WO2010037193A2

WO2010037193A2 - Device and process for filling a recipient with ice molds

Info

Publication number: WO2010037193A2
Application number: PCT/BR2009/000303
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Carlos Dalchau; João Ricardo LEAL FAHNDRICH DA MOTTA
Original assignee: Whirlpool SA
Current assignee: Whirlpool SA
Priority date: 2008-10-01
Filing date: 2009-10-01
Publication date: 2010-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-01
Also published as: BRPI0803585B1; WO2010037193A3; BRPI0803585A2

Abstract

The present invention refers to a device for filling a recipient with ice molds disposed inside a freezer (3) of a refrigerator (1 ), the novelty consisting basically wherein the device comprises a water storage tank (4), a pump (5) linked to said tank (4), and a pumping tube (7) extending from the pump (5) to the freezer (3), the pumping tube (7) having a first section (8), disposed upstream of a tap insert (9), and a second section (10), disposed downstream of said tap insert (9), and a water return tube (11 ) is connected, at one end, to the tap insert (9) and, at the other end, to a reservoir, said return tube (11 ) having a smaller diameter than that of the pumping tube (7). The invention also refers to a process for filling the recipient with ice molds.

Description

TITLE: "DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR FILLING A RECIPIENT WITH ICE MOLDS"

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a device, as well as a process, for filling a re- cipient with ice molds, said recipient being disposed inside the freezer of a refrigerator, particularly of a household refrigerator.

PRIOR ARTS AND THEIR DRAWBACKS

As generally known, automatically powered ice-making units are already commonplace, avoiding the drawback of the user having to withdraw the recipient with ice molds manually from the freezer, take out the ice, fill the recipient with water again and put it back into the freezer.

Figure 1 shows a refrigerator A with a freezer B, said freezer having an ice- making unit inside in accordance with the prior art. In freezer B there is a recipient with ice molds C, which is filled with water by means of a filling tube D which extends downwards and is fixed to the wall behind the refrigerator. Recipient C is pivotable and, when turning sidewards, the ice cubes fall and are stored automatically in the bucket E, until, when a certain quantity of cubes accumulate, said cubes push the lever F upwards, driving the switch G which interrupts the operation of the ice-making unit H. The ice-making unit cited above operates automatically. Other kinds of units, however, operate manually, that is, when the user manually removes the recipient with the ice cubes from the freezer, and when replacing the empty recipient, a sensor or switch is activated to drive the pump and refill the recipient with water.

A drawback of the already known ice-making units consists wherein the filling tube D is always full of water, and, therefore, in region I where the tube penetrates into the freezer, the water inside said tube often freezes, obstructing the flow and, consequently, preventing the ice-making unit from operating.

OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The objective of the present invention is to provide a device for filling the recipient with ice molds, wherein the water in the region where the tube penetrates into the freezer does not freeze up.

This objective is achieved by means of a device for filling a recipient with ice molds disposed inside a freezer of a refrigerator, said device comprising a water storage tank, a pump linked to said tank and a pumping tube extending from the pump to the freezer, the pumping tube presenting a first section, disposed upstream of a tap insert, and a second section, disposed downstream of said tap insert, a water return tube being connected, at one end, to the tap insert and, at the other end to a reservoir, said return tube having a smaller diameter than that of the pumping tube.

Thus, the device according to the invention prevents the water from freezing in the region where the pumping tube penetrates into the freezer, and, consequently, avoids interruption of the ice-making unit.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, on an exemplary basis, based on the appended figures:

SUMMARIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 2 - schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the device for filling the recipient with ice molds, according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In figure 2 there is a refrigerator 1 with a refrigeration compartment 2 and a freezer 3, said freezer having an ice-making unit 3a with a recipient for ice molds (not shown). The device according to the invention has a water storage tank 4, situated in the refrigeration compartment 2, and which is linked to a pump 5. The pump can be mounted directly on the tank 4 or can draw up the water from the tank by means of a suction tube 6. A pumping tube 7 extends from the pump 5 to the freezer 3, and has a first section 8, disposed upstream of a tap insert 9, and a second section 10, disposed downstream of said tap insert 9. In this embodiment a tap insert 9 consists, for example, of a T. A water return tube 11 , having a smaller diameter than that of the pumping tube 7, is connected, at one end, to the tap insert 9 and, at the other end, to a reservoir, which, in the present embodiment is the water storage tank 4.

