Patent Grant
10047982
This application is a National Phase Entry of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2014/010596, which was filed on Nov. 6, 2014, and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0134130, which was filed on Nov. 6, 2013, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0152062, which was filed on Nov. 4, 2014, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an ice storage apparatus storing ice produced by an ice making unit and an ice making apparatus comprising the same, and more particularly, to an ice storage apparatus capable of reducing noise transmitted externally when ice is moved from an ice making unit to an ice reservoir included in the ice storage apparatus and storing ice, and an ice making apparatus including the same.
An ice making apparatus is an apparatus for producing ice. An ice making apparatus commonly includes an ice making unit that produces ice. The ice making unit may be classified as an immersion-type ice making unit including an immersion member which is cooled in a state of being immersed in water to produce ice thereon, a jetting-type ice making unit producing ice by jetting water into a cooled ice making tray, and a flow-through-type ice making unit causing water to flow into a cooled ice making tray to produce ice.
Also, the ice making apparatus includes an ice reservoir. The ice reservoir has a storage space in which ice is stored. Ice produced in the ice making unit is moved to the ice reservoir and stored in the storage space.
Ice produced in the ice making unit may be dropped due to self-load to move to the ice reservoir. Thus, when ice moves to the ice reservoir, it may collide with the ice reservoir or other ice stored in the ice reservoir. That is, when ice moves, noise occurs.
Noise that occurs when the ice is moved is transmitted externally through the ice reservoir and the ice making apparatus. However, in the related art, noise transmitted externally when ice is moved is not reduced.
In addition, when heat is transmitted to the ice stored in the ice reservoir, the ice melts to be changed in size or shape.
The present disclosure is based upon recognition of the requirements and issues arising from the above-referenced related art ice storage apparatus and the ice making apparatus including the same.
An aspect of the present disclosure is to reduce noise transmitted externally when ice is moved from an ice making unit in which ice is produced to an ice reservoir in which ice is stored.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is to restrain ice stored in an ice reservoir from being easily changed in size or shape due to heat transmitted to ice.
An ice storage apparatus and an ice making apparatus including the same related to exemplary embodiments for realizing at least one of the technical problems may include the following features.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice storage apparatus including: an ice reservoir storing ice produced in an ice making unit; and a noise reduction unit reducing noise transmitted externally when ice is moved from the ice making unit to the ice reservoir.
The noise reduction unit may include a tank, in which at least a portion of the ice reservoir is positioned, storing a liquid having a predetermined level for attenuating noise.
The liquid may be water.
The tank may be a cold water tank in which cold water is stored.
The tank may include a cooling unit cooling water.
A portion of ice produced in the ice making unit may be supplied to the tank to produce cold water.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making apparatus including: an ice making unit producing ice; and the aforementioned ice storage apparatus storing ice produced by the ice making unit.
The ice making unit may include: an evaporator in which a refrigerant flows; an immersion member connected to the evaporator; and an ice making tray in which water is held to allow the immersion member to be immersed therein.
The ice making unit may include: a thermoelectric module in which heat is transmitted from one side thereof to the other side thereof when power is applied thereto; an immersion member connected to the thermoelectric module; and an ice making tray in which water is held to allow the immersion member to be immersed therein.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, since the noise reduction unit is provided, noise transmitted externally when ice is moved from the ice making unit in which ice is produced to the ice reservoir in which ice is stored may be reduced.
Also, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, heat transmission to ice stored in the ice reservoir is minimized, and thus, a size or a shape of pieces of ice may not be easily changed.
To help understand the foregoing features of the present disclosure, an ice making apparatus and an ice making apparatus including the same related to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments most appropriate to help in an understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure will be described, the technical features of the present disclosure are not limited by the described exemplary embodiments and merely illustrate the implementation of the present disclosure through the exemplary embodiments described hereinafter. Thus, the present disclosure can be variably modified within the scope of the present disclosure through the exemplary embodiments described below, and such modifications are within the scope of the present disclosure. In order to help understand the exemplary embodiments described hereinafter, the like or similar reference numerals are used for relevant components among the components having the same function in the respective exemplary embodiments in the accompanying drawings.
