Liquid dispensing device and refrigerator equipped with liquid dispensing device

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply device in which liquid stored in a liquid storage area can be supplied on an ice tray in a state of being kept clean, even if a non-reversible pump is used as the liquid supply pump, and provide a refrigerator with this liquid supply device.SOLUTION: A liquid supply device 2 includes: a liquid storage enclosure 4; a liquid storage area 10 arranged in the liquid storage enclosure 4, and storing the liquid supplied to an ice tray 50; an auxiliary liquid storage area 20 arranged upward from the liquid storage area 10 in the liquid storage enclosure 4; a liquid supply pump being a non-positive displacement pump for supplying the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20; and liquid supply piping 40 having an inlet side opening 42A arranged in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, and having an outlet side opening 44A arranged in the upper side of the ice tray 50. The auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is arranged upward from the ice tray 50, and the liquid supplied from the liquid storage area 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 using the liquid supply pump is made to flow down in the liquid supply piping 40 due to gravity and is supplied to the ice tray 50. Also, a refrigerator with the liquid supply device 2 is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to an ice-making tray and a refrigerator equipped with this liquid supply device.

Background Art

[0002] A liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to an ice-making tray provided in a refrigerator is known. In such a liquid supply device, in many cases, a liquid stored in a liquid storage area is supplied to the ice-making tray by a liquid supply pump. In that case, in order to suppress the growth of mold and various bacteria in the flow path connecting the liquid storage area and the ice-making tray, it is preferable to connect the liquid storage tank and the ice-making tray with a closed flow path blocked from the outside air. However, when liquid remains in the closed flow path, a problem of liquid backflow occurs due to the siphon phenomenon.

[0003] In order to address this, in a liquid supply device having a closed flow path connecting a liquid storage tank and an ice-making tray, an ice-making device has been proposed that employs a positive and reverse rotatable positive displacement pump such as a gear pump as the liquid supply pump (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the ice-making device described in Patent Document 1, the liquid supply pump, which is a positive displacement pump, is reversed to collect the liquid remaining in the closed flow path into the liquid supply tank, thereby preventing backflow due to the siphon phenomenon.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, considering the manufacturing cost and maintainability of the liquid supply pump, it is preferable to use a non-positive displacement pump, which is more widely used, than a positive displacement pump. However, if a non-positive displacement pump is used in a closed flow path connecting the liquid storage tank and the ice tray, the non-positive displacement pump cannot be reversed, and therefore it is not possible to remove any liquid remaining in the flow path.

[0006] If an opening is provided in the piping that forms the flow path to introduce outside air in order to prevent the siphon effect from occurring, there is a risk that mold and bacteria may grow in the flow path through the opening.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a liquid supply device that can supply liquid stored in the liquid storage area to an ice tray while maintaining cleanliness, even when a non-reverse pump is used as the liquid supply pump, and a refrigerator equipped with this liquid supply device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The liquid supply device of the present invention is Liquid storage enclosure and A liquid storage area is located within the aforementioned liquid storage enclosure and contains liquid to be supplied to the ice tray, An auxiliary liquid storage area is located above the liquid storage area within the liquid storage housing, A supply pump, which is a non-positive displacement pump, supplies the liquid stored in the aforementioned liquid storage area to the aforementioned auxiliary liquid storage area. A liquid supply pipe having an inlet opening located within the auxiliary liquid storage area and an outlet opening located above the ice tray, Equipped with, The auxiliary liquid storage area is positioned above the ice tray. The liquid supplied from the liquid storage area to the auxiliary liquid storage area by the liquid supply pump is characterized in that it flows down the liquid supply piping by gravity and is supplied to the ice tray.

[0009] According to the present invention, the liquid supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area flows down the supply piping by gravity and is supplied to the ice tray. Therefore, when the supply pump is stopped and the supply of liquid to the ice tray ends, the continuous flow of liquid from the liquid storage area to the ice tray is interrupted in the auxiliary liquid storage area, and all the liquid in the supply piping flows out into the ice tray. Thus, even if a non-positive displacement pump that cannot reverse is used as the supply pump, backflow due to the siphon effect can be prevented without providing an opening in the supply piping to introduce outside air. Furthermore, since the auxiliary liquid storage area, which isolates the system to prevent the siphon effect, is located inside the liquid storage housing, just like the liquid storage area, it is not subject to contamination from the external environment.

