Refrigerator and / or freezer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with an ice maker, which has a water channel and an ice cube tray, wherein the appliance further has a water inlet which is arranged to direct water to the water channel, wherein the water channel is designed and arranged such that the water flows from the water channel into the ice cube tray, wherein two or more than two ice cube trays are provided, and wherein the appliance has a common water inlet for the two or more than two ice cube trays.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling and / or freezing appliance with an ice maker, which has a water guide and an ice cube tray, wherein the appliance further has a water inlet which is arranged to direct water to the water guide, wherein the water guide is designed and arranged such that the water flows from the water guide into the ice cube tray.

[0002] Such devices with an ice maker are known from the prior art. These known devices include a water inlet from which the water flows into an ice cube tray of the ice maker, which is located in a freezing section of the device. After ice has formed from the supplied water, the ice cube tray is rotated and the ice flows into a storage container for the ice produced in this way.

[0003] If the amount of ice produced needs to be increased to meet higher demand, this is not possible or only possible to a limited extent, as the production rate is essentially determined by the freezing time of the water.

[0004] The present invention is based on the objective of further developing a device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the production capacity for the manufacture of ice can be increased with minimal additional cost.

[0005] This problem is solved by a refrigerator and / or freezer with the features of claim 1.

[0006] It is then provided that two or more than two ice cube trays are provided, and that the appliance has a common water inlet for the two or more than two ice cube trays.

[0007] Especially with existing equipment lines, ice production can be significantly increased in this way, while the design effort is limited, since a separate water supply is not required for each ice cube tray, but rather a common water supply serves as a water supply for two or possibly more than two ice cube trays.

[0008] Adjusting for double the water volume when using two ice cube trays can be easily achieved by doubling the opening time of a valve in the water supply. Neither laying an additional water pipe nor installing a pipe with a larger cross-section is necessary.

[0009] Changing the opening duration only requires a change to the programming of the device's electronics that control the valve opening and closing the water supply. The device's electronics themselves do not need to be modified in terms of their hardware.

[0010] Furthermore, a common solenoid valve is preferably provided, which is arranged in the common water inlet or in a pipe section in fluid communication with it and which is designed to open or close the water inlet.

[0011] The term "shared" means that only a single solenoid valve, etc., is used to supply multiple ice cube trays. Regarding the water supply, this means that one water inlet supplies at least two ice cube trays with water.

[0012] It should be noted that the term "ice cube tray" encompasses any container in which ice can be produced from water, regardless of the shape of the ice produced.

[0013] The water guide preferably does not form a fixed part of the ice maker, but is replaceable, preferably being replaceable without tools.

[0014] This design has the advantage that, with different ice cube trays, e.g. with different dimensions and / or different geometries, only the water supply needs to be replaced; otherwise, no changes to the water supply and preferably no further changes to the ice maker are necessary.

[0015] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention consists in the fact that the water guide is locked into a receptacle for the water guide. This locking mechanism provides secure fastening while still allowing the water guide to be removed and replaced with another without tools.

[0016] Since only one common water inlet is provided for the ice cube trays, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention only one common heating element is required to prevent ice formation in the common water inlet or a line connected to it.

[0017] In one possible design, the multiple ice cube trays are arranged in a common housing or frame. This represents a further structural simplification compared to the situation where each ice cube tray has its own housing or frame.

[0018] Preferably, the multiple ice cube trays are arranged to rotate or swivel. It is advantageous if a common mechanism is provided that rotates, swivels, or twists the multiple ice cube trays together.

[0019] It is also advantageous if a common storage container for the ice and / or a common conveying device for transporting the ice is provided below the several ice cube trays.

[0020] High flexibility is achieved when the ice cube trays are removable and therefore interchangeable. It is advantageous if the frame or housing is designed in such a way that different types of ice cube trays can be used.

[0021] It is advantageous if the end section of the water inlet, i.e., the outlet from which the water emerges, is located above the water channel. In this embodiment, the water exiting the water inlet thus reaches the water channel from above.

[0022] The water flow can have a first area to which the water from the water inlet enters, as well as a second area in fluid communication with the first area, from which the water enters the ice cube trays.

[0023] The water exiting the water inlet thus enters the first area. From there, it flows to the second area, from where it flows into the ice cube trays.

[0024] Preferably, the second area has its own drainage area for each of the ice cube trays, preferably inclined downwards.

