Ice making device

Abstract

An ice making device may include an ice tray for producing ice pieces, an ice storage part for storing the ice pieces, an ice discharging device for discharging the ice pieces from the ice tray to the ice storage part, an ice detecting lever having an ice abutting part for abutting with the ice pieces stored in the ice storage part, an ice detecting lever drive mechanism for driving the ice detecting lever toward the ice storage part, and a case body within which a drive source for the ice detecting lever drive mechanism is provided. The ice detecting lever drive mechanism may include a turning output member which transmits a rotational drive force of the drive source to an outer side of the case body, and a turning-linear conversion mechanism which is arranged on the outer side of the case body to convert turning of the turning output member into reciprocated linear-motion that is transmitted to the ice detecting lever.

1 . An ice making device comprising:
 an ice tray for producing ice pieces;   an ice storage part for storing the ice pieces;   an ice discharging device for discharging the ice pieces from the ice tray to the ice storage part;   an ice detecting lever having an ice abutting part for abutting with the ice pieces stored in the ice storage part;   an ice detecting lever drive mechanism for driving the ice detecting lever toward the ice storage part; and   a case body within which a drive source for the ice detecting lever drive mechanism is provided;   wherein the ice detecting lever drive mechanism comprises:
 a turning output member which transmits a rotational drive force of the drive source to an outer side of the case body; and 
 a turning-linear conversion mechanism which is arranged on the outer side of the case body to convert turning of the turning output member into reciprocated linear-motion that is transmitted to the ice detecting lever. 
   
   
   
       2 . The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice abutting part is extended in a horizontal direction or in a roughly horizontal direction. 
   
   
       3 . The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the ice pieces in the ice tray are discharged by the ice discharging device to be dropped into the ice storage part, and   the ice abutting part is reciprocatedly and linearly moved under the ice tray in upper and lower directions by the ice detecting lever drive mechanism.   
   
   
       4 . The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the turning-linear conversion mechanism includes a turning arm, which is turned by the turning output member, and a connection arm which is turnably connected with the turning arm and the ice detecting lever respectively for transmitting turning of the turning arm to the ice detecting lever, and   the ice detecting lever is hung down from the connection arm by an own weight of the ice detecting lever.   
   
   
       5 . The ice making device according to  claim 4 , wherein the turning-linear conversion mechanism includes a guide for restricting a moving direction in upper and lower directions of the ice detecting lever. 
   
   
       6 . The ice making device according to  claim 5 , wherein a tip end part of the ice detecting lever is bent toward an ice tray side so that the ice abutting part of the ice detecting lever is reciprocatedly and linearly moved in the upper and the lower directions under the ice tray. 
   
   
       7 . An ice making device comprising:
 an ice tray for producing ice pieces;   an ice storage part for storing the ice pieces;   an ice detecting lever having an ice abutting part for abutting with the ice pieces stored in the ice storage part;   an ice detecting lever drive device for driving the ice detecting lever toward the ice storage part; and   a case body within which a drive source for the ice detecting lever drive device is provided;   wherein the ice detecting lever drive device comprises:
 a turning output member which transmits a rotational drive force of the drive source to an outer side of the case body; and 
 a lever support part which is disposed to face the turning output member so as to interpose the ice storage part between the lever support part and the turning output member; and 
   wherein the ice detecting lever comprises:
 a first side end part whose shaft end part is inserted into an opening part of the turning output member, and which includes a first end part extended in a direction of a turning center axial line of the turning output member and a second end part which is formed on a shaft end side of the first end part so as to be bent in a direction crossing the turning center axial line; 
 a second side end part which is turnably supported by the lever support part; and 
 an ice abutting part which is formed between the first side end part and the second side end part at a separated position from the turning center axial line; and 
   wherein the turning output member comprises:
 a coming-off preventing plate part which is formed with the opening part; and 
 a shaft end receiving part which receives the second end part of the first side end part of the ice detecting lever and which is disposed on an opposite side to the lever support part at an adjacent position to the coming-off preventing plate part. 
   
   
   
       8 . The ice making device according to  claim 7 , wherein the turning output member is provided with interference parts which face the second end part on both sides in the direction crossing the turning axial line in the shaft end receiving part. 
   
   
       9 . The ice making device according to  claim 7 , wherein the second side end part of the ice detecting lever is structured with a coming-off preventing part which is abutted with the lever support part to restrict the ice detecting lever to move toward the first side end part of the ice detecting lever. 
   
   
       10 . The ice making device according to  claim 7 , wherein the ice detecting lever and the ice storage part are disposed within an ice making space provided with a door in a refrigerator, and the ice detecting lever and the ice storage part are disposed on a side nearer to the door than the ice tray. 
   
