U.S. patent application number 11/795584 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-07 for ice-making machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH. Invention is credited to Bernd Heger, Craig Duncan Webster, Nathan Wrench.
Application Number | 20090113918 11/795584 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35759296 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090113918 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Heger; Bernd ; et
al. |
May 7, 2009 |
Ice-Making Machine
Abstract
An ice maker comprises a frame (15), a tray (1) which is
pivotable in the frame (15) about an axis and which has a plurality
of compartments (4) arranged in a number of rows and separated from
one another by partition walls (3), and a motor (22) for driving a
pivot movement of the tray (1) about the axis, the motor being
coupled to the tray (1) by way of an eccentric mechanism (25, 26,
28).
Inventors: |
Heger; Bernd; (Haunsheim,
DE) ; Webster; Craig Duncan; (Cambridgeshire, GB)
; Wrench; Nathan; (Cambridgeshire, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
100 BOSCH BOULEVARD
NEW BERN
NC
28562
US
|
Assignee: |
BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete
GmbH
Muenchen
DE
|
Family ID: |
35759296 |
Appl. No.: |
11/795584 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
December 1, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP05/56369 |
371 Date: |
April 18, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/345 ;
62/351 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 5/08 20130101; F25C
2305/022 20130101; F25C 1/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/345 ;
62/351 |
International
Class: |
F25C 1/10 20060101
F25C001/10; F25C 5/08 20060101 F25C005/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 24, 2005 |
DE |
10-2005-003-241.9 |
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. An ice maker comprising: a frame; a tray which is pivotable in
the frame about an axis and which has a plurality of compartments
arranged in a number of rows and separated from one another by
partition walls; and a motor for driving a pivot movement of the
tray about the axis, wherein the tray is coupled to the motor by
way of an eccentric mechanism.
13. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the eccentric
mechanism comprises a linearly displaceable oscillatory body which
carries a rack meshing with a gearwheel connected with the
tray.
14. The ice maker according to claim 13, wherein the oscillatory
body comprises a rail, which is oriented transversely to its
direction of displacement and which is in engagement with an
eccentric element driven by the motor on a circular path.
15. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the rail is a slot
and the eccentric element is a pin engaging in the slot.
16. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the tray is
pivotable between an upright setting in which the upper edges of
the partition walls extend horizontally and an emptying setting in
which the openings of the compartments face downwardly.
17. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the tray is
pivotable between an upright setting in which the upper edges of
the partition walls extend horizontally and a tilted setting in
which the compartments communicate via the upper edges of the
partition walls.
18. The ice maker according to claim 16, wherein the tray adopts
one of the two settings when the oscillatory body is disposed at a
point of reversal of its movement.
19. The ice maker according to claim 18, further comprising a
sensor for detecting at least the respective other one of the two
settings of the tray.
20. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the compartments
each have the form of a segment of a body of rotation.
21. The ice maker according to claim 12, further comprising a wall
extending above the upper edge of the partition walls at a
longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at least a part
of the transverse sides thereof.
22. The ice maker according to claim 12, further comprising an
electric heating element mounted at the tray.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic ice maker with
a frame, a tray which is pivotable in the frame about an axis and
which has a plurality of compartments arranged in a number of rows
and separated from one another by partition walls, and a motor for
driving a pivot movement of the tray about the axis between an
upright setting of the tray in which water in the compartments can
freeze and an emptying setting in which the openings of the
compartments face downwardly and the finished pieces of ice can
drop out of the compartments.
[0002] An ice maker of this kind is known from, for example, U.S.
Pat. No. 6,571,567 B2.
[0003] In the case of this conventional ice maker a motor
subassembly is coupled directly to the pivot axis of the tray. The
freedom of movement of the tray is not sufficient for a 360.degree.
rotation about the pivot axis. In operation it therefore has to be
pivoted back and forth between the upright setting and the emptying
setting. This requires a directionally controllable motor and a
control circuit for the motor, which is capable of establishing at
all times the correct rotational direction of the motor on the
basis of a current setting of the tray and an operational phase of
the ice-making in which the ice maker is instantaneously
disposed.
[0004] The object of the invention is to indicate an ice maker
which is capable of correctly driving the pivot movement of the
ice-maker tray at any time without requiring a decision about the
rotational direction of a motor driving the pivot movement.
[0005] The object is fulfilled in that in the case of an ice maker
of the above-indicated kind the tray is coupled to the motor by way
of an eccentric mechanism. The eccentric element of such a
mechanism executes a circulatory motion about a fulcrum which, seen
transversely to the axis of rotation, has a reciprocating
oscillatory component. This component is usable in order to drive,
in each period, a complete pivot oscillation of the tray without a
change in direction of the drive motor being required for that
purpose.