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, even if a non-reverse pump is used as the liquid supply pump, a liquid supply device can be provided that can supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage area to the ice tray while maintaining its cleanliness.

[0011] Furthermore, in the liquid supply device of the present invention, The auxiliary liquid storage area has an inclined bottom surface, a liquid supply port for the liquid supplied from the liquid storage area is located on the upper side of the inclined bottom surface, and the front-end opening of the liquid supply piping is located on the lower side of the inclined bottom surface.

[0012] According to the present invention, the liquid supply port from the liquid storage area is located on the upper side of the inclined bottom surface of the auxiliary liquid storage area, and the front-facing opening of the liquid supply piping is located on the lower side of the inclination. As a result, when the liquid supply pump is stopped and liquid supply to the ice tray is completed, all the liquid in the auxiliary liquid storage area can be supplied to the ice tray via the liquid supply piping. Therefore, no liquid remains in the auxiliary liquid storage area, and the cleanliness of the auxiliary liquid storage area can be maintained.

[0013] Furthermore, in the liquid supply device of the present invention, The aforementioned liquid supply piping is Having the aforementioned inlet opening, the first piping extends outward from the liquid storage housing, The second pipe, which has the aforementioned outlet opening and is located inside the piping housing, Composed of, The aforementioned liquid supply pump is driven non-contact by a drive unit located in the piping housing via a magnetic coupling, with the pump body located in the liquid storage housing being driven by a drive unit located in the piping housing. With the piping housing, which is detachable from the liquid storage housing, attached to the liquid storage housing, the first connection portion of the first pipe opposite to the front opening and the second connection portion of the second pipe opposite to the outlet opening are fitted together. The aforementioned magnetic coupling enters a drive transmission state.

[0014] According to the present invention, the liquid storage housing having a liquid storage area, the pump body of the liquid supply pump, an auxiliary liquid storage area, and a first pipe, and the piping housing having the drive unit of the liquid supply pump and a second pipe, are configured to be detachable, making maintenance and cleaning of the liquid supply device easy. In particular, by dividing the liquid supply piping into a first pipe and a second pipe, and by employing a magnetic coupling for the liquid supply pump, the liquid storage housing and the piping housing can be easily attached and detached.

[0015] Furthermore, in the liquid supply device of the present invention, The first piping extends diagonally downward from the liquid storage housing, The second connection portion of the second piping is elastic, When the removed piping housing is moved approximately horizontally to be close to the liquid storage housing and then attached to the liquid storage housing, The elastically deformed second connecting portion advances along the direction in which the first pipe extends, covering the outer surface of the first connecting portion, and enters a fitted state. The drive unit side portion of the magnetic coupling is characterized by advancing so that it approaches the pump body side portion, thereby entering a drive transmission state.

[0016] When the liquid supply pump stops, the first pipe extends obliquely downward from the liquid storage housing so that no liquid remains in the first pipe. On the other hand, in order to arrange the pump body side portion and the drive portion side portion of the magnetic coupling so that they can transmit drive, it is necessary to move the pipe housing substantially horizontally closer to the liquid storage housing. At this time, since the second connection portion is elastically deformed, even when the pipe housing is moved substantially horizontally, the second connection portion can be advanced so as to cover the outer surface of the first connection portion along the extending direction of the first pipe.

[0017] Thus, by simply moving the pipe housing substantially horizontally, it is possible to reliably fit the first pipe and the second pipe and to arrange the pump body side portion and the drive portion side portion of the magnetic coupling so that they can transmit drive.

