JP7483241B2 - Ice maker and refrigerator equipped with ice maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ice maker that freezes liquid to produce ice, and a refrigerator equipped with this ice maker.

Among ice-making machines that freeze liquid to produce ice, there is one that makes ice by cooling protrusions immersed in liquid using the refrigerant from the refrigerator's cooling system (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-150785 A

However, in the ice maker described in Patent Document 1, the cooling protrusions are simply cooled using the refrigerant in the refrigerator's cooling system, so the temperature of the cooling protrusions reaches the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant at most, and there is a limit to how quickly ice can be made. Furthermore, when removing the ice, the cooling protrusions are heated using the high-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the compressor of the refrigerator's cooling system, but because it takes time for the temperature of the cooling protrusions to rise, it takes a considerable amount of time from when the ice is generated until it is removed. Therefore, the actual ice-making cycle is quite long.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an ice maker that can achieve a short ice making cycle, and a refrigerator equipped with this ice maker.

The ice maker of the present invention comprises:
a heat sink having a flow path through which a coolant flows;
A metal plate to which a metal rod-shaped member is attached so as to extend downward from a base end to a tip end;
a cooling section including a Peltier element disposed between the heat sink and the metal plate, one surface of the Peltier element being in contact with a surface of the heat sink and the other surface of the Peltier element being in contact with a surface of the metal plate opposite to the surface to which the rod-shaped member is attached;
A liquid container capable of storing liquid;
a liquid supply unit that supplies liquid to the liquid container;
A control unit that controls the Peltier element and the liquid supply unit;
Equipped with
The liquid container is characterized in that a predetermined area from the tip of the rod-shaped member is disposed within the liquid storage area of the liquid container.

According to the present invention, in addition to cooling by a heat sink having a flow path through which a refrigerant flows, cooling by a Peltier element is also performed, so cooling can be performed at a lower temperature than when only a refrigerant is used, and ice can be produced around the rod-shaped member of the metal plate in a short time. After ice is made, the direction of current flow to the Peltier element is reversed to raise the temperature of the rod-shaped member of the metal plate, allowing the ice to be removed quickly. This makes it possible to provide an ice maker that can achieve a short ice making cycle.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
Under the control of the control unit,
a liquid supplying step in which the liquid supply unit supplies liquid to the liquid storage area;
an ice making process in which, with the predetermined area immersed in liquid, power is supplied to the Peltier element for a predetermined time such that the side of the Peltier element in contact with the heat sink becomes a heat dissipation side and the side of the Peltier element in contact with the metal plate becomes a heat absorption side;
The present invention is characterized by carrying out the following steps.

According to the present invention, the Peltier element absorbs heat from the metal plate having the rod-shaped member and dissipates it to the heat sink side, so in addition to the cooling by the heat sink having a flow path through which the refrigerant flows, the Peltier element also cools, making it possible to lower the temperature of the rod-shaped member of the metal plate to a temperature lower than the temperature when only a refrigerant is used. This allows ice to be generated around the rod-shaped member of the metal plate in a short period of time.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
a moving mechanism for relatively moving the cooling unit and the liquid container;
Under the control of the control unit,
After the ice making process,
a moving step of the moving mechanism relatively moving the cooling unit and the liquid container so that the liquid container is not present below the rod-shaped member;
a de-icing step of supplying power to the Peltier element so that the side of the Peltier element in contact with the heat sink becomes a heat absorption side and the side of the Peltier element in contact with the metal plate becomes a heat dissipation side after the moving step;
The present invention is characterized by carrying out the following steps.

According to the present invention, when there is no liquid container below the rod-shaped member, the direction of current flow to the Peltier element is reversed, quickly raising the temperature of the rod-shaped member and achieving ice removal. This ensures a short ice-making cycle.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
a liquid removal unit for removing liquid remaining in the liquid storage area;
Under the control of the control unit,
Between the ice making step and the moving step or while the moving step is being performed,
The liquid removal unit is characterized in that it performs a liquid removal step to remove liquid remaining in the liquid storage area.

According to the present invention, during the ice-making process and the moving process, the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area can be removed using a pump, an on-off valve, etc. Also, during the moving process, when the liquid container is tilted by the moving mechanism, the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area can be drained. This allows new liquid to be supplied to the liquid storage area, and the next ice-making cycle can be started promptly.

