US20100287959A1 - Ice maker, refrigerator having the same, and ice making method thereof - Google Patents
Ice maker, refrigerator having the same, and ice making method thereof Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100287959A1 US20100287959A1 US12/756,893 US75689310A US2010287959A1 US 20100287959 A1 US20100287959 A1 US 20100287959A1 US 75689310 A US75689310 A US 75689310A US 2010287959 A1 US2010287959 A1 US 2010287959A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- ice
- mass
- tray
- maker
- ice mass
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C1/00—Producing ice
- F25C1/12—Producing ice by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C1/00—Producing ice
- F25C1/04—Producing ice by using stationary moulds
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
- F25C5/02—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice
- F25C5/04—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C2400/00—Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice
- F25C2400/10—Refrigerator units
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C2600/00—Control issues
- F25C2600/04—Control means
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C2700/00—Sensing or detecting of parameters; Sensors therefor
- F25C2700/12—Temperature of ice trays
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
- F25C5/02—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice
- F25C5/04—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws
- F25C5/08—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws by heating bodies in contact with the ice
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an ice maker, a refrigerator including the ice maker, and an ice making method, and particularly, to an ice maker that occupies a small space and provides an enhanced degree of spatial utilization and placement options within a refrigerator.
- a home refrigerator serves to store food items in an accommodation space at a low temperature.
- the refrigerator is divided into a freezing chamber for storing food items at a temperature below zero degrees Celsius, and a refrigerating chamber for storing food items at a temperature above zero degrees Celsius.
- the ice maker may be installed at either the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber, depending on the type of refrigerator. In the case of installing the ice maker at the refrigerating chamber, cool air inside the freezing chamber is guided to the ice maker to perform an ice making operation.
- Methods for separating ice from the ice maker may include a torsion method, an ejection method, and a rotation method.
- the torsion method is a method for separating ice by twisting the ice maker
- the ejection method is a method for separating ice from the ice maker by an ejector installed above the ice maker
- the rotation method is a method for separating ice by rotating the ice maker.
- the conventional ice maker makes ice by containing water in a horizontal ice container.
- the ice container occupies a large space
- an ice separation unit for separating ice from the ice maker occupies a large space. This may reduce the entire utilization space inside the refrigerator.
- the amount of ice that can be made at one time is reduced. This may cause ice not to be rapidly provided in summer when a large amount of ice is required.
- the conventional ice maker has a structure to drop formed ice downwardly to a location below the ice maker. Accordingly, in the case of a refrigerator having a dispenser, an ice making chamber has to be installed at a position higher than the dispenser.
- a 3-door bottom freezer type refrigerator where a freezing chamber is installed at a lower side and a refrigerating chamber including an ice making chamber is installed at an upper side, when the ice making chamber is installed at a high position, the freezing chamber is spaced far from the ice making chamber, and cooling air loss may occur when cool air from the freezing chamber is transferred to the ice making chamber. This may reduce the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.
- the conventional ice maker has an ice making unit and an ice separating unit operated by individual mechanisms. This may cause the entire configuration and control to be complicated, resulting in an increase in the fabrication costs of the ice maker.
- an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker having a slim configuration which occupies a small space within a refrigerator.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker locatable within a refrigerator at a location that permits a reduction of air loss occurring when cool air in a freezing chamber is supplied to an ice making chamber, by shortening a distance between the freezing chamber and the ice making chamber by lowering an installation height of the ice maker.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker capable of reducing fabrication costs and reducing malfunctions thereof by having a simplified configuration and precise controls.
- Still other objects of the present invention are to provide a refrigerator having the ice maker, and an ice making method thereof.
- an ice maker comprising: a tray having an ice making space; an elevating unit coupled to the tray, for elevating ice; a driving unit coupled to the elevating unit, for driving the elevating unit; and a transferring unit coupled to the tray, for transferring ice.
- a refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body; a freezing chamber formed at the refrigerator body; a refrigerating chamber formed at the refrigerator body, and partitioned from the freezing chamber; an ice making chamber installed at the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator body, for making ice by receiving cool air inside the freezing chamber; and an ice maker installed inside the ice making chamber, for making ice, wherein the ice maker comprises: one or more elevating units for elevating ice while rotating in a coupled state to a tray; and a driving unit coupled to the elevating unit, for driving the elevating unit.
- an ice making method of a refrigerator comprising: a water supplying step for supplying water to a tray; an ice making step for cooling the water contained in the tray, and thereby making ice; and an ice separating step for drawing out the ice from the tray in a mechanical push manner.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottom freezer type refrigerator having an ice maker according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice maker of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line ‘IV-IV’ in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a worm gear and a worm wheel of an ice separating unit of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken similarly to FIG. 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a view schematically showing a configuration of a control unit of FIG. 3 ;
- FIGS. 8( a )- 8 ( d ) are longitudinal section views of the ice maker of FIG. 2 , which show an ice making process;
- FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an ice making process by the ice maker of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the ice maker of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 11 and 12 are a rear view and a side sectional view showing an arrangement structure of the ice maker of FIG. 2 and a dispenser according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- the refrigerator comprises a freezing chamber 2 installed at a lower side of a refrigerator body 1 and configured to store food items at a temperature below zero degrees Celsius, and a refrigerating chamber 3 installed at an upper side of the refrigerator body 1 and configured to store food items at a temperature above zero degrees Celsius.
- a freezing chamber door 4 is slidably installed at the freezing chamber 2 so as to open and close the freezing chamber 2 in a drawer-like manner.
- a plurality of refrigerating chamber doors 5 are rotatably installed at both sides of the refrigerating chamber 3 so as to open and close the refrigerating chamber 3 .
- a mechanical chamber is located at a lower end of a rear portion of the refrigerator body 1 where a compressor and a condenser are installed.
- An evaporator for supplying cool air to the freezing chamber 2 or the refrigerating chamber 3 by being connected to the compressor and the condenser is installed at a rear portion of the refrigerator body 1 , between an outer case and an inner case at a rear wall of the freezing chamber.
- the evaporator may be installed at a side wall or an upper wall or the refrigerator body.
- the evaporator may be installed at a barrier wall partitioning the freezing chamber 2 and the refrigerating chamber 3 from each other.
- One single evaporator may be installed only at the freezing chamber 2 to supply cool air to the freezing chamber 2 and the refrigerating chamber 3 in a distribution manner.
- a freezing chamber evaporator and a separate refrigerating chamber evaporator may be installed respectively, so as to independently supply cool air to the freezing chamber 2 and the refrigerating chamber 3 .
- An ice making chamber 51 for making ice and storing the ice is formed at an upper inner wall surface of the refrigerating chamber door 5 .
- An ice maker 100 for making ice is installed inside of the ice making chamber 51 .
- a dispenser 52 is located below the ice making chamber 51 , so as to be outwardly exposed on a front side of the refrigerator chamber door 5 , so that ice made by the ice maker 100 can be drawn out of the refrigerator.
- the compressor is operated to generate cool air by the evaporator.
- a portion of the cool air is supplied to the freezing chamber 2 and the refrigerating chamber 3 in a distribution manner, whereas another portion of the cool air is supplied to the ice making chamber 51 .
- the cool air supplied to the ice making chamber 51 is heat-exchanged so that ice can be formed by the ice maker 100 mounted at the ice making chamber 51 , and then is returned into the freezing chamber 2 or is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3 .
- the ice made by the ice maker 100 is drawn out through the dispenser 52 .
- the water supply unit 110 includes a water supply pipe 111 for connecting the water supply source to the tray 120 , a water supply valve 112 installed at an intermediate part of the water supply pipe 111 for controlling a water supply amount.
