Method for controlling water dispensing apparatus

Abstract

A water dispensing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a filter for filtering raw water into purified water; an ice-making means for performing an ice-making operation to make water that has passed through the filter into ice; an ice storage means for supplying cold air to an ice storage compartment performing an ice storage compartment cooling operation such that ice generated by the ice-making means is stored frozen; a cooling means for performing a cold water cooling operation to cool the purified water that has passed through the filter into cold water; and a control unit for controlling operations of the ice-making means, the ice storage means, and the cooling means. A control method therefor comprises the steps of: checking whether an ice-making function is turned on; if the ice-making function is turned on, determining whether ice making is in progress or whether the temperature of the ice storage compartment is lower than or equal to a preset first reference temperature; and starting the ice storage compartment cooling operation when ice making is not in progress or the temperature of the ice storage compartment exceeds the first reference temperature.

Description

Control method of the water discharge device

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a water extraction device having an ice-making means, and more specifically, to a method for controlling a water extraction device capable of producing and freezing ice.

[0002] A water dispenser is a device that supplies beverages, purified water, etc.

[0003] An example of a water purifier is a water purifier, which is a device that physically and chemically filters out harmful elements such as foreign substances and heavy metals contained in water. To this end, a typical water purifier largely includes a filter unit that filters out contaminants from raw water containing contaminants, and an outlet unit that extracts purified water that has passed through the filter unit. When power is supplied to such a water purifier, raw water is supplied to the filter unit and purified, and the purified purified water is extracted through the outlet unit according to the user's choice.

[0004] Furthermore, in addition to simply purifying raw water, some purifiers also offer cooling and heating functions, providing cold and hot water by cooling or heating the purified water. Furthermore, water purifiers capable of providing ice in addition to cold and hot water, including ice-making devices, have been developed. These cooling and ice-making functions require a cooling device to cool the water passing through the filter.

[0005] Cooling devices used in water purifiers include thermoelectric elements or refrigerant compression cycle devices used in general refrigerators, and refrigerant compression cycle devices are widely used due to issues such as power consumption and cooling capacity.

[0006] Referring to prior art document 1 (Korean Patent No. 10-1602236), a conventional water purifier with an ice-making function includes a water purification tank in which purified water, after being filtered of foreign substances, is stored. Furthermore, separate from the water purification tank, an ice-making tray is provided for temporarily storing water used to make ice, and a cold water tank is provided for storing cold water cooled by the ice-making tray.

[0007] And, an evaporator is provided adjacent to the ice-making tray, and a compressor, a condenser, and a capillary tube, which form a refrigerant compression cycle device together with the evaporator, are respectively provided. In addition, an ice bank for storing the ice produced is provided below the ice-making tray. The ice bank is arranged together with the ice-making tray within a single insulated space.

[0008] A water purifier having a conventional ice-making means having a structure as described above stores ice produced in an ice-making tray in the ice bank, and moves water remaining in the ice-making tray to the cold water tank to supply cold water to a user.

[0009] Meanwhile, the evaporator is a so-called submerged evaporator, which has fingers that come into direct contact with the cold water filled in the ice tray. The submerged evaporator has been used as an ice-making means in water purifiers for a long time due to its simple structure and low production cost. Recently, an ice-making means that controls the compressor using an inverter has been used for the purpose of improving ice-making efficiency, reducing power consumption, and shortening ice-making time.

[0010] The conventional ice purifier as described above uses a three-way valve to open the cold water side valve when producing cold water, and to open the ice-making side valve when making ice.

[0011] However, the conventional ice purifier as described above has a problem in that after completing ice making, the compressor is stopped and the ice removing heater is operated to remove the ice, so the number of times the compressor is turned on / off is large, resulting in high energy consumption, and the waiting time for turning the compressor on / off is generated, resulting in a decrease in the ice making amount (kg / day).

[0012] Additionally, there were problems such as ice stored in an ice storage after being frozen melting over time, the size and amount of ice decreasing, and water being generated as the ice melted.

[0013] In detail, the conventional ice purifier as described above had the following problems when storing frozen ice because it did not store the stored ice under sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0014] First, after freezing, the frozen ice was stored at room temperature and melted during storage.

[0015] And, as the ice melted, there was a problem that the size of the ice supplied to the user was not consistent during ice extraction, and each shape was different.

[0016] For example, there were problems such as broken ice, small ice, and ice that melted easily being extracted.

[0017] Additionally, as the ice melts, water is created, and the water created as the ice melts is drained or used as cold water.

[0018] Additionally, there was a problem of low efficiency because new ice had to be created every time the ice melted.

[0019] Additionally, storing ice at room temperature can cause hygiene problems inside the ice storage.

[0020] That is, there was a problem of poor hygiene as the phenomenon of ice being created and melting repeatedly at room temperature, and the temperature change and water circulation structure inside the ice storage, created a possibility of bacteria and mold growing inside the ice storage.

[0021] Furthermore, existing ice purifiers utilize a finger-type evaporator to complete ice production. During the ice-removal process, the ice tray rotates, discharging any remaining water into the ice storage located below. If this water drips onto the ice stored in the ice bank, the quality of the ice can deteriorate.

[0022] In detail, in the case of an ice purifier that sets the internal temperature of the ice bank below zero for the purpose of long-term storage of ice, the remaining water that falls due to the operation freezes instantaneously with the ice, causing the ice to stick together and clump together, which causes poor ice discharge and ultimately causes poor ice quality and errors in operation.

[0023] Referring to prior art document 2 (Korean Patent No. 10-1631218), in the case of a conventional ice maker, an ice guide grill is provided at the bottom of the ice tray to separate the ice remaining water and the separated ice when discarding the remaining water from the ice tray.

[0024] However, in the case of the ice guide grill of the above ice maker, if the size of the frozen ice does not match the spacing between the ribs of the grill, the ice may get caught between the ribs as it falls into the storage, and if the internal temperature of the ice room and storage is below zero, water condensation may occur between the ribs of the grill, causing ice to form, which may result in malfunction.

[0025] In the case of a conventional ice tray, it is connected to a motor through a coupler and a clutch, and the surface where the coupler and the clutch are combined is formed to be radially inclined, and a curved surface is formed along the edge.

[0026] In the above case, if the ice bank containing ice is maintained at a freezing temperature, the spring provided in the rotation unit may not operate smoothly.

[0027] In addition, in the device that creates and stores ice, the temperature of the ice storage tank may rise in the event of a power outage, which may cause poor ice formation, so there is an inconvenience of having to empty the ice before making ice in the event of a power outage.

[0028] If you use the ice without emptying it, the melted ice will freeze and clump together, making it impossible to remove the ice.

[0029] And, when ice sticks together and the water created by melting ice flows and freezes, it acts as a hindrance to the operation of various parts.

[0030] Therefore, when power is restored after a power outage, ice should be discarded and ice making and storing should be performed again.

[0031] However, in the event of a short-term power outage, the ice in the ice storage can be stored while maintaining good quality.

[0032] In such cases, if the ice is melted and thrown away, the user is inconvenienced because he or she is not provided with ice while the ice is being thrown away, ice is being created, and ice is being separated and stored.

[0033] In addition, when ice production, ice storage, and cold water production are operated with a single compressor, all three temperature conditions must be satisfied, including the temperature of the storage where the ice is stored, the temperature of the cold water, and the temperature of the ice evaporator. If efficient control is not achieved, problems such as unsatisfactory cold water temperature, insufficient ice, and poor ice quality may frequently occur depending on the situation.

[0034] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device having a refrigeration system that can perform at least one function selected from among cold water generation, ice generation, ice deicing, and ice freezing storage using refrigerant discharged from one compressor.

[0035] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water extraction device that can store ice at sub-zero temperatures without melting the ice that has been removed, and that can store ice at sub-zero temperatures without heat energy used for removing ice flowing into the ice storage space even when removing ice is in progress.

[0036] The purpose of the control method of the ice-making device of the present invention is to check the temperature of the ice storage tank during use of the device, lower the temperature of the ice storage tank to a temperature at which ice can be stored, and perform ice-making so that the quality of the ice does not deteriorate due to the ice-making ice melting or clumping together.

[0037] In addition, the purpose is to provide a method for controlling a water dispensing device that checks the temperature of cold water and generates cold water preferentially when the temperature of the ice maker has been lowered to a temperature satisfactory for storing ice, thereby supplying cold water when the user desires.

[0038] In addition, the purpose is to provide a method for controlling a water dispensing device that can operate the compressor more efficiently by performing an ice-making operation that creates ice with a single compressor, an ice storage cooling operation that stores ice in a frozen state, and a cold water cooling operation that cools purified water with cold water, and thereby prevent an accident in which the ice produced melts, while also ensuring a smooth supply of cold water.

[0039] In addition, the purpose of the control method of the water dispensing device of the present invention is to indirectly check the condition of ice when power is supplied again even if a power outage occurs during use of the device, and to determine whether to store ice, thereby minimizing the situation in which the user is not provided with ice.

[0040] Additionally, the purpose is to prevent the problem of ice melting during a power outage while the device is in use, thereby providing users with ice of deteriorated quality.

[0041] Additionally, the purpose is to prevent the problem of ice freezing inside the device when a power outage occurs while the device is in use, as water generated by melting ice during the power outage refreezes.

[0042] A water discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a filter for filtering raw water into purified water, an ice-making means for performing an ice-making operation for making water passing through the filter into ice, an ice-storage means for supplying cold air to an ice-storage unit for performing an ice-storage cooling operation so that ice produced by the ice-making means is frozen and stored, a cooling means for performing a cold water cooling operation for cooling purified water passing through the filter into cold water, and a control unit for controlling the operations of the ice-making means, the ice-storage means, and the cooling means.

[0043] And, the control method of the above-mentioned water discharge device includes a step of checking whether the ice-making function is turned on, a step of determining whether ice-making is in progress or the low-ice temperature is below a preset first reference temperature if the ice-making function is in progress or the low-ice temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, and a step of starting the low-ice cooling operation if the ice-making is not in progress or the low-ice temperature exceeds the first reference temperature.

[0044] In addition, in a situation where ice is being made, if the low-freezing temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with a preset third reference temperature may be included, and if the cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, a step of starting the cold water cooling operation may be included.

[0045] In addition, in a situation where ice is being made, if the low-ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with a preset third reference temperature may be included; if the cold water temperature exceeds the third reference temperature, a step of comparing the low-ice storage temperature with a preset fourth reference temperature; and if the low-ice storage temperature is lower than the fourth reference temperature, a step of starting cold water cooling operation may be included.

[0046] In addition, when the low-ice temperature exceeds the fourth reference temperature, the cooling means and the ice storage means can start alternate operation in which they operate alternately.

[0047] In addition, in a situation where ice is being made, if the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with a preset third reference temperature may be included; if the cold water temperature is lower than the third reference temperature, a step of determining whether the ice storage is full; and if it is determined to be full, a step of starting the ice storage cooling operation may be included.

[0048] Additionally, if it is determined that the situation is not full, de-icing operation can begin.

[0049] Additionally, if the ice-making function is turned off, a step of starting the cold water cooling operation may be included.

[0050] In addition, in a situation where low-ice cooling operation and ice-making operation or cold water cooling operation are required, the control unit can perform low-ice cooling operation first.

[0051] In addition, in a situation where ice making operation and cold water cooling operation are required, the control unit can perform cold water cooling operation first.

[0052] In addition, the above-mentioned water extraction device includes a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a cold water evaporator provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser toward the cold water evaporator, and when the cold water cooling operation starts, the refrigerant valve is opened, and the compressor, condenser, and condenser fan can operate.

[0053] In addition, after the cold water cooling operation, when the temperature of the cold water reaches a preset third reference temperature, the cold water cooling operation may be terminated by closing the refrigerant valve.

[0054] Additionally, the third reference temperature can be set to 3 to 5.

[0055] In addition, the above-mentioned water discharge device may include a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a refrigerant evaporator provided in the ice storage means, an evaporator fan that supplies cold air from the refrigerant evaporator to the ice storage side, and a refrigerant valve that controls the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the refrigerant evaporator side.

[0056] And, when the above low-temperature cooling operation starts, the refrigerant valve opens, and the compressor, condenser, condenser fan, and evaporator fan can operate.

[0057] In addition, after the low-ice cooling operation, when the temperature of the low-ice cooling operation reaches a preset fourth reference temperature, the refrigerant valve closes, the operation of the evaporator fan stops, and the low-ice cooling operation can be terminated.

[0058] Additionally, the fourth reference temperature can be set to -9 to -11.

[0059] In addition, when the above-mentioned low-ice temperature is lower than the first reference temperature and the above-mentioned cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, an alternate operation in which the cooling means and the above-mentioned low-ice means are operated alternately can be started.

[0060] Additionally, the first reference temperature may be set to -3 to -5, and the third reference temperature may be set to 3 to 5.

[0061] In addition, the water discharge device may include a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a refrigerant evaporator provided in the ice storage means, an evaporator fan that supplies cold air from the refrigerant evaporator to the ice storage side, a cold water evaporator provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve that controls the flow of refrigerant from the condenser to the cold water evaporator and the cold water evaporator side.

[0062] And, when the above alternating operation starts, the step of determining whether the previous operation was a low-ice cooling operation, and the step of performing a cold water cooling operation if the previous operation was a low-ice cooling operation may be included.

[0063] In addition, after the cold water cooling operation starts, when the temperature of the cold water drops to a preset first target temperature or when the preset first target time elapses, the cold water cooling operation ends and the low-ice cooling operation can start.

[0064] Additionally, the first target temperature can be set to 9 to 11.

[0065] Additionally, during cold water cooling operation, the refrigerant valve can open the cold water evaporator side outlet and block the freezer evaporator side outlet.

[0066] Additionally, if the previous operation was not a low-ice cooling operation, a low-ice cooling operation can be performed.

[0067] In addition, after the low-ice cooling operation starts, when the temperature of the low-ice cooling operation drops to a preset second target temperature or when the preset second target time elapses, the low-ice cooling operation ends and the cold water cooling operation can start.

[0068] Additionally, the second target temperature can be set to 5 to 7.

[0069] In addition, during low-temperature cooling operation, the refrigerant valve opens the outlet on the freezing evaporator side, blocks the outlet on the cold water evaporator side, and the evaporator fan can operate.

[0070] According to the present invention as described above, even if the ice water purifier is miniaturized, there is an advantage in that ice-making performance can be secured.

[0071] Additionally, there is an advantage in that the ice bank where the ice is stored is kept below freezing, preventing the ice that is created from melting.

[0072] Additionally, there is the advantage of providing users with improved quality ice that is firmer and lasts longer as it is stored at sub-zero temperatures.

[0073] In addition, it has the advantage of being equipped with a four-way refrigerant valve, so that one compressor can be operated to produce cold water, produce ice, separate ice, and store frozen ice.

[0074] In addition, the temperature of the ice storage tank is checked during use of the ice dispensing device, and ice is made while the temperature of the ice storage tank is lowered to a temperature at which ice can be stored, so the quality of the ice does not deteriorate due to the ice being melted or clumped together, which has the advantage of providing high-quality ice to the user.

[0075] In addition, there is an advantage in that the temperature of the cold water can be checked and cold water can be produced with priority when the temperature of the ice maker has been lowered to a temperature satisfactory for storing ice, so that cold water can be supplied when the user wants it.

[0076] In addition, by performing ice-making operation to create ice with one compressor, ice storage cooling operation to store ice frozen, and cold water cooling operation to cool purified water with cold water, the operation to be started first in each situation can be selected, thereby enabling more efficient operation of the compressor, preventing an accident in which the ice produced melts, and providing a smooth supply of cold water.

[0077] Additionally, there is an advantage in that the compressor can be operated efficiently through the optimal algorithm design during initial installation or when restarted after a power outage.

[0078] In addition, according to the present invention, even if a power outage occurs during use of the device, there is an advantage in that the condition of the ice can be indirectly checked when power is supplied again, and it can be determined whether or not to store the ice, thereby minimizing the situation in which the user is not provided with ice.

