Automatic ice maker drive unit

Abstract

To provide a drive mechanism for an automatic ice maker that can suppress the inflow of air. [Solution] The drive device for the automatic ice maker of the present invention comprises a motor that rotates an ice tray that generates ice, an output shaft that transmits force from the motor to the ice tray, and an ice detection arm that detects the amount of ice in an ice storage container that stores the ice supplied from the ice tray. When the ice detection arm 3 detects that the amount of ice in the ice storage container is less than a predetermined amount, the motor rotates the ice tray to drop the ice from the ice tray into the ice storage container 2, and then the motor reverses the ice tray to return it to its original position. The output shaft is configured such that the case covering the outer surface of these reduction gear group and output shaft is such that either the upper case 11 or the lower case 12 has an annular rib 11a on the entire circumference of the contact portion 31 with the wall portion 12a that forms the opening of the other, which is in close contact with the contact portion 32 of the wall portion 12a of the lower case 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving device for an automatic ice maker mounted on an ice-making device such as a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of automatic ice maker, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ice-making tray (11) for generating ice, a driving device (12) for rotating the ice-making tray (11), an ice storage box (13) disposed below the ice-making tray (11) for storing ice released from the ice-making tray (11) and supplied, and an ice detection lever (14) for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage box (13). When the ice detection lever (14) detects that the amount of ice in the ice storage box (13) is insufficient, the rotation of the motor (19) in the driving device (12) is transmitted to the ice-making tray (11) by the driving device (12) to rotate, and the ice in the ice-making tray (11) is released and supplied to the ice storage box (13).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The drive device (12) in Patent Document 1 has an outer shell made up of a case (16) and a cover (17). The case (16) and cover (17) are assembled by engaging with claws (16a) and tightening with tapping screws in screw holes (18). In the joint where the lower part of the case (16) is inserted into the upper part of the cover (17), the case (16) and cover (17) are in firm contact at the engagement parts by the claws (16a) and the fastening parts by the tapping screws. However, in areas other than these engagement and fastening parts, contact may be weaker or gaps may occur due to tolerances. For example, when opening and closing the door of a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice maker, warm air may flow into the case (16) and cover (17) and condense. This condensed water may freeze inside the case (16) and cover (17), potentially hindering the operation of the internal mechanism inside the case (16) and cover (17).

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a drive device for an automatic ice maker that can suppress the inflow of air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The drive device for an automatic ice maker of the present invention comprises a motor for rotating an ice tray that generates ice, a transmission mechanism for transmitting force from the motor to the ice tray, and a detection means for detecting the amount of ice in a storage container that stores the ice supplied from the ice tray. When the detection means detects that the amount of ice in the storage container is less than a predetermined amount, the motor rotates the ice tray to drop the ice from the ice tray into the storage container, and then the motor reverses the ice tray to return it to its original position. The transmission mechanism is characterized in that the case covering the outer surface has a first case half and a second case half, and either the first case half or the second case half is provided with an annular rib that makes close contact with the opening of the other opening around its entire circumference. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the airtightness of the case can be improved, thereby suppressing the inflow of air into the case. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an automatic ice maker according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] The same as above, this is a disassembled perspective view of the drive unit. [Figure 3] The same as above, this is a perspective view of the drive unit with the upper case and output shaft removed. [Figure 4] The above is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the output shaft, the ice detection shaft, and the switch lever. [Figure 5] The same as above, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the DD. [Figure 6] The same as above, Figure 4, is a cross-sectional view of EE. [Figure 7] The same as above, (A) is a perspective view of the ring from above, and (B) is a perspective view of the ring from below. [Figure 8] The same as above, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of CC. [Figure 9] The same as above, this is a cross-sectional view of the upper case and the lower case, and the fitting portion between the upper case and the lower case. [Figure 10] The above is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the drive unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the heating appliance according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Common reference numerals will be used for common parts throughout all of these drawings.