[0018] Similarly, in a refrigerator provided with the above-described liquid supply device, various effects of the above-described liquid supply device can be achieved.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] As described above, in the present invention, even when a non-reversible pump is used as the liquid supply pump, a liquid supply device capable of supplying the liquid stored in the liquid storage region to the ice-making tray while maintaining cleanliness, and a refrigerator provided with this liquid supply device can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1A] It is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which the liquid storage housing and the pipe housing are separated. [Figure 1B] It is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a liquid supply device to an ice-making tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in the middle of attaching the pipe housing to the liquid storage housing. [Figure 1C] It is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a liquid supply device to an ice-making tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which the pipe housing is attached to the liquid storage housing. [Figure 2]This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic coupling that connects the pump body and the drive unit of the liquid supply pump. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing how the liquid in the liquid storage area is supplied to the ice tray in a liquid supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the supply of liquid from the liquid storage area to the ice tray has stopped in a liquid supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator equipped with a liquid supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The refrigerator described below is intended to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to this. The size and positional relationships of the components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated in order to clarify the explanation. In the following description and drawings, the vertical direction is shown assuming that the refrigerator is installed on a horizontal surface.

[0022] (A liquid supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention) Figures 1A to 1C are schematic side cross-sectional views showing a liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1A shows the state in which the liquid storage housing 4 and the piping housing 6 are separated, Figure 1B shows the state in which the piping housing 6 is being attached to the liquid storage housing 4, and Figure 1C shows the state in which the piping housing 6 is attached to the liquid storage housing 4. Figure 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic coupling 36 that connects the pump body 32 and the drive unit 34 of the liquid supply pump 30.

[0023] First, the structure of a liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 2. The liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a liquid storage housing 4 and a piping housing 6. The liquid storage housing 4 and the piping housing 6 are detachable from each other.

[0024] <Liquid storage enclosure> A liquid storage area 10 for storing liquid to be supplied to the ice tray 50 is located at the lower part of the inside of the liquid storage enclosure 4. Any liquid, including drinking water, can be used as the liquid supplied to the ice tray 50. An auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is located above the liquid storage area 10 inside the liquid storage enclosure 4.

[0025] Inside the liquid storage housing 4, there is also a pump body 32 of a liquid supply pump 30 that supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20. The pump body side portion 36A of a magnetic coupling 36 is attached to the rotation axis of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32. As will be described later, the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 is driven by a drive unit 34 located in the piping housing 6 via the magnetic coupling 36.

[0026] The pump body 32 is located within the liquid storage area 10, and its suction port opens into the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10. A pump outlet pipe 38 is connected to the discharge port of the pump body 32. The outlet end of the pump outlet pipe 38 opens into the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, forming a liquid supply port 38A that supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20.

[0027] The auxiliary liquid storage area 20 has an inclined bottom surface 22, and a supply port 38A is located on the upper side of the inclination of the bottom surface 22. On the other hand, a first pipe 42 having an inlet opening 42A is connected to the lower side of the inclination of the bottom surface 22. The inlet opening 42A is the upstream end opening of the first pipe 42 and is the upstream end opening of the liquid supply pipe 40 that supplies liquid from the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 to the ice tray 50. As shown in Figure 1A, the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downward along the inclination of the bottom surface 22 and terminates at a predetermined length. Thus, the first pipe 42 is formed extending outward from the liquid storage housing 4. The downstream end region of the first pipe 42 opposite to the inlet opening 42A is referred to as the first connection section 42B.

[0028] <Piping enclosure> Inside the piping housing 6, a second pipe 44 is arranged, which together with the first pipe 42 described above constitutes the liquid supply pipe 40. The downstream end opening of the second pipe 44 becomes the outlet opening 44A located above the ice tray 50. The upstream end region of the second pipe 44, opposite the outlet opening 44A, is referred to as the second connection section 44B. The second pipe 44 extends almost vertically from the outlet opening 44A, and then bends approximately 90 degrees above it, forming the second connection section 44B. As shown in Figure 1A, when the piping housing 6 is not attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the second connection section 44B extends in an almost horizontal direction.

