driving unit 6 flips the ice making tray 5 around an axis L passing in the longitudinal direction through a central portion in the shorter direction of the ice making tray 5. The driving unit 6 includes a casing 16 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and an output shaft 17 protruding from the casing 16. In the casing 16, a motor 18 (see
The output shaft 17 is coupled to an end portion on one side in the direction of the axis L of the ice making tray 5. Drive of the driving unit 6 rotates the ice making tray 5 from a water storage position 5A (see
As illustrated in
In the following description, three directions perpendicular to one another are referred to as an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction. The X direction is the direction of the axis L. The Z direction is an up-down direction in the installation posture of the ice maker 1 (the posture illustrated in
(Ice Making Tray)
The ice making tray 5 is made of an elastically deformable flexible material. In the present example, the ice making tray 5 is made of a resin material. As illustrated in
In the ice making tray 5, the plurality of water storage concave portions 14 are arranged between the first wall portion 28 and the second wall portion 29. The water storage concave portions 14 are arranged in four rows in the X direction as pairs of two water storage concave portions 14 arranged in the Y direction. The ice making tray 5 has communication portions 33 configured to partially communicate two adjacent water storage concave portions 14 with each other. More specifically, the ice making tray 5 has communication portions 33 configured to partially communicate the adjacent water storage concave portions 14 with respect to the four water storage concave portions 14 arranged in the X direction. Further, the ice making tray 5 has communication portions 33 configured to partially communicate the two water storage concave portions 14 arranged in the Y direction at the end in the X1 direction. In addition, the ice making tray 5 has communication portions 33 configured to partially communicate the two water storage concave portions 14 arranged in the Y direction at the end in the X2 direction. Each communication portion 33 is a notch in which a wall located between the adjacent water storage concave portions 14 is cut out from above.
As illustrated in
(Driving Unit)
The casing 16 houses the motor 18, a rotation transmission mechanism configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor 18, and a cam gear 41 to which the rotational force of the motor 18 is transmitted by the rotation transmission mechanism. The cam gear 41 is shaped integrally with the output shaft 17. As illustrated in
An ice detecting lever 44 is disposed at a position adjacent to the ice making tray 5 in the Y1 direction. The ice detecting lever 44 is for detecting whether or not the ice storage container provided below the ice maker 1 is full of ice. Here, there are housed in the casing 16 an ice detecting mechanism configured to cause the ice detecting lever 44 to rotate around an axis L2 perpendicular to the axis L in conjunction with the cam gear 41 according to the rotation angle of the cam gear 41 rotating integrally with the output shaft 17, a cam angle position detecting mechanism 45 (see
(Frame)
As illustrated in
The first frame portion 51 overlaps the ice detecting lever 44 when viewed from the Z direction. The first frame portion 51 is provided with an opening 51a inside which an upper end portion of the ice detecting lever 44 is located. The third frame portion 53 is an end plate defining an end in the X1 direction of the frame 7, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the X direction. The third frame portion 53 covers the driving unit 6 supported by the support portion 55 from the X1 direction.
The fourth frame portion 54 is a porous wall in which a plurality of plate-shaped ribs are connected to each other. As illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
(Control System)
The operation mode control unit 61 switches the operation mode of the ice maker 1 between the ice making mode for making ice and the setting mode for setting the water supply time. If power is supplied to the ice maker 1 by operation of the power switch 21, the operation mode control unit 61 activates the ice maker 1 in the ice making mode. If the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 are operated at the same time and the ice maker 1 is powered on, the operation mode control unit 61 activates the ice maker 1 in the setting mode. That is, in the present example, the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 constitute a changeover switch for switching the operation mode of the ice maker 1 between the ice making mode and the setting mode. Further, as will be described in detail later, if a setting confirmation operation is completed by the water supply control unit 64, the operation mode control unit 61 returns the operation mode of the ice maker 1 to the ice making mode from the setting mode.
