JP7545837B2 - Automatic ice maker - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an automatic ice maker in which the water tray is pivoted so that it can tilt relative to the ice making chamber.

Automatic ice makers capable of producing a large amount of ice blocks are preferably used in facilities such as coffee shops and restaurants, and in other kitchens. Some automatic ice makers are equipped with a so-called closed-cell type ice making mechanism that produces ice blocks by injecting ice-making water from a water tray that closes the opening of the ice-making chamber provided in the ice making chamber (ice making section) toward the ice making chamber, and drops and releases the ice blocks produced when the water tray opens the opening of the ice making chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For example, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, this ice making mechanism 15 is composed of an ice making chamber 16 provided with an ice making chamber 16a, a water tray 20 that can open and close the opening of the ice making chamber 16a, an ice making water tank 22 that stores the ice making water supplied to the water tray 20, and the like, and is arranged inside the housing 12. The ice-making chamber 16 is a concave plate-like structure with the ice-making chamber 16a opening downward, and the evaporation pipe 18 that constitutes the refrigeration circuit is arranged in a serpentine manner on its upper surface, with a water tray 20 arranged below. The water tray 20 is integrally provided with an ice-making water tank 22 on the lower side for storing ice-making water, and a pump motor PM is attached to the ice-making water tank 22. That is, the pump motor PM draws in the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 22 and supplies it to the water tray 20.

The water tray 20 is pivoted at one end (left end in FIG. 15) by the support mechanism 30, and the other end (right end in FIG. 15) is connected to the water tray tilting mechanism 50. The water tray tilting mechanism 50 raises and lowers the other end of the water tray 20, and includes an actuator motor AM that combines an electric motor with a reducer, cam members 26F, 26R that rotate in both directions when driven by the actuator motor AM, and coil springs (tension coil springs) 28F, 28R that connect the cam members 26F, 26R and the water tray 20. When the automatic ice maker starts making ice, the actuator motor AM rotates the cam members 26F, 26R in one direction, and the water tray 20 is pulled diagonally upward from the open position away from the ice making chamber 16 via the coil springs 28F, 28R to the closed position, closing the ice making chamber 16 from below. When the deicing operation starts, the actuator motor AM is driven to rotate the cam members 26F, 26R in the other direction, forcibly lowering the water tray 20 diagonally downward to completely open the ice making chamber 16, and the water tray 20 is held in the open position via the coil springs 28F, 28R. As shown in FIG. 15, the water tray 20 is in a horizontal position with its upper surface horizontal in the closed position, and in an inclined position with its upper surface inclined in the open position. That is, the water tray tilting mechanism 50 moves the water tray 20 between the closed position (horizontal position) and the open position (inclined position). Note that the "tilting" of the water tray 20 refers to the movement of the water tray 20 between the horizontal position (closed position) and the inclined position (open position), and includes the movement from the inclined position to the horizontal position. In the following description, the one end of the water tray 20 (the side pivoted by the support mechanism 30) is referred to as the "shaft end," and the other end (the side supported by the water tray tilting mechanism 50) is referred to as the "tilting end."

16, the water tray tilting mechanism 50 is configured to support two locations of the tilting end of the water tray 20, specifically the front and rear portions. That is, the water tray tilting mechanism 50 includes a front cam member (front cam member) 26F and a coil spring (front coil spring) 28F for supporting the front portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20, and a rear cam member (rear cam member) 26R and a coil spring (rear coil spring) 28R for supporting the rear portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20. The front cam member 26F is fixed to the front end of the camshaft 24, which rotates when driven by the actuator motor AM, and the rear cam member 26R is fixed to the rear end of the camshaft 24. Each cam member 26F, 26R extends radially from the camshaft 24 and rotates around the camshaft 24 by driving the actuator motor AM, so that the end fixed to the camshaft 24 is the shaft end, and the end (extended end) away from the camshaft 24 is the rotating end. The front coil spring 28F has a hook 62 at its upper end hooked into a retaining groove (groove) 89 formed on the outer circumferential surface of a retaining portion 85 protruding from the front surface at the rotating end of the front cam member 26F, and a hook 62 at its lower end hooked into a retaining groove 89 formed on the outer circumferential surface of a retaining portion 85 protruding from the front surface at the tilting end of the water tray 20, thereby connecting the front cam member 26F and the water tray 20. In addition, the hook 62 at the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R is hooked into a retaining groove 89 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the retaining portion 85 that protrudes from the front surface at the pivot end of the rear cam member 26R, and the hook 62 at the lower end is hooked into a retaining groove 89 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the retaining portion 85 that protrudes from the rear surface at the tilt end of the water tray 20, thereby connecting the rear cam member 26R and the water tray 20.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-257909

The water tray 20 becomes dirty over time due to impurities contained in the tap water used for making ice, and therefore requires cleaning and other maintenance from time to time. When removing the water tray 20 from the housing 12 for maintenance, it is necessary to either remove the hooks 62 provided at the lower ends of the coil springs 28F, 28R from the water tray 20, or remove the hooks 62 provided at the upper ends of the coil springs 28F, 28R from the cam members 26F, 26R. However, this is a very time-consuming task, as the hooks 62 at both ends of the coil springs 28F, 28R are generally deformed so that they cannot be removed.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems inherent in conventional automatic ice makers, the present invention has been proposed to provide an effective solution to these problems, and aims to provide an automatic ice maker that allows the water tray to be easily removed.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means comprises:
In an automatic ice maker having a housing therein, a concave plate-shaped ice making chamber opening downward, a water tray disposed below the ice making chamber, and a water tray tilting mechanism for tilting the water tray up and down around one end of the water tray as an axis,
the water tray tilting mechanism includes an actuator motor, a cam member that rotates in response to the drive of the actuator motor, and a coil spring that vertically connects a rotating end of the cam member and a tilting end of the water tray;
The coil spring has a hook on the end side of the spiral winding portion, and the hook engages with a groove formed in an outer peripheral surface of a holding portion protruding from an outer surface of the cam member or the water tray, and is prevented from coming off by a flange of the holding portion.
The gist of the invention is that when a force in a predetermined direction is applied to an operating target portion provided on the coil spring, the hook deforms so that the dimension of the opening in the hook with which the holding portion engages increases.
According to this configuration , an operation target portion is provided on the coil spring, and by applying a force in a predetermined direction to this operation target portion, the hook deforms so as to enlarge its opening dimensions, so that an operator can easily remove the hook from the holding portion by operating the operation target portion.

The second means is
The hook is formed in an elliptical shape that is long along the extension direction of the coil spring.
According to this configuration , by forming the hook into a long ellipse along the extension direction of the coil spring, the wobbling of the hook to the left and right with respect to the holding part can be suppressed by the amount of the smaller inner diameter dimension in the short side direction compared to a hook having a perfect circle shape with the same inner diameter dimension as the inner diameter dimension in the long side direction of the hook. Also, compared to a hook having a perfect circle shape with the same inner diameter dimension as the inner diameter dimension in the short side direction of the hook, the opening dimension of the hook can be made larger by the amount of the larger inner diameter dimension in the long side direction, so that the hook can be easily attached to and detached from the holding part by pressing the operation target part.

The third means is
The gist of the invention is that the portion of the wire forming the coil spring that forms the hook extends from one end connected to the winding portion to the other end for a length that is more than one revolution around the holding portion, and the operation target portion extends outward from the other end, and the dimension of the opening of the hook can be expanded by pressing the operation target portion towards the winding portion.
According to this configuration , the strength of the hook is increased by forming the hook by extending the wire more than one revolution around the holding part. Also, the opening dimension of the hook can be enlarged by pressing the operating part in a direction along the outer periphery of the hook, and at this time, the hook is deformed as a whole to enlarge the opening, so that the opening of the hook can be shaped to facilitate attachment and detachment of the hook to and from the holding part.

The fourth means is
The extended end of the operation target portion is formed by a folded-back portion of the wire.
According to this configuration , by forming the extending end of the operation target part by the folded back portion of the wire, the end face of the operation target part is curved, which makes it possible to prevent injury to a worker due to contact with it.

The fifth means is
The operation target portion is bent toward the winding portion at a midpoint.
According to this configuration , in a configuration in which the opening dimension of the hook can be enlarged by pressing the operation target portion toward the winding portion, the operation target portion is bent toward the winding portion at a midpoint. That is, by bending the operation target portion so that the extended end faces the side opposite to the side that receives the pressing operation by the operator, the extended end of the operation target portion can be separated from the part that receives the pressing operation by the operator. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the fingers of the operator who presses the operation target portion to come into contact with the extended end of the operation target portion, and injury to the operator can be prevented.

