U.S. patent application number 15/726598 was filed with the patent office on 2018-04-12 for refrigeration device with ice maker.
The applicant listed for this patent is BSH HAUSGERAETE GMBH. Invention is credited to HANS GERD KELLER, KARL-FRIEDRICH LAIBLE, KLAUS PFEIFFER, MATHIAS SIGL.
Application Number | 20180100681 15/726598 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61695558 |
Filed Date | 2018-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180100681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LAIBLE; KARL-FRIEDRICH ; et
al. |
April 12, 2018 |
REFRIGERATION DEVICE WITH ICE MAKER
Abstract
A refrigeration device has a housing which delimits at least one
cooled storage compartment, an ice maker incorporated in the
storage compartment, a refrigeration machine for cooling the
storage compartment and a device control unit in order to control
the operation of the refrigeration machine and of the ice maker.
The ice maker has a secondary electronic control unit which is
configured in order to convert a single control command from the
device control unit into a sequence of commands directed at
different actuators of the ice maker.
Inventors: |
LAIBLE; KARL-FRIEDRICH;
(LANGENAU, DE) ; KELLER; HANS GERD; (GIENGEN,
DE) ; SIGL; MATHIAS; (HERBRECHTINGEN, DE) ;
PFEIFFER; KLAUS; (HEIDENHEIM, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BSH HAUSGERAETE GMBH |
Muenchen |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
61695558 |
Appl. No.: |
15/726598 |
Filed: |
October 6, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2400/14 20130101;
F25D 23/126 20130101; F25C 2700/04 20130101; F25D 29/005 20130101;
F25D 2400/361 20130101; F25C 1/24 20130101; F25C 5/22 20180101;
F25C 2600/02 20130101; F25D 2400/36 20130101; F25C 2600/04
20130101; F25C 2700/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/00 20060101
F25C005/00; F25D 23/12 20060101 F25D023/12; F25D 29/00 20060101
F25D029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 7, 2016 |
DE |
102016219446.1 |
Claims
1. A refrigeration device, comprising: a housing delimiting at
least one cooled storage compartment; an ice maker incorporated in
said cooled storage compartment and having actuators; a
refrigeration machine for cooling said cooled storage compartment;
a device control unit for controlling an operation of said
refrigeration machine and said ice maker; and said ice maker having
a secondary electronic control unit configured to convert a single
control command from said device control unit into a sequence of
commands directed at different ones of said actuators of said ice
maker.
2. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein: said ice
maker has a tray; and said actuators include at least one motor for
pivoting said tray of said ice maker and a valve to control a water
supply to said tray.
3. The refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein said ice
maker has a shell and a four-sided frame surrounding said tray,
said secondary electronic control unit is accommodated in a chamber
which is delimited by one side wall of said four-sided frame and
said shell attached to said one side wall and projecting over said
one side wall.
4. The refrigeration device according to claim 3, wherein said ice
maker has a bearing by way of which a pivoting motion of said tray
is driven and said bearing is disposed in said one side wall of
said four-sided frame.
5. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said ice
maker has a temperature sensor to which said secondary electronic
control unit is connected.
6. The refrigeration device according to claim 5, wherein said
secondary electronic control unit controls a duration of an ice
making cycle.
7. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said ice
maker has a water line with a heater and said heater is controlled
by said secondary electronic control unit.
8. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, further
comprising a water dispenser having a water outlet accessible on an
outer side of said ice maker and is integrated in said ice
maker.
9. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, further
comprising an operating element disposed on said ice maker for
controlling a dispensing of water by way of said water outlet.
10. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, wherein said
water outlet from said water dispenser is provided physically
separated from said ice maker in an interior of said housing or on
an outer surface of said housing, and said secondary electronic
control unit of said ice maker is configured to control said water
outlet from said water dispenser.
11. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, wherein said
secondary electronic control unit of said ice maker is configured
to control a water valve for a water supply to said water outlet
from said water dispenser.
12. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said
device control unit is in communication with at least one of a
display or an operating device which displays a message from said
secondary electronic control unit.
13. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, further
comprising at least one of a display or an operating device which
displays information relating to a status of said ice maker and/or
enables settings to be made on said ice maker and is integrated in
said ice maker.