As illustrated in
The ice reservoir 200 may store ice I produced in an ice making unit 20. As illustrated in
Thus, as illustrated in
However, the configuration in which ice I produced in the ice making unit 20 is moved to and stored in the ice reservoir 200 is not limited to the example described above and any other known configuration such that based on an ice transfer path (not shown) connected to the ice making unit 20 and the ice reservoir 200 may also be adopted.
As illustrated in
The ice transfer member 210 may be rotatably provided in the ice reservoir 200. To this end, one side of the ice transfer member 210 may be connected to a driving motor EM provided in the ice reservoir 200. The other side of the ice transfer member 210 may be rotatably connected to a rotation support portion B provided in the ice reservoir 200 on the opposite side of the driving motor EM. When the driving motor EM is driven, the ice transfer member 210 may be rotated.
As illustrated in
In such a case, the driving motor EM may have a structure in which a liquid stored in the tank 310 is not introduced to the driving motor EM.
In addition, the rotation support portion B may be provided in the ice reservoir 200 such that the rotation support portion B is positioned within the tank 310, and the driving motor EM may be provided outside of the tank 310. In this case, the rotation support portion B may have a structure in which a liquid stored in the tank 310 is not introduced to the rotation support portion B.
As illustrated in
However, the shape of the ice transfer member 210 is not particularly limited and any other known shape may be adopted as long as it allows the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 to be moved toward the ice discharge opening 220 and subsequently discharged through the ice discharge opening 220. As illustrated in
The noise reduction unit 300 may reduce noise transmitted externally when the ice I is moved from the ice making unit 20 to the ice reservoir 200.
To this end, as illustrated in
However, the configuration in which at least a portion of the ice reservoir 200 is positioned within the tank 310 is not particularly limited and any other known configuration in which a portion of the ice reservoir 200 is positioned within the tank 310 by a separate support member (not shown) may also be adopted.
As illustrated in
As described above, the ice I produced in the ice making unit 20 is dropped by weight thereof and moved to and stored in the ice reservoir 200. While the ice I is dropped and moving, the ice I may collide with the ice reservoir 200 or another ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200, and noise may be produced accordingly.
The produced noise may be transmitted externally through the liquid stored in the tank 310 and attenuating noise. That is, noise may be transmitted externally through a wall of the ice reservoir 200 as a solid, the liquid stored in the tank 310, and the tank 310 as a solid.
Meanwhile, sound waves are transferred more slowly in a medium in which a distance between particles is greater. That is, a transmission speed of sound waves in a liquid is slower than that of sound waves in a solid. Thus, the aforementioned noise may be attenuated, while a speed thereof is reduced, when passing through the liquid stored in the tank 310. Accordingly, noise transmitted externally may be reduced.
The liquid stored in the tank 310 may be water. However, the liquid stored in the tank 310 may be any liquid through which noise may be attenuated while passing therethrough, rather than being limited to water.
In this manner, when the liquid stored in the tank 310 is water, a liquid source connected to the tank 310 may be the same as a water source (not shown) connected to a water supply pipe P supplying water to an ice making tray 23 (to be described hereinafter).
The tank 310 may be a cold water tank in which cold water is stored. Sound waves are transmitted more slowly when a temperature is lower even in case of the same medium. Thus, when cold water is stored in the tank 310, noise may be more effectively attenuated, and thus, noise transmitted externally may be further reduced.
Also, when the tank 310 included in the noise reduction unit 300 is a cold water tank, a temperature difference between the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 and the cold water stored in the cold water tank is small, minimizing a heat transfer rate transferred to the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 from the outside.