In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention is
Equipped with the above ice maker,
The present invention is characterized in that a refrigerant is branched off from a cooling system for cooling the interior of the storage unit and supplied to the cooling pipe of the ice maker.

According to the present invention, in addition to cooling by a heat sink using the refrigerator's cooling system, cooling by a Peltier element is also performed, so the temperature of the rod-shaped metal plate can be lowered even further than when a refrigerant is used, and ice can be produced around the rod-shaped metal plate in a short time. After ice is made, the direction of current flow to the Peltier element is reversed to raise the temperature of the rod-shaped metal plate, allowing the ice to be removed quickly. This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator equipped with an ice maker that can achieve a short ice-making cycle.

As described above, the present invention provides an ice maker capable of achieving a short ice making cycle, and a refrigerator equipped with this ice maker.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic planar shape of a heat sink as viewed from the arrow AA in FIG. 2 and a cooling system connected to the heat sink. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a liquid supply process performed in an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of an ice-making process (at the start) performed in an ice-making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of an ice-making process (after time T) performed in an ice-making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a liquid removing process performed in an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a moving process performed in an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of an ice removal process performed in an ice making machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the ice maker and refrigerator described below are intended to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the following. The size and positional relationship of the components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation. In the following description and drawings, the up and down directions are shown assuming that the ice maker and refrigerator are installed on a horizontal surface.

(Ice maker according to one embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an ice making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of ice-making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a planar shape of heat sink 10 as viewed from arrows A-A in Fig. 2 and a cooling system 80 connected to heat sink 10. First, an overview of ice-making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

The ice maker 2 includes a cooling unit 40 capable of freezing liquid to produce ice, a liquid container 50 capable of storing liquid, a moving mechanism 60 for relatively moving the cooling unit 40 and the liquid container 50, and a liquid supply unit 70 for supplying liquid to the liquid container 50. The ice maker 2 according to this embodiment is configured as an independent ice maker, and includes a cooling system 80 for supplying refrigerant to the cooling unit 40. However, this is not limited to this, and as described below, it may also be incorporated into a refrigerator and refrigerant may be supplied from the refrigerator's cooling system. The ice maker 2 further includes a control unit 90 for controlling the components of the ice maker 2.

<Cooling section>
The cooling unit 40 includes, from top to bottom, a heat sink 10, a Peltier element 30, and a metal plate 20. The metal plate 20 has a plurality of rod-shaped members 24 attached to the lower surface of a plate-shaped base portion 22. The Peltier element 30 is disposed between the heat sink 10 and the metal plate 20, with one surface (upper surface) contacting the surface (lower surface) of the heat sink 10 and the other surface (lower surface) contacting the surface (upper surface) of the metal plate 20 opposite to the surface to which the rod-shaped members 24 are attached.

[heat sink]
The heat sink 10 has a flat plate shape and is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper, and has a flow path 12 inside through which a liquid or mist-like coolant flows. In Fig. 3, the flow of the coolant is indicated by dotted arrows. Fig. 3 shows a flow path 12 that is substantially M-shaped and has three turning parts in a plan view, but is not limited to this. Depending on the size of the heat sink 10, a flow path with one turning part or a flow path with more than three turning parts can also be used. Connecting pipes 14A and 14B are attached to both ends of the flow path 12.

Examples of the structure of the heat sink 10 include a metal plate with groove-shaped flow paths formed therein, and a metal sheet with cooling pipes that serve as flow paths joined to it. In the latter case, the cooling pipe may be joined to one side of the metal sheet, or the metal sheet may be joined to cover the periphery of the cooling pipe. Considering thermal conduction, it is preferable for the cooling pipe and the metal sheet to be in surface contact. The thickness of the metal sheet may be approximately 1 to 20 mm. The planar dimensions of the heat sink 10 are the same as those of the metal sheet 20 described below.

In the cooling system 80 according to this embodiment, the high-pressure refrigerant gas compressed in the compressor 82 releases heat in the condenser 84 and returns to liquid, and while passing through the capillary tube, the pressure is reduced and the boiling point is lowered, and the gas passes through the dryer 86 and enters the flow path 12 of the heat sink 10 from the connecting tube 14A. While passing through the flow path 12, the liquid or mist refrigerant absorbs heat from the surroundings and evaporates. The evaporated refrigerant passes through the connecting tube 14B and the piping of the cooling system 80, returns to the compressor 82, and is compressed again, repeating this cycle. This cooling cycle allows the heat sink 10 to be cooled to a temperature below freezing.