14. The refrigeration device according to claim 13, wherein said
ice maker has a water usage meter and said secondary electronic
control unit is configured to send a message to said device control
unit or to said display and/or said operating device of said ice
maker if a threshold value for water usage is exceeded.
15. The refrigeration device according to claim 13, further
comprising a manually fillable water tank which supplies at least
one of said tray of said ice maker or said water outlet from said
water dispenser with water.
16. The refrigeration device according to claim 15, wherein said
secondary electronic control unit of said ice maker is configured
to control a water delivery device which supplies at least one of
said tray of said ice maker or said water outlet from said water
dispenser with the water from said manually fillable water
tank.
17. The refrigeration device according to claim 15, wherein said
manually fillable water tank has a sensing device for determining a
water level in said manually fillable water tank, and said
secondary electronic control unit of said ice maker is configured
to send a message to said device control unit and/or to said
display and/or said operating device on said ice maker if a
threshold value in said manually fillable water tank is
undershot.
18. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the
refrigeration device is a household refrigeration device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119, of German patent application DE 10 2016 219 446.1, filed Oct.
7, 2016; the prior application is herewith incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] While it is almost standard in the North American market to
provide refrigeration devices with an automatically functioning ice
maker, such ice makers still constitute an optional extra in
Europe, the proliferation of which is however on the increase.
[0003] On account of the low level of proliferation hitherto,
European kitchens are not as a general rule configured in order to
provide a refrigeration device with a direct connection to the
water supply network. Since many interested parties shy away from
the costs associated with the establishment of such a connection,
in addition to ice makers configured for connection to the water
supply network it is also necessary to offer ice makers which do
not require such a connection and can instead be fed from a
manually fillable water tank.
[0004] Automatic ice makers have for a long time been controlled by
electromechanical devices. An electromechanical control device for
an ice maker contains a cam disk driven slowly in rotary fashion by
an electric motor and levers sensing the contour of the cam disk in
order to open and close a valve by way of which the ice molds of a
tray were filled with water, and to drive a movement of the tray
ejecting the finished ice cubes.
[0005] The advent of inexpensive programmable electronic control
devices resulted in the fact that the devices were soon also
employed for controlling the refrigeration machine in a
refrigeration device. Since the programmable electronic control
devices were capable of carrying out the tasks of the
electromechanical control devices and at the same time, as it were,
also offering the capability to control additional functions which
could be implemented only with considerable effort, if at all, with
cam disks the electromechanical control devices were forced out of
the market.
[0006] While the transition from electromechanical to electronic
control significantly reduced the costs of the control devices
themselves, this was not the case for the assembly process. On the
contrary, an increase in complexity resulted here from the need to
route cables between the electronic control unit and the components
of the ice maker controlled thereby, and to take into consideration
in this situation that different models of ice maker could differ
in respect of the number and nature of the components to be
controlled and the cables required for this purpose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The object of the present invention is to reduce this
complexity, in other words to rationalize the production of
refrigeration devices which optionally may or may not have an ice
maker, or may have different models of ice maker.
[0008] The object is achieved in that in the case of a
refrigeration device having a housing delimiting at least one
cooled storage compartment, an ice maker incorporated in the
storage compartment, a refrigeration machine for cooling the
storage compartment and a device control unit in order to control
the operation of the refrigeration machine and of the ice maker the
ice maker contains a secondary electronic control unit which is
configured in order to convert a single control command from the
device control unit into a sequence of commands directed at
different actuators of the ice maker.
[0009] A plurality of advantageous affects result therefrom. For
one thing, the cable routing between the device control unit and
the ice maker is simplified because apart from an activation
command the ice maker requires no further control signals from the
device control unit in order to enable it to perform its function.
The control program for the device control unit will therefore
still also be required in two versions if need be, depending on
whether it is employed in a refrigeration device with or without an
ice maker; in an ideal situation a single control program can be
provided which checks during the course of an initialization
process whether or not an ice maker is present, and takes this into
account as execution of the program continues. The ice maker can be
further developed or augmented with additional functions without
this necessarily requiring an adaptation of the control program of
the device control unit.