[0079] Additionally, there is an advantage in that it can prevent the problem of the ice melting during a power outage while the device is in use, thereby providing the user with ice of poor quality.

[0080] Additionally, when a power outage occurs while the device is in use, it has the advantage of preventing the problem of ice forming inside the device due to the water generated by melting ice during the power outage refreezing.

[0081] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Figure 2 is a drawing showing an embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the cover portion separated from Figure 3.

[0085] Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 4.

[0086] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 8 is a side view of a longitudinal cross-section of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] FIG. 9 is a drawing of the interior of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention viewed from above.

[0090] Figure 10 is a drawing illustrating a fan bracket, which is a component of the present invention.

[0091] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of a refrigerant compression cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Fig. 12 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Fig. 13 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 12.

[0094] Fig. 14 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] Fig. 15 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 14.

[0096] Fig. 16 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] Fig. 17 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 16.

[0098] 18 is a control flow diagram showing the control method of the water discharge device during cold water cooling operation.

[0099] Fig. 19 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 18.

[0100] Figure 20 is a control flow chart showing a method for controlling a water discharge device during low-temperature cooling operation.

[0101] Fig. 21 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 20.

[0102] Figure 22 is a control flow diagram showing a method for controlling a water discharge device during alternating operation.

[0103] Fig. 23 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 22.

[0104] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented below, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily implement other embodiments within the scope of the same spirit by adding, modifying, deleting, or adding components, and such embodiments will also be considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0105] The ice extraction device of the present invention is a water extraction device capable of generating ice, and is characterized by implementing a refrigeration cycle so that the generated ice can be stored without melting.

[0106] Existing ice water purifiers have a structure in which water circulates at room temperature, so the ice produced is also stored at room temperature, which has the problem of hygienic problems such as mold growth, and the problem of ice quality deteriorating as melted ice is extracted.

[0107] The present invention has a feature that the ice produced can be stored in a frozen state so that the ice does not melt.

[0108] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a drawing showing one embodiment of a refrigeration cycle applied to the water extraction device of the present invention.

[0109] The water extraction device according to the present invention is for extracting water supplied from an external water source immediately after purification, or extracting it after cooling or heating it, and may mean, for example, a direct water extraction device.

[0110] Here, a direct-type water extraction device refers to a water extraction device that does not have a reservoir for storing purified water, but rather a type in which water passes through a filter in real time and purified water is extracted when a user requests purified water extraction.

[0111] In addition, the water extraction device according to the present invention may refer to a refrigerator having a water extraction device function. That is, it may refer to a water extraction device refrigerator that is a refrigerator and has a filter for purifying raw water and a water extraction nozzle through which purified water is extracted.

[0112] In addition, the water outlet device according to the present invention may mean an under-sink type water outlet device in which the main body is installed under the sink and the water outlet nozzle is installed on the outside of the sink.

[0113] In addition, the water discharging device according to the present invention may refer to various types of known devices that receive water from a water source, purify it by passing it through a filter, and then supply it to the outside.

[0114] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a water treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (10) and a water discharge nozzle (30) coupled to the main body (10) and supplying water downward.

[0115] The above main body (10) is formed to be concave toward the rear at the lower part of the front, and forms a water outlet space (11) in which a container for supplying water and ice is placed.

[0116] That is, the main body (10) forms a water outlet (20) protruding forward at the upper part of the front.

[0117] And, the above-mentioned water discharge nozzle (30) is installed at the lower end of the water discharge portion (20) defining the upper surface of the water discharge space (11).

[0118] In addition, the above-mentioned water outlet (20) may be equipped with various buttons (40). In detail, a purified water / hot water / cold water selection button, a water outlet button, an ice selection button, an ice extraction button, etc. may be equipped.

[0119] At least one filter is arranged inside the main body (10), and purified water passing through the filter can be supplied to the user through the water outlet nozzle (30). A purified water path that guides purified water passing through the filter toward the water outlet nozzle (30) can be arranged inside the main body (10).

[0120] In addition, purified water passing through the filter can be supplied to the water outlet nozzle (30) in the form of cold water or hot water after being cooled or heated.

[0121] To this end, a hot water tank for heating purified water passing through the filter and a hot water path for guiding the heated hot water in the hot water tank toward the water outlet nozzle (30) may be arranged inside the main body (10). For example, the hot water tank may generate hot water by instantaneously heating purified water passing through the hot water tank using an induction heating (IH) method.

[0122] In addition, the hot water tank may be equipped with a thermoelectric element or a heating wire to heat purified water passing through the hot water tank into hot water.

[0123] In addition, instead of the above induction heating method, various heating methods can be applied within the range where purified water passing through the above hot water tank can be heated into hot water.

[0124] In addition, a cooling tank for cooling purified water passing through the filter and a cold water path for guiding the cold water cooled in the cooling tank toward the water outlet nozzle (30) may be arranged inside the main body (10). For example, the cooling tank may be equipped with a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a cooling fan, etc., so that purified water passing through the cooling tank can be cooled with cold water. In addition, the cooling tank may be equipped with a thermoelectric element, so that purified water passing through the cooling tank can be cooled with cold water.

[0125] In addition, instead of the above evaporator, various cooling devices can be applied within the range of being able to cool the purified water passing through the cooling tank with cold water.

[0126] In addition, an ice-making means may be provided on the inside of the main body (10) to cool the purified water that has passed through the filter or the cold water cooled in the cooling tank to create ice.

[0127] In addition, the ice produced by the ice making means is stored under sub-zero temperature conditions where the ice does not melt, and can be supplied to the user through the water outlet nozzle (30) or an outlet (50) provided separately from the water outlet nozzle (30).

[0128] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the cover unit of Fig. 3 separated. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an ice-making unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0129] Hereinafter, the ice making means will be described in more detail with reference to the above drawings.

[0130] The above ice making means (100) includes an ice making unit (110), a dispenser unit (150), and a cover unit (102).

[0131] First, the ice making means (100) includes an ice making unit (110).

[0132] For reference, the above ice making unit (110) is configured to include a body unit (101) and a cover unit (102) described later.

[0133] The body part (101) and cover part (102) described below can be understood as a housing that forms the exterior of the ice making part (110).

[0134] The above ice-making unit (110) is surrounded by insulating material to secure an insulated space. An ice-making tray (120) is installed in the insulated space formed inside the ice-making unit (110) to temporarily store water to be used for ice-making. Specifically, the ice-making tray (120) is mounted on a driving motor and a rotational shaft, and is mounted so as to be rotatable around the rotational shaft.

[0135] Accordingly, when the ice tray (120) is rotated, the contents such as water and ice contained inside the ice tray (120) fall to the lower side of the ice tray (120). An ice bank (130) is provided so that the falling ice and water can be fed. The ice bank (130) has an opening formed at the top, through which the water and ice that fall from the ice tray (120) can enter the interior of the ice bank (130).

[0136] For reference, at this time, the water and ice that fell from the ice tray (120) are separated, the ice is stored in the ice bank (130), and the water can be drained through a separate path.

[0137] The ice bank (130) above is equipped with an auger (140) that rotates in one direction and pushes ice outward, and an ice discharge unit (158) is located at the outlet side of the auger (140). The ice discharge unit (158) is connected to the interior of the discharge port (50) described above, so that ice discharged by the operation of the auger (140) can be delivered to the user from the discharge port (50).

[0138] The bottom surface of the ice bank (130) is made of a water-permeable material, or is configured so that a plurality of permeable holes are formed so that the supplied water can pass through the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) and flow out downward. The water thus flowed out passes through the passage hole (131) of the ice bank (130), and the water passing through the passage hole (131) is discharged through a separate drain hole formed at the lowest end of the bottom surface of the inner cover (111), and the discharged water can be stored in a separate residual water storage tank or drained to the outside through a separate drain pipe.

[0139] Here, the drain pipe may also be equipped with a pump for drainage, or an external pump may be connected to the drain pipe to perform drainage.

[0140] Meanwhile, the ice-making means (100) includes a refrigerant compression cycle device (200) to freeze water supplied to the ice-making tray (120) or cool water in the cold water tank. Specifically, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) includes a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a dryer (230), an expansion valve (240), an evaporator (250), and an accumulator. Since the operating principles of each component are known from the prior art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0141] The refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) is supplied for at least one of the following uses.

[0142] First, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) can be supplied to a cold water evaporator provided in the cold water tank to lower the temperature of the cooling water or cold water in the cold water tank.

[0143] Additionally, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) can be supplied to an ice evaporator placed on the side of the ice tray to freeze water contained in the ice tray.

[0144] Additionally, the refrigerant passing through the compressor (210) may be supplied to an ice evaporator or a separate heat exchanger placed on the ice tray side to freeze the ice generated in the ice tray.

[0145] Additionally, the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) can be supplied to a freezing evaporator placed on one side of the ice storage space so that the ice separated from the ice tray is stored at sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0146] The above evaporator (250) may be provided in multiple numbers. The above evaporator (250) may be divided into an evaporator for generating cold water, an evaporator for generating ice, and an evaporator for storing ice.

[0147] In addition, the evaporator (250) can perform multiple functions selected from among cold water cooling, ice making, and ice storage, and each evaporator can individually perform the functions of cold water cooling, ice making, and ice storage.

[0148] In addition, when a plurality of evaporators (250) are provided as described above, a plurality of refrigerant pipes may be provided to transfer the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) to each evaporator (250).

[0149] The above refrigerant pipe may refer to a single pipe, path, etc. through which the refrigerant flows, and may also refer to a plurality of separate pipes, paths, etc. for connection to other devices such as an evaporator or capillary tube.

[0150] In the following description, it is described that the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser and the dryer in sequence flows to the refrigerant valve, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and it is to be noted in advance that the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser may flow directly to the refrigerant valve without passing through the dryer.

[0151] And, each of the above refrigerant pipes may be connected in parallel, or at least some of the refrigerant pipes may be connected in series.

[0152] That is, multiple evaporators may be connected in parallel, or at least some of the evaporators may be connected in series.

[0153] And, when each of the above refrigerant pipes is connected in parallel or series, a refrigerant valve for transmitting or blocking refrigerant to each refrigerant pipe may be provided.

[0154] In a refrigeration cycle where refrigerant discharged from a compressor is returned to the compressor, when one component is said to be connected "in series" with another component, it means that the two components are connected in series so that the refrigerant flowing from one component continues to the other. There may be components between the two series-connected components that form a passage for the refrigerant to flow, such as refrigerant pipes or expansion valves.

[0155] In addition, when it is said that a component is connected “in parallel” with another component in a flow path through which refrigerant discharged from a compressor flows, it means that the flow path connected to one component and the flow path connected to the other component branch off from the upstream side of the two components and join together from the downstream side of the two components based on the flow direction of the refrigerant. The flow path may be implemented as a component in which a passage through which refrigerant flows is formed, such as a refrigerant pipe or an expansion valve, and components such as valves and connecting pipes may be arranged at the points where the flow paths branch off and join together. Hereinafter, a refrigerant cycle according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0156] Referring again to FIG. 2, the evaporator (250) includes a cold water evaporator (251) for generating cold water, an ice evaporator (252) arranged on the side of the ice tray (120) for making ice, and a freezing evaporator (253) for supplying cold air to prevent ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting.

[0157] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) passes through the condenser (220) and the dryer (230) and then flows into the refrigerant valve (270). For reference, a condenser fan (280) may be installed on one side of the condenser (220) to dissipate heat from the condenser.

[0158] And, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) can flow into the first refrigerant pipe (291) or the second refrigerant pipe (292).

[0159] Additionally, the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) may flow into the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) to supply hot gas to the ice evaporator (252).

[0160] For example, the refrigerant valve (270) may be provided as a 4-way valve having one inlet and three outlets, and capable of individually opening and closing each inlet and outlet and controlling the degree of opening.

[0161] For reference, the above refrigerant valve (270) may be configured as a single four-way valve, or may be configured using multiple three-way valves, etc. In addition, a refrigerant valve may be individually installed in each refrigerant pipe (291, 292, 294).

[0162] First, the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant pipe (291) passes through the first expansion valve (241) and then flows to the cold water evaporator (251).

[0163] And, the cold water evaporator (251) cools the water in the cold water tank into cold water through heat exchange with purified water passing through the cold water tank.

[0164] The refrigerant that has passed through the above cold water evaporator (251) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0165] Meanwhile, the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242) and then flows to the ice evaporator (252).

[0166] And, the refrigerant introduced into the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with the water contained in the ice tray (120) to freeze the water into ice.

[0167] In the above embodiment, the ice evaporator (252) has a plurality of fingers (252a) that are immersed at one end in water supplied to the ice tray (120). Therefore, when cold refrigerant flows inside the ice evaporator (252), water in contact with the surrounding area freezes, causing ice to gradually grow.

[0168] In order to separate the ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), a separate ice separating means may be provided on one side of the ice evaporator (252).

[0169] For example, in order to separate ice grown around the ice evaporator (252), the high-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) can be supplied directly to the ice evaporator (252) by bypassing the second refrigerant pipe (292). For this purpose, a fourth refrigerant pipe (294) is provided.

[0170] The fourth refrigerant pipe (294) connects the refrigerant valve (270) and the ice evaporator (252). The fourth refrigerant pipe (240) bypasses the second refrigerant pipe (292) and connects the refrigerant valve (270) and the ice evaporator (252).

[0171] Therefore, in an ice-making situation, the refrigerant of the refrigerant valve (270) flows to the second refrigerant pipe (292), and in an ice-breaking situation, the refrigerant of the refrigerant valve (270) flows to the fourth refrigerant pipe (294).

[0172] That is, in an ice-breaking situation, the high-temperature refrigerant (hot gas) introduced into the refrigerant valve (270) is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) through the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) to melt the ice stuck to the ice-making evaporator (252) and cause ice-breaking. As described above, the refrigerant that provides the heat necessary for ice-breaking while passing through the ice-making evaporator (252) can flow to the compressor (210) via the freezing evaporator (253).

[0173] However, when the high-temperature refrigerant flows to the freezing evaporator (253) during the freezing process as described above, if the evaporator fan (260) operates, high-temperature air is supplied to the ice bank (130), and the temperature of the ice bank (130) rises to zero, causing a problem in which the ice melts.

[0174] Accordingly, in an ice-making situation where high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) as described above, the evaporator fan (260) can be controlled to stop operating or to have a rotation speed lower than that in the cooling mode.

[0175] Additionally, in an ice-making situation where high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253), the condenser fan (280) may also be controlled to stop operating or have a rotation speed lowered compared to the cooling mode.

[0176] In general, high temperature, high pressure gas discharged from the compressor passes through a condenser (220) and is converted into high temperature, high pressure liquid.

[0177] In the present embodiment, when ice is removed, the operation of the condenser fan (280) is stopped or controlled to rotate at a low speed, so that the refrigerant passing through the condenser (220) can reach the ice-making evaporator (252) in a gaseous state.

[0178] In the present embodiment, a forced convection condenser (220) may be used as a type of condenser. In the case of a forced convection condenser, since air is circulated through a condenser fan (280) to condense the refrigerant, if the condenser fan (280) stops operating, the condensation performance deteriorates. Therefore, if the condenser fan (280) stops operating, the refrigerant may remain in a gaseous state even if it passes through the condenser (220).

[0179] Meanwhile, it is also possible to consider providing a separate electric heater or other means of moving.

[0180] In addition, in the above-described ice-making situation, even if the operation of the evaporator fan is stopped or the rotation speed of the evaporator fan is controlled to a low speed, if ice-making proceeds in a situation where the temperature of the space where ice is stored is not secured, the problem of the ice being stored melting may also occur as the temperature of the ice storage space increases due to the heat source supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) for ice-making.

[0181] In particular, in the case of a structure in which the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator are connected in series, the temperature of the ice storage space cannot help but rise due to the hot gas flowing through the ice-making evaporator and the freezing evaporator during ice removal.

