KR20150145705A - Ice maker and refrigerator with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An ice maker and a refrigerator having the same are disclosed. The ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: an ice making tray which receives water for ice making therein; an ejector which ejects ice from the ice making tray; an ejecting motor which rotates the ejector; and an ejecting heater which is prepared in the ice making tray and heats the ice making tray. In an ejecting section, power is selectively supplied to the ejecting motor or the ejecting heater. Therefore, the present invention can reduce power consumption in the ejecting section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an icemaker and a refrigerator having the same,

The present invention relates to an ice maker and a refrigerator having the ice maker.

Generally, a refrigerator has a refrigerating chamber for refrigerating and storing food and a freezing chamber for refrigerating and storing food. At this time, an ice maker for producing ice is installed in the freezing room or the refrigerating room.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional ice-maker for a refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a state where an ice-making heater is formed below a conventional ice-maker for a refrigerator.

1 and 2, a conventional icemaker 10 for a refrigerator includes an ice tray 11, an ejector 13, a controller 15, a side guide 17, an ice bank 19, a water supply pipe 21, A water supply cup 23, a freezing lever 25, and a freezing heater 27.

Conventionally, the ice-maker for refrigerator 10 starts to ice water after supplying water to the ice-making space in the ice-making tray 11 through the water supply pipe 21 and the water supply cup 23. When the ice-making is completed, the ice-making heater (27) provided at the lower part of the ice-making tray (11) is operated to slightly dissolve the ice firmly coupled to the inner surface of the ice- At this time, the ice-making heater 27 is made of, for example, a sheath heater and is formed in a U-shape at the lower part of the ice-making tray 11. [ Thereafter, when the ice in the ice-making tray 11 is pushed upward by rotating the ejector 13 in the clockwise direction, the ice rides down the side guide 17 formed on one side of the ice-making tray 11, Respectively.

According to the related art, since the ice-making heater 27 is operated in an environment in which cold air is continuously supplied to the icemaker 10, a heater having a large heat capacity is used. As a result, power consumption of the ice- do. For example, in the case of a sheath heater, high power consumption of 145 W using an AC power source leads to high power consumption. Further, when the ice-making heater 27 is used as a DC heater, a DC current required for the DC heater must be secured in a DC power source unit built in a refrigerator or the like provided with an ice maker, which leads to an increase in product price. In addition, it takes a certain time to separate ice from the inner wall of the ice-making tray 11 through the ice-making heater 27, thereby raising the temperature in the ice-making chamber.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1999-0034645 (May 15, 1999)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an ice maker and a refrigerator having the same that can reduce power consumption during an ice section.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an ice maker and a refrigerator having the ice maker that can reduce the temperature rise of the ice making room during the ice section.

An ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment includes: an ice-making tray that receives iced water; An ejector for ejecting ice from the ice-making tray; An ice-making motor for rotating the ejector; And an ice-making heater provided in the ice-making tray for heating the ice-making tray, and power is selectively supplied to the ice-making motor or the ice-making heater during the ice-making period.

Wherein the freezing section is divided into a plurality of sections according to at least one of elapsed time from the start of the freezing, the position of the ejector from the start of the freezing, and the temperature of the ice-making tray from the start of the freezing, Only one of the motor and the above-mentioned moving heater can be supplied with power.

Wherein the ice-making heater includes a first ice-making heater provided on one side of the ice-making tray, and a second ice-making heater spaced from the first ice-making heater and provided on the other side of the ice-making tray, The first and second heaters may selectively receive power from only one of the first and second heaters.

Wherein the freezing section is divided into a plurality of sections according to at least one of elapsed time from the start of the freezing, the position of the ejector from the start of the freezing, and the temperature of the ice-making tray from the start of the freezing, Power can be selectively supplied in the order of the motor, the first moving ice heater, the ice-making motor, the second ice-making heater, and the ice-making motor.

An ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment includes: an ice-making tray that receives iced water; An ejector for ejecting ice from the ice-making tray; An ice-making motor for rotating the ejector; And an ice-making heater provided in the ice-making tray for heating the ice-making tray. The ice-making motor and the ice-making heater are supplied with power within a predetermined power-saving electric power range during the ice-making period.

