KR102601533B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator of the present invention includes a first tray forming part of an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air; a second tray that forms another part of the ice-making cell and is connected to a driving unit so as to be in contact with the first tray during an ice-making process and to be spaced apart from the first tray during a moving process; a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell; a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell; It includes, and the second temperature sensor is in contact with at least one of the first tray and the second tray.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

This specification relates to refrigerators.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that allows food to be stored at low temperatures in an internal storage space shielded by a door.

The refrigerator can cool the inside of the storage space using cold air, thereby keeping the stored food in a refrigerated or frozen state.

Typically, refrigerators are provided with an ice maker to make ice.

The ice maker produces ice by storing water supplied from a water source or a water tank in a tray and then cooling the water.

Additionally, the ice maker may transfer ice that has already been made ice from the ice tray using a heating method or a twisting method.

In this way, the ice maker, which automatically supplies and moves water, is formed to open upward and scoops up the formed ice.

The ice made in an ice maker with this structure has at least one flat surface, such as a crescent moon shape or cubic shape.

On the other hand, if the shape of the ice is spherical, it may be more convenient to use the ice and provide a unique feeling of use to the user. Additionally, when storing de-iced ice, clumping of ice can be minimized by minimizing the area in contact with each other.

An ice maker is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1850918, a prior document.

The ice maker of the prior literature has a plurality of hemispherical upper cells arranged, an upper tray including a pair of link guide parts extending upward from both side ends, and a plurality of hemispherical lower cells arranged, and the upper tray a lower tray rotatably connected to the lower tray, a rotation axis connected to the rear ends of the lower tray and the upper tray to allow the lower tray to rotate with respect to the upper tray, one end connected to the lower tray, and the other end connected to the link A pair of links connected to the guide part; and an upper ejecting pin assembly that is respectively connected to the pair of links while both ends are inserted into the link guide portion, and moves up and down together with the links.

In the case of the prior literature, a moving heater that heats the upper cell for moving is further included, but there is a problem in that there is no means for detecting temperature changes due to cold for cooling and heat from the moving heater.

This embodiment provides a refrigerator that includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the tray, which is a means of detecting the appropriate ice making completion point during the operation of the ice maker.

Additionally, this embodiment provides a refrigerator that is not interfered with by wires connected to the temperature sensor.

Additionally, this embodiment provides a refrigerator in which the temperature sensor is disposed at an optimal location for measuring the temperature inside the tray.

Additionally, this embodiment provides a refrigerator with improved reliability at the time ice making is completed.

A refrigerator according to one aspect includes a first tray forming part of an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air; a second tray that forms another part of the ice-making cell and is connected to a driving unit so as to be in contact with the first tray during an ice-making process and to be spaced apart from the first tray during a moving process; a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell; a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell; It includes, and the second temperature sensor is in contact with at least one of the first tray and the second tray.

At least one of the first tray and the second tray may include a sensor receiving portion in which the second temperature sensor is accommodated.

The second temperature sensor may be in contact with a fixed tray among the first tray and the second tray.

The heater is turned on in at least a portion of the section while the cold air supply means is supplying cold air so that bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice-making cell can move from the portion where ice is generated toward liquid water to generate transparent ice. It may include a transparent ice heater.

The second temperature sensor may be in contact with the tray located farther from the transparent ice heater among the first tray and the second tray.

The second temperature sensor may contact the tray in which the temperature change is greater during the ice-making process among the first tray and the second tray.

There are a plurality of ice-making cells, and at least a portion of the second temperature sensor may be located between two adjacent ice-making cells.

There are a plurality of ice-making cells, and the temperature between the cold-air hole and the second temperature is greater than the distance between the cold-air hole and the first ice-making cell located furthest from the cold air hole for supplying cold air by the cold air supply means among the plurality of ice-making cells. The second temperature sensor may be arranged so that the distance between sensors is small.

The second temperature sensor may be arranged to contact the first ice making cell.

The plurality of ice making cells include a second ice making cell disposed adjacent to the first ice making cell, and at least a portion of the second temperature sensor may be located between the first ice making cell and the second ice making cell. there is.

The plurality of ice making cells include a third ice making cell located on the opposite side of the first ice making cell with respect to the second ice making cell, and the distance between the center of the first ice making cell and the center of the second ice making cell is It may be longer than the distance between the centers of the second ice making cell and the third ice making cell.

The heater may include a moving heater that supplies heat to at least one of the first tray and the second tray during the moving process.

The second temperature sensor may be positioned spaced apart from the moving heater, and the distance from the second temperature sensor to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is the distance between the moving heater and the first tray and the moving heater. It may be shorter than the distance to the contact surface between the second trays.

A refrigerator according to another aspect includes a storage compartment where food is stored; a door that opens and closes the storage compartment; Cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage compartment; a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature within the storage compartment; a first tray forming at least a portion of a wall for providing an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air; a second tray forming at least another portion of the wall for providing the ice-making cell; a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell; a second temperature sensor provided to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell and disposed adjacent to one or more of the first tray and the second tray; a heater located adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; and a control unit that determines whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor.

The heater supplies heat to the first tray, and may include a moving heater disposed adjacent to the first tray so that the heat supplied to the first tray is transferred to the ice-making cell.

There are a plurality of ice making cells, and the plurality of ice making cells include a first ice making cell; And including a second ice making cell disposed adjacent to the first ice making cell, at least a portion of the second temperature sensor may be located between the first ice making cell and the second ice making cell.

The first tray may include a sensor accommodating portion in which the second temperature sensor is accommodated, and the moving heater may be arranged to be spaced apart from the second temperature sensor.

The moving heater is positioned such that the distance from the moving heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is longer than the distance from the second temperature sensor to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray. may include parts.

The second temperature sensor may be in contact with the first tray or may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the first tray by a predetermined distance.

The plurality of ice making cells includes three ice making cells, and the sensor receiving portion of the first tray is located between the right ice making cell and the center ice making cell among the left and right sides among the three ice making cells to detect the second temperature sensor. At least part of can be accepted.

At least a portion of the second temperature sensor may contact the bottom surface of the sensor receiving portion.

The second temperature sensor may be directly accommodated in the sensor receiving portion.

When the second temperature sensor is accommodated in the sensor receiving portion, the second temperature sensor may be positioned lower than the plate of the first tray.

A part of the moving heater may be located higher than the second temperature sensor and may be spaced apart from the second temperature sensor.

The first tray may further include a heater accommodating portion in which the moving heater is accommodated.

The second temperature sensor may be positioned spaced apart from the moving heater.

To prevent the second temperature sensor from interfering with the moving heater while the second temperature sensor is accommodated in the sensor accommodating part, the bottom surface of the sensor accommodating part may be positioned lower than the bottom surface of the heater accommodating part. there is.

The bottom surface of the sensor accommodating part may be located closer to the lower surface of the first tray than the bottom surface of the heater accommodating part.

The first tray may include a first cell wall defining a first cell among the ice-making cells.

The second temperature sensor may be disposed between the first cell walls of the two ice-making cells of the first tray and may contact the first tray from outside the first cell wall.

The second temperature sensor measures the temperature of the cell that freezes last among the plurality of ice-making cells, thereby preventing ice from thawing when ice-making is not completed.

Among the plurality of ice making cells, the distance between the cold air hole and the second temperature sensor is smaller than the distance between the cold air hole and the ice making cell located furthest from the cold air hole for supplying cold air by the cold air supply means. A temperature sensor may be located.

a first pusher including at least one extension provided to push ice located in the ice-making cell during a moving process; And it may further include a first tray case coupled to the first tray.