[0182] Accordingly, when a condition is met that the temperature of the space where ice is stored is below a preset temperature (e.g., -11°C), control can be performed to perform an ice-making operation by supplying hot gas, etc.

[0183] In this embodiment, the refrigerant passing through the ice evaporator (252) flows to the freezing evaporator (253).

[0184] That is, both the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are installed in the second refrigerant pipe (292), the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are connected in series, and the ice-making evaporator (252) is located upstream of the freezing evaporator (253) based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0185] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice bank (130) from melting. In order to supply cold air toward the ice bank (130) as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge airflow toward the ice bank (130) may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0186] As described above, the refrigerant that passes through the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) in sequence flows back to the compressor (210).

[0187] In the various embodiments described above, the ice bank (130) can be maintained at a temperature at which ice does not melt by the refrigeration evaporator (253) and the evaporator fan (260).

[0188] The present invention as described above can implement cold water generation, ice making, and ice removal in one refrigerant cycle.

[0189] To this end, a 4-way refrigerant valve (270) is installed at the rear end of the dryer (230), so that the refrigerant passing through the dryer (230) can be delivered to the first refrigerant pipe (291) for cold water production, to the second refrigerant pipe (292) for ice production and frozen storage, or to the fourth refrigerant pipe (294) for ice removal.

[0190] In detail, in a situation where cold water generation is required, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet side of the first refrigerant pipe (291) to discharge the refrigerant to the first expansion valve (241) and the cold water evaporator (251).

[0191] Meanwhile, in a situation where ice making is required, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the second refrigerant pipe (292) to discharge the refrigerant through the second expansion valve (242). Then, the refrigerant passing through the second expansion valve (242) passes through the ice-making evaporator (252) to create ice, and passes through the freezing evaporator (253) to create cold air to prevent the frozen ice from melting.

[0192] In addition, in a situation where cold water generation and ice making are required at the same time, the refrigerant valve (270) can open both the outlet on the first refrigerant pipe (291) side and the outlet on the second refrigerant pipe (292) side to generate cold water and also generate ice.

[0193] Meanwhile, in a situation where ice removal is required after ice making is completed, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the fourth refrigerant pipe (294), supplies the hot refrigerant (hot gas) that has passed through the condenser to the ice making evaporator (252), and melts and separates the ice from the fingers (252a) of the ice making evaporator (252).

[0194] In addition, when the ice-making process is completed, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet of the second refrigerant pipe (292), thereby generating ice or generating cold air to prevent the ice-making ice from melting. In the case of the present invention as described above, the refrigerant cycle is implemented so that the ice produced in the ice purifier does not melt and is stored under sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0195] Conventional ice water purifiers do not have a separate refrigerant cycle to store ice at sub-zero temperatures.

[0196] In the present invention, a refrigerant cycle for storing ice at sub-zero temperatures is established so that ice can be stored in a frozen state without melting even after ice making and ice removal.

[0197] The refrigerating evaporator (253) used in the present invention can be manufactured by miniaturizing the fin type evaporator (Fin Type EVA) used in a general refrigerator, and can be installed downstream of the ice-making evaporator (Finger Type EVA) based on the refrigerant flow direction.

[0198] And, an evaporator fan is installed to allow cold air generated from a refrigerated evaporator (253), which is a fin type evaporator (Fin Type EVA), to flow into the ice bank, thereby forming a cooling path.

[0199] The above evaporator fan causes cold air to flow from the above refrigerated evaporator toward the ice bank.

[0200] Accordingly, when the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242), ice making is performed firstly while passing through the finger type ice evaporator (252), and secondly while passing through the fin type refrigeration evaporator (253), cold air is generated. Then, as the evaporator fan (260) operates, the cold air generated in the refrigeration evaporator (253) flows into the ice bank (130), so that the ice in the ice bank can be stored at sub-zero temperature conditions.

[0201] Additionally, while the freezing evaporator (253) cools the ice-making and ice-storage space, the ice-making evaporator (252) may not produce ice.

[0202] While ice is being created in the ice evaporator (252), the refrigerant passing through the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with water and its temperature rises.

[0203] In a configuration of a refrigeration cycle in which a freezing evaporator (253) is placed downstream of an ice-making evaporator (252) based on the direction of refrigerant flow, refrigerant whose temperature has increased by passing through the ice-making evaporator (252) flows into the freezing evaporator (253), so it may be difficult to cool the ice-making and ice-storage space below a certain temperature.

[0204] Considering these problems, low-temperature refrigerant can be supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) in a state where the ice-making evaporator (252) does not generate ice. In this case, the refrigerant passes through the ice-making evaporator (252) without generating ice in the ice-making evaporator (252), and thus enters the freezing evaporator (253) with minimized heat loss. Accordingly, the freezing evaporator (253) can quickly cool the ice-making and ice-storage space or cool it to a temperature below a certain level.

[0205] For example, the control unit may not supply water to the ice tray (120) or drain the water contained in the ice tray (120) to prevent ice making. Even if ice making is not performed, low-temperature refrigerant may flow into the ice evaporator (252), and in this case, the ice evaporator (252) may only serve as a passage through which the refrigerant flows toward the freezing evaporator (253). The evaporator fan (260) may be installed on a separate fan bracket (118) and placed on the upper portion of the freezing evaporator (253).

[0206] The above fan bracket (118) may be formed to surround the edge of the evaporator fan (260) to secure the evaporator fan (260) in place.

[0207] Additionally, the fan bracket (118) can serve as an intermediate wall that divides one space into two spaces.

[0208] For example, the fan bracket (118) can partition a space where a refrigerating evaporator (253) is placed and a space where an ice-making evaporator (252) is placed. In addition, a defrosting heater (116) is installed on one side of the refrigerating evaporator (253). The defrosting heater (116) is provided to remove frost formed on the refrigerating evaporator (253), and during defrosting operation, power is supplied to melt and control the frost formed on the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0209] In addition, the ice making unit (110) may be provided with a refrigerant pipe insulation material (117) that covers the refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant flows to the ice making evaporator (252) or through which the refrigerant passes through the ice making evaporator (252).

[0210] According to the present invention as described above, even if the ice water purifier is miniaturized, there is an advantage in that ice-making performance can be secured.

[0211] Additionally, there is an advantage of improving the amount of ice produced per unit time by reducing the waiting time (5 minutes) due to the compressor protection logic in existing ice purifiers.

[0212] Additionally, it can reduce noise that may occur when turning the compressor ON / OFF.

[0213] In addition, there is an advantage in that the heat transfer efficiency is improved and the ice-making time can be shortened by directly transferring hot gas to the inside of the finger of the ice-making evaporator without installing a separate heater in the finger type ice-making evaporator.

[0214] Additionally, since there is no ON / OFF of the compressor during ice making, power consumption can be minimized, resulting in energy savings.

[0215] Additionally, there is an advantage in that the ice bank where the ice is stored is kept below freezing, preventing the ice that is created from melting.

[0216] Additionally, by keeping the ice bank where the ice is stored below freezing, there is an advantage in that the growth of bacteria and mold in or around the ice bank is suppressed, and hygiene is enhanced.

[0217] Additionally, there is the advantage of providing users with improved quality ice that is firmer and lasts longer as it is stored at sub-zero temperatures.

[0218] For reference, existing ice purifiers store ice at room temperature of around 3 to 4 degrees, so if ice is stored for a long time, there is a problem that the ice melts, shrinks in size, and becomes deformed.

[0219] In order to maintain a certain amount of ice, there was also the problem of electricity waste as the melted ice water had to be drained and new ice had to be continuously made.

[0220] Additionally, there was a problem in that it was difficult to maintain a constant ice-making speed or ice size depending on the external environment (season, weather, temperature, etc.) of the ice-making device.

[0221] On the other hand, according to the extraction device of the present invention, ice can be stored at a sub-zero temperature.

[0222] For example, while the refrigeration evaporator (253) is operating, the temperature range of the ice storage room can be maintained at -18 to -2 degrees, and suitably -11 to -9 degrees.

[0223] Above all, since the finger-type ice evaporator does not have a separate heater installed and heat is transferred by directly supplying hot gas to the inside of the finger, the heat transfer efficiency is increased and the ice-making time can be shortened.

[0224] In addition, it has the advantage of being equipped with a four-way refrigerant valve, so that one compressor can be operated to produce cold water, produce ice, separate ice, and store frozen ice.

[0225] Hereinafter, the structure of the ice making means of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0226] In the following description, the term “front” refers to the direction in which the water outlet nozzle (40) through which water is supplied and the ice outlet (50) through which ice is supplied are arranged.

[0227] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the ice making means of the present invention may include a body part (101) having an open upper side and forming a space on the inside, and an open upper side, and a cover part (102) detachably coupled to the upper end of the body part (101) to cover the open upper side of the body part (101).

[0228] The above cover part (102) is formed as a single body and can cover the entire open upper side of the body part (101).

[0229] The above cover part (102) has an opening / closing structure that can be separated from and then reattached to the body part (101).

[0230] In addition, the cover part (102) may be provided in multiple numbers to partially open and close the open upper side of the body part (101).

[0231] The above cover part (102) is detachably connected to the upper part of the body part (101), and can be separated and then reconnected.

[0232] A clip portion (101a) that is coupled to the cover portion (102) can be formed in the body portion (101).

[0233] The above clip portion (101a) has a center of rotation at the upper end of the body portion (101), and can be attached to or separated from the cover portion (102) while rotating.

[0234] The above clip portion (101a) forms a fixing clip (101c) that is secured to the upper end of the cover portion (102). The fixing clip (101c) extends inward from the clip portion (101a). The extension direction of the fixing clip (101c) and the extension direction of the clip portion (101a) intersect.

[0235] In addition, a clip groove (102c) that is concavely formed inward to accommodate the clip portion (101a) can be formed in the cover portion (102).

[0236] In the above case, when the cover part (102) is arranged on the upper part of the body part (101) and the clip part (101a) is fastened, the clip part (101a) is received in the clip home (102c), the fixing clip (101c) is located on the upper part of the cover part (102), and a force is generated that presses the upper part of the cover part (102) by the fixing clip (101c), so that the cover part (102) can be coupled to the body part (101).

[0237] For example, the above clip portion (101a) may be formed on the front and rear sides of the body portion (101), and a total of four clip portions may be provided.

[0238] In addition, clip grooves (102c) may be formed on both sides of the cover portion (102) at the front and rear, respectively, to accommodate and fasten each of the clip portions (101a).

[0239] Additionally, a gasket (105) may be installed between the body portion (101) and the cover portion (102) for sealing.

[0240] The above gasket (105) can be fixed to the lower part of the cover part (102).

[0241] Conversely, the gasket may be formed at the upper end of the body portion (101).

[0242] In addition, a configuration in which a clip portion is formed on the cover portion (102) and the clip portion is fastened to and then released from the body portion (101) is also possible.

[0243] With the configuration of the clip portion (101a), the cover portion (102) can be easily separated from and then reattached to the body portion (101).

[0244] The above cover part (102) is provided in an overall rectangular panel shape.

[0245] And, it has a lower cover and an upper cover, and the space between them can be filled with insulation.

[0246] A vacuum insulation panel may be attached to the inner surface of the lower or upper cover. Then, with the vacuum insulation panel attached, an insulation material such as urethane may be foamed inside to form an insulation layer.

[0247] Additionally, a gasket (105) can be fixed to the lower part of the lower cover to seal between the body part (101) and the cover part (102).

[0248] Additionally, a detection means may be installed on one side of the body part (101) and the cover part (102) to detect whether the cover part (102) is separated.

[0249] The above detection means is connected to the control unit and can detect whether the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101).

[0250] If the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101), the ice bank (130) is exposed to the outside, and the control unit confirms the opening of the ice bank (130) in real time through the detection means.

[0251] The above detection means may include various known sensors of various structures.

[0252] For example, a magnet may be installed in the cover portion (102) or the inner cover (103) described below.

[0253] And, when the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) or the top cover described below is opened, a separate reed switch detects this, and the control part can control the operation of the evaporator fan to stop or control the evaporator fan to rotate at a low speed.

[0254] In addition, in the ice-making state, when the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) described later is opened, the control unit can control the ice-making tray to return from the open position (ice-making position) to the closed position (ice-making position).

[0255] That is, when hot gas is supplied to the ice evaporator (252) or the ice heater is operated while ice is being made, if the opening of the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) or the top cover described below is detected, the control unit stops the ice making operation and returns the ice making tray (130) to the ice making position.

[0256] For reference, the reed switch can detect the opening and closing of the cover part (102) in which the magnet is installed or the inner cover (103) described later by detecting a magnetic field. When the opening of the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) described later is detected, the control unit can control the operation of at least one of the evaporator fan and the condenser fan to stop, or control the rotation speed (rpm) of at least one of the fans to decrease.

[0257] Additionally, the reed switch may be installed on a front cover forming the front of the water purifier body, a side panel forming the side of the water purifier body, or a rear cover forming the rear of the water purifier body.

[0258] In addition, the reed switch can be installed in various locations, such as the ice bank (130) or ice making unit (110), dispenser unit (150), etc., which are not separated from the cover unit (102) or the inner cover (103) described below, but are maintained in a fixed state.

[0259] Additionally, the body part (101) may be provided with an inner cover (103) separately from the cover part (102).

[0260] The above cover part (102) can cover the upper side of the inner cover (103).

[0261] The inner cover (103) above maintains a state of being coupled to the body part (101) even if the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101).

[0262] Unlike the cover portion (102), the inner cover (103) must be separated from the body portion (101) and then reattached using a separate fastening means such as a screw or a tool.

[0263] For example, the internal space of the body part (101) can be divided into an ice-making space, an ice-storing space, and a cooling space.

[0264] First, the ice-making space (1011) is a space where the ice-making evaporator (252) is placed, the ice storage space (1012) is a space where the ice is made and stored, and the cooling space (1013) is a space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) that generates cold air so that the ice stored in the ice storage space (1012) is stored at a sub-zero temperature is placed.

[0265] In the case of the above ice storage space (1012), the user needs to open it to check the ice, check the internal cleanliness, wash, etc. Therefore, in the case of the ice storage space (1012), a separate inner cover is not provided, and when the cover part (102) is separated, it is immediately exposed to the outside.

[0266] On the other hand, in the case of an ice evaporator (252), a freezing evaporator (253), etc., if easily exposed, problems such as parts breaking down or the user's hand being injured may occur.

[0267] Accordingly, the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013) that accommodate the ice-making evaporator (252), the freezing evaporator (253), the evaporator fan (260), etc. have a structure in which the upper side is covered with a separate inner cover (103).

[0268] In addition, this inner cover (103) is fastened with a fastening means such as a screw so that the user cannot easily open or access it, and is configured so that it can be opened only with a separate tool.

[0269] For example, the inner cover (103) may be provided separately with an inner cover covering the ice-making space (1011) and an inner cover covering the cooling space (1013).

[0270] As another example, the inner cover (103) may be provided as one, so that the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013) may be covered at once with one inner cover (103), and may be opened at once.

[0271] The above body part (101) may have an overall rectangular shape when viewed from above.

[0272] In addition, an ice-making space (1011) and an ice-storage space (1012) may be arranged on the front side where the above-mentioned outlet (50) is arranged, and a cooling space (1013) may be arranged at the rear of the ice-making space (1011) and the ice-storage space (1012).

[0273] And, an ice storage space (1012) may be formed on one front side (left side as shown in FIG. 6) of the body part (101), and an ice-making space (1011) may be formed on the other front side (right side as shown in FIG. 6) of the body part (101).

[0274] At this time, the ice making space (1011) and cooling space (1013) have an overall ‘ㄱ’ shape when viewed from above.

[0275] In addition, the inner cover (103) may have an overall ‘ㄱ’ shape to simultaneously open and cover the ice-making space (1011) and the cooling space (1013).