The power saving power range may be set to be less than a sum of electric powers used when normally driving both the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater in the above-mentioned freezing section.

Wherein the power saving power range is less than a sum of electric power used when both the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater are normally driven in the ice-making section, and when only one of the ice-making motor and the ice- It can be set to be higher than the power used.

When the power supplied to the freezing motor increases or decreases in the freezing period, the power supplied to the freezing heater may decrease or increase in response to the power increase or the power decrease to the freezing motor.

Wherein the power supplied to the ice-making motor is increased or decreased from a first power to a second power during a predetermined period of the ice-making period, and the power supplied to the ice- Wherein the sum of the first power and the third power and the sum of the second power and the fourth power are respectively the same as the sleep power Range.

Wherein the ice-making heater includes a first ice-making heater provided on one side of the ice-making tray, and a second ice-making heater spaced from the first ice-making heater and provided on the other side of the ice-making tray, The power supplied to the second heating heater and the second heating heater can be controlled according to at least one of the elapsed time from the start of the ice-breaking, the position of the ejector from the start of ice-making, and the temperature of the ice-

The ice-making motor and the ice-making heater are selectively supplied with power during a certain section of the ice-making section, and power can be simultaneously supplied to other sections of the ice-making section during the ice-making section.

A refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an ice-making tray for receiving ice-making water, an ejector for releasing ice in the ice-making tray, an ice-making motor for rotating the ejector, An ice maker including a heater; A cold air blowing fan provided to supply cold air to the ice maker; And a power controller controlling the cool air supplied to the ice maker in association with the ice section of the ice maker.

The power supply control unit may reduce or shut off the power of the cold air blowing fan in conjunction with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.

The power source control unit may reduce the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan from a point of time before the ice-making start time of the ice-maker, and then cut off the power of the cold air blowing fan at the first time point of the ice- The power can be re-supplied to the cold air blowing fan at a second point in time after the first point of time.  

The power source control unit may control power of the cold air blowing fan in conjunction with the operation of the ice-making heater in an ice-making section of the ice-maker.

The power source control unit may cut off the power of the cold air blowing fan or reduce the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan in the interval during which the ice heater operates during the ice portion.

The power supply control unit may switch the direction of the cool air supplied to the ice-maker by the cold air blowing fan in conjunction with the ice-making section of the ice maker, and supply the cool air to the freezing room provided in the refrigerator.

The refrigerator may further include an air duct for transferring cool air blown by the cold air blowing fan to the ice maker, and the power source control unit may include a cool air supply unit for supplying cool air to the ice maker through the air duct, Can be blocked or reduced.

A refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an ice-making tray for receiving ice-making water, an ejector for releasing ice in the ice-making tray, an ice-making motor for rotating the ejector, 1. A refrigerator comprising an ice maker including a heater, the refrigerant pipe being provided at one side of the ice-making tray and supplying cool air to the ice-making tray; And a power controller controlling the cool air supplied to the ice-making tray by the coolant pipe in association with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.

The power control unit may decrease or shut off the amount of refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant pipe in association with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.

The refrigerator may further include a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe, and the power control unit may reduce or shut off the power of the compressor in conjunction with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.

The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe, wherein the power control unit reduces the power supplied to the compressor from a point of time prior to starting the ice- The power source of the compressor may be shut off at a time point and the power source may be re-supplied to the compressor at a second time point after the first time point of the freezing section.

The refrigerator may further include a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe, and the power source control unit may control the power source of the compressor in conjunction with the operation of the ice-making heater during an ice-making period of the ice-maker.

The power source control unit may cut off the power of the compressor or reduce the power supplied to the compressor during a period during which the freezing heater operates during the freezing period.

Wherein the refrigerator further comprises a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe, wherein the power source control part supplies a part of the power supplied to the compressor during the operation of the ice-making heater to the ice-making heater, Can be driven.

According to the exemplary embodiment, by selectively supplying power to the ice-making motor or the ice-making heater during the ice-making period, power used in the ice-making section can be minimized, and the time during which the ice- So that it can be minimized. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time until completion of the next ice-making process, and to reduce power consumption in the ice-making process.

In addition, by supplying power to the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater within a predetermined power-saving power range during the ice-making period, power consumption can be minimized while simultaneously performing the ice-making operation and the sea-ice operation.

