Ice maker

Abstract

To provide an ice maker that can prevent ice-making water splashed from the ice-making section from leaking out of the discharge port. [Solution] The guide member 64, which guides ice that has separated from the ice-making surface 20a to the discharge port 10a, is configured such that when ice separates from the ice-making surface 20a, the ice collides with the upper surface of the guide member 64, causing it to swing from a first position in which the upper surface slopes upward as it approaches the discharge port 10a to a second position in which it slopes downward as it approaches the discharge port 10a, thereby guiding the ice to the discharge port 10a. The guide member 64 is also equipped with splash receiving parts 76, 61, and 70 that receive splash water that has been scattered from the ice-making section 20 towards the discharge port 10a, and in the first position, the guide member 64 is configured to guide the splash water that has dripped from the splash receiving parts 76, 61, and 70 onto the upper surface to the water storage tank 34.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker.

Background Art

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an ice maker, so-called a flow-down type ice maker, which includes an ice-making part for freezing water on an ice-making surface to generate ice, and a water-discharging part arranged above the ice-making part for discharging water toward the ice-making surface. Further, the following Patent Document 2 discloses an auger-type ice maker configured to be able to attach a storage ice bin, that is, an auger-type ice maker configured to discharge the generated ice from a discharge port to the storage ice bin. The applicant of the present application is considering a flow-down type ice maker in which the ice generated in the ice-making part is discharged to the outside from the discharge port immediately after being detached from the ice-making surface for the purpose of miniaturizing the ice maker.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in a flow-down type ice maker in which the ice generated in the ice-making part is discharged to the outside from the discharge port immediately after being detached from the ice-making surface, since the water-discharging part discharges water from above the ice-making part toward the ice-making surface, the ice-making water scatters. And in an ice maker of this configuration, since a discharge port is provided near the ice-making part, there is a risk that the scattered ice-making water leaks to the outside from the discharge port.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide an ice maker capable of suppressing the leakage of the ice-making water scattered from the ice-making part from the discharge port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the ice maker disclosed in this application has the following configuration. (1) An ice-making unit that freezes water on an ice-making surface to produce ice, A water discharge unit is positioned above the ice-making unit and discharges water toward the ice-making surface, A housing comprising the ice-making unit and the water-discharging unit, and having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the ice produced by the ice-making unit to the outside from the side wall, A guide member is positioned below the ice-making section and guides the ice that has separated from the ice-making surface to the discharge port, A water storage tank is located below the ice-making section and the guide member, and stores water to be sent to the water discharge section. Equipped with, The guide member is held so as to be swingable by a member extending from below the ice-making section toward the discharge port, and swings between a first position in which the upper surface slopes upward toward the discharge port and a second position in which the upper surface slopes downward toward the discharge port. When ice detaches from the ice-making surface, the ice collides with the upper surface of the guide member, causing it to swing from the first position to the second position and guide the ice to the discharge port. The ice-making surface is further provided with a splash receiving section located on the discharge side and above the guide member, which receives splash water that has been scattered from the ice-making section toward the side wall section. The ice maker is characterized in that the guide member is configured to guide the water that drips from the water receiving section onto the upper surface to the water storage tank in the first position.

[0007] The ice maker disclosed in this application is a so-called gravity-flow type ice maker, and is based on the premise that the ice produced in the ice-making section is immediately discharged to the outside from the discharge port after it has separated from the ice-making surface. In this type of ice maker, the water discharge section discharges water from above the ice-making section toward the ice-making surface, so the ice-making water may splash, and there is a risk that the splashed ice-making water may leak to the outside from the discharge port provided near the ice-making section. In the ice maker disclosed in this application, the guide member that guides the ice separated from the ice-making surface to the discharge port takes a first position inclined in the opposite direction to the discharge port in the normal state, and the splashed water (splashed ice-making water) that has dripped down from the splash receiving section can be returned to the water storage tank. Therefore, the ice maker disclosed in this application is capable of suppressing the leakage of ice-making water splashed from the ice-making section from the discharge port.

[0008] Furthermore, the ice maker with the above configuration can be made into various forms as shown below.

[0009] (2) A lid member is provided which is pivotably attached to the housing at the upper end and which pivots between a closed state in which the discharge port is closed and an open state in which the discharge port is open, The ice guided to the discharge port by the guide member collides with the lid member, causing it to swing from the closed state to the open state and discharge the ice to the outside through the discharge port. The lid member has a shape in which the lower portion of the inner wall surface on the ice-making section side is offset outward from the upper portion. The edge of the guide member on the discharge port side protrudes in the first position from the upper inner wall surface, which is the upper portion of the inner wall surface, towards the lower inner wall surface, which is the lower portion. The ice maker according to item (1), wherein the upper inner wall surface functions as the splash receiving portion and causes the splashed water to drip onto the guide member in the first position.