[0029] When the piping housing 6 is attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the first connection portion 42B of the first pipe 42 and the second connection portion 44B of the second pipe 44 are fitted together. The second connection portion 44B consists of a tip portion 44B1 that fits with the first connection portion 42B and an elastic portion 44B2. As a result, the second connection portion 44B has elasticity. The elastic portion 44B2 is preferably made of a highly flexible resin material such as silicone. When the piping housing 6 is attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the elastic portion 44B2 elastically deforms, causing the second end portion 44B to tilt diagonally and smoothly fit together with the first connection portion 42B which extends diagonally downward.

[0030] Inside the lower part of the piping housing 6, the drive unit 34 of the liquid supply pump 30, which is an electric motor, is located. The drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 is attached to the drive shaft of the drive unit 34. When the piping housing 6 is attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the drive shaft of the drive unit 34 and the rotation shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 are arranged to be coaxial.

[0031] <Magnetic coupling> Figure 2 shows the piping housing 6 attached to the liquid storage housing 4, with the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 in a drive transmission state. The pump body side portion 36A of the magnetic coupling 36, which is attached to the rotation shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32, is magnetic. The drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36, which is attached to the drive shaft of the drive unit 34, has magnetism with opposite polarity (SN) to the pump body side portion 36A. As a result, the driving force of the drive unit 34 is transmitted to the rotation shaft of the impeller 32A of the pump body 32 in a non-contact state by the magnetic force between the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B.

[0032] From the state shown in Figure 2, move the liquid storage housing 4 in a direction that separates it from the piping housing 6 in a nearly horizontal manner (to the left in the drawing). By moving it in this direction, the liquid storage housing 4 can be removed from the piping housing 6, and the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B that constitute the magnetic coupling 36 can be separated. On the other hand, by moving the removed liquid storage housing 4 in a direction that is close to the piping housing 6 (to the right in the drawing), the liquid storage housing 4 can be attached to the drive housing 6, and the magnetic coupling 36 can be positioned in a drive transmission state.

[0033] <Assembly of liquid storage enclosure and piping enclosure> Next, referring to Figures 1A through 1C in order, we will explain how to attach the removed piping housing 6 to the liquid storage housing 4. Starting from the state shown in Figure 1A, by moving the piping housing 6 in a direction that approaches the liquid storage housing 4 in a nearly horizontal manner (see arrow A), the upper insertion part 6A of the piping housing 6 is inserted into the guide hole of the liquid storage housing 4. As the piping housing 6 is further moved closer to the liquid storage housing 4, guided by the position of the guide hole, the tip of the second connection part 44B of the second pipe 44 located in the piping housing 6 comes into contact with the tip of the first connection part 42B of the first pipe 42 located in the liquid storage housing 4.

[0034] Figure 1B shows the process of pushing the piping housing 6 further closer to the liquid storage housing 4, starting from a state where the tips of the first connection part 42B and the second connection part 44B are in contact. As shown by arrow A in Figure 1B, when the piping housing 6 is pushed in approximately horizontally, the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 moves in the direction of arrow A so that it comes close to the pump body side portion 36A. Then, as shown in Figure 1C, when the contact surface 6B of the piping housing 6 comes into contact with the contact surface 4B of the liquid storage housing 4, the magnetic coupling 36 enters a state of driving force transmission.

[0035] As shown by arrow A in Figure 1B, when the pipe housing 6 is pushed in approximately horizontally from the state in which the tips of the first connection part 42B and the second connection part 44B are in contact, the elastic part 42B2 of the second connection part 44B undergoes elastic deformation. Then, as shown by arrow B in Figure 1B, the tip part 42B1 of the second connection part 44B moves along the direction in which the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downward, covering the outer surface of the first connection part 42B. Then, as shown in Figure 1C, when the contact surface 6B of the pipe housing 6 reaches the position in contact with the contact surface 4B of the liquid storage housing 4, the first connection part 42B of the first pipe 42 and the second connection part 44B of the second pipe 44 are fully fitted together.

[0036] As a result, the piping housing 6 is attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the magnetic coupling 36 of the liquid supply pump 30 is activated to transmit power, the first pipe 42 and the second pipe 44 are fitted together, and the liquid supply piping 30 becomes an integrated unit. Thus, the liquid supply device 2 according to this embodiment becomes operational.