[0010] Figures 1 to 10 show one embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic ice maker 100. The automatic ice maker 100 of this embodiment is incorporated into an ice-making device such as a refrigerator. Based on Figure 1, the overall configuration of the automatic ice maker 100 is as follows: 1 is an ice tray made of an elastic material such as resin, and the ice tray 1 is positioned above an ice storage container 2, which serves as a storage container for ice from the ice tray 1. 3 is an ice detection arm incorporated above the ice storage container 2, which serves as a detection means for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage container 2, and 4 is a drive device that drives the ice tray 1 and the ice detection arm 3 in conjunction. 5 is the frame of the automatic ice maker 100, and this frame 5 is provided with a driven shaft 6, which is the axis of rotation on the opposite side of the drive device 4 in the ice tray 1, and a contact piece 7, which contacts the ice tray 1 when it is inverted. A liquid supply means for supplying liquid such as water to the ice tray 1 may also be provided.

[0011] The ice tray 1 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape with an open top surface. One of its opposing sides is connected to the output shaft 13 of the drive unit 4 (described later), and the other side rotatably supports the driven shaft 6. When the ice tray 1 is rotated and reversed, that is, when the ice tray 1 changes from an upward position to a downward position, the ice tray 1 comes into contact with the contact piece 7. Further rotation in this state causes the ice tray 1 to twist and deform, releasing the ice inside the ice tray 1. This ice then falls into the ice storage container 2 below, thereby supplying ice from the ice tray 1 to the ice storage container 2.

[0012] The ice detection arm 3 is positioned on the side of the drive unit 4 and lowers its tip into the ice storage container 2 to detect the presence or absence of ice in the container 2 based on the distance it descends. In this embodiment, when the drive unit 4 detects a shortage of ice using the ice detection arm 3, it inverts the ice tray 1 to drop ice into the ice storage container.

[0013] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit 4, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the drive unit 4 with the upper case 11 and output shaft 13 removed. In these figures, if we consider the upward direction as up and the downward direction as down, 11 is the upper case with an open bottom, and 12 is the lower case with an open top. The upper case 11 and the lower case 12 are fastened together with screws 10, 10... to form the outer shell of the drive unit 4. Therefore, the upper case 11 and the lower case 12 act as the first and second case halves of the case that covers the outer surface of the reduction gear group and output shaft 13, which will be described later.

[0014] To describe the interior of the upper case 11 and lower case 12, 13 is an output shaft for rotating and reversing the ice tray 1. In this embodiment, the output shaft 13 is formed as a resin gear and is connected to the ice tray 1 by passing through a hole 11a drilled in the upper surface of the upper case 11. The output shaft 13 will be explained in more detail later.

[0015] Reference numeral 14 denotes a motor serving as a drive source, and a DC motor is employed in the present embodiment. A worm 15 is provided at the tip of a rotating shaft 14a, and a worm wheel 16 is disposed so as to mesh with the worm 15. When the worm 15 rotates, the worm wheel 16 is rotated to convert the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 14a into the rotation direction of the worm wheel 16. Gears 17 and 18 sequentially reduce the rotation of the worm wheel 16 while amplifying the torque and transmit it to an output shaft 13. The worm 15, the worm wheel 16, and the gears 17 and 18 constitute a reduction gear group for amplifying the rotational torque of the motor 14. These reduction gear groups and the output shaft 13 act as a transmission mechanism for transmitting the force from the motor 14 to the ice tray 1. In the present embodiment, the restraint torque of the motor 14 is approximately 10 mN·m, and the reduction ratio by the reduction gear group of the worm 15, the worm wheel 16, and the gears 17 and 18 is set to 1 / 1,300. Therefore, the rotational torque of the output shaft 13 is amplified to approximately 10 N·m, which is 1,000 times including losses due to transmission efficiency. However, the numerical values are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, in the present embodiment, the worm 15, the worm wheel 16, and the gears 17 and 18 are formed of resin, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0016] Reference numeral 21 denotes an ice detection shaft connected to the end of the ice detection arm 3 on the side of the drive device 4, and reference numeral 22 denotes a switch lever swingably disposed with respect to the lower case 12. Reference numeral 23 denotes a switch that is turned ON / OFF by the switch lever 22, and reference numeral 24 denotes a spring for biasing the ice detection shaft 21 to apply a rotational force.