[0010] (3) The ice maker according to item (2), wherein the lower end of the upper inner wall surface protrudes downward from the upper end of the lower inner wall surface.

[0011] (4) The lid member is positioned inside the opening that forms the discharge port in the side wall portion, The ice maker according to (2) or (3), wherein the side wall portion has a protruding portion on the inner wall edge of the opening that extends toward the center of the opening.

[0012] (5) The ice maker according to any one of items (1) to (4), wherein the ice maker is provided with a splash-proof member, which is plate-shaped and faces the ice-making surface and is arranged to cover the upper end of the ice-making surface, as the splash-receiving part.

[0013] (6) The ice maker according to item (5), wherein the splash-proof member is rotatably held at its upper end, and when ice detaches from the ice-making surface, the ice makes contact with it and rotates, thereby allowing the ice to detach from the ice-making surface.

[0014] (7) The ice maker according to item (5) or (6), wherein the splash-proof member has an inclined surface portion that slopes toward the ice-making surface towards the lower end.

[0015] (8) The ice thickness sensor is positioned opposite the ice-making surface and detects the thickness of the ice produced on the ice-making surface by moving away from the ice-making surface, The ice maker according to any one of items (5) to (7), wherein the splash-proof member has a notch in which the ice thickness sensor is disposed and is capable of operating independently of the ice thickness sensor.

[0016] (9) The lower surface of the opening forming the discharge port in the side wall portion is shaped to slope downward toward the outside, The ice maker according to any one of items (1) to (8), wherein the lower portion protrudes from the outer wall surface of the side wall portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ice maker that can suppress the leakage of ice-making water scattered from the ice-making section through the discharge port.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] Perspective view of an ice-making device mainly including an ice maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Perspective view of the ice maker according to the first embodiment [Figure 3] Front sectional view of the ice maker [Figure 4] Side sectional view of the ice maker [Figure 5] Side view showing the state where the exterior on the right side is removed [Figure 6] Plan view showing the state where the exterior on the top surface side is removed [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing the refrigeration circuit and the ice-making water flow path [Figure 8] View showing an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 3 and the state where ice is generated on the ice-making plate [Figure 9] View showing the state where the generated plate-shaped connected ice is detached from the ice-making plate [Figure 10] Perspective view showing the state where the side wall member and the ceiling member of the ice-making unit are removed [Figure 11] View showing the flow of scattered ice-making water [Figure 12] View showing the state where the generated plate-shaped connected ice is discharged to the outside [Figure 13] View showing the state where a row of connected ice is discharged to the outside [Figure 14] Among FIG. 13, view showing an enlarged view of the inclined surface part and the slope member at the lower end of the opening [Figure 15] Perspective view showing an enlarged view of a part of the slope member [Figure 16] Front sectional view showing the water splash prevention member [Figure 17] Perspective view showing the ice-making surface side of the water splash prevention member [Figure 18] Plan sectional view showing the relationship between the ice guide and the separator in the first posture [Figure 19] Plan sectional view showing an enlarged view of the side surface side of the separator [Figure 20]Perspective view showing the inside of the ice-making unit in the ice-making machine of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] Front cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the ice maker of the second embodiment. [Figure 22] Front cross-sectional view showing the area around the separator of the ice maker in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] <Embodiment 1> The ice maker 10, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, is a component of the ice making device 12 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment does not have an ice storage section for storing the ice produced, and is configured to release the ice produced to the outside from the discharge port 10a immediately after ice production. Therefore, the ice making device 12 is configured to include, in addition to the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, an ice storage compartment 14 that receives and stores the ice released to the outside from the ice maker 10, and a hood 16 that covers the top of the ice storage compartment 14 and the discharge port 10a of the ice maker 10. It should be noted that the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is not limited to being used in conjunction with a dedicated container (ice storage compartment 14) for the ice maker 10, as in the ice making device 12, and can also be used so that the ice is released into an unconnected container provided by the user. In other words, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment does not have an ice storage compartment, and the ice produced is discharged to the outside through a discharge port 10a provided on the side. As a result, it has a relatively smaller width (left-right direction when viewed from the front) compared to conventional ice makers, and is thinner.