The first tray case may be provided with a hole through which a portion of the first pusher passes.
A refrigerator according to another aspect includes a storage compartment where food is stored; a door that opens and closes the storage compartment; Cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage compartment; a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature within the storage compartment; a first tray forming at least a portion of a wall for providing an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air; a second tray forming at least another portion of the wall for providing the ice-making cell; a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell; a second temperature sensor provided to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell and disposed adjacent to one or more of the first tray and the second tray; a heater located adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; and a control unit that determines whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor.
The heater supplies heat to the first tray, is disposed adjacent to the first tray so that the heat supplied to the first tray is transferred to the ice-making cell, and operates to transfer ice when ice-making is completed. a heater for moving ice, and at least a portion of the section in which the cold air supply means supplies cold air so that bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice-making cell move from the portion where ice is generated to the liquid water to generate transparent ice. It may include a transparent ice heater turned on from.
The ice making cells are plural, and the plurality of ice making cells include a first ice making cell, a second ice making cell, and a third ice making cell, and the first ice making cell is located furthest from the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means. The third ice-making cell may be located closest to a direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold-air supply means, and the second ice-making cell may be located between the first ice-making cell and the third ice-making cell. At least a portion of the second temperature sensor may be located between the first ice making cell and the second ice making cell.
When the defrost heater for defrosting the evaporator is turned on, the control unit may control the heating amount of the transparent ice heater to be reduced.
The control unit may control the moving heater to perform primary heating and secondary heating processes.
The control unit may control the output of the moving heater to be set to be greater than the output of the transparent ice heater.
The transparent ice heater is positioned such that the distance from the transparent ice heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is longer than the distance from the second temperature sensor to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray. may include parts.
The transparent ice heater is a part where the distance from the transparent ice heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is longer than the distance from the moving heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray. may include.
The target temperature of the storage compartment is lowered, the operating mode of the storage compartment is changed from normal mode to rapid cooling mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is increased, or the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is increased, or the storage compartment is transferred to the storage compartment. When air with a temperature lower than the temperature of cold air in the storage compartment is supplied, the control unit may control the heating amount of the transparent ice heater to increase.
The target temperature of the storage compartment is increased, the operating mode of the storage compartment is changed from rapid cooling mode to normal mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is reduced, the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is reduced, or the door is opened. When air with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cold air in the storage compartment is supplied to the storage compartment, or when food with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cold air in the storage compartment is input into the storage compartment, the control unit determines the heating amount of the clear ice heater. It can be controlled to decrease.

According to the proposed invention, the reliability of the ice making completion point can be improved by including a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the tray, which is a means of detecting the appropriate ice making completion point during the operation of the ice maker.

In addition, the temperature sensor is placed in an optimal position for measuring the temperature of the ice inside the tray without being interfered with by the wire connected to the temperature sensor, thereby preventing malfunction of the temperature sensor.

1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ice maker in a state in which the bracket in Figure 2 is removed.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along AA of FIG. 3 to show a second temperature sensor installed in an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing a second temperature sensor in contact with a first tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing a second temperature sensor in contact with a second tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a first tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ice maker when the second tray is located at the water supply position according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating the process of creating ice in an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 12 is a diagram showing the state in which water supply is completed at the water supply location.
Figure 13 is a diagram showing ice formation at an ice-making location.
Figure 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the second tray and the first tray are separated during the moving process.
Figure 15 is a diagram showing the state in which the second tray is moved to the moving position during the moving process.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through illustrative drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are judged to impede understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

Additionally, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, sequence, or order of the component is not limited by the term. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there is no need for another component between each component. It should be understood that may be “connected,” “combined,” or “connected.”

1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cabinet 14 including a storage compartment and a door that opens and closes the storage compartment.

The storage compartment may include a refrigerator compartment (18) and a freezer compartment (32). The refrigerating compartment 14 is located at the top, and the freezer compartment 32 is located at the bottom, so that each storage compartment can be opened and closed individually by each door.

As another example, it is also possible to have a freezing compartment placed on the upper side and a refrigerating compartment placed on the lower side. Alternatively, it is also possible to have a freezer compartment placed on one side of the left and right sides, and a refrigerator compartment placed on the other side.

The freezer compartment 32 may be divided into an upper space and a lower space, and the lower space may be provided with a drawer 40 that can be pulled in and out from the lower space.

The door may include a plurality of doors 10, 20, and 30 that open and close the refrigerating compartment 18 and the freezing compartment 32.

The plurality of doors 10, 20, 30 may include some or all of the doors 10, 20 that open and close the storage compartment in a rotating manner and the doors 30 that open and close the storage compartment in a sliding manner.

Although the freezer compartment 32 can be opened and closed by a single door 30, it can be divided into two spaces.

In this embodiment, the freezer compartment 32 may be referred to as a first storage compartment, and the refrigerator compartment 18 may be referred to as a second storage compartment.

The freezer 32 may be equipped with an ice maker 200 capable of producing ice. For example, the ice maker 200 may be located in the upper space of the freezer compartment 32.

An ice bin 600 may be provided at a lower portion of the ice maker 200 into which ice produced by the ice maker 200 is dropped and stored. The user can take the ice bin 600 out of the freezer 32 and use the ice stored in the ice bin 600 .

The ice bin 600 may be mounted on the upper side of the horizontal wall dividing the upper space and lower space of the freezer compartment 32.

Although not shown, the cabinet 14 is provided with a duct for supplying cold air to the ice maker 200. The duct guides cold air heat-exchanged with the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator to the ice maker 200.

For example, the duct may be disposed at the rear of the cabinet 14 and discharge cold air toward the front of the cabinet 14. The ice maker 200 may be located in front of the duct.

Although not limited, the outlet of the duct may be provided in one or more of the rear wall and the upper wall of the freezing chamber 32.

Although it has been described above that the ice maker 200 is provided in the freezer compartment 32, the space in which the ice maker 200 can be located is not limited to the freezer compartment 32, and can be used in various ways as long as cold air can be supplied. The ice maker 200 may be located in the space.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ice maker in a state in which the bracket in Figure 2 is removed, and Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention. am.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view cut along A-A of FIG. 3 to show the second temperature sensor installed in the ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. It is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 to show the second temperature sensor, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 to show the second temperature sensor in contact with the second tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view cut along 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the first tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ice maker when the second tray is located at the water supply position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 9, each component of the ice maker 200 is provided inside or outside the bracket 220, so that the ice maker 200 can form one assembly.

For example, the bracket 220 may be installed on the upper wall of the freezer 32.

A cold air hole 221 through which cold air flows from the cold air supply means 900 (see FIG. 10), which will be described later, may be formed on one side of the bracket 220.

A water supply unit 240 may be installed on the upper inner surface of the bracket 220.

The water supply unit 240 is provided with openings on the upper and lower sides, so that water supplied to the upper side of the water supply unit 240 can be guided to the lower side of the water supply unit 240.

The upper opening of the water supply unit 240 is larger than the lower opening, which may limit the discharge range of water guided downward through the water supply unit 240.

A water supply pipe through which water is supplied may be installed above the water supply unit 240.

The water supplied to the water supply unit 240 may move downward. The water supply unit 240 prevents water discharged from the water supply pipe from falling from a high position, thereby preventing water from splashing.

Since the water supply unit 240 is disposed below the water supply pipe, water is guided downward without splashing all the way to the water supply unit 240, and even if it moves downward due to the lowered height, the amount of water splashing can be reduced.

The ice maker 200 may include an ice-making cell 320a, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by cold air.

The ice maker 200 includes a first tray 320 that forms at least a part of a wall for providing the ice making cell 320a, and a first tray 320 that forms at least another part of the wall for providing the ice making cell 320a. It may include a second tray 380.

Although not limited, the ice making cell 320a may include a first cell 320b and a second cell 320c.

The first tray 320 may define the first cell 320b, and the second tray 380 may define the second cell 320c.

The second tray 380 may be arranged to be movable relative to the first tray 320 . The second tray 380 can move linearly or rotate.

Hereinafter, the rotational movement of the second tray 380 will be described as an example.

For example, during the ice making process, the second tray 380 moves relative to the first tray 320, so that the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may come into contact.

When the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 contact each other, a complete ice-making cell 320a can be defined.

On the other hand, during the moving process after completion of ice making, the second tray 380 may move relative to the first tray 320, so that the second tray 380 may be spaced apart from the first tray 320.

In this embodiment, the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may be arranged in a vertical direction while forming the ice-making cell 320a.

Accordingly, the first tray 320 may be referred to as an upper tray, and the second tray 380 may be referred to as a lower tray.

A plurality of ice-making cells 320a may be defined by the first tray 320 and the second tray 380. Figure 4 shows, as an example, three ice-making cells 320a being formed.

When water is cooled by cold air while water is supplied to the ice-making cell 320a, ice of the same or similar form as that of the ice-making cell 320a may be generated.

In this embodiment, for example, the ice-making cell 320a may be formed in a spherical shape or a shape similar to a spherical shape.