[0017] The ice detection shaft 21 acts as the rotation axis of the ice detection arm 3, and in this embodiment, it is made of resin and rotates synchronously with the ice detection arm 3. Further, the ice detection shaft 21 is formed with a pressing prevention protrusion 21a (see FIG. 6) that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axis at a location near the switch lever 22, and while interfering with the rib 27f of the ring 27 when the ring 27 described later is at a predetermined position, it is configured not to interfere with the rib 27f when the ring 27 rotates. A rotation prevention protrusion 21b, and an alignment protrusion 21c configured to correspond to the ice detection shaft guide rib 13c of the output shaft 13 described later, and when the output shaft 13 is at a predetermined rotation angle, the position where it contacts the ice detection shaft guide rib 13c is set as the origin position of the ice detection shaft 21, are provided.

[0018] The switch lever 22 is made of resin and presses the switch 23. It has a swing axis 22a that serves as the rotation center of the swing, a lower portion 22b formed to extend downward from the swing axis 22a, a switch pressing lever 22c formed to extend horizontally from the swing axis 22a and configured to press the switch 23 when swinging to the switch 23 side, and an upper portion 22d formed to extend upward from the swing axis 22a. The upper end of the upper portion 22d extends to the vicinity of the back surface of the gear of the output shaft 13 and the switch lever guide rib 13d described later, and is configured such that when the output shaft 13 rotates, the upper portion 22d slides along the switch lever guide rib 13d. Further, a spring 25 is disposed on the upper surface of the switch pressing lever 22c, and the spring 25 biases the switch pressing lever 22c downward.

[0019] The switch 23 is, for example, composed of a tact switch and is mounted on the substrate 26 together with the motor 14. In this embodiment, it is configured to detect whether to reverse the ice making tray 1 by turning on / off the switch 23, and the rotation angle of the output shaft 13, that is, whether the ice making tray 1 is in the horizontal position or in the reversed ice discharging position, but this is just an example. Also, in this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the state where the switch 23 is pressed is described as ON and the state where the switch 23 is not pressed is described as OFF, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be reversed.

[0020] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the output shaft 13, the ice detection shaft 21, and the switch lever 22, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view DD of Figure 4. Referring to these figures, a substantially annular recess is formed on the upper surface of the gear of the output shaft 13, and two ribs 13a and 13b are provided in this recess, and in correspondence with a stopper (not shown) provided on the back surface of the upper case 11, the output shaft 13 is allowed to rotate at the angle between the ribs 13a and 13b. A substantially annular recess is also formed on the lower surface of the gear of the output shaft 13, and as shown in Figure 5, a guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft, a guide rib 13d for the switch lever, and a projection 13e for releasing the ice lock are provided in this recess.

[0021] The guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft restricts / releases the rotation of the ice detection shaft 21. It is formed in a cylindrical cross-section and is configured so that the alignment projection 21c of the ice detection shaft 21 can slide along the inner surface of the guide rib 13c. The guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft has a cylindrical portion formed concentrically with the shaft portion of the output shaft 13 in cross-section, and a projection formed from this cylindrical portion so as to protrude outward from the outer circumference of the output shaft 13 in cross-section. When the alignment projection 21c is positioned on the cylindrical portion, the alignment projection 21c interferes with the guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft, preventing the ice detection shaft 21 from rotating in the direction of arrow R, and thus the ice detection arm 3 is maintained in a predetermined position, such as a horizontal position, and does not descend. On the other hand, when the alignment projection 21c is located on the protruding part, the alignment projection 21c is configured not to interfere with the guide rib 13c for the ice detection axis, the ice detection axis 21 can rotate in the direction of arrow R, and the ice detection arm 3 can descend from a predetermined position.