[0020] The basic configuration of the ice maker 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 9. In some parts of the drawings, the symbols F, B, L, R, U, and D are used to indicate direction, representing the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom sides, respectively, when the ice maker 10 is viewed from the front.

[0021] <Basic configuration of an ice maker> The ice maker 10 of this embodiment is a so-called gravity-flow type ice maker that produces ice by flowing water down an ice-making plate 20, which serves as the ice-making section. The ice maker 10 of this embodiment comprises an ice-making unit 22 which is the main unit for ice making and includes the ice-making plate 20, a cooling device 24 for cooling the ice-making plate 20, a control device 26 for controlling the operation of each component constituting the ice-making unit 22 and the cooling device 24, and a housing 28 which houses the ice-making unit 22, the cooling device 24, and the control device 26. The ice-making unit 22 is an insulated box in which the components including the ice-making plate 20 are housed within an ice-making case (casing) 30 which forms an ice-making chamber R1 inside. When this ice-making unit 22 is fixed inside the housing 28, a machine room R2 is formed outside the ice-making case 30 inside the housing 28, as shown in Figures 3 to 6. Most of the cooling device 24 and the control device 26 are housed in this machine room R2.

[0022] The ice-making unit 22 comprises an ice-making plate 20, a water-spraying pipe (discharge section) 32 for spraying ice-making water onto the ice-making plate 20, a water storage tank 34 for storing ice-making water, and a pump device 36 for sending water from the water storage tank 34 to the water-spraying pipe 32, all of which are housed within the ice-making case 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the ice-making plate 20 is positioned in a nearly vertical orientation with its plate surface facing to the right (towards the discharge port 10a). This plate surface is the ice-making surface 20a, and multiple partition walls 20b are provided on the ice-making surface 20a in a grid pattern when viewed from above. As a result, multiple ice-making chambers 20c are formed by the ice-making surface 20a and the multiple partition walls 20b. In other words, the ice-making plate 20 has a shallow box shape with multiple ice-making chambers 20c opening to the right (towards the discharge port 10a). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the partition walls 20b that extend horizontally are sloped downwards as they move away from the ice-making surface 20a.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, an evaporator tube 38 constituting the cooling device 24 is provided on the side of the ice-making plate 20 opposite to the ice-making surface 20a. The cooling device 24 will now be explained with reference to Figure 7. The cooling device 24 comprises a compressor 40 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 42 for cooling and liquefying the compressed refrigerant gas by airflow from a condenser fan 41, an expansion valve 43 for expanding the liquefied refrigerant, the aforementioned evaporator tube 38 for vaporizing the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the ice-making plate 20, and a dryer 44 for removing moisture mixed in the refrigerant tube. These are connected by a refrigerant tube 45 to form a refrigeration circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. When the evaporator tube 38 cools the ice-making plate 20, the water flowing down the ice-making surface 20a freezes, and numerous block-shaped ice is generated in each ice-making chamber 20c. The ice in each ice-making chamber 20c is generated to be slightly larger than the protruding length of the partition wall 20b. As a result, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, each block of ice in each ice-making chamber 20c is connected, creating a plate-shaped connected ice A, which is made up of connected block-shaped ice.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the cooling device 24 includes a bypass pipe 46 connecting the compressor 40 and the evaporator tube 38, a hot gas valve 47 provided in the bypass pipe 46, and a cooling valve 48 provided between the dryer 44 and the expansion valve 43. By closing the cooling valve 48 and opening the hot gas valve 47, refrigerant gas (hot gas) is supplied from the compressor 40 to the evaporator tube 38, making it possible to heat the evaporator tube 38. When ice is generated, the hot gas valve 47 is opened to supply hot gas to the evaporator tube 38, heating the ice-making plate 20, which makes it possible to separate the generated ice from the ice-making plate 20.

[0025] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, an ice thickness sensor 50 (for example, a proximity sensor) is provided on the upper part of the ice-making plate 20. The ice thickness sensor 50 is positioned in the center of the ice-making plate 20 in the front-to-back direction, facing the ice-making surface 20a, and spaced apart from the ice-making surface 20a. The ice thickness sensor 50 can detect when the surface of the plate-shaped connected ice A comes into contact with the lower end 50a, thereby detecting when the plate-shaped connected ice A has grown to a predetermined thickness. In other words, when the ice thickness sensor 50 detects that the plate-shaped connected ice A has grown to a predetermined thickness, the ice-making plate 20 is heated by the hot gas supplied to the evaporator tube 38 in the manner described above, and the generated plate-shaped connected ice A is detached from the ice-making plate 20. As shown in Figure 9, the ice thickness sensor 50 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 51 provided above the ice-making plate 20 so that its lower part is displaced away from the ice-making plate 20. Therefore, the ice thickness sensor 50 is pushed and rotated by the plate-shaped connected ice A that has detached from the ice-making plate 20, and is designed not to hinder the detachment of the plate-shaped connected ice A.