[0276] That is, the cover part (102) can cover the ice-making space (1011), the ice-storage space (1012), and the cooling space (1013). In addition, the inner cover (103) can cover the cooling space (1013) or the ice-storage space (1012). The inner cover (103) can cover only the cooling space (1013) and only the ice-storage space (1012).

[0277] In addition, one inner cover (103) can cover the cooling space (1013) and the ice storage space (1012) at the same time, and an inner cover covering the cooling space (1013) and an inner cover covering the ice storage space (1012) can be provided separately.

[0278] In addition, the inner cover (103) is secured with a fastening means such as a screw so that the user can open it only by using a separate tool such as a screwdriver. This prevents the user from inadvertently opening the inner cover covering the refrigerating evaporator (253) or the ice-making evaporator (252), thereby preventing damage to the refrigerating evaporator (253) or the ice-making evaporator (252) or injury to the user.

[0279] On the other hand, the cover part (102) covering the ice storage space (1012) can be opened and closed by the user to clean the inside of the ice bank (130) or to take the ice bank (130) out of the inner cover (111), and thus can be opened without a separate tool. In the present invention, the cover part (102) can be easily opened and closed with a clip provided at the top of the ice storage part (110).

[0280] Meanwhile, a dispenser unit (150) is placed in front of the body unit (101) to supply ice toward the outlet (50).

[0281] All or part of the ice tray (120), ice bank (130), and auger (140) may be placed inside the above body part (101).

[0282] Additionally, a fan bracket (118) may be placed between the above-mentioned storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013).

[0283] An evaporator fan (260) is installed on the above fan bracket (118).

[0284] By the above fan bracket (118), the ice storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013) can be partitioned.

[0285] The above body part (101) may include an inner cover (111) and an outer cover (112).

[0286] For reference, the body part (101) may be equipped with only an inner cover (111) without an outer cover. In this case, an insulating material may be provided in the space between the inner cover (111) and the case forming the exterior of the water purifier.

[0287] Meanwhile, when the outer cover (112) is provided as described above, the outer cover (112) may include a first outer cover (112a) that covers one side of the inner cover (111) and a second outer cover (112b) that covers the other side of the inner cover (112b), and the outer covers (112a, 112b) may be separated into two sides and then combined.

[0288] A space is formed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112), and the space can be filled with insulating material.

[0289] For example, the insulation material may be formed by foaming polyurethane (PU foam) between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112).

[0290] In addition, vacuum insulated panels (VIP) may be attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) before foaming polyurethane (PU foam).

[0291] For example, vacuum insulation panels may be attached to the inner side surfaces on both sides, a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner bottom surface, and a vacuum insulation panel may also be attached to the inner side surface on the back.

[0292] Referring to the drawing, the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) forms a generally flat surface, making it easy to attach a vacuum insulation panel.

[0293] Inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), an inner cover (111), a cold water tank (160), and a drain tank (170) are arranged, and while the inner cover (111), the cold water tank (160), and the drain tank (170) are arranged inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), a foaming liquid is sprayed to secure an insulating layer.

[0294] In addition, since cold water is stored inside the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160), insulation is required to prevent condensation. In this case, if the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160) is placed inside the outer cover (112a, 112b), insulation can be performed all at once, thereby minimizing the number of insulation components. If the drain tank (170) or the cold water tank (160) is placed outside the outer cover (112a, 112b), separate insulation is required.

[0295] In addition, the outer covers (112a, 112b) are formed with all surfaces being flat, making it easy to attach vacuum insulation panels. The outer surface of the inner cover (111) is partially curved, particularly the bottom surface. In order to attach a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) to the curved surface, the insulation material must be cut into small pieces, making the process cumbersome.

[0296] However, since most of the outer cover (112a, 112b) is flat, if a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is attached flatly to the inner surface, the insulation can be used in a large size, thereby reducing the number of attached insulation materials.

[0297] The first outer cover (112a) and the second outer cover (112b) can be connected to each other using hooks or screws, etc. In addition, during the foaming process, the jig holds the outer covers (112a, 112b) from both sides, so they can be fixed using only hooks.

[0298] For reference, the vacuum insulated panel (VIP) has excellent insulation performance relative to its thickness, so the gap between the outer cover (112a, 112b) and the inner cover (111) can be reduced. As a result, the size of the ice making unit (110) can be reduced.

[0299] In the present invention, since the temperature of the ice bank (130) is maintained below zero, high insulation performance is required. However, if insulation is provided only with foamed urethane, the thickness of the insulation material becomes too thick and the size of the ice-making part becomes large. Therefore, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) with good insulation performance relative to its thickness is attached to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b), and urethane is foamed into the empty space where the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is not attached to form an insulation layer.

[0300] The vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be fixed to the inner surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) using double-sided tape, etc. Since the urethane foaming process will fix the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) to the outer cover (112a, 112b) anyway, it can be fixed simply before foaming.

[0301] For reference, the thickness of the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be approximately 8 to 11 mm, and in the case of urethane, it can be formed to be 5 mm or more to ensure flowability when foaming. That is, the gap between the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) on which urethane is foamed and the inner cover (111) can be formed to be 5 mm or more.

[0302] If the flowability of urethane is not good, empty spaces that are not filled with foaming liquid may be formed during urethane foaming.

[0303] As a prime example, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) can be formed to a thickness of 10 mm, and PU (foamed polyurethane) can also be formed to a thickness of 10 mm.

[0304] The bottom surface of the outer cover (112a, 112b) is formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0305] In addition, the rear lower portion of the outer cover (112a, 112b) may be formed to be convex toward the rear so that the drain tank (170) can be accommodated therein.

[0306] And, an inner cover (111) is placed on the inside of the outer cover (112a, 112b), and the inner bottom surface of the inner cover (111) is also formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0307] The outer cover (112a, 112b) and the inner cover (111) above both have an open front, and the open front can be covered by the dispenser portion (150).

[0308] The inner cover (111) forms an ice-making space (1011), an ice-storing space (1012), and a cooling space (1013) on the inner side.

[0309] Additionally, an ice bank (130) may be placed on the inside of the inner cover (111).

[0310] A plurality of passage holes (131) can be formed in the above ice bank (130).

[0311] A plurality of passage holes (131) may be formed on the bottom surface, side surface, etc. of the ice bank (130), and the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front side to the rear side. In addition, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed as a curved surface. In addition, the ice bank (130) may have a shape in which the front side is open and the rear side is closed.

[0312] In the above ice-making space (1011), an ice-making tray (120) is installed to temporarily store water to be used for ice-making. Specifically, the ice-making tray (120) is mounted on a driving motor and a rotational shaft, and is mounted so as to be rotatable around the rotational shaft.

[0313] The ice evaporator (252) may be placed on the upper side of the ice tray (120).

[0314] Ice making is performed in the ice making evaporator (252) while the above ice making tray (120) is fixed in the ice making position. Then, when ice making is completed, the ice making tray (120) rotates.

[0315] When the ice tray (120) rotates, the water contained inside the ice tray (120) falls to the lower side of the ice tray (120). The water that falls in this way is collected in the drain tank (170) through a separate path.

[0316] In addition, when water is drained from the ice tray (120), ice frozen in the ice evaporator (252) falls below the ice evaporator (252), and the fallen ice moves to the ice bank (130) and is stored.

[0317] The above ice bank (130) has an opening formed at the top, through which ice falling from the ice tray (120) can enter the interior of the ice bank (130).

[0318] In addition, the ice bank (130) is equipped with an auger (140) that rotates in one direction and pushes ice outward, and an ice discharge unit (158) is located on the outlet side of the auger (140). The ice discharge unit (158) is connected to the interior of the discharge port (50) described above, so that ice discharged by the operation of the auger (140) can be delivered to the user from the discharge port (50).

[0319] The bottom and rear surfaces of the ice bank (130) are made of a water-permeable material, or are configured so that a plurality of passage holes (131) are formed so that any water that may have entered can pass through the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) and flow out downward. The water that flows out in this way passes through the ice bank (130) and is received in the drain tank (170) located at the bottom of the inner cover (111), or is drained through a separate drain pipe.

[0320] Here, a pump for drainage may be provided in the drain pipe, or an external pump may be connected to the drain pipe to perform drainage.

[0321] In addition, a lower hole is formed in the lower part of the fan bracket (118) to allow air to flow from the ice storage space (1102) to the cooling space (1103), and an upper hole is formed in the upper part of the fan bracket (118) to allow air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) to flow to the ice storage space (1102).

[0322] In addition, the fan bracket (118) is configured to divide the ice storage space (1102) and the cooling space (1103), and an insulating material may be provided inside.

[0323] When hot gas is supplied to the ice evaporator and the freezing evaporator for ice removal, the heat of the freezing evaporator may melt the ice in the ice storage space (1102), so an insulating material is placed inside the fan bracket (118) to provide insulation between the ice storage space (1102) and the cooling space (1103).

[0324] As a variation, in a configuration of a refrigeration cycle that does not supply hot gas to the refrigeration evaporator, the inside of the fan bracket (118) may not be provided with insulation.

[0325] The above fan bracket (118) acts as a passage for air to flow between the cooling space (1103) where the refrigerant evaporator (253) is placed and the ice storage space (1102).

[0326] In addition, an evaporator fan (260) may be coupled to the rear upper portion of the fan bracket (118). The evaporator fan (260) sucks in air from the side of the freezer evaporator (253) and creates a flow of air from the lower side to the upper side. Then, the cold air that has passed through the freezer evaporator (253) is supplied to the upper side of the ice storage space (1012) through the evaporator fan (260), and accordingly, the ice stored in the ice storage space (1012) can be stored at a sub-zero temperature by the cold air.

[0327] Since cold air has the property of going down, an evaporator fan (260) is installed at the top of the refrigerated evaporator (253) to pull up the cold air generated in the refrigerated evaporator (253) and supply it to the upper side of the ice storage space (1012).

[0328] The above storage space (1012) is located adjacent to the outlet (50), and the cooling space (1103) is arranged in a direction away from the outlet (50).

[0329] Additionally, the cold water tank (160) and cold water evaporator (251) can also be placed inside the body part (101).

[0330] A separate cold water tank (160) installation space can be formed on the right side of the body part (101) (based on FIG. 9).

[0331] The cold water tank (160) may be installed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112). The cold water tank (160) may be positioned adjacent to the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) to facilitate installation of refrigerant pipes.

[0332] The inner cover (111) above forms a recessed portion (1113) concavely inward at the bottom of one side, and the cold water tank (160) can be installed by being accommodated in the recessed portion (1113).

[0333] The above-mentioned depression (1113) can be formed at the bottom of the ice-making space (1011).

[0334] The above cold water tank (160) is fixed to the inner cover (111) and can be placed apart from the outer cover (112).

[0335] And, when the cold water tank (160) is installed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112), and insulation is foamed between the inner cover (111) and the outer cover (112), the cold water tank (160) can be automatically insulated.

[0336] Additionally, in the water extraction device of the present invention, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) and various valves, components, lighting, etc. can be controlled through a separate control unit. In this case, the control unit may include one or more PCBs. The control unit may operate according to a programmed algorithm.

[0337] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser unit, which is a component of the present invention.

[0338] Referring to Fig. 7, the dispenser unit (150) may include a case (151) that covers the open front of the ice making unit (110). An ice discharge port (152) through which ice is discharged is formed in the case (151).

[0339] And, the case (151) includes a first motor (153) for rotating the ice tray (120) and a second motor (154) for rotating the auger (140).

[0340] And, an auger (140) is placed at the rear of the dispenser section (150).

[0341] Additionally, a door (155) for opening and closing the ice discharge port (152) is formed on the inside of the dispenser section (150).

[0342] The above door (155) is connected to the third motor (159) and rotates forward and backward together with the rotation of the third motor (159). Then, it controls the discharge of ice that is transported forward and upward through the auger (140) and then passes through the ice discharge port (152). An ice discharge unit (158) that guides the ice discharged through the door (155) to the discharge port (50) may be arranged. The ice discharge unit (158) may be understood as a means for guiding the discharge of ice.

[0343] The above-mentioned outlet (50) may be formed on the lower side of the ice discharge unit (158).

[0344] Additionally, the inside of the dispenser section (150) may be filled with insulating material.

[0345] The above insulation material is provided for insulation of the motor (153, 154, 159), etc.

[0346] In addition, a UV lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays may be installed in the dispenser unit (150) to sterilize the space through which ice passes inside the dispenser unit (150) or the ice storage space of the ice tray (130), and a full ice sensor that detects whether the ice storage space of the ice tray (130) is full may be installed.

[0347] Fig. 8 is a side view of a longitudinal cross-section of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a top view of the interior of an ice making unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0348] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an ice transport grill (180) is arranged at the bottom of the ice tray (120).

[0349] The above ice transport grill (180) has a plurality of drain holes (181) on one side.

[0350] In addition, a collection pipe (190) is arranged at the bottom of the ice transport grill (180) through which water discharged from the ice tray (120) flows after passing through a drain (181), and an ice bank (130) in which ice separated from the ice evaporator (252) is stored is arranged at one side of the collection pipe (190).

[0351] The above ice bank (130) and the above collection pipe (190) can be understood as separate spaces.

[0352] In addition, the lower end of the water collection pipe (190) may be formed at a higher position than the lower end of the ice bank (130), and rather, the lower end of the water collection pipe (190) may be formed at a similar height to the upper end of the ice bank (130).

[0353] That is, the above collection pipe (190) can be formed at the upper end of one side of the ice bank (130).

[0354] The size of the above drain hole (181) is formed to be smaller than the size of the ice that falls from the ice tray (120), so that water can be discharged and ice can be filtered through the drain hole (181).

[0355] After ice making is performed in the ice making evaporator (252), ice and residual water are contained inside the ice making tray (120).

[0356] For reference, the process by which ice is created and stored can be summarized as follows:

[0357] First, ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making tray (120) located at the bottom of the ice-making evaporator (252), and the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) is operated to create ice at the finger portion of the ice-making evaporator (252).

[0358] And, after making ice, the ice tray (120) is rotated to drain the remaining ice water, separate the ice from the fingers, and store the ice in the ice bank (130).

[0359] The above ice tray (120) rotates clockwise in the ice-making stage, as shown in FIG. 21, and when the ice tray (120) rotates, the upper inlet of the ice tray (120) faces the side or downward, and residual water is discharged through the inlet of the ice tray (120).

[0360] And, after the drainage of the residual water is completed, the ice separated from the ice evaporator (252) falls to the ice transport grill (180). And, the fallen ice moves toward the ice bank (130) along the ice transport grill (180) that is inclined downward toward the ice bank (130) and can be stored in the ice bank (130).

[0361] In addition, when ice-making is completed, the ice-making tray (120) returns to its original position (ice-making position). At this time, the ice-making tray (120) rotates counterclockwise with reference to Fig. 21. Then, when the upper inlet of the ice-making tray (120) is positioned so that it faces upward, the ice-making tray (120) stops for ice-making operation and receives water for ice-making.

[0362] Meanwhile, water that falls from the ice tray (120) to the ice transport grill (180) falls to the lower part of the ice transport grill (180) through the drain (181) of the ice transport grill (180).

[0363] As described above, water that falls to the bottom of the ice transport grill (180) is drained through a separate pipe.

[0364] And, the water drained as described above is collected in the drain tank (170) located at the bottom of the ice making unit (110) through a separate path.

[0365] The above drain tank (170) may be positioned at the rearmost position. In addition, the bottom surface of the ice making unit (110) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear as a whole. In particular, the bottom surface of the inner cover (111) and the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0366] Accordingly, the water generated in the ice making unit (110) and requiring drainage, including the ice making residual water, flows from the front where the height is high to the rear where the height is low along the bottom surface of the inner cover (111), and is discharged through the drain pipe (119) provided at the lowest end of the inner cover (111), and can then be stored in the drain tank (170) connected to the drain pipe (119).

[0367] Meanwhile, as described above, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) may be formed to slope downward from the front to the rear.

