KR102385391B1 - Ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

The ice maker is started. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water; an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector therein and a power supply unit for supplying power to the motor and the heater, wherein one side of the ice heater is connected to a power source A power connection part is formed, and a passage part through which at least one of the icing heater and a lead wire connected to the icing heater passes is provided at one side of the control box, and an elastic member surrounding the power connection part is inserted into the passage part, and the An ice maker is provided, in which at least one of an elastic member and the ice transfer heater is in close contact with the ice tray side by a contact member.

Description

Ice Maker {ICE MAKER}

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an ice maker, and more particularly, to an ice maker having an ice heater including a high-efficiency ice heater of a direct connection method.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber in which food is refrigerated and a freezing chamber in which food is frozen. At this time, an ice maker for producing ice is installed in the freezing compartment or the refrigerating compartment.

A conventional ice maker for a refrigerator includes a heater at a lower portion of an ice tray. When ice making is completed, the heater slightly melts the ice tightly coupled to the inner surface of the ice tray so that the ice can be transferred. A U-shaped sheath heater was used as the heater, but the sheath heater has a small area in direct contact with the ice tray and the diameter of the tube constituting the sheath heater is large, so that the heating wire that generates heat is significantly different from the ice tray. have a gap. Accordingly, in the case of the sheath heater, heat transfer efficiency is low, and thus a lot of time and power are consumed to melt the ice in the ice tray.

To solve this, a planar heater using a metal thin film as a resistor may be used. In order to supply power to the planar heater, a lead wire connecting between the planar heater and the power source is required. Since the metal of the lead wire should not be exposed to the outside, a separate configuration is required to electrically insulate both ends of the lead wire. For this reason, the cost of an ice maker rises, and a manufacturing process becomes cumbersome.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2010-0116147 (2010.10.29)

SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention are to provide an ice maker that electrically insulates an ice heater and surrounding components.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention are intended to provide an ice maker that reliably insulates the ice heater and surrounding components even with a simple configuration.

SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention provide an ice maker capable of shortening an ice making time while reducing power consumption for an entire ice making process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water; an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector therein and a power supply unit for supplying power to the motor and the heater, wherein one side of the ice heater is connected to a power source A power connection part is formed, and a passage part through which at least one of the icing heater and a lead wire connected to the icing heater passes is provided at one side of the control box, and an elastic member surrounding the power connection part is inserted into the passage part, and the An ice maker is provided, in which at least one of an elastic member and the ice transfer heater is in close contact with the ice tray side by a contact member.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water; an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector therein and a power supply unit for supplying power to the motor and the heater, wherein one side of the ice heater is connected to a power source An ice maker is provided, in which a power connection part is formed, and the power connection part is inserted into an elastic member inserted into one side of the control box.

The elastic member may also serve as a packing member sealing the control box.

A separate packing member may be provided in the control box.

The elastic member may be an insulating member.

The elastic member may include at least one of silicone, resins, and rubber-based materials.

It may further include a blocking member capable of blocking the connection with the power source, wherein the blocking member or a connection line connected to the blocking member may be inserted into the elastic member together with the power connection part.

The elastic member may be formed in one or a plurality.

At least one of the elastic member and the ice heater may be in close contact with the ice tray side by the contact member.

The contact member may also closely contact a blocking member capable of blocking the connection to the power source toward the ice tray.

The contact member may closely contact at least one of a blocking member capable of blocking connection to the power source, the elastic member, and the ice heater toward the ice tray.

The contact member may have a contact surface having a round structure.

The adhesion member may have a support portion that opposes and supports the elastic member.

The control box may include a protrusion protruding toward the ice tray.

A cutout may be formed at one side of the power connection part.

A protrusion may be formed on the elastic member.

The icing heater may be a planar heater or a cord heater.

The power connector may be directly connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) in the control box.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water; an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and a control box provided to face the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector and a power supply unit for supplying power to the motor and the heater therein, wherein the ice heater can be cut off from power The ice maker is provided, wherein the member is connected, and at least one of the lead wire of the ice heater and the lead wire of the blocking member is introduced into the control box through one or more passages formed in the control box.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, by insulating the power connection portion of the ice heater through the elastic member, it is possible to reliably electrically insulate the ice heater and surrounding components from the outside, thereby improving the reliability of the ice maker.

In addition, the icing heater is in direct contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ice tray and the icing heater is in close contact with the ice tray, so that the heat transfer efficiency from the icing heater to the ice tray can be increased, and even with a small amount of heat and short operation time, the ice tray It is possible to melt the frozen ice on the inner surface.