[0022] The switch lever guide rib 13d causes the switch lever 22 to swing toward the output shaft 13. It is provided on the outer circumference of a recess on the lower surface of the gear of the output shaft 13, and is formed so that the upper portion 22d of the switch lever 22 can slide along the inner surface of the switch lever guide rib 13d. Therefore, when the upper portion 22d is positioned on the switch lever guide rib 13d, the upper portion 22d contacts the switch lever guide rib 13d, causing the switch lever 22 to swing toward the output shaft 13. When the upper portion 22d is positioned where the switch lever guide rib 13d is not provided, the upper portion 22d does not contact anything, and the elastic force of the spring 25 causes the switch lever 22 to swing toward the switch 23.

[0023] The ice-lock release projection 13e is designed to rotate the alignment projection 21c of the ice detection shaft 21 in the direction of arrow R when it comes into contact with the projection. It is formed to protrude outward from the shaft portion corresponding to the inner diameter position of the projection on the output shaft 13 by a length approximately equal to the distance between the shaft portion and the cylindrical portion. The ice-lock release projection 13e also has an inclined portion, and when the alignment projection 21c comes into contact with this inclined portion, it is configured to guide the alignment projection 21c in the direction of the outer circumference of the output shaft 13. Therefore, for example, even if ice forms between the ice detection shaft 21 and the lower case 12, when the output shaft 13 rotates and the alignment projection 21c moves to the position of the projection, the alignment projection 21c comes into contact with the inclined portion of the ice-lock release projection 13e, and guides the alignment projection 21c along the inclined portion in the direction of the outer circumference of the output shaft 13, thereby rotating the ice detection shaft 21 and releasing the ice lock between the ice detection shaft 21 and the lower case 12.

[0024] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of EE in Figure 4, and the switch 23 is also shown to illustrate the positional relationship. Referring to this figure, the depressing prevention projection 21a is configured to contact the lower surface of the switch pressing lever 22c of the switch lever 22 when the ice detection shaft 21 rotates by a predetermined angle or more in the direction of arrow R. When the ice detection arm 3 is in a horizontal position, for example, the rotation of the ice detection shaft 21 is less than the predetermined angle. Here, mainly explaining the ON / OFF of the switch 23, as shown in Figure 5, before rotation, such as when the output shaft 13 is at 0°, the alignment projection 21c is located on the cylindrical part of the guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft, and the upper part 22d of the switch lever 22 is in a place where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not provided. Therefore, the spring 25 causes the switch lever 22 to swing toward the switch 23, and the switch pressing lever 22c presses the switch 23, turning the switch 23 ON. Then, as the output shaft 13 rotates and the alignment projection 21c is positioned on the protruding part of the ice detection shaft guide rib 13c, the upper part 22d slides against the switch lever guide rib 13d, and this switch lever guide rib 13d causes the switch lever 22 to swing toward the output shaft 13, turning the switch 23 OFF.

[0025] When the output shaft 13 rotates and the upper part 22d moves to a location where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not provided, and the ice detection arm 3 is not lowered to a horizontal position, and the ice detection shaft 21 has not rotated by more than a predetermined angle in the R direction, the pressing prevention projection 21a is in a position that does not contact the switch pressing lever 22c. As a result, the spring 25 causes the switch lever 22 to swing toward the switch 23, and the switch pressing lever 22c presses the switch 23, turning the switch 23 ON. On the other hand, when the ice detection arm 3 is lowered and the ice detection shaft 21 has rotated by more than a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow R, the pressing prevention projection 21a contacts the lower surface of the switch pressing lever 22c of the switch lever 22, interfering with the switch pressing lever 22c and making it impossible to press the switch 23. As the switch lever 22 swings toward the output shaft 13, the switch 23 remains OFF.

