Patent Publication Number: US-9890985-B2

Title: Refrigeration device comprising an ice maker with double stops

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance having an ice maker, which features an ice cube tray supported in such a manner that it can be rotated about an axis of rotation. 
     Refrigeration appliances, in particular refrigeration appliances configured as domestic appliances, are known and are used for household management in domestic situations or in the catering sector, in order to store perishable food and/or beverages at defined temperatures. 
     In an ice maker of such a refrigeration appliance ice cubes formed in the ice cube tray are ejected in that the ice cube tray is twisted by means of a drive until the ice cube tray is upside down and the ice cubes drop out of the ice cube tray. This rotational movement of the ice cube tray is stopped by a stop from a defined position. As the ice tray is configured as flexible, contact with the stop causes the ice cube tray to twist, ultimately releasing the ice cubes from the ice cube tray. Gravity then causes them to drop down into an ice cube container arranged below the ice cube tray. The frequent deformation of the ice cube tray and the low ambient temperatures means that the ice cube tray is subject to a particular mechanical strain with the result that the ice cube tray has a short service life. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a refrigeration appliance having an ice maker, which has a longer service life. 
     This object is achieved by the subject matter having the features as claimed in the independent claim. Advantageous developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims, the description and the drawings. 
     The present invention is based on the knowledge that the ageing of the ice cube tray due to elastic deformation can be reduced if the ice cube tray is deformed in a regular manner to empty out the ice cubes. 
     According to one aspect the inventive object is achieved by a refrigeration appliance, the ice maker of which has two stops to delimit a rotational movement of the ice cube tray. This has the technical advantage that the deformation for emptying the ice tray no longer exerts such a significant mechanical strain on the ice cube tray due to regularized deformation. The service life of the ice cube tray is therefore lengthened. 
     A refrigeration appliance refers in particular to a domestic appliance, in other words a refrigeration appliance used for household management in domestic situations or in the catering sector, which serves in particular to store food and/or beverages at defined temperatures, for example a refrigerator, a freezer cabinet, a combined refrigerator/freezer, a chest freezer or a wine chiller cabinet. 
     In one advantageous embodiment the ice cube tray can be twisted between a freezing position and an emptying position. This has the technical advantage that in the freezing position water can be frozen to make ice cubes in the ice cube tray and in the emptying position the ice cubes thus produced can be ejected from the ice cube tray by twisting the ice cube tray. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the two stops delimit the rotational movement of the ice cube tray about the axis of rotation and thus determine the freezing position and the emptying position. This has the technical advantage that no further measuring means are required to detect the rotational position of the ice cube tray as it is moved between the freezing position and the emptying position, as the rotational movement is stopped by the stops. This results in a particularly simple structure. 
     In one advantageous embodiment at least one of the two stops has two opposing stop regions. This has the technical advantage that the ice maker has a particularly simple structure as each stop has a double function due to the two opposing stop regions. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment at least one stop region of one of the two stops is formed by an edge. This has the technical advantage that the stop region has a small surface and therefore frost cannot build up from the moisture in the air in the interior of the refrigeration appliance, possibly resulting in a build-up of ice as a result of the pressure produced by contact surfaces resting against the ice cube tray. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the two stops are arranged at equal distances around the axis of rotation in the peripheral direction. This has the technical advantage that the two stops allow a rotational movement of the ice cube tray through for example 150° to 180°. This means that ice cubes form in a regular manner in the freezing position and reliable emptying of the ice cube tray is ensured in the emptying position. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the two stops are arranged in an axisymmetrical manner in relation to the axis of rotation in the same position in its direction of extension. This has the technical advantage that the ice cube tray is subjected to strain by the two stops in a direction of extension at right angles to the rotational movement of the ice cube tray and not along its longitudinal axis, which extends in the direction of the axis of rotation and is relatively much more sensitive. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the two stops are arranged to come into contact with end face contact segments of the ice cube tray. This has the technical advantage that the stops do not take up space in the width direction of the ice maker, thereby allowing a particularly compact structure to be achieved with the ice maker requiring little space. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the end face contact segments are molded onto the ice cube tray. This has the technical advantage that the molded design of the contact segments means that stops do not have to be fitted. This simplifies manufacture. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment at least one of the two stops is made of plastic. This has the technical advantage that the stop or stops can be made of a material that is inexpensive and easy to process. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment at least one of the two stops is molded onto a frame of the ice maker. This has the technical advantage that the molded design of the stop or stops means that stops do not have to be fitted. This simplifies manufacture. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the ice cube tray is configured as flexible. This has the technical advantage that ice cubes can be ejected from the ice cube tray by deforming the ice cube tray and no further devices are required to eject ice cubes. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the ice cube tray can be twisted by a drive of the ice maker for rotating the ice cube tray. This has the technical advantage that the drive for rotating the ice cube tray has a double function, namely that of deforming the ice cube tray to eject the ice cubes in the ice cube tray as well as rotating the ice cube tray. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the ice cube tray can be twisted about the axis of rotation. This has the technical advantage that the ice cube tray is twisted in a regular manner over its entire length in the axis of rotation, thereby ensuring that all the ice cubes in the ice cube tray are reliably ejected. 