That is, ambient heat may be first transferred to cold water stored in the tank 310, a cold water tank. However, since a temperature of the cold water is so low that a degree of a temperature increase of cold water stored in the tank 310 due to heat transmission from the outside is small. Thus, even in the case that heat is transmitted from the outside, a temperature difference between cold water stored in the tank 310 as a cold water tank and the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 is small.
Thus, a heat transfer rate transferred from the cold water stored in the tank 310 as a cold water tank to the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 may be minimized. Accordingly, the ice I stored in the ice reservoir 200 is prevented from being melted due to heat transmission and thus readily changed in shape and size.
Also, the tank 310 as a cold water tank may only receive heat from the exterior and transfer heat to the ice reservoir 200, a temperature rise rate of cold water stored in the tank 310 may be minimized. Thus, cold water production efficiency in the tank 310 as a cold water tank may be increased.
As illustrated in
However, the cooling unit 320 is not particularly limited and any other known cooling unit including a thermoelectric module in which heat is transferred from one side to the other side when power is applied thereto may be adopted as long as it can cool water stored in the tank 310 to produce cold water.
As illustrated in
Ice I may be produced in the ice making unit 20. To this end, the ice making unit 20 may include an evaporator 21, an immersion member 22, and the ice making tray 23.
The evaporator 21 may form a refrigerating cycle together with a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), and an expansion valve (not shown) or a capillary pipe (not shown). In the refrigerating cycle, a refrigerant may flow, while being changed in temperature, pressure, and phase. Also, in the evaporator 21, a cold refrigerant having a temperature lower than that of a freezing point of water flows. Thus, as illustrated in
A hot refrigerant may also flow in the evaporator 21. For example, when a refrigerant is compressed by the compressor to have a high temperature and subsequently bypassed to flow to the evaporator 21, the hot refrigerant may flow in the evaporator 21. Accordingly, as illustrated in
Alternatively, a separate heater (not shown) may be provided in the evaporator 21 and the immersion member 22 may be heated by operating the heater, whereby the ice I produced in the immersion member 22 may be separated from the immersion member 22.
The immersion member 22 may be connected to the evaporator 21. The immersion member 22 may be connected to the evaporator 21 such that a refrigerant flowing in the evaporator 21 may also flow to the immersion member 22. Accordingly, when a cold refrigerant flows in the evaporator 21, the immersion member 22 may be cooled, and when a hot refrigerant flows in the evaporator 21, the immersion member 22 may be heated.
The ice making tray 23 may be filled with water such that the immersion member 22 is immersed in the water. As illustrated in
When the ice making apparatus 10 according to an exemplary embodiment is provided in a water treatment apparatus (not shown) such as a water purifier, or the like, the water source to which the water supply pipe P is connected may be a filtering unit included in the water treatment apparatus and including a water purifying filter filtering water or a storage tank connected to the filtering unit and storing filtered water.
However, the water source to which the water supply pipe P is connected is not particularly limited and any other known water source may be adopted as long as it can supply water to the water supply pipe P.
The ice making tray 23 may be rotated around a rotational shaft A between an ice making position in which water is held in the ice making tray 23 as illustrated in
When the ice making tray 23 is rotated to the ice making position, water supplied through the water supply pipe P may be held in the ice making tray 23 as illustrated in
In this state, when a cold refrigerant flows in the evaporator 21, the cold refrigerant flowing in the evaporator 21 or the immersion member 22 and water held in the ice making tray 23 may be heat-exchanged to produce ice I in the immersion member 22 as illustrated in
When the ice I produced in the immersion member 22 has a predetermined size, the ice making tray 23 is rotated to the ice removing position as illustrated in
However, a configuration of the ice making unit 20 is not particularly limited and any other known configuration such as a jetting-type ice maker producing ice by jetting water to an ice making tray cooled to have a temperature lower than a freezing point by an evaporator, or the like, or a flow-through-type ice maker causing water to flow in an ice making tray cooled to have a temperature lower than a freezing point to produce ice may be adopted as long as it can produce ice I.
The ice storage apparatus 100 has been described, so a description thereof will be omitted.