[0025] There may be a wall bordering the second area, which acts as a "baffle" for the water entering the first area. There may also be several such walls, for example, a front and a back wall, between which the drainage areas extend.

[0026] This surface or wall prevents the uncontrolled flow of water into the ice cube trays and ensures that the water enters the ice cube trays in a controlled manner via the drainage areas.

[0027] It is also conceivable that the water guide has one or more attachments by means of which its geometry can be modified. These attachments can, for example, be designed to interlock with each other or with a base body of the water guide, or to be connected in a form-fitting manner in some other way. In this way, the water guide can be optimized, for example, by means of guide elements, etc., without necessarily having to replace the entire water guide.

[0028] It should be noted here that the terms "ein" and "eine" do not necessarily refer to exactly one of the elements, although this is a possible interpretation, but can also denote a plurality of elements. Likewise, the use of the plural also includes the presence of the element in question in the singular, and conversely, the singular also includes several of the elements in question.

[0029] Furthermore, all features of the invention described herein can be combined with one another or claimed separately from one another as desired.

[0030] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0031] They show: Fig. 1: A perspective view of the ice maker without water inlet, Fig. 2: A perspective view of the ice maker with water inlet, Fig. 3: A perspective view of the ice maker with water inlet, hose and solenoid valve, Fig. 4: A perspective view of the ice maker with water inlet, hose, solenoid valve, and device-side inlet for the water inlet. Fig. 5: a perspective and a frontal sectional view of the arrangement according to Fig. 2, Fig. 6: a detailed representation of detail D in Fig. 5, Fig. 7: another view according to Fig. 6 with a water guide in a second embodiment Fig. 8: another view according to Fig. 6 with a water guide in a third embodiment, Fig. 9: a perspective view of the ice maker with water supply before it was attached, Fig. 10: A perspective view of the ice maker with water supply in the attached position, Fig. 11: An enlarged view of the rest area between the watercourse and the stationary camera.

[0032] Fig. Figure 1 shows an ice maker according to the present invention, referenced by numeral 10. F denotes its front side facing the user.

[0033] The ice maker 10 is located in a detachable or removable manner in a freezer section of a device according to the invention, for example on the ceiling of a freezer compartment.

[0034] The ice maker has a frame or housing 11 in which two ice cube trays 12, 13 are located. From the perspective of an observer standing in front of the front F, the ice cube trays 12, 13 are located next to each other.

[0035] Above the ice cube trays 12, 13 is the water guide 20, which has two water drainage areas 21, 22, each of which is directed towards one of the ice cube trays 12, 13, so that the water from the respective water drainage areas 21, 22 flows into the corresponding ice cube trays 12, 13.

[0036] The water drainage areas 21, 22 are limited at the front by a plate P, which prevents the water from overflowing forward.

[0037] They are limited at the rear by the back wall R, which prevents the water from draining out to the back.

[0038] The walls P and R thus ensure that the water hitting the water guide 20 flows in an orderly manner between the boundaries P and R via the drainage areas 21, 22 and thus enters the ice cube trays 12, 13 from above in the desired manner.

[0039] The water guide 20 is detachably arranged on the housing 11 of the ice maker 10.

[0040] Fig. 2 shows the arrangement according to Fig. 1 with a water inlet 30. The water inlet 30 is arranged so that the water exiting from it reaches the water guide 20 from above and from there via the two drain areas 21, 22 into the ice cube trays.

[0041] Out of Fig. 3 is the arrangement of Fig. Figure 2 shows that the water inlet 30 is connected to a hose 40, which in turn is directly or indirectly connected to a house water connection. The hose 40 is connected to a solenoid valve 50, which, when open, connects the house water connection to the hose 40, so that water flows through the valve 50, the hose 40 and the water inlet 30 to the water supply 20.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows the arrangement of the Fig. 3, which is supplemented by a device-side mounting 100 for the water inlet 30. The mounting 100 secures the water inlet 30 in the device at the desired position.

[0043] In Fig. 5 and in Fig. Figure 6 shows a sectional view.

[0044] Fig. Figure 6 shows detail D in Fig. 5 a).

[0045] It can be seen that the water inlet 30 has a vertical pipe section at its end facing the water channel 20. The water flowing through this section enters the central, rib-shaped area of ​​the water channel 20 via outlet A.

[0046] From this central, ridge-shaped elevation, drainage areas 21 and 22 extend to both sides.