[Peltier element]
The Peltier element 30 is an element that utilizes the Peltier effect, in which heat is absorbed and released at the junction when two different types of metals or semiconductors are joined and a current is passed through them. When a current is passed through the Peltier element 30 in a specific direction, one surface becomes the heat absorption side and the other surface becomes the heat release side. When a current is passed through the Peltier element 30 in the opposite direction, the surfaces that become the heat absorption side and the heat release side are reversed. In this embodiment, any known Peltier element can be used.
The width and depth dimensions of the Peltier element 30 according to this embodiment can be exemplified as about 20 to 100 mm, and the thickness can be exemplified as about 2 to 20 mm. A plurality of Peltier elements 30 can be arranged according to the size of the heat sink 1 and the metal plate 20. FIG. 1 shows a case where two Peltier elements 30 are arranged.

[Metal plate]
The metal plate 20 is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper. The metal plate 20 has a flat base portion 22 and a plurality of metal rod-shaped members 24 attached to the base portion 22. The rod-shaped members 24 are attached to the lower surface of the base portion 22 so as to extend downward from a base end portion 24A to a tip end portion 24B.

Figure 1 shows a case where six rod-shaped members 24 are attached to the base portion 22. The rod-shaped members 24 have a circular cross-sectional shape, and can be exemplified as having an outer diameter of about 5 to 20 mm and a length of about 30 to 80 mm. Figure 1 shows a case where six rod-shaped members 24 are attached to the base portion 22. The planar shape of the base portion 22 is determined by the size of the rod-shaped members 24 and the number of rods attached. The heat sink 10 also adopts a planar shape substantially similar to that of the base portion 22 of the metal plate 20. The planar dimensions of the heat sink 10 and the base portion 22 of the metal plate 20 can be exemplified as being approximately 40 to 400 mm in length and width. The thickness of the base portion 22 can be exemplified as being approximately 2 to 10 mm.

The metal plate 20 according to this embodiment has a male screw on the base end 24A side of the rod-shaped member 24, which is adapted to screw into a female screw formed in a hole provided in the base portion 22. This structure allows the rod-shaped member 24 to be easily replaced and attached. The rod-shaped member 24 according to this embodiment has a circular cross-sectional shape, but this is not limited thereto, and it can be replaced with a rod-shaped member having any cross-sectional shape, including a polygonal, star-shaped, or heart-shaped shape. The rod-shaped member 24 can also be joined to the base portion 22 by welding or brazing. Considering the cooling effect of the rod-shaped member 24, a solid rod-shaped member 24 is preferable, but considering workability, etc., a hollow rod-shaped member 24 can also be used.

[Cooling unit fixing structure]
The cooling unit 40 according to the present embodiment has a fixing structure in which both sides of the Peltier element 30 are in close contact with the surfaces of the heat sink 10 and the metal plate 20. For example, the heat sink 10 and the metal plate 20, which are arranged to sandwich the Peltier element 30, can be fixed to each other using fastening members such as bolts and nuts. By fastening the heat sink 10 and the metal plate 20 so that tensile stress is applied to the bolt shaft, the lower surface of the heat sink 10 and the upper surface of the Peltier element 30 can be in close contact with each other, and the lower surface of the Peltier element 30 and the upper surface of the metal plate 20 can be in close contact with each other. However, the fixing method is not limited to this, and any other fixing means can be used to form the fixing structure of the cooling unit 40.

<Liquid container>
The liquid container 50 is formed, for example, from a resin material, and has a somewhat flattened, approximately rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The liquid container 50 has a liquid storage area made up of a bottom surface and four side surfaces surrounding the bottom surface. The upper part of the liquid storage area is open, and the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 is arranged through this opening so that a predetermined area from the tip is placed within the liquid storage area of the liquid container 50. Ice is generated in the predetermined area from the tip of the rod-shaped member 24 immersed in the liquid. An example of the predetermined area is approximately 8 to 40 mm from the tip of the rod-shaped member 24.