If the ice maker 1 is started up in the ice making mode by operating the power switch 21, the initialization control unit 62 performs an initialization operation for the ice maker 1. In the initialization operation, the initialization control unit 62 drives the motor 18 to rotate the ice making tray 5 from the water storage position 5A to the ice removal position 5B, and vice versa, and thereafter places the ice making tray 5 in the water storage position 5A. The initialization control unit 62 grasps the position of the ice making tray 5 based on an output from the cam angle position detecting mechanism 45. Further, if the operation mode of the ice maker 1 returns to the ice making mode from the setting mode, the initialization control unit 62 performs the initialization operation at the point of time when the operation mode is shifted to the ice making mode (the point of return).
The ice making control unit 63 administers the ice making operation of the ice maker 1. Upon completion of the initialization operation, the ice making control unit 63 outputs a water supply command for supplying water to the ice making tray 5 to the water supply control unit 64.
In addition, the ice making control unit 63 detects the completion of ice making based on an output from the thermistor 35. That is, if it is detected by the thermistor 35 that the temperature of the ice making tray 5 reaches a preset temperature or less, the ice making control unit 63 detects the completion of ice making.
Further, if the ice making is completed, the ice making control unit 63 drives the motor 18 to operate the ice detecting mechanism to perform an ice detecting operation for confirming whether or not the ice storage container is full. In the ice detecting operation, when the cam gear 41 reaches a predetermined angle position by the driving of the motor 18, then the ice detecting lever 44 turns downward as the cam gear 41 further rotates. Here, if the ice storage container is full of ice, the ice detecting lever 44 is not lowered (not rotated) to a predetermined position because the movement of the ice detecting lever 44 rotating around the axis L1 is hindered by the ice in the ice storage container. On the other hand, if the ice storage container is not full, the ice detecting lever 44 is lowered (rotated) to the predetermined position. Therefore, the ice making control unit 63 can detect whether or not the ice storage container is full based on the angle position of the cam gear 41 rotating in conjunction with the ice detecting lever 44 (based on the output from the cam angle position detecting mechanism 45).
Further, if the ice storage container is not full, the ice making control unit 63 continues to drive the motor 18 following the ice detecting operation. Thus, an ice removing operation for causing the ice making tray 5 to reach the ice removal position 5B from the water storage position 5A to drop the ices from the ice making tray 5 is performed. If the ice making tray 5 reaches the ice removal position 5B in the ice removing operation, as illustrated in
It is noted that if the ice storage container is full, the ice making control unit 63 drives the motor 18 in the reverse direction to return the ice detecting mechanism to the initial state. Thereafter, the ice making control unit 63 operates the ice detecting mechanism again after a predetermined time has elapsed. Then, the ice removing operation is repeated until it is confirmed that the ice storage container is not full, and if it is confirmed that the ice storage container is not full, the ice removing operation is performed.
Further, after completion of the ice removing operation, the ice making control unit 63 drives the motor 18 to rotate the ice making tray 5 in the second rotation direction R2 to return the ice making tray 5 to the water storage position 5A where the water storage concave portions 14 face upward.
Next, the water supply control unit 64 includes a water supply time setting unit 67, a setting confirmation unit 68, and a valve driving control unit 69.
The water supply time setting unit 67 sets the water supply time of water to be supplied to the ice making tray 5 based on the operation on the setting switch 22 if the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is the setting mode. In the present example, the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the water supply time to any one of three water supply times: a first water supply time, a second water supply time longer than the first water supply time, and a third water supply time longer than the second water supply time. The setting (changing) of the water supply time is performed by writing the set water supply time into the storage unit 60 by the water supply time setting unit 67.
More specifically, if the setting switch 22 is further depressed until a predetermined input reception time has elapsed from when the setting switch 22 is depressed, the water supply time setting unit 67 counts the number of times the setting switch 22 is depressed until the predetermined input reception time has elapsed in a state of no depressing of the setting switch 22 from when the setting switch 22 is last depressed, and sets the water supply time based on the counted number of times.