In this case, the first cell 320b may be formed in a hemispherical shape or a hemisphere-like shape. Additionally, the second cell 320c may be formed in a hemispherical shape or a shape similar to a hemisphere.

Of course, the ice-making cell 320a may also be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a polygonal shape.

The ice maker 200 may further include a first tray case 300 coupled to the first tray 320.

As an example, the first tray case 300 may be coupled to the upper side of the first tray 320.

The first tray case 300 may be manufactured as a separate product from the bracket 220 and may be coupled to the bracket 220 or may be formed integrally with the bracket 220 .

The ice maker 200 may further include a first heater case 280. A moving heater 290 may be installed in the first heater case 280. The heater case 280 may be formed integrally with the first tray case 300 or may be formed separately.

The moving heater 290 may be placed adjacent to the first tray 320. The moving heater 290 may be, for example, a wire-type heater.

As an example, the moving heater 290 may be installed in contact with the first tray 320 or may be placed at a predetermined distance away from the first tray 320.

In either case, the moving heater 290 can supply heat to the first tray 320, and the heat supplied to the first tray 320 can be transferred to the ice-making cell 320a.

The ice maker 200 may further include a first tray cover 340 located below the first tray 320.

The first tray cover 340 has an opening formed to correspond to the shape of the ice-making cell 320a of the first tray 320, and can be coupled to the lower side of the first tray 320.

The first tray case 300 may be provided with a guide slot 302 that is inclined on the upper side and extends vertically on the lower side. The guide slot 302 may be provided on a member extending upward of the first tray case 300.

The guide protrusion 262 of the first pusher 260, which will be described later, may be inserted into the guide slot 302. Accordingly, the guide protrusion 262 can be guided along the guide slot 302.

The first pusher 260 may include at least one extension portion 264. As an example, the first pusher 260 may include the same number of extensions 264 as the number of ice-making cells 320a, but is not limited thereto.

The extension portion 264 may push ice located in the ice-making cell 320a during the moving process. As an example, the extension portion 264 may penetrate the first tray case 300 and be inserted into the ice making cell 320a.

Accordingly, the first tray case 300 may be provided with a hole 304 through which a portion of the first pusher 260 passes.

The guide protrusion 262 of the first pusher 260 may be coupled to the pusher link 500. At this time, the guide protrusion 262 may be rotatably coupled to the pusher link 500. Accordingly, when the pusher link 500 moves, the first pusher 260 may also move along the guide slot 302.

The ice maker 200 may further include a second tray case 400 coupled to the second tray 380.

The second tray case 400 may support the second tray 380 below the second tray 380 .

As an example, at least a portion of the wall forming the second cell 320c of the second tray 380 may be supported by the second tray case 400.

A spring 402 may be connected to one side of the second tray case 400. The spring 402 may provide elastic force to the second tray case 400 to maintain the second tray 380 in contact with the first tray 320 .

The ice maker 200 may further include a second tray cover 360.

The second tray 380 may include a peripheral wall 382 that surrounds a portion of the first tray 320 while being in contact with the first tray 320 .

The second tray cover 360 may surround the peripheral wall 382.

The ice maker 200 may further include a second heater case 420. A transparent ice heater 430 may be installed in the second heater case 420.

The transparent ice heater 430 will be described in detail. The control unit 800 of this embodiment controls the transparent ice heater 430 to supply heat to the ice-making cell 320a in at least some sections while cold air is supplied to the ice-making cell 320a so that transparent ice can be generated. You can control it so that you can

Due to the heat of the transparent ice heater 430, the ice production speed is delayed so that the bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice making cell 320a can move from the part where ice is created to the liquid water, thereby delaying the ice maker ( 200), transparent ice can be created. That is, air bubbles dissolved in water may be induced to escape to the outside of the ice-making cell 320a or be collected at a certain location within the ice-making cell 320a.

On the other hand, when the cold air supply means 900, which will be described later, supplies cold air to the ice-making cell 320a, if the speed at which ice is generated is fast, air bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice-making cell 320a are formed in the area where ice is formed. The transparency of ice created by freezing without being able to move toward liquid water may be low.

On the other hand, when the cold air supply means 900 supplies cold air to the ice making cell 320a, if the speed at which ice is created is slow, the problem can be solved and the transparency of the ice produced can be increased, but ice making takes a long time. Problems may arise.

Therefore, in order to reduce the delay in ice-making time and increase the transparency of the ice produced, the transparent ice heater 430 is installed in the ice-making cell 320a to locally supply heat to the ice-making cell 320a. It can be placed on one side.

Meanwhile, when the transparent ice heater 430 is disposed on one side of the ice-making cell 320a, it is possible to reduce the heat of the transparent ice heater 430 from being easily transferred to the other side of the ice-making cell 320a. At least one of the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may be made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than metal.

Meanwhile, at least one of the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may be made of resin containing plastic so that the ice attached to the trays 320 and 380 is easily separated during the moving process.

Meanwhile, at least one of the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may be made of a flexible or soft material so that the tray deformed by the pushers 260 and 540 during the moving process can be easily restored to its original form. there is.

The transparent ice heater 430 may be placed adjacent to the second tray 380. For example, the transparent ice heater 430 may be a wire-type heater.

As an example, the transparent ice heater 430 may be installed in contact with the second tray 380 or may be placed at a predetermined distance away from the second tray 380.

As another example, it is possible for the second heater case 420 to be installed in the second tray case 400 without the second heater case 420 being provided separately.

In either case, the transparent ice heater 430 can supply heat to the second tray 380, and the heat supplied to the second tray 380 can be transferred to the ice-making cell 320a.

The ice maker 200 may further include a driving unit 480 that provides driving force. The second tray 380 may move relative to the first tray 320 by receiving the driving force of the driving unit 480.

A through hole 282 may be formed in the extension portion 281 extending downward on one side of the first tray case 300.

A through hole 404 may be formed in the extension portion 403 extending to one side of the second tray case 400.

The ice maker 200 may further include a shaft 440 that passes through the through holes 282 and 404 together.

Rotating arms 460 may be provided at both ends of the shaft 440, respectively. The shaft 440 may be rotated by receiving rotational force from the driving unit 480.

One end of the rotary arm 460 is connected to one end of the spring 402, so that when the spring 402 is tensioned, the position of the rotary arm 460 can be moved to the initial value by a restoring force.

The driving unit 480 may include a motor and a plurality of gears.

A full ice detection lever 520 may be connected to the driving unit 480. The full ice detection lever 520 may be rotated by the rotational force provided by the driving unit 480.

The full ice detection lever 520 may have an overall 'ㄷ' shape. As an example, the full ice detection lever 520 includes a first part 521 and a pair of second parts 522 extending from both ends of the first part 521 in a direction intersecting the first part 521. ) may include.

One of the pair of second parts 522 may be coupled to the driving unit 480, and the other may be coupled to the bracket 220 or the first tray case 300.

The full ice detection lever 520 may detect ice stored in the ice bin 600 while rotating.

The driving unit 480 may further include a cam that rotates by receiving rotational power from the motor.

The ice maker 200 may further include a sensor that detects rotation of the cam.

For example, the cam may be equipped with a magnet, and the sensor may be a Hall sensor for detecting the magnetism of the magnet during rotation of the cam. Depending on whether the sensor detects a magnet, the sensor may output different outputs, a first signal and a second signal. One of the first signal and the second signal may be a high signal, and the other may be a low signal.

The control unit 800, which will be described later, can determine the location of the second tray 380 based on the type and pattern of the signal output from the sensor. That is, since the second tray 380 and the cam are rotated by the motor, the position of the second tray 380 can be indirectly determined based on the detection signal of the magnet provided on the cam.

For example, the water supply location and the ice making location, which will be described later, can be distinguished and determined based on the signal output from the sensor.

The ice maker 200 may further include a second pusher 540.

The second pusher 540 may be installed on the bracket 220.

The second pusher 540 may include at least one extension portion 544. As an example, the second pusher 540 may include the same number of extension parts 544 as the number of ice-making cells 320a, but is not limited thereto.

The extension portion 544 may push ice located in the ice making cell 320a. As an example, the extension portion 544 may penetrate the second tray case 400 and come into contact with the second tray 380 forming the ice-making cell 320a, and the second tray in contact ( 380) can be pressurized.

Accordingly, the second tray case 400 may be provided with a hole 422 through which a portion of the second pusher 540 passes.