[0026] As the output shaft 13 rotates further, the upper part 22d slides along the guide rib 13d for the switch lever. This guide rib 13d causes the switch lever 22 to swing towards the output shaft 13, turning the switch 23 OFF. As the output shaft 13 rotates further, the alignment projection 21c moves from the protruding part to the cylindrical part, and as the ice detection shaft 21 rotates in the opposite direction of arrow R and the rotation angle of the ice detection shaft 21 falls below a predetermined angle, the push-blocking projection 21a moves away from the lower surface of the switch push lever 22c. Subsequently, as the output shaft 13 rotates until the ice tray 1 is in the ice-release position, the upper part 22d moves to a location where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not present, and the push-blocking projection 21a is in a position where it does not contact the switch push lever 22c. Therefore, the spring 25 causes the switch lever 22 to swing towards the switch 23, causing the switch push lever 22c to press the switch 23, turning the switch 23 ON.

[0027] 27 is a resin ring that is press-fitted onto the output shaft 13 and rotates and slides in sync with the output shaft 13 while its lower end contacts the lower case 12. Referring to Figure 7, the ring 27 is mainly composed of a cylindrical body 27a, a pair of clamping portions 27b and 27c extending downward from below the cylindrical body 27a, protrusions 27d and 27e with a convex cross-section formed at the lower ends of the clamping portions 27b and 27c, and a rib 27f formed to extend radially outward from the lower part of one of the clamping portions 27b and 27c.

[0028] The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 27a is formed to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the lower shaft of the gear on the output shaft 13, so that when the ring 27 is attached to the output shaft 13, the frictional force between the cylindrical portion 27a and the shaft of the output shaft 13 causes the ring 27 to rotate in sync with the output shaft 13. The clamping portions 27b and 27c clamp the lower shaft of the output shaft 13, and in this embodiment, the clamping portions 27b and 27c are formed to be approximately the same shape and are configured to be positioned so that when attached, they face the lower shaft of the output shaft 13. This configuration makes it easier for the clamping portions 27b and 27c to elastically deform outward, thus making it easier to press-fit the ring 27 onto the output shaft 13.

[0029] The rib 27f corresponds to the rotation-preventing projection 21b of the ice detection shaft 21 and prevents the ice detection shaft 21 from rotating. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3, showing the positional relationship between the ice detection shaft 21, the ring 27, and the output shaft 13 when the ice detection arm 3 is in a horizontal position. When the output shaft 13 is at 0°, even if an attempt is made to rotate the ice detection shaft 21, the rib 27f interferes with the rotation-preventing projection 21b, preventing the ice detection shaft 21 from rotating. Subsequently, when the output shaft 13 rotates, the ring 27 also rotates, and the rib 27f of the ring 27 moves to a position where it does not interfere with the rotation-preventing projection 21b, allowing the ice detection shaft 21 to rotate and the ice detection arm 3 to move.

[0030] The protrusions 27d and 27e are provided at the lower end of the ring 27 and come into contact with the lower case 12 when the ring 27 is installed in the drive unit 4, minimizing the contact area with the lower case 12. If condensation occurs inside the case composed of the upper case 11 and the lower case 12, the condensed water adheres to the lower end of the ring 27 and is recooled, potentially causing the space between the lower end of the ring 27 and the lower case 12 to freeze. In this case, the output shaft 13 may also freeze between itself and the lower case 12, but as mentioned above, amplified torque is transmitted to the output shaft 13, so even if the lower end of the output shaft 13 freezes, the possibility of the operation of the output shaft 13 being hindered is small. On the other hand, since the ring 27 rotates due to the frictional force with the output shaft 13, if the lower end of the ring 27 freezes, the operation of the ring 27 is likely to be hindered, and there is a possibility that only the output shaft 13 will rotate within the ring 27. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing protrusions 27d and 27e with a convex cross-section at the lower ends of the clamping portions 27b and 27c that form the lower end of the ring 27, the contact area between the ring 27 and the lower case 12 is minimized, preventing freezing between the lower end of the ring 27 and the lower case 12, and even if freezing occurs, the amount of freezing is minimized to prevent the operation of the ring 27 from being hindered.