In addition, if the setting switch 22 is not depressed until a predetermined shift elapsed time has elapsed from when the operation mode is shifted to the setting mode (from when the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 are simultaneously operated), the water supply time setting unit 67 shifts the operation mode from the setting mode to the ice making mode without changing the water supply time. In the present example, the shift elapsed time is the same as the input reception time.
The setting confirmation unit 68 performs setting confirmation operation in which the driving unit 6 is driven to swing the ice making tray 5 in a first form if the water supply time is set to the first water supply time; the driving unit 6 is driven to swing the ice making tray 5 in a second form different from the first form if the water supply time is set to the second water supply time; and the driving unit 6 is driven to swing the ice making tray 5 in a third form different from the first and second forms when the water supply time is set to the third water supply time. In the present example, in the first form, the ice making tray 5 swings once, in the second form, the ice making tray 5 swings twice, and in the third form, the ice making tray 5 swings three times.
In one swing motion, the ice making tray 5 is rotated for one second in the first rotation direction R1 and then stopped for one second, and after that, the ice making tray 5 is rotated for one second in the second rotation direction R2. That is, the setting confirmation unit 68 drives the motor 18 for one second, then stops the motor 18 for one second, and thereafter drives the motor 18 in the reverse direction for one second. The angle by which the ice making tray 5 swings around the axis in one swing is smaller than the angle between the water storage position 5A and the ice removal position 5B around the axis. Further, in one swing motion of the ice making tray 5, the cam gear 41 rotated by the driving of the motor 18 does not reach a predetermined angle position where the ice making operation is started. Therefore, the ice detecting operation is not performed in parallel with the swing motion, and the ice detecting lever 44 is not driven.
Here, if the setting confirmation operation by the setting confirmation unit 68 is completed, the operation mode control unit 61 shifts the operation mode of the ice maker 1 from the setting mode to the ice making mode.
If the water supply command is output from the ice making control unit 63, the valve driving control unit 69 drives the solenoid valve 12 to supply water from the water supply mechanism 8 to the ice making tray 5. When driving the solenoid valve 12, the valve driving control unit 69 sets the solenoid valve 12 to an open state only for the set water supply time.
(Ice Making Operation)
After the initialization operation is completed, the ice making tray 5 installed in the refrigerator is cooled by cold air. Thereafter, if the thermistor 35 detects the temperature of the ice making tray 5 reaching the preset temperature or less (step ST4), the ice detecting operation is performed to detect whether or not the ice storage container is full of ice (step ST5). If it is confirmed by the ice detecting operation that the ice storage container is not full (step ST5: No), the ice removing operation is performed (step ST6).
On the other hand, if it is detected that the ice storage container is full by the ice detecting operation (step ST5: Yes), the ice detecting operation is performed every time a predetermined time elapses (step ST7) until the ice storage container is confirmed not to be full. Thereafter, if it is confirmed that the ice storage container is not full, the ice removing operation is performed (step ST5: No, step ST6). In the ice removing operation initially performed after power is supplied to the ice maker 1 by the operation of the power switch 21, water supply to the ice making tray 5 has not been performed and ice making has not been performed accordingly. Therefore, the ice making tray 5 reaches the ice removal position 5B by the ice removing operation, but the ices do not drop from the ice making tray 5.
Upon completion of the ice removing operation, the ice making control unit 63 drives the motor 18 in the reverse direction to rotate the ice making tray 5 in the second rotation direction R2 to return the ice making tray 5 to the water storage position 5A where the water storage concave portions 14 face upward. Thereafter, an ice making operation is performed. That is, the control unit 19 outputs the water supply command to the water supply control unit 64. Thus, the water supply control unit 64 (the valve driving control unit 69) performs the water supply operation to drive the solenoid valve 12 into the open state only for the set water supply time (step ST8). As a result, a predetermined amount of water is supplied from the water supply mechanism 8 to the ice making tray 5 to fill.