- a water supply pump 113 may be provided at an upstream side or a downstream side of the water supply valve 112 for pumping water.
- the water supply pump 113 serves to supply a uniform water pressure and flow.
- the water supply pump 113 is not necessarily required. For example, where the water supply pump 113 is not provided, water supply may be performed by using a height difference between the water supply source and the tray 120 , or by water pressure of the source.
- the water supply pipe 111 may be independently connected to the tray 120 .
- the water supply pipe 111 is connected to the plurality of trays 120 , preferably in parallel, in consideration of the aspects of controls and fabrication costs.
- the water supply pipe 111 may be directly connected to the water supply source for supplying water.
- the water supply pipe 111 may be connected to a water tank provided in the refrigerating chamber 3 and storing a predetermined amount of water therein.
- the water tank serves as the water supply source.
- a water level sensor may be installed at the tray 120
- a flow amount sensor for sensing a flow amount of water may be installed at the water supply pipe, or a water level sensor may be installed at the water tank.
- the water supply valve 112 and the water supply pump 113 may be electrically connected to a control unit 150 so as to exchange signals with each other.
- the control unit 150 may control a water supply amount based on a real time value sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor. Alternatively, the control unit 150 may periodically turn on/off the water supply valve 112 and the water supply pump 113 by setting an operation time of the water supply valve 112 and the water supply pump 113 according to predefined data.
- a single tray 120 may be provided according to an ice making capacity of the refrigerator.
- a plurality of trays 120 may be provided for increasing an ice making capacity of the refrigerator.
- the plurality of trays 120 may be arranged in one line, or may be arranged in a plurality of lines, taking into consideration the relationships with the peripheral components.
- the trays 120 are preferably arranged on the same plane in one line.
- the trays 120 are preferably arranged in a plurality of lines. The arrangement of the trays 120 may be suitably controlled according to particular needs.
- the tray 120 may be formed of a conductive material such as aluminum, and may be formed to have a rectangular section shape having a predetermined thickness.
- the tray 120 may be formed to have various shapes according to particular needs. However, the tray 120 is preferably formed to have a rectangular shape extending long in a horizontal direction since ice has to come in contact with an elevating member, such as one or two screws to be described later, thereby making ice in a rectangular shape.
- a water supply hole 121 may be formed at the center of a bottom surface of the tray 120 .
- the water supply hole 121 may be formed on a side surface of the tray 120 , or above the tray 120 .
- the tray 120 may be provided with a plurality of ribs 122 on an inner circumferential surface thereof. Ice made in the tray 120 having one consecutive shape may not be easy to cut, or may be difficult to cut in a uniform size by a cutter. Accordingly, the plurality of ribs 122 may extend in a vertical direction on an inner circumferential surface of the tray 120 so that the ice upwardly moving by the ice raising unit 130 can be partitioned from each other in a horizontal direction, particularly along an axial direction of a cutter 142 to be described later. The shape of ice cubes may be determined according to the shape of the ribs 122 .
- the tray 120 may be formed to have the same sectional area and shape in a longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the tray 120 may be formed to have different sectional areas and shapes in a longitudinal direction. In the case of the latter, the tray 120 is preferably formed to have a larger sectional area and shape toward its opening, i.e., an ice separating end, so that ice made in the tray 120 can be smoothly separated from the tray 120 in a longitudinal direction.
- the heater 131 may be implemented as a hot wire heater wound on an outer peripheral surface of the tray 120 .
- the heater 131 may be formed as a single circuit or a plurality of circuits according to the shape of the tray 120 .
- the heater 131 may be controlled so as to be communicated with the water supply unit 110 .
- a microcomputer may determine whether water is being supplied to the tray 120 for ice making, whether an ice making operation is being performed, or whether the ice made in the tray 120 is being separated from the tray 120 , according to changes of values sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor of the water supply unit 110 . If it is determined that water is being supplied to the tray 120 for ice making, or if it is determined that an ice making operation is being performed, the operation of the heater 131 is stopped. However, if it is determined that the ice made in the tray 120 is being separated from the tray 120 , the operation of the heater 131 is started.
- the time to operate the heater 131 may be determined by real-time or by periodically sensing the temperature of the tray 120 .
- the heater 131 may be forcibly operated based on a data value set to indicate a lapsed time after changes of values sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor of the water supply unit 110 . That is, whether the ice making operation has been completed or not may be checked by sensing the temperature of the tray 120 , or through an ice making time. For instance, when the temperature of the tray 120 measured by a temperature sensor mounted at the tray 120 is less than a predetermined temperature (e.g., about ⁇ 9 degrees Celsius), it is determined that the ice making operation has been completed. Alternatively, when a predetermined time lapses after a water supply operation, it is determined that the ice making operation has been completed.
- a predetermined temperature e.g., about ⁇ 9 degrees Celsius
- the heater 131 may be also implemented as a conductive polymer, a plate heater with a positive thermal coefficient, an AL thin film, or a heat transfer material, rather than the aforementioned hot wire heater.
- the heater 131 may instead be installed inside the tray 120 , or may be provided on an inner surface of the tray 120 .
- the tray 120 may be implemented as a heating resistor which emits heat when electricity is applied to one or more parts thereof. This may allow the tray 120 to serve as the heater 131 without installing an additional heater.
- the heater 131 may operate as a heat source by being installed at a position spaced from the tray 120 by a predetermined interval, without coming in contact with the tray 120 .
- the heat source may be implemented as an optical source for irradiating light to at least one of the ice and the tray 120 , or a magnetron for irradiating microwaves to at least one of the ice and the tray 120 .
- the heat source such as the heater, the optical source, and the magnetron melts a part of an interface between the ice mass and the tray 120 , by applying thermal energy to at least one of the ice mass and the tray 120 , or the interface therebetween. Accordingly, once a screw 135 to be later explained is operated to elevate the ice mass, the ice mass is separated from the tray 120 by the screw 135 even in a condition where the interface between the ice mass and the tray 120 has not melted completely.
- the elevating unit 132 includes a driving force transmitting member 133 for transmitting a rotation force of a driving unit 137 , a driving force transmitting shaft 134 rotating by the driving force transmitting member 133 in a connected state to the driving unit 137 , and a screw 135 for elevating ice while rotating by being engaged to the driving force transmitting shaft 134 .
- the driving force transmitting member 133 may be implemented as a belt as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6 .
- the driving force transmitting member 133 may be implemented as a plurality of belts, a flexible force transmission member such as a chain, or one or more gears or shafts.
- the driving force transmitting shaft 134 is installed in parallel to a rotation shaft 139 of a driving motor 138 which will be later explained.
- the driving force transmitting shaft 134 is provided with a pulley 134 a for winding thereon the driving force transmitting member 133 at one side thereof.
- a worm gear 134 b for elevating the screw 135 is formed at one side of the pulley 134 a .
- the number of the worm gears 134 b corresponds to the number of the screws 135 . For instance, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the screws 135 are provided at right and left sides, the worm gears 134 b are formed at both ends of the driving force transmitting shaft 134 in right and left directions.
- two screws 135 may be installed at right and left sides of the tray 120 , or one screw 135 may be installed at the center of the tray 120 as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the screw 135 In the case of installing the screw 135 at the center of the tray 120 , interference between the screw 135 and the cutter 142 to be explained later has to be considered. Accordingly, it is preferable to install the screw 135 at both sides of the tray 120 or one side of the two sides for prevention of the interference with the cutter 142 .