[0010] The actuators of the ice maker, which are controlled by the
secondary electronic control unit, should include at least one
motor in order to pivot a tray of the ice maker and a valve, in
particular a solenoid valve, in order to control the water supply
to the tray.
[0011] If the ice maker in a conventional manner contains a
four-sided frame surrounding the tray, the secondary control unit
can be accommodated in a chamber which is delimited by one side
wall of the frame and a shell attached to the side wall and
projecting over the side wall. Existing models of ice makers can
thus be adapted to the invention with a minimum of changes.
[0012] The side wall of the frame is preferably the same side wall
on which a bearing is arranged, by way of which the pivoting motion
of the tray is driven--typically by an electric motor and a
reduction gear.
[0013] The ice maker can comprise a temperature sensor, to which
the secondary control unit is connected. This enables control of
the ice making process while taking into consideration the
prevailing temperature in the ice maker which can differ
significantly from the temperature prevailing in other parts of the
storage compartment accommodating the ice maker and preferably set
as the basis by the device control unit of the controller of a
refrigeration machine.
[0014] The secondary control unit should control the duration of an
ice making cycle. It can vary this on the basis of the data from
the temperature sensor in order to thus optimize the productivity
of the ice maker.
[0015] If a water line of the ice maker is provided with a heater
in order to prevent the water in the line from freezing, then one
of the actuators of the ice maker mentioned above which are
controlled by the secondary control unit can be a switch
controlling the heater.
[0016] A water dispenser having a water outlet accessible on an
outer side of the water dispenser can be integrated in the ice
maker. In addition to the ice production this also enables cooled
water to be tapped off in fairly large quantities, namely in
particular when a manually fillable tank from which the ice maker
is fed is itself arranged in a cooled manner in the housing, or a
water line connecting the ice maker to a water supply network
passes through such a tank arranged in a cooled manner.
[0017] The water outlet could be brought out from the housing of
the refrigeration device in order to enable water to be tapped off
without the need to open a door in the housing for this purpose.
The water outlet is preferably situated in the interior of the
housing, which means that the same type of housing can be used for
refrigeration devices with and without a water outlet or even for
refrigeration devices with and without an ice maker.
[0018] The water outlet from the water dispenser can also be
provided physically separated from the ice maker in the interior of
the housing or on the outer surface of the housing of the
refrigeration device, and the secondary control unit of the ice
maker can be configured in order to control the water outlet from
the water dispenser. The housing is also understood as including a
door attached to the housing body of the refrigeration device. The
water dispenser can thus also be provided on an inner or outer
surface of a door attached to the housing. The water dispenser can
also comprise an operating element for controlling the water outlet
on the water dispenser in order to report the water demand to the
secondary control unit of the ice maker. This has the result that
the device control unit does not need to be fundamentally
configured in order to control a water dispenser, in particular not
if a refrigeration device is retrofitted with an ice maker. The
device control unit can thereby be standardized cost-effectively
and simply for refrigeration appliances having an ice maker or not
having an ice maker.
[0019] The secondary control unit of the ice maker can be
configured in order to control a water valve for the water supply
to the water outlet from the water dispenser. The water outlet from
the water dispenser is thus controlled completely by the secondary
control unit of the ice maker. As a result of activating the
operating element of the water dispenser a message can be sent to
the secondary control unit of the ice maker which opens the water
valve for the water supply to the water outlet. As a result of
deactivating the operating element of the water dispenser a further
message can be sent to the secondary control unit of the ice maker
which closes the water valve for the water supply to the water
outlet again. The device control unit can thereby be standardized
cost-effectively and simply for refrigeration appliances having an
ice maker or not having an ice maker.
[0020] The device control unit can be in communication with a
display and/or operating device which displays a message from the
secondary control unit. This serves to ensure that status messages
relating to the ice maker and/or water system of the refrigeration
device, such as for example error, filter saturation, water level,
ice production mode and/or on/off messages, are notified to the
customer by means of a visual or audible signal.
[0021] A display and/or operating device which displays information
relating to the status of the ice maker and/or enables settings to
be made on the ice maker can be integrated in the ice maker. This
serves to ensure that information relating to the status of the ice
maker or of the water system, such as for example error, filter
saturation, water level, ice production mode and/or on/off
messages, are displayed to the customer directly on the ice maker.