[0037] In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of preventing liquid leakage in the liquid supply piping 40, the downstream second connection portion 44B is fitted so as to cover the outer surface of the upstream first connection portion 42B. However, this is not the only configuration; if a seal can be ensured between the first connection portion 42B and the second connection portion 44B, the first connection portion 42B may be fitted so as to cover the outer surface of the second connection portion 44B, or the ends of the first connection portion 42B and the second connection portion 44B may be in contact with each other. In either case, because the second connection portion 44B is elastic, it can be smoothly fitted and joined with the first connection portion 42B, which extends diagonally downwards, even when the piping housing 6 is moved almost horizontally.

[0038] As described above, in the liquid supply device 2 according to this embodiment, the liquid supply piping 40 consists of a first pipe 42 having an inlet opening 42A and extending outward from the liquid storage housing 4, and a second pipe 44 having an outlet opening 44A and being located inside the piping housing 6. The liquid supply pump 30 is driven non-contact via a magnetic coupling 36 by a drive unit 34 located inside the piping housing 6, with the pump body 32 located inside the liquid storage housing 4 being driven non-contact. When the piping housing 6, which is detachable from the liquid storage housing 4, is attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the first connection part 42B on the side opposite the inlet opening 42A of the first pipe 42 and the second connection part 44B on the side opposite the outlet opening 44A of the second pipe 44 are fitted together, and the magnetic coupling 36 enters a drive transmission state.

[0039] According to this embodiment, the liquid storage housing 4, which has a liquid storage area 10, a pump body 32 of the liquid supply pump 30, an auxiliary liquid storage area 20, and a first pipe 42, and the piping housing 6, which has a drive unit 34 of the liquid supply pump 30 and a second pipe 44, are configured to be detachable, making maintenance and cleaning of the liquid supply device 2 easy. In particular, by dividing the liquid supply piping 40 into a first pipe 42 and a second pipe 44, and by employing a magnetic coupling 36 for the liquid supply pump 30, the liquid storage housing 4 and the piping housing 6 can be easily attached and detached.

[0040] Furthermore, the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downward from the liquid storage housing 4, and the second connection portion 44B of the second pipe 44 is elastic. When the removed pipe housing 6 is moved approximately horizontally to be close to the liquid storage housing 4 and attached to the liquid storage housing 4, the elastically deformed second connection portion 44B advances along the direction in which the first pipe 42 extends, covering the outer surface of the first connection portion 42B, and the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 advances to be close to the pump body side portion 36A, resulting in a drive transmission state.

[0041] When the liquid supply pump 30 stops, the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downward from the liquid storage housing 4 so that no liquid remains in the first pipe 42. On the other hand, in order to position the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 so that they can transmit power, the pipe housing 6 needs to be moved approximately horizontally to approach the liquid storage housing 4. At this time, since the second connection portion 44B is elastically deformed, even if the pipe housing 6 is moved approximately horizontally, the second connection portion 44B can be advanced so as to cover the outer surface of the first connection portion 42B along the direction in which the first pipe 42 extends.

[0042] As a result, by simply moving the piping housing 6 almost horizontally, the first pipe 42 and the second pipe 44 can be reliably fitted together, and the pump body side portion 36A and the drive unit side portion 36B of the magnetic coupling 36 can be positioned to transmit power.

[0043] (Liquid flow in a liquid supply system) Figure 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the supply of liquid from the liquid storage area 10 to the ice tray 50 in a liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the state in which the supply of liquid from the liquid storage area 10 to the ice tray 50 has stopped in a liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Next, the flow of liquid in the liquid supply device 2 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, when the liquid supply pump 30 is operated, the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 is supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 located above it. A non-positive displacement pump, which is low cost and easy to maintain, is used as the liquid supply pump 30. More specifically, centrifugal pumps such as volute pumps and propeller pumps such as axial flow pumps can be used. The liquid supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 flows along the sloped bottom surface 22 due to gravity and flows into the liquid supply pipe 40 from the inlet opening 42A. The liquid then flows down the liquid supply pipe 40 and is supplied to the ice tray 50 from the outlet opening 44A.