[0026] Furthermore, as will be explained in detail later, the ice-making case 30 has a water storage tank 34 formed on its inner bottom side. Water is supplied to the water storage tank 34 from a water supply unit 52 connected to a water source such as a water supply pipe. The water storage tank 34 is equipped with a pump device 36, which supplies water to the sprinkler pipe 32 via a water supply pipe 53. The water flowing down the ice-making surface 20a from the sprinkler pipe 32 freezes and turns into ice, but the water that does not freeze is returned to the water storage tank 34 and sent back to the sprinkler pipe 32 by the pump device 36. In other words, the ice-making water is circulated between the water storage tank 34 and the ice-making unit 20.

[0027] <Ice dispensing mechanism of an ice maker> Next, the configuration for releasing the plate-shaped connected ice A that has detached from the ice-making plate 20 to the outside in the ice-making machine 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The ice-making case 30 mainly consists of a box-shaped main case member 60 that opens upward and to the right, as shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 3, a side wall member 61 that forms the right side wall and a ceiling member 62 that forms the ceiling are attached to the main case member 60, forming an ice-making chamber R1 inside. The main case member 60 has a recess formed on the bottom side which functions as a water storage tank 34. The ice-making plate 20, watering pipe 32, and pump device 36 are assembled to this main case member 60. When the side wall member 61 is assembled to the main case member 60, an opening 30a is formed between the upper end of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60 and the lower end of the side wall member 61. In addition, the housing 28 also has an opening 28a that connects to the opening 30a of the ice-making case 30. An outlet 10a for releasing ice produced in the ice-making chamber R1 to the outside is formed by the opening 30a of the ice-making case 30 and the opening 28a of the housing 28. The upper end surface of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60, in other words, the lower surface portion 30a1 of the opening 30a, is shaped to slope downwards as it faces outwards.

[0028] Below the ice-making plate 20, an ice guide 64 is positioned as a guide member to guide the ice that has detached from the ice-making plate 20 to the discharge port 10a. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the ice guide 64 is a plate-shaped member with a V-shaped cross-section and is long in the front-to-back direction, and has a first plate surface portion 64a and a second plate surface portion 64b. The ice guide 64 is held at the lower end of a holding member 65 that holds the ice-making plate 20, the evaporator tube 38, the water sprinkler pipe 32, etc., and is movably held around a pivot axis 64c at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] The ice guide 64 has a second plate surface 64b that is heavier than the first plate surface 64a. In its natural state, as shown by the solid line in Figure 11 (as shown in Figures 8 and 9), the second plate surface 64b hangs down from the pivot axis 64c, and the first plate surface 64a takes on a first position in which it slopes upward as it approaches the tip (as it approaches the discharge port 10a). The ice guide 64 is a component that catches ice when it detaches from the ice-making plate 20, and it rotates due to the weight of the ice as it collides with the upper surface of the first plate surface 64a. Then, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 11 and in Figure 12, the first plate surface 64a takes on a second position in which it slopes downward as it approaches the tip. When the ice guide 64 assumes the second position, the first plate surface 64a is positioned to align with the lower surface 30a1 of the opening 30a (the upper end surface of the right side wall 60a of the main case member 60), allowing the ice to be smoothly released to the outside. When the ice slides off the first plate surface 64a of the ice guide 64 (is released from the discharge port 10a), the weight of the second plate surface 64b causes it to return to the first position.

[0030] The discharge port 10a can be closed by a separator 68, which is a lid member. The separator 68 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing relative to the surface. In its natural state, the separator 68 is in a hanging position as shown in Figure 11, and closes the opening 30a of the ice-making case 30, thereby closing the discharge port 10a. In other words, in the closed state, the separator 68 prevents cold air from the ice-making chamber R1 from leaking to the outside and also prevents ice-making water from splashing to the outside. The separator 68 is also able to swing so that its lower end is displaced away from the ice-making surface 20a. In other words, when ice guided to the discharge port 10a by the ice guide 64 collides with the separator 68, as shown in Figure 12, the weight of the ice causes the lower end to be displaced outward, opening the discharge port 10a.

