Refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus

• US 5,680,771 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Daewoo Electronics (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Seo, Mee-Ran, Yoo, Yeon-Sic
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/724,236
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 62/320, 241/DIG. 17
• US Class Current: 62/320
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/045 of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/08 for different type of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/12 Ice-shaving machines
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/04 Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/17 Ice crushers

Abstract

A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus enables to conveniently prepare food such as shaved ice with sugar syrup includes a motor and a section formed by plural links for transferring the motor in the axial direction. A clutch is installed between the motor and a freezing container which is formed with a clutch disc onto the bottom plane, and a rotating rod and brackets are installed for reversing the freezing container. A cutter is fixed to face the lower portion of the reversed to be rotated freezing container for crushing the ice within the freezing container. That is, the ice is crushed by the cutter while the freezing container is reversely rotated and transferred downward to be the food such as shaved ice with sugar syrup. Thus, the water is frozen to be crushed for preparing the shaved ice with sugar syrup simply and conveniently within the household refrigerator. Also, the shaved ice with sugar syrup can be prepared without taking out or relocating the ice to have an effect for sanitary reason.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus comprising:

a motor for producing a rotating force;

transfer means for transferring said motor in the axial direction;

a first clutch disc connected to a driving shaft of said motor;

a freezing container formed with a second clutch disc closely attached to said first clutch disc onto a bottom plane thereof;

container reverser means for reversing said freezing container for supporting the rotating motion of said freezing container in the axial line direction; and

ice crush means for crushing ice within said reversed freezing container.

2. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving shaft of said motor is installed perpendicularly downward.

3. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transfer means comprises:

a first link fixed to an upper plane of said motor;

a second link having one end connected to said first link;

a third link having one end connected to the other end of said second link and the other end connected to a first wall;

a fourth link having one end connected to a connecting portion of said second link and third link; and

a fifth link having one end connected to the other end of said fourth link, a center portion connected to said first wall, and the other end forming a free end.

4. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first to fifth links further comprises an elastic member having one end fixed to said first fixing wall and the other end connected to at least one link among said first to fifth links.

5. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said elastic member is comprised of a first spring having one end connected to said first wall and the other end connected to said fifth link.

6. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first clutch disc is formed with first projections onto an opposite plane of the plane connected with said driving shaft.

7. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first projections are formed to number three.

8. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first projections are formed to be long in the radius direction and are regularly spaced from one another in the circumferential direction.

9. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second clutch disc of said freezing container is formed with second projections.

10. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said second projections are formed to number three.

11. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said second projections are formed to be long in the radius direction and regularly spaced from one another in the circumferential direction.

12. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container reverser means comprises:

a disc formed with a container mounting hole in the center thereof for being inserted with said freezing container;

a rotating rod having both ends fixed into the opposite radius direction to each other at the outer periphery of said disc for reversing said disc; and

supporting means for supporting the rotating motion and perpendicular transferring of said rotating rod.

13. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said disc further comprises a hot wire internally.

14. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said disc further comprises hooks formed around said container mounting hole of said disc for fixing said freezing container.

15. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said hooks number three at the regular interval around said container mounting hole.

16. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein one end of said rotating rod is bent.

17. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said supporting means comprises:

at least one pair of brackets for receiving said rotating rod pierced therethrough and formed with a spring slit of a predetermined length in the perpendicular direction;

a journal installed to the interior of said spring slit for supporting said rotating rod;

a second spring installed into said interior of said spring slit for elastically supporting said journal; and

guide means for guiding the perpendicular transferring of said rotating rod.

18. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a weight balancer onto the other end of said rotating rod for facilitating the reversing motion of said freezing container.

19. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said guide means comprises:

a guide projection formed to the rotation center portion of said weight balancer;

a third spring installed into the interior of said weight balancer for elastically supporting said guide projection toward outside;

a second wall inserted with a portion of said guide projection and formed with a guide groove having a predetermined length in the perpendicular direction; and

a fourth spring installed around said rotating rod passing a portion between said bracket and weight balancer for elastically and closely attaching said weight balancer to said second wall.

20. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ice crush means comprises:

a cutter formed toward the interior of the reversed freezing container;

a center shaft installed to the lower portion of said cutter for fixing said cutter;

an exit disc for supporting said center shaft by means of at least one arm and formed with a male screw along the outer periphery thereof; and

a support plate formed with a female screw coupled with said male screw.

21. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said arm of said exit disc numbers three.

22. A refrigerator having an ice crush apparatus comprising:

a motor installed with a driving shaft perpendicularly downward for producing a rotating force;

a first link fixed to an upper plane of said motor;

a second link having one end connected to said first link;

a third link having one end connected to the other end of said second link and the other end connected to a first wall;

a fourth link having one end connected to a connecting portion of said second link and third link;

a fifth link having one end connected to the other end of said fourth link, a center portion connected to said first wall, and the other end forming a free end;

a first spring having one end connected to said first wall and the other end connected to said fifth link;

a first clutch disc having a plane connected to said driving shaft, and an opposite plane installed with first projections numbering three formed to be long in the radius direction at the regular interval in the circumferential direction;

a freezing container having a bottom plane formed with a second clutch disc closely attached to said first clutch disc onto thereof, said second clutch disc provided with second projections numbering three formed to be long in the radius direction at the regular interval in the circumferential direction;

a disc formed with a container mounting hole in the center thereof for being inserted with said freezing container, a hot wire therein, and hooks numbering three for fixing said freezing container around said container mounting hole at the regular interval;

a rotating rod having both ends fixed into the opposite radius direction to each other at the outer periphery of said disc for reversing said disc, the one end being bent and the other end being installed with a weight balancer;

a pair of brackets for receiving said rotating rod pierced therethrough and formed with a spring slit of a predetermined length in the perpendicular direction;

a journal installed to the interior of said spring slit for supporting said rotating rod;

a second spring installed into said interior of said spring slit for elastically supporting said journal;

a guide projection formed to the rotation center portion of said weight balancer;

a third spring installed into the interior of said weight balancer for elastically supporting said guide projection toward outside;

a second wall inserted with a portion of said guide projection and formed with a guide groove having a predetermined length in the perpendicular direction;

a fourth spring installed around said rotating rod passing a portion between said bracket and weight balancer for elastically and closely attaching said weight balancer to said second wall;

a cutter formed toward the interior of the reversed freezing container;

a center shaft installed to the lower portion of said cutter for fixing said cutter;

an exit disc for supporting said center shaft by means of three arms and formed with a male screw along the outer periphery thereof; and

a support plate formed with a female screw coupled with said male screw.