The first tray case 300 may be rotatably coupled to the second tray case 400 and the shaft 440, and may be arranged so that its angle changes around the shaft 440.

In this embodiment, the second tray 380 may be formed of a non-metallic material.

As an example, the second tray 380 may be formed of a flexible material or soft material whose shape can be deformed when pressed by the second pusher 540.

Although not limited, the second tray 380 may be formed of, for example, a silicon material.

Therefore, in the process of pressing the second tray 380 by the second pusher 540, the second tray 380 is deformed and the pressing force of the second pusher 540 may be transmitted to the ice. Ice and the second tray 380 may be separated by the pressing force of the second pusher 540.

If the second tray 380 is made of a non-metallic material and a flexible or soft material, the bonding force or adhesion between the ice and the second tray 380 may be reduced, so the ice may be easily separated from the second tray 380. there is.

In addition, if the second tray 380 is made of a non-metallic material and a flexible or soft material, after the shape of the second tray 380 is changed by the second pusher 540, the second pusher 540 ) When the pressing force is removed, the second tray 380 can be easily restored to its original form.

Meanwhile, it is also possible for the first tray 320 to be formed of a metal material. In this case, since the bonding force or separation between the first tray 320 and the ice is strong, the ice maker 200 of this embodiment may include one or more of the moving heater 290 and the first pusher 260. You can.

As another example, the first tray 320 may be made of a non-metallic material.

If the first tray 320 is made of a non-metallic material, the ice maker 200 may include only one of the moving heater 290 and the first pusher 260.

Alternatively, the ice maker 200 may not include the moving heater 290 and the first pusher 260.

Although not limited, the first tray 320 may be formed of, for example, a silicon material.

That is, the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 may be formed of the same material.

When the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 are formed of the same material, the sealing performance is maintained at the contact area between the first tray 320 and the second tray 380. The hardness of the first tray 320 and the hardness of the second tray 380 may be different.

In the case of this embodiment, the second tray 380 is pressed by the second pusher 540 to change its shape, so that the shape of the second tray 380 is easily changed. The hardness may be lower than that of the first tray 320.

Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the ice maker 200 may further include a second temperature sensor (or tray temperature sensor) 700 for detecting the temperature of the ice making cell 320a.

The second temperature sensor 700 may detect the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell 320a.

In detail, the second temperature sensor 700 is disposed adjacent to one or more of the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 and detects the temperature of the tray, thereby determining the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell 320a. The temperature can be sensed indirectly.

For example, the second temperature sensor 700 may be brought into contact with the first tray 320 as shown in FIG. 6 or may be brought into contact with the second tray 380 as shown in FIG. 7 .

In this embodiment, the temperature of water or the temperature of ice in the ice-making cell 320a may be referred to as the internal temperature of the ice-making cell 320a.

As an example, the second temperature sensor 700 may be installed in the first tray case 300.

In this case, the second temperature sensor 700 may be in contact with the first tray 320 or may be spaced apart from the first tray 320 by a predetermined distance.

As another example, the second temperature sensor 700 may be installed on the first tray 320 and come into contact with the first tray 320 .

Of course, when the second temperature sensor 700 is disposed to penetrate the first tray 320, it can also directly sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell 320a.

Referring to FIG. 8, the first tray 320 may further include a sensor receiving portion 322 in which the second temperature sensor 700 is accommodated.

The sensor accommodating portion 322 may be formed by recessing downward from the case accommodating portion 323b.

At this time, in a state where the second temperature sensor 700 is accommodated in the sensor accommodating part 322, the sensor accommodating part ( The bottom surface of 322) may be located lower than the bottom surface of the heater receiving portion 323a.

The bottom surface of the sensor accommodating part 322 may be located closer to the lower surface 321d of the first tray 320 than the bottom surface of the heater accommodating part 323a.

In addition, when the second temperature sensor 700 is accommodated in the sensor receiving portion 322, the second temperature sensor 700 is positioned lower than the plate 324 of the first tray 320, or The upper surface of the second temperature sensor 700 may be in contact with the heater case 280.

At least a portion of the second temperature sensor 700 may contact the bottom surface of the sensor receiving portion 322. Although not limited, the second temperature sensor 700 may be directly accommodated in the sensor receiving portion 322.

Alternatively, the second temperature sensor 700 may be installed in the heater case 280. In this case, when the moving heater 290 of the heater case 280 is accommodated in the heater accommodating portion 323a, the second temperature sensor 700 may be accommodated in the sensor accommodating portion 322.

The sensor receiver 322 may be located between two adjacent ice-making cells 320a.

When the sensor receiving portion 322 is located between the two ice-making cells 320a, the second temperature sensor 700 can be easily installed without increasing the volume of the first tray 320. In addition, when the sensor receiver 322 is located between two ice-making cells 320a, it can be affected by the temperature of at least two ice-making cells 320a, so the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor is the ice-making cell 320a. It can be located as close as possible to the actual temperature inside the cell 320a.

For example, the sensor receiving unit 322 may be located between two adjacent upper cells 320b (or first cells) among the three upper cells 320b arranged side by side.

Through this, the second temperature sensor 700 can represent the temperatures of both the first tray 320 and the second tray 380, and minimize exposure of the second temperature sensor 700 to the outside. This allows it to be as little affected by external temperature as possible.

In detail, the second temperature sensor 700 is disposed between the first cell walls 321a (see FIG. 9) of the two ice-making cells 320a of the first tray 320 as shown in FIG. 6 to detect the first cell. The first tray 320 may be contacted from the outside of the wall 321a.

In addition, the second temperature sensor 700 measures the temperature of the cell that freezes last among the plurality of ice-making cells 320a, thereby preventing ice from forming when ice-making is not completed.

Among the plurality of ice-making cells 320a, the cell that freezes last may be the ice-making cell 320a located furthest from the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means 900.

In addition, among the plurality of ice making cells 320a, the distance between the cold air hole 221 and the ice making cell located furthest from the cold air hole 221 for supplying cold air by the cold air supply means 900 is greater than the distance between the cold air hole 221. The second temperature sensor 700 may be positioned so that the distance between 221 and the second temperature sensor 700 is small.

In detail, based on FIGS. 6 and 7, a sensor receiver 322 is installed between the ice making cell on the right (or first ice making cell) of the left and right sides among the three ice making cells and the ice making cell in the center (or second ice making cell). ) is positioned so that at least a portion of the second temperature sensor 700 can be accommodated.

In addition, among the three upper cells 320b, when the sensor receiver 322 is located between the upper cell on the right and the upper cell in the center, the upper cell on the right is greater than the distance between the upper cell on the left and the upper cell in the center. The distance between the cell and the central upper cell may be longer. This is to provide a space to accommodate the second temperature sensor 700.

Of course, the second temperature sensor 700 may be disposed adjacent to the second tray 380 and located between the plurality of lower cells 320c.

Meanwhile, the wire 701 connected to the second temperature sensor 700 may be guided upwards of the first tray case 300.

Accordingly, in order to prevent interference by the wire 701 and to prevent the wire 701 from being broken due to deformation, the second temperature sensor 700 includes the first tray 320 and the second tray ( 280) may be mounted on a tray that is not rotated by the driving unit 480.

That is, the second temperature sensor 700 can be mounted on the first tray 320, which is fixed and not rotated by the driving unit 480.

If the second temperature sensor 700 is mounted adjacent to the transparent ice heater 430, there is a possibility that the accuracy of the completion time of ice making may decrease due to the heat supplied by the transparent ice heater 430.

In addition, due to the transparent ice heater 430, the water in the lower part freezes later than the water in the upper part, so that little temperature change occurs during the ice-making process and the phase change temperature is maintained. Accordingly, if the second temperature sensor 700 is mounted adjacent to the tray in contact with the clear ice heater 430, the temperature change of the temperature sensor during the ice making process is not large, so the heating amount of the clear ice heater 430 at each stage is not large. There may be difficulty in controlling.

Accordingly, the second temperature sensor 700 may be mounted on a tray located further away from the clear ice heater 430 in order to be less influenced by the clear ice heater 430.

Meanwhile, a part of the moving heater 290 may be located higher than the second temperature sensor 700 and may be spaced apart from the second temperature sensor 700.

Additionally, the second temperature sensor 700 may be provided in the first heater case 280 together with the moving heater 290. At this time, the reliability of the second temperature sensor 700 can be ensured only when the second temperature sensor 700 and the moving heater 290 are spaced apart.