In addition, by controlling the cold air by the cold air blowing fan or the cold air by the refrigerant pipe in conjunction with the ice removing operation, the ice removing operation can be efficiently performed by the limited electric power source.

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional icemaker for a refrigerator;
2 is a view showing a state where a heater is formed in a lower portion of a conventional icemaker for a refrigerator
3 schematically illustrates an internal structure of a cooling device having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment;
4 is a cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment;
5 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration for power supply control of a cooling device having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment
6 is a graph showing the electric power supplied to the cold air blowing fan according to time in the exemplary embodiment

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. The following terms are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, and may be changed according to the intention or custom of the user, the operator, and the like. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

The technical idea of the present invention is determined by the claims, and the following embodiments are merely a means for effectively explaining the technical idea of the present invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

On the other hand, directional terms such as the top, bottom, one side, the other, and the like are used in connection with the orientation of the disclosed figures. Since the elements of the embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in various orientations, directional terms are used for illustrative purposes and not limitation.

3 is a view schematically showing the internal structure of a cooling device having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment. 3 (a) is a view schematically showing an internal structure of a cooling device having an icemaker of an intercooled type, and Fig. 3 (b) is a view schematically showing the internal structure of a cooling device having a direct- to be.

3 (a), the cooling device may include an ice maker 100, a cold air blowing fan 200, and a compressor 300. Further, the cooling device may include a refrigerating chamber and / or a freezing chamber. The ice maker 100 is a device for generating ice by receiving ice-making water. The ice maker 100 may be provided in a separate independent space (for example, an ice making chamber) in the cooling apparatus. The cold air blowing fan 200 serves to supply cold air to the ice maker 100. The cold air blowing fan 200 may be provided in a space provided in the icemaker 100, but is not limited thereto. As described above, the method of supplying cold air to the ice-maker 100 by the cold air blowing fan 200 is referred to as " The compressor 300 may be used for compressing the refrigerant used in the cooling cycle (compression, condensation, expansion, evaporation circulation) within the cooling device. The cold air blowing fan 200 can serve to circulate cool air in the cooling device generated by the cooling cycle.

Referring to FIG. 3 (b), the cooling device may include an ice maker 100, a compressor 300, and a refrigerant pipe 400. The refrigerant pipe 400 may be provided in contact with the ice maker 100. The icemaker (100) receives cool air through the refrigerant pipe (400). The method of supplying cold air to the ice-maker 100 by the refrigerant pipe 400 is referred to as direct cooling. The refrigerant pipe 400 may be connected to cooling cycle related devices such as the compressor 300.

Although the ice maker 100, the cold air blowing fan 200, the compressor 300, the refrigerant pipe 400 and the like are shown here as electric components of the cooling device, it is obvious to those skilled in the art something to do. In addition, a method of supplying cool air to the ice maker 100 may be a system in which a mixture of an indirect cooling method and a direct cooling method is used.

4 is a cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment;

4, the ice maker 100 includes an ice tray 102, an ejector 104, a first freezing heater 121, a second freezing heater 122, a temperature sensor 130, and a position sensor 131, . ≪ / RTI > The ejector 104 has an ejector shaft 104-1 and an ejector shaft 104-1 provided along the longitudinal direction of the ice-making tray 102 (in the direction perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 4) And a plurality of ejector pins 104-2 that are spaced apart from each other.

The ice-making tray 102 has an ice-making space capable of containing water therein. The inner space of the ice-making tray 102 can be divided into a plurality of ice-making spaces by a plurality of partition walls. At this time, each of the separated ice-making spaces in the ice-making tray 102 may be formed to correspond to each ejector pin 104-2.

The ejector 104 serves to remove ice in the ice-making tray 102 when ice-making water in the ice-making tray 102 is completely iced. The ejector shaft 104-1 is connected to an idle motor (not shown) that rotates the ejector shaft 104-1. When the ejector shaft 104-1 rotates, the ejector pin 104-2 rotates in one direction (clockwise in FIG. 4), and ice formed in the ice-making space of the ice-making tray 102 is ice-released.