The sixth means is
The coil spring is configured such that, when receiving the load of the water tray, the hook engages with the groove of the holding part, and in this state, the other end of the part of the wire that forms the hook intersects with the one end outside the groove, and the intersecting part and the operating part extending from the other end are positioned outside the groove.
With this configuration , when the coil spring is under the load of the water tray, both ends of the wire that forms the hook cross outside the groove, and in this state, the crossing part and the operation target part are located outside the groove, so that the thick part of the hook (overlapping part of the wire) is small and does not get stuck in the groove. In other words, it is possible to prevent the retaining part from being scraped or the hook from being deformed due to the hook sliding inside the groove.

The seventh means is
The operation target portion faces an outer circumferential surface of the holding portion at a position outside the groove portion.
With this configuration , the gap of the hook when engaged with the groove of the holding part is regulated by contact between the operation target part and the outer peripheral surface of the holding part, preventing the hook from protruding outside the groove, thereby avoiding the problem of the hook interfering with components on the housing side.

The eighth means is
The portion of the wire forming the coil spring that forms the hook extends from one end connected to the winding portion to the other end for a length not exceeding one revolution around the holding portion (55) so that both ends face each other in the circumferential direction, and the operation target portion extends from the other end toward the opposite side to the one end, and is configured so that the dimension of the opening of the hook can be enlarged by moving the operation target portion away from the winding portion.
According to this configuration , by circumferentially opposing both ends of the wire of the coil spring that forms the hook, no overlapping portions of the wire are generated on the hook. In other words, the hook can be formed thin, and it is possible to prevent scraping of the holding portion and deformation of the hook due to the hook sliding inside the groove. In addition, since the hook is configured to deform so as to expand the inner diameter dimension by operating the operating target portion, the opening dimension of the hook can be easily expanded.

The ninth means is
The gist of the invention is that the operation target portion is provided as part of the portion of the wire forming the coil spring that forms the hook, forming a space between it and the peripheral surface of the groove portion, and is configured so that the dimension of the opening of the hook can be expanded by pulling the operation target portion in the radial direction of the hook.
According to this configuration , it is possible to attach a specified operating tool, etc., by utilizing the space formed by the operating portion, and the opening dimensions of the hook are expanded by pulling the operating portion with the operating tool, making it possible to make it easy to apply a force to the hook to open it.

The tenth means is
The gist of the invention is that the operation target portion is provided at a portion of the wire that is closer to the end of the hook, forming a space on the outer circumferential side of the hook, and is configured so that the dimension of the opening of the hook can be expanded by pulling the operation target portion in the radial direction of the hook.
According to this configuration , by forming the operation target part in the part of the wire that is closer to the end than the part that forms the hook, it becomes relatively easy to form a space for attaching the operation tool outside the groove part. In other words, by using the space to attach the operation tool to the operation target part and pulling the operation target part with the operation tool, the opening dimension of the hook is enlarged, so that a force for expanding the hook can be easily applied to the hook.

The eleventh means is
the coil spring includes the wire and the operation target portion that is connected to the hook as a member separate from the wire,
The operation target portion is configured to be pulled in a radial direction of the hook, thereby allowing a dimension of the opening of the hook to be enlarged,
The gist of the invention is that the position of the operation target portion relative to the hook is changeable.
According to this configuration , the position of the operation target portion relative to the hook can be changed, so that the degree of freedom in the pulling direction when spreading the hook can be increased.

The twelfth means is
The coil spring includes a rear coil spring having a lower end held by a rear portion of the water tray, and the cam member includes a rear cam member that holds an upper end of the rear coil spring,
The rear cam member has a cylindrical shaft portion extending along the rotation center of the rear cam member from forward to rearward of the front-to-rear position of the rear coil spring, and an arm extending radially from the rear end side of the shaft portion and holding the upper end of the rear coil spring on the front side.
With this configuration , when the water tray is moved from the open position to the closed position, the rear coil spring does not come into contact with the arm of the rear cam member, but only with the shaft portion. Also, by forming the shaft portion into a cylindrical shape, the rear coil spring is not supported on a flat surface, and the contact area can be reduced. Therefore, damage to the rear cam member and the rear coil spring can be prevented.

The thirteenth means is
the rear cam member includes a cam base that is fixed to a cam shaft that rotates in response to driving of the actuator motor, and the shaft portion is configured to connect the cam base and the arm,
The shaft portion is a separate member that is detachable from the cam base and the arm, and is formed from a material that has higher sliding properties than the cam base and the arm.
With this configuration , it is possible to replace only the portion (shaft) of the rear cam member that the rear coil spring may come into contact with. Also, by forming the shaft from a material that has higher sliding properties than the cam base and the arm, it is possible to impart high sliding properties only to the portion (shaft) of the rear cam member that the rear coil spring may come into contact with, thereby reducing costs.

The automatic ice maker of the present invention allows the water tray to be easily removed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic ice maker according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the front side. 1A is an oblique view of the internal structure of the housing from the left side, FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of area A1 in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of area A2 in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1D is an overall view of the pivot pin. 1A is an explanatory diagram of the connection relationship between the actuator motor, camshaft, front cam member and rear cam member (each member viewed from the right side), FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the front cam member, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged front view of the main parts of the front cam member in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a main portion of the coil spring according to the first embodiment. 1A is a side view of the rotating end of the cam member, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the rotating end of the cam member cut at the middle position of the retaining groove to show the hook of the coil spring. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a main portion of a coil spring in Modification Example 1-1. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a main portion of a coil spring in Modified Example 1-2. 13A shows the relationship between the cam member and the connection portion of the coil spring in Example 2, where FIG. 13A is a front view of the cam member cut at the middle position of the retaining groove, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the connection portion of the cam member and the coil spring. FIG. 11 is a front view of a connection portion between a cam member and a coil spring in a third embodiment, in which the cam member is cut at a midpoint of a retaining groove portion. FIG. 13 is a front view of a connection portion between a cam member and a coil spring in a fourth embodiment, in which the cam member is cut at a midpoint of a retaining groove portion. FIG. 13 is a front view of the connection portion between the cam member and the coil spring in Modified Example 4-1, in which the cam member is cut at the midpoint of the retaining groove portion. FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of a main portion of a coil spring according to a fifth embodiment. 13A and 13B are perspective views of a cam member according to a sixth embodiment, in which FIG. 13A shows a state in which a coil spring has been removed, and FIG. 13B shows a state in which a coil spring has been attached. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of a cam member in Modification Example 6-1. FIG. 1 shows the internal structure of a conventional automatic ice maker as viewed from the front. The internal structure of a conventional automatic ice maker is shown as seen from the left side.

Next, the automatic ice maker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, showing preferred embodiments. For ease of explanation, the same components as those in the automatic ice maker shown in Figs. 15 and 16 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted. The automatic ice maker according to the present invention is characterized by the configuration related to the coil spring. Therefore, in each embodiment, the configuration related to the coil spring will be explained. In the following description, the terms "left," "right," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," and the like used to explain directions and positions are based on the state of the automatic ice maker as viewed from the front (the front side of the housing shown in Fig. 1).

The automatic ice maker 10 of the first embodiment is housed in a substantially box-shaped housing 12, which contains a so-called closed-cell type ice making mechanism 15 consisting of an ice making chamber 16, a water tray 20, and an ice making water tank 22, a support mechanism 30 for pivotally supporting one end of the water tray 20 (the left end in FIG. 2, hereinafter referred to as the "axis side end"), and a water tray tilting mechanism 50 for supporting the other end of the water tray 20 (the right end in FIG. 2, hereinafter referred to as the "tilting end") and tilting the water tray 20 up and down (see FIG. 2(a)). As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 is configured such that a front panel 12a constituting the front surface and a top plate 12b constituting the top surface are detachably attached to a frame body 12c (see FIG. 2(a)) that forms the skeleton of the housing 12. Two mounting columns 12d (see FIG. 2(a)) to which the components of the ice-making mechanism 15, support mechanism 30, and water tray tilting mechanism 50 are attached are fixed to the top of the frame 12c at the top inside the housing 12 so that they extend left and right and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. The water tray 20 is unitized with the ice-making water tank 22, pump motor PM, etc., and is attached to the mounting columns 12d separately from the ice-making chamber 16.

(Regarding the support mechanism 30)
As shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c), the support mechanism 30 comprises a total of two bearing brackets 32F, 32R fixed to each mounting column 12d, and a total of two water tray support plates 34F, 34R fixed to the left side surface (shaft side end) of the water tray 20 and spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the front water tray support plate 34F is pivotally supported by the front bearing bracket 32F fixed to the front mounting column 12d (see Figure 2(c)), and the rear water tray support plate 34R is pivotally supported by the rear bearing bracket 32R fixed to the rear mounting column 12d (see Figure 2(b)). That is, the support mechanism 30 has two sets of water tray support plates 34F, 34R and bearing fittings 32F, 32R (hereinafter referred to as ``support sets''), and these two support sets support the front and rear portions of the axial end of the water tray 20.