Thereafter, the ice making tray 5 installed in the refrigerator is cooled by cold air. Here, if it is detected by the thermistor 35 that the temperature of the ice making tray 5 reaches the preset temperature or less, the control unit 19 detects the completion of ice making (step ST4). If the completion of ice making is detected, the control unit 19 performs the ice detecting operation to detect whether or not the ice storage container is full of ice (step ST5). If it is confirmed by the ice detecting operation that the ice storage container is not full (step ST5: No), the ice removing operation is performed (step ST6). Thus, the ice making tray 5 reaches the ice removal position 5B and is twisted. Therefore, the ices in the ice making tray 5 is separated from the water storage concave portions 14, removed from the ice making tray 5, and drops into the ice storage container.
On the other hand, if it is detected that the ice storage container is full by the ice detecting operation (step ST5: Yes), the ice detecting operation is performed every time a predetermined time elapses (step ST7) until the ice storage container is confirmed not to be full. Thereafter, if it is confirmed that the ice storage container is not full, the ice removing operation is performed (step ST5: No, step ST6), and the ices in the ice making tray 5 drop into the ice storage container.
Upon completion of the ice removing operation, the ice making control unit 63 drives the motor 18 in the reverse direction to rotate the ice making tray 5 in the second rotation direction R2 to return the ice making tray 5 to the water storage position 5A where the water storage concave portions 14 face upward. Thereafter, the ice making operation is repeated. That is, the water supply operation (step ST8) is performed, and the operations from step ST4 to step ST7 are repeated.
(Water Supply Time Setting Operation)
If the ice maker 1 is activated in the setting mode, the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the shift elapsed time to the timer 65 (step ST13). It is noted that if only the power switch 21 is operated and the setting switch 22 is not depressed (step ST12: No), the ice maker 1 is activated in the ice making mode, and the initialization operation (step ST14) is performed. Then, the operations of steps ST4 to ST7 illustrated in
Thereafter, if the setting switch 22 is not depressed until the shift elapsed time has elapsed (step ST15: Yes), the water supply time setting unit 67 makes no change in the water supply time and shifts the operation mode of the ice maker 1 from the setting mode to the ice making mode (step ST16). Here, if the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted to the ice making mode, the initialization operation (step ST14) is performed by the initialization control unit 62. Thereafter, the operations of steps ST4 to ST7 illustrated in
On the other hand, if the setting switch 22 is depressed until the shift elapsed time has elapsed (step ST15: No, step ST17), the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the input reception time to the timer 65 (step ST18). Thereafter, if the setting switch 22 is not depressed until the input reception time has elapsed (step ST19: Yes), the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the water supply time to the first water supply time (step ST20). If the water supply time is set to the first water supply time, the setting confirmation unit 68 drives the driving unit 6 to perform the setting confirmation operation to swing the ice making tray 5 once (step ST21). If the setting confirmation operation is performed, the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted from the setting mode to the ice making mode. If the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted to the ice making mode, the initialization operation (step ST14) is performed by the initialization control unit 62. Thereafter, the operations of steps ST4 to ST7 illustrated in
Here, if the setting switch 22 is depressed until the input reception time has elapsed (step ST19: No, step ST22), the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the input reception time to the timer 65 (Step ST23). Thereafter, if there is no depressing of the setting switch 22 until the input reception time has elapsed (step ST14: Yes), the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the water supply time to the second water supply time (step ST25). If the water supply time is set to the second water supply time, the setting confirmation unit 68 drives the driving unit 6 to perform the setting confirmation operation to swing the ice making tray 5 twice (step ST26). If the setting confirmation operation is performed, the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted from the setting mode to the ice making mode. If the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted to the ice making mode, the initialization operation (step ST14) is performed by the initialization control unit 62. Thereafter, the operations of steps ST4 to ST7 illustrated in
On the other hand, if the setting switch 22 is depressed until the shift elapsed time has elapsed (step ST24: No, step ST27), the water supply time setting unit 67 sets the water supply time to the third water supply time (step ST28). If the water supply time is set to the third water supply time, the setting confirmation unit 68 drives the driving unit 6 to perform the setting confirmation operation to swing the ice making tray 5 three times (step ST29). If the setting confirmation operation is performed, the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted from the setting mode to the ice making mode. If the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is shifted to the ice making mode, the initialization operation (step ST14) is performed by the initialization control unit 62. Thereafter, the operations of steps ST4 to ST7 illustrated in
(Operation and Effect)
According to the present example, the operator who sets the water supply time can confirm which time the water supply time has been set by visually confirming the form in which the ice making tray 5 swings in the setting confirmation operation. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a display panel to confirm the set water supply time. Here, since the ice maker 1 includes the driving unit 6 configured to rotate the ice making tray 5, there is no need to additionally provide a mechanism for swinging (rotating) the ice making tray 5 to confirm the set water supply time. Therefore, even if a mechanism for confirming the set water supply time is provided in the ice maker 1, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the ice maker 1 can be suppressed.