The first and second ice heaters 121 and 122 may be mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the ice-making tray 102. The first and second ice heaters 121 and 122 heat the ice-making tray 102 to melt the surface of ice on the inner peripheral surface of the ice-making tray 102. The first and second freezing heaters 121 and 122 may be spaced apart from each other. The first and second ice heaters 121 and 122 may be mounted in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ice-making tray 102 for heat transfer efficiency. At this time, an urging means (not shown) for urging the first and second ice-making heaters 121 and 122 toward the ice-making tray 102 may be provided. The first and second heaters 121 and 122 may be planar heaters, but the type of the heaters is not limited thereto. The first and second heating heaters 121 and 122 may be supplied with a DC power source, but the type of the power source is not limited thereto. The first and second freezing heaters 121 and 122 can be independently controlled.

The first ice-making heater 121 may be provided on one side of the outer circumferential surface with respect to the center of the ice-making tray 102, and the second ice-making heater 122 may be provided on the other side of the outer circumferential surface with respect to the center of the ice-making tray 102. That is, the first and second ice heaters 121 and 122 may be sequentially provided along the direction in which the ejector 104 rotates.

In this embodiment, the number of the moving heaters 121 and 122 is two. However, the number of the moving heaters 121 and 122 is not limited thereto, and the number of the moving heaters may be variously changed. The moving heaters 121 and 122 may be film heaters, sheathed heaters, cartridge heaters, cord heaters, flat heaters, print heaters, coating heaters, or the like.

The temperature sensor 130 may be provided at one side of the ice-making tray 102. The temperature sensor 130 can measure the temperature of the ice-making tray 102.

The position sensor 131 can measure the rotational position of the ejector 104. [ In an exemplary embodiment, the position sensor 131 may be configured to sense a magnet mounted on at least one of the gears of an idler motor (not shown) that rotates the ejector shaft 104-1.

5 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration for power supply control of a cooling apparatus having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the cooling apparatus is supplied with power from the power supply unit 150. The power supply unit 150 may be a commercial power supply (for example, 110V or 220V). The cooling apparatus can receive AC power from the power supply unit 150. The cooling device may include a converter 160 that converts AC power to DC power. The cooling device may include a power control unit 140. The power control unit 140 may control power supply to the respective components of the cooling apparatus. The power supply control unit 140 may supply the AC power of the power supply unit 150 to the electric component according to the type of the electric power used for each electric component in the cooling device, .

The power supply control unit 140 can control electric power supplied to the ice-making motor 110, the first ice-making heater 121, and the second ice-making heater 122. To this end, the power control unit 140 may receive signals from at least one of the temperature sensor 130, the position sensor 131, and the timer 132. At this time, the power supply control unit 140 can receive the temperature of the ice-making tray 102 from the temperature sensor 130. The power control unit 140 can receive the rotational position of the ejector 104 from the position sensor 131. [ The power supply control unit 140 can receive the elapsed time from the timer 132 from the start of the unloading. Also, the power control unit 140 can control the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 and the compressor 300.

In an exemplary embodiment, the power supply control unit 140 can selectively supply power to the freezing motor 110 and the freezing heaters 121 and 122 during the freezing period. Here, the idling period may mean a period of time from when ice-making water in the ice-making tray 102 is iced to ice in the ice-making tray 102. For example, the power supply control unit 140 may not supply power to the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 while supplying power to the ice-making motor 110 during the ice-making period. The power supply control unit 140 may not supply power to the ice-making motor 110 while supplying power to the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 during the ice-making period.

In an exemplary embodiment, the power control unit 140 divides the frozen section into a plurality of sections, and then divides the frozen section into a plurality of sections, and then, for each section, either the ice-making motor 110, the first freezing heater 121, or the second freezing heater 122 It is possible to selectively supply power to only one of them. For example, the power control unit 140 controls the ejection of the ejector 104 from the first position (the home position) until the ejector 104 reaches the ice in the ice-making tray 102, The power can be supplied only to the elevating motor 110. Next, the power control unit 140 can supply power to only the first freezing heater 121 in the second section. That is, the ejector pin 104-2 is fixed in the state of approaching (or contacting) the ice in the ice-making tray 102, and the first freezing heater 121 can be operated for a predetermined time. Next, the power supply control unit 140 can supply power to only the ice-making motor 110 in the third section until the ejector 104 rotates again and the ejector pin 104 approaches the second ice-making heater 123 . Next, the power supply control unit 140 can supply power to only the second freezing heater 121 in the fourth section. At this time, the power control unit 140 may operate the second heating heater 121 for a predetermined time. Next, the power supply control unit 140 can supply power to the ice-making motor 110 only in the fifth section until the ejector 104 rotates again and the ice in the ice-making tray 102 is taken out of the ice-making tray 102 .