[0368] In detail, the bottom surface of the ice bank (130) can be formed to slope downward in the direction in which the ice is extracted.

[0369] Therefore, the ice that has fallen into the ice bank (130) is first filled in the lower rear part of the ice bank (130) along the slope.

[0370] And, ice is stored from the bottom of the ice bank (130), so that the maximum amount of ice can be stored inside the ice bank (130).

[0371] In addition, when a freezing evaporator (253) is placed at the rear of the ice bank (130), ice can be stored at the rear of the ice bank (130) adjacent to the freezing evaporator (253), and there is also an advantage in that the ice can be stored at a lower temperature as the temperature is lowered further by the freezing evaporator (253).

[0372] In addition, when the water extraction device of the present invention is viewed from the front, the ice bank (130) and the ice tray (120) can be arranged in the left and right directions. In detail, the ice bank (130) can be arranged on the left side, and the ice tray (120) can be arranged on the right side.

[0373] In addition, when the water extraction device of the present invention is viewed from the front, the ice bank (130) and the refrigerated evaporator (253) can be arranged in the front-back direction. In detail, the ice bank (130) can be positioned at the front, and the refrigerated evaporator (253) can be arranged at the rear.

[0374] To this end, the internal space of the ice making unit (110) may be provided with a partition wall that divides the space where the ice bank (130) is formed and the space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) is installed.

[0375] The above bulkhead can be understood as a fan bracket (118).

[0376] That is, the fan bracket (118) can serve as a partition wall that divides the space where the ice bank (130) is formed and the space where the refrigeration evaporator (253) is installed.

[0377] The water extraction device of the present invention includes an ice tray (120) and an ice evaporator (252) that freezes water filled in the ice tray (120).

[0378] And, the ice tray (120) has a rotation axis and rotates around the rotation axis.

[0379] The rotation axis of the above ice tray (120) is connected to a motor.

[0380] The above motor is a bidirectional motor and may be equipped with, for example, a stepping motor.

[0381] The above motor can rotate the ice tray (120) to one side and then to the other side.

[0382] In the following description, the ice-making position refers to a position where the ice-making tray (120) is fixed and does not move in the ice-making state. The ice-making position may refer to the position of the ice-making tray (120) in the standby state.

[0383] Additionally, one side of the ice tray (120) can be rotatably connected to the fan bracket (118).

[0384] Additionally, the ice tray (120) may be provided so that it can be detached separately.

[0385] In addition, a micro switch is provided to detect the rotation angle of the ice tray (120), and a rib that contacts the micro switch according to the rotation angle may be formed on at least one component that is connected to the rotation axis of the ice tray (120) or the rotation axis of the ice tray (120) and rotates together with the ice tray (120) when the ice tray (120) rotates.

[0386] In addition, the ice tray (120) is equipped with a water guide structure that guides the remaining water to flow in one direction when discarding the remaining water after ice making.

[0387] As described above, if the remaining water in the ice tray (120) flows in one direction, the phenomenon of the remaining water from the ice being drawn into the ice bank (130) where ice is stored can be prevented.

[0388] Figure 10 is a drawing illustrating a fan bracket, which is a component of the present invention.

[0389] In detail, Fig. 10 (a) is a perspective view of the fan bracket, and Fig. 10 (b) is an exploded perspective view of the fan bracket.

[0390] Referring to Fig. 10, a fan bracket (118) is installed on the inside of the ice making unit (110).

[0391] The fan bracket (118) may include an evaporator fan (260) installed on the upper side of the fan bracket (118) and a dividing wall (1186) formed on the lower side to divide the installation space of the ice bank (130) and the installation space of the refrigerated evaporator (253).

[0392] A plurality of ventilation holes (118a) may be formed on the upper side of the fan bracket (118) to allow air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) to pass through.

[0393] The upper side of the fan bracket (118) may have a grill shape due to the plurality of ventilation holes (118a).

[0394] Accordingly, when the evaporator fan (260) operates, the cold air of the refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), passes through the evaporator fan (260), and the cold air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) passes through the ventilation hole (118a) and is supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130).

[0395] And, due to the nature of cold air, cold air passing through the ventilation hole (118a) flows downward and freezes the ice stored in the ice bank (130).

[0396] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows downward to the refrigeration evaporator (253) by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260).

[0397] For this purpose, a passage (118b) is formed at the bottom of the fan bracket (118) to connect the bottom of the ice storage space (1012) and the bottom of the cooling space (1013).

[0398] That is, a plurality of passages (118b) are formed on the lower side of the fan bracket (118) so that the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0399] In addition, the user's hand may be injured when it enters the cooling space (1013) where the refrigerant evaporator (253) is installed through the space between the bottom of the fan bracket (118) and the bottom surface of the inner cover (111).

[0400] Accordingly, the passage (118b) may be formed in a grill shape or a rake shape and may serve to block the space between the lower part of the fan bracket (118) and the bottom surface of the inner cover (111).

[0401] Additionally, although the air outlet and air inlet are formed vertically in one fan bracket (118), in another embodiment, the air outlet and air inlet may be formed separately in two fan brackets (118) arranged vertically.

[0402] And, the cold air flowing downward from the above-mentioned refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), becomes colder as it passes through the refrigerated evaporator (253), and is supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130) by passing through the evaporator fan (260) and the ventilation hole (118a) again.

[0403] The lower part of the above fan bracket (118) is formed in a grill shape so that cold air from the ice bank (130) can flow toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0404] The rear side of the ice bank (130) can be arranged parallel to the separating wall (1186) of the fan bracket (118).

[0405] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) can pass through the passage hole (131) formed on the bottom surface and the rear surface of the ice bank (130) and pass through the passage (118b) of the fan bracket (118) and then flow toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0406] The above fan bracket (118) may include a front member (118c) and a rear member (118d). Insulating material may be provided in the space (S) between them.

[0407] The above front member (118c) is positioned relatively forward compared to the rear member (118d), and a ventilation hole (118a), a separation wall (1186), and a passage (118b) can be formed.

[0408] A connecting portion (1189) may be formed on one or both upper sides of the front member (118c) so as to extend outward, hang over the upper side of the ice making unit (110), and be connected to the upper side of the ice making unit (110).

[0409] The rear member (118d) is positioned relatively rearwardly relative to the front member (118c) and forms an installation opening (1187) in which the evaporator fan (260) is installed. The installation opening (1187) may be formed at a position facing the ventilation hole (118a). In addition, an extension portion (1188) extending rearward along the perimeter of the installation opening (1187) may be formed, and the extension portion (1188) may cover the perimeter of the evaporator fan (260).

[0410] In addition, the fan bracket (118) may optionally be equipped with a full ice sensor (301) that detects whether the ice stored in the ice bank (130) is full, a UV lamp (302) that sterilizes the ice storage space of the ice bank (130) by irradiating ultraviolet rays, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the ice storage space of the ice bank (130).

[0411] The above evaporator fan (260) may be placed in an upright position, i.e., with the rotation axis of the evaporator fan (260) facing forward and backward. If the distance between the evaporator fan (260) and the refrigerated evaporator (253) is too close, frost may form on the evaporator fan (260), preventing the evaporator fan (260) from operating properly. In order to secure a gap between the evaporator fan (260) and the refrigerated evaporator (253), the evaporator fan (260) needs to be placed upright rather than lying down.

[0412] In addition, a PCB case having a built-in PCB may be installed at the rear of the fan bracket (118), specifically, at the rear of the separating wall (1186). The PCB case may be placed at the bottom of the evaporator fan (260).

[0413] Additionally, at least a portion of the fan bracket (118) may have an insulating material attached to it, or an insulating layer may be formed inside it.

[0414] In addition, the above fan bracket (118) functions as an intermediate wall dividing the ice storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013).

[0415] A grill-shaped passage (118b) is formed at the bottom of the fan bracket (118) to allow air to flow from the ice storage space (1012) to the cooling space (1013).

[0416] And, a plurality of ventilation holes (118a) are formed in a grill shape on the upper part of the fan bracket (118) so that the air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) flows into the ice storage space (1012).

[0417] Additionally, insulation may be provided inside the fan bracket (118).

[0418] When hot gas is supplied to the ice evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) for freezing, the heat of the freezing evaporator (253) may cause the ice in the ice storage space (1012) to melt, so an insulating material is placed inside the fan bracket (118) to provide insulation between the ice storage space (1012) and the cooling space (1013).

[0419] As a variation, in a configuration of a refrigeration cycle that does not supply hot gas to the refrigeration evaporator, the inside of the fan bracket (118) may not be provided with insulation.

[0420] As described above, the fan bracket (118) acts as a path for allowing air to flow between the cooling space (1013) where the refrigerant evaporator is placed and the ice storage space (1012) where the ice bank (130) is placed.

[0421] The above fan bracket (118) may be formed integrally with the inner cover (111), or may be detachably coupled to the inner cover (111).

[0422] In addition, an evaporator fan (260) may be placed on the upper side of the refrigerated evaporator (253). Then, the evaporator fan (260) sucks in air from the side of the refrigerated evaporator (253) and creates a flow of air from the lower side to the upper side. Then, the cold air that has passed through the refrigerated evaporator (253) is supplied to the upper side of the ice storage space (1012) through the evaporator fan (260), and accordingly, the ice stored in the ice storage space (1012) can be stored at a sub-zero temperature by the cold air.

[0423] Since cold air tends to go down, an evaporator fan (260) is installed at the top of the refrigerated evaporator (253) to pull up the cold air generated in the refrigerated evaporator and supply it to the upper part of the ice storage space (1012).

[0424] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of a refrigerant compression cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0425] Referring to FIG. 11, the refrigerant compression cycle device (200) of the present invention includes an ice-making evaporator (252) having a plurality of fingers (252a) immersed in an ice-making tray (120), a refrigerant evaporator (253) having a plurality of heat exchange fins (2531) and having a heat absorption function, and an accumulator (2924). In addition, a separate heater (2532) for defrosting may be installed on the heat exchange fins (2531) of the refrigerant evaporator (253).

[0426] At this time, the refrigerant pipe may include a refrigerant pipe (2921) that supplies refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator (252), a refrigerant pipe (2922) that supplies refrigerant that has passed through the ice-making evaporator (252) to the freezing evaporator (253), and a refrigerant pipe (2923) that supplies refrigerant that has passed through the freezing evaporator (253) to the compressor side.

[0427] Since the operating principles of each component have been known for a long time, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0428] Meanwhile, in the case of the present invention, in order to supplement the problems of the conventional room temperature storage ice water purifier, a freezing evaporator (253) is installed inside the body (101) so that ice stored in the ice bank (130) can be frozen and stored.

[0429] In addition, in order to supply cold air from the refrigerated evaporator (253) to the ice storage space (1012) where the ice bank (130) is placed, an evaporator fan (260) was installed on the upper side of the refrigerated evaporator (253) to form cold air flow.

[0430] The control unit of the present invention detects the opening of at least one of the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103), and controls the operation of the evaporator fan (260) depending on whether the cover part (102) or the inner cover (103) is opened.

[0431] For example, when the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101) and the upper part of the body part (101) is opened, the operation of the evaporator fan (260) is controlled to stop in order to prevent cold air from leaking, and when the cover part (102) is coupled to the body part (101) and the upper part of the body part (101) is closed, the evaporator fan (260) is controlled to operate again, so that the evaporator fan (260) can be controlled to operate only when the cover part (102) is coupled to the body part (101).

[0432] In addition, when the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101) while the evaporator fan (260) is rotating at the first speed, the control unit controls the evaporator fan (260) to rotate at a second speed lower than the first speed, and when the cover part (102) is coupled to the body part (101), the control unit controls the evaporator fan (260) to rotate at the first speed again.

[0433] Referring to Fig. 5, the upper side of the ice bank (130) is open, and the ice bank (130) is placed inside the body part (101). In detail, the ice bank (130) is placed inside the inner cover (111) that constitutes the body part (101).

[0434] Therefore, when the cover part (102) is separated and the upper part of the body part (101) is opened, the upper part of the ice bank (130) is opened.

[0435] Additionally, when the cover part (102) is combined and the upper side of the body part (101) is closed, the upper side of the ice bank (130) is also closed.

[0436] As a modified example, the control unit can detect whether the top cover forming the upper surface of the main body (10) is open, and control the operation of the evaporator fan (260) depending on whether the top cover is open.

[0437] That is, when the top cover forming the upper surface of the main body (10) is separated, the evaporator fan (260) can be controlled to stop or the evaporator fan (260) can be controlled to rotate at a low speed.

[0438] And, when the top cover forming the upper surface of the main body (10) is combined, the evaporator fan (260) that has stopped can be controlled to operate again, or the evaporator fan (260) that is operating at low speed can be controlled to rotate at high speed.

[0439] That is, the control unit of the present invention can control the evaporator fan (260) to stop or control the rotation speed of the evaporator fan (260) to decrease when the opening of any one selected component covering the upper side of the ice bank (130) is detected.

[0440] For this purpose, a detection means (180) that detects whether the cover part (102), inner cover (103), or top cover is separated may be installed.

[0441] The above detection means (180) is connected to the control unit and can detect whether the cover unit (102) is separated from the ice bank (130).

[0442] If the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101), the upper side of the ice bank (130) can be seen as open.

[0443] Accordingly, when the cover part (102) is separated from the body part (101), the detection means (180) detects this and sends a signal to the control part.

[0444] And, the control unit controls the evaporator fan (260) to stop or to lower the rotation speed of the evaporator fan (260).

[0445] The above detection means (180) may include various known sensors of different structures.

[0446] For example, the detection means (180) may be composed of a magnet (181) installed on one side of the cover portion (102) and a reed switch (182) installed on one side of the body portion (101) to detect the magnet (181).

[0447] Additionally, the cover part (102) may be fixed to the upper side of the body part (101) using a magnet.

[0448] Additionally, a magnet may be formed on the inner cover or on the top cover forming the upper surface of the water purifier body.

[0449] In addition, when the top cover or inner cover is opened, a detection unit installed on one side of the body part (101) detects this, and the control unit can control the operation of the evaporator fan (260) to stop or control the evaporator fan (260) to operate at a low speed.

[0450] In addition, in the ice-freezing state, when the cover part (102) or the top cover or the inner cover is opened, the control unit detects this and controls the first motor to return the ice-making tray (120) from the open position (ice-freezing position) to the closed position (ice-freezing position) for the protection and safety of the parts.

[0451] For reference, the reed switch (182) can detect whether the cover part (102) or the top cover or the inner cover is open or closed by detecting a magnetic field and a magnet provided in the cover part (102) or a magnet provided in the top cover or a magnet provided in the inner cover. When the reed switch detects the opening of the cover part (102) or the top cover or the inner cover, the control unit can control the operation of at least one of the evaporator fan and the condenser fan to stop, or control the rotation speed (rpm) of at least one of the fans to decrease.

[0452] Additionally, the reed switch may be installed in front of the ice making unit (110), or may be installed on both sides of the ice making unit (110) or at the rear of the ice making unit (110).

[0453] In addition, the reed switch may be installed not only in the ice making unit (110), but also in the dispenser unit (150), ice bank (130), etc.

[0454] The above ice bank (130) is placed relatively forward with respect to the center of the ice making unit (110), and the above refrigeration evaporator (253) is placed relatively rearward.

[0455] In addition, the evaporator fan (260) may be placed between the ice bank (130) and the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0456] And, the evaporator fan (260) generates flow from rear to front.

[0457] Accordingly, the cold air from the rear refrigeration evaporator (253) can be supplied to the front ice bank (130) after passing through the evaporator fan (260).

[0458] The lower end of the above evaporator fan (260) may be located higher than the upper end of the above refrigerated evaporator (253).

[0459] Due to the nature of cold air, cold air tends to gather downwards, and if cold air only gathers downwards, it is difficult to create a flow of cold air.