Here, in the past, pivot pins were inserted into the two support sets individually and each pivot pin was prevented from falling out by an individual anti-slip pin, making it difficult to assemble or separate the rear support set (the back side of the housing 12) from the front side of the housing 12. In contrast, in the automatic ice maker 10 of Example 1, as shown in Figures 2(b) and 2(c), the water tray support plates 34F, 34R and the bearing fittings 32F, 32R that make up the two support sets are connected by a common pivot pin 36 so that they can move (rotate) relative to each other, and the forward slippage of this pivot pin 36 is restricted by a single anti-slip means 40 (see Figure 2(c)) that is located in a forward position inside the housing 12. Specifically, one pivot pin 36 is inserted from the front to the rear in a latch-like manner so as to pass through a through hole 38 (only the through hole 38 of the bearing fitting 32R is shown) that penetrates each of the two water tray support plates 34F, 34R and the two bearing fittings 32F, 32R in the front-to-rear direction, thereby connecting each water tray support plate 34F, 34R to each bearing fitting 32F, 32R so as to be movable in the rotational direction about the pivot pin 36. The pivot pin 36 is a thin cylindrical rod as shown in Figure 2(d), and since the tip portion 36a in the insertion direction is tapered, it can be easily inserted into each through hole 38, and since the end portion 36b in the insertion direction has a larger diameter than the other portions, it will not slip out rearward through each through hole 38. In addition, the through holes 38 of each bearing fitting 32F, 32R are provided near the position where the sprinkler pipe P (see Figure 2(b)) for watering is inserted, so when passing the pivot pin 36 through, it is easy to find the through holes 38 by using the insertion position of the sprinkler pipe P relative to each bearing fitting 32F, 32R as a reference.

As shown in FIG. 2(c), a retaining means (water supply valve mounting plate in the first embodiment) 40 for preventing the pivot pin 36 from slipping forward is attached to the front surface of the front bearing metal fitting 32F, and the retaining means 40 clamps the end portion 36b of the pivot pin 36 between the bearing metal fitting 32F and the retaining means 40 to restrict movement. Therefore, when an operator removes the water tray 20 for maintenance, the operator can open the front panel 12a and remove the retaining means 40 located on the front side of the internal space of the housing 12, and one pivot pin 36 can be pulled out from the through hole 38 to the front side, and this alone can release the connection between the bearing metal fittings 32F, 32R and the water tray support plates 34F, 34R in each support group. In other words, the work of separating the shaft side end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12 side in order to remove the water tray 20 can be easily performed from the front side of the housing 12 without opening the top plate 12b.

(Regarding the water tray tilting mechanism 50)
Water tray tilting mechanism 50 provided in automatic ice maker 10 of embodiment 1 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 5. When performing ice-making operation, water tray tilting mechanism 50 holds water tray 20 in a closed position that closes the opening of ice-making chamber 16a (see Figures 15 and 16) of ice-making chamber 16, thereby enabling the supply of ice-making water from water tray 20 to ice-making chamber 16a of ice-making chamber 16, which is cooled by evaporator tube 18. When ice-making operation is completed and the operation is switched to de-icing operation in which ice-making chamber 16 is heated by evaporator tube 18, water tray 20 is tilted from the closed position to the open position to open ice-making chamber 16a, and water tray 20 is held in the open position during de-icing operation to enable the release of ice blocks from ice-making chamber 16a of ice-making chamber 16. When the deicing operation is completed and the ice making operation is started, the water tray 20 is tilted from the open position to the closed position to close the ice making chamber 16a. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 3(a), the water tray tilting mechanism 50 includes an actuator motor AM as a drive source for tilting the water tray 20, a front cam member 26F and a front coil spring 28F for supporting a front portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20, a rear cam member 26R and a rear coil spring 28R for supporting a rear portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20, and a cam shaft 24 connecting the front cam member 26F and the rear cam member 26R.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), a rotating support member 23 that rotatably supports the camshaft 24 is attached to the lower surface of each of two mounting columns 12d that are provided at the top inside the housing 12 and spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions. Each rotating support member 23 is provided so as to hang down from the lower surface of the mounting column 12d, and a cylindrical shaft support portion 23a that opens in the front and rear directions is provided at its lower end. The camshaft 24 is inserted into the two shaft support portions 23a (rotating support members 23) and is supported rotatably at two points that are spaced apart from each other in the front and rear directions. The front end of the camshaft 24 is inserted into a shaft fixing hole 52a that opens into the rear surface of the front cam member 26F, and the camshaft 24 and the front cam member 26F are fixed to each other. The rear end of the camshaft 24 is inserted into a shaft fixing hole 52a that opens into the front surface of the rear cam member 26R, and the camshaft 24 and the rear cam member 26R are fixed to each other.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), a U-shaped mounting base plate 13 that opens downward is fixed to the front surface of the front mounting column 12d, and the actuator motor AM is attached to this mounting base plate 13 with its rotation axis AMa (see FIG. 3(a)) extending rearward. In this state, the rotation axis AMa of the actuator motor AM extends on the same line as the camshaft 24. The rotation axis AMa is inserted into the shaft fixing hole 52b that opens to the front surface of the front cam member 26F, thereby fixing the rotation axis AMa and the front cam member 26F to each other. In other words, the front cam member 26F and the rear cam member 26R are connected by the camshaft 24, and are configured to rotate together in response to the rotation of the rotation axis AMa driven by the actuator motor AM. When opening the water tray 20, the actuator motor AM drives the rotary shaft AMa to rotate to the left as viewed from the front, and when closing the water tray 20, the rotary shaft AMa drives to rotate to the right as viewed from the front. In the following description, the drive in which the rotary shaft AMa of the actuator motor AM rotates to the left (drive to open the water tray 20) is referred to as "forward drive", and the drive in which the rotary shaft AMa rotates to the right (drive to close the water tray 20) is referred to as "reverse drive". In addition, the camshaft 24 and cam members 26F, 26R rotate in the same direction as the rotation of the rotary shaft AMa as the actuator motor AM is driven. For this reason, the rotation (rotation) to the left of the camshaft 24 and cam members 26F, 26R is referred to as "forward rotation" and the rotation (rotation) to the right is referred to as "reverse rotation".

The left side of the center in FIG. 3(a) shows the front cam member 26F in a position (position indicated by the symbol x1 in FIG. 3(b)) when the water tray 20 is raised to the closed position. As shown in these figures, the front cam member 26F is a plate-shaped synthetic resin member that is long in one direction (the vertical direction in the figure), and the width dimension of one end (the lower end in the figure) in the longitudinal direction is formed to be larger than the width dimension of the other end (the upper end in the figure). As shown in FIG. 3(b), the one end with the larger width of the front cam member 26F has a shaft fixing hole 52b to which the above-mentioned rotating shaft AMa is fixed, which opens on the front side, and the rear side has a shaft fixing hole 52a to which the front end of the above-mentioned camshaft 24 is fixed, which opens. In addition, a holding portion 85 (described later) that holds the upper end of the front coil spring 28F is provided so as to protrude forward at the other end separated from the shaft fixing hole 52a. That is, the front cam member 26F has the same rotation center as the camshaft 24, and is configured to extend radially like an arm, with the extended end holding the upper end of the front coil spring 28F. For convenience, in the following description, the one end that is the rotation center side of the front cam member 26F will be referred to as the "shaft side end," and the other end that is the extended end side that is away from the rotation center will be referred to as the "rotation end."

3(a), the rear cam member 26R is shown in a position when the water tray 20 is raised to the closed position. The rear cam member 26R is a plate-shaped synthetic resin member that is long in one direction (the vertical direction in the figure) like the front cam member 26F, and the width dimension of one end (the lower end in the figure) in the longitudinal direction is formed to be larger than the width dimension of the other end (the upper end in the figure). The rear cam member 26R has a shaft fixing hole 52a that penetrates the one end in the longitudinal direction with the larger width from front to rear. As described above, the rear end of the camshaft 24 is fixed to this shaft fixing hole 52a from the front side. In addition, a cylindrical holding portion 85 (described later) that holds the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R is provided so as to protrude forward at the other end (the side away from the shaft fixing hole 52a) of the rear cam member 26R in the longitudinal direction. That is, the rear cam member 26R has the same rotation center as the camshaft 24, has an arm-like shape extending radially, and is configured to hold the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R on its extended end side. For convenience in the following description, the one end side that is the rotation center side of the rear cam member 26R will be referred to as the "shaft side end" and the other end side that is the extended end side that is away from the rotation center will be referred to as the "rotating end part".