In addition, by reducing the amount of heat generated by the ice heater, it is possible to diversify materials that can be used as the ice tray.

In addition, by forming a communication hole in the icing heater or attaching a plurality of icing heaters at intervals from each other, sufficient cold air is allowed to contact the ice tray while making ice in the ice tray, thereby shortening the ice production time.

In addition, by securely attaching the icing heater and the blocking member to the ice tray, the electrical connection between the icing heater and the blocking member can be strengthened, thereby preventing malfunction of the icing heater from occurring while the ice maker is in use.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a plan view of an ice heater according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a cross-sectional view of an ice heater according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a bottom view of an ice tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a perspective view of an icing heater and an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a cross-sectional view of an icing heater and an elastic member according to an embodiment of the present invention;
7 is a perspective view of an icing heater and an elastic member according to another embodiment of the present invention;
8 is a perspective view of an icing heater and an elastic member according to another embodiment of the present invention;
9 is a cross-sectional view of an icing heater and an elastic member according to another embodiment of the present invention;
10 is a perspective view of an ice heater according to another embodiment of the present invention;
11 is a cross-sectional view of an ice heater and an elastic member according to another embodiment of the present invention;
12 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
13 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention;
14 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of the heater of the present invention and an ice maker having the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14 . However, this is only an exemplary embodiment and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the description of the present invention, if it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. And, the terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to intentions or customs of users and operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the content throughout this specification.

The technical spirit of the present invention is determined by the claims, and the following examples are only one means for efficiently explaining the technical spirit of the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the ice maker 100 includes an ice tray 102 , an ejector 104 , an ice heater 120 , and a control box 110 .

The ice tray 102 may have an ice-making space accommodating water therein. A plurality of partition walls may be formed inside the ice tray 102 to separate the ice-making space into a plurality of spaces. In this case, each separated ice-making space in the ice tray 102 may be formed to correspond to the ejector pin 104 - 2 . The inner circumferential surface of the ice tray 102 may be provided in a semi-circular arc shape having a radius corresponding to the length of the ejector pin 104 - 2 so that the ejector pin 104 - 2 rotates to remove ice. The ice tray 102 may be formed of a metal, a resin, or a combination of a metal and a resin. In particular, in the prior art, the ice tray 102 had to be formed of a metal because the heat generated by the sheath heater or the like is high. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the ice heater 120 is formed thin, even if the temperature of the heat generated by the ice heater 120 is relatively low, the ice can be sufficiently formed in the ice tray 102 . Accordingly, it is also possible to use a resin as a material constituting the ice tray 102 .

The ejector 104 may serve to eject ice in the ice tray 102 . The ejector 104 is an ejector shaft 104-1 connected to a motor (104-3 in FIG. 2) in the control box 108 and a plurality of ejector pins 104- formed to be spaced apart from each other. 2) may be included. The ejector pin 104 - 2 may rotate in a predetermined direction (eg, clockwise in FIG. 1 ) about the ejector shaft 104 - 1 to eject ice in the ice tray 102 .

The ice heater 120 may be provided under the ice tray 102 . At this time, the ice heater 120 may be provided in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ice tray 102 . The ice heater 120 may be provided along the length direction of the ice tray 102 . The ice heater 120 may generate heat over a preset area. The ice heater 120 may be formed in a thin plate shape. For example, the thickness of the icing icing heater 120 may be greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1 mm. The lower limit of the thickness of the icing heater 120 may be appropriately set at the level of a person skilled in the art according to materials such as a heating element and an insulating member constituting the icing heater 120 . By manufacturing the icing heater 120 in a thin shape to reduce the heat capacity of the icing heater 120 , the icing heater 120 can be raised to a preset temperature within a short time. In this case, it is possible to reduce power consumption used in the ice heater 120 .

However, the icing heater 120 is not limited to a planar heater, and may be a cord heater.

In FIG. 1 , the ice heater 120 is illustrated as being provided at the lower center of the ice tray 102 , but is not limited thereto. In particular, the ice heater 120 may be provided to be biased to one side with respect to the center of the ice tray 102 . In this case, the structure of the printed circuit board in the control box 110 is simplified, and the control box 110 . The internal power cutoff unit and/or a temperature sensor (not shown) may be mounted on the ice tray 102 adjacent to each other while electrically connected to the icing heater 120 .