- the screw 135 is formed long-ways in a vertical direction, and both ends thereof are rotatably coupled to upper and lower surfaces of the tray 120 .
- the screw 135 is provided with screw threads 135 a up to a predetermined height thereof so as to push up the ice in a contact manner.
- the screw threads 135 a may be formed to have a triangular section shape, or a quadrangular section shape.
- worm wheels 135 b are provided for converting a rotation motion of the driving force transmitting shaft 134 in a horizontal axial direction into a rotation motion of the screw 135 in a vertical axial direction by being engaged to the worm gears 134 b of the driving force transmitting shaft 134 .
- the worm wheels 135 b may be directly coupled to the worm gears 134 b .
- the worm wheels 135 b may be coupled to the worm gears 134 b through intermediate gears 136 provided therebetween. In this case, the worm wheels 135 b need not be formed to have a very large diameter, thereby enabling the screws 135 to be easily fabricated and assembled.
- the driving unit 137 may include a driving motor 138 provided at one side of an upper end of the tray 120 , and a rotation shaft 139 coupled to a rotor of the driving motor 138 for rotating the driving force transmitting shaft 134 and the cutter 142 .
- the ice separating unit 140 includes a housing 141 for covering an upper opened surface of the tray 120 , and a cutter 142 rotatably installed at an inner space of the housing 141 and configured to guide the ice to the dispenser after cutting the ice.
- the housing 141 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and coupled to the upper opened side of the tray 120 so as to be communicated thereto in right and left directions.
- a chute tube 143 for guiding the cut ice cubes to the dispenser is provided at one side of the housing 141 opposite to the driving motor 138 .
- the chute tube 143 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having nearly the same diameter as the housing 141 .
- the driving motor 138 may be coupled to another side of the housing 141 .
- the cutter 142 is installed in the housing 141 in a horizontal direction.
- the cutter 142 includes a plurality of cutter plates 145 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance so as to be rotated by a rotation force of the driving motor 138 .
- the cutter 142 further includes one or more blades 146 formed in a spiral shape, with both ends thereof coupled to surfaces of the two cutter plates 145 .
- the rotation shaft 139 of the driving motor 138 is coupled to the cutter plate 145 adjacent to the driving motor 138 .
- the blade 146 may be formed in a spiral shape wound by about 180° so as to smoothly cut the upwardly moving ice mass. As the two cutter plates 145 are connected to each other only by the blade 146 without using an additional bar, the ice may be smoothly upwardly moved from the tray 120 without being blocked by the cutter 142 .
- the cutter 142 may be formed in other ways to cut the ice mass into separated ice pieces having a proper size.
- the blade 146 can move the ice in a consecutive push manner. This may allow a free configuration of an arrangement shape of the tray 120 or a direction to draw out the ice.
- the number of the chute tube 143 and the position of the ice drawing opening 147 may be varied. More specifically, when the screw of the blade 146 is implemented in one direction as shown in FIG. 4 , the ice drawing opening 147 is formed at one end of the blade 146 . However, when the screw of the blade 146 is implemented in both directions as shown in FIG. 6 , the ice drawing opening 147 may be formed at both ends of the blade 146 , or at an intermediate part of the blade 146 .
- the heater 131 and the driving motor 138 may be controlled by a control unit 150 , i.e., a microcomputer electrically connected thereto.
- the control unit 150 includes a sensing unit 151 for sensing the temperature of the tray 120 or sensing a lapsed time after water supply, a determination unit 152 for determining whether the ice making operation has been completed or not by comparing the temperature or time sensed by the sensing unit 151 with a reference value, and a command unit 153 for controlling on/off of the heater 131 and whether to operate the driving motor 138 based on the determination by the determination unit 152 .
- the ice maker 100 is turned on, and an ice making operation starts (S 1 ).
- the water supply unit 110 supplies water to the tray 120 (S 2 ).
- a water supply amount is real time sensed by a water level sensor installed at the tray 120 , or a flow amount sensor installed at a water supply pipe, or a water level sensor installed at a water tank, etc. Then, the sensed water supply amount is transmitted to the microcomputer 150 .
- the microcomputer 150 compares the received water supply amount with a preset water supply amount (S 3 ). Based on the comparison, it is determined whether a preset amount of water has been supplied to the tray 120 . If it is determined that a preset amount of water has been supplied to the tray 120 , a water supply valve of the water supply unit 110 is blocked to stop a supply of water to the tray 120 .
- the water inside the tray 120 is exposed to cool air supplied to the ice making chamber 51 for a predetermined time, to be frozen into an ice mass (S 5 ).
- a temperature sensor periodically or real-time senses the temperature of the tray 120 to transmit the sensed temperature to the microcomputer 150 .
- the microcomputer 150 compares the sensed temperature with a preset temperature (S 6 ). Based on this comparison, it is determined whether the surface of the water inside the tray 120 has been frozen. If it is determined that the water inside the tray 120 has been frozen into an ice mass, all the processes are stopped (S 7 ) to await an ice separating operation.
- the heater 131 is operated (S 9 ) by the control unit 150 . As the heater 131 is operated, heat is supplied to the tray 120 , thereby melting an outer surface of the ice mass contacting an inner surface of the tray 120 .
- the driving motor 138 is operated by the control unit 150 , thereby rotating the worm gears 134 .
- the worm gears 134 rotate the worm wheels 135 b , thereby rotating the screws 135 to which the worm wheels 135 b have been coupled (S 10 ).
- the screw threads 135 a of the screws 135 upwardly move the ice mass in a pushing manner.
- the ice mass is moved upwardly in a direction of the housing 141 , the ice separating operation starts (S 11 ).
- the cutter 142 While the worm gears 134 are rotated by the driving motor 138 , the cutter 142 also starts to be rotated (S 12 ). The ice mass inside the tray 120 is upwardly moved to be cut by the cutter 142 in a predetermined size. Then, the cut ice cubes are transferred to the chute tube 143 by the blade 146 of the cutter 142 , and subsequently discharged out toward the dispenser, or toward an ice storage container (S 13 ).
- supply of cool air to the ice making chamber 51 is preferably stopped in order to facilitate the ice separating operation, and in order to reduce power supplied to the heater 131 .
- a space occupied by the ice maker may be reduced, thereby providing a slim configuration of the refrigerator.
- a refrigerating chamber door may have a reduced thickness by applying the ice maker thereto. This may enhance a degree of freedom to install the refrigerator.
- the cutter 142 is installed on an upper end of the tray 120 , thereby discharging the ice from an upper side of the ice maker.
- the ice maker 100 may be arranged at a lower side of the refrigerating chamber door 5 beside the dispenser 52 in a width direction at approximately the same height as the dispenser 52 .
- the ice maker 100 and the dispenser 52 may be arranged in back and forth directions such that the ice maker 100 is located behind the dispenser 52 in a thickness direction of the refrigerating chamber door 5 . This may reduce a length of a flow path between the freezing chamber 2 and the ice making chamber 51 . Accordingly, loss of cool air that may occur while supplying cool air to the ice making chamber 51 from the freezing chamber 2 may be greatly reduced, thereby lowering power consumption of the refrigerator. This may also increase an effective volume of the refrigerating chamber door.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Production, Working, Storing, Or Distribution Of Ice (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
An ice maker, a refrigerator including the ice maker, and an ice making method are provided. The ice maker includes a tray having a predetermined depth into which water is supplied to make ice. The ice maker includes an elevating unit to elevate a portion of the ice, and a cutting unit to cut off the elevated portion of the ice to be dispensed as ice pieces to a user. The ice maker has a slim configuration, and a compact size. The ice maker may be provided in the door of the refrigerator at a height approximately the same as the height of the dispenser located at the front side of the door. This arrangement permits a path for supplying cool air from a freezing compartment to the ice maker to be decreased.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in priority Korean Application No. 10-2009-0042817, filed on May 15, 2009, which is herein expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an ice maker, a refrigerator including the ice maker, and an ice making method, and particularly, to an ice maker that occupies a small space and provides an enhanced degree of spatial utilization and placement options within a refrigerator.