[0006] The eccentric mechanism preferably comprises a linearly
displaceable oscillatory body carrying a rack which meshes with a
gearwheel connected with the tray. Any desired pivot stroke of the
tray can be easily constructed with such an arrangement.
[0007] An eccentric element is preferably in engagement with a rail
which extends at the oscillatory body transversely to the direction
of movement thereof in order to convert the circulatory motion of
the eccentric element into a reciprocating motion of the
oscillatory body.
[0008] According to a simple embodiment the rail is a slot and the
eccentric element a pin engaging in the slot.
[0009] The tray is pivotable between an upright setting, in which
water in the compartments of the tray can freeze, and an emptying
setting, in which the openings of the compartments face downwardly,
preferably also between these settings, and a tilted setting in
which the compartments communicate via the upper edges of the
partition walls. At least one of these three settings, preferably
even two of them, respectively corresponds or correspond with a
point of reversal of the movement of the oscillatory body. In the
vicinity of the point of reversal the oscillatory body moves, even
in the case of a rotational speed of the eccentric element assumed
to be constant, in each instance particularly slowly, i.e. the
dependence of the setting of the oscillatory body on the phase of
the eccentric is small, so that the respective setting can be
exactly set even when the eccentric phase is not precisely detected
or the drive is subject to inaccuracies.
[0010] It can therefore suffice to control, with the help of a
sensor arranged at the tray for detection of the setting thereof,
only the exact running into that one of the three above-mentioned
settings which does not correspond with a point of reversal.
However, with the help of the sensor also the respective settings
corresponding with the points of reversal can be precisely set in
particularly simple manner. Whilst, when with such a sensor a stop
setting between the points of reversal is detected and the motor is
halted the tray always still continues to pivot a small amount
until the motor comes to rest, such a further rotation at the
points of reversal does not have any effect on the setting of the
tray.
[0011] In order to facilitate removal of the finished pieces of ice
from the mould the compartments preferably have the form of a
segment of a body rotation. A piece of ice can be removed from
these compartments in particularly simple manner in that it slides
in circumferential direction of the body of rotation without, as in
the case of a conventional block-shaped piece of ice of the type
under consideration from, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,567 B2,
forming, during removal from the mould, between the base of the
compartment and the ice body a cavity which obstructs removal from
the mould as long as there is no equalisation of an underpressure
prevailing in the cavity.
[0012] The compartments of the ice-maker tray are preferably
arranged in at least one row and a wall extending above the upper
edge of partition walls separating the rows from one another is
provided at a longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at
least a part of the transverse sides thereof. This construction of
the ice-maker tray allows this to be brought into an inclined state
in which water filled into the compartments floods over the
partition walls in a region adjoining the protruding wall so that
exactly the same water state can be achieved in all compartments.
If such a tray is, for freezing, pivoted into an upright state in
which the partition walls extend substantially horizontally and are
no longer flooded over, pieces of ice cleanly separated from one
another and with exactly the same size can be produced.
[0013] An electric heating device can be provided at the ice-maker
tray in order to accelerate and facilitate mould removal of
finished pieces of ice through thawing at the surface.
[0014] In order to achieve an intensive heat exchange with the
environment the tray can be provided with protruding heat exchange
exchange ribs. These ribs can at the same time serve for mounting a
rod-shaped heating device inserted therebetween.
[0015] Further features and advantages of the invention are evident
from the following description of examples of embodiment with
reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 shows an exploded illustration of an automatic ice
maker according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the ice maker of FIG. 1
in assembled state with ice-maker tray in tilted setting;
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the ice maker of FIG. 1 or 2 in
the direction of the pivot axis;
[0019] FIG. 4 shows the view of FIG. 3 with partly cut-away sensor
housing;
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a view, which is analogous to FIG. 2, with
ice-maker tray in upright setting;
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a view, which is analogous to FIG. 4, with the
ice-maker tray in upright setting;
[0022] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view analogous to FIGS. 2 and 5
with the ice-maker tray in emptying setting;
[0023] FIG. 8 shows a view analogous to FIG. 4 or 6;
[0024] FIG. 9 shows a perspective exploded view from below of the
ice-maker tray;
[0025] FIG. 10 shows a schematic front view of a second embodiment
of the ice maker; and
[0026] FIG. 11 shows a schematic front view of a third embodiment
of the ice maker.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows an automatic ice cube maker according to the
present invention in an exploded perspective view. It comprises a
tray 1 in the form of a channel with a semi-cylindrical base, which
is closed at its ends by respective transverse walls 2 and is
divided by partition walls 3, which are arranged at uniform
spacings, into a plurality of identically shaped compartments 4,
here seven units, with a semi-cylindrical base. Whereas the
partition walls 3 at the longitudinal wall 5 remote from the viewer
adjoin flushly, the longitudinal wall 6 facing the viewer is
prolonged above the upper edges of the partition walls 3. Whilst
the partition walls 3 are exactly semicircular, the transverse
walls 2 each have a sector 7, which goes out above the semicircular
shape, in correspondence with the protrusion of the front
longitudinal wall 6.