[0031] Furthermore, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, the separator 68 is divided into upper and lower parts, as shown in Figure 11, and consists of an upper separator (upper lid) 70 and a lower separator (lower lid) 71. That is, the upper separator 70 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing around a pivot axis 70a relative to the side wall member 61, and the lower separator 71 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing around a pivot axis 71a relative to the upper separator 70. In its natural state, both the upper separator 70 and the lower separator 71 hang down, closing the discharge port 10a.

[0032] Furthermore, the separator 68 has a stopper 72 that prevents rotation in the direction toward the inside of the ice-making case 30 from a planar state where the lower separator 71 is not tilted relative to the upper separator 70, as shown in the closed state in Figure 11. In other words, the lower separator 71 is configured such that it is prohibited from swinging toward the inside of the ice-making case 30 relative to the upper separator 70 from a planar state, but swinging toward the outside. With this configuration, when the upper separator 70 rotates toward the outside of the ice-making case 30, the lower separator 71 also follows and rotates while maintaining a planar state. For example, when a plate-shaped connected ice A detaches from the ice-making plate 20, the plate-shaped connected ice A collides with the upper separator 70, as shown in Figure 12, causing the upper separator 70 to swing toward the outside of the ice-making case 30. In this process, the lower separator 71 also rotates while maintaining its planar state, so it does not obstruct the outward movement of the plate-shaped connected ice A, and can be smoothly released outwards.

[0033] On the other hand, for example, when a plate-shaped connected ice A falls onto the ice guide 64, the impact may cause it to break apart, resulting in a single row of connected ice B extending in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 13. In such a case, for example, if the separator is not divided vertically, the weight of the connected ice B, which is smaller than the plate-shaped connected ice A, may not be enough to open the separator, and the ice may get stuck inside the ice-making case 30. In contrast, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, if only a single row of connected ice B remains, as shown in Figure 13, the weight of the connected ice B causes only the lower separator 71 to swing outwards from the ice-making case 30. With this configuration, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment can prevent the small pieces of ice from getting stuck in the separator 68. Furthermore, since only the lower separator 71 opens when releasing small pieces of ice to the outside, the opening area can be reduced compared to the case where the separator is not divided vertically, thus suppressing the leakage of cold air from the ice-making chamber R1.

[0034] The lower surface portion 30a1 of the opening 30a, that is, the inclined surface portion 74 which is the upper end surface of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60, is shaped to slope downwards toward the outside, as described above. More specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the inclined surface portion 74 has a stepped shape in which the outer inclined surface portion 74b is lower than the inner inclined surface portion 74a, which is the inner portion. In addition, the width of the inner inclined surface portion 74a and the outer inclined surface portion 74b in the inward-outward direction (left-right direction) is smaller than the thickness of the connected ice B. This prevents the connected ice B from remaining in place without sliding due to surface tension between it and the inclined surface portion 74. The inclination angles of the inner inclined surface portion 74a and the outer inclined surface portion 74b are approximately the same as the inclination angle of the ice-making chamber 20c.

[0035] Furthermore, a slope member 75 is attached to the outer surface of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60 to guide the ice A and B released from the discharge port 10a in a direction away from the ice maker 10. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, this slope member 75 consists of a plate-shaped mounting surface portion 75a that follows the outer surface of the main case member 60 and is attached to the main case member 60, a slope portion 75b that extends from the lower end of the mounting surface portion 75a and slopes downward, and a pair of wall portions 75c that are bent at both ends in the width direction (front-to-back direction). In other words, as shown in Figure 14, the slope portion 75b is located at a lower position than the inclined surface portion 74 of the main case member 60, and is in a stepped state with respect to the outer inclined surface portion 74b. If the inclined surface and the slope are flush, there is a risk that the ice will not slide and will remain there. However, by creating a step between the outer inclined surface 74b and the slope 75b, it is possible to reliably drop the ice from the inclined surface 74 onto the slope member 75.

[0036] <Water leak prevention structure for ice makers> In this embodiment, the ice maker 10 is configured such that the watering pipe 32 sprays water from above the ice-making plate 20 toward the ice-making surface 20a. More specifically, as shown in Figure 16, the holding member 65 that holds the ice-making plate 20 and the watering pipe 32 is provided with an ice-making water guide section 65a directly below the watering pipe 32, which receives the ice-making water sprayed from the watering pipe 32 and guides the ice-making water to the upper end of the ice-making plate 20. Therefore, the ice-making water sprayed from the watering pipe 32 hits the ice-making water guide section 65a and is scattered toward the discharge port 10a. There is a risk that this scattered ice-making water may leak to the outside from the discharge port 10a, which is located relatively close to the ice-making plate 20. The ice maker 10 in this embodiment is equipped with various structures to prevent water leakage from the discharge port 10a, which will be described in detail below.