Hence, when starting the process of filling the recipient with ice molds, the pump 5 is driven and the water is pumped directly to the freezer 3 without penetrating into the return tube 11 , as shown by the arrow 12, since the diameter of the return tube 11 is smaller than that of the pumping tube 7. As generally known, a smaller diameter leads to a greater head loss and, consequently, greater resistance to the running of fluid, which, induces the flow of water straight to the pumping tube instead of penetrating into the return tube 11. When the pump 5 is switched off, the water contained in the second section 10 of the pumping tube 7, flows back to the tank 4, passing through the tap insert 9 and through the return tube 11 , as shown by the arrow 13. Bearing in mind that the pump 5 does not allow the water to return, the first section 8 of the pumping tube 7 is always full of water, which, consequently, forces the water to return through the return tube 11.

Therefore, since the second section 10 of the pumping tube 7 is always empty, it is impossible for the water in the region 14, where the tube 7 penetrates into the freezer to freeze up. To fill the recipient with the ice molds, the pump draws up and pumps a certain volume of water from the storage tank, in an amount sufficient to fill said molds. Next, after pumping said certain volume of water, the pump switches off automatically. The pump can be operated automatically, as already described above in the prior art, and the volume of pumped water can be determined by the operation time of the pump, which will switch off automatically. Naturally, the time established for the pump operation depends on the pumping capacity of said pump.

Besides the embodiment presented previously, the same inventive concept can be applied to other alternatives of possibilities of using the invention. For example, the return tube, instead of being connected to the water storage tank 4 or an evaporation tray (not shown in figure 2), can be directly connected to the sewage network of the building.

In another example, the water storage tank can be situated outside the refrigeration compartment.

Accordingly, it will be understood that the present invention should be inter- preted in a broad manner, its scope being determined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. Device for filling a recipient with ice molds disposed inside the freezer (3) of a refrigerator (1 ), CHARACTERIZED by comprising a water storage tank (4), a pump (5) linked to said tank (4), and a pumping tube (7) extending from the pump (5) to the freezer (3), the pumping tube (7) having a first section (8), disposed upstream of a tap insert (9), and a second section (10), disposed downstream of said tap insert (9), a water return tube (11 ) being connected, at one end, to the tap insert (9) and, at the other end, to a reservoir, said return tube (11 ) having a smaller diameter than that of the pumping tube (7).

2. Device according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the reservoir is the water storage tank (4) itself.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, CHARACTERIZED wherein the water storage tank (4) is disposed inside the refrigeration compartment (2) of the refrigerator (1 ).

4. Device according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the reservoir is an evaporation tray.

5. Device according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the tap insert (9) is a T which interlinks the pumping tube (7) to the return tube (11 ).

6. Device according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein the pump (5) is directly fixed to the water storage tank (4).

7. Device according to claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED wherein between the pump (5) and the water storage tank (4) there is tube to draw up water (6) from the tank (4).

8. Process for filling a recipient with ice molds disposed inside a freezer (3) of a refrigerator (1 ), by means of a device as defined in claim 1 , CHARACTERIZED by comprising the following steps:

- operation of the pump (5);

- drawing up of a certain volume of water from the water storage tank (4) and, next, filling of the ice molds; - shutdown of the pump (5) after pumping said certain volume of water; and

- return of the residual water through the second section (10) of the pumping tube (7) and, then, by way of the return tube (11 ) to the reservoir.

9. Process according to claim 7, CHARACTERIZED wherein the volume of water is determined by the pump (5) operation time based on the pumping capacity of said pump.