[0031] Figure 9 shows the upper case 11 and the lower case 12. Referring to this figure, the upper case 11 and the lower case 12 are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the lower surface of the upper case 11 and the upper surface of the lower case 12, which are openings, are formed in the same shape, and the lower surface of the upper case 11 and the upper surface of the lower case 12 are combined. In this embodiment, annular ribs 11a are provided at the lower ends of the four side walls of the upper case 11 so as to extend downward along the inner surface of the upper case 11, and annular wall portions 12a are provided at the upper ends of the four side walls of the lower case 12 so as to extend upward along the outer surface of the lower case 12, so that the upper case 11 is fitted into the lower case 12 in a spigot configuration. The present invention is not limited thereto, and annular ribs 11a may be provided at the upper ends of the four side walls of the lower case 12 so as to extend upward along the inner surface of the lower case 12, and annular wall portions 12a may be provided at the lower ends of the four side walls of the upper case 11 so as to extend downward along the outer surface of the upper case 11, so that the lower case 12 is fitted into the upper case 11 with a spigot.

[0032] The annular rib 11a is annular in a bottom view and is formed to have a smooth outer surface, facilitating sliding with the inner surface of the lower case 12 and fitting into the lower case 12. The contact portion 31 of the annular rib 11a with the wall portion 12a, which is the outer circumference of the annular rib 11a, is substantially the same shape as the contact portion 32 of the wall portion 12a with the annular rib 11a in a top view, which is the inner circumference of the wall portion 12a. However, the entire circumference of the contact portion 31 is formed to be slightly larger than the entire circumference of the contact portion 32, for example, by about 0.2 mm. When the spigot is fitted, the entire circumference of the annular rib 11a elastically deforms inward, and the restoring force of this elastic deformation causes the contact portion 31 to form around the entire outer circumference of the annular rib 11a. The entire circumference of the contact portion 31 of the annular rib 11a adheres tightly to the contact portion 32 around the entire inner circumference of the wall portion 12a, forming a seal. Therefore, the airtightness of the case, which is formed by combining the upper case 11 and the lower case 12, is improved, and the inflow of air into the case is suppressed.

[0033] At the tip of the annular rib 11a, an inclined portion 33 is formed around the entire circumference of the outer circumference of the annular rib 11a, which is the contact portion 31 side. The outer surface of the inclined portion 33 is formed smoothly, and the outer circumference of the lowest end of the annular rib 11a, i.e., the lower end of the upper case 11, is formed to be smaller by a predetermined value, for example, about 0.5 mm, than the inner circumference of the wall portion 12a, i.e., the entire circumference of the contact portion 32. This suppresses interference between the upper end of the wall portion 12a and the lower end of the annular rib 11a when the upper case 11 is fitted into the lower case 12 using a spigot joint, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the drive unit 4. On the other hand, the larger the area of ​​the contact portion 31, the larger the sealing portion becomes, and the better the airtightness between the lower case 12 and the upper case 11. Therefore, the height of the inclined portion 33 may be determined considering the airtightness and the ease of spigot joint fitting. As shown in Figure 9, the inclined surface of the inclined portion 33 is formed in a straight cross-section, but any shape that suppresses interference when fitting the spigot joint as described above is acceptable, and for example, it may be formed in a rounded cross-section.

[0034] The wall portion 12a is annular in top view and is formed to have a smooth inner surface, facilitating sliding with the outer surface of the annular rib 11a of the upper case 11. The height H of the wall portion 12a is also specified. W The height H of the annular rib 11a L It is configured to be higher than the upper case, making it easy to insert the annular rib 11a all the way in. When the upper case 11 is fitted into the lower case 12 using a spigot mechanism and the upper case 11 and lower case 12 are combined, the outer surface of the wall portion 12a is configured to be flush with the outer surface of the side wall of the upper case 11. In this embodiment, the shape of the upper end 34 of the wall portion 12a when viewed from above and the shape of the annular portion 35 formed on the outside of the annular rib 11a at the lower ends of the four side walls of the upper case 11, which corresponds to the upper end 34, are formed to be substantially the same shape, so that the upper end 34 and the annular portion 35 can be fitted together perfectly.