[0037] As shown in Figures 10 and 16, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is equipped with the above-mentioned ice water guide section 65a and a generally plate-shaped splash prevention member 76 that covers the upper part of the ice plate 20, facing the discharge port 10a side of the ice making surface 20a. This splash prevention member 76 catches the ice water that splashes from the upper part of the ice plate 20 towards the discharge port 10a side and causes it to fall downward. The lower end of the inner wall surface 76a of the splash prevention member 76, which is the surface facing the ice making surface 20a, is an inclined surface section 76a1 that slopes toward the ice making surface 20a side as it approaches the lower end. This allows some of the splashed ice water to be returned to the ice plate 20.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17, the splash-proof member 76 has multiple reinforcing ribs 76b formed on its inner wall surface 76a. Each of these ribs 76b extends vertically and is shaped to incline towards the center in the longitudinal direction as it extends downwards. Therefore, the ice-making water received by the inner wall surface 76a is collected towards the center via the ribs 76b, preventing the ice-making water from falling outwards in the front-to-back direction of the splash-proof member 76.

[0039] The splash-proof member 76 is rotatably held at its upper end together with the ice thickness sensor 50 relative to the bracket 51. This configuration allows the splash-proof member 76 to rotate when ice detaches from the ice-making plate 20, thereby allowing the ice to detach from the ice-making plate 20. The splash-proof member 76 also has a notch 76c formed in the center of its longitudinal direction, and the ice thickness sensor 50 is positioned inside this notch 76c. This configuration allows the splash-proof member 76 to rotate independently of the ice thickness sensor 50, so as not to interfere with the operation of the ice thickness sensor 50. When the splash-proof member 76 is rotated by ice detached from the ice-making plate 20, as shown in Figure 9, the lower end portion 76d will come into contact with the side wall member 61, but the outer surface of the lower end portion 76d will come into contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall member 61. Therefore, the impact at the time of contact can be dispersed, and damage to the water splash prevention member 76 can be suppressed.

[0040] The ice-making water that falls from the splash-proof member 76 drips onto the ice guide 64. In its natural first position, the ice guide 64 has an upward slope as the first plate surface 64a approaches the discharge port 10a. Therefore, the ice-making water that drips onto the ice guide 64 flows away from the discharge port 10a and is returned to the water storage tank 34 located below the ice guide 64.

[0041] Furthermore, any ice-making water that is not caught by the splash-preventing member 76 and splashes towards the discharge port 10a is caught, for example, by the side wall member 61 or the separator 68. When the separator 68 is in the closed position, as shown in Figure 11, the inner wall surface of the lower separator 71 is offset outward from the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70. In other words, the separator 68 in the closed position has a shape in which the lower part is recessed compared to the upper part. When the ice guide 64 is in the first position, as shown in Figure 18, the entire edge of the tip side of the first plate surface 64a protrudes from the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70 towards the inner wall surface of the lower separator 71. The splashes of water caught by the side wall member 61 travel along the inner wall surface and fall from the drain wall (part of the overhang) 61b, which is provided to protrude downward from the lower end of the side wall member 61 (more specifically, the upper edge portion 61a of the opening 30a in the side wall member 61) so as to extend the inner wall surface. Since the ice guide 64 in the first position (more specifically, the first plate surface portion 64a) is located directly below the drain wall 61b, the ice-making water caught by the side wall member 61 falls onto the ice guide 64 and is returned to the water storage tank 34. In other words, the side wall member 61 functions as a splash-receiving section. The drain wall 61b also covers the ice-making chamber R1 side of the gap between the upper edge portion 61a of the opening and the separator 68, thereby preventing splashes of water from leaking out of these gaps.

[0042] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 19, the side wall member 61 also has an overhang 61d that extends inward from the opening 30a, extending from the inner wall surface, on the opening side edge 61c which forms the edge of the vertical wall surface on the side of the opening 30a. Since this overhang 61d covers the ice-making chamber R1 side of the gap between the separator 68 and the opening side edge 61c, it can suppress splashes of water from leaking out of these gaps.