[0460] Accordingly, the cold air gathered at the bottom is forced to flow from the bottom to the top by the evaporator fan (260), and then the cold air is supplied to the top of the ice bank (130). In addition, even if the cold air is supplied to the top of the ice bank (130), due to the nature of the cold air, it flows downward, and as the cold air flows from the top to the bottom, it can pass through the ice stored in the ice bank (130) and cool the ice without melting it.

[0461] The above ice bank (130) can be formed so that the bottom surface (132) slopes downward from one side to the other.

[0462] When the bottom surface (132) of the ice bank (130) is arranged to slope downward as described above, the ice inside the ice bank (130) is not dispersed, but gathers at the bottom of the other side of the ice bank (130) along the downward sloped bottom surface (132).

[0463] In addition, since ice is stored at the lowest level of the ice bank (130), the temperature of the lower side is maintained lower than that of the upper side, so that the ice inside the ice bank (130) can be stored more coldly. In addition, since ice is stored in a location adjacent to the refrigeration evaporator (253), the ice inside the ice bank (130) can be stored more coldly due to the low temperature of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0464] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows from front to rear along the slope of the bottom surface (132) and cools the ice stored in the ice bank (130) so that it does not melt. And, the cold air that flows from front to rear along the slope of the bottom surface (132) flows again toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0465] By this structure, cold air can be supplied to the ice bank (130) from the top of the ice bank (130), and cold air from the ice bank (130) can be discharged from the bottom of the ice bank (130).

[0466] In addition, the cold air supplied to the ice bank (130) flows from the top to the bottom, so that the ice stored in the ice bank (130) can be cooled evenly throughout.

[0467] Referring to FIG. 8, when the evaporator fan (260) operates, the cold air of the refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), passes through the evaporator fan (260), and the cold air discharged from the evaporator fan (260) passes through the ventilation hole (118a) of the fan bracket (118), and is then supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130).

[0468] And, due to the nature of cold air, cold air passing through the ventilation hole (118a) flows downward and freezes the ice stored in the ice bank (130).

[0469] And, the cold air of the ice bank (130) flows downward to the refrigeration evaporator (253) by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260).

[0470] For this purpose, a passage (118b) is formed on the lower side of the fan bracket (118) to allow cold air from the ice bank (130) to flow toward the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0471] And, the cold air flowing downward through the passage (118b) to the refrigerated evaporator (253) flows upward by the suction force of the evaporator fan (260), becomes colder as it passes through the refrigerated evaporator (253), and is supplied to the internal space of the ice bank (130) by passing through the evaporator fan (260) and the ventilation hole (118a) again.

[0472] In addition, a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a condenser fan (280), etc. may be installed in the lower space of the above-mentioned storage space (1012) and cooling space (1013), and the condenser fan (280) may generate air flow so that air is discharged to the rear of the main body.

[0473] In addition, a filter (F) is installed in front of the lower space of the ice storage space (1012). The filter (F) is located in front of the compressor (210), condenser (220), condenser fan (280), etc. The inner cover (111) and ice bank (130) have a shape that slopes downward from the front to the rear.

[0474] Accordingly, a filter (F) with a relatively high height is placed at the front, and a compressor, condenser, etc. with a relatively low height are placed at the rear. In addition, when the filter (F) is placed at the front, the front cover forming the front of the main body (10) can be separated, making it convenient to replace the filter (F).

[0475] Fig. 12 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a graph showing temperature changes of a water extraction device according to the control method of Fig. 12.

[0476] In the case of the present invention, it is a water dispensing device having a cold water dispensing function, ice making function, and ice storage function.

[0477] And, it performs ice-making operation to create ice, ice storage cooling operation to store the created ice at sub-zero temperatures, and cold water cooling operation to create cold water.

[0478] At this time, multiple compressors and condensers may be installed for each operation. However, due to device miniaturization, product unit price, power consumption, etc., ice-making operation, ice storage cooling operation, and cold water cooling operation are performed with a single compressor and condenser.

[0479] On the other hand, the evaporator is equipped with an ice-making evaporator, a refrigerating evaporator for ice storage cooling, and a cold water evaporator for cold water generation.

[0480] And, as mentioned above, in the case of a water extraction device having one compressor and three evaporators (1comp-3eva), control is required to enable the compressor to operate more efficiently in each situation.

[0481] Additionally, in the case of the present invention, it may be a water discharge device having ice making and ice storing functions.

[0482] And, it performs ice-making operation to create ice and ice storage cooling operation to store the created ice at sub-zero temperatures.

[0483] At this time, multiple compressors and condensers may be installed for each operation. However, due to device miniaturization, product unit price, power consumption, etc., ice-making operation and ice-lowering cooling operation are performed with a single compressor and condenser.

[0484] On the other hand, the evaporator is equipped with an ice-making evaporator and a refrigerating evaporator for ice storage cooling.

[0485] And, as mentioned above, in the case of a water extraction device having one compressor and two evaporators (1comp-2eva), control is required to enable the compressor to operate more efficiently in each situation.

[0486] First, the control method is explained in the initial installation situation of the product or in the situation where power is restored after a power outage during use of the product.

[0487] In the following description, the term “ice storage” refers to a space where ice is stored, and refers to the ice storage space (1012) and ice bank (130).

[0488] In addition, the water extraction device of the present invention includes a filter for filtering raw water into purified water, an ice-making means for performing an ice-making operation for making water passing through the filter into ice, an ice-storage means for supplying cold air to an ice-storage unit for performing an ice-storage cooling operation so that ice produced by the ice-making means is frozen and stored, and a control unit for controlling the operations of the ice-making means and the ice-storage unit.

[0489] Additionally, it may include a low-temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the low-temperature sensor.

[0490] To put it simply, first, when power is applied, it is determined whether it is an initial installation situation or a situation where power is restored after a power outage.

[0491] And, by judging the low-freezing temperature, it is possible to decide whether to perform low-freezing operation again for each case, to freeze ice through ice agglomeration prevention control, or to perform full extraction or forced melting, and to perform control according to the decided result.

[0492] <Power supply situation after power outage>

[0493] Below, the method of controlling the water outlet device in a situation where power is restored after a power outage is described.

[0494] Referring to Figures 12 and 13, first, power is supplied to the discharge device.

[0495] And, the control unit determines whether power is supplied after a power outage.

[0496] For reference, there are various ways to determine whether power has been restored after a power outage.

[0497] For example, in a flow sensor installed in a flow path through which raw water or purified water flows, it can be determined whether a flow search history exists.

[0498] If there is a flow detection history from the flow sensor while the power is on, it can be determined that the power has been re-supplied after a power outage.

[0499] On the other hand, if there is no flow detection history from the flow sensor when power is applied, it can be determined that the water outlet device is initially installed.

[0500] At this time, the flow rate search history from the flow sensor can be stored in an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) included in the control unit, etc.

[0501] If it is determined that the power has been re-applied after a power outage, control is performed according to the low-temperature condition.

[0502] First, the above low-temperature ice bath temperature is compared with the preset first reference temperature.

[0503] The first reference temperature may be set to -3 to -5°C. For example, the first reference temperature may be set to -4°C.

[0504] If the above-mentioned low-freezing temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, ice-making operation begins.

[0505] That is, if the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, the ice storage temperature is maintained at a low temperature, so it is determined that the ice stored in the ice storage has not melted, and ice-making operation begins because the temperature of the ice storage is an appropriate temperature for storing ice.

[0506] And, when the above-mentioned ice-making operation starts, only the above-mentioned ice-making means operates independently.

[0507] The above ice-making means may include an ice-making evaporator (252).

[0508] And, during ice making operation, the compressor (210), condenser (220), and condenser fan (280) operate. And the refrigerant valve (270) causes the refrigerant to flow toward the ice making evaporator (252).

[0509] That is, the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant valve (270) flows into the second refrigerant pipe (292), and the refrigerant flowing into the second refrigerant pipe (292) passes through the second expansion valve (242) and then flows into the ice-making evaporator (252).

[0510] And, the refrigerant introduced into the ice evaporator (252) exchanges heat with the water contained in the ice tray (120) to freeze the water into ice.

[0511] And, when ice making is completed, ice separating is performed, and the separating ice is stored in the ice storage.

[0512] The above-mentioned ice storage is also equipped with a full ice sensor.

[0513] And, when the above ice level sensor detects ice level, ice making operation ends.

[0514] When full ice is detected as above and ice making operation is terminated, ice storage cooling operation can begin.

[0515] As another example, even if the above-mentioned low-ice temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, if the ice is full, the low-ice cooling operation can be started immediately.

[0516] For reference, in Figs. 12 and 13, when the ice storage temperature is indicated as ① and the ice storage is full, the ice storage cooling operation is started without performing ice making operation.

[0517] As described above, when the ice tray is full or the ice making function has ended, the ice making operation is not performed, so the water supply to the ice making tray (120) is stopped.

[0518] In detail, a water supply channel branched from the water purification channel extends from the ice making tray (120), one side of the water supply channel is connected to the water purification channel, and the other side is arranged at the top of the ice making tray (120), so that the water supplied from the water purification channel is supplied to the ice making tray (120).

[0519] An ice-making valve is installed in the above water supply channel to control the flow of purified water flowing through the water supply channel to the ice-making tray (120).

[0520] If the ice making function is turned off due to reasons such as full ice, the ice making valve is controlled to close because there is no need to supply purified water to the ice making tray.

[0521] The above ice-making valve can be controlled to open only when the ice-making function is turned on.

[0522] In addition, even when the ice-making function is stopped, refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252), and at this time, the ice-making evaporator (252) can only serve as a passage for the refrigerant flowing to the freezing evaporator (253).

[0523] In the present invention, a freezing evaporator (253) is installed downstream of the ice evaporator (252).

[0524] Therefore, when ice is generated in the ice evaporator (252), the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the freezing evaporator (253) becomes relatively high. Therefore, during ice-storage operation to quickly lower the temperature of the ice storage tank, ice-making water is not supplied to the ice tray (120) to prevent ice from being generated in the ice evaporator (252).

[0525] In addition, when the ice-making function is activated and ice-making is in progress, refrigerant is similarly supplied to the ice-making evaporator (252). At this time, the ice-making evaporator (252) acts as a passage for the refrigerant flowing to the freezing evaporator (253), and can also perform the function of making ice out of water contained in the ice-making tray (120). The above-mentioned ice-making cooling operation can be terminated when the temperature of the ice-making tank drops to -11 to -9°C.

[0526] For reference, when the temperature of the ice storage tank drops to -11 to -14°C, it is judged to be in a supercooled state, and the defrosting heater provided in the freezer evaporator (253) can be turned on to remove frost.

[0527] Meanwhile, if the power outage lasts a long time or the temperature in the space where the water outlet is installed is high, the temperature of the ice storage tank will rise.

[0528] After a power outage, power is restored, and the low-temperature ice storage temperature is compared with a preset first reference temperature. If the low-temperature ice storage temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, the low-temperature ice storage temperature is compared with a preset second reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature.

[0529] The second reference temperature may be set to 0 to -1°C. For example, the second reference temperature may be set to 0°C.

[0530] And, if the above low-ice temperature is lower than the second reference temperature, it is determined that the ice has not melted, and low-ice cooling operation is started to prevent ice from forming.

[0531] If the ice storage temperature is below the second reference temperature, it is considered sub-zero, meaning the ice storage temperature remains low and the ice stored in the ice storage has not melted. However, since the ice has not melted and is likely to stick together, the temperature of the ice storage needs to be lowered further to prevent or resolve this ice clumping problem.

[0532] Therefore, the low-freezing cooling operation begins.

[0533] The above-mentioned ice storage means is a means for supplying cold air to the ice storage, and may include a refrigeration evaporator (253) and an evaporator fan (260) that forcibly flows cold air generated in the refrigeration evaporator (253) toward the ice storage.

[0534] And, during low-temperature cooling operation, the compressor (210), condenser (220), and condenser fan (280) operate. And the refrigerant valve (270) causes the refrigerant to flow toward the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0535] In addition, the refrigeration evaporator (253) supplies cold air to prevent the ice stored in the ice storage from melting. In order to supply cold air to the ice storage side as described above, an evaporator fan (260) that forms a discharge air flow toward the ice storage side may be formed on one side of the refrigeration evaporator (253).

[0536] The refrigerant that has passed through the above-mentioned refrigerant evaporator (253) flows back to the compressor (210).

[0537] According to the above, by the above-mentioned refrigeration evaporator (253) and evaporator fan (260), the temperature of the ice storage tank is lowered and can be maintained at a temperature at which the ice does not melt or coagulate.

[0538] Meanwhile, as described above, when the low-ice cooling operation is in progress, if the low-ice cooling temperature falls below the first reference temperature, which is lower than the second reference temperature, the low-ice cooling operation is terminated.

[0539] And, when the above-mentioned ice-making cooling operation is completed, it is determined whether the ice is full, and if not, the ice-making operation can be started.

[0540] Meanwhile, the low-temperature cooling operation can be performed independently.

[0541] Additionally, deicing operation can also be performed independently.

[0542] In addition, the above-mentioned low-freeze cooling operation and ice-making operation can be performed simultaneously.

[0543] At this time, both the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are installed in the second refrigerant pipe (292), and the ice-making evaporator (252) and the freezing evaporator (253) are connected in series, and the ice-making evaporator (252) is located upstream of the freezing evaporator (253) based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0544] As another example, when power is re-supplied and the low-temperature ice storage temperature is compared with a preset first reference temperature, if the low-temperature ice storage temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, the low-temperature ice storage temperature is compared with a preset second reference temperature that is higher than the first reference temperature.

[0545] And, if the low-temperature ice storage temperature is lower than the second reference temperature, a notification can be displayed to the user through a display provided on the outside of the water discharge device.

[0546] For reference, in the case where the low-temperature ice storage temperature is indicated as ② in FIGS. 12 and 13, a notification can be displayed to the user through a display provided on the outside of the water discharge device.

[0547] For example, the notification may be one that asks the user whether to refreeze the ice or discard the ice.

[0548] Then, the user enters the first command.

[0549] The above first command may be a command to refreeze the ice.

[0550] And, the control unit starts the low-freezing cooling operation according to the user's first command.

[0551] That is, when power is re-supplied and the low-ice temperature is higher than the first reference temperature but lower than the second reference temperature, the low-ice cooling operation can be immediately started.

[0552] Additionally, when power is re-supplied and the low-ice temperature is higher than the first reference temperature but lower than the second reference temperature, a notification is displayed to the user, and when the user inputs a first command to freeze the ice without discarding it, the low-ice cooling operation can be started.

[0553] Meanwhile, when power is re-supplied and the low-ice temperature is higher than the first reference temperature but lower than the second reference temperature, a notification is displayed to the user, and when the user inputs a second command to discard ice, the low-ice cooling operation can be stopped and the dehumidification and drying operation described later can be started.

[0554] Dehumidification and drying operations can be understood as the steps of discarding or melting the ice in the ice storage tank and draining it.

[0555] Additionally, when power is re-supplied and the low-temperature ice storage temperature is higher than the first reference temperature and higher than the second reference temperature, dehumidification and drying operation begins.

[0556] For reference, when the low-temperature ice storage temperature is indicated as ③ in FIGS. 12 and 13, dehumidification and drying operation can be started.

[0557] If the ice storage temperature is higher than the second reference temperature, the ice storage temperature is positive, and at least some of the ice stored in the ice storage has already melted. Furthermore, water may have formed. If the ice storage is cooled again in this state, the ice will freeze in a frozen state due to the water, making ice extraction impossible.

[0558] Therefore, when the low ice temperature is above zero, dehumidification and drying operation begins.

[0559] At this time, if the ice storage temperature is within the video, dehumidification and drying operation can be started immediately, and before starting the dehumidification and drying operation, the user can be notified through the display that ice will be removed, and then the dehumidification and drying operation can be started.

[0560] When the above dehumidification and drying operation starts, the operation of the ice making means and ice storing means can be stopped.