[0028] The tray 1 is shown in a tilted setting in which the upper
edges of the segments 7 extend substantially horizontally, whilst
those of the partition walls 3 are inclined towards the
longitudinal wall 6.
[0029] The tray 1 can be a plastics material moulded part, but
preferably, due to the good capability of thermal conductance, it
is constructed as a cast part of aluminium.
[0030] A hollow cylinder 11 is mounted at one of the transverse
walls 2 of the tray 1; it serves for protected accommodation of a
coiled power supply cable 12 serving for supply of current to a
heating device 13, which is not visible in the figure, accommodated
at the underside of the tray 1 (see FIG. 9). The tray 1 lies
completely within a notional prolongation of the circumferential
surface of the hollow cylinder 11, which at the same time
represents the smallest possible cylinder into which the tray fits.
An axial spigot 14, which protrudes from the transverse wall 2
facing the viewer, extends on the longitudinal centre axis of the
hollow cylinder 11.
[0031] A frame moulded from plastics material is denoted by 15. It
has an upwardly and downwardly open cavity 16 which is provided for
mounting of the tray 1 therein. Bearing bushes 19, 20 for the
pivotable mounting of the tray 1 are formed at the end walls 17, 18
of the cavity 16. A longitudinal wall of the cavity 16 is formed by
a box 21, which is provided for reception of a drive motor 22 as
well as various electronic components for control of operation of
the ice maker. Mounted on the shaft of the drive motor 22 is a
pinion 23 which can be seen better in each of FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 8
than in FIG. 2. When the ice maker is in fully mounted state the
pinion 23 finds space in a cavity 24 of the end wall 17. It forms
there, together with a gearwheel 25, a speed step-down
transmission.
[0032] The gearwheel 25 carries a pin 26 which protrudes in axial
direction and which is provided for engaging in a vertical slot 27
of an oscillatory body 28. The oscillatory body 28 is guided to be
horizontally displaceable with the help of pins 29 which protrude
from the end wall 17 into the cavity 24 and which engage in a
horizontal slot 30 of the oscillatory body. A toothing 31 formed at
a lower edge of the oscillatory body 28 meshes with a gearwheel 32,
which is provided for the purpose of being plugged onto the axial
spigot 14 of the tray 1 to be secure against rotation relative
thereto.
[0033] A cover plate 33 screw-connected to the open side of the end
wall 17 closes the cavity 24. A fastening flange 34 with straps 35
protruding laterally beyond the end wall 17 serves for mounting the
ice maker in a refrigerating appliance. A base plate 36 closes the
box 21 at the bottom.
[0034] FIG. 2 shows, as seen from the side of the end wall 18 and
the box 21, the ice maker with the tray 1 in tilted setting in
perspective view. The upper edges of the sectors 7 at the
transverse walls 2 of the tray 1 extend horizontally.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the ice maker from the side of
the end wall 17, wherein cover plate 33 and fastening flange 34
have been omitted in order to give free view into the cavity 24 of
the end wall 17. The configuration shown here is that in which the
ice maker is mounted together. Various markings indicate a correct
positioning of individual parts relative to one another. A first
pair of markings 37, 38 is disposed at the end wall 17 itself and
at the gearwheel 25 carrying the pin 26. When these markings 37, 38
are, as shown in the figure, aligned exactly with one another the
pin 26 is disposed in a 3 o'clock setting, i.e. on the point, which
lies furthest to the right in the perspective view of the figure,
of its path which it can reach. The oscillatory body 28 plugged
onto the pin 26 as well as onto the stationary pin 29 is disposed
at the righthand reversal point of its path.
[0036] Markings 39, 40, which are aligned with one another, at a
flange 41 of the gearwheel 32 protruding beyond the tooth rim and
at the end wall 17 indicate a correct orientation of the gearwheel
32 and as a consequence thereof also of the tray 1 engaging by its
axial spigot 14 in a cut-out, which is T-shaped in cross-section,
of the gearwheel 32. A pair, which is redundant per se, of markings
42, 43 at the toothing 31 of the pivot body 28 and at the gearwheel
32 shows the correct positioning of gearwheel 32 and oscillatory
body 31 with respect to one another.