Referring to FIG. 9, the ice maker 200 of this embodiment may be designed so that the positions of the second tray 380 are different from the water supply position and the ice making position.

As an example, the second tray 380 is formed along a second cell wall 381 that defines the second cell 320c among the ice-making cells 320a and an outer edge of the second cell wall 381. It may include an extending peripheral wall 382.

The second cell wall 381 may include an upper surface 381a. In this specification, the top surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be referred to as the top surface 381a of the second tray 380.

The upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be positioned lower than the upper end of the peripheral wall 381.

The first tray 320 may include a first cell wall 321a that defines a first cell 320b among the ice-making cells 320a.

The first cell wall 321a may include a straight portion 321b and a curved portion 321c. The curved portion 321c may be formed in an arc shape with the center of the shaft 440 as the radius of curvature.

Accordingly, the peripheral wall 381 may also include straight portions and curved portions corresponding to the straight portions 321b and the curved portions 321c.

The first cell wall 321a may include a lower surface 321d. In this specification, the lower surface 321b of the first cell wall 321a may be referred to as the lower surface 321b of the first tray 320.

The lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a may be in contact with the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381a.

For example, at the water supply position as shown in FIG. 9, at least a portion of the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a and the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be spaced apart.

In FIG. 9 , as an example, the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a and the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 are shown to be spaced apart from each other.

Accordingly, the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be inclined to form a predetermined angle with the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a.

Although not limited, the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a may be maintained substantially horizontal at the water supply position, and the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be positioned at the first cell wall (321a). It may be disposed below 321a to be inclined with respect to the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a.

In the state shown in FIG. 9, the peripheral wall 382 may surround the first cell wall 321a. Additionally, the upper end of the peripheral wall 382 may be positioned higher than the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a.

Meanwhile, at the ice making position (see FIG. 13), the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may contact at least a portion of the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a.

The angle formed between the upper surface 381a of the second tray 380 and the lower surface 321d of the first tray 320 at the ice making position is the angle between the upper surface 382a of the second tray 380 and the lower surface 321d of the first tray 320 at the water supply position. 1 It is smaller than the angle formed by the lower surface (321d) of the tray 320.

At the ice-making position, the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 may be in contact with the entire lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a.

At the ice-making position, the upper surface 381a of the second cell wall 381 and the lower surface 321d of the first cell wall 321a may be arranged to be substantially horizontal.

In this embodiment, the reason why the water supply position of the second tray 380 and the ice making position are different is because, when the ice maker 200 includes a plurality of ice making cells 320a, communication between each ice making cell 320a is maintained. This is to ensure that water is uniformly distributed to the plurality of ice-making cells 320a without forming a water passage in the first tray 320 and/or the second tray 380.

If the ice maker 200 includes the plurality of ice making cells 320a and a water passage is formed in the first tray 320 and/or the second tray 380, the ice maker 200 The water supplied to is distributed to a plurality of ice-making cells 320a along the water passage.

However, in a state where water has been distributed to the plurality of ice-making cells 320a, water also exists in the water passage, and when ice is created in this state, the ice produced in the ice-making cell 320a is generated in the water passage portion. Connected by ice.

In this case, there is a possibility that the ice remains attached to each other even after moving is completed, and even if the ice is separated from each other, some of the ice includes ice generated in the water passage area, so the shape of the ice is determined by the shape of the ice-making cell. There is a different problem.

However, as in this embodiment, when the second tray 380 is spaced apart from the first tray 320 at the water supply position, the water falling on the second tray 380 is It can be uniformly distributed into a plurality of second cells 320c (380).

For example, the first tray 320 may include a communication hole 321e. When the first tray 320 includes one first cell 320b, the first tray 320 may include one communication hole 321e.

When the first tray 320 includes a plurality of first cells 320b, the first tray 320 may include a plurality of communication holes 321e.

The water supply unit 240 may supply water to one communication hole (321e) among the plurality of communication holes (321e).

In this case, water supplied through the communication hole 321e passes through the first tray 320 and then falls to the second tray 380.

During the water supply process, water may fall into one of the plurality of second cells 320c of the second tray 380. The water supplied to one of the second cells 320c overflows from the second cell 320c.

In the case of this embodiment, since the upper surface 381a of the second tray 380 is spaced apart from the lower surface 321d of the first tray 320, the water overflowing from one of the second cells 320c is in the first cell 320c. 2 It moves to another adjacent second cell 320c along the upper surface 381a of the tray 380.

Accordingly, the plurality of second cells 320c of the second tray 380 may be filled with water.

In addition, when the water supply is completed, part of the supplied water is filled in the second cell 320c, and another part of the supplied water is filled in the space between the first tray 320 and the second tray 380. You can.

At the water supply position, depending on the volume of the ice-making cell 320a, water upon completion of water supply is located only in the space between the first tray 320 and the second tray 380, or between the first tray 320 and the second tray 380. It may be located in the space between the second trays 380 and within the first tray 320 (see FIG. 12).

When the second tray 380 is moved from the water supply position to the ice making position, the water in the space between the first tray 320 and the second tray 380 is uniformly distributed to the plurality of first cells 320b. can be distributed appropriately.

Meanwhile, when a water passage is formed in the first tray 320 and/or the second tray 380, ice generated in the ice-making cell 320a is also created in the water passage portion.

In this case, in order to create transparent ice, the refrigerator's controller controls at least one of the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 according to the mass per unit height of the water in the ice making cell 320a. When controlled to vary, at least one of the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 is controlled to vary rapidly by several times or more in the portion where the water passage is formed.

This is because the mass of water per unit height rapidly increases by several times or more in the area where the water passage is formed. In this case, reliability problems with parts may occur, and expensive parts with a wide range of maximum and minimum outputs can be used, which can be disadvantageous in terms of power consumption and cost of parts. Ultimately, the present invention may require technology related to the above-described ice-making location in order to generate transparent ice.

Figure 10 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the refrigerator of this embodiment may further include a cold air supply means 900 for supplying cold air to the freezing chamber 32 (or ice-making cell). The cold air supply means 900 may supply cold air to the freezing chamber 32 using a refrigerant cycle.

As an example, the cold air supply means 900 may include a compressor to compress the refrigerant. The temperature of cold air supplied to the freezing chamber 32 may vary depending on the output (or frequency) of the compressor.

Alternatively, the cold air supply means 900 may include a fan for blowing air to the evaporator. The amount of cold air supplied to the freezing chamber 32 may vary depending on the output (or rotation speed) of the fan.

Alternatively, the cold air supply means 900 may include a refrigerant valve that adjusts the amount of refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant cycle.

The amount of refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant cycle is varied by adjusting the opening degree of the refrigerant valve, and the temperature of the cold air supplied to the freezer compartment 32 may vary accordingly.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the cold air supply means 900 may include one or more of the compressor, fan, and refrigerant valve.

The refrigerator of this embodiment may further include a control unit 800 that controls the cold air supply means 900.

Additionally, the refrigerator may further include a water supply valve 242 for controlling the amount of water supplied through the water supply unit 240.

The refrigerator may further include a door opening/closing detection unit 930 for detecting the opening/closing of the door of the storage compartment (for example, the freezer compartment 32) where the ice maker 200 is installed.

The control unit 800 may control some or all of the moving heater 290, the transparent ice heater 430, the driving unit 480, the cold air supply means 900, and the water supply valve 242. there is.

In addition, when the door opening/closing detection unit 930 detects the opening or closing of the door (the door is open or closed), the control unit 800 operates based on the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 33. It is possible to determine whether the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 is variable.

In addition, when the door opening/closing detection unit 930 detects the opening or closing of the door, the control unit 800 outputs the transparent ice heater 430 based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700. You can decide whether to change it or not.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, when the ice maker 200 includes both the moving heater 290 and the clear ice heater 430, the output of the moving heater 290 and the clear ice heater ( The output of 430) may vary.

When the output of the moving heater 290 and the transparent ice heater 430 are different, the output terminal of the moving heater 290 and the output terminal of the transparent ice heater 430 may be formed in different shapes. , incorrect connection of the two output terminals can be prevented.

Although not limited, the output of the moving heater 290 may be set to be greater than the output of the transparent ice heater 430. Accordingly, ice can be quickly separated from the first tray 320 by the moving heater 290.