Here, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the front and rear cam members 26F, 26R hold the coil springs 28F, 28R (described later) with the holding portions 85 (described later) provided at their rotating ends, and support the tilting end of the water tray 20 through the coil springs 28F, 28R. When the front cam member 26F is in an upright position (position indicated by the symbol x1 in FIG. 3(b)) in which its rotating end is located above the shaft end, its rotating end is at its highest position. Similarly, when the rear cam member 26R is in an upright position (position shown in FIG. 3(a)) in which its rotating end is located above the shaft end, its rotating end is at its highest position. Therefore, when both cam members 26F, 26R are in an upright position, the water tray 20 is pulled up to the highest position, and at this time the water tray 20 is in a horizontal position with its upper surface horizontal and in a closed position relative to the ice making chamber 16. That is, the cam members 26F and 26R can hold the water tray 20 in the closed position in the upright position. On the other hand, the front cam member 26F has its rotating end at its lowest position when it is in the tilted position (position indicated by the symbol x2 in FIG. 3B) in which its rotating end is located diagonally below the shaft end. Similarly, the rear cam member 26R has its rotating end at its lowest position when it is in the tilted position (position shown in FIG. 2) in which its rotating end is located diagonally below the shaft end. Therefore, when both cam members 26F and 26R are in the tilted position, the water tray 20 is lowered to its lowest position, and at this time the water tray 20 is in an open position relative to the ice making chamber 16 with its upper surface inclined. That is, the cam members 26F and 26R can hold the water tray 20 in the open position in the tilted position.

Both cam members 26F, 26R are configured so that their rotating ends come into contact with the top surface of the water tray 20 when in the upright position (see FIG. 3(a)), and a cam portion 52c that bulges out in the radial direction is formed on the shaft side end (see FIG. 3(b), the rear cam member 26R is not shown). Due to the presence of this cam portion 52c, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft side end of the cam members 26F, 26R is not constant in distance from the center of rotation (the position where the shaft fixing hole 52a is formed), and the cam portion 52c is significantly spaced from the shaft fixing hole 52a. When transitioning from ice making operation to de-icing operation, the front cam member 26F rotates in the normal direction from the upright position to the tilted position, so that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft side end of the front cam member 26F (the cam portion 52c portion) presses the water tray 20 downward, forcibly removing the ice formed in the ice making chamber 16 from the top surface of the water tray 20.

3(a) and 3(c), a holding portion 85 for holding a hook 62 (described later) of the front coil spring 28F is provided at the rotating end of the front cam member 26F in a cylindrical shape protruding forward from the front surface of the front cam member 26F. The holding portion 85 has a small diameter at a midpoint in the protruding direction, and the outer circumferential surface of this small diameter portion (hereinafter referred to as the "small diameter portion 86") is recessed in a groove shape to form an annular holding groove portion (groove portion) 89. For convenience, in the following description, the base end side of the small diameter portion 86 in the holding portion 85 will be referred to as the "base portion 87," and the protruding end side of the holding portion 85 in the small diameter portion 86 will be referred to as the "flange 88." In this way, the holding portion 85 has a base portion 87 that protrudes forward from the rotating end of the front cam member 26F, a small diameter portion 86 that is smaller in diameter than the base portion 87 protrudes from the protruding end face of this base portion 87, and a flange 88 that is larger in diameter than the small diameter portion 86 is located at the protruding end of this small diameter portion 86. As a result, a concave holding groove portion 89 is formed in the outer circumferential surface of the holding portion 85 by the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 86 and the opposing surfaces of the base portion 87 and the flange 88.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the rear cam member 26R has a different shape from the front cam member 26F, and extends obliquely from the shaft end toward the rear upper side. A cylindrical holding portion 85 for holding a hook 62 (described later) of the rear coil spring 28R is provided so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the rotating end of the rear cam member 26R. The holding portion 85 provided on the rear cam member 26R has a structure basically the same as that of the holding portion 85 of the front cam member 26F described above, and has a base portion 87, a small diameter portion 86, and a flange 88, and forms a holding groove portion 89 with which the hook 62 (described later) at the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R engages. In addition, the holding portion 85 provided on the water tray 20 also has a structure basically the same as that of the holding portion 85 of the cam members 26F, 26R (description omitted). The rear coil spring 28R is made of the same material as the front coil spring 28F described above.

The coil springs 28F, 28R are formed by bending a metal wire S. As shown in FIG. 4, the coil springs 28F, 28R have an annular hook 62 formed at the end side of the spiral winding portion 61. Note that FIG. 4 shows only the hook 62 on one end side of the coil springs 28F, 28R, but a similar hook 62 is also provided on the other end side. The shape of each hook 62 is basically the same. The hook 62 on one end side of the coil springs 28F, 28R is connected to the rotating end of the cam member 26F, 26R, and the hook 62 on the other end side is connected to the tilting end of the water tray 20. Each hook 62 is formed so that the opening 62a faces in a direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 4) that is approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the winding portion 61 (vertical direction in FIG. 4).

Here, the water tray 20 has its tilting end and shaft side end supported by the water tray tilting mechanism 50 and support mechanism 30 inside the housing 12, so when an operator removes the water tray 20 to perform maintenance, the tilting end and shaft side end of the water tray 20 are separated from the housing 12. The shaft side end of the water tray 20 is removed from the housing 12 as described above. On the other hand, when separating the tilting end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12, it is necessary to remove the hook 62 provided at the upper end of the coil springs 28F, 28R from the holding portion 85 of the cam members 26F, 26R, or remove the hook 62 provided at the lower end of the coil springs 28F, 28R from the holding portion 85 of the water tray 20. However, in general, after the hook 62 is engaged with the holding groove 89, the hook 62 is crushed with a tool or the like to narrow the opening 62a, so that when an operator tries to remove the hook 62 from the holding groove 89, the hook 62 is firmly engaged with the holding groove 89 in a crushed state, and the operation of removing the hook 62 is time-consuming. In this case, if the opening 62a of the hook 62 is formed large and the hook 62 is not crushed after being hooked on the holding groove 89, the hook 62 can be easily removed, but this increases the possibility that the flange 88 of the holding part 85 will not prevent the hook 62 from coming off the holding groove 89. The hook 62 may come off the holding groove 89 at a time when the transition from ice-making operation to de-icing operation begins, for example. In this case, when the top surface of water tray 20 in the closed position is frozen with ice blocks in ice-making chamber 16, cam members 26F, 26R start to rotate in the normal direction from the upright position to the tilted position, so that the distance between holding portion 85 of cam members 26F, 26R and holding portion 85 of water tray 20 gradually narrows, and as a result, hook 62 becomes less likely to catch on holding groove 89, increasing the possibility that hook 62 will come off holding groove 89. Hook 62 of coil spring 28F, 28R is usually firmly engaged with holding groove 89 to prevent such disengagement from holding groove 89. Therefore, the task of removing hook 62 from holding groove 89 is time-consuming. For these reasons, in order to make it easier to remove the hooks 62, the coil springs 28F, 28R are provided with an operation target 63, and by applying a force in a predetermined direction to the operation target 63, the inner diameter of the hooks 62 provided on the upper ends of the coil springs 28F, 28R in the state shown in FIG. 4 can be enlarged. In the first embodiment, the operation target 63 is provided as a lever 63A that can be pressed by the operator's finger.

Specifically, the lever 63A (operation target portion 63) is formed by a portion of the wire S of the coil spring 28F, 28R that is located further toward the end side than the portion (hook forming portion) that forms one of the hooks 62 provided at the end side of the winding portion 61. Here, the hook forming portion of the wire S is provided in a ring shape so that the end portion (referred to as one end portion) Sa that is connected to the winding portion 61 to the other end portion (referred to as the other end portion) Sb extends for a length that is more than one revolution around the holding portion 85 (small diameter portion 86). In other words, both ends Sa, Sb of the range formed by the wire S of the hook 62 are arc-shaped, and overlap each other in the thickness direction (the protruding direction of the holding portion 85). Then, by bending the portion of the wire S that is closer to the end than the hook forming portion at a position slightly away from the winding portion 61, the lever 63A (operation target portion 63) is provided so as to extend outward (in the radial direction of the hook 62) from the other end Sb of the hook forming portion. With this configuration, by pressing the lever 63A toward the winding portion 61 (applying a pressing force in the direction of the arrow Y1), the hook 62 is deformed so that the opening 62a of the hook 62 expands outward overall.

In this way, in Example 1, the wire S of the coil springs 28F, 28R is extended in a ring shape around the retaining portion 85 (small diameter portion 86) for a length that is longer than one revolution to form the hook 62, thereby increasing the strength of the hook 62. Furthermore, the coil springs 28F, 28R are provided with an operation target portion 63, and when a force is applied to the operation target portion 63 in a predetermined direction, the hook 62 is deformed to expand its inner diameter dimension (the dimension of the opening 62a with which the retaining portion 85 engages). This makes it easier to remove the hook 62 from the retaining portion 85 than if the operation target portion 63 were not provided. In this case, the hook forming portion of the wire S is annularly provided so as to extend more than one revolution around the holding portion 85 (small diameter portion 86), so that the size (inner diameter) of the opening 62a of the hook 62 is generally enlarged by pressing the lever 63A as the operation target portion 63 toward the winding portion 61 (pressing in a direction along the outer peripheral shape of the hook 62). Therefore, by operating the operation target portion 63, the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be shaped to make it easy to attach and detach the hook 62 to and from the holding portion 85.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5(b), the hooks 62 of the coil springs 28F, 28R are formed in an elliptical shape that is long in the extension direction of the coil springs 28F, 28R (vertical direction in Figure 4). Therefore, compared to a hook having a perfect circle shape with the same inner diameter dimension as the inner diameter dimension in the longitudinal direction of the hook 62, the inner diameter dimension in the transverse direction is smaller, so that the wobble of the hook 62 to the left and right with respect to the holding portion 85 can be suppressed. Also, compared to a hook having a perfect circle shape with the same inner diameter dimension as the inner diameter dimension in the transverse direction of the hook 62, the opening dimension of the hook 62 can be made larger by the larger inner diameter dimension in the longitudinal direction, so that the hook 62 can be easily attached to and detached from the holding portion 65 (holding groove portion 89) by pressing the lever A.