[0043] Next, let's consider the case where the ice-making water is received by the separator 68. As shown in Figure 11, the upper separator 70 has a shape that bulges toward the ice-making chamber R1, and the surface facing the ice-making surface 20a has a vertical surface portion 70b that extends vertically and an inclined surface portion 70c that slopes downward toward the inside of the ice-making chamber R1 from the lower end of the vertical surface portion 70b. The upper separator 70 is equipped with a plate-shaped drain portion 70d that hangs downward from the lower end of its inclined surface portion 70c. Due to this drain portion 70d, the ice-making water received by the upper separator 70 does not run down to the lower surface of the upper separator 70, but instead falls from the drain portion 70d. Since the ice guide 64 (first plate surface 64a) in the first position is located directly below the drainage section 70d, the ice-making water received by the upper separator 70 falls onto the ice guide 64 and is returned to the water storage tank 34. In other words, the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70 functions as a splash receiving section. Incidentally, although there is a gap between the drainage section 70d of the upper separator 70 and the first plate surface 64a of the ice guide 64, considering the angle at which the ice-making water splashed from above falls, it hardly passes through these gaps.

[0044] With the configuration described above, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, through the presence of multiple splash receiving sections and an ice guide 64 that takes a first position tilted in the opposite direction to the discharge port 10a in its natural state, can effectively suppress the leakage of ice-making water splashed from the ice-making plate 20 from the discharge port 10a, thereby increasing the amount of circulating ice-making water and improving the water-saving effect.

[0045] However, with the above configuration, it is difficult to completely prevent ice-making water from leaking out of the outlet 10a. In other words, ice-making water may leak out to the outside via the inclined surface portion 74 of the main case member 60. As shown in Figure 14, the outer tip 74c of the inclined surface portion 74 is shaped to protrude outward from the outer surface 60a1 of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60. Furthermore, it protrudes slightly outward from the mounting surface portion 75a of the slope member 75 attached to the outer surface 60a1 of the main case member 60. In other words, the water that flows down the inclined surface portion 74 does not enter the gap between the main case member 60 and the slope member 75, but drips from the tip of the inclined surface portion 74 onto the slope portion 75b. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ice maker 10 guides the water leaking from the discharge port 10a, along with the discharged ice, into a container that receives the ice, thus preventing water from dripping onto the floor or table on which the ice maker 10 is placed.

[0046] <<Embodiment 2>> Next, the ice maker 80 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21. The ice maker 80 of the second embodiment has a configuration similar to the ice maker 10 of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be used for the same components, and their descriptions will be omitted or given only a brief explanation. The ice maker 80 of the second embodiment is equipped with a splash prevention member 82, but its shape differs from the splash prevention member 76 in the first embodiment.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the splash prevention member 76 was provided with a notch 76c to allow the operation of the ice thickness sensor 50. However, in the second embodiment, the splash prevention member 82 does not have a notch 76c and covers the entire upper part of the ice-making water guide section 65a and the ice-making plate 20. This splash prevention member 82 can further suppress splashing of ice-making water towards the ice-making water outlet 80a. Therefore, as shown in Figure 21, when the ice maker 80 of this embodiment is connected to the ice storage compartment 14 and hood 16 shown in Figure 1, it is possible to use the ice maker 10 of the first embodiment with the separator 68 removed. In other words, since the separator 68 is absent, the problem of ice getting clogged by the separator 68 does not occur.

[0048] <Embodiment 3> Next, the ice maker 90 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 22. The ice maker 90 of the third embodiment differs from the separator 68 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the separator 92. While the separator 68 of the first embodiment was divided into upper and lower parts and composed of two members 70 and 71, the separator 92 of the third embodiment is not divided into upper and lower parts and consists of a single member. The separator 92 has a shape in which the lower inner wall surface 94, which is the lower part of the inner wall surface, is offset outward from the upper inner wall surface 95, which is the upper part. The upper inner wall surface 95 has a vertical surface portion 95a that extends vertically, and an inclined surface portion 95b that slopes downward from the lower end of the vertical surface portion 95a toward the inside of the ice making chamber R1, as well as a plate-shaped drain portion 95c that hangs down from the lower end of the inclined surface portion 95b.

[0049] In the first position, the ice guide 64 has the tip of its first plate surface portion 64a protruding from the lower inner wall surface 94 side of the drainage portion 95c. Therefore, when the separator 92 receives the scattered ice-making water, the ice-making water falls onto the ice guide 64 and is returned to the water storage tank 34.