In addition, in order to adhere the icing heater 120 to the ice tray 102 , an adhesive may be used to adhere it, and an insert is formed by forming a space for the icing heater 120 to adhere to the ice tray 102 . may be assembled. A polyimide (PI) adhesive may be used as an adhesive for adhering the icing heater 120 to the ice tray 102, but is not limited thereto. ) can also be attached.

Also, if the surface of the ice tray 102 to which the ice heater 120 is adhered is curved, even if the ice heater 120 has flexibility, there is a risk of separation from the ice tray 102 . In order to prevent this, a portion of the surface 102a of the ice tray 102 to which the ice heater 120 is in close contact may be flat.

The control box 110 may be provided on one side of the ice tray 102 . The control box 110 may be coupled to the ice tray 102 at one side of the ice tray 102 . A control unit (not shown) for controlling the entire operation of the ice maker 100 may be provided in the control box 110 . In addition, the control box 110 may be provided with an icing motor (104-3 in FIG. 2 ) for rotating the ejector 104 in a preset direction. In the control box 110 , a power supply unit ( 106 in FIG. 2 ) for supplying power to the icing motor ( 104 - 3 in FIG. 2 ) and the icing heater 120 may be provided.

Here, the controller (not shown) may control the on or off operation of the icing heater 120 according to, for example, the rotational position of the ejector 104 or the lapse of the operation time of the ejector 104 . Specifically, the controller (not shown) may operate the ice heater 120 when the temperature of the ice tray 102 reaches a preset ice-making temperature (that is, the temperature at which the ice-making water in the ice tray 102 is fully iced). .

Next, the controller (not shown) rotates the ejector 104 clockwise in FIG. 1 to start icing the ice in the ice tray 102 . The controller (not shown) may turn off the ice heater 120 when the position of the ejector 104 passes the ice heater 120 . In this case, it is possible to reduce the power consumption required to melt the ice. At this time, the control unit (not shown) checks the home position of the ejector 104 through a position sensor (not shown) and then accumulates and calculates the number of pulse signals input from the divergence motor (not shown), thereby The position (that is, the rotation position of the ejector pin 104-2) can be confirmed.

Here, after the controller (not shown) turns on all of the ice heater 120 , when the ejector 104 passes the ice heater 120 , the ice heater 120 is turned off. The present invention is not limited thereto, and the operation of the icing heater 120 may be adjusted in various other ways.

In addition, although it has been described herein that the controller (not shown) controls the icing heater 120 according to the position of the ejector 104 , it is not limited thereto, and the controller (not shown) rotates the ejector 104 . According to this, the ice heater 120 may be controlled.

One side of the ice heater 120 may be in close contact with the ice tray 102 , and the other end of the ice heater 120 may be supported by the contact member 130 . The contact member 130 may make the ice heater 120 closely adhere to the ice tray 102 , so that heat generated from the ice heater 120 may be easily transferred to the ice tray 102 . In addition, the adhesion member 130 may serve as a heater cover that prevents the icing heater 120 from being exposed to the outside.

2 is a plan view of the icing heater 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the ice heater 120 has a thin plate shape, and is electrically connected to the heating unit 120-1 for supplying heat to the ice tray 102 and the power supply inlet 108 . It may be composed of a connection part 120 - 2 . The heating unit 120 - 1 and the power connection unit 120 - 2 may be divided by the packing member 140 . That is, the portion located outside the control box 110 without passing through the packing member 140 and in close contact with the lower portion of the ice tray 102 corresponds to the heating unit 120-1, and the packing member 140 is A portion that passes through and is located inside the control box 110 and is inserted into the power inlet 108 may correspond to the power connector 120 - 2 . A terminal 120a capable of being electrically connected to the lead wire 200 may be formed in the power connection part 120 - 2 . The terminal 120a may have a pattern formed of a metal.

At least one communication hole 125 may be formed in the heating unit 120 - 1 to allow the cold air to generate ice from the ice tray 102 to contact the ice tray 102 . The communication hole 125 may have a form in which a part of the ice heater 120 is removed so that external cold air can also reach the portion of the ice tray 102 to which the ice heater 120 is attached.