[0045] Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid supply piping 40 is smaller than the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the flow in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, some liquid will accumulate in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20. The volume of liquid accumulated in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is determined by the discharge rate of the liquid supply pump 30, the volume of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, the inner diameter (cross-sectional area) of the liquid supply piping 40, etc. It is preferable to determine the discharge rate of the liquid supply pump 30, the volume of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, the inner diameter (cross-sectional area) of the liquid supply piping 40, etc. to achieve an appropriate volume. An example of the volume of liquid accumulated in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is a range of 50cc to 200cc.

[0046] The bottom surface 22 of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is inclined, and the first pipe 42 of the liquid supply piping 40 connected to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 extends diagonally downward along the inclination of the bottom surface 22, so that the liquid supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 flows efficiently and is supplied to the ice tray 50. The inclination angle of the bottom surface 22 with respect to the horizontal plane can be in the range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees. The inclination angle of the first pipe 42 may not only match the inclination angle of the bottom surface 22, but may also be smaller or larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface 22. In any case, it is preferable that the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downward rather than horizontally or vertically.

[0047] After a specified amount of liquid has been supplied to the ice tray 50, the liquid supply pump 30 stops operating. The bottom surface 22 of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 is sloped, the first pipe 42 extends diagonally downwards, and the second pipe 44 further downstream extends almost vertically. Therefore, basically, all the liquid supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 flows down into the ice tray 50. Thus, as shown in Figure 4, the liquid fills the area from the liquid storage area 10 through the pump body 32 to the position indicated by arrow C on the pump outlet pipe 38, but none remains in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 or the liquid supply pipe 40. This makes it possible to maintain the cleanliness of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 and the liquid supply pipe 40.

[0048] As described above, the liquid supply device 2 according to this embodiment comprises a liquid storage housing 4, a liquid storage region 10 located inside the liquid storage housing 4 and storing liquid to be supplied to the ice tray 50, an auxiliary liquid storage region 20 located above the liquid storage region 10 inside the liquid storage housing 4, a liquid supply pump 30 which is a non-positive displacement pump that supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage region 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage region 20, and a liquid supply pipe 40 having an inlet opening 42A located inside the auxiliary liquid storage region 20 and an outlet opening 44A located above the ice tray 50. The auxiliary liquid storage region 20 is located above the ice tray 50, and the liquid supplied from the liquid storage region 10 to the auxiliary liquid storage region 20 by the liquid supply pump 30 flows down the liquid supply pipe 40 by gravity and is supplied to the ice tray 50.

[0049] The liquid supplied to the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 flows down the supply pipe 40 by gravity and is supplied to the ice tray 50. Therefore, when the supply pump 30 is stopped and the supply of liquid to the ice tray 50 ends, the continuous flow of liquid from the liquid storage area 10 to the ice tray is interrupted at the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, and all the liquid in the supply pipe 40 flows out into the ice tray 50. Thus, even if a non-positive displacement pump that cannot reverse is used as the supply pump 30, backflow due to the siphon effect can be prevented without providing an opening in the supply pipe 40 to introduce outside air. Furthermore, the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, which isolates the area to prevent the siphon effect, is located inside the liquid storage housing 4, just like the liquid storage area 10, so it is not contaminated by the external environment.

[0050] Therefore, in the liquid supply device 2 according to this embodiment, even if a non-reverse pump is used as the liquid supply pump 30, the liquid stored in the liquid storage area 10 can be supplied to the ice tray 50 while maintaining its cleanliness.

[0051] In the liquid supply device 2 according to this embodiment, the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 has a sloping bottom surface 22, a liquid supply port 38A for supplying liquid from the liquid storage area 10 is located on the upper side of the sloping bottom surface 22, and an inlet opening 42A for the liquid supply piping 40 is located on the lower side of the sloping bottom surface 22.