As described above, by selectively supplying power to only one of the ice-making motor 110, the first ice-making heater 121, and the second ice-making heater 122 during the ice-making period, the power used in the ice-making zone can be minimized , The time during which the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 are operated can be minimized, and the temperature rise of the ice-making chamber can be minimized. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time until completion of the next ice-making and to reduce power consumption consumed in the ice-making.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment, the power supply control unit 140 can supply power to the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122, respectively, during the ice-making period. At this time, the power control unit 140 can supply power to the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122, respectively, within a preset power-saving electric power range. That is, the sum of the electric power used by the ice-making motor 110 and the electric power used by the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 during the ice-making period can be set to a predetermined power saving electric power range. During the freezing interval, power can be supplied to the freezing motor 110 and the freezing heaters 121 and 122 at the same time, or alternatively, power can be supplied selectively.

The power controller 140 controls the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 to operate at a power lower than the normal power, respectively, when power is supplied to the ice-making motor 110 and the ice- (I.e., operate in a power saving mode). The power saving power range may be set to be smaller than a sum of power used when both of the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 are normally operated. In the exemplary embodiment, the predetermined power range can be set to the power used when normally operating either the ice-making motor 110 or the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 normally. As described above, by supplying power to the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 within the predetermined power-saving power range, power consumption can be minimized while simultaneously performing the ice-making operation and the sea-ice operation.

For example, the power supply control unit 140 controls the current supplied to the ice-making motor 110 during the ice-making period to a predetermined period (for example, until the ejector 104 reaches the center of the outer peripheral surface of the ice- Or a period until the ejector 104 is positioned between the first and second ice heaters 121 and 122, or the like, after the start of ice removal, or the like) Or stepwise. At this time, the power supply control unit 140 controls the current supplied to the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 in a predetermined period (for example, a period until the ejector 104 reaches the central portion of the outer peripheral surface of the ice- A period until the ejector 104 is positioned between the first and second ice-making heaters 121 and 122, and so forth), and then gradually or stepwise, . Here, the current supplied to the freezing heaters 121 and 122 corresponds to the amount of increase (or decrease) of the current supplied to the freezing motor 110 is reduced (or increased).

The power control unit 140 controls the first and second heaters 121 and 122 in accordance with the position of the ejector 104 (that is, the position of the ejector pin 104-2) The power can be selectively supplied to the heating heater 122. Alternatively, when the position of the ejector 104 increases the current supplied to the first ice-making heater 121 until it passes the first ice-making heater 121, and passes through the first ice-making heater 121, The current supplied to the second freezing heater 122 can be increased while the current supplied to the second freezing heater 122 is reduced. At this time, when the position of the ejector 104 passes the first freezing heater 121, the power of the first freezing heater 121 may be turned off.

The power control unit 104 may selectively supply power to the ice-making motor 110 and the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 during a certain period of time during the ice-making period, And the freezing heaters 121 and 122, respectively.

The power control unit 104 receives the position of the ejector pin 104-2 from the position sensor 131 and performs power control based on the position of the received ejector pin 104-2 can do. The power supply control unit 104 can confirm whether or not the start of ice-making starts from the temperature of the ice-making tray 102 received from the temperature sensor 130, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The power supply control unit 104 receives the temperature of the ice-making tray 102 from the temperature sensor 130 after the start of ice-making and controls the power supply based on the temperature of the received ice-making tray 102. [ The power control unit 104 receives the elapsed time from the timer 132 after the start of the e-mail, and performs the power control based on the elapsed time. The power supply control unit 104 can perform power supply control using at least one of the position of the ejector pin 104-2, the temperature of the ice-making tray 102, and the elapsed time since the start of the ice-making operation.