     According to a second aspect the inventive object is achieved by an ice maker for such a refrigeration appliance. This has the technical advantage that that the deformation for emptying the ice tray no longer exerts such a significant mechanical strain on the ice cube tray due to regularized deformation. The service life of the ice cube tray is therefore lengthened. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       Further exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front view of a refrigeration appliance, 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective representation of an ice maker, 
         FIG. 3  shows an end face view of the ice maker with an ice cube tray in the freezing position, and 
         FIG. 4  shows the ice maker with the ice cube tray in an emptying position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a refrigeration appliance  100  in the form of a refrigerator, having a right refrigeration appliance door  102  and a left refrigeration appliance door  104  on its refrigeration appliance front face. The refrigerator serves for example to chill food and comprises a refrigerant circuit having an evaporator (not shown), a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown) and a throttle device (not shown). 
     The evaporator is configured as a heat exchanger, in which after expansion the liquid refrigerant is evaporated by absorbing heat from the medium to be cooled, in other words air in the interior of the refrigerator. 
     The compressor is a mechanically driven component, which takes in refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and ejects it to the condenser at a higher pressure. 
     The condenser is configured as a heat exchanger, in which after compression the evaporated refrigerant is condensed by emitting heat to an external cooling medium, in other words the ambient air. 
     The throttle device is an apparatus for constantly reducing the pressure by cross section reduction. 
     The refrigerant is a fluid used for heat transmission in the cold-generating system, which absorbs heat when the fluid is at low temperatures and low pressure and emits heat when the fluid is at a higher temperature and higher pressure, with state changes of the fluid generally being included. 
     The right refrigeration appliance door  102  can be used to open a right refrigeration compartment  106 , which is configured as a freezer compartment in the present exemplary embodiment. The left refrigeration appliance door  104  can be used to open a left refrigeration compartment  108 , which is configured as a chiller compartment in the present exemplary embodiment. 
     Arranged in the right refrigeration compartment  106  is an ice maker  110 , which in the present exemplary embodiment prepares ice cubes from water and also supplies crushed ice. Ice cubes and/or crushed ice can be dispensed through the right refrigeration appliance door  102  at the refrigeration appliance front face without the right refrigeration appliance door  102  having to be opened. 
       FIG. 2  shows the ice maker  110 . 
     In the present exemplary embodiment the ice maker  110  features a frame  200 , made of plastic in the present exemplary embodiment. An ice cube tray  202  is supported in a rotatable manner on the frame  200 . A drive  204  is provided to rotate the ice cube tray  202  about the axis of rotation D, being formed by an electric motor in the present exemplary embodiment. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment the ice cube tray  202  is made of a flexible plastic, for example by means of injection molding. The ice cube tray  202  has a plurality of depressions  208 . The depressions  208  serve to hold liquid water which is then frozen to make ice cubes. 
     Ice cubes are then ejected from the depressions  208  in that the drive  204  twists the ice cube tray  202  through for example 150° to 180° so the ice cubes drop out of the ice cube tray  202 . 
     To ensure reliable ejection of ice cubes from the depressions  208  of the ice cube tray  202 , the ice cube tray  202 , which is configured as flexible in the present exemplary embodiment, is twisted by the drive  204 . In the present exemplary embodiment the ice cube tray  202  is twisted about the axis of rotation D. This brings about a minor deformation of the ice cube tray  202  so that ice cubes are released from the depressions  208  and drop down. 