In this embodiment, when the moving heater 290 is not provided, the transparent ice heater 430 is placed adjacent to the second tray 380 described above, or is placed adjacent to the first tray 320. It can be placed in an adjacent location.

The refrigerator may further include a first temperature sensor 33 (or internal temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the freezer compartment 32.

The control unit 800 may control the cold air supply means 900 based on the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 33.

Additionally, the control unit 800 may determine whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700.

Figure 11 is a flow chart to explain the process of creating ice in an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing the state in which water supply has been completed at the water supply position, Figure 13 is a diagram showing ice being created at the ice-making position, and Figure 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the second tray is separated from the first tray during the moving process. 15 is a diagram showing the state in which the second tray is moved to the moving position during the moving process.

11 to 15, in order to create ice in the ice maker 200, the control unit 800 moves the second tray 380 to the water supply position (S1).

In this specification, the direction in which the second tray 380 moves from the ice making position in FIG. 13 to the moving position in FIG. 15 may be referred to as forward movement (or forward rotation).

On the other hand, the direction of moving from the moving position in FIG. 15 to the water supply position in FIG. 9 may be referred to as reverse movement (or reverse rotation).

The movement of the water supply position of the second tray 380 is detected by a sensor, and when it is detected that the second tray 380 has been moved to the water supply position, the control unit 800 stops the driving unit 480.

Water supply begins with the second tray 380 moved to the water supply position (S2).

For water supply, the control unit 800 turns on the water supply valve 242, and when it is determined that a set amount of water has been supplied, the control unit 800 may turn off the water supply valve 242.

For example, in the process of supplying water, a pulse is output from a flow sensor (not shown), and when the output pulse reaches the reference pulse, it may be determined that a set amount of water has been supplied.

After water supply is completed, the control unit 800 controls the driving unit 480 to move the second tray 380 to the ice-making position (S3).

As an example, the control unit 800 may control the driving unit 480 to move the second tray 380 in the reverse direction from the water supply position.

When the second tray 380 is moved in the reverse direction, the upper surface 381a of the second tray 380 becomes closer to the lower surface 321e of the first tray 320.

Then, the water between the upper surface 381a of the second tray 380 and the lower surface 321e of the first tray 320 is divided and distributed inside each of the plurality of second cells 320c.

When the upper surface 381a of the second tray 380 and the lower surface 321e of the first tray 320 are completely contacted, the first cell 320b is filled with water.

The movement of the ice-making position of the second tray 380 is detected by a sensor, and when it is detected that the second tray 380 has been moved to the ice-making position, the control unit 800 stops the driving unit 480.

Ice making begins with the second tray 380 moved to the ice making position (S4).

For example, when the second tray 380 reaches the ice making position, ice making may begin. Alternatively, when the second tray 380 reaches the ice making position and the water supply time elapses, ice making may begin.

When ice making starts, the control unit 800 may control the cold air supply means 900 to supply cold air to the ice making cell 320a.

After ice making starts, the control unit 800 may control the clear ice heater 430 to be turned on in at least some sections while the cold air supply means 900 supplies cold air to the ice making cell 320a. There is (S5).

When the transparent ice heater 430 is turned on, the heat of the transparent ice heater 430 is transferred to the ice-making cell 320a, so the speed of ice production in the ice-making cell 320a may be delayed.

As in the present embodiment, the ice generation speed is adjusted so that the bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice-making cell 320a can move from the ice-forming part toward the liquid water by the heat of the transparent ice heater 430. By delaying, transparent ice can be produced in the ice maker 200.

During the ice making process, the control unit 800 may determine whether the on condition of the transparent ice heater 430 is satisfied.

In the case of this embodiment, the clear ice heater 430 is not turned on immediately after ice making starts, and the clear ice heater 430 can be turned on only when the turn-on condition of the clear ice heater 430 is satisfied.

In general, the water supplied to the ice making cell 320a may be water at room temperature or water at a temperature lower than room temperature. The temperature of the water supplied in this way is higher than the freezing point of water.

Therefore, the temperature of the water is lowered by cold air after supplying water, and when the freezing point of water is reached, the water turns into ice.

In this embodiment, the transparent ice heater 430 may not be turned on before the water changes phase into ice.

If the clear ice heater 430 is turned on before the temperature of the water supplied to the ice making cell 320a reaches the freezing point, the speed at which the water temperature reaches the freezing point is slowed by the heat of the clear ice heater 430. As a result, the start of ice formation is delayed.

The transparency of ice may vary depending on the presence or absence of air bubbles in the area where ice is formed after ice begins to be formed. If heat is supplied to the ice-making cell 320a before ice is formed, regardless of the transparency of ice, It can be seen that the transparent ice heater 430 is operating.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the clear ice heater 430 is turned on after the on condition of the clear ice heater 430 is satisfied, power is consumed due to unnecessary operation of the clear ice heater 430. You can prevent it from happening.

Of course, even if the transparent ice heater 430 is turned on immediately after ice making starts, transparency is not affected, so it is also possible to turn on the transparent ice heater 430 after ice making starts.

In this embodiment, the control unit 800 may determine that the on condition of the transparent ice heater 430 is satisfied when a certain time has elapsed from a set specific point in time. The specific time point may be set to at least one of the time points before the transparent ice heater 430 is turned on. For example, the specific time can be set as the time when the cold air supply means 900 starts supplying cold power for ice making, the time when the second tray 380 reaches the ice making position, and the time when water supply is completed. .

Alternatively, the control unit 800 may determine that the turn-on condition of the transparent ice heater 430 is satisfied when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 reaches the turn-on reference temperature.

For example, the on reference temperature may be a temperature for determining that water has begun to freeze at the uppermost side (communication hole side) of the ice-making cell 320a.

When a portion of the water freezes in the ice-making cell 320a, the temperature of the ice in the ice-making cell 320a is below zero.

The temperature of the first tray 320 may be higher than the temperature of ice in the ice making cell 320a.

Of course, although water exists in the ice-making cell 320a, the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 may be below zero after ice begins to be generated in the ice-making cell 320a.

Therefore, in order to determine that ice has begun to be created in the ice-making cell 320a based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700, the on-reference temperature may be set to a temperature below zero. .

That is, when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 reaches the on reference temperature, the on reference temperature is sub-zero temperature, so the temperature of the ice in the ice-making cell 320a is sub-zero temperature, which is the on reference temperature. It will be lower than Accordingly, it can be indirectly determined that ice is generated within the ice-making cell 320a.

In this way, when the transparent ice heater 430 is turned on, the heat of the transparent ice heater 430 is transferred into the ice making cell 320a.

As in this embodiment, when the second tray 380 is located below the first tray 320 and the transparent ice heater 430 is arranged to supply heat to the second tray 380 Ice may begin to be generated from the upper side of the ice-making cell 320a.

In this embodiment, since ice is generated from the top within the ice-making cell 320a, air bubbles move downward toward the liquid water in the portion of the ice-making cell 320a where ice is generated.

Since the density of water is greater than the density of ice, water or air bubbles may convect within the ice-making cell 320a and the air bubbles may move toward the transparent ice heater 430.

In this embodiment, depending on the shape of the ice-making cell 320a, the mass (or volume) of water per unit height in the ice-making cell 320a may be the same or different.

For example, when the ice-making cell 320a is a rectangular parallelepiped, the mass (or volume) of water per unit height within the ice-making cell 320a is the same.

On the other hand, when the ice-making cell 320a has a shape such as a sphere, inverted triangle, or crescent moon, the mass (or volume) of water per unit height is different.

Assuming that the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 is constant, if the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 is the same, the mass per unit height of water in the ice-making cell 320a is different, so the ice per unit height The speed at which this is generated may vary.

For example, when the mass per unit height of water is small, the rate of ice formation is fast, whereas when the mass per unit height of water is large, the rate of ice creation is slow.

Ultimately, the speed at which ice is created per unit height of water becomes inconsistent, so the transparency of ice may vary for each unit height. In particular, when the speed of ice formation is high, air bubbles cannot move from the ice to the water, so the ice may contain air bubbles and have low transparency.

In other words, the smaller the deviation in the speed at which ice is generated per unit height of water, the smaller the deviation in transparency per unit height of the generated ice becomes.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 800 determines the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 and/or the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 according to the mass per unit height of the water in the ice-making cell 320a. It can be controlled to be variable.