This also means that settings can be made directly on the ice maker
by the customer. The embodiment of a refrigeration device with an
ice maker is thereby simplified and retrofitting of the
refrigeration device with an ice maker can be implemented more
cost-effectively because no adaptation of the device control unit
is required. The device control unit can thereby be standardized
cost-effectively and simply for refrigeration appliances having an
ice maker or not having an ice maker.
[0022] If the ice maker contains a water usage meter, the secondary
electronic control unit should be configured in order to output a
message, in particular to send the message to the device control
unit or to the display and/or operating device of the ice maker, if
a threshold value for the water usage is exceeded. The message can
draw a user's attention to the need to replenish the water tank or,
if a water filter is additionally provided, to replace the water
filter.
[0023] The refrigeration device can contain a water tank which
supplies the tray of the ice maker and/or the water outlet from the
water dispenser with water. The water tank can for example be a
water tank to be filled manually. This serves to ensure that the
refrigeration device can be equipped or retrofitted simply and
cost-effectively with an ice maker in particular because connection
systems for a domestic water connection are fundamentally not
required.
[0024] The secondary control unit of the ice maker can be
configured in order to control a water delivery device which
supplies the tray of the ice maker and/or the water outlet from the
water dispenser with water. The water delivery device in question
can be a switchable water valve or a water pump. The result is that
the device control unit of the refrigeration device does not
fundamentally need to be designed for the control of water delivery
devices and does not need to be adapted for this purpose in the
event of retrofitting. The device control unit can thereby be
standardized cost-effectively and simply for refrigeration
appliances having an ice maker or not having an ice maker.
[0025] The water tank can have a sensing device for determining the
water level in the water tank, and the secondary electronic control
unit ice maker can be configured in order to send a message to the
device control unit and/or to the display and/or operating device
on the ice maker if a threshold value for the water level in the
water tank is undershot. The sensing device for determining the
water level in the water tank can be a capacitive, magnetic or
mechanical fill level detection device. This serves to ensure that
the ice maker is configured in order to ascertain the water level
in the water tank and to notify the requirement for water or
replenishment through the secondary electronic control unit. This
message can notify a user of the need to replenish the water
tank.
[0026] The refrigeration device can be a household refrigeration
device for conventional domestic use. A household refrigeration
device normally has a body having a storage space for foodstuffs
and a door attached to the body by a hinge system.
[0027] Other features which are considered as characteristic for
the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0028] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein
as embodied in a refrigeration device with an ice maker, it is
nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since
various modifications and structural changes may be made therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the
scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0029] The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof
will be best understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a refrigeration
device in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the refrigeration
device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;
and
[0032] FIGS. 3 to 6 are perspective views showing a first part of
an ice maker for the refrigeration devices in accordance with FIGS.
1 and 2 in different stages of assembly, and also, in FIG. 6,
together with a second part.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and
first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a highly
schematic illustration of a refrigeration device in accordance with
a first embodiment of the invention. With this embodiment, a
housing 1 of the refrigeration device delimits at least two storage
compartments, here one normal refrigerating compartment 2 and one
freezer compartment 3. A refrigeration machine for cooling the
compartments 2 and 3 contains a compressor 4 and a condenser 5
which are accommodated outside a heat insulation layer 6, typically
in a machine compartment 7 of the housing 1, and also at least one
evaporator arranged within the heat insulation layer 6. In FIG. 1
one evaporator 8, 9 is associated with each compartment 2, 3, which
evaporator 8, 9 directly cools the respective compartment 2, 3;
alternatively however it would also be possible to provide only one
evaporator which is accommodated in an evaporator chamber separate
from normal refrigerating compartment 2 and freezer compartment 3,
and a fan and flaps deliver cold air from the evaporator chamber
into one of the two compartments and return warmer air from the
compartment in question to the evaporator chamber.