When the icemaker 100 is an intercooled type in which cold air is supplied from the cold air blowing fan 200, the power source controller 104 controls the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 in conjunction with the ice- can do. Specifically, the power control unit 104 can reduce the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 during the ice-making period from a normal time.

6 is a graph showing the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan according to time in the exemplary embodiment.

6A, the power control unit 104 operates the cold air blowing fan 200 at normal power until the start of ice making in the ice maker 100, and at the same time, the power of the cold air blowing fan 200 Off. After the ice section has passed, the cold air blowing fan 200 can be restarted to normal power.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the power control unit 104 operates the cold air blowing fan 200 at normal power until the start of ice making in the ice maker 100, . Here, the power saving power is lower than the normal power of the cold air blowing fan 200. The power saving power may be one third to two thirds of the normal power of the cold air blowing fan 200. After the ice section has passed, the cold air blowing fan 200 can be restarted to normal power.

Referring to FIG. 6C, the power control unit 104 operates the cold air blowing fan 200 at a normal power level, and starts a cold air blowing fan (not shown) And the position of the ejector 104 can be controlled by controlling the position of the ejector 104 at a first point in time during which the first and second heaters 121 and 122 are operated, 121), the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 can be cut off. The power control unit 104 controls the cooling air blowing fan 200 at a second point in time after the first point in time of the ice section (for example, when the position of the ejector 104 passes the second ice heater 122) The power can be supplied again. At this time, the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 can be gradually or stepwise increased. The power supply control unit 104 can confirm or anticipate the starting time of the ice-making via the temperature of the ice-making tray 102 or the ice-making elapsed time in the ice-making tray 102.

Alternatively, the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 may start to decrease from a point of time before the starting time of ice picking (or the start of ice picking up), and the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 may be shut off have. The power can be supplied again to the cold air blowing fan 200 at a time point when the ice making is started or at a certain point in the ice section (for example, when the position of the ejector 104 passes the second ice heater 122) . At this time, the power supplied to the cold air blowing fan 200 can be gradually or stepwise increased.

The power source control unit 104 may control the power source of the cold air blowing fan 200 in conjunction with the operation of the moving heaters 121 and 122. For example, the power control unit 104 can turn off the cold air blowing fan 200 or operate the cold air blowing fan 200 at a predetermined power saving period during a period in which the ice heaters 121 and 122 are operated during the ice- have. That is, when the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 are operated, when the cold air blowing fan 200 operates at normal power, the ice-making heaters 121 and 122 are melted to melt ice formed on the inner surface of the ice- The cooling air blowing fan 200 is turned off or the cooling air blowing fan 200 is turned on during the operation of the ice heaters 121 and 122 because the power consumption is increased and the temperature in the ice making room is also increased. Can be operated with preset saving power.

In this way, the power supply control unit 104 controls the power supply of the cold air blowing fan 200 in conjunction with the ice making period, thereby controlling the cold air supplied to the ice making chamber by the cold air blowing fan 200, It is possible to minimize the power consumed for disassembling.

In this embodiment, the power of the cold air blowing fan 200 is controlled in conjunction with the ice section, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the cold air blowing fan 200 can supply cold air to the ice making chamber provided with the icemaker 100 and the freezing chamber separate from the ice making chamber in the cooling device (i.e., the refrigerator). The power supply control unit 104 may switch the direction of all or part of the cool air supplied to the ice-maker 100 by the cold air blowing fan 200 in conjunction with the ice-making interval of the ice-

In addition, the cooling device may include an air duct connecting the cold air blowing fan 200 and the ice making chamber provided with the ice maker 100 in the cooling device. At this time, the air duct supplies the cool air blown by the cold air blowing fan 200 to the ice maker 100 side. Here, the power control unit 104 may intercept or reduce the cold air supplied to the ice-maker 100 through the air duct in conjunction with the ice-making interval of the ice-maker 100. In the exemplary embodiment, the air duct may be provided with a cold air control valve, and the power control unit 104 may control the cold air passing through the air duct through the air conditioning control valve.