[0561] For example, when the dehumidification and drying operation begins, the ice in the ice storage tank can be melted to room temperature and then drained while the operation of the ice-making means or ice-storing means is stopped. Then, when draining is complete, the evaporator fan (260) is operated to remove moisture within the ice storage tank and dry the ice storage tank.

[0562] When the ice in the ice storage tank is removed and moisture is removed as described above, at least one of the ice storage tank cooling operation or ice making operation can be started.

[0563] As another example, when the above-described dehumidifying and drying operation begins, while the operation of the ice-making means or ice-storing means is stopped, a separate heating means provided in the ice-making means or ice-storing means may operate to melt the ice in the ice storage and then drain it. Then, when draining is complete, the evaporator fan (260) may be operated to remove moisture in the ice storage and dry the ice storage.

[0564] As described above, when the ice in the ice storage is removed and the moisture is removed, the heating means stops operating, and at least one of the ice storage cooling operation or the ice making operation can start.

[0565] For example, the heating means may be implemented as a defrosting heater installed to defrost the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0566] As another example, the heating means can be implemented by supplying hot gas to an ice evaporator (252) or a freezing evaporator (253).

[0567] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, when the low-ice temperature is -4℃ or lower, the low-ice cooling operation can be controlled to be performed if the ice is full, and the ice-making operation can be started if the ice is not full.

[0568] On the other hand, if the ice storage temperature exceeds -4℃, the ice storage cooling operation is performed first regardless of whether the ice storage is full. Thereafter, if the ice storage temperature drops below -4℃, the ice storage is detected to be full. If the ice storage is full, the ice storage cooling operation is performed, and if the ice storage is not full, the ice-making operation is initiated.

[0569] Please note that if the ice storage temperature exceeds -4℃, the temperature may be below freezing, but due to temperature variations within the ice storage, some areas may be above freezing or close to 0℃. Furthermore, ice stored in high-temperature areas may melt.

[0570] Therefore, considering the temperature deviation within the ice storage, if the ice storage temperature exceeds -4℃, the ice storage cooling operation is performed first regardless of whether the ice storage is full.

[0571] <Initial installation situation>

[0572] Fig. 14 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a graph showing temperature changes in a water extraction device according to the control method of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a control flowchart showing a control method of a water extraction device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 17 is a graph showing temperature changes in a water extraction device according to the control method of Fig. 16.

[0573] Referring to Figures 14 to 17, if it is determined that there is no power re-supply situation after a power outage, initial installation operation can be started.

[0574] When the above initial installation operation starts, the ice storage cooling operation starts by operating only the ice storage means.

[0575] Even if ice is made, it is difficult to guarantee the quality of the ice produced if the temperature of the ice storage is not below freezing.

[0576] Therefore, before creating ice, the ice storage cooling operation is first started to bring the temperature of the ice storage to a sub-zero condition.

[0577] Meanwhile, the water extraction device of the present invention includes a cooling means for cooling the purified water passing through the filter into cold water, and the control unit controls the operation of the cooling means.

[0578] The above cooling means may include a cold water evaporator (251) or a stirrer provided in a cold water tank.

[0579] After the above-mentioned ice storage cooling operation, if the ice storage temperature falls below the preset first reference temperature, the ice storage is at an appropriate temperature for storing ice, so the cooling means and the ice storage means can start an alternate operation in which they operate alternately.

[0580] And, after the above-mentioned alternating operation, when the cold water temperature detected by the cold water temperature sensor installed in the cold water tank, etc., reaches the preset third reference temperature, the ice-making operation in which the ice-making means operates independently can begin.

[0581] The third reference temperature may be set to 3 to 5°C. Preferably, the third reference temperature may be set to 4°C.

[0582] If you alternate driving, the temperature of the ice box will drop and the temperature of the cold water will also drop.

[0583] And, since the alternating operation starts when the temperature of the ice storage tank is suitable for ice storage, there is no need to check the temperature of the ice storage tank separately, and whether to end the alternating operation can be determined based on the temperature of the cold water.

[0584] That is, the alternating operation ends when the temperature conditions of the ice storage are satisfactory and the temperature of the cold water is also satisfactory, and when the temperature of the ice storage and the temperature of the cold water are satisfied as above, the ice-making operation begins.

[0585] As another example, even if the alternating operation starts when the temperature of the ice storage tank is suitable for ice storage, the temperature of the ice storage tank can be checked once more before deciding whether to end the alternating operation.

[0586] As described above, when the temperature of the ice storage tank and the temperature of the cold water are satisfied, ice making operation begins.

[0587] In addition, when the above ice-making operation has elapsed after the preset first reference time, the ice-making operation is terminated, and the ice-storing cooling operation in which only the ice-storing means operates alone can be started.

[0588] For example, the first reference time may be set to 30 minutes.

[0589] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, when the product is initially installed, the ice storage operation is started alone first to lower the ice storage temperature to -4℃.

[0590] And, when the low-ice temperature reaches -4℃, the alternating operation in which the low-ice cooling operation and the cold water cooling operation are performed alternately begins.

[0591] At this time, alternating driving can be done in 10-minute intervals.

[0592] For example, the cold water cooling operation can be controlled to proceed first for 10 minutes, and then the low-ice cooling operation can be controlled to proceed for 10 minutes.

[0593] The alternating drive can last approximately 40 minutes.

[0594] As another example, in the case of cold water cooling operation, the operation can be controlled to proceed first until the temperature of the cold water is lowered by 10℃ than the starting temperature (25℃ based on Fig. 14), and in the case of low-ice cooling operation, the operation can be controlled to proceed until the low-ice temperature is lowered by 6℃ than the starting temperature (-4℃ based on Fig. 14).

[0595] The above alternating operation can be performed until the cold water temperature reaches 4°C.

[0596] When the cold water temperature reaches 4℃ and the ice level is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0597] Meanwhile, if the cold water temperature is 5℃ or lower during the above alternating operation and the ice making operation is not full, the ice making operation may start.

[0598] De-icing operation may take approximately 30 minutes.

[0599] When ice making is complete, the ice storage temperature has increased while ice making was in progress.

[0600] Therefore, when the ice making operation is finished, the ice storage cooling operation starts.

[0601] The low-ice cooling operation is carried out until the low-ice temperature reaches -11℃.

[0602] The ice-freezing operation can last for about 20 minutes.

[0603] And, when the low-temperature cooling operation is finished, the cold water cooling operation begins.

[0604] Cold water cooling operation can take approximately 5 minutes.

[0605] Cold water cooling operation can proceed until the cold water temperature reaches 4℃.

[0606] When the cold water temperature reaches 5℃ or lower and the ice level is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0607] De-icing operation may take approximately 30 minutes.

[0608] When ice making is complete, the ice storage temperature has increased while ice making was in progress.

[0609] Therefore, when the ice making operation is finished, the ice storage cooling operation starts.

[0610] And, when the low-freeze cooling operation is finished, the cold water cooling operation starts, and these steps can be repeated.

[0611] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, at the start of control, the cold water temperature is 5°C or lower, and the temperature of the ice storage tank is -9°C or lower.

[0612] Therefore, the temperature of the cold water and ice bucket is satisfactory.

[0613] In this state, if the ice is not full, deicing operation can begin.

[0614] When ice making is complete, the ice storage temperature has increased while ice making was in progress.

[0615] Therefore, when the ice making operation is finished, the ice storage cooling operation starts.

[0616] The low-ice cooling operation is carried out until the low-ice temperature reaches -11℃.

[0617] And, when the low-temperature cooling operation is finished, the cold water cooling operation begins.

[0618] Cold water cooling operation can proceed until the cold water temperature reaches 4℃.

[0619] When the cold water temperature reaches 5℃ or lower and the ice level is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0620] When ice making is finished, the ice storage temperature increases again while ice making is in progress.

[0621] Therefore, when the ice making operation is finished, the ice storage cooling operation starts.

[0622] And, when the low-freeze cooling operation is finished, the cold water cooling operation starts, and these steps can be repeated.

[0623] In another embodiment, when the ice-making function is turned on, ice-making operation is performed for the first hour,

[0624] During the second hour, the above cold water cooling operation and the above ice storage operation can be performed alternately at preset time intervals.

[0625] Here, the second time can be set longer than the first time.

[0626] The above first time and the above second time may be times input to the control unit of the water extraction device, or may be times taken until the internal temperature of the inner cover (111) reaches a certain level. <Integrated Control>

[0627] Below, a method for integrated control of low-freeze cooling operation, ice making operation, and cold water cooling operation is described.

[0628] First, check that the ice-making function is turned on. If ice-making is in progress, ensure that the ice-making or ice-storage temperature is below the appropriate temperature for ice storage (e.g., -4°C). Then, check the cold water temperature and ice-storage temperature to select ice storage, cold water, ice-making, or alternating operation.

[0629] If the ice making function is turned off, ice making operation or ice storage cooling operation is not necessary, and only cold water cooling operation is performed while checking the cold water temperature.

[0630] In the case of the present invention, it is a water dispensing device having a cold water dispensing function, ice making function, and ice storage function.

[0631] And, it performs ice-making operation to create ice, ice storage cooling operation to store the created ice at sub-zero temperatures, and cold water cooling operation to create cold water.

[0632] At this time, multiple compressors and condensers may be installed for each operation. However, due to device miniaturization, product unit price, power consumption, etc., ice-making operation, ice storage cooling operation, and cold water cooling operation are performed with a single compressor and condenser.

[0633] On the other hand, the evaporator is equipped with an ice-making evaporator, a refrigerating evaporator for ice storage cooling, and a cold water evaporator for cold water generation.

[0634] And, as mentioned above, in the case of a water extraction device having one compressor and three evaporators (1comp-3eva), control is required to enable the compressor to operate more efficiently in each situation.

[0635] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 17, when power is supplied, the control unit checks whether the ice-making function is turned on.

[0636] The water extraction device of the present invention may be provided with a button for selecting an ice-making function.

[0637] When the user presses the ice-making button, the ice-making function can be activated.

[0638] And, if the ice-making function is turned on, it determines whether the current ice-making or real-time detected ice-making temperature is lower than the preset first reference temperature.

[0639] For example, the first reference temperature is a preset temperature and may be set to -3 to -5°C. For example, the first reference temperature may be set to -4°C.

[0640] Please note that if the ice storage temperature exceeds -4℃, the temperature may be below freezing, but due to temperature variations within the ice storage, some areas may be above freezing or close to 0℃. Furthermore, ice stored in high-temperature areas may melt.

[0641] Therefore, considering the temperature deviation within the ice storage, if the ice storage temperature exceeds -4℃, the ice storage cooling operation is performed first regardless of whether the ice storage is full. If the ice storage is not currently being made or the real-time detected ice storage temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, the ice storage cooling operation can be started.

[0642] That is, if it is not in the process of ice making, it is likely to be in a full state, and therefore, the ice making cooling operation can begin.

[0643] Additionally, when the low-ice temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, low-ice cooling operation can be started.

[0644] That is, when the low-ice temperature exceeds the first reference temperature, it is determined that additional cooling of the low-ice is necessary to further lower the low-ice temperature, and therefore the low-ice cooling operation is started before the ice-making operation.

[0645] Meanwhile, if the low-ice temperature detected in real time during the current ice-making process is lower than the first reference temperature, the low-ice temperature is sufficiently low, and the cold water temperature is compared with the preset third reference temperature.

[0646] The third reference temperature may be set to 3 to 5°C. For example, the third reference temperature may be set to 4°C.

[0647] And, if the cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, the cold water temperature is unsatisfactory and the cold water needs to be cooled more coldly, so the cold water cooling operation starts.

[0648] That is, during integrated control, the temperature condition of the low-temperature ice storage is checked, and if the low-temperature ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, the cold water temperature is checked.

[0649] If the temperature condition of the ice storage is checked and the ice storage temperature is higher than the first reference temperature, the ice storage cooling operation is started first.

[0650] On the other hand, the temperature condition of the low-temperature ice storage is checked, and if the low-temperature ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature, the cold water temperature is checked to determine whether to perform cold water cooling operation.

[0651] And, when the cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, cold water cooling operation begins.

[0652] Meanwhile, if the low-ice temperature is lower than the first reference temperature and the cold water temperature exceeds the third reference temperature, the low-ice temperature may be compared with a preset fourth reference temperature that is lower than the first reference temperature.

[0653] For example, the fourth reference temperature may be set to -9 to -11°C. Preferably, the fourth reference temperature may be set to -10°C.

[0654] And, if the low-temperature ice-making temperature is lower than the fourth reference temperature, cold water cooling operation is performed alone.

[0655] On the other hand, when the low-ice temperature exceeds the fourth reference temperature, the cooling means and the high-ice storage means begin to operate alternately.

[0656] At this time, the alternate operation may be such that the cooling means operates for the first target time and the ice storage means operates for the second target time.

[0657] The above first target time or second target time can be set to about 10 minutes.

[0658] For example, the cold water cooling operation can be controlled to proceed first for 10 minutes, and then the low-ice cooling operation can be controlled to proceed for 10 minutes.

[0659] Additionally, the low-freezing cooling operation can be controlled to proceed first for 10 minutes, and then the cold water cooling operation can be controlled to proceed for 10 minutes.

[0660] As another example, the alternating operation may proceed with cold water cooling operation when the cold water temperature drops to the first target temperature, and with low-ice storage cooling operation until the low-ice storage temperature drops to the second target temperature.

[0661] The first target temperature may be set to about △10℃, and the second target temperature may be set to about △6℃.

[0662] In detail, in the case of cold water cooling operation, the temperature of the cold water is first controlled to reach 15℃, which is 10℃ lower than the starting temperature (25℃ based on Fig. 14), and in the case of low ice storage cooling operation, the temperature of the low ice storage is controlled to reach -10℃, which is 6℃ lower than the starting temperature (-4℃ based on Fig. 14).

[0663] Also, conversely, in the case of low-ice cooling operation, the operation can be controlled to proceed first until the ice temperature reaches -10℃, which is 6℃ lower than the starting temperature (-4℃ based on Fig. 14), and in the case of cold water cooling operation, the operation can be controlled to proceed until the cold water temperature reaches 15℃, which is 10℃ lower than the starting temperature (25℃ based on Fig. 14).

[0664] The above alternating operation can be performed until the cold water temperature reaches 4°C.

[0665] When the cold water temperature reaches 4℃ and the ice level is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0666] Meanwhile, if the cold water temperature falls below 5℃ during the above alternating operation, if the ice is not full, the ice making operation may start.

[0667] Meanwhile, when the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature during ice making, the cold water temperature is compared with the preset third reference temperature, and if the cold water temperature is lower than the third reference temperature, it is possible to determine whether the ice is full.

[0668] And, if it is judged to be full, it may include a step of starting the low-ice cooling operation.

[0669] For example, the third reference temperature may be set to 4°C.

[0670] That is, when the temperature of the cold water is sufficiently low and the ice is full, the cold water cooling means and the ice making means do not operate, and only the ice storage means operates, so that the ice storage cooling operation is performed.

[0671] Meanwhile, if the situation is judged to be not full, de-icing operation can begin.

[0672] In addition, at the start stage of control, if the ice-making function of the water discharge device is turned off, the ice-making means and the ice storage cooling means do not need to operate, and thus, the cold water cooling operation can be started.

[0673] In the case of the present invention, in a situation where low-ice cooling operation and ice-making operation or cold water cooling operation are required, the control unit can perform low-ice cooling operation first.

[0674] That is, control to maintain the temperature of the ice storage tank lower than the first reference temperature can be performed with the highest priority.

[0675] In addition, in a situation where ice making operation and cold water cooling operation are required, the control unit can perform cold water cooling operation first.

[0676] This will minimize the time users are not provided with cold water.

[0677] That is, the ice-making operation is performed with the highest priority, followed by the cold water cooling operation, and finally, the ice-making operation can be performed last.