[0034] An electronic device control unit 10 controls the operation
of the compressor 4 on the basis of temperature measurement values
from at least one temperature sensor 11 which is arranged in the
compartment 2 or 3. In the simplest case outlined in FIG. 1, that
the evaporators 8, 9 are connected in series in the coolant circuit
with no element controlling the coolant flow between them, the
available cooling capacity is distributed in a fixed ratio to the
two compartments 2, 3, which means that a single temperature sensor
suffices. If the evaporators 8, 9 are connected in parallel in the
coolant circuit and the distribution of the coolant to them can be
controlled by means of a valve, or if in the case of series
connection a controllable throttle point between the evaporators 8,
9 allows their evaporation temperatures to be influenced,
temperature sensors 11 should be present in both compartments 2,
3.
[0035] A manually fillable water tank 12 is arranged in the normal
refrigerating compartment 2. This tank can be provided with a water
outlet, not illustrated in the FIG. 1, similar to a water outlet 43
described later with reference to FIG. 6, which discharges into the
normal refrigerating compartment in order to enable cooled water to
be tapped off. A water line 13 runs from the tank 12 through a
dividing wall 14 to an automatic ice maker 15 in the freezer
compartment 3. The water tank 12 could alternatively also be
arranged outside the heat insulation layer 6, where it would be
easier to fill but it would then not be suitable for tapping off
cold water. In addition, as a result of positioning the tank 12 in
the normal refrigerating compartment 2, freshly added water at room
temperature can first be precooled to normal refrigerating
compartment temperature before it reaches the freezer compartment
3; on the one hand this results in highly energy-efficient ice
production while on the other hand enabling operation of the ice
maker 15 with short operating cycles of uniform duration.
[0036] The ice maker 15 contains a frame 16 in a manner known per
se in which a tray 18 containing a plurality of ice molds 19 (see
FIG. 3) is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis 20 beneath an
outlet 17 at the end of the water line 13. In a position of the
tray 18 which is open toward the top the ice molds 19 can be filled
with water from the water line 13 by intermittently opening a valve
21, in particular a solenoid valve, and the water can freeze in the
molds 19. When this has happened the tray, driven by an electric
motor 23 (see FIG. 3), is inverted and the ice cubes produced are
released from the molds 19, for example by being superficially
thawed by electric heating of the tray 18 and thereby being made
easily movable, or by being ejected from the molds 19 through
deformation of the tray 18, and drop into a collection container 22
arranged beneath the frame 16.
[0037] The device control unit 10 is connected to a user interface
24 arranged externally (or internally, accessible with the door
open) on the housing 1, which on the one hand enables the device
control unit 10 to display operating states or actual values of
operating parameters of the device such as the compartment
temperatures for instance, and on the other hand enables a user to
specify nominal values for such operating parameters and/or to
enter alternative commands.
[0038] If the tank 12 is equipped with a fill level sensor which is
connected to the device control unit 10, then one of the operating
states which are displayed on the user interface 24 can be an
insufficient water level in the tank 12.
[0039] One of the commands which can be entered at the user
interface 24 is a command to produce ice. The device control unit
10 does not execute this command itself but simply forwards
it--unless the water level in the tank 12 is considered to be
insufficient for ice production--to a secondary electronic control
unit 25 which, although illustrated separately from the frame 16 in
FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity, is however in fact, and as will be
explained in more detail later, incorporated in said frame 16.
[0040] The secondary control unit 25 uses this command to control
actuators of the ice maker 15 such as the aforementioned electric
motor 23 and the valve 21 for instance. Further actuators can be
the similarly aforementioned heater of the tray 18 or an electric
heater 26 on an end section of the water line 13 projecting into
the freezer compartment 3. Since when forwarding the ice production
command the device control unit 10 does not need to consider
whether or not the actuators are present, the same model of device
control unit 10 can work together with various models of ice maker
15 which means that the assembly of the housing 1 of the
refrigeration device and the incorporation of the device control
unit 10 therein can take place independently of the model of ice
maker 15 to be mounted later in the freezer compartment 3 of the
refrigeration device.