<Moving mechanism>
The moving mechanism 60 is configured to move the cooling unit 40 and the liquid container 50 relative to each other. In the moving mechanism 60 according to this embodiment, the liquid container 50 is connected to the moving mechanism 60 via a connecting portion 50A, and is rotatable around the point indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 2 (see the double-headed arrow of the dashed line). When the liquid container 50 rotates 90 degrees or more clockwise around the point indicated by the arrow C, the liquid container 50 is no longer present below the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20, as shown in FIG. 5E. As a result, when ice generated around the rod-shaped member 24 is dropped, it can be stored in the ice storage container 54 arranged below without interfering with the liquid container 50.
On the other hand, from this state, by rotating liquid container 50 counterclockwise about the point indicated by arrow C, it is possible to return liquid container 50 to a state in which liquid can be stored therein, as shown in FIG.

The moving mechanism 60 can rotate the liquid container 50 clockwise and counterclockwise, for example, by the driving force of a motor. However, the moving mechanism 60 is not limited to the above, and the moving mechanism 60 can also move the liquid container 50 in the up-down and left-right directions so that the liquid container 50 is not present below the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20. There can also be a moving mechanism that fixes the liquid container 50 side and moves the cooling unit 40 side, or a moving mechanism that moves both the liquid container 50 and the cooling unit 40.

<Liquid Supply Unit 70, Liquid Removal Unit 70'>
The liquid supply unit 70, which supplies liquid to the liquid container 50, includes a storage container 74 that stores liquid, and a liquid supply/removal pump 72 that supplies the liquid in the storage container 74 to the liquid container 50. A liquid supply/removal port 52 is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid container 50, and is connected to an inlet/outlet port of the liquid supply/removal pump 72 via a liquid supply/removal flow path 76. The rotating shaft of the liquid supply/removal pump 72 can rotate in both directions, and can supply the liquid in the storage container 74 to the liquid container 50 and can return the liquid in the liquid container 50 to the storage container 74.

Any liquid for making ice, including drinking water, can be stored in the storage container 74. When supplying liquid to the liquid container 50, the liquid supply/removal pump 72 is operated in the liquid supply direction to suck up the liquid in the storage container 74 and supply it to the liquid container 50 via the liquid supply/removal flow path 76 and the liquid supply/removal port 52. On the other hand, when removing liquid remaining in the liquid storage area of the liquid container 50, the liquid supply/removal pump 72 is operated in the liquid removal direction to suck out the liquid in the liquid container 50 via the liquid supply/removal port 52 and the liquid supply/removal flow path 76 and return it to the storage container 74. At this time, a filter 78 is provided at the return path inlet of the storage container 74. After impurities and the like contained in the liquid returned from the liquid container 50 are removed by the filter 78, the liquid is returned to the storage container 74. The filtering function of the filter 78 suppresses an increase in the concentration of impurities in the liquid in the storage container 74, thereby realizing the production of high-quality ice.

As described above, in this embodiment, the liquid supply unit 70 that supplies liquid to the liquid container 50 and the liquid removal unit 70' that removes the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area of the liquid container 50 can be performed by the same device. However, this is not limited to this, and the liquid supply unit and the liquid removal unit can also be realized by different devices. For example, the liquid supply unit can supply liquid from above the opening of the liquid container 50, and the liquid in the liquid container 50 can be drained by gravity or the suction force of the pump by the liquid removal unit consisting of an automatic valve or a discharge pump connected to a discharge port provided at the bottom of the liquid container 50.

Furthermore, the moving mechanism 60 can function as a liquid removal unit 70' to allow the liquid in the liquid container 50 to flow out when the liquid container 50 is tilted. In that case, it is preferable to provide a drain flow path that receives the liquid flowing out of the liquid container 50 and directs it to a predetermined location.

(Control Unit)
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of ice maker 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Next, the control configuration of ice maker 2 according to this embodiment, including control unit 90, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Control unit 90 can create a temperature difference between both sides so that one side becomes a heat absorption side and the other side becomes a heat dissipation side by controlling the direction and magnitude of the power supplied to Peltier element 30. Control unit 90 can also rotate liquid container 50 by controlling the drive of the motor of movement mechanism 60 to move liquid container 50 between the ice making position (see Figs. 5A to 5D) and the ice removal position (see Figs. 5E and 5F).