- 2. Background of the Invention
- A home refrigerator serves to store food items in an accommodation space at a low temperature. The refrigerator is divided into a freezing chamber for storing food items at a temperature below zero degrees Celsius, and a refrigerating chamber for storing food items at a temperature above zero degrees Celsius. As demands for ice increases, a large number of refrigerators having automatic ice makers for making ice are being presented.
- The ice maker may be installed at either the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber, depending on the type of refrigerator. In the case of installing the ice maker at the refrigerating chamber, cool air inside the freezing chamber is guided to the ice maker to perform an ice making operation.
- Methods for separating ice from the ice maker may include a torsion method, an ejection method, and a rotation method. The torsion method is a method for separating ice by twisting the ice maker, the ejection method is a method for separating ice from the ice maker by an ejector installed above the ice maker, and the rotation method is a method for separating ice by rotating the ice maker.
- However, the conventional ice makers and refrigerators provided with the conventional ice makers have several drawbacks.
- Firstly, the conventional ice maker makes ice by containing water in a horizontal ice container. Here, the ice container occupies a large space, and an ice separation unit for separating ice from the ice maker occupies a large space. This may reduce the entire utilization space inside the refrigerator. Furthermore, in the case of reducing the size of the ice maker, the amount of ice that can be made at one time is reduced. This may cause ice not to be rapidly provided in summer when a large amount of ice is required.
- Secondly, the conventional ice maker has a structure to drop formed ice downwardly to a location below the ice maker. Accordingly, in the case of a refrigerator having a dispenser, an ice making chamber has to be installed at a position higher than the dispenser. However, in the case of a 3-door bottom freezer type refrigerator where a freezing chamber is installed at a lower side and a refrigerating chamber including an ice making chamber is installed at an upper side, when the ice making chamber is installed at a high position, the freezing chamber is spaced far from the ice making chamber, and cooling air loss may occur when cool air from the freezing chamber is transferred to the ice making chamber. This may reduce the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.
- Thirdly, the conventional ice maker has an ice making unit and an ice separating unit operated by individual mechanisms. This may cause the entire configuration and control to be complicated, resulting in an increase in the fabrication costs of the ice maker.
- Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker having a slim configuration which occupies a small space within a refrigerator.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker locatable within a refrigerator at a location that permits a reduction of air loss occurring when cool air in a freezing chamber is supplied to an ice making chamber, by shortening a distance between the freezing chamber and the ice making chamber by lowering an installation height of the ice maker.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker capable of reducing fabrication costs and reducing malfunctions thereof by having a simplified configuration and precise controls.
- Still other objects of the present invention are to provide a refrigerator having the ice maker, and an ice making method thereof.
- To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an ice maker, comprising: a tray having an ice making space; an elevating unit coupled to the tray, for elevating ice; a driving unit coupled to the elevating unit, for driving the elevating unit; and a transferring unit coupled to the tray, for transferring ice.
- To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is also provided a refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator body; a freezing chamber formed at the refrigerator body; a refrigerating chamber formed at the refrigerator body, and partitioned from the freezing chamber; an ice making chamber installed at the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator body, for making ice by receiving cool air inside the freezing chamber; and an ice maker installed inside the ice making chamber, for making ice, wherein the ice maker comprises: one or more elevating units for elevating ice while rotating in a coupled state to a tray; and a driving unit coupled to the elevating unit, for driving the elevating unit.
- To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is still also provided an ice making method of a refrigerator, comprising: a water supplying step for supplying water to a tray; an ice making step for cooling the water contained in the tray, and thereby making ice; and an ice separating step for drawing out the ice from the tray in a mechanical push manner.
- The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
- In the drawings:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottom freezer type refrigerator having an ice maker according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice maker ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line ‘III-III’ inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line ‘IV-IV’ inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a worm gear and a worm wheel of an ice separating unit ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken similarly toFIG. 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7 is a view schematically showing a configuration of a control unit ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIGS. 8( a)-8(d) are longitudinal section views of the ice maker ofFIG. 2 , which show an ice making process; -
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an ice making process by the ice maker ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the ice maker ofFIG. 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIGS. 11 and 12 are a rear view and a side sectional view showing an arrangement structure of the ice maker ofFIG. 2 and a dispenser according to another embodiment of the present invention. - A description will now be given in detail of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- Hereinafter, an ice maker, a refrigerator having the same, and an ice making method thereof according to the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.
- Referring now to
FIG. 1 , the refrigerator according to the present invention comprises afreezing chamber 2 installed at a lower side of arefrigerator body 1 and configured to store food items at a temperature below zero degrees Celsius, and a refrigeratingchamber 3 installed at an upper side of therefrigerator body 1 and configured to store food items at a temperature above zero degrees Celsius. Afreezing chamber door 4 is slidably installed at thefreezing chamber 2 so as to open and close thefreezing chamber 2 in a drawer-like manner. A plurality of refrigeratingchamber doors 5 are rotatably installed at both sides of the refrigeratingchamber 3 so as to open and close the refrigeratingchamber 3. A mechanical chamber is located at a lower end of a rear portion of therefrigerator body 1 where a compressor and a condenser are installed. - An evaporator for supplying cool air to the
freezing chamber 2 or the refrigeratingchamber 3 by being connected to the compressor and the condenser is installed at a rear portion of therefrigerator body 1, between an outer case and an inner case at a rear wall of the freezing chamber. However, the evaporator may be installed at a side wall or an upper wall or the refrigerator body. Alternatively, the evaporator may be installed at a barrier wall partitioning thefreezing chamber 2 and the refrigeratingchamber 3 from each other. One single evaporator may be installed only at thefreezing chamber 2 to supply cool air to thefreezing chamber 2 and the refrigeratingchamber 3 in a distribution manner. Alternatively, a freezing chamber evaporator and a separate refrigerating chamber evaporator may be installed respectively, so as to independently supply cool air to thefreezing chamber 2 and the refrigeratingchamber 3. - An
ice making chamber 51 for making ice and storing the ice is formed at an upper inner wall surface of the refrigeratingchamber door 5. Anice maker 100 for making ice is installed inside of theice making chamber 51. Adispenser 52 is located below theice making chamber 51, so as to be outwardly exposed on a front side of therefrigerator chamber door 5, so that ice made by theice maker 100 can be drawn out of the refrigerator. - The operation of the refrigerator will now be explained.