[0052] As a result, when the liquid supply pump 30 is stopped and the supply of liquid to the ice tray 50 is terminated, all the liquid in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 can be supplied to the ice tray 50 via the liquid supply piping 40. Therefore, no liquid remains in the auxiliary liquid storage area 20, and the cleanliness of the auxiliary liquid storage area 20 can be maintained.

[0053] (A refrigerator equipped with a liquid supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention) Figure 5 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator 100 equipped with a liquid supply device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator 100 includes a freezer compartment 102 and a refrigerator compartment 104, and the liquid supply device 2 It is placed in the refrigerator compartment 104. The ice tray 50 is placed inside the freezer compartment 102. The fan 108 causes the gas inside the compartment to circulate, and the cold air that has passed through the evaporator 106 and been cooled flows into the freezer compartment 102. The liquid supplied to the ice tray 50 by the liquid supply device 2 is cooled by this cold air and freezes, forming ice.

[0054] Even in a refrigerator 100 equipped with this liquid supply device 2, the various effects of the liquid supply device 2 described above can be achieved.

[0055] While embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed content may change in the details of the configuration, and changes in the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation can be realized without departing from the claimed scope and spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 2 Liquid supply device 4. Liquid storage enclosure 4A Contact surface 6. Piping enclosure 6A Loading section 6B Contact surface 10 Liquid storage area 20 Auxiliary liquid storage area 22 Bottom 30 Liquid supply pump 32 Pump body 32A Impeller 34 Drive unit 36 Magnetic Coupling 36A Pump body side 36B Drive unit side portion 38 Pump outlet piping 38A Supply port 40. Fluid supply piping 42. First Piping 42A Entrance opening 42B First connection section 44. Second Piping 44A Outlet opening 44B Second connection section 44B1 Tip 44B2 Elastic part 50 Ice Tray 100 Refrigerator 102 Freezer 104 Refrigerated compartment 106 Evaporator 108 Fans MA driven magnet MB drive magnet

Claims

1. Liquid storage enclosure and A liquid storage area is located within the aforementioned liquid storage enclosure and contains liquid to be supplied to the ice tray, An auxiliary liquid storage area is located above the liquid storage area within the liquid storage housing, A supply pump, which is a non-positive displacement pump, supplies the liquid stored in the aforementioned liquid storage area to the aforementioned auxiliary liquid storage area. A liquid supply pipe having an inlet opening located within the auxiliary liquid storage area and an outlet opening located above the ice tray, Equipped with, The auxiliary liquid storage area is positioned above the ice tray. The liquid supplied from the liquid storage area to the auxiliary liquid storage area by the liquid supply pump flows down the liquid supply piping by gravity and is supplied to the ice tray. The aforementioned liquid supply piping is Having the aforementioned inlet opening, the first piping extends outward from the liquid storage housing, The second pipe, which has the aforementioned outlet opening and is located inside the piping housing, Composed of, The aforementioned liquid supply pump is driven non-contact by a drive unit located in the piping housing via a magnetic coupling, with the pump body located in the liquid storage housing being driven by a drive unit located in the piping housing. A liquid supply device characterized in that, when the piping housing, which is detachable from the liquid storage housing, is attached to the liquid storage housing, the first connection portion of the first pipe opposite to the front opening and the second connection portion of the second pipe opposite to the outlet opening are fitted together, and the magnetic coupling is in a drive transmission state.

2. The first piping extends diagonally downward from the liquid storage housing, The second connection portion of the second piping is elastic, When the removed piping housing is moved approximately horizontally to be close to the liquid storage housing and then attached to the liquid storage housing, The elastically deformed second connecting portion advances along the direction in which the first pipe extends, covering the outer surface of the first connecting portion, and enters a fitted state. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit side portion of the magnetic coupling moves in close proximity to the pump body side portion to enter a drive transmission state.

3. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary liquid storage area has an inclined bottom surface, a liquid supply port for liquid supplied from the liquid storage area is located on the upper side of the inclined bottom surface, and the front side opening of the liquid supply piping is located on the lower side of the inclined bottom surface.

4. A refrigerator equipped with a liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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