[0041] The first reaction of the secondary control unit 25 to the
command to produce ice is to open the valve 21 in order to fill the
tray 18 with water. In order to define the point in time at which
the valve 21 is closed again, a level gage which monitors the water
level in the ice molds 19 can be connected to the secondary control
unit 25, or the secondary control unit 25 closes the valve 21 again
in each case after a predetermined period of time. The period of
time must be defined such that even in the case of the water tank
12 full to capacity and correspondingly high pressure in the water
line 13 the molds 19 are prevented from overflowing. In order to
avoid fluctuating water levels in the tank 12 resulting in ice
cubes of excessively differing sizes being produced, an adequate
difference in height can be provided between the tank 12 and the
outlet of the line 13, or a metering pump can be provided in the
water line 13 as a further actuator controlled by the secondary
control unit 25.
[0042] After closing the valve 21, the control unit 25 waits the
time required in order to freeze the water in the molds 19. This
time can be predetermined. Since the water poured in will normally
be at the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 2, the
predetermined time can be chosen such that it is just sufficient in
order to freeze water poured in at refrigerating compartment
temperature if the temperatures of refrigerating and freezer
compartments 2, 3 each lie at the upper end of their user
configurable value range. For more efficient ice production, an
additional temperature sensor 27 can be fitted as part of the ice
maker 15 in order to sense the temperature of the ambient air
around the tray 18, and be connected to the control unit 25 so that
the control unit 25 is able to define the waiting time as a
function of the sensed temperature.
[0043] Such a temperature sensor 27 can also be utilized in order
to regulate the output of the heater 26 to the minimum required in
order to prevent the line 13 from freezing.
[0044] When the waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 25
starts the electric motor 23 in order to invert the tray 18, where
applicable after a superficial thawing of the ice cubes, and to
eject the ice cubes into the collection container 22. In the
simplest case, the reaction of the control unit 25 to the ice
production command is thereby terminated. It is however also
conceivable that following ejection of the ice cubes the control
unit 25 fills the tray 18 with water again in order to thus begin a
new ice production cycle, and that the ice production cycles
continue to follow one another until either the user cancels the
ice production command or, if present, a sensor on the collection
container 22 reports that the collection container 22 is full.
[0045] The refrigeration device shown in FIG. 2 differs from that
shown in FIG. 1 in a plurality of aspects which can be implemented
independently of one another. According to a first aspect, the
normal refrigerating compartment has been dispensed with; in order
to nevertheless be able to precool the contents of the water tank
12 without freezing them the water tank 12 is embedded in the heat
insulation layer 6 surrounding the freezer compartment 3 and
insulated by the heat insulation layer 6 both with respect to the
surroundings and also with respect to the freezer compartment
3.
[0046] According to a second aspect, the water tank 12 is connected
to a domestic water supply. A valve 28 can be provided between the
domestic water supply and the water tank 12 in order to maintain
the latter at a constant, but lower pressure than that of the
domestic water supply. The valve 28 opens automatically and allows
a renewed flow of water to the tank 12 when the control unit 25
opens the valve 21; no signal connection is required for this
purpose between the control unit 25 and the valve 28.
[0047] In addition to supplying the ice maker 15, the tank 12 here
can also supply a tapping point for cold water not illustrated in
the figures. If no such tapping point is provided, instead of the
tank 12 a simple connecting pipe having a small cross section could
also be provided which connects the valve 21 to the domestic water
supply and ensures that the water feed is precooled on its path
through the heat insulation layer 6 before reaching the ice maker
15.
[0048] According to a third aspect, a replaceable water filter 41
is provided. The water filter 41 can be arranged between the tank
12 and the valve 21 or, as shown here, between the valve 28 and the
tank 12.
[0049] FIG. 3 shows a simplified perspective view of a frame 16 of
the ice maker 15 and component parts relating thereto. The four
side walls of the rectangular frame 16 are formed by at least two
component parts connected to one another and preferably formed from
plastic. Shaft projections 29 from the tray 18 are rotatably
mounted in openings in a front side wall 30 and a rear side wall 31
of the frame 16. In the case of the front side wall 30, the opening
is hidden by the electric motor 23 arranged thereabove, in the case
of the rear side wall 31 by the tray 18 itself. The electric motor
23 and a reduction gear having a worm 32 and a plurality of gear
wheels 33, which transfers the rotation of the motor 23 to the
front shaft projections 29, are housed in a cavity 34, open to the
front in the direction facing away from the tray 18, in the side
wall 30.