In this specification, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may include one or more of variable output of the compressor, variable output of the fan, and variable opening of the refrigerant valve.

Additionally, in this specification, varying the heating amount of the clear ice heater 430 may mean varying the output of the clear ice heater 430 or varying the duty of the clear ice heater 430. .

At this time, the duty of the clear ice heater 430 means the ratio of the on time to the on time and off time of the clear ice heater 430 in one cycle, or the on time of the clear ice heater 430 in one cycle. It may mean the ratio of off time to on time and off time.

In this specification, the standard of the unit height of water within the ice-making cell 320a may vary depending on the relative positions of the ice-making cell 320a and the transparent ice heater 430.

If the speed of ice formation is different for each unit height, the transparency of the ice varies for each unit height, and in certain sections, the speed of ice creation is too fast, so there is a problem of lowering transparency due to the inclusion of air bubbles.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the output of the transparent ice heater 430 is such that during the ice generation process, air bubbles are moved toward the water in the ice-generating area, and the ice-generating speed for each unit height is the same or similar. can be controlled.

After the clear ice heater 430 is turned on, the output of the clear ice heater 430 may be gradually reduced from the initial section to the middle section.

In the middle section, which is the section where the mass of water per unit height is minimum, the output of the transparent ice heater 430 becomes minimum.

From the next section of the middle section, the output of the transparent ice heater 430 may be increased step by step.

By controlling the output of the transparent ice heater 430, the transparency of the ice becomes uniform for each unit height, and air bubbles are collected in the lowest section. Therefore, when looking at the ice as a whole, air bubbles may gather in a local area and the remaining part may become transparent as a whole.

Even if the ice-making cell 320a is not spherical, transparent ice can be produced when the output of the transparent ice heater 430 is varied according to the mass of water per unit height in the ice-making cell 320a.

The heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 when the mass of water per unit height is large is smaller than the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 when the mass of water per unit height is small.

For example, while maintaining the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 the same, the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 can be varied in inverse proportion to the mass of water per unit height.

Additionally, transparent ice can be produced by varying the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 according to the mass of water per unit height.

For example, when the mass of water per unit height is large, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 can be increased, and when the mass per unit height of water is small, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 can be reduced.

For example, while maintaining the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 constant, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be varied in proportion to the mass per unit height of water.

Looking at the cold power variable pattern of the cold air supply means 900 when generating spherical ice, the cold power of the cold air supply means 900 may be increased step by step from the initial section to the middle section during the ice making process.

The cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 is maximized in the middle section, which is the section where the mass of water per unit height is minimum.

From the next section of the middle section, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be gradually reduced again.

Alternatively, transparent ice can be produced by varying the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 according to the mass of water per unit height.

For example, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be varied in proportion to the mass per unit height of water, and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 may be varied in inverse proportion to the mass per unit height of water.

As in the present embodiment, when controlling one or more of the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 according to the mass of water per unit height, the ice production rate per unit height of water is substantially reduced. It may be the same or maintained within a certain range.

Meanwhile, the control unit 800 may determine whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 (S6).

When it is determined that ice making is complete, the control unit 800 may turn off the transparent ice heater 430 (S7).

For example, when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 reaches the first reference temperature, the control unit 800 may determine that ice making is complete and turn off the transparent ice heater 430.

At this time, in the case of this embodiment, since the distance between the second temperature sensor 700 and each ice-making cell 320a is different, the control unit 800 determines that ice generation has been completed in all ice-making cells 320a. may start moving after a certain period of time has elapsed from the time when it is determined that ice making is complete or when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 700 reaches a second reference temperature lower than the first reference temperature.

When ice making is completed, the control unit 800 operates at least one of the moving heater 290 and the transparent ice heater 430 to move ice (S8).

When the moving heater 290 is turned on, the heat of the heater is transferred to the first tray 320 so that ice can be separated from the surface (inner surface) of the first tray 320.

In addition, the heat of the moving heater 290 is transferred from the first tray 320 to the contact surface of the second tray 380, causing the lower surface 321d of the first tray 320 and the second tray ( The upper surface 381a of 380) can be separated.

After at least one of the moving heater 290 and the transparent ice heater 430 is turned on and the moving condition of the second tray 380 is satisfied, the control unit 800 turns off the turned-on heater and , the second tray 380 can be rotated in the forward direction to be moved to the moving position (S9).

As shown in FIG. 14 , when the second tray 380 moves in the forward direction, the second tray 380 is spaced apart from the first tray 320 .

Meanwhile, the moving force of the second tray 380 is transmitted to the first pusher 260 by the pusher link 500. Then, the first pusher 260 descends along the guide slot 302, so that the extension part 264 penetrates the communication hole 321e and pressurizes the ice in the ice-making cell 320a. do.

In this embodiment, during the moving process, ice may be separated from the first tray 320 before the extension portion 264 presses the ice. That is, ice may be separated from the surface of the first tray 320 by the heat of the moving heater 290.

In this case, the ice may move with the second tray 380 while being supported by the second tray 380 .

As another example, there may be cases where ice is not separated from the surface of the first tray 320 even by the primary and secondary heating of the moving heater 290.

Therefore, when the second tray 380 moves in the forward direction, there is a possibility that the ice may be separated from the second tray 380 while being in close contact with the first tray 320 .

In this state, during the movement of the second tray 380, the extension portion 264 passing through the communication hole 320e presses the ice in close contact with the first tray 320, thereby causing the ice to form the ice. It may be separated from the first tray 320.

Ice separated from the first tray 320 may be supported by the second tray 380.

When ice moves with the second tray 380 while being supported by the second tray 380, the ice moves to the second tray 380 by its own weight even if no external force is applied to the second tray 380. It can be separated from the tray 250.

In the process of moving the second tray 380, even if the ice does not fall from the second tray 380 due to its own weight, the second tray 380 is pushed by the second pusher 540 as shown in FIG. 14. When pressure is applied, ice may be separated from the second tray 380 and fall downward.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, while the second tray 380 moves, the second tray 380 comes into contact with the extension portion 544 of the second pusher 540.

When the second tray 380 continues to move in the forward direction, the extension portion 544 presses the second tray 380, causing the second tray 380 to deform, and the extension portion ( The pressing force of 544) is transmitted to the ice, so that the ice may be separated from the surface of the second tray 380.

Ice separated from the surface of the second tray 380 may fall downward and be stored in the ice bin 600.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the position where the second tray 380 is deformed by being pressed by the second pusher 540 may be called a moving position.

In this embodiment, in order to ensure ice moving reliability, ice can be separated from the tray through two heating processes by the moving heater 290 and the first and second pushers.

Meanwhile, while the second tray 380 moves from the ice making position to the moving position, whether the ice bin 600 is full of ice may be detected.

For example, the full ice detection lever 520 is rotated together with the second tray 380, and if the rotation of the full ice detection lever 520 is interfered with by ice while the full ice detection lever 520 is rotating. , it may be determined that the ice bin 600 is in a full ice state. On the other hand, if the rotation of the full ice detection lever 520 is not interfered with by ice during the rotation of the full ice detection lever 520, it may be determined that the ice bin 600 is not in a full ice state.

After the ice is separated from the second tray 380, the control unit 800 controls the driving unit 480 to move the second tray 380 in the reverse direction (S10).

Then, the second tray 380 moves from the moving position toward the water supply position.

When the second tray 380 moves to the water supply position in FIG. 9, the control unit 800 stops the driving unit 480 (S1).

If the second tray 380 is separated from the extension portion 544 while the second tray 380 is moved in the reverse direction, the deformed second tray 380 may be restored to its original form. there is.

During the reverse movement of the second tray 380, the moving force of the second tray 380 is transmitted to the first pusher 260 by the pusher link 500, and the first pusher 260 rises, and the extension part 264 falls out of the ice-making cell 320a.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be determined in response to the target temperature of the freezing chamber 32. Cold air generated by the cold air supply means 900 may be supplied to the freezing chamber 32.

The water in the ice-making cell 320a may be phase-changed into ice by heat transfer between the cold supplied to the freezer 32 and the water in the ice-making cell 320a.

In this embodiment, the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 for each unit height of water may be determined by considering the predetermined cooling power of the cold air supply means 900.