(Operation of the water tray tilting mechanism 50 during operation)
In the automatic ice maker 10 of the first embodiment, during ice making operation, the front and rear cam members 26F, 26R of the water tray tilting mechanism 50 are in an upright position, and the water tray 20 is held in a closed position that closes the ice making chamber 16 from below by the elasticity of the coil springs 28F, 28R interposed between the holding portion 85 of the water tray 20 and the holding portion 85 of the cam members 26F, 26R. The ice making operation is performed in this state, and when ice blocks are generated in the ice making chamber 16, the ice making operation ends and the operation shifts to the de-icing operation. When the operation shifts to the de-icing operation, the cam members 26F, 26R start to rotate in the forward direction by the forward drive of the actuator motor AM. At this time, the water tray 20 is pushed down by the cam portions 52c of the cam members 26F, 26R, and the ice formed between the ice blocks in the ice making chamber 16 and the top surface of the water tray 20 is removed. When the water tray 20 is completely detached from the ice blocks in the ice making chamber 16, it falls under its own weight and tilts while being held by the elasticity of the coil springs 28F, 28R between the rotating cam members 26F, 26R. When the cam members 26F, 26R rotate a predetermined angle and change to a tilted position, the forward drive by the actuator motor AM ends, the rotation of the cam members 26F, 26R stops, and the water tray 20 is held in the open position. When the de-icing operation proceeds in this state and all the ice blocks fall from the ice making chamber 16, the actuator motor AM is reverse-driven, and the cam members 26F, 26R in the tilted position rotate in the reverse direction and change to an upright position. As a result, the water tray 20 tilts upward and is held in the closed position, and the ice making operation starts again.

(About the work involved in performing maintenance on the water tray 20)
When removing the water tray 20 from the housing 12 for maintenance, the water tray 20 is tilted to the open position (inclined posture) (de-icing operation state), operation is stopped, and the front side of the housing 12 is opened by removing the front panel 12a from the housing 12, and the work to remove the water tray 20 is performed from the front side of the housing 12. To remove the water tray 20, first, the tilting end of the water tray 20 supported by the water tray tilting mechanism 50 is separated from the housing 12, and then the shaft side end of the water tray 20 supported by the support mechanism 30 is separated from the housing 12. The water tray tilting mechanism 50 supports the front portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20 with the front cam member 26F and the front coil spring 28F, and supports the rear portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20 with the rear cam member 26R and the rear coil spring 28R.Therefore, the tilting end of the water tray 20 can be separated from the housing 12 by removing either the upper or lower hook 62 of the front coil spring 28F from the retaining groove portion 89 of the retaining portion 85, and by removing either the upper or lower hook 62 of the rear coil spring 28R from the retaining groove portion 89 of the retaining portion 85.

When separating the tilting end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12, generally, the hook 62 provided at the upper end of the coil spring 28F, 28R is pulled outward to forcibly enlarge and deform the opening 62a, and to separate it from the retaining portion 85 (retaining groove portion 89) provided on the cam member 26F, 26R. At this time, since the hook 62 is engaged with the retaining groove portion 89, the task of pulling the hook 62 outward is not easy and is very time-consuming. In contrast, the automatic ice maker 10 of Example 1 is provided with a lever 63A as the operation target portion 63 on the coil spring 28F, 28R. The coil springs 28F, 28R form a long elliptical hook 62 along the extension direction of the coil springs 28F, 28R by extending the portion of the wire S on the end side of the winding portion 61 around the holding portion 85 (small diameter portion 86) for a length of more than one revolution, and form a lever 63A (operation target portion 63) by bending the portion on the end side of the hook 62 (hook forming portion) toward the outside of the hook 62. Therefore, by pressing the lever 63A toward the winding portion 61 (applying a pressing force in the direction of the arrow Y1 in FIG. 4), the opening 62a of the hook 62 expands downward and to the left in FIG. 4. In other words, the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be easily expanded by operating the lever 63A, and the hook 62 can be released from the holding groove portion 89 without much effort.

Once the separation work for the tilting end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12 is completed, the next step is to separate the axial end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12. Here, the support mechanism 30 is configured such that the front water tray support plate 34F provided on the water tray 20 is pivoted by a front bearing bracket 32F fixed to the front mounting column 12d of the housing 12, and the rear water tray support plate 34R provided on the water tray 20 is pivoted by a rear bearing bracket 32R fixed to the rear mounting column 12d of the housing 12 (the water tray 20 is pivoted by two support sets), but the support set consisting of the front water tray support plate 34F and bearing bracket 32F and the support set consisting of the rear water tray support plate 34R and bearing bracket 32R are connected at the same time by inserting one pivot pin 36 from the front in a latch-like manner through the through hole 38 of each component, and the pivot pin 36 is prevented from slipping out forward by a fall-out prevention means 40. Therefore, when removing the shaft end of the water tray 20 from the housing 12, the retaining means 40 located on the front side inside the housing 12 is removed to release the retaining mechanism of the pivot pin 36. Then, by pulling the pivot pin 36 out to the front side, the connection between the bearing fittings 32F, 32R and the water tray support plates 34F, 34R is released. This separates the water tray 20 from the housing 12, making it possible to perform maintenance on the water tray 20 outside the housing 12.

(Installation of water tray 20 after maintenance is completed)
When the maintenance of the water tray 20 outside the housing 12 is completed, the water tray 20 is attached to the inside of the housing 12. In this case, first, the shaft end of the water tray 20 is assembled so as to be supported by the support mechanism 30, and then the tilting end of the water tray 20 is assembled so as to be supported by the water tray tilting mechanism 50. When assembling the shaft end of the water tray 20 to the housing 12, the position of the through hole 38 is aligned between the front water tray support plate 34F and the front bearing metal fitting 32F, and the position of the through hole 38 is aligned between the rear water tray support plate 34R and the rear mounting column 12d, and in this state, the pivot pin 36 is inserted from the front side so as to pass through the through holes 38 of each member. At this time, the tip 36a of the pivot pin 36 in the insertion direction is tapered, so that it can easily pass through each through hole 38. In addition, because the end portion 36b of the pivot pin 36 has a larger diameter than the other portions, the pivot pin 36 will not slip out forward through each of the through holes 38. Then, by attaching the retaining means 40 to the front surface of the front bearing metal fitting 32F with the pivot pin 36 inserted through each of the through holes 38, the retaining means 40 will come close to the end portion 36b of the pivot pin 36, preventing the pivot pin 36 from slipping out backward. This results in the shaft side end of the water tray 20 being supported by the support mechanism 30 (attached to the housing 12).

After the work of attaching the shaft end of the water tray 20 to the housing 12 is completed, the next step is to attach the tilting end of the water tray 20 to the housing 12. Inside the housing 12, the cam members 26F, 26R are positioned in a tilted position. Meanwhile, the rear coil spring 28R is connected to the tilting end of the water tray 20. Therefore, by pressing the lever 63A of the coil springs 28F, 28R connected to the water tray 20 side toward the winding portion 61, the hook 29b located on the opposite side to the water tray 20 is spread, and in this state, it is hooked and engaged with the holding groove portion 89 of the holding portion 85 of the front cam member 26F. As a result, both the rear and front portions of the tilting end of the water tray 20 are assembled to the housing 12, and the tilting end of the water tray 20 is supported by the water tray tilting mechanism 50. In other words, the water tray 20 is correctly assembled to the housing 12, and operation can be resumed.

[Modification 1-1]
The lever 63A (operation target portion 63) of the coil springs 28F, 28R of the first embodiment is formed by a straight portion of the wire S, and the end face of the wire S is the end face of the lever 63A itself, so that a corner is formed at the extended end of the lever 63A. Therefore, there is a possibility that an operator who operates the lever 63A by pressing the lever 63A may injure his/her fingers. To eliminate such a concern, the extended end of the lever 63A can be formed by a folded portion 65 of the wire S as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the end face of the lever 63A becomes a curved surface, and it is possible to prevent an operator from being injured by contact.