[0035] Figure 10 shows the electrical configuration of the drive unit 4 in this embodiment. In the figure, 41 is a control means for controlling the motor 14. In this embodiment, the automatic ice maker 100 is incorporated into a cooling device such as a refrigerator, and the motor 14 is controlled from outside the drive unit 4. However, this is just one example, and the control means 41 may be provided inside the drive unit 4. The control means 41 is configured to electrically control the motor 14 and includes a control IC that constitutes a microcomputer, a memory for storing various information and data, and a timer capable of measuring time. The control means 41 receives a signal from the switch 23 and energizes or deenerges the motor 14. Rotation detection means such as optical, mechanical, or magnetic may be provided to detect the rotation angle of the ice detection shaft 21, and the control means 41 may be configured to receive a detection signal from the rotation detection means and a signal from the switch 23 and energize or deenerge the motor 14.

[0036] Next, the operation of the automatic ice maker 100 with the above configuration in the ice detection operation will be explained. The control means 41 controls the motor 14 to perform an ice detection operation to detect the presence or absence of ice in the ice storage container 2 at predetermined intervals, for example, once every 30 minutes, based on timing by a timer. When the control means 41 controls the motor 14 to drive in the forward direction for a predetermined time, for example, 7 seconds, the motor 14 rotates the worm 15 together with the rotating shaft 14a, and via the worm wheel 16 and gears 17 and 18, rotates the output shaft 13 in the CCW direction in Figure 4. When the output shaft 13 rotates and the alignment projection 21c is positioned on the protruding part of the guide rib 13c for the ice detection shaft, the ice detection shaft 21 becomes rotatable in the R direction, and the ice detection arm 3 becomes able to descend from the predetermined position.

[0037] At this time, the upper part 22d of the switch lever 22 slides along the guide rib 13d for the switch lever. If the output shaft 13 rotates further and the upper part 22d moves to a location where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not provided, and there is still ice in the ice storage container 2 but the ice detection arm 3 has not descended to a predetermined position, then, as described above, the switch lever 22 swings toward the switch 23 and the switch 23 turns ON. When the control means 41 receives a signal from the switch 23, it controls the motor 14 to drive in the reverse direction, causing the output shaft 13 to rotate in the CW direction in Figure 4. After that, when the rotation angle of the output shaft 13 returns to a predetermined position, such as 0°, the upper part 22d moves to a location where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not provided, causing the switch lever 22 to swing toward the switch 23 and the switch 23 turns ON. When the control means 41 receives a signal from the switch 23, it controls the motor 14 to stop powering, thereby stopping the motor 14 from driving.

[0038] On the other hand, when the upper part 22d moves to a location where the guide rib 13d for the switch lever is not provided, and the ice detection arm 3 is lowered from a predetermined position, the push-blocking projection 21a contacts the lower surface of the switch-pressing lever 22c of the switch lever 22, making it impossible to press the switch 23, and the switch lever 22 swings toward the output shaft 13, keeping the switch 23 OFF. If the control means 41 does not receive a signal from the switch 23 within the predetermined time mentioned above, it controls the motor 14 to continue driving in the forward direction, and keeps the output shaft 13 rotating in the CW direction. As the output shaft 13 rotates further, the upper part 22d slides along the guide rib 13d for the switch lever, the alignment projection 21c moves from the protruding part to the cylindrical part, and the push-blocking projection 21a moves away from the lower surface of the switch-pressing lever 22c. After that, when the output shaft 13 rotates until the ice tray 1 is in the ice-release position, the switch lever 22 swings toward the switch 23, and the switch 23 turns ON. When the control means 41 receives a signal from the switch 23, it controls the motor 14 to drive in the reverse direction, causing the output shaft 13 to rotate in the CW direction in Figure 4. After the rotation angle of the output shaft 13 returns to a predetermined position, the switch 23 is turned ON. When the control means 41 receives a signal from the switch 23, it controls the motor 14 to stop powering, thereby stopping the motor 14 from driving.