In the case where the icemaker 100 is a direct cooling type in which cool air is supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400, the power source controller 104 can control the cool air supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 in cooperation with the ice- have. Specifically, the power supply control unit 104 can reduce the cool air supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 during the ice-making period to less than the normal time. Here, the control of the cool air supplied from the coolant pipe 400 may be performed by adjusting the amount of coolant flowing into the coolant pipe 400 through the coolant control lever. Alternatively, the cool air supplied from the coolant pipe 400 may be controlled through the control of the power supplied to the compressor 300. Specific examples of cold air control supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 may be the same or similar to those described with reference to FIG.

For example, the power control unit 104 normally maintains the amount of the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant pipe 400 until the ice-making starts in the ice-making machine 100, and can block the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant pipe 400 during the ice- have. In addition, the amount of the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant pipe 400 can be restored normally after the freezing period. Alternatively, the power control unit 104 may operate the compressor 300 at normal power until the ice-making operation is started in the ice-maker 100, and may turn off the compressor 300 during the ice-making period. The compressor 300 can be restarted with normal power after the idling period has elapsed.

In addition, the power supply control unit 104 may control the cool air supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 in conjunction with the operation of the moving heaters 121 and 122. For example, the power control unit 104 may block the cool air supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 or reduce the cool air supplied from the refrigerant pipe 400 to the normal level during a period during which the unloading heaters 121 and 122 are operated during the freezing period.

The power supply control unit 104 supplies part of the power supplied to the compressor 300 to the heaters 121 and 122 in cooperation with the operation of the heaters 121 and 122 to drive the heaters 121 and 122 . At this time, DC power may be supplied to the compressor 300, and some of the DC power supplied to the compressor 300 may be supplied to the heaters 121 and 122.

In the exemplary embodiment, the DC heater can be operated with a limited maximum DC current at a maximum capacity by managing and distributing the electric power of the electric components of the cooling apparatus such as the freezing heaters 121 and 122 and the compressor 300 and the like.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. I will understand. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be determined by equivalents to the appended claims, as well as the appended claims.

100: Ice machine
102: Ice-making tray
104: Ejector
104-1: Ejector shaft
104-2: Ejector pin
121: first heater
122: second heater
130: Temperature sensor
131: Position sensor
132: Timer
140:
150:
160: Converter
200: blowing fan
300: compressor
400: Refrigerant pipe

Claims (25)