The control unit 90 can supply liquid to the liquid container 50 by controlling the liquid supply/removal pump 72 of the liquid supply unit 70 and operating it on the liquid supply side. Similarly, the control unit 90 can return the liquid in the liquid container 50 to the storage container 74 by controlling the liquid supply/removal pump 72 of the liquid removal unit 70' and operating it on the liquid removal side.

As described above, the ice maker 2 according to this embodiment includes a heat sink 10 having a flow path 12 through which a refrigerant flows, a metal plate 20 to which a metal rod-shaped member 24 is attached so as to extend downward from a base end 24A to a tip end 24B, a cooling unit 40 having a Peltier element 30 arranged between the heat sink 10 and the metal plate 20, one side of which contacts the surface of the heat sink 10 and the other side of which contacts the surface of the metal plate 20 opposite to the surface to which the rod-shaped member 24 is attached, a liquid container 50 capable of storing liquid, a liquid supply unit 70 that supplies liquid to the liquid container 50, and a control unit 90 that controls the Peltier element 30, the liquid supply unit 70, etc., and a predetermined area from the tip end 24B of the rod-shaped member 24 is arranged within the liquid storage area of the liquid container 50.

In this type of ice maker 2, in addition to cooling by the heat sink 10 having the flow path 12 through which the refrigerant flows, cooling by the Peltier element 30 is also performed, so cooling can be performed at a lower temperature than when only the refrigerant is used, and ice can be produced around the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 in a short time. After ice is made, the direction of current flow to the Peltier element 30 is reversed to raise the temperature of the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20, allowing the ice to be quickly removed. This makes it possible to provide an ice maker 2 that can achieve a short ice making cycle.

In order to allow ice to fall from the rod-shaped member 24 by gravity, the rod-shaped member 24 is arranged so that it extends downward from the base end 24A to the tip end 24B. However, the rod-shaped member 24 does not necessarily have to be arranged vertically, and may also be arranged diagonally downward. The main surfaces of the heat sink 10, Peltier element 30, and base portion 22 of the metal plate 20 that make up the cooling unit 40 are not necessarily arranged horizontally, and can be arranged in any orientation as long as the rod-shaped member 24 is arranged so that it extends downward.

(Control Processing)
Next, the control process performed by the control unit 90 will be described.
<Liquid supply process>
Fig. 5A is a side cross-sectional view that shows a schematic diagram of a liquid supplying process performed in ice making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 5A, the flow of liquid is shown by dotted arrows. With reference to Fig. 5A, the liquid supplying process in which liquid is supplied to the liquid storage area of liquid container 50 by liquid supply unit 70 will be described.

At the ice making position where liquid can be stored in the liquid container 50, the control unit 90 controls the drive motor of the liquid supply/removal pump 72 of the liquid supply unit 70 to drive in the liquid supply direction. This causes the liquid supply/removal pump 72 to suck up the liquid in the storage container 74 and supply the liquid to the liquid container 50 via the liquid supply/removal flow path 76 and the liquid supply/removal port 52. When the control unit 90 determines that the height of the liquid in the liquid container 50 has reached a predetermined height based on a signal from the liquid level sensor or the timing of the timer, it stops the operation of the liquid supply/removal pump 72. Figure 5A shows a stage in the middle of supplying liquid to the liquid container 50 by the liquid supply/removal pump 72.

<Ice making process>
Fig. 5B is a side cross-sectional view that shows a schematic diagram of an ice-making process (at the start) performed in ice-making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5C is a side cross-sectional view that shows a schematic diagram of an ice-making process (after time T has elapsed) performed in ice-making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The ice-making process that produces ice around rod-shaped member 24 of metal plate 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 5B and 5C.

Figure 5B shows a state in which a predetermined region L from the tip of the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 is immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 50 due to the water supply process described above. In this state, power is supplied to the Peltier element 30 under the control of the control unit 90 so that the side of the Peltier element 30 in contact with the heat sink 10 becomes the heat dissipation side and the side in contact with the metal plate 20 becomes the heat absorption side. As a result, in addition to the cooling by the heat sink 10, which has reached a temperature below freezing due to the evaporation of the refrigerant flowing through the internal flow path 12, the function of the Peltier element 30 to absorb heat from the metal plate 20 side and dissipate heat to the heat sink 10 side reduces the temperature of the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 to a temperature even lower than the temperature when a refrigerant is used.