- Once a load is detected from the freezing
chamber 2 or the refrigeratingchamber 3, the compressor is operated to generate cool air by the evaporator. A portion of the cool air is supplied to the freezingchamber 2 and the refrigeratingchamber 3 in a distribution manner, whereas another portion of the cool air is supplied to theice making chamber 51. The cool air supplied to theice making chamber 51 is heat-exchanged so that ice can be formed by theice maker 100 mounted at theice making chamber 51, and then is returned into the freezingchamber 2 or is supplied to the refrigeratingchamber 3. The ice made by theice maker 100 is drawn out through thedispenser 52. These processes are repeatedly performed. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , theice maker 100 includes awater supply unit 110 connected to a water supply source for supplying water, atray 120 for performing an ice making operation by receiving the water supplied from thewater supply unit 110, anice raising unit 130 for moving ice made in thetray 120, and anice separating unit 140 installed at an opening of thetray 120 for cutting the ice into a proper size piece or pieces, and transferring the ice piece or pieces away from thetray 120. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 to 4 , thewater supply unit 110 includes awater supply pipe 111 for connecting the water supply source to thetray 120, awater supply valve 112 installed at an intermediate part of thewater supply pipe 111 for controlling a water supply amount. Awater supply pump 113 may be provided at an upstream side or a downstream side of thewater supply valve 112 for pumping water. Thewater supply pump 113 serves to supply a uniform water pressure and flow. However, thewater supply pump 113 is not necessarily required. For example, where thewater supply pump 113 is not provided, water supply may be performed by using a height difference between the water supply source and thetray 120, or by water pressure of the source. - The
water supply pipe 111 may be independently connected to thetray 120. When thetray 120 is implemented in plural numbers, thewater supply pipe 111 is connected to the plurality oftrays 120, preferably in parallel, in consideration of the aspects of controls and fabrication costs. - The
water supply pipe 111 may be directly connected to the water supply source for supplying water. In addition, thewater supply pipe 111 may be connected to a water tank provided in the refrigeratingchamber 3 and storing a predetermined amount of water therein. In this case, the water tank serves as the water supply source. In order to supply a predetermined amount of water to thetray 120, a water level sensor may be installed at thetray 120, a flow amount sensor for sensing a flow amount of water may be installed at the water supply pipe, or a water level sensor may be installed at the water tank. - The
water supply valve 112 and thewater supply pump 113 may be electrically connected to acontrol unit 150 so as to exchange signals with each other. Thecontrol unit 150 may control a water supply amount based on a real time value sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor. Alternatively, thecontrol unit 150 may periodically turn on/off thewater supply valve 112 and thewater supply pump 113 by setting an operation time of thewater supply valve 112 and thewater supply pump 113 according to predefined data. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 to 4 , asingle tray 120 may be provided according to an ice making capacity of the refrigerator. However, a plurality oftrays 120 may be provided for increasing an ice making capacity of the refrigerator. When a plurality oftrays 120 are provided, the plurality oftrays 120 may be arranged in one line, or may be arranged in a plurality of lines, taking into consideration the relationships with the peripheral components. In order to minimize each width of thetrays 120 in back and forth directions, thetrays 120 are preferably arranged on the same plane in one line. However, in order to minimize each width of thetrays 120 in right and left directions, thetrays 120 are preferably arranged in a plurality of lines. The arrangement of thetrays 120 may be suitably controlled according to particular needs. - The
tray 120 may be formed of a conductive material such as aluminum, and may be formed to have a rectangular section shape having a predetermined thickness. Thetray 120 may be formed to have various shapes according to particular needs. However, thetray 120 is preferably formed to have a rectangular shape extending long in a horizontal direction since ice has to come in contact with an elevating member, such as one or two screws to be described later, thereby making ice in a rectangular shape. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , awater supply hole 121 may be formed at the center of a bottom surface of thetray 120. Alternatively, thewater supply hole 121 may be formed on a side surface of thetray 120, or above thetray 120. - The
tray 120 may be provided with a plurality ofribs 122 on an inner circumferential surface thereof. Ice made in thetray 120 having one consecutive shape may not be easy to cut, or may be difficult to cut in a uniform size by a cutter. Accordingly, the plurality ofribs 122 may extend in a vertical direction on an inner circumferential surface of thetray 120 so that the ice upwardly moving by theice raising unit 130 can be partitioned from each other in a horizontal direction, particularly along an axial direction of acutter 142 to be described later. The shape of ice cubes may be determined according to the shape of theribs 122. - The
tray 120 may be formed to have the same sectional area and shape in a longitudinal direction. Alternatively, thetray 120 may be formed to have different sectional areas and shapes in a longitudinal direction. In the case of the latter, thetray 120 is preferably formed to have a larger sectional area and shape toward its opening, i.e., an ice separating end, so that ice made in thetray 120 can be smoothly separated from thetray 120 in a longitudinal direction. - The
ice raising unit 130 includes aheater 131 installed on an outer peripheral surface of thetray 120 for applying heat to thetray 120 to thereby separate the ice mass from thetray 120, an elevatingunit 132 for elevating the ice mass separated from thetray 120 by theheater 131, and adriving unit 137 for driving the elevatingunit 132. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , theheater 131 may be implemented as a hot wire heater wound on an outer peripheral surface of thetray 120. In this case, theheater 131 may be formed as a single circuit or a plurality of circuits according to the shape of thetray 120. - The
heater 131 may be controlled so as to be communicated with thewater supply unit 110. For instance, a microcomputer may determine whether water is being supplied to thetray 120 for ice making, whether an ice making operation is being performed, or whether the ice made in thetray 120 is being separated from thetray 120, according to changes of values sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor of thewater supply unit 110. If it is determined that water is being supplied to thetray 120 for ice making, or if it is determined that an ice making operation is being performed, the operation of theheater 131 is stopped. However, if it is determined that the ice made in thetray 120 is being separated from thetray 120, the operation of theheater 131 is started. - The time to operate the
heater 131 may be determined by real-time or by periodically sensing the temperature of thetray 120. Alternatively, theheater 131 may be forcibly operated based on a data value set to indicate a lapsed time after changes of values sensed by the water level sensor or the flow amount sensor of thewater supply unit 110. That is, whether the ice making operation has been completed or not may be checked by sensing the temperature of thetray 120, or through an ice making time. For instance, when the temperature of thetray 120 measured by a temperature sensor mounted at thetray 120 is less than a predetermined temperature (e.g., about −9 degrees Celsius), it is determined that the ice making operation has been completed. Alternatively, when a predetermined time lapses after a water supply operation, it is determined that the ice making operation has been completed. - Although not shown, the
heater 131 may be also implemented as a conductive polymer, a plate heater with a positive thermal coefficient, an AL thin film, or a heat transfer material, rather than the aforementioned hot wire heater. - Rather than being attached onto the outer peripheral surface of the
tray 120, theheater 131 may instead be installed inside thetray 120, or may be provided on an inner surface of thetray 120. Alternatively, thetray 120 may be implemented as a heating resistor which emits heat when electricity is applied to one or more parts thereof. This may allow thetray 120 to serve as theheater 131 without installing an additional heater. - The
heater 131 may operate as a heat source by being installed at a position spaced from thetray 120 by a predetermined interval, without coming in contact with thetray 120. As another example, the heat source may be implemented as an optical source for irradiating light to at least one of the ice and thetray 120, or a magnetron for irradiating microwaves to at least one of the ice and thetray 120. The heat source such as the heater, the optical source, and the magnetron melts a part of an interface between the ice mass and thetray 120, by applying thermal energy to at least one of the ice mass and thetray 120, or the interface therebetween. Accordingly, once ascrew 135 to be later explained is operated to elevate the ice mass, the ice mass is separated from thetray 120 by thescrew 135 even in a condition where the interface between the ice mass and thetray 120 has not melted completely. - The elevating
unit 132 includes a drivingforce transmitting member 133 for transmitting a rotation force of adriving unit 137, a drivingforce transmitting shaft 134 rotating by the drivingforce transmitting member 133 in a connected state to thedriving unit 137, and ascrew 135 for elevating ice while rotating by being engaged to the drivingforce transmitting shaft 134. - The driving