The heating unit 120-1 of the icing heater 120 may be formed to have a thinner thickness or a narrower width than the power supply unit 120-2. The heating part 120 - 1 is preferably formed thinly so as to be in close contact with the outer surface of the ice tray 102 , which is a curved surface, so as to be flexible. On the other hand, it is preferable that the power supply unit 120-2 is inserted into the power supply unit 108 to ensure mechanical strength so that it is firmly fixed, so it is preferable that the thickness is thicker or wider than that of the heating unit 120-1. Do. However, if the heating unit 120-1 is excessively bent while in close contact with the curved surface of the ice tray 102, the possibility that the heating unit 120-1 will be separated from the ice tray 102 increases. In order to prevent this, the ice tray It is also possible to make the partial surface (102a) to which the heating part 120-1 is attached among the outer surfaces of (102) as a flat surface.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the icing heater 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the icing heater 120 includes a first insulating layer 121 , a heating part 122 formed on the first insulating layer 121 , and a second insulating layer insulating the top of the heating part 122 . (123). After forming a metal layer on the first insulating layer 121 , the icing heater 120 forms a heating part 122 by patterning it through etching or the like, and is formed on the heating part 122 . 2 may be formed by forming the insulating layer 123 . The second insulating layer 123 of the ice heater 120 may be in close contact with the ice tray 102 .

Since the first insulating layer 121 must be maintained while etching is performed to form the heat generating portion 122, it is preferable to have a sufficient thickness to have a predetermined mechanical strength. In contrast, the second insulating layer 123 is a portion in close contact with the ice tray 102 , and may serve as a passage through which heat generated from the heating unit 122 is transmitted. Accordingly, the second insulating layer 123 preferably has a minimum thickness capable of electrically insulating. In conclusion, the thickness of the second insulating layer 123 is preferably thinner than the thickness of the first insulating layer 121 . In addition, the first insulating layer 121 may be formed of polyimide (PI), and the second insulating layer 123 may be formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In addition, at least one of the first insulating layer 121 and the second insulating layer 123 may be subjected to electron beam irradiation to cross-linking.

In addition, the heating part 122 may be formed of not only a metal material, but also a PTC (positive-temperature coefficient) heating element material or a carbon material.

In the above, although it has been described that the heating part 122 is patterned through etching or the like, it is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to form the heating part 122 on the first insulating layer 121 through printing of a metal material, and a cord heater including a heating wire wound on a fiber member is the first insulation It is also possible to arrange in a zigzag shape on the layer 121 . The cord heater may include a coating crosslinked by irradiation with electron beams.

4 is a bottom view of the ice tray 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , as described above, an ice heater 120 may be attached to a lower portion of the ice tray 102 . At least one communication hole 125 is formed in the icing heater 120 so that the cold air supplied from the outside is supplied to the portion of the ice tray 102 to which the icing heater 120 is in close contact through the communication hole 125 . can

5 is a perspective view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. am.

5 and 6 , a power connector formed on one side of the icing heater 120 and connected to a power source may be inserted into the elastic member 140 . The elastic member 140 may have a shape in which one side is cut or partially removed so that the icing heater 120 can be inserted. The elastic member 140 may be formed of a material having elasticity and insulation, such as silicone, resin, rubber, or the like. Based on the member 140 , the heating unit 120 - 1 of the ice heater 120 may be located outside the control box 110 to be in close contact with the lower portion of the ice tray 102 . In this way, by inserting the power connector into the elastic member 140, it is possible to reliably insulate the power connector from the outside.

A passage through which at least one of the ice heater 120 or the lead wire 200 connected to the ice heater 120 can pass may be formed on the ice tray 102 side of the control box 110, and the ice heater ( An elastic member 140 capable of insulating the power connection part 120 - 2 of the 120 and packing the passage part of the control box 110 may be inserted. The elastic member 140 may be for physically fixing the icing heater 120 when the icing heater 120 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board (PCB) in the control box 110 . One end of the lead wire 200 may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board to supply power from the printed circuit board to the icing heater 120 . The connection between one end of the lead wire 200 and the printed circuit board may be performed by soldering, welding, or eyelet.

In the above, the elastic member 140 has been described as packing the passage portion of the control box 110, but is not limited thereto, and a separate packing member (not shown) for packing the passage portion of the control box 110 is included. It is also possible to

In addition, the elastic member may be integrally formed to surround the icing heater 120 as a whole, but is not limited thereto, and is formed to surround the lead wire 200 connected to the icing heater 120 , It may be formed in plurality corresponding to the number.