[Modification 1-2]
7, in the case of a configuration in which the opening dimension of the hook 62 can be enlarged by pressing the lever 63 (operation target portion) toward the winding portion 61, if the lever 63A is bent toward the winding portion 61 at a midpoint, the extended end of the lever 63A faces the opposite side to the side that receives the pressing operation by the operator, so that the extended end of the lever 63A can be separated from the part that receives the pressing operation by the operator. Therefore, the fingers of the operator who presses the lever 63A are unlikely to come into contact with the extended end of the lever 63A, and injury to the operator can be prevented. In addition, by adopting this in combination with the configuration of the folded portion 65 of the modified example 1, the safety when operating the lever 63A can be further improved.

Next, the automatic ice maker 10 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 8(a) and 8(b). The configuration that differs from the first embodiment will be basically described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. The automatic ice maker 10 of the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment described above in that it is provided with a lever 63A as the operation target portion 63. However, the shape of the hooks 62 of the coil springs 28F, 28R is different from that of the first embodiment. For this reason, the configuration relating to the hooks 62 of the coil springs 28F, 28R will be mainly described.

In the above-described first embodiment, both arc-shaped ends Sa, Sb of the portion (hook forming portion) of the wire S that forms one of the hooks 62 are overlapped in the thickness direction (the protruding direction of the holding portion 85) of the hook 62. For this reason, if the portion of the hook 62 close to the winding portion 61 has a thickness and, for example, the groove width of the holding groove portion 89 is narrow due to a dimensional tolerance, there is a concern that the hook 62 may slide inside the holding groove portion 89, causing the holding portion 85 to be scraped off or the hook 62 to be deformed. Therefore, in Example 2, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8( b ), when coil springs 28F, 28R are receiving the load of the water tray 20 and hook 62 is engaged with retaining groove 89 of retaining portion 85, one end Sa of the hook forming portion connected to winding portion 61 intersects with the other end Sb outside of retaining groove 89, and lever 63A as the operation target portion 63 extends from the other end Sb of the hook forming portion toward the outside of hook 62, so that the intersection of one end Sa and the other end Sb of the hook forming portion and lever 63A extending from the other end Sb are positioned outside the retaining groove 89. With this configuration of the coil springs 28F, 28R of Example 2, by pressing the lever 63A toward the winding portion 61 (applying a pressing force in the direction of arrow Y2), the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be expanded outward as a whole, making it easier to pass the holding portion 85 through the opening 62a of the hook 62 and allowing the hook 62 to be easily attached and detached from the holding groove portion 89.

In this way, in the second embodiment, the size (inner diameter) of the opening 62a of the hook 62 is expanded overall by pressing the lever 63A as the operation target portion 63 toward the winding portion 61 (pressing in a direction along the outer circumferential shape of the hook 62). That is, the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be expanded to a shape that makes it easy to engage with the holding groove portion 89 of the holding portion 85 in response to the operation of the lever A. In addition, the coil springs 28F, 28R that receive the load of the water tray 20 are configured such that both ends Sa, Sb of the hook forming portion of the wire S intersect outside the holding groove portion 89, and the intersecting portion and the lever 63A are positioned outside the holding groove portion 89. This makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the hook 62 (overlapping portion of the wire S) and to prevent the entire hook 62 from fitting into the holding groove portion 89. In other words, it is possible to prevent the retaining portion 85 from being scraped or the hook 62 from being deformed due to the hook 62 sliding inside the retaining groove portion 89.

In addition, in the coil springs 28F and 28R of the second embodiment, when the hook 62 is engaged with the holding groove 89 as shown in Figs. 8(a) and 8(b), the lever 63A is in a position disengaged from the holding groove 89 (specifically, in a position close to or in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the base 87) and faces the outer circumferential surface of the base 87 (holding portion 85). In other words, the clearance of the hook 62 engaged with the holding groove 89 of the holding portion 85 is restricted by the contact between the lever 63A and the base 87, preventing the portion of the hook 62 that is separated from the lever 63A (the upper part of the hook 62 in Fig. 8(a)) from protruding outside the holding groove 89 (the upper side in Fig. 8(a)), thereby avoiding a problem in which the hook 62 interferes with a component on the housing 12 side.

The lever 63A in Example 2 is formed so as to bend midway. This allows the base end 66 from the inside of the winding section 61 to the bent portion to be separated from the winding section 61, ensuring space for movement when pressed, while allowing the extending end 67 on the tip side of the bent portion to be positioned for easy operation.

Next, the automatic ice maker 10 according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 9. The configurations different from those of the first and second embodiments will be basically described, and the same components as those of the first and second embodiments will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. The automatic ice maker 10 of the third embodiment is the same as the first and second embodiments in that it has a lever 63A as the operation target portion 63. However, the shape of the hook 62 on one side (the upper end) of the coil springs 28F, 28R is different from that of the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the configurations related to the hooks 62 of the coil springs 28F, 28R will be mainly described.

The portion (hook forming portion) of the wire S of the coil spring 28F, 28R that forms the hook 62 extends from one end Sa connected to the winding portion 61 to the other end Sb around the holding portion 85 for a length not exceeding one revolution, and both ends Sa, Sb of the hook forming portion are provided so as to face each other in the circumferential direction. That is, the dimension of the hook 62 in the thickness direction (the protruding direction of the holding portion 85) is the same as the diameter dimension of the wire S, and the hook 62 is formed thin. And, the lever 63A as the operation target portion 63 is formed so as to extend from the other end sb of the hook forming portion of the wire S toward the opposite side to the one end Sa. As a result, in the coil spring 28F, 28R, by moving the lever 63A to the side away from the winding portion 61 (for example, by applying a pressing force in the direction of the arrow Y3 or the arrow Y4), the hook 62 deforms so that the dimension of its opening 62a expands in the left-right direction in FIG. 9.

In this way, in the third embodiment, both ends Sa, Sb of the wire S of the coil springs 28F, 28R that form the hook 62 are opposed to each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the wire S does not overlap with the hook 62, and the hook 62 can be formed thin. Therefore, as in the second embodiment described above, scraping of the holding portion 85 and deformation of the hook 62 caused by the hook 62 sliding inside the holding groove 89 can be prevented. In addition, the lever 63A (operation target portion 63) is provided so as to extend from the other end Sb of the hook forming portion of the wire S to the opposite side to the one end Sa, so that pulling or pressing the lever 63A away from the winding portion 61 moves the one end Sa and the other end Sb of the hook forming portion relatively away from each other, and the gap between them is enlarged. By pressing the small diameter portion 86 of the holding portion 85 against this gap and inserting it, the hook 62 can be easily engaged with the holding groove 89.

Note that the lever 63A in Example 3 is formed so as to bend midway, and the extending end 67 on the tip side of the bent portion extends approximately parallel to the extending direction of the winding portion 61 (the up-down direction in FIG. 9). This makes it easy to pull (apply force in a specified direction) the extending end 67 of the lever 63A away from the winding portion 61 (in the direction of the arrow Y4) with a tool such as pliers or other operating tool, and the size of the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be enlarged using the operating tool.

Next, the automatic ice maker 10 according to Example 4 will be described below with reference to FIG. 10. Note that only the configurations that differ from Examples 1 to 3 will be basically described, and the same configurations as Examples 1 to 3 will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. The automatic ice maker 10 of Example 4 has a mounting portion 63B as the operation target portion 63 that corresponds to the hook 62 on one side (the upper end) of the coil springs 28F, 28R. For this reason, the configuration relating to the mounting portion 63B of the coil springs 28F, 28R will be mainly described.

The portion (hook forming portion) forming the hook 62 of one (upper end) of the wire S of the coil spring 28F, 28R extends from one end Sa connected to the winding portion 61 to the other end Sb around the holding portion 85 for a length not exceeding one revolution. However, a part of the hook forming portion (lower left in FIG. 10) is bent so as to protrude in a mountain shape in the radial direction of the holding portion 85 (small diameter portion 86). By forming this mountain-shaped protruding portion, a part of the inner circumferential surface of the hook 62 becomes concave and is separated from the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 86 (the circumferential surface forming the bottom of the holding groove portion 89), forming an insertion space (space) 69 through which the connection wire 101 of the specified hook operating tool 100 can pass. In other words, the mountain-shaped protruding portion in the radial direction of the hook forming portion functions as the attachment portion 63B to which the specified hook operating tool 100 can be attached. Therefore, in Example 4, the connection wire 101 of the hook operating tool 100 is passed through the insertion space 69 and attached to the attachment portion 63B, and the hook operating tool 100 pulls the attachment portion 63B in the radial direction of the hook 62 (in the direction of the arrow Y5), causing the hook 62 to deform so as to expand the dimensions of its opening 62a.