force transmitting member 133 may be implemented as a belt as shown inFIGS. 2 through 6 . Alternatively, the drivingforce transmitting member 133 may be implemented as a plurality of belts, a flexible force transmission member such as a chain, or one or more gears or shafts. - The driving
force transmitting shaft 134 is installed in parallel to arotation shaft 139 of a drivingmotor 138 which will be later explained. The drivingforce transmitting shaft 134 is provided with apulley 134 a for winding thereon the drivingforce transmitting member 133 at one side thereof. Aworm gear 134 b for elevating thescrew 135 is formed at one side of thepulley 134 a. The number of the worm gears 134 b corresponds to the number of thescrews 135. For instance, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 , when thescrews 135 are provided at right and left sides, the worm gears 134 b are formed at both ends of the drivingforce transmitting shaft 134 in right and left directions. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3 , twoscrews 135 may be installed at right and left sides of thetray 120, or onescrew 135 may be installed at the center of thetray 120 as shown inFIG. 10 . In the case of installing thescrew 135 at the center of thetray 120, interference between thescrew 135 and thecutter 142 to be explained later has to be considered. Accordingly, it is preferable to install thescrew 135 at both sides of thetray 120 or one side of the two sides for prevention of the interference with thecutter 142. - The
screw 135 is formed long-ways in a vertical direction, and both ends thereof are rotatably coupled to upper and lower surfaces of thetray 120. Thescrew 135 is provided withscrew threads 135 a up to a predetermined height thereof so as to push up the ice in a contact manner. Thescrew threads 135 a may be formed to have a triangular section shape, or a quadrangular section shape. - At upper ends of the
screws 135, i.e., at an upper side of thescrew threads 135 a,worm wheels 135 b are provided for converting a rotation motion of the drivingforce transmitting shaft 134 in a horizontal axial direction into a rotation motion of thescrew 135 in a vertical axial direction by being engaged to the worm gears 134 b of the drivingforce transmitting shaft 134. Theworm wheels 135 b may be directly coupled to the worm gears 134 b. Alternatively, as shown inFIGS. 2 to 5 , theworm wheels 135 b may be coupled to the worm gears 134 b throughintermediate gears 136 provided therebetween. In this case, theworm wheels 135 b need not be formed to have a very large diameter, thereby enabling thescrews 135 to be easily fabricated and assembled. - The driving
unit 137 may include a drivingmotor 138 provided at one side of an upper end of thetray 120, and arotation shaft 139 coupled to a rotor of the drivingmotor 138 for rotating the drivingforce transmitting shaft 134 and thecutter 142. - The
ice separating unit 140 includes ahousing 141 for covering an upper opened surface of thetray 120, and acutter 142 rotatably installed at an inner space of thehousing 141 and configured to guide the ice to the dispenser after cutting the ice. - The
housing 141 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and coupled to the upper opened side of thetray 120 so as to be communicated thereto in right and left directions. Achute tube 143 for guiding the cut ice cubes to the dispenser is provided at one side of thehousing 141 opposite to the drivingmotor 138. Thechute tube 143 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having nearly the same diameter as thehousing 141. The drivingmotor 138 may be coupled to another side of thehousing 141. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 4 , thecutter 142 is installed in thehousing 141 in a horizontal direction. Thecutter 142 includes a plurality ofcutter plates 145 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance so as to be rotated by a rotation force of the drivingmotor 138. Thecutter 142 further includes one ormore blades 146 formed in a spiral shape, with both ends thereof coupled to surfaces of the twocutter plates 145. Among the plurality ofcutter plates 145, therotation shaft 139 of the drivingmotor 138 is coupled to thecutter plate 145 adjacent to the drivingmotor 138. Theblade 146 may be formed in a spiral shape wound by about 180° so as to smoothly cut the upwardly moving ice mass. As the twocutter plates 145 are connected to each other only by theblade 146 without using an additional bar, the ice may be smoothly upwardly moved from thetray 120 without being blocked by thecutter 142. - The
cutter 142 may be formed in other ways to cut the ice mass into separated ice pieces having a proper size. In case of forming theblade 146 of thecutter 142 in a screw shape, theblade 146 can move the ice in a consecutive push manner. This may allow a free configuration of an arrangement shape of thetray 120 or a direction to draw out the ice. Furthermore, in case of forming theblade 146 of thecutter 142 in a screw shape, the number of thechute tube 143 and the position of theice drawing opening 147 may be varied. More specifically, when the screw of theblade 146 is implemented in one direction as shown inFIG. 4 , theice drawing opening 147 is formed at one end of theblade 146. However, when the screw of theblade 146 is implemented in both directions as shown inFIG. 6 , theice drawing opening 147 may be formed at both ends of theblade 146, or at an intermediate part of theblade 146. - The
heater 131 and the drivingmotor 138 may be controlled by acontrol unit 150, i.e., a microcomputer electrically connected thereto. For instance, as shown inFIG. 7 , thecontrol unit 150 includes asensing unit 151 for sensing the temperature of thetray 120 or sensing a lapsed time after water supply, adetermination unit 152 for determining whether the ice making operation has been completed or not by comparing the temperature or time sensed by thesensing unit 151 with a reference value, and acommand unit 153 for controlling on/off of theheater 131 and whether to operate the drivingmotor 138 based on the determination by thedetermination unit 152. - Referring now to
FIGS. 8 and 9 , once ice making is requested, theice maker 100 is turned on, and an ice making operation starts (S1). Once the ice making operation starts, thewater supply unit 110 supplies water to the tray 120 (S2). Here, a water supply amount is real time sensed by a water level sensor installed at thetray 120, or a flow amount sensor installed at a water supply pipe, or a water level sensor installed at a water tank, etc. Then, the sensed water supply amount is transmitted to themicrocomputer 150. Themicrocomputer 150 compares the received water supply amount with a preset water supply amount (S3). Based on the comparison, it is determined whether a preset amount of water has been supplied to thetray 120. If it is determined that a preset amount of water has been supplied to thetray 120, a water supply valve of thewater supply unit 110 is blocked to stop a supply of water to thetray 120. - Once the water supply to the
tray 120 has been completed, the water inside thetray 120 is exposed to cool air supplied to theice making chamber 51 for a predetermined time, to be frozen into an ice mass (S5). While the water inside thetray 120 is being frozen, a temperature sensor periodically or real-time senses the temperature of thetray 120 to transmit the sensed temperature to themicrocomputer 150. Then, themicrocomputer 150 compares the sensed temperature with a preset temperature (S6). Based on this comparison, it is determined whether the surface of the water inside thetray 120 has been frozen. If it is determined that the water inside thetray 120 has been frozen into an ice mass, all the processes are stopped (S7) to await an ice separating operation. - Once ice separation is requested (S8), the
heater 131 is operated (S9) by thecontrol unit 150. As theheater 131 is operated, heat is supplied to thetray 120, thereby melting an outer surface of the ice mass contacting an inner surface of thetray 120. - Next, the driving
motor 138 is operated by thecontrol unit 150, thereby rotating the worm gears 134. The worm gears 134 rotate theworm wheels 135 b, thereby rotating thescrews 135 to which theworm wheels 135 b have been coupled (S10). Accordingly, thescrew threads 135 a of thescrews 135 upwardly move the ice mass in a pushing manner. As the ice mass is moved upwardly in a direction of thehousing 141, the ice separating operation starts (S11). - While the worm gears 134 are rotated by the driving
motor 138, thecutter 142 also starts to be rotated (S12). The ice mass inside thetray 120 is upwardly moved to be cut by thecutter 142 in a predetermined size. Then, the cut ice cubes are transferred to thechute tube 143 by theblade 146 of thecutter 142, and subsequently discharged out toward the dispenser, or toward an ice storage container (S13). - While the ice is being separated from the
tray 120 or while the ice separating operation is prepared, supply of cool air to theice making chamber 51 is preferably stopped in order to facilitate the ice separating operation, and in order to reduce power supplied to theheater 131. - Once the ice drawing operation is completed, the operation of the
heater 131 and thecutter 142 is stopped. And, while thewater supply valve 112 is opened, a proper amount of water is supplied to thetray 120 by a water level sensor and a flow amount sensor, etc. These processes are repeatedly performed. - Under these configurations, the size of the ice maker may be reduced, and thus the refrigerator having the ice maker may be implemented to have a slim configuration. More specifically, in the conventional art, a tray has a wide width, and an ice separation unit for separating ice from an ice making maker has a wide width. Accordingly, the conventional refrigerator having the ice maker has a limitation in having a slim configuration. However, in the present invention, since the ice maker is provided with the tray having a small thickness, an occupation area occupied by the ice maker in the refrigerator is small.