     In order to bring about such twisting of the ice cube tray  202 , the frame  200  in the present exemplary embodiment has two stops  206 , which are made of plastic and molded onto the frame  200  in the present exemplary embodiment. Thus the frame is configured as a single piece with the two stops  206  in the present exemplary embodiment. 
     The two stops  206  delimit the rotational movement of the ice cube tray  202  about the axis of rotation D and thus define the freezing position I shown in  FIG. 2 , in which the depressions  208  of the ice cube tray  202  can be filled with water. In the present exemplary embodiment the two stops  206  are arranged in the same position  216  in the longitudinal extension of the axis of rotation D. Both stops  206  are in contact with the ice cube tray  202  here. 
     In the present exemplary embodiment the two stops  206  are each in contact with an end face contact segment  212  of the ice cube tray  202 . In the present exemplary embodiment the two end face contact segments  212  are molded onto the ice cube tray  202 . The ice cube tray  202  is thus configured as a single piece with the two end face contact segments  212 . 
     The two stops  206  also define the emptying position (see  FIG. 4 ) in the present exemplary embodiment, as described below. 
       FIG. 3  shows that both stops  206  are in contact with the ice cube tray  202  in the freezing position I. 
       FIG. 3  also shows that in the present exemplary embodiment the two stops  206  are offset by 180° from one another in the peripheral direction of the axis of rotation D. Therefore in the present exemplary embodiment they are arranged at equal distances in the peripheral direction of the axis of rotation D. 
     Each stop  206  has two stop regions  300 , which are arranged opposite one another in the present exemplary embodiment. The stops  206  in the present exemplary embodiment are therefore configured as double stops. Therefore in the freezing position I in the present exemplary embodiment one of the two stop regions  300  of each stop  206  in each instance is in contact with the end face contact segments  212  of the ice cube tray  206 . In the present exemplary embodiment the stop regions  208  are each formed by an edge  302 , which in the present exemplary embodiment extends in the direction of the axis of rotation D. This reduces the size of the contact surface, which in turn reduces ice formation. Alternatively the stop regions  208  can also be configured as round or rounded, in order to reduce the contact surface. 
       FIG. 4  shows the ice cube tray  202  in its emptying position II, to which it has been moved by rotation by the drive  204  about the axis of rotation D. 
       FIG. 4  also shows that the rotational movement is stopped by the two stops  206  when the emptying position II is reached, as the two other stop regions  300  of each stop  206  are then in contact with the end face contact segments  212  of the ice cube tray  206 . 
     These stop regions  208  are also configured as edges  302  extending in the direction of the axis of rotation D. Alternatively said stop regions  208  can also be configured as round or rounded, in order to reduce the contact surface. 
     When it comes into contact with the edges  210 , the ice cube tray  202  is made to twist about the axis of rotation D by the drive  204 , as a result of which the elastically configured ice cube tray  202  is deformed to a minor degree such that ice cubes are released from the depressions  208 . 
     The ice cube tray  202  is then moved back from the emptying position II to the freezing position I (see  FIG. 3 ) by a rotational movement about the axis of rotation D. This rotational movement is in turn delimited by the stop regions  208 . The ice cube tray  202  therefore returns to a zero position, in which regularly shaped ice cubes are formed in the depressions  208  of the ice cube tray  202 . The stop regions  208  and the drive  204  interact here so that the ice cube tray  202  is twisted back again from the twisted state in the emptying position II (see  FIG. 4 ) and thus regains its original shape, thereby ensuring that regularly shaped ice cubes are formed. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
     
         
           100  Refrigeration appliance 
           102  Right refrigeration appliance door 
           104  Left refrigeration appliance door 
           106  Right refrigeration compartment 
           108  Left refrigeration compartment 
           110  Ice maker 
           200  Frame 
           202  Ice cube tray 
           204  Drive 
           206  Stop 
           208  Depression 
           210  Position 
           212  End face contact segment 
           300  Stop region 
           302  Edge 
         D Axis of rotation 
         I Freezing position 
         II Emptying position