An ice-making tray for containing de-iced water;
An ejector for ejecting ice from the ice-making tray;
An ice-making motor for rotating the ejector; And
And an ice-making heater provided in the ice-making tray for heating the ice-making tray,
Wherein power is selectively supplied to the ice-making motor or the ice-making heater during an ice-making period.
The method according to claim 1,
The ice-making section is divided into a plurality of sections according to at least one of an elapsed time from the start of ice-making, a position of the ejector from the start of ice-making, and a temperature of the ice-
Wherein only one of the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater is supplied with power from the plurality of sections.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ice-making heater includes a first ice-making heater provided on one side of the ice-making tray and a second ice-making heater provided on the other side of the ice-making tray,
Wherein either one of the ice-making motor, the first ice-making heater, and the second ice-making heater is selectively supplied with electric power during the ice-making period.
The method of claim 3,
The ice-making section is divided into a plurality of sections according to at least one of an elapsed time from the start of ice-making, a position of the ejector from the start of ice-making, and a temperature of the ice-
Wherein the power is selectively supplied in the order of the ice-making motor, the first freezing heater, the freezing motor, the second freezing heater, and the freezing motor in each of the plurality of sections.
An ice-making tray for containing de-iced water;
An ejector for ejecting ice from the ice-making tray;
An ice-making motor for rotating the ejector; And
And an ice-making heater provided in the ice-making tray for heating the ice-making tray,
Wherein the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater are supplied with power within a preset power-saving electric power range during the ice-making period.
The method of claim 5,
The power saving power range includes:
Wherein the controller is set to less than a sum of power used when both the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater are normally driven in the ice-making period.
The method of claim 5,
The power saving power range includes:
Wherein the controller is configured to set a value equal to or greater than a power used when normally driving only one of the ice-making motor and the ice-making heater in the ice-making period, Ice maker.
The method of claim 5,
Wherein when the power supplied to the ice-making motor increases or decreases in the ice-making period, the power supplied to the ice-making heater decreases or increases corresponding to a power increase or power decrease to the ice-making motor.
The method of claim 5,
Wherein the power supplied to the freezing motor is increased or decreased from a first power to a second power during a certain period of the freezing period,
Wherein the freezing heater decreases or increases from a third power to a fourth power corresponding to a power supplied to the freezing motor during the freezing period during the freezing period,
Wherein the sum of the first power and the third power and the sum of the second power and the fourth power are each within the power saving power range.
The method of claim 5,
Wherein the ice-making heater includes a first ice-making heater provided on one side of the ice-making tray and a second ice-making heater provided on the other side of the ice-making tray,
Wherein the power supplied to the first and second ice-making heaters is at least one of an elapsed time from the start of ice-making, a position of the ejector from the start of ice-making, and a temperature of the ice- And is controlled in accordance with an operation of the ice maker.
The method of claim 5,
Wherein the ice-making motor and the ice-
And an electric power is selectively supplied to some sections of the ice-making section, and power is simultaneously supplied to other sections of the ice-making section.
An ice maker including an ice-making tray for containing de-iced water, an ejector for ejecting ice in the ice-making tray, an ice-making motor for rotating the ejector, and a freezing heater provided in the ice-making tray for heating the ice-making tray.
A cold air blowing fan provided to supply cold air to the ice maker; And
And a power controller for controlling the cool air supplied to the ice maker in association with the ice section of the ice maker.
The method of claim 12,
The power control unit includes:
Wherein the power of the cold air blowing fan is reduced or cut off in conjunction with the ice section of the ice maker.
The method of claim 12,
The power control unit includes:
The power supply to the cold air blowing fan is reduced from a point of time before the start of the icing operation of the icemaker, and the power of the cold air blowing fan is shut off at a first time point of the ice section, And the power is re-supplied to the cold air blowing fan at a second time point after the time point.
The method of claim 12,
The power control unit includes:
And controls the power of the cold air blowing fan in conjunction with the operation of the ice-making heater in an ice-making section of the ice-maker.
16. The method of claim 15,
The power control unit includes:
And a power supply for the cold air blowing fan is cut off or a power supplied to the cold air blowing fan is reduced in an interval during which the ice heater is operated during the ice making period.
The method of claim 12,
The power control unit includes:
Wherein the ice-maker is connected to the ice-maker, and the cold-air blowing fan interlocks with the ice-making section of the ice-maker to change the direction of the cool air supplied to the ice-
The method of claim 12,
Wherein the refrigerator further comprises an air duct for transferring cool air blown by the cold air blowing fan to the ice maker,
Wherein the power control unit interrupts or reduces the cool air supplied to the ice maker through the air duct in association with the ice section of the ice maker.
A refrigerator comprising: an ice-making tray for containing iced water; an ejector for ejecting ice in the ice-making tray; an ice-making motor for rotating the ejector; and an icemaker for heating the ice- as,
A refrigerant pipe provided at one side of the ice-making tray for supplying cold air to the ice-making tray; And
And a power controller for controlling cool air supplied to the ice-making tray by the coolant pipe in association with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.
The method of claim 19,
The power control unit includes:
And the amount of refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant pipe is reduced or cut off in conjunction with the ice-making section of the ice-maker.
The method of claim 19,
The refrigerator further includes a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe,
Wherein the power source control unit reduces or cuts off power of the compressor in association with an ice-making section of the ice-maker.
The method of claim 19,
The refrigerator further includes a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe,
Wherein the power source control unit reduces power supplied to the compressor from a point in time before the icing start time of the ice maker and cuts off the power of the compressor at the first time point of the icing unit, And supplies power to the compressor at a second point in time after one point in time.
The method of claim 19,
The refrigerator further includes a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe,
Wherein the power source control unit controls the power source of the compressor in association with the operation of the ice-making heater in an ice-making section of the ice-maker.
24. The method of claim 23,
The power control unit includes:
Wherein the power of the compressor is cut off or the power supplied to the compressor is reduced in an interval during which the freezing heater operates during the freezing interval.

The method of claim 19,
The refrigerator further includes a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe,
Wherein the power source controller supplies a part of the power supplied to the compressor during the operation of the ice-making heater to the ice-making heater to drive the ice-making heater during the ice-making period.

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