[0050] This design of an ice maker is already known; in the case of
a conventional ice maker having no electronic control unit of its
own in order to complete the design it would suffice to close off
the cavity 34 by means of a front plate which protects the gearing
from contamination and prevents contact with possibly live
electrical connections on the motor 23.
[0051] A dividing wall 35, which conceals motor 23 and gearing, is
also provided in the case of the ice maker 15 according to the
invention; in the illustration in FIG. 4 the dividing wall 35
itself engages with the cavity 34 in the side wall 30 and in turn
forms a shallow depression 36 on the outer side thereof. A
plurality of electrical conductors 37 are embedded into the plastic
of the dividing wall 35. They are placed such that when the
dividing wall 35 is mounted they contact the terminals of the motor
23 and also, if present, of a heater of the tray 18.
[0052] The surface contour of the dividing wall 35 defines the
mounting position of a circuit board 39 shown in FIG. 5 on the
dividing wall 35 by projecting pins 38, ribs or the like such that
contact fields on the circuit board 35 make contact with the
conductors 37. The circuit board 39 is equipped with electronic
components which form the secondary control unit 25.
[0053] In the final assembled state shown in FIG. 6 the circuit
board 39 is concealed behind a front plate 40. Since the space in
the cavity 34 of the front side wall 30 is not sufficient to
accommodate the dividing wall 35 therein, the circuit board 38
together with the components mounted thereon and the front plate
40, especially if the front side wall 30 is that of a conventional
ice maker which was not originally designed in order to also offer
space for an electronic control unit, the front plate 40 creates
said space in that it is formed as a shell which projects forward
over the front side wall 30 and is hollow on its rear side.
[0054] In addition to the frame 16, a second module 42 of the ice
maker is also shown in FIG. 2 which, mounted in a wall of the
freezer compartment 3, accommodates the valve 21. A downstream
section of the water line 13 extends out over the tray 18.
[0055] The second module 40 can have a second water outlet 43 which
is displaced sideways against the frame 16 and is fed by way of a
second valve in the interior of the module. In order to actuate
second valve, a paddle 44 projecting downward from the module 42
can be provided, which paddle 44 can be deflected by a container
held beneath the water outlet 43.
[0056] If the water filter 41 is present, provision can be made
that the secondary control unit 25 monitors the times during which
the valve 21 and, if present, the second valve are open in order to
thus estimate the quantity of water which has passed through the
filter 41. If the water quantity estimated in this or any other
suitable way has exceeded a predetermined limit value the control
unit 25 generates a signal in order to notify the user of the need
to change the filter. Means for displaying the signal can be
provided on the ice maker 15 itself, for instance an LED on the
circuit board 39 and a window suitably placed for the purpose in
the front plate 40. By preference the control unit 25 sends the
signal to the device control unit 10 in order that the latter
forwards the signal on the user interface 24, for example in the
form of an error code which the device control unit 10 translates
on the basis of a table into a text which is then displayed on the
user interface 24. The device control unit 10 again does not
require any adaptation here for the presence of the water filter
41. Although the table of the device control unit 10 must contain
the required text, such a text can however also be contained in the
table of devices not having a water filter without ever being
displayed there.
[0057] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and
the corresponding structure used in the above description of the
invention: [0058] Housing [0059] Normal refrigerating compartment
[0060] Freezer compartment [0061] Compressor [0062] Condenser
[0063] Heat insulation layer [0064] Machine compartment [0065]
Evaporator [0066] Evaporator [0067] Device control unit [0068]
Temperature sensor [0069] Water tank [0070] Water line [0071]
Dividing wall [0072] Ice maker [0073] Frame [0074] Outlet [0075]
Tray [0076] Ice mold [0077] Axis [0078] Valve [0079] Collection
container [0080] Electric motor [0081] User interface [0082]
Secondary control unit [0083] Heating facility [0084] Temperature
sensor [0085] Valve [0086] Shaft projections [0087] Front side wall
[0088] Rear side wall [0089] Worm [0090] Gear wheel [0091] Cavity
[0092] Dividing wall [0093] Depression [0094] Conductors [0095] Pin
[0096] Circuit board [0097] Front plate [0098] Water filter [0099]
Module [0100] Water outlet [0101] Paddle
* * * * *