   
       11 . An ice making device comprising:
 an ice tray for producing ice pieces;   an ice storage part for storing the ice pieces;   an ice detecting lever having an ice abutting part for abutting with the ice pieces stored in the ice storage part;   an ice detecting lever drive device for driving the ice detecting lever toward the ice storage part; and   a case body within which a drive source for the ice detecting lever drive device is provided;   wherein the ice detecting lever drive device comprises:
 a turning output member which transmits a rotational drive force of the drive source to an outer side of the case body; and 
 a lever support part which is disposed to face the turning output member so as to interpose the ice storage part between the lever support part and the turning output member; and 
   wherein the ice detecting lever comprises:
 a first side end part whose shaft end part is inserted into an opening part of the turning output member; 
 a second side end part which is turnably supported by the lever support part; 
 an ice abutting part which is formed between the first side end part and the second side end part at a separated position from a turning center axial line of the turning output member; and 
 a beam part which connects the first side end part and the second side end part at a nearer position to the rotation center axial line than the ice abutting part. 
   
   
   
       12 . The ice making device according to  claim 11 , further comprising a coming-off preventing part which is structured in the second side end part of the ice detecting lever for abutting with the lever support part to restrict movement toward the first side end part of the ice detecting lever. 
   
   
       13 . The ice making device according to  claim 11 , wherein the ice detecting lever and the ice storage part are disposed within an ice making space provided with a door in a refrigerator, and the ice detecting lever and the ice storage part are disposed on a side nearer to the door than the ice tray. 
   
   
       14 . An ice making device comprising:
 an ice tray;   a water-supply part for supplying water to the ice tray;   an ice discharging mechanism for discharging ice pieces from the ice tray; and   a water-supply control part which is interlinked with an ice discharging operation of the ice discharging mechanism to supply water to the water-supply part;   wherein the water-supply control part comprises:
 a cam drive shaft which is rotated and interlinked with the ice discharging operation; 
 a water supply control rotation cam member which is moved by the cam drive shaft with a play in a circumferential direction of the cam drive shaft; and 
 a water supply control leaf switch which includes a leaf contact piece that is driven by the water supply control rotation cam member; 
 wherein the water supply control rotation cam member is rotated from a free end side of the leaf contact piece toward a fixed end side of the leaf contact piece. 
   
   
   
       15 . The ice making device according to  claim 14 , wherein the water-supply part includes a pump device which is driven by an electric motor, and the water supply control leaf switch and the electric motor are electrically connected in series with each other. 
   
   
       16 . The ice making device according to  claim 14 , wherein a commercial power supply is applied to the electric motor through the water supply control leaf switch. 
   
   
       17 . The ice making device according to  claim 14 , wherein the water-supply part includes an electrically operated valve, and the water supply control leaf switch and the electrically operated valve are electrically connected in series with each other. 
   
   
       18 . The ice making device according to  claim 17 , wherein a commercial power supply is applied to the electrically operated valve through the water supply control leaf switch. 
   
   
       19 . The ice making device according to  claim 14 , wherein the water supply control rotation cam member is rotatably held by the cam drive shaft with a play in the circumferential direction of the cam drive shaft. 
   
   
       20 . The ice making device according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the cam drive shaft is formed with a second cam face, which is different from the water supply control rotation cam member, for operating a leaf contact piece of a second leaf switch which is different from the water supply control leaf switch, and   the second cam face is rotated from a fixed end side of the second leaf contact piece toward a free end side the second leaf contact piece.   
   
   
       21 . An ice making device comprising:
 an ice tray;   a water-supply part for supplying water to the ice tray;   a water-supply switch for controlling water supply from the water-supply part to the ice tray;   a water-supply amount adjustment mechanism which includes an operation member that is disposed in an inside of a case body for adjusting timings when the water-supply switch is turned on and turned off; and   an opening which is formed in the case body so that the operation member is capable of being operated from an outside;   wherein the operation member is supported by a support shaft, which is formed on one of the operation member and the case body so as to be turnable around an axial line of the support shaft and movable in an axial direction of the support shaft, and   wherein the operation member is urged in the axial direction of the support shaft toward the opening by a coiled spring which is made of metal and which is concentrically disposed with the support shaft, and   wherein a first stopper for coming-off prevention is structured which determines a position in the axial direction of the operation member against an urging force of the coiled spring.   
   
   
       22 . The ice making device according to  claim 21 , further comprising a second stopper for coming-off prevention, which is used before the first stopper is structured for determining a position in the axial direction of the operation member against the urging force of the coiled spring and. 
   
   
       23 . The ice making device according to  claim 22 , further comprising a pressing range determining stopper which is structured for determining a moving range in the axial direction when the operation member is pressed. 
   
   
       24 . The ice making device according to  claim 21 , further comprising a pressing range determining stopper which is structured for determining a moving range in the axial direction when the operation member is pressed. 
   
   
       25 . The ice making device according to  claim 21 , wherein the coiled spring is made of nonmagnetic stainless steel.