[0050] <<Other Embodiments>> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0051] In the first embodiment described above, a splash prevention member 76 was provided along with a side wall member 61 and a separator 68 that function as splash receiving sections, but a configuration without the splash prevention member 76 is also possible.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the discharge port 10a was provided on the right side wall, but it may also be provided on the left side wall in a symmetrical configuration. Furthermore, as a configuration that discharges forward, an ice maker with a small depth may be used.

[0053] In the above embodiment, a plate-shaped connected ice A, in which rectangular block-shaped ice is linked together, was used as an example of ice produced on the ice-making surface. However, the shape of each ice is not limited to this, and the configuration of the ice-making plate 20 can be appropriately changed to match the shape of the ice to be made. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10…Ice maker, 10a…Discharge port, 20…Ice plate [ice making section], 20a…Ice making surface, 30…Ice making case [housing], 30a…Opening, 32…Sprinkler pipe [water discharge section], 34…Water storage tank, 50…Ice thickness sensor, 61…Side wall member [water splash receiving section], 64…Ice guide [guide member], 68…Separator [lid member], 70…Upper separator [upper inner wall surface], 71…Lower separator [lower inner wall surface], 76…Water splash prevention member, 76c…Notch, 80…Ice maker, 82…Water splash prevention member, 90…Ice maker, 92…Separator 92, 94…Lower inner wall surface, 95…Upper inner wall surface

Claims

1. An ice-making unit that generates ice by freezing water on an ice-making surface, A water discharge unit is positioned above the ice-making unit and discharges water toward the ice-making surface, A housing comprising the ice-making unit and the water-discharging unit, and having a discharge port formed therein for discharging the ice produced by the ice-making unit to the outside from the side wall, A guide member is positioned below the ice-making section and guides the ice that has separated from the ice-making surface to the discharge port, A water storage tank is located below the ice-making section and the guide member, and stores water to be sent to the water discharge section. Equipped with, The guide member is held so as to be swingable by a member extending from below the ice-making section toward the discharge port, and swings between a first position in which the upper surface slopes upward toward the discharge port and a second position in which the upper surface slopes downward toward the discharge port. When ice detaches from the ice-making surface, the ice collides with the upper surface of the guide member, causing it to swing from the first position to the second position and guide the ice to the discharge port. The ice-making surface is further provided with a splash receiving section located on the discharge side and above the guide member, which receives splash water that has been scattered from the ice-making section toward the side wall section. The ice maker is characterized in that the guide member is configured to guide the water that drips from the water receiving section onto the upper surface to the water storage tank in the first position.

2. The upper end of the housing is pivotably attached to the housing and includes a lid member that pivots between a closed state in which the discharge port is closed and an open state in which the discharge port is open. The ice guided to the discharge port by the guide member collides with the lid member, causing it to swing from the closed state to the open state and discharge the ice to the outside through the discharge port. The lid member has a shape in which the lower portion of the inner wall surface on the ice-making section side is offset outward from the upper portion. The edge of the guide member on the discharge port side protrudes in the first position from the upper inner wall surface, which is the upper portion of the inner wall surface, towards the lower inner wall surface, which is the lower portion. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the upper inner wall surface functions as the splash receiving portion and causes the splashed water to drip onto the guide member in the first position.

3. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the lower end of the upper inner wall surface protrudes downward from the upper end of the lower inner wall surface.

4. The lid member is positioned inside the opening that forms the discharge port in the side wall portion. The ice maker according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the side wall portion has a protruding portion that extends toward the center of the opening at the inner wall edge of the opening.

5. The ice maker according to claim 1, further comprising a splash-receiving member, which is plate-shaped and positioned opposite the ice-making surface, and covers the upper end of the ice-making surface.

6. The ice maker according to claim 5, wherein the splash-proof member is rotatably held at its upper end, and when ice detaches from the ice-making surface, the ice contacts and rotates, thereby allowing the ice to detach from the ice-making surface.

7. The ice maker according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the splash-proof member has an inclined surface portion that slopes toward the ice-making surface towards the lower end.

8. The system includes an ice thickness sensor positioned opposite the ice-making surface and detecting the thickness of the ice produced on the ice-making surface by moving away from the ice-making surface, The ice maker according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the splash-proof member has a notch in which the ice thickness sensor is disposed and is capable of operating independently of the ice thickness sensor.

9. The lower surface of the opening forming the discharge port in the side wall portion is shaped to slope downwards toward the outside. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower portion protrudes from the outer wall surface of the side wall portion.

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