In this way, in the fourth embodiment, the hook 62 (the hook forming portion of the wire S) is provided with the covering portion 63B (the operation target portion 63) that forms the insertion space 69 between the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 86 (the peripheral surface that forms the bottom of the holding groove portion 89). This allows the hook operating tool 100 to be attached using the insertion space 69, and the hook operating tool 100 is used to pull the covering portion 63B in the radial direction of the hook 62 (applying a force in a predetermined direction), thereby expanding the dimension of the opening 62a of the hook 62 in the left-right direction in FIG. 10, making it easy to apply a force to the hook 62 to expand it. In addition, as in the third embodiment described above, the dimension of the hook 62 in the thickness direction is suppressed, so that scraping of the holding portion 85 and deformation of the hook 62 due to the hook 62 sliding inside the holding groove portion 89 can be prevented.

The example in FIG. 10 shows a configuration in which the attachment portion 63B is provided on the assumption that the hook operating tool 100 is used to remove the hook 62 from the holding portion 85, and the insertion space 69 is formed to be large enough to allow the connection line 101 of the hook operating tool 100 to pass through. In contrast, if the attachment portion 63B is made to protrude significantly in the radial direction of the holding portion 85 (small diameter portion 86), the insertion space 69 can be made large, and a configuration can be realized in which the size of the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be enlarged by the operator hooking his or her fingers on the attachment portion 63B (operation target portion 63) and pulling it.

[Modified Example 4-1]
The covered portion 63B (operation target portion 63) of the coil springs 28F and 28R of the fourth embodiment is formed by bending a part of the hook forming portion. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 11, by forming the covered portion 63B in a portion of the wire S that is closer to the end side than the hook forming portion, it becomes relatively easy to form an insertion space 69 for passing the connection line 101 of the hook operation tool 100 outside the holding groove portion 89. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 11, the covered portion 63B is formed in an annular shape on the outer periphery side of the hook 62, and the insertion space 69 is formed inside it. That is, when the connection line 101 of the hook operation tool 100 is passed through the insertion space 69 and attached to the covered portion 63B, the hook operation tool 100 pulls the covered portion 63B in the radial direction of the hook 62 (applying a force in a predetermined direction), so that the hook 62 deforms so as to expand the dimension of the opening 62a. Therefore, a configuration can be achieved in which a force for expanding the hook 62 can be easily applied to the hook 62. In this case, the dimension of the hook 62 in the thickness direction is reduced, so that it is possible to prevent scraping of the holding portion 85 and deformation of the hook 62 caused by the hook 62 sliding inside the holding groove portion 89. If the attachment portion 63B is enlarged to form a large insertion space 69, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the dimension of the opening 62a of the hook 62 can be enlarged by the operator hooking his or her fingers on the attachment portion 63B (the operation target portion 63) and pulling it.

Next, the automatic ice maker 10 according to the fifth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 12. Note that only the configurations that differ from the first to fourth embodiments will be described, and the same components as the first to fourth embodiments will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. The automatic ice maker 10 according to the fifth embodiment is configured such that the coil springs 28F, 28R have an operating member 63C that is a separate member from the wire S. For this reason, the configuration relating to the operating member 63C will be mainly described.

The coil springs 28F, 28R of the fifth embodiment are configured to have a wire S that forms the wound portion 61 and the annular hook 62, and an operating member 63C (operation target portion 63) that is a separate member from the wire S. The operating member 63C is configured to have a cylindrical portion 71a that is attached to the hook 62, an operating ring 71b on which an operator can hook his or her fingers, and a connection wire 71c that connects the operating ring 71b and the cylindrical portion 71a. Then, by pulling the operating member 63C in the radial direction of the hook 62, the hook 62 deforms so as to enlarge the dimension of its opening 62a.

The portion of the wire S that forms the hook 62 (hook forming portion) is formed so that the one end Sa connected to the winding portion 61 and the other end Sb extend around the holding portion 85 for a length not exceeding one revolution, and both ends Sa, Sb are close to each other or abut. In contrast, the cylindrical portion 71a of the operating member 63C is configured to be movable along the hook 62. In other words, the operating member 63C can change the connection position (position of the cylindrical portion 71a) with respect to the hook 62. The hook 62 prevents the cylindrical portion 71a of the operating member 71 from coming off by bringing both ends Sa, Sb of the hook forming portion of the wire S into a state of closeness or abutment. In addition, since the hook 62 is formed in an elliptical shape, the movement range 72 (see FIG. 12) of the cylindrical portion 71a is restricted by the part of the hook 62 with a large curvature (the upper end of the hook 62 in FIG. 12).

In this way, in the fifth embodiment, the size of the opening 62a of the hook 62 is expanded in the left-right direction in FIG. 12 by pulling the operating member 63C (operation target portion 63) constituting the coil springs 28F, 28R in the radial direction of the hook 62 (applying a force in a predetermined direction). This allows the hook 62 to be removed from the holding portion 85 with a simple operation. In addition, since the position of the operating member 63C relative to the hook 62 can be changed, the degree of freedom in the pulling direction when expanding the hook 62 can be increased. Note that the hook 62 in the fifth embodiment has a reduced dimension in the thickness direction as in the third and fourth embodiments described above, so that scraping of the holding portion 85 and deformation of the hook 62 caused by the hook 62 sliding inside the holding groove portion 89 can be prevented.

Next, the automatic ice maker 10 according to Example 6 will be described below with reference to Figures 13(a) and 13(b). Note that only the configurations that differ from Examples 1 to 5 will be basically described, and the same configurations as Examples 1 to 5 will be given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted. Here, since the configuration of the automatic ice maker 10 in Example 6 is characterized by the configuration of the rear cam member 26R that supports the rear portion of the tilting end of the water tray 20, the configuration related to the rear cam member 26R will be mainly described in Example 6. Note that for the rear coil spring 28R held by the rear cam member 26R, each coil spring 28R described in Examples 1 to 5 above can be used.

First, referring again to FIG. 3, we will confirm the problem regarding the positional relationship between the rear cam member 26R and the rear coil spring 28R in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, as described above, the front and rear cam members 26F, 26R are configured so that the coil springs 28F, 28R can be connected to the front surface 27 side, so that the hooks 62 can be removed from both cam members 26F, 26R while being visually observed from the front of the machine. However, in this configuration, the rear cam member 26R extends obliquely from the shaft side end toward the rear upper side, so that the rear coil spring 28R can come into contact with the rear cam member 26R over a wide range when the water tray 20 is pulled up to the closed position. Therefore, every time the water tray 20 is moved from the open position to the closed position, a load is applied from the rear coil spring 28R to the rear cam member 26R, and the rear cam member 26R and the rear coil spring 28R are easily damaged.

Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 13(a) and Fig. 13(b), the rear cam member 26R that holds the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R is composed of a cylindrical shaft portion 81 that extends along the rotation center of the rear cam member 26R from the front side to the rear side of the rear coil spring 28R, and an arm 82 that extends radially from the rear end side of the shaft portion 81 and holds the upper end of the rear coil spring 28R on the front surface 27 side. In this way, when the water tray 20 is moved from the open position to the closed position, the rear coil spring 28R does not come into contact with the arm 82 of the rear cam member 26R, but only with the shaft portion 81. In addition, since the shaft portion 81 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the rear coil spring 28R is not received on a flat surface, and the contact area can be reduced. Therefore, damage to the rear cam member 26R and the rear coil spring 28R can be suppressed.

[Modified Example 6-1]
Here, even when the rear cam member 26R of the sixth embodiment described above is adopted, the rear coil spring 28R comes into contact with the shaft portion 81, and therefore the shaft portion 81 will deteriorate due to wear and other reasons if used for a long period of time. In consideration of this, as shown in FIG. 14, it is preferable to configure the cam base 80 fixed to the camshaft 24 and the arm 82 to be connected by the shaft portion 81, and to make the shaft portion 81 a separate member that is detachable from the cam base 80 and the arm 82. By configuring in this way, it is possible to replace only the part (shaft portion 81) of the rear cam member 26R that the rear coil spring 28R may come into contact with. In addition, by forming the shaft portion 81 from a material that has a higher sliding property (lower friction coefficient) than the cam base 80 and the arm 82, it is possible to impart high sliding property only to the part (shaft portion 81) of the rear cam member 26R that the rear coil spring 28R may come into contact with, thereby reducing costs.

As shown in FIG. 14, the shaft portion 81 has a first fitting portion 81a that fits into the uneven shape on the cam base 80 side, a second fitting portion 81b that fits into the uneven shape on the arm 82 side, and a passing portion 81c through which the screw member N that fixes the cam base 80 and the arm 82 passes, and is configured to be assembled without rattle. In other words, the rear cam member 26R can be configured to have high durability against contact with the rear coil spring 28R and to stably support the water tray 20 while allowing the shaft portion 81 to be replaced as a separate member.