- Furthermore, since an installation height of the ice maker is lowered, a path for supplying cool air may be shortened. This may prevent loss of cool air being supplied to the ice making chamber. More specifically, in the conventional art, an ice storage container is provided for storing ice made by the ice maker. However, in the present invention, the tray having a long shape in upper and lower directions serves to store a predetermined amount of ice therein, thereby eliminating the need for an additional ice storage container. Accordingly, the ice maker has a lowered installation height, thereby reducing the distance between the freezing chamber and the ice making chamber. This may shorten the path for supplying cool air, thereby reducing loss of cool air, and reducing loss of an input for driving the ice maker.
- Furthermore, since the ice maker has a simplified configuration and precise operation controls, the fabrication costs may be reduced, and inferiority of the ice maker due to malfunctions may be prevented. More specifically, in the conventional art, ice is separated from the ice maker by a torsion method, a heating method, a rotation method, etc. However, in the present invention, ice is mechanically separated from the ice maker by using a rotation force of the driving motor which rotates the cutter. This may allow the ice maker to have a simplified configuration and precise operation controls. As a result, the fabrication costs for the ice maker may be reduced, and inferiority of the ice maker due to malfunctions may be prevented to enhance reliability of the ice maker.
- Hereinafter, an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
- The
screw 135 may be operated by a separate additional driving motor, independently of the driving motor which rotates thecutter 142. For instance, as shown inFIG. 10 , a screw rotating drivingmotor 125 may be additionally provided at the center of a lower side of thetray 120, and thescrew 135 may be coupled to a rotation shaft of the screw rotating drivingmotor 125. In this case, as shown inFIG. 10 , onescrew 135 may be provided at the center of thetray 120. Alternatively, a plurality ofscrews 135 may be provided by using gears or belts and pulleys. Still alternatively, each of the plurality ofscrews 135 may be independently provided with a screw rotating driving motor. In this case, the ice maker has similar configurations and effects as those of the ice maker according to one embodiment of the present invention, and thus detailed explanations thereof will be omitted. The ice maker according to another embodiment where the screw rotating drivingmotor 125 is additionally provided is different from the ice maker according to one embodiment in that the driving force transmitting member, the driving force transmitting bar, the worm gears, the worm wheels, etc. need not be provided at a narrow space. This may facilitate the assembly process and controls, and reduce frequent malfunctions of the ice maker since the cutter and the screw are independently operated. - The refrigerator having the ice maker according to the present invention has the following operation and effects.
- In case of a 3-door bottom freezer type refrigerator having the ice making chamber at the refrigerating chamber and operating the ice maker by guiding cool air to the ice making chamber from the freezing chamber, a space occupied by the ice maker may be reduced, thereby providing a slim configuration of the refrigerator. In case of a built-in refrigerator having a reduced depth in a front-to-rear direction for combination with other structures, a refrigerating chamber door may have a reduced thickness by applying the ice maker thereto. This may enhance a degree of freedom to install the refrigerator.
- In case of applying the ice maker to the refrigerator, the
cutter 142 is installed on an upper end of thetray 120, thereby discharging the ice from an upper side of the ice maker. Accordingly, as shown inFIG. 11 , theice maker 100 may be arranged at a lower side of the refrigeratingchamber door 5 beside thedispenser 52 in a width direction at approximately the same height as thedispenser 52. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 12 , theice maker 100 and thedispenser 52 may be arranged in back and forth directions such that theice maker 100 is located behind thedispenser 52 in a thickness direction of the refrigeratingchamber door 5. This may reduce a length of a flow path between the freezingchamber 2 and theice making chamber 51. Accordingly, loss of cool air that may occur while supplying cool air to theice making chamber 51 from the freezingchamber 2 may be greatly reduced, thereby lowering power consumption of the refrigerator. This may also increase an effective volume of the refrigerating chamber door. - The ice maker, the refrigerator having the same, and the ice making method thereof maybe applicable to all types of refrigerating appliances having ice makers, such as two-door refrigerators, side-by-side refrigerators, and stand-alone freezers without refrigerating chambers.
- The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. This description is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, methods, and other characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined in various ways to obtain additional and/or alternative exemplary embodiments.
- As the present features may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds, are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.
Claims (20)
1. An ice maker, comprising:
a tray having an ice making space configured to produce an ice mass;
an ice elevating unit configured to elevate the ice mass located within the ice making space so that an upper portion of the ice mass is located above the tray; and
an ice separating unit configured to separate the upper portion of the ice mass from a remaining portion of the ice mass.
2. The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the ice elevating unit comprises a rotatable screw having a screw thread, the screw thread being configured to contact the ice mass in the ice making space to elevate the ice mass upon rotation of the screw.
3. The ice maker of claim 2 , further comprising a driving unit configured to rotate the screw, the driving unit including:
a driving motor;
a driving gear coupled to the driving motor; and
a driven gear provided at the ice elevating unit and coupled to the driving gear for rotating the screw while being rotated by a rotation force of the driving gear.
4. The ice maker of claim 1 , further comprising a driving motor configured to simultaneously drive the ice elevating unit and the ice separating unit by rotation of the driving motor.
5. The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the tray includes a plurality of spaced-apart ribs provided on an inner surface thereof, the ribs extending in a generally vertical direction.
6. The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the ice separating unit comprises:
a housing located at an upper side of the tray; and
a cutter member located within the housing, the cutter member being configured to cut the ice mass into the upper portion and the remaining portion.
7. The ice maker of claim 6 , wherein the cutter member comprises:
a pair of support members spaced apart in a horizontal direction; and
a blade having a spiral shape, the blade having opposite ends thereof coupled to the pair of support members.
8. An appliance, comprising:
a body including an ice making chamber; and
an ice maker located in the ice making chamber, the ice maker including:
a tray having an ice making space configured to produce an ice mass;
an ice elevating unit configured to elevate the ice mass located within the ice making space so that an upper portion of the ice mass is located above the tray; and
an ice separating unit configured to separate the upper portion of the ice mass from a remaining portion of the ice mass.
9. The appliance of claim 8 , wherein the body is a refrigerator body having a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, and wherein the ice making chamber is located in the refrigerating chamber.
10. The appliance of claim 9 , further comprising a door configured to open and close the refrigerating chamber,
wherein the ice making chamber is located at the door.
11. The appliance of claim 8 , further comprising a dispenser located at the refrigerator door for drawing out ice made in the ice making space to outside of the refrigerator door,
wherein at least a portion of the ice making chamber is located at a same height as a portion of the dispenser.