In addition, on one side of the heating unit 122 of the icing heater 120 there is a blocking member 150 capable of blocking the power supplied to the icing heater 120 when power is supplied excessively or the icing heater 120 is overheated. can be connected The blocking member 150 may be connected to the heating part 122 and the lead wire 200 of the icing heater 120 through the connecting wire 150a. The blocking member 150 may be a fuse or a bimetal. At least a portion of the connecting wire 150a connected to the blocking member 150 may be inserted into the elastic member 140 together with the power connector. In this way, since the connecting line 150a is insulated by the elastic member 140 , there is no need for a separate configuration to insulate or isolate the connecting line 150a from the outside, and the insulation and isolation are performed through the elastic member 140 . can be done

7 is a perspective view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a terminal 210 that can be connected to a printed circuit board in the control box 110 may be formed at one end of the lead wire 200 connected to the icing heater 120 . The terminal 210 may supply power to the icing heater 120 by combining the terminal 210 with a terminal formed to correspond to the printed circuit board. Since the terminal 210 is formed at one end of the lead wire 200, a configuration such as soldering, welding, or eyelet for electrical connection with the printed circuit board is not required, and the terminal 210 is connected to the printed circuit board. The electrical connection can be firmly established only by coupling to the terminal. However, the connection between the printed circuit board and the icing heater 120 may be made directly.

8 is a perspective view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to another embodiment of the present invention. am. A description of the configuration of the present embodiment corresponding to the previous embodiment will be omitted.

8 and 9 , a portion of the blocking member 150 may be inserted into the elastic member 140 to be insulated from the outside together with the power connector 120 - 2 of the icing heater 120 . In the previous embodiment, a part of the connecting line 150a of the blocking member 150 was inserted into the elastic member 140 , but in this embodiment, a part of the blocking member 150 and all of the connecting line 150a are inserted into the elastic member 140 . ) by being inserted into it, electrical insulation can be made more reliable.

10 is a perspective view of the ice heater 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10 , a cutout 127 may be formed at one side of the power connection part 120 - 2 of the icing heater 120 . The cutout 127 may serve to separate the power connection part 120-2 to both sides, and a pair of lead wires 200 connected to the icing heater 120 by the cutout 127 are electrically shorted. it can be prevented Accordingly, the cutout 127 may electrically insulate the icing heater 120 more reliably.

11 is a cross-sectional view of the icing heater 120 and the elastic member 140 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the elastic member 140 may be positioned in the space formed by the cutout 127 . Accordingly, the icing heater 120 can be more reliably electrically insulated by the cutout 127 and the elastic member 140 .

12 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the ice maker may include an ice tray 102 , an ice heater 120 , and a control box 110 , and a passing portion is formed on the ice tray side of the control box 110 to include the ice heater 120 and At least one of the lead wires 200 connected to the icing heater 120 may pass therethrough. In addition, the elastic member 140 surrounding the power connection part 120 - 2 of the icing heater 120 may be inserted into the passage. In addition, the contact member 130 may be disposed below the ice tray 102 , and the contact member 130 may contact the ice heater 120 toward the ice tray 102 .

The adhesion member 130 may have a contact surface 135 in contact with the lower portion of the icing heater 120 . The contact surface 135 may be a curved surface having a round structure rather than a flat surface. By forming the contact surface 135 as a curved surface having a round structure, a contact area between the icing heater 120 and the adhesion member 130 may be minimized. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the heat generated by the ice heater 120 from being discharged to the outside by the adhesion member 130 .

13 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13 , a portion of the blocking member 150 may be inserted into the elastic member 140 to be insulated while in contact with the lower surface of the icing heater 120 . A portion of the blocking member 150 exposed from the elastic member 140 may be supported by the adhesion member 130 . In addition, the control box 100 may include a protrusion 110 - 1 protruding toward the ice tray 102 . The protrusion 110 - 1 is a portion of the adhesion member 130 supporting the blocking member 150 . By supporting the bottom of the blocking member 150 can be supported secondary. By supporting the blocking member 150 through the adhesion member 130 and the protrusion 110-1, the blocking member 150 is prevented from being exposed to the outside and damage to the connection between the blocking member 150 and other components is prevented. can be prevented

However, in the above description, the protrusion 110 - 1 is positioned below the adhesion member 130 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. ) may be directly supported. In this case, the height of the protrusion 110 - 1 may be different.

A rib 110a may be formed below the protrusion 110-1 to increase mechanical strength.

14 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14 , when the elastic member 140 is inserted into the control box 110 , the adhesion member 130 supports the support part 131 to respond to the force pushing the elastic member 140 from the control box 110 . ) may be included. The support part 131 provides a space for the adhesion member 130 to be coupled to the control box 110 , and the support screw 132 may be inserted into the control box 110 side through the support part 131 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the adhesion member 130 from being pushed by the elastic member 140 by the support part 131 .