[Example of change]
The present application is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and for example, the following configurations can be appropriately adopted.
(1) In Examples 1 to 6, the hook formed on the coil spring is formed into a ring (more specifically, an ellipse that is long along the extension direction of the coil spring), but it may be formed into another shape (for example, a perfect circle, a V-shape, a U-shape, an ellipse that is long along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the coil spring, an ellipse that is long along an inclined direction relative to the extension direction of the coil spring, etc.) as long as it can engage with the retaining portion.
(2) In the first to sixth embodiments, an operating object is provided only on one end of the coil spring, and one of the hooks is deformed to enlarge the size of the opening 62a by applying a force in a predetermined direction to the operating object, but an operating object may be provided on both ends of the coil spring, and one of the hooks is deformed to enlarge the size of the opening 62a by applying a force in a predetermined direction to one of the operating object, and the other hook is deformed to enlarge the size of the opening 62a by applying a force in a predetermined direction to the other operating object. In this way, by providing operating objects corresponding to both hooks of the coil spring, the hooks can be easily removed from both the water tray and the cam member holding portions, and the degree of freedom in removing the water tray can be increased.
(3) In the first to sixth embodiments, the hook that can expand the size of the opening 62a by operating the operation target portion is held by a holding portion provided on the outer surface of the cam member, but it may be held by a holding portion provided on the outer surface of the water tray. In other words, in order to separate the tilting end of the water tray from the cam member, it is sufficient to be able to remove the coil spring from the holding portion provided on either the water tray or the cam member.
(4) In the first to sixth embodiments, the grooves that the hooks of the coil spring engage with are formed in an annular shape around the outer periphery of the holder, but the grooves do not have to be annular. In particular, the water tray holder has a small rotation angle, and the positional relationship with the hooks of the lower end of the coil spring does not change significantly, so there is no problem if the grooves are provided only in the lower part of the outer periphery of the holder.

12 Housing, 16 Ice making chamber, 20 Water tray, 24 Camshaft,
26F front cam member (cam member), 26R rear cam member (cam member),
28F Front coil spring (coil spring), 28R Rear coil spring (coil spring),
50 Water tray tilting mechanism, 61 Winding portion, 62 Hook, 62a Hook opening,
63 Operation target part, 63A Lever (operation target part), 63B Adherence part (operation target part),
63C operating member (operation target portion), 65 folding portion,
67: extension end portion, 69: insertion space (space), 80: cam base portion, 81: shaft portion, 82: arm,
85 Retaining portion, 88 Flange, 89 Retaining groove portion (groove portion),
AM Actuator motor, S Wire

Claims (8)

An automatic ice maker including, inside a housing (12), a concave plate-shaped ice making chamber (16) that opens downward, a water tray (20) arranged below the ice making chamber (16), and a water tray tilting mechanism (50) that tilts the water tray (20) up and down around one end side of the water tray as an axis,
the water tray tilting mechanism (50) includes an actuator motor (AM), a cam member (26F, 26R) that rotates in response to driving of the actuator motor (AM), and a coil spring (28F, 28R) that vertically connects a rotating end of the cam member (26F, 26R) and a tilting end of the water tray (20);
The coil spring (28F, 28R) has a hook (62) on the end side of the spiral winding portion (61), and the hook (62) engages with a groove portion (89) formed in the outer peripheral surface of a holding portion (85) protruding from the outer surface of the cam member (26F, 26R) or the water tray (20) and is prevented from coming off by a flange (88) of the holding portion (85).
The portion of the wire (S) forming the coil spring (28F, 28R) forming the hook (62) is provided such that one end (Sa) connected to the winding portion (61) and the other end (Sb) intersect with each other outside the groove portion (89) of the holding portion (85) on the winding portion (61) side, and an operation target portion (63A) extends outward from the other end (Sb),
The operation target portion (63A) is formed so as to be bent toward the winding portion (61) at a midpoint,
By pressing the operation target portion ( 63A ) provided on the coil spring (28F, 28R) toward the winding portion (61) , the hook (62) is deformed so that the size of the opening in the hook (62) with which the holding portion (85) engages increases , and the operation target portion (63A) can come into contact with the winding portion (61) as the hook (62) deforms.
The automatic ice maker is characterized by: An automatic ice maker including, inside a housing (12), a concave plate-shaped ice making chamber (16) that opens downward, a water tray (20) arranged below the ice making chamber (16), and a water tray tilting mechanism (50) that tilts the water tray (20) up and down around one end side of the water tray as an axis,
the water tray tilting mechanism (50) includes an actuator motor (AM), a cam member (26F, 26R) that rotates in response to driving of the actuator motor (AM), and a coil spring (28F, 28R) that vertically connects a rotating end of the cam member (26F, 26R) and a tilting end of the water tray (20);
The coil spring (28F, 28R) has a hook (62) on the end side of the spiral winding portion (61), and the hook (62) engages with a groove portion (89) formed in the outer peripheral surface of a holding portion (85) protruding from the outer surface of the cam member (26F, 26R) or the water tray (20) and is prevented from coming off by a flange (88) of the holding portion (85).
a portion of the wire (S) forming the coil spring (28F, 28R) forming the hook (62) extends from one end (Sa) connected to the winding portion (61) to the other end (Sb) by a length that is greater than one revolution around the holding portion (85), and an operation target portion (63A) extends outward from the other end (Sb);
The coil springs (28F, 28R) are configured such that, when receiving the load of the water tray (20), the hooks (62) engage with the grooves (89) of the holding portion (85), and in this state, the other end (Sb) of the portion of the wire (S) forming the hooks (62) intersects with the one end (Sa) outside the grooves (89), and the intersecting portion and the operation target portion (63A) extending from the other end (Sb) are positioned outside the grooves (89);
The automatic ice maker is characterized in that, by pressing the operation target portion ( 63A ) provided on the coil spring (28F, 28R) toward the winding portion (61) , the hook (62) is deformed so that the dimension of the opening in the hook (62) that engages with the holding portion (85) is enlarged. An automatic ice maker including, inside a housing (12), a concave plate-shaped ice making chamber (16) that opens downward, a water tray (20) arranged below the ice making chamber (16), and a water tray tilting mechanism (50) that tilts the water tray (20) up and down around one end side of the water tray as an axis,
the water tray tilting mechanism (50) includes an actuator motor (AM), a cam member (26F, 26R) that rotates in response to the drive of the actuator motor (AM), and a coil spring (28F, 28R) that vertically connects a rotating end of the cam member (26F, 26R) and a tilting end of the water tray (20);
The coil spring (28F, 28R) has a hook (62) on the end side of the spiral winding portion (61), and the hook (62) engages with a groove portion (89) formed in the outer peripheral surface of a holding portion (85) protruding from the outer surface of the cam member (26F, 26R) or the water tray (20) and is prevented from coming off by a flange (88) of the holding portion (85).
When a force in a predetermined direction is applied to an operation target portion (63) provided on the coil spring (28F, 28R), the hook (62) is deformed so that a dimension of an opening in the hook (62) with which the holding portion (85) engages is enlarged, and
The coil spring (28) includes a rear coil spring (28R) whose lower end is held by a rear portion of the water tray (20) located at the back side of the housing (12) whose front surface is constituted by a front panel (12a), and the cam member (26) includes a rear cam member (26R) that holds an upper end of the rear coil spring (28R),
The rear cam member (26R) has a cylindrical shaft portion (81) that extends along the rotation center of the rear cam member (26R) from the front side to the rear side of the rear coil spring (28R), and an arm (82) that extends radially from the rear end side of the shaft portion (81). The holding portion (85) is provided at the extending end of the arm (82) so as to protrude forward, and the rear coil spring (28R) engaged with a groove portion (89) of the holding portion (85) is held on the front side of the arm (82), so that the rear coil spring (28R) does not come into contact with the arm (82) when the water tray (20) is tilted.
The automatic ice maker is characterized by: a portion of the wire (S) forming the coil spring (28F, 28R) forming the hook (62) extends from one end (Sa) connected to the winding portion (61) to the other end (Sb) by a length that exceeds one revolution around the holding portion (85), and the operation target portion (63A) extends outward from the other end (Sb), and a dimension of the opening (62a) of the hook (62) can be expanded by pressing the operation target portion (63A) toward the winding portion (61) ,
The automatic ice maker of claim 3, wherein the coil spring (28F, 28R) is configured such that, when receiving the load of the water tray (20), the hook (62) engages with the groove portion (89) of the retaining portion (85), and in this state, the other end (Sb) of the portion of the wire (S) forming the hook (62) intersects with the one end (Sa) outside the groove portion (89), and the intersecting portion and the operation target portion (63A) extending from the other end (Sb) are positioned outside the groove portion (89) . 5. The automatic ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the hook (62) is formed in an elliptical shape that is long along the extension direction of the coil spring (28). The automatic ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the extended end of the operation target portion (63A) is formed by a folded-back portion (65) of the wire (S). The automatic ice making machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the operation target portion (63A) is bent toward the winding portion (61) at a midpoint. 8. The automatic ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the operation target portion (63A) faces an outer circumferential surface of the holding portion (85) at a position outside the groove portion (89).

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