Then, when it is determined by the timer that a predetermined time T has elapsed, the control unit 90 stops the supply of power to the Peltier element 30. By continuing to energize the Peltier element 30 for the time T, as shown in FIG. 5C, ice of a sufficient size is produced around a predetermined area L from the tip of the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20. In an ice-making test in which an ice-making machine 2 was actually manufactured and operated, it was demonstrated that ice of a sufficient size for practical use can be produced by energizing the Peltier element 30 for 10 minutes.

In the ice making process, the Peltier element 30 absorbs heat from the metal plate 20 side having the rod-shaped members 24 and dissipates it to the heat sink 10 side, so in addition to the cooling by the heat sink 10, the Peltier element 30 also cools the rod-shaped members 24, making the temperature of the rod-shaped members 24 lower than the temperature when only a refrigerant is used. This allows ice to be produced around the rod-shaped members 24 of the metal plate 20 in a short period of time.

<Liquid removal process>
Fig. 5D is a side cross-sectional view showing a liquid removing process performed in ice making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 5D, the flow of liquid is shown by dotted arrows. With reference to Fig. 5D, a liquid removing process for removing liquid remaining in the liquid storage area of liquid container 50 during the ice making process and a moving process described later will be described.

Under the control of the control unit 90, the drive motor of the liquid supply/removal pump 72 of the liquid removal unit 70' is driven in the liquid removal direction. This causes the liquid supply/removal pump 72 to suck out the liquid from the liquid container 50 via the liquid supply/removal port 52 and the liquid supply/removal flow path 76, and return it to the storage container 74. At this time, the liquid returning to the storage container 74 is filtered by a filter 78 arranged at the return path inlet of the storage container 74, and then flows into the storage container 74. Since impurities and the like contained in the liquid are removed by the filter 78, even if the liquid is supplied again to the liquid container 50 to generate ice, it is possible to generate ice with high purity.
This liquid removal process allows new liquid to be supplied to the liquid container 50, allowing the next ice making cycle to begin quickly.

<Transfer process>
5E is a side cross-sectional view showing a movement process performed in an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 5E, the movement process of moving the liquid container 50 so that the liquid container 50 is not present under the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 after ice is produced in the ice making process will be described.
Under the control of the control unit 90, the motor of the moving mechanism 60 is driven to rotate the liquid container 50 clockwise to the ice release position where the liquid container 50 is not present below the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 (see the dashed arrow). At this time, an ice storage container 54 is disposed below the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 to receive the dropped ice.

When the liquid container 50 is tilted by the moving mechanism 60, the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area of the liquid container 50 can be caused to flow out of the liquid container 50 and removed. In this case, the moving mechanism 60 serves the function of the liquid removal unit 70'. In other words, while the moving step is being performed, the liquid removal unit 70' can be said to perform a liquid removal step in which the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area is removed.
This liquid removal process allows new liquid to be supplied to the liquid container 50, allowing the next ice making cycle to begin quickly.
<Ice removal process>
5F is a side cross-sectional view that shows a schematic diagram of an ice-removing process performed in ice-making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The ice-removing process, in which ice generated around rod-shaped member 24 of metal plate 20 after the moving process is removed from rod-shaped member 24 and stored in ice storage container 54, will be described with reference to FIG.

Under the control of the control unit 90, power is supplied to the Peltier element 30 so that the side of the Peltier element 30 in contact with the heat sink 10 becomes the heat absorption side and the side in contact with the metal plate 20 becomes the heat dissipation side. This causes the temperature of the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20 to rise quickly, melting the ice in the area in contact with the rod-shaped member 24. This causes the ice to fall off the rod-shaped member 24 due to gravity and be stored in the ice storage container 54 located below.
The supply of electricity to the Peltier element 30 can be stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed as measured by a timer, or can be stopped when a load sensor or the like is provided below the ice storage container 54 and the sensor detects that ice has been stored in the ice storage container 54.

During the ice-removal process, when there is no liquid container 50 below the rod-shaped member 24 of the metal plate 20, the direction of current flow to the Peltier element 30 is reversed, quickly raising the temperature of the rod-shaped member 24 and achieving ice-removal. This ensures a short ice-making cycle.