[0047] Fig. 5 a) shows the section in a perspective view, Fig. 5 b) in a front view. From Fig. 5 b) shows the path the water takes from the water inlet 30 to the water guide 20 and from there into the two ice cube trays 12, 13 arranged to the right and left of the water guide 20.

[0048] Fig. Figure 5b) shows the arrangement in the normal position and figure 5c) in the ejection position. In the ejection position, the ice cube trays are rotated approximately 135° along their longitudinal axes, so that the ice cubes fall out of them.

[0049] The letter R denotes a rear wall of the water guide 20, which prevents the water entering the water guide from running off to the rear.

[0050] Fig. Figure 7 shows a variant with a difference compared to the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 6 modified water flow 41. This has extended drainage areas 21, 22 compared to the flow 40, which is advantageous when, for example, narrower ice cube trays are used.

[0051] Fig. Figure 8 shows another variant with a difference compared to the exemplary embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 6 modified water flow 42. Compared to flow 40, this flow has extended drainage areas 21, 22 with a shallower slope. Drainage areas 21, 22 each have drainage channels 42' at their ends.

[0052] Fig. Figure 9 shows a view of the ice maker 10 with the water guide 20 before it is fixed in its final position.

[0053] The water guide 20 has locking hooks at its end area which, when inserted, interact with a housing counterpart.

[0054] The position of the water guide 20 in the attached state results from Fig. 10.

[0055] Fig. Figure 11 shows the locking mechanism of the water guide 20 in an enlarged, partially cutaway view.

[0056] This has projections 200, two of which are inserted between the webs 210 of the device-mounted receptacle. The projections 200 are spring-loaded and have an end hook 300 which, when locked, engages the ends of the webs 210, thus securely fixing the water guide 20. When the spring-loaded projections 200 are compressed, the water guide 20 can be removed.

[0057] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below: • The ice maker is equipped with two ice cube trays; water is supplied via an integrated water inlet. • The water supply is provided via a water solenoid valve in the compressor niche of the device, • No new electronics are required for implementation; the same electronics and bus nodes as in a current series can be used. • Adjusting the amount of water to double the amount is possible by changing the water supply time on the existing electronics, • The water flow on the ice maker housing can be changed without tools, • Different water lines can be easily assembled and disassembled by the customer. • It is possible to double the amount of ice produced per unit of time without this resulting in a doubling of costs, • The ice maker can still be replaced by the customer in the event of a service call, • Only the run-in time needs to be adjusted for double the amount of water, • There is a water solenoid valve and a water inlet for both ice cube trays, • The water flow can be changed without tools on the ice maker housing when using different ice cube trays, • There is lower energy consumption when using a water supply with heating, • Modular construction is possible, • Some standardized parts for water and ice (water inlet, contacting...) can be used.

Claims

[1] Refrigerator and / or freezer with an ice maker having a water channel and an ice cube tray, the appliance further comprising a water inlet arranged to direct water to the water channel, the water channel being designed and arranged such that the water passes from the water channel into the ice cube tray, characterized by that two or more than two ice cube trays are provided, and that the appliance has a common water inlet for the two or more than two ice cube trays. [2] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 1, characterized by , that a common solenoid valve is provided, which is located in the common water inlet or in a hose or pipe connected to the water inlet and which is configured to open or close the water inlet. [3] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the water guide does not form a fixed part of the ice maker, but is replaceable, preferably being replaceable without tools. [4] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 3, characterized by that the water guide is locked into a receptacle for the water guide. [5] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that a common heating element is located in the common water inlet or in a hose or pipe connected to the water inlet. [6] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the multiple ice cube trays are arranged in a common housing or frame. [7] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the multiple ice cube trays are arranged to rotate or swivel. [8] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that a common storage container for the ice and / or a common conveying device for transporting the ice are provided below the several ice cube trays. [9] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the ice cube trays are arranged in a removable and therefore replaceable manner. [10] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the outlet of the water inlet is located above the water channel and / or that the water channels have guiding elements for directing water. [11] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the water flow has a first area to which the water from the water inlet enters, as well as a second area in fluid communication with the first area, from which the water enters the ice cube trays. [12] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 11, characterized by that the second area has its own drainage area for each of the ice cube trays, preferably inclined to the horizontal. [13] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to claim 12, characterized by , that there is a wall bordering the second area, which serves as a boundary surface for the water reaching the first area. [14] Refrigerator and / or freezer according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the water guidance system has one or more attachments by means of which the geometry of the water guidance system can be changed.

Images