[0039] As described above, the drive unit 4 of the automatic ice maker 100 of this embodiment includes a motor 14 that rotates the ice tray 1 that generates ice, a worm 15, worm wheel 16, gears 17, 18 and output shaft 13 as a transmission mechanism that transmits the force from the motor 14 to the ice tray 1, and an ice detection arm 3 as a detection means for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage container 2, which is a storage container for storing ice supplied from the ice tray 1. When the ice detection arm 3 moves to a lowered position and detects that the amount of ice in the ice storage container 2 is below a predetermined amount, the force from the motor 14 rotates the ice tray 1 to store the ice in the ice tray 1. The ice tray 1 is dropped into container 2, and then the force from motor 14 inverts it back to its original position. The worm 15, worm wheel 16, gears 17, 18, and output shaft 13 are covered by a case that has an upper case 11 as a first case half and a lower case 12 as a second case half. The upper case 11, which is either the upper case 11 or the lower case 12, is provided with an annular rib 11a whose entire circumference is in close contact with the contact portion 32 of the wall portion 12a of the lower case 12, which is the other part of the upper case 12, where the contact portion 31 with the wall portion 12a forming the opening of the lower case 12 is in close contact with the contact portion 32 of the wall portion 12a of the lower case 12.

[0040] By configuring it in this way, the airtightness of the case, which is formed by combining the upper case 11 and the lower case 12, can be improved, thereby suppressing the inflow of air into the case.

[0041] Furthermore, in the drive unit 4 of the automatic ice maker 100 of this embodiment, the tip of the annular rib 11a is provided with an inclined portion 33 on the contact portion 31 side, which prevents the upper end of the wall portion 12a from interfering with the lower end of the annular rib 11a when the upper case 11 is fitted into the lower case 12 with a spigot, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the drive unit 4.

[0042] Furthermore, in the drive unit 4 of the automatic ice maker 100 of this embodiment, the reduction gear group and the output shaft 13 are connected to the ice tray 1 and the output shaft 13 transmits power to the ice tray 1, and the cylindrical ring 27 rotates and slides in sync with the output shaft 13, with protrusions 27d and 27e provided at the lower end as the end portion in contact with the lower case 12. The ring 27 is configured such that the protrusions 27d and 27e are formed in a convex cross-section. As a result, the contact area between the ring 27 and the lower case 12 is minimized, preventing freezing between the lower end of the ring 27 and the lower case 12, and even if freezing occurs, the amount of freezing is minimized, preventing the operation of the ring 27 from being hindered.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​and various times mentioned above are illustrative examples and are not limited to those described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Ice tray 2. Ice storage container (storage container) 3. Ice detection arm (detection means) 4. Drive system 11 Upper case (first half of case) 11a Annular rib 12. Lower case (second half of the case) 12a Wall (opening) 13. Output shaft (transmission mechanism) 14. Motor (Transmission Mechanism) 15. Worm (transmission mechanism) 16. Worm wheel (transmission mechanism) 17. Gears (Transmission Mechanisms) 18. Gears (Transmission Mechanism) 27d Projection (end) 27e Protrusion (end) 31 Contact part 32 Contact part 33 Slope 100 Automatic Ice Makers

Claims

1. A motor that rotates the ice tray that generates ice, A transmission mechanism that transmits power from the motor to the ice tray, The system includes a detection means for detecting the amount of ice in a storage container that stores ice supplied from the ice tray, In an automatic ice maker drive device, when the detection means detects that the amount of ice in the storage container is below a predetermined amount, the motor rotates the ice tray to drop the ice from the ice tray into the storage container, and then the motor reverses the ice tray to return it to its original position, The transmission mechanism is a drive device characterized in that the case covering the outer surface has a first case half and a second case half, and either the first case half or the second case half is provided with an annular rib that makes close contact with the opening of the other opening over its entire circumference.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tip of the annular rib is provided with an inclined portion on the side that contacts the other opening.

3. The aforementioned transmission mechanism is An output shaft connected to the ice tray and transmitting the force to the ice tray, It has a cylindrical ring whose end contacts the first case half or the second case half, and which rotates and slides in synchronization with the output shaft, The drive device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the end of the ring is formed in a convex cross-sectional shape.

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