(Example)
Next, an example will be described in which ice making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention was manufactured and ice was actually made. The manufactured ice making machine 2 had the following specifications.
(1) Heat sink (a) Takagi Seisakusho P-200S
(b) Size: 120 x 120 mm, thickness: 10 mm
(c) Recommended flow rate: 2 to 5 L/min
(2) Peltier element (uses two Peltier elements as shown below)
(a) Size: 40 x 40 mm, thickness: 4 mm
(b) Maximum heat absorption (Qcmax): 51 W
(c) Maximum temperature difference (ΔTmax): 66° C.
(3) Metal plate (a) Material: Aluminum alloy (b) Number of rod-shaped members: 6 (c) Size of rod-shaped members: Outer diameter 8 mm, length 40 mm
(4) Ice-making liquid: Water

In this embodiment, it was possible to produce ice having a dome shape with a maximum diameter of about 25 mm and a height of about 18 mm. This ice had a recess corresponding to the outer shape of the rod-shaped member.
From the above, it has been demonstrated that the ice making machine 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention can achieve a very short ice making cycle.

(Refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention)
Fig. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 6, the flow of a refrigerant is indicated by dotted arrows. The refrigerator 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The refrigerator 100 includes the ice maker 2 according to the embodiment described above.

The refrigerator 100 includes a freezer compartment 102A and a refrigerator compartment 102B. The rear sides of the freezer compartment 102A and the refrigerator compartment 102B are provided with inlet flow paths 104A and B separated by a partition plate 106. An evaporator 140 is disposed in the inlet flow path 104A on the freezer compartment 102A side, and a fan 170 is disposed above it. A compressor 110 communicating with the evaporator 140 is disposed in an external machine room on the rear side of the freezer compartment 102A. The refrigerant (gas) compressed by the compressor 110 is liquefied in the condenser 120, and the pressure is reduced while passing through the capillary tube, lowering the boiling point, and the refrigerant passes through the dryer 130 and reaches the three-way valve 160. In FIG. 6, the dryer 130 is shown in the machine room, but in reality it is disposed near the three-way valve 160.

Three-way valve 160 switches the refrigerant between a flow path that flows directly into evaporator 140 of refrigerator 100 and a flow path that flows through heat sink 10 of ice maker 2 and then flows into evaporator 140. When ice making is not performed in ice maker 2, the refrigerant flows directly into evaporator 140. The refrigerant then absorbs heat from the gas inside the refrigerator in evaporator 140 and vaporizes, and the vaporized refrigerant is compressed again in compressor 110, repeating this cycle. As described above, refrigerator cooling system 150 is constructed in which compressor 110, condenser 120, dryer 130, evaporator 140, etc. are connected.

When ice is made by ice maker 2, three-way valve 160 is switched so that the refrigerant flows into flow path 12 of heat sink 10 via connecting pipe 14A. While passing through flow path 12, a portion of the liquid or mist refrigerant absorbs heat from the surroundings and evaporates, and the vaporized refrigerant reaches the inlet side of evaporator 140 via connecting pipe 14B. Since the amount of refrigerant vaporized in heat sink 10 is small compared to the volume of refrigerant circulating in cooling system 150, the refrigerant as a whole remains in a liquid or mist state at the time of entering evaporator 140. Thus, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the gas in the container in evaporator 140 and vaporizes, and the vaporized refrigerant is compressed again in compressor 110, repeating this cycle.
It is also possible to always have a flow of refrigerant flowing directly into the evaporator 140 and a flow of refrigerant passing through the heat sink 10 before flowing into the evaporator 140 without switching using the three-way valve 160.

A damper 180 is disposed between the inlet flow path 104A on the freezing compartment 102A side and the inlet flow path 104B on the refrigerating compartment 102B side. In Fig. 6, the damper 180 is shown in a closed state.
When the damper 180 is closed, the compressor 110 and the fan 170 are driven, causing the gas in the freezing chamber 102A to flow, and the cold air that has passed through the evaporator 140 flows into the freezing chamber 102A from the air outlet 106A provided in the partition plate 106. As shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 6, the gas that has flowed in circulates inside the freezing chamber 102A and returns again to the lower side of the evaporator 140 in the inlet flow path 104A. This circulation of the gas that has passed through the evaporator 140 and been cooled can cool the inside of the freezing chamber 102A. When the damper 180 is open, cold air also circulates to the refrigerator chamber 102B side.