[0678] If ice-making operation is performed first, ice can be created quickly. However, if the ice storage temperature is not below freezing, the ice produced during the ice-making operation will inevitably melt while stored in the ice storage. Furthermore, if the ice clumps together, it becomes difficult to extract through the auger, resulting in a decline in ice quality.

[0679] Therefore, before ice making operation, operation to lower the temperature of the ice storage tank during the day must be performed first.

[0680] Fig. 18 is a control flowchart showing a method for controlling a water discharge device during cold water cooling operation. Fig. 19 is a graph showing temperature changes in a water discharge device according to the control method of Fig. 18.

[0681] The refrigerant extraction device of the present invention includes a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a condenser fan (280), a cold water evaporator (251) provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve (270) that controls the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the cold water evaporator.

[0682] And, when the cold water cooling operation starts, the compressor, condenser, and condenser fan operate, the refrigerant valve (270) opens, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) and condenser (220) flows toward the cold water evaporator (251).

[0683] In addition, the cold water evaporator (251) is placed inside the cold water tank and exchanges heat with purified water passing through the cold water tank. In addition, purified water that has undergone heat exchange with the cold water evaporator (251) while passing through the cold water tank is cooled into cold water and then discharged.

[0684] The above cold water tank may be equipped with a cold water evaporator (251) and an agitator that creates forced flow to ensure even heat exchange between purified water or cooling water.

[0685] After the above cold water cooling operation, when the temperature of the cold water reaches the preset third reference temperature, the cold water cooling operation may be terminated by closing the refrigerant valve (270).

[0686] And, the third reference temperature can be set to 3 to 5°C.

[0687] In addition, when the cold water cooling operation is completed, an alternate operation in which the low-ice cooling operation and the cold water cooling operation are repeated alternately can be performed.

[0688] Additionally, when the cold water cooling operation is completed, the ice making operation can be performed independently.

[0689] Additionally, when the cold water cooling operation is completed, the low-freeze cooling operation can be performed independently.

[0690] In another embodiment, during integrated operation, the ice-saving operation is performed for a first time period, and the cold water cooling operation and the ice-saving operation are alternately performed for a second time period, and the operation can be controlled to be performed alternately at preset time intervals.

[0691] Additionally, after alternating driving, deicing operation can be performed for a third hour.

[0692] Here, the second time can be set longer than the first time.

[0693] And, the third hour can be set longer than the second hour and shorter than the first hour.

[0694] The above first time and second time may be times input to the control unit of the water extraction device, or may be times taken for the internal temperature of the inner cover (111) to reach a certain level.

[0695] Additionally, after the ice-making operation for the third hour, the ice-storing operation can be performed alone for the fourth hour, and then the cold water cooling operation can be performed for the fifth hour.

[0696] Here, the fourth time can be set longer than the fifth time.

[0697] Additionally, after the cold water cooling operation, the ice making operation can be performed again for a third hour.

[0698] In addition, after the ice-making operation for the third hour, the ice-storage operation can be performed independently again. Fig. 20 is a control flowchart showing a method for controlling a water discharge device during ice-storage cooling operation. Fig. 21 is a graph showing the temperature change of the water discharge device according to the control method of Fig. 20.

[0699] The water extraction device of the present invention includes a compressor (210), a condenser (220), a condenser fan (280), a refrigerant evaporator (253) provided in the ice storage means, an evaporator fan (260) that supplies cold air from the refrigerant evaporator (253) to the ice storage side, and a refrigerant valve (270) that controls the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser (220) to the refrigerant evaporator (253).

[0700] And, when the above low-temperature cooling operation starts, the compressor, condenser, and condenser fan operate, the refrigerant valve (270) opens, and the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor (210) and condenser (220) flows toward the refrigerating evaporator (253).

[0701] And, the cold air generated in the refrigeration evaporator (253) is supplied to the ice storage through the evaporator fan (260), so that the temperature of the ice storage can be lowered.

[0702] And, after the low-ice cooling operation, when the temperature of the low-ice reaches the preset fourth reference temperature, the refrigerant valve (270) closes, the operation of the evaporator fan (260) stops, and the low-ice cooling operation can be terminated.

[0703] In addition, after the above-mentioned low-freezing cooling operation, when the temperature of the low-freezing reaches the preset fourth reference temperature, the operation of the condenser fan (280) can also be stopped.

[0704] For example, the fourth reference temperature may be set to -9 to -11°C.

[0705] Additionally, when the low-freeze cooling operation is completed, cold water cooling operation or ice making operation may be performed.

[0706] Figure 22 is a control flow diagram showing a method for controlling a water discharge device during alternating operation.

[0707] Fig. 23 is a graph showing the temperature change of the outlet device according to the control method of Fig. 22.

[0708] Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, if the low-ice temperature is lower than the first reference temperature and the cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, the low-ice temperature needs to be lowered further and the cold water temperature also needs to be lowered further. In addition, the control unit can initiate an alternate operation in which the cooling means and the ice storage means operate alternately.

[0709] As described above, the first reference temperature may be set to -3 to -5°C, and the third reference temperature may be set to 3 to 5°C.

[0710] The water extraction device of the present invention includes a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a refrigerant evaporator provided in the ice storage means, an evaporator fan for supplying cold air from the refrigerant evaporator to the ice storage side, a cold water evaporator provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant from the condenser to the refrigerant evaporator and the cold water evaporator side.

[0711] At this time, the refrigerant valve can supply the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor and condenser to the refrigeration evaporator side or to the cold water evaporator side.

[0712] The above refrigerant valve is provided as a solenoid valve and may be provided as a three-way valve having one inlet and two outlets.

[0713] In addition, the refrigerant valve may be provided in multiples. That is, a refrigerant valve connected to the cold water evaporator side and a refrigerant valve connected to the freezer evaporator side may be provided separately.

[0714] And, when the alternating operation starts, it is determined whether the previous operation was a low-temperature cooling operation.

[0715] If the Nth drive is an alternating drive, it is determined whether the N-1th drive was a low-ice cooling drive.

[0716] And, if the previous operation was a low-ice cooling operation, the temperature of the low-ice is sufficiently low, so the cold water cooling operation is performed first.

[0717] And, after the cold water cooling operation starts, when the temperature of the cold water drops to a preset first target temperature or when the preset first target time elapses, the cold water cooling operation ends and the low-ice cooling operation can start.

[0718] For example, the first target temperature may be set to approximately 9 to 11°C. Here, the first target temperature refers to the amount of change in the lowered temperature. If the cold water cooling operation starts when the cold water temperature is 20°C, when the cold water temperature reaches 10°C, the cold water cooling operation may end and the low-freeze cooling operation may start.

[0719] Additionally, the first target time can be set to approximately 10 minutes.

[0720] In addition, during cold water cooling operation, the refrigerant valve (270) can open the outlet on the cold water evaporator (251) side and block the outlet on the refrigeration evaporator (253) side.

[0721] On the other hand, at the start of the alternating operation, if the previous operation was not a low-ice cooling operation, the low-ice cooling operation is performed first.

[0722] That is, if the Nth operation is an alternating operation, and the N-1th operation is not a low-ice cooling operation, the low-ice cooling operation is performed first.

[0723] At the start of the alternating operation, if the previous operation was not a low-ice cooling operation, the previous operation was a cold water cooling operation or an ice-making operation.

[0724] Therefore, the temperature of the iceberg is likely to be higher than the fourth reference temperature.

[0725] Therefore, the low-freezing cooling operation starts first.

[0726] After the above-mentioned low-ice cooling operation starts, when the temperature of the low-ice cooling operation drops to a preset second target temperature or when the preset second target time elapses, the low-ice cooling operation ends and the cold water cooling operation can start.

[0727] Here, the second target temperature may be set to 5 to 7°C. The second target temperature refers to the amount of change in the lowered temperature, and if the low-ice cooling operation starts at -4°C, when the low-ice cooling temperature reaches -10°C, the low-ice cooling operation may end and the cold water cooling operation may start.

[0728] And, the second target time can be set to about 10 minutes.

[0729] In addition, during low-temperature cooling operation, the refrigerant valve (270) opens the outlet on the side of the refrigerated evaporator (253), blocks the outlet on the side of the cold water evaporator (251), and the evaporator fan (260) operates.

[0730] As mentioned above, when alternating driving is performed, the temperature of the ice storage tank and the temperature of the cold water also decrease.

[0731] And, the alternating operation ends when the temperature conditions of the ice storage tank are satisfactory and the temperature of the cold water is also satisfactory, and when the temperature of the ice storage tank and the temperature of the cold water are satisfied as above, the ice making operation starts.

[0732] Even if the alternating operation begins when the temperature of the ice storage tank is suitable for ice storage, the temperature of the ice storage tank can be checked once more to determine whether to end the alternating operation.

[0733] As described above, when the temperature of the ice storage tank and the temperature of the cold water are satisfied, the alternating operation ends and the ice making operation begins.

[0734] The above alternating operation can be performed until the cold water temperature reaches 4°C.

[0735] When the cold water temperature reaches 4℃ during alternating operation and the ice level is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0736] Meanwhile, if the cold water temperature is 5℃ or lower during the above alternating operation and the ice making operation is not full, the ice making operation may start.

[0737] Additionally, alternating operation can be carried out until the low-freezing temperature reaches the fourth reference temperature.

[0738] When the ice storage temperature reaches the fourth reference temperature during alternating operation and the ice storage is not full, ice making operation can begin.

[0739] Additionally, if the ice storage temperature reaches the fourth reference temperature during the ice storage cooling operation and is not full, the ice storage operation can start.

[0740] Additionally, during the low-ice cooling operation, if the low-ice temperature reaches the fourth reference temperature and the ice is full, cold water cooling operation can begin.

[0741] Additionally, the above-mentioned cold water satisfaction temperature may be set lower during cold water cooling operation. For example, when cold water cooling is in progress, the cold water satisfaction temperature may be set to 4°C or lower, and when cold water cooling is not in progress, the cold water satisfaction temperature may be set to 5°C or lower.

[0742] Additionally, the low-ice-level satisfaction temperature may also be set lower during low-ice-level cooling operation. For example, when low-ice-level cooling is in progress, the low-ice-level satisfaction temperature may be set to -11°C or lower, and when low-ice-level cooling is not in progress, the low-ice-level satisfaction temperature may be set to -9°C or lower.

[0743] The above low-freezing cooling operation can be terminated when the temperature of the low-freezing tank drops to -11 to -9°C.

[0744] For reference, when the temperature of the ice storage tank drops to -11 to -14°C, it is judged to be in a supercooled state, and the defrosting heater provided in the freezer evaporator (253) can be turned on to remove frost.

[0745] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0746] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water discharging device including a filter that filters raw water into purified water, an ice-making means that performs an ice-making operation to make water passing through the filter into ice, an ice-storage means that performs an ice-storage cooling operation to supply cold air to an ice-storage to store ice produced by the ice-storage means in a frozen state, a cooling means that performs a cold water cooling operation to cool purified water passing through the filter into cold water, and a control unit that controls the operation of the ice-making means, the ice-storage means, and the cooling means. A control method for a water discharge device, including a step of starting an ice storage cooling operation when the ice storage function is turned on, when ice storage is not in progress, or when the ice storage temperature exceeds a first reference temperature.

2. In paragraph 1, When the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature during ice making, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with the preset third reference temperature; A control method for a water outlet device, including a step of starting cold water cooling operation when the cold water temperature exceeds a preset third reference temperature.

3. In paragraph 1, When the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature during ice making, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with the preset third reference temperature; When the cold water temperature exceeds the third reference temperature, a step of comparing the low-temperature ice storage temperature with the preset fourth reference temperature; A control method for a water discharge device, including a step of starting cold water cooling operation when the low-temperature ice-making temperature is lower than the fourth reference temperature.

4. In paragraph 3, A control method of a water discharge device that starts an alternate operation in which the cooling means and the ice storage means alternately operate when the low-ice temperature exceeds the fourth reference temperature.

5. In paragraph 1, When the ice storage temperature is lower than the first reference temperature during ice making, a step of comparing the cold water temperature with the preset third reference temperature; If the cold water temperature is lower than the third reference temperature, a step for determining whether or not the ice is full; A control method of a water discharge device including a step of starting a low-ice cooling operation when it is determined that the ice is full.

6. In paragraph 1, It includes an ice storage sensor installed in the above ice storage and detecting the fullness of ice stored in the ice storage space, The above control unit, When the above ice sensor detects full ice, the ice making operation is terminated. A control method of a water outlet device that stops the ice-making operation and performs the ice-storing operation when the measured value of the temperature sensor exceeds the first reference temperature even if the ice-storing sensor does not detect the ice-storing operation.

7. In paragraph 1, A control method of a water discharging device, comprising a step of starting the cold water cooling operation when the ice making function is turned off.

8. In paragraph 1, A method for controlling a water discharge device in a situation where low-ice cooling operation and ice-making operation or cold water cooling operation are required, wherein the control unit first performs low-ice cooling operation.

9. In paragraph 2, A method for controlling a water discharge device in which, in a situation where ice-making operation and cold water cooling operation are required, the control unit first performs cold water cooling operation.

10. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned water extraction device includes a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a cold water evaporator provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve that controls the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the cold water evaporator. A control method of a water discharge device in which the refrigerant valve opens and the compressor, condenser, and condenser fan operate when the above cold water cooling operation starts.

11. In paragraph 10, A control method of a water outlet device in which, after the above cold water cooling operation, the temperature of the cold water reaches a preset third reference temperature, the refrigerant valve closes and the cold water cooling operation ends.

12. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned water discharge device includes a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a refrigerant evaporator provided in the ice storage means, an evaporator fan for supplying cold air from the refrigerant evaporator to the ice storage side, and a refrigerant valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the refrigerant evaporator side. A method of controlling a water discharge device in which the refrigerant valve opens and the compressor, condenser, condenser fan, and evaporator fan operate when the above-mentioned low-freeze cooling operation starts.

13. In paragraph 12, A control method of a water discharge device in which, after the above-mentioned low-ice cooling operation, when the temperature of the low-ice cooling operation reaches a preset fourth reference temperature, the refrigerant valve closes, the operation of the evaporator fan stops, and the low-ice cooling operation ends.

14. In paragraph 1, If the above low-temperature icemaker temperature is lower than the first reference temperature and the cold water temperature exceeds the preset third reference temperature, A control method for a water discharge device in which an alternate operation in which the above cooling means and the above ice storage means are operated alternately begins.

15. In paragraph 14, The above-mentioned water discharge device includes a compressor, a condenser, a condenser fan, a refrigerant evaporator provided in the ice storage means and an evaporator fan that supplies cold air from the refrigerant evaporator to the ice storage side, a cold water evaporator provided in the cooling means, and a refrigerant valve that controls the flow of refrigerant from the condenser to the refrigerant evaporator and the cold water evaporator side. When alternating operation begins, a step is taken to determine whether the previous operation was a low-temperature cooling operation; A control method for a water discharge device, including a step of performing cold water cooling operation when the previous operation was a low-ice cooling operation.

16. In paragraph 15, A control method of a water outlet device that ends the cold water cooling operation and starts the low-temperature cooling operation when the temperature of the cold water drops to a preset first target temperature or when the preset first target time elapses after the start of the cold water cooling operation.

17. In paragraph 15, A control method of a water discharge device in which, during cold water cooling operation, the refrigerant valve opens the outlet on the cold water evaporator side and blocks the outlet on the refrigerated evaporator side.

18. In paragraph 15, A control method for a water discharge device that performs low-ice cooling operation when the previous operation was not low-ice cooling operation.

19. In paragraph 18, A control method of a water outlet device that ends the low-ice cooling operation and starts the cold water cooling operation when the temperature of the low-ice cooling operation drops to a preset second target temperature or when the preset second target time elapses after the above low-ice cooling operation starts.

20. In paragraph 18, A control method of a water discharge device in which, during low-temperature cooling operation, the refrigerant valve opens the outlet on the freezing evaporator side, blocks the outlet on the cold water evaporator side, and the evaporator fan operates.

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