[0037] A sensor 44 for detecting the rotational setting of the
gearwheel 32 is mounted near this. It co-operates with a rib 45,
which protrudes in axial direction from the edge of the flange 41
on a part of the circumference thereof so that it can enter into a
slot at the rear side of the sensor housing. In the tilted setting
of FIG. 3 the rib 45 is for the greatest part covered by the sensor
44 and the oscillatory body 28. FIG. 4 differs from FIG. 3 in that
the housing of the sensor 44 is shown in part cut away so that two
light barriers 46, 47 bridging over the slot can be recognised in
its interior. The rib 45 is disposed closely above the two light
barriers 46, 47 so that a control electronic system, which is not
illustrated, can recognise, on the basis of the fact that the two
light barriers are open, that the tray 1 is disposed in the tilted
setting and can stop the drive motor 22 in order to be able to keep
the tray 1 in the tilted setting and fill it.
[0038] After a predetermined water quantity has been admetered to
the tray 1 under the control of the control circuit the drive motor
22 is set in operation by the control unit in order to bring the
tray I into the upright setting in which the water quantities in
the compartments 4 of the tray 1 are cleanly separated from one
another. This setting is shown in FIG. 5 in a perspective view
corresponding with FIG. 2 and in FIG. 6 in a front view
corresponding with FIG. 4. The gearwheel 25 is further rotated in
clockwise sense relative to the setting of FIG. 4, although the
same setting of the tray 1 can also be reached by rotation of the
gearwheel 25 in counter-clockwise sense. Attainment of the upright
setting is recognised when the rib 45 begins to block the lower
light barrier 47.
[0039] The tray 1 remains in the upright setting for such a length
of time until the water in the compartments 4 is frozen. The dwell
time in the upright setting can be fixedly predetermined;
alternatively, the control circuit can also be connected with a
temperature sensor in order to be able to establish, on the basis
of a measured temperature in the environment of the tray 1 and a
characteristic curve stored in the control circuit, a respective
time period sufficient in the case of the measured temperature for
freezing the water.
[0040] After expiry of this time period the drive motor 22 is set
back into operation in order to rotate the gearwheel 25 into the
setting shown in FIG. 8, with the pin 26 in the 9 o'clock position.
The control circuit recognises that this position is reached when
the two light barriers 46, 47 are again open. The rib 45 is now
able to be clearly seen in the figure for a major part of its
length.
[0041] In this setting the compartments 4 of the tray 1 are
downwardly open so that the pieces of ice contained therein can
drop out. The already mentioned electric heating device 13 is
provided in order to facilitate release of the pieces of ice. As
can be recognised in FIG. 9, this heating device 13 is an electric
heating rod, which is bent into a loop and which extends in close
contact with the tray 1 between heat exchange ribs 49 protruding at
the underside thereof and is in part received in a groove 48 formed
at the underside of the tray 1.
[0042] Through brief heating of the tray 1 with the help of the
heating device 13 the pieces of ice in the compartments 4 are
thawed at the surface. The water layer thus produced between the
tray 1 and the pieces of ice acts as a slide film on which the
pieces of ice are movable with very low friction. By virtue of the
cross-sectional shape of the compartments 4 in the form of a
segment of a cylinder the pieces of ice easily slide out of the
compartments 4 and drop into a collecting container (not
illustrated) arranged below the ice maker.
[0043] After emptying of the compartments 4, the drive motor is set
back into operation and the gearwheel 25 further rotated in
clockwise sense until it again reaches the setting shown in FIGS. 2
to 4 and a new operating cycle of the ice maker begins.
[0044] FIG. 10 schematically shows a modified embodiment of the ice
maker in a front view. The ice maker has a frame corresponding with
the frame 15 of FIG. 1, of which in the figure only two pins 29 are
illustrated. The tray 1 and the gearwheel 32 mounted on the axial
spigot 14 thereof are identical with those of FIG. 1. An
oscillatory body 28 has two horizontal slots 20, in which the pins
29 engage so that the oscillatory body is horizontally guided to be
displaceable.
[0045] A wheel 25 driven by a motor 22 directly or by way of a
speed step-down transmission with constant sense of rotation
carries a pin 26 which projects in axial direction and with which
an end of a connecting rod 50 is pivotably connected. The other end
is pivotably connected with the oscillatory body 28. The connecting
rod 50 converts the circulatory motion of the eccentric pin into an
oscillatory pivot motion of the tray 1 from the tilted setting via
the illustrated upright setting to the emptying setting and
back.
[0046] In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 11 the oscillatory body
28 is replaced by a gearwheel 51 which is rotatably suspended at
the frame (not shown) and on the one hand meshes with the gearwheel
30 fastened to the axle section 14 of the tray and on the other
hand is coupled by way of a connecting rod 50 with an eccentric pin
26 of the motor-driven wheel 25. The spacing of a joint 52 between
connecting rod and axis of the gearwheel 51 is greater than the
radius of the path of the pin, so that the gearwheel 51 is drivable
by a rotation of the wheel 25 merely for an oscillatory pivot
motion. This pivot motion is converted by a suitably selected
translation ratio of the gearwheels 51 and 32 into the angular
stroke required for movement of the tray between tilted setting and
emptying setting.
* * * * *