In addition, the protrusion 145 may be formed on the elastic member 140 to strengthen coupling with the passage portion of the control box 110 . A guide 110 - 2 for the elastic member 140 and a step portion 110 - 3 corresponding to the protrusion 145 of the elastic member 140 may be formed in the passage portion of the control box 110 . Accordingly, the coupling between the passage portion of the control box 110 and the elastic member 140 may be made more robust.

Although the present invention has been described in detail through representative embodiments above, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. will understand Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and should be defined by the claims described below as well as the claims and equivalents.

100: ice machine
102: ice tray
102a: some side
104: ejector
104-1: ejector shaft
104-2: ejector pin
110: control box
110-1 : Rib
110-2: Guide
110-3: step part
120: ice heater
120-1: heating unit
120-2: power connection part
120a: terminal
121: first insulating layer
122: heating part
123: second insulating layer
125: communication
127: cutout
130: adhesion member
131: support
132: support screw
135: contact surface
140: packing member
150: power cutoff
150a: connecting line
200: lead wire
210: terminal

Claims (19)

an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water;
an ejector for icing ice in the ice tray;
an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and
and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector and a power supply for supplying power to the motor and the heater therein;
A power connection part connected to a power source is formed on one side of the icing heater,
One side of the control box is provided with a passage through which at least one of the icing heater and the lead wire connected to the icing heater passes,
An elastic member surrounding the power connection part is inserted in the passage part,
The elastic member insulates the power connection part from the outside, physically fixing the icing heater to the control box, and serves as a packing member sealing the control box,
The ice maker, wherein at least one of the elastic member and the ice heater is in close contact with the ice tray side by the contact member.
an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water;
an ejector for icing ice in the ice tray;
an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and
and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector and a power supply for supplying power to the motor and the heater therein;
A power connection part connected to a power source is formed on one side of the icing heater,
The power connector is inserted into the elastic member inserted into one side of the control box,
and the elastic member insulates the power connection part from the outside and physically fixes the ice heater to the control box, and at the same time serves as a packing member for sealing the control box.
delete The method according to claim 1 or 2,
An ice maker provided with a separate packing member in the control box.
delete The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The elastic member includes at least one of silicone, resin, and rubber-based material.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Further comprising a blocking member capable of blocking the connection with the power source,
The ice maker, wherein the blocking member or a connecting wire connected to the blocking member is inserted into the elastic member together with the power connection part.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The elastic member is formed in one or a plurality of ice maker.
3. The method according to claim 2,
The ice maker, wherein at least one of the elastic member and the ice heater is in close contact with the ice tray side by the contact member.
10. The method according to claim 1 or 9,
The ice maker, wherein the contact member also closely adheres a blocking member capable of blocking connection to the power source toward the ice tray.
10. The method according to claim 1 or 9,
and the adhesion member closely contacts at least one of a blocking member capable of blocking connection to the power source, the elastic member, and the ice heater toward the ice tray.
10. The method according to claim 1 or 9,
and the contact member has a contact surface having a round structure.
10. The method according to claim 1 or 9,
and the close contact member has a support portion that opposes and supports the elastic member.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
and the control box has a protrusion protruding toward the ice tray.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
An ice maker having a cutout formed at one side of the power connection part.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
An ice maker having protrusions formed on the elastic member.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The ice maker is an ice heater or a cord heater.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
and the power connector is directly connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) in the control box.
an ice tray having a partitioned space for accommodating ice-making water;
an ejector for icing ice in the ice tray;
an ice heater provided on one side of the ice tray and including a heating element for supplying heat to the ice tray; and
and a control box provided opposite the ice tray and having a motor for driving the ejector and a power supply for supplying power to the motor and the heater therein;
A power connection part connected to a power source is formed on one side of the icing heater,
A blocking member capable of cutting off power is connected to the icing heater,
At least one of the lead wire of the icing heater and the lead wire of the blocking member is introduced into the control box through one or more passages formed in the control box,
An elastic member is inserted into the passage part, and the blocking member or a connecting wire connected to the blocking member is inserted into the elastic member together with the power connection part,
The elastic member insulates the power connection part and the blocking member or a connection line connected to the blocking member from the outside, physically fixing the icing heater to the control box, and sealing the control box. An ice machine that acts as a

Images