The heating amount (or output) of the transparent ice heater 430 determined in consideration of the predetermined cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 is referred to as the reference heating amount (or reference output). The magnitude of the standard heating amount per unit height of water is different.

However, when the amount of heat transfer between the cold of the freezer 32 and the water in the ice-making cell 320a varies, and the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 is not adjusted to reflect this, the transparency of ice for each unit height varies. there is a problem.

In this embodiment, when the heat transfer amount of cold air and water is increased, for example, when the cold power of the cold air supply means 900 is increased, or when air with a temperature lower than the temperature of the cold air in the freezer compartment 32 is supplied to the freezer compartment 32. It may be the case that is supplied.

On the other hand, when the heat transfer amount of cold air and water is reduced, for example, when the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 is reduced, or when the door is opened and the temperature of the cold air in the freezer compartment 32 is higher than the temperature of the cold air in the freezer compartment 32. air is supplied, food with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cold air in the freezer compartment 32 is input into the freezer compartment 32, or a defrost heater (not shown) for defrosting the evaporator is turned on. You can.

For example, the target temperature of the freezer compartment 32 is lowered, the operating mode of the freezer compartment 32 is changed from normal mode to rapid cooling mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is increased, or the refrigerant valve is changed. When the opening degree is increased, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be increased.

On the other hand, the target temperature of the freezer compartment 32 is increased, the operating mode of the freezer compartment 32 is changed from the rapid cooling mode to the normal mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is reduced, or the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is reduced. When reduced, the cooling power of the cold air supply means 900 may be reduced.

When the amount of heat transfer between the cold air and water increases, the temperature of the cold air around the ice maker 200 decreases, thereby increasing the speed of ice production.

On the other hand, when the amount of heat transfer between the cold air and water is reduced, the temperature of the cold air around the ice maker 200 increases, slowing down the ice production speed and lengthening the ice making time.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the amount of heat transfer between cold and water increases so that the ice making speed is maintained within a predetermined range lower than the ice making speed when ice making is performed with the clear ice heater 430 turned off, the clear ice The heating amount of the heater 430 can be controlled to increase.

On the other hand, when the heat transfer amount of cold air and water is reduced, the heating amount of the transparent ice heater 430 can be controlled to decrease.

In this embodiment, if the ice-making speed is maintained within the predetermined range, the ice-making speed becomes slower than the speed at which air bubbles move in the ice-generating portion of the ice-making cell 320a, so that air bubbles do not exist in the ice-generating portion. It won't happen.

Claims (15)

A pantry where food is stored;
a door that opens and closes the storage compartment;
Cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage compartment;
a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature within the storage compartment;
a first tray forming at least a portion of a wall for providing an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air;
a second tray forming at least another portion of the wall for providing the ice-making cell;
a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell;
a second temperature sensor provided to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell and disposed adjacent to one or more of the first tray and the second tray;
a heater located adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; and
A control unit that determines whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor,
The heater supplies heat to the first tray, and includes a moving heater disposed adjacent to the first tray so that the heat supplied to the first tray is transferred to the ice-making cell,
There are a plurality of ice making cells, and the plurality of ice making cells include a first ice making cell; and a second ice-making cell disposed adjacent to the first ice-making cell, wherein at least a portion of the second temperature sensor is located between the first ice-making cell and the second ice-making cell,
The first tray includes a sensor accommodating portion in which the second temperature sensor is accommodated, and the moving heater is arranged to be spaced apart from the second temperature sensor,
The second temperature sensor measures the temperature of the cell that freezes last among the plurality of ice-making cells, thereby reducing the occurrence of ice breaking when ice-making is not completed,
Among the plurality of ice-making cells, the cell that freezes last is the ice-making cell located furthest from the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means. According to paragraph 1,
The second temperature sensor is in contact with the first tray or is disposed at a predetermined distance from the first tray. According to paragraph 1,
The first tray includes a first cell wall defining a first cell of each of the plurality of ice making cells,
The second temperature sensor is disposed between the first cell walls of the two ice-making cells of the first tray and contacts the first tray from the outside of the first cell wall. According to paragraph 1,
At least a portion of the second temperature sensor is in contact with the bottom surface of the sensor receiving portion. According to paragraph 1,
Among the plurality of ice making cells, the distance between the cold air hole and the second temperature sensor is smaller than the distance between the cold air hole and the ice making cell located furthest from the cold air hole for supplying cold air by the cold air supply means. Refrigerator where the temperature sensor is located. According to paragraph 1,
The first tray includes the first ice making cell, the first ice making cell, and the second ice making cell disposed adjacent to the first ice making cell,
The first tray includes a first cell wall forming each of the first ice making cell and the second ice making cell, and a plate extending from the first cell wall,
The second temperature sensor includes a portion located lower than the plate of the first tray. According to paragraph 1,
A portion of the moving heater may be positioned higher than the second temperature sensor and may be spaced apart from the second temperature sensor. According to paragraph 1,
The first tray further includes a heater accommodating portion in which the moving heater is accommodated. According to paragraph 1,
a first pusher including at least one extension provided to push ice located in the ice-making cell during a moving process; and
Further comprising a first tray case coupled to the first tray,
A refrigerator wherein the first tray case is provided with a hole for a portion of the first pusher to pass through. According to clause 8,
A refrigerator in which the bottom surface of the sensor accommodating part is positioned lower than the bottom surface of the heater accommodating part to prevent the second temperature sensor from interfering with the moving heater while the second temperature sensor is accommodated in the sensor accommodating part. . According to clause 8,
A refrigerator in which the bottom surface of the sensor accommodating part is located closer to the lower surface of the first tray than the bottom surface of the heater accommodating part. A pantry where food is stored;
a door that opens and closes the storage compartment;
Cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage compartment;
a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature within the storage compartment;
a first tray forming at least a portion of a wall for providing an ice-making cell, which is a space where water changes phase into ice by the cold air;
a second tray forming at least another portion of the wall for providing the ice-making cell;
a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cell;
a second temperature sensor provided to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice-making cell and disposed adjacent to one or more of the first tray and the second tray;
a heater located adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; and
A control unit that determines whether ice making is complete based on the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor,
The heater supplies heat to the first tray, is disposed adjacent to the first tray so that the heat supplied to the first tray is transferred to the ice-making cell, and operates to transfer ice when ice-making is completed. a heater for moving ice, and at least a portion of the section in which the cold air supply means supplies cold air so that bubbles dissolved in the water inside the ice-making cell move toward the liquid water from the portion where ice is created, thereby producing transparent ice. It includes a transparent ice heater heated from,
There are a plurality of ice making cells, and the plurality of ice making cells include a first ice making cell, a second ice making cell, and a third ice making cell,
The first ice making cell is located furthest from the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means, the third ice making cell is located closest to the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means, and the second ice making cell is located in the direction in which cold air is supplied from the cold air supply means. Located between the first ice making cell and the third ice making cell,
At least a portion of the second temperature sensor is located between the first ice making cell and the second ice making cell,
When the defrost heater for defrosting the evaporator is turned on, the control unit controls the heating amount of the transparent ice heater to be reduced,
The controller controls the moving heater to perform primary heating and secondary heating processes. According to clause 12,
The control unit is configured to control the output of the moving heater to be set to be greater than the output of the transparent ice heater. According to clause 12,
The transparent ice heater is positioned so that the distance from the transparent ice heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is longer than the distance from the second temperature sensor to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray. contains parts,
The transparent ice heater is a part where the distance from the transparent ice heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray is longer than the distance from the moving heater to the contact surface between the first tray and the second tray. Refrigerator containing. According to clause 12,
The target temperature of the storage compartment is lowered, the operating mode of the storage compartment is changed from normal mode to rapid cooling mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is increased, or the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is increased, or the storage compartment is transferred to the storage compartment. When air at a temperature lower than the temperature of cold air in the storage compartment is supplied, the control unit controls the heating amount of the transparent ice heater to increase, or
The target temperature of the storage compartment is increased, the operating mode of the storage compartment is changed from rapid cooling mode to normal mode, the output of one or more of the compressor and the fan is reduced, the opening degree of the refrigerant valve is reduced, or the door is opened. When air with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cold air in the storage compartment is supplied to the storage compartment, or when food with a temperature higher than the temperature of the cold air in the storage compartment is input into the storage compartment, the control unit determines the heating amount of the clear ice heater. A refrigerator that is controlled to reduce the temperature.

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