According to the ice maker 1 of the present example, the water supply time for supplying the ice making tray 5 by the water supply mechanism 8 of the refrigerator can be set by setting the water supply time on the ice maker 1 side. That is, the water supply mechanism 8 of the refrigerator can be controlled by operations only on the ice maker 1 side. Furthermore, the ice maker 1 is installed in the refrigerator only by connecting the power line to the power supply device of the refrigerator and also connecting the wire 9 to the solenoid valve 12 of the water supply mechanism 8. Therefore, the ice maker 1 can be easily installed in the refrigerator.
Furthermore, in the present example, in the setting confirmation operation, the setting of the water supply time can be confirmed based on the number of times the ice maker 1 swings. In addition, the angle by which the ice making tray 5 swings is smaller than the angle between the water storage position 5A and the ice removal position 5B around the axis. Therefore, it is easy to confirm the setting. Further, the setting can be confirmed in a short time.
Further, in the present example, it is possible to set the water supply time when the ice maker 1 is activated in the setting mode. Therefore, when the setting switch 22 is operated by mistake during ice making, the water supply time is set and the setting confirmation operation is performed, thereby preventing the ice making tray 5 from swinging.
Furthermore, in the present example, if the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 are simultaneously operated, the ice maker 1 is activated in the setting mode. Therefore, there is no possibility that the operation mode of the ice maker 1 is switched from the ice making mode to the setting mode, for example, when the setting switch 22 is operated by mistake during ice making.
Further, in the present example, the setting switch 22 is a push button type switch, and the water supply time can be set depending on the number of times the setting switch 22 is depressed. Therefore, the water supply time can be easily set. Furthermore, when the setting switch 22 is not depressed until the predetermined shift elapsed time has elapsed from when the operation mode is shifted from the ice making mode to the setting mode, the water supply time is not changed. Further, in this case, the operation mode is returned to the setting mode from the ice making mode. Therefore, it is not necessary to operate the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22, for example, when the ice maker 1 enters the setting mode by mistake.
Furthermore, in the present example, the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 are provided on the lower surface of the casing 16 of the driving unit 6. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a user using the ice maker 1 from operating the power switch 21 and the setting switch 22 by mistake.
In addition, in the present example, since the water supply mechanism 8 of the refrigerator includes the solenoid valve 12 configured to open and close the water channel, the water supply control unit 64 drives the solenoid valve 12 into the open state only for the set water supply time to supply water to the ice making tray 5. Therefore, water supplied for the set water supply time can be supplied to the ice making tray 5.
(Modifications)
It is noted that in the setting confirmation operation, the ice making tray 5 may be swung by a first angle if the water supply time is set to the first water supply time; the ice making tray 5 may be swung by a second angle different from the first angle if the water supply time is set to the second water supply time; and the ice making tray 5 may be swung by a third angle different from the first and second angles if the water supply time is set to the third water supply time. The first angle, the second angle, and the third angle are smaller than the angle between the water storage position 5A and the ice removal position 5B around the axis L. In this way, the set water supply time can be confirmed based on the angle by which the ice making tray 5 swings.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-083738 | Apr 2018 | JP | national |