An ice storage apparatus 100 and an ice making apparatus 10 according to another exemplary embodiment are different from the Ice storage apparatus 100 and the ice making apparatus 10 described above with reference to
A portion of ice I produced in the ice making unit 20 of the ice making apparatus 10 may be supplied to a tank 310 of the ice storage apparatus 100 according to another exemplary embodiment to produce cold water. Thus, the cooling unit 320 for cooling water stored in the tank 310 may not be necessary.
To this end, as illustrated in
However, the configuration for supplying ice I produced in the ice making unit 20 to the tank 310 is not particularly limited and any other known configuration such as a configuration in which a guide member (not shown) is rotatably provided between an ice reservoir 200 and the tank 310 and ice I produced in the ice making unit 20 is moved to the ice reservoir 200 or the tank 310 by the guide member may also be adopted.
An ice making apparatus 10 according to another exemplary embodiment is different from the ice making apparatus 10 described above with reference to
The ice making unit 20 of the ice making apparatus 10 according to another exemplary embodiment may include a thermoelectric module 24, an immersion member 22, and an ice making tray 23 as illustrated in
When power is applied to the thermoelectric module 24, heat may be transmitted from one side thereof to the other side thereof. Thus, one side of the thermoelectric module 24 may be cooled to become a cooling side and the other side thereof may be heated to become a heating side.
The configuration of the thermoelectric module 24 is not particularly limited and any other known configuration may be adopted as long as heat may be transmitted from one side to the other side when power is applied thereto.
The immersion member 22 may be connected to the thermoelectric module 24. As illustrated in
Water may be supplied to the ice making tray 23 by a water supply pipe P connected to a water source and the immersion member 22 may be immersed therein. The ice making tray 23 may be rotated around a rotational shaft A to an ice making position as illustrated in
In this state, when power is applied to the thermoelectric module 24, the cooling side of the thermoelectric module 24 may be cooled and the heating side thereof may be heated. Accordingly, the immersion member 22 connected to the cooling side of the thermoelectric module 24 is also cooled, and the immersion member 22 is heat-exchanged with water in which the immersion member 22 is immersed, to produce ice I in the immersion member 22.
When the ice I produced in the immersion member 22 has a predetermined size, the ice making tray 23 may be rotated around the rotational shaft A to an ice removing position as illustrated in
Accordingly, the immersion member 22 connected to the cooling side of the thermoelectric module 24 may be heated. Thus, the ice I produced in the immersion member 22 may be separated from the immersion member 22 and dropped due to weight thereof so as to be stored in the ice reservoir 200 as illustrated in
Fin members 25 for releasing heat may be connected to the heating side of the thermoelectric module 24, and a cooling fan 26 may be provided in the fin members 25. When the cooling fan 26 is driven, air may flow between the fin members 25. Accordingly, heat dissipation may be more efficiently performed on the heating side of the thermoelectric module 24, and the thermoelectric module 24 may be smoothly operated.
As described above, when the ice storage apparatus and the ice making apparatus including the same according to exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure are used, noise transmitted externally when ice is moved from the ice making unit in which ice is produced to the ice reservoir in which ice is stored may be reduced, and a size and a shape of ice stored in the ice reservoir may not be easily changed.
The configurations of the ice storage apparatus and the ice making apparatus including the same according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above are not limited in its application, but the entirety or a portion of the exemplary embodiments may be selectively combined to be configured into various modifications.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2013-0134130 | Nov 2013 | KR | national |
| 10-2014-0152062 | Nov 2014 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2014/010596 | 11/6/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2015/069027 | 5/14/2015 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110036115 | Lee | Feb 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10-038426 | Feb 1998 | JP |
| 1094805 | Dec 2011 | KR |
| 2012-0083127 | Jul 2012 | KR |
| 2012-0097070 | Sep 2012 | KR |
| 2012-0110736 | Oct 2012 | KR |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160282030 A1 | Sep 2016 | US |
