Ice maker for a domestic refrigeration appliance

Abstract

An ice maker for a household refrigeration appliance is proposed, which comprises an ice making tray arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation and a drive unit for driving the ice making tray in rotation. The drive unit has an electric motor, the operation of which is controlled by a drive control system depending on the electric current consumption of the electric motor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker for a household refrigerating appliance, the ice maker comprising:
 an ice making tray arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation;   a drive unit for driving the ice making tray in rotation, wherein the drive unit comprises an electric motor; and   a drive control system configured to control operation of the electric motor depending on an electric current consumption of said electric motor.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive control system is configured to stop running of the electric motor depending on the fact that a current behavior is detected for the electric current consumption of the electric motor which is characteristic of a proper moving towards and/or reaching of a defined rotational state of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein the defined rotational state is a final rotational state of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker according to  claim 3 , wherein the final rotational state of the ice making tray is determined by mechanical stop limitation of a movement path of a component arranged in a power transmission path from the electric motor to the ice making tray. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker according to  claim 4 , wherein the component is arranged upstream of the ice making tray in a direction of power flow. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker according to  claim 5 , wherein the component is a gear pinion of a reduction gear. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker according to  claim 3 , wherein a different nominal current behavior of the electric current consumption of the electric motor for the proper moving towards and/or reaching of the final rotational state is predetermined in mapping to each of two final rotational states of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein the drive control system is configured to stop running of the electric motor when the ice making tray is rotated from a horizontal position in a direction of an emptying rotational state, depending on the fact that a current increase behavior characteristic of a proper moving towards and/or reaching of the emptying rotational state is determined for the electric current consumption of the electric motor. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker according to  claim 8 , wherein the drive control system is configured to take into account the current increase behavior during such a part of the rotational movement path of the ice making tray on which the ice making tray undergoes a twisting which ensures or promotes breaking away of pieces of ice from the ice making tray in order to assess whether the current increase behavior characteristic of the proper moving towards and/or reaching of the emptying rotational state is present. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive control system is configured to:
 determine a current angle of rotation of the electric motor and/or the ice making tray based on the electric current consumption of the electric motor; and   control the electric motor as a function of the current angle of rotation.   
     
     
         11 . The ice maker according to  claim 10 , wherein the drive control system is configured to determine the current angle of rotation on the basis of a cumulative current consumption of the electric motor within a past time interval. 
     
     
         12 . The ice maker according to  claim 10 , wherein the drive control system is configured to:
 determine a rotational speed of the electric motor and/or the ice making tray for each measuring time based on the electric current consumption of the electric motor at a plurality of measuring times within a past time interval; and   determine the current angle of rotation on the basis of the rotational speeds.   
     
     
         13 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the drive unit is installed in a module housing of a drive module, which is designed with a coupling piece rotatably mounted on the module housing and in rotary drive connection with the drive unit;   the coupling piece forms a mechanical interface, accessible from outside the drive module, for the detachable torsional force-transmitting coupling of the ice making tray to the drive module;   the module housing has an opening through which an electrical conductor arrangement connected to the drive unit is led out of the module housing; and   at least one of the following measures is taken:
 the mechanical interface and the opening are formed on opposite sides of the module housing; 
 the conductor arrangement is formed by a circuit board; and/or 
 the module housing has at least one positioning formation on the outside of the module housing near the opening for positioning a control board that is in electrical contact with the conductor arrangement. 
   
     
     
         14 . The ice maker according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one positioning formation is pin-like in configuration.