As described above, refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with ice maker 2 according to the above embodiment, and can supply liquid or mist-like refrigerant to heat sink 10 of ice maker 2 by branching off from cooling system 150 for cooling the interior of the refrigerator.
In ice maker 2, in addition to cooling by heat sink 10 utilizing cooling system 150 of refrigerator 100, cooling by Peltier element 30 is also performed, so cooling can be performed at a lower temperature than when only a refrigerant is used, and ice can be produced in a short time around rod-shaped member 24 of metal plate 20. After ice is made, the direction of current flow to Peltier element 30 is reversed to raise the temperature of rod-shaped member 24 of metal plate 20, allowing the ice to be quickly removed. This makes it possible to provide refrigerator 100 equipped with ice maker 2 that can achieve a short ice-making cycle.

Although the embodiments and modes of implementation of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in the details of the configuration, and the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and modes of implementation may be changed without departing from the scope and concept of the claimed invention.

2 Ice maker 10 Heat sink 12 Flow path 14A, 14B Connection pipe 20 Metal plate 22 Base portion 24 Rod-shaped member 24A Base end portion 24B Tip portion 30 Peltier element 40 Cooling portion 50 Liquid container 50A Connection portion 52 Liquid supply/removal port 54 Ice storage container 60 Movement mechanism 70 Liquid supply portion 70' Liquid removal portion 72 Liquid supply/removal pump 74 Storage container 76 Liquid supply/removal flow path 78 Filter 80 Cooling system 82 Compressor 84 Condenser 86 Dryer 90 Control portion 100 Refrigerator 102A Freezer compartment 102B Refrigerating compartments 104A, B Inlet side flow path 106 Partition plate 106A Air outlet 110 Compressor 120 Condenser 130 Dryer 140 Evaporator 150 Cooling system 160 Three-way valve 170 Fan 180 Damper

Claims (5)

a heat sink having a flow path through which a coolant flows;
A metal plate to which a metal rod-shaped member is attached so as to extend downward from a base end to a tip end;
a cooling section including a Peltier element disposed between the heat sink and the metal plate, one surface of the Peltier element being in contact with a surface of the heat sink and the other surface of the Peltier element being in contact with a surface of the metal plate opposite to the surface to which the rod-shaped member is attached;
A liquid container capable of storing liquid;
a liquid supply unit that supplies the liquid stored in a storage container to the liquid container;
A control unit that controls the Peltier element and the liquid supply unit;
Equipped with
a predetermined region from the tip end of the rod-shaped member is disposed within a liquid storage region of the liquid container;
A liquid removal unit is further provided for sucking the liquid remaining in the liquid storage area back into the storage vessel,
An ice making machine, comprising: a filter disposed in a return flow path of liquid from the liquid container to the storage container. Under the control of the control unit,
a liquid supplying step in which the liquid supply unit supplies liquid to the liquid storage area;
an ice making process in which, with the predetermined area immersed in liquid, power is supplied to the Peltier element for a predetermined time such that the side of the Peltier element in contact with the heat sink becomes a heat dissipation side and the side of the Peltier element in contact with the metal plate becomes a heat absorption side;
2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a moving mechanism for relatively moving the cooling unit and the liquid container;
Under the control of the control unit,
After the ice making process,
a moving step of the moving mechanism relatively moving the cooling unit and the liquid container so that the liquid container is not present below the rod-shaped member;
a de-icing step of supplying power to the Peltier element so that the side of the Peltier element in contact with the heat sink becomes a heat absorption side and the side of the Peltier element in contact with the metal plate becomes a heat dissipation side after the moving step;
3. The ice making machine according to claim 2, further comprising: Under the control of the control unit,
Between the ice making step and the moving step or while the moving step is being performed,
The ice making machine according to claim 3 , wherein the liquid removing unit performs a liquid removing process to remove liquid remaining in the liquid storage area. The ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided,
A refrigerator characterized in that a refrigerant is branched off from a cooling system for cooling an interior of the refrigerator and supplied to the heat sink of the ice maker.

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