12. A method of providing ice, comprising:
producing an ice mass in an ice making device;
receiving an ice request signal from a user;
elevating the ice mass located within the ice making device;
separating an upper portion of the ice mass from a remaining portion of the ice mass; and
dispensing the separated upper portion of the ice mass.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the elevating, the separating and the dispensing occur in that order in response to the ice request signal.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ice mass is produced prior to receiving the ice request signal.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the producing an ice mass includes:
supplying water to a tray of the ice making device;
sensing time or an amount of the water supplied to the tray; and
determining whether the sensed time or water amount has reached a preset value.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising separating an interface between the ice making device and the ice mass prior to elevating the ice mass.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the elevating the ice mass includes applying mechanical force to the ice mass.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the applying mechanical force includes applying a vertical lifting force to a generally vertical sidewall of the ice mass.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the separating an upper portion of the ice mass from a remaining portion of the ice mass includes applying mechanical cutting force to the ice mass to sever the ice mass into separate pieces.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the elevating the ice mass includes moving the ice mass in a generally vertical direction, and the separating an upper portion of the ice mass from a remaining portion of the ice mass includes applying mechanical force to the ice mass in a generally horizontal direction.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR10-2009-0042817 | 2009-05-15 | ||
KR1020090042817A KR101564260B1 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2009-05-15 | Ice maker and refrigerator having the same and ice making method thereof |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100287959A1 true US20100287959A1 (en) | 2010-11-18 |
Family
ID=43067380
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/756,893 Abandoned US20100287959A1 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2010-04-08 | Ice maker, refrigerator having the same, and ice making method thereof |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20100287959A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2430379A4 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101564260B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102365513A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010131867A2 (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20140157810A1 (en) * | 2012-12-11 | 2014-06-12 | Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation | Refrigerator |
US20150135758A1 (en) * | 2013-11-19 | 2015-05-21 | General Electric Company | Refrigerator appliance and an ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance |
US20150345850A1 (en) * | 2012-12-31 | 2015-12-03 | Cagatay BOLUKBASI | A crashed ice making machine and refrigerator wherein the same is used |
US9523528B2 (en) | 2013-01-23 | 2016-12-20 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice well diverter wedge for ice container |
US20170248357A1 (en) * | 2016-02-29 | 2017-08-31 | General Electric Company | Stand-Alone Ice Making Appliances |
US9879895B2 (en) | 2013-10-09 | 2018-01-30 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Ice maker assembly for a refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same |
US20190281858A1 (en) * | 2018-03-13 | 2019-09-19 | Sean Saeyong Kim | Food preparation system and method of use |
US20200011581A1 (en) * | 2018-07-03 | 2020-01-09 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Double row barrel ice maker with overhead extraction |
WO2020015707A1 (en) * | 2018-07-19 | 2020-01-23 | Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co., Ltd. | Ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance |
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KR101478897B1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2015-01-02 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Water purifier and method for controlling the same |
EP3469277A1 (en) | 2016-06-08 | 2019-04-17 | Arçelik Anonim Sirketi | Refrigerator with improved manufacturability of the insulating foam material |
EP3287722B1 (en) | 2016-08-23 | 2020-07-15 | Dometic Sweden AB | Cabinet for a recreational vehicle |
DE102016216126A1 (en) | 2016-08-26 | 2018-03-01 | Dometic Sweden Ab | Cooling device for a recreational vehicle |
US20180202699A1 (en) * | 2017-01-19 | 2018-07-19 | Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. | Ice making apparatus |
CN108286855A (en) * | 2017-12-22 | 2018-07-17 | 青岛海尔股份有限公司 | Refrigerator |
EP3653957A1 (en) * | 2018-11-16 | 2020-05-20 | LG Electronics Inc. | Ice maker and refrigerator |
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US3984996A (en) * | 1975-04-02 | 1976-10-12 | General Motors Corporation | Vertical tube ice maker |
US5606869A (en) * | 1996-04-08 | 1997-03-04 | Joo; Sung I. | Cylindrical ice cube maker |
US6220038B1 (en) * | 1999-04-02 | 2001-04-24 | Group Dekko Services, Llc | Ice maker |
US6508075B1 (en) * | 2001-09-04 | 2003-01-21 | Kenneth Ray Shipley | Vertical tube ice maker |
US6938428B2 (en) * | 2002-03-06 | 2005-09-06 | Matsushita Refrigeration Company | Ice tray driving device, and automatic ice making machine using the same |
US6964177B2 (en) * | 2003-05-28 | 2005-11-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator with icemaker |
US20060254285A1 (en) * | 2005-05-11 | 2006-11-16 | Ching-Yu Lin | Ice cube maker |
US20060272339A1 (en) * | 2005-06-02 | 2006-12-07 | Yuji Wakatsuki | Ice making method for a vertical ice making machine |
US7373789B2 (en) * | 2005-06-17 | 2008-05-20 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator and ice making apparatus |
US20080156026A1 (en) * | 2007-01-03 | 2008-07-03 | Jong Min Shin | Refrigerator and ice maker |
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FR1207229A (en) * | 1958-11-03 | 1960-02-15 | Automatic ice chunk dispenser for refrigerators | |
JPH0760041B2 (en) * | 1992-12-18 | 1995-06-28 | ホシザキ電機株式会社 | Ice making equipment |
US5664434A (en) * | 1994-09-08 | 1997-09-09 | Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Auger and auger type ice making machine using the auger |
KR100246392B1 (en) * | 1997-06-12 | 2000-04-01 | 구자홍 | Apparatus for making ice of refrigerator |
US6691529B2 (en) * | 2001-10-12 | 2004-02-17 | Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd. | Auger type ice-making machine |
KR20030069462A (en) * | 2002-02-20 | 2003-08-27 | 히데오 나까조 | Auger type ice maker |
CN1611887A (en) * | 2003-10-30 | 2005-05-04 | 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 | Refrigerator ice cake supply device |
KR20060115306A (en) * | 2005-05-03 | 2006-11-08 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Refrigerator |
-
2009
- 2009-05-15 KR KR1020090042817A patent/KR101564260B1/en active IP Right Grant
-
2010
- 2010-04-08 US US12/756,893 patent/US20100287959A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2010-05-06 CN CN2010800142267A patent/CN102365513A/en active Pending
- 2010-05-06 EP EP10775069.7A patent/EP2430379A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2010-05-06 WO PCT/KR2010/002880 patent/WO2010131867A2/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3984996A (en) * | 1975-04-02 | 1976-10-12 | General Motors Corporation | Vertical tube ice maker |
US5606869A (en) * | 1996-04-08 | 1997-03-04 | Joo; Sung I. | Cylindrical ice cube maker |
US6220038B1 (en) * | 1999-04-02 | 2001-04-24 | Group Dekko Services, Llc | Ice maker |
US6508075B1 (en) * | 2001-09-04 | 2003-01-21 | Kenneth Ray Shipley | Vertical tube ice maker |
US6938428B2 (en) * | 2002-03-06 | 2005-09-06 | Matsushita Refrigeration Company | Ice tray driving device, and automatic ice making machine using the same |
US6964177B2 (en) * | 2003-05-28 | 2005-11-15 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator with icemaker |
US20060254285A1 (en) * | 2005-05-11 | 2006-11-16 | Ching-Yu Lin | Ice cube maker |
US20060272339A1 (en) * | 2005-06-02 | 2006-12-07 | Yuji Wakatsuki | Ice making method for a vertical ice making machine |
US7373789B2 (en) * | 2005-06-17 | 2008-05-20 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator and ice making apparatus |
US20080156026A1 (en) * | 2007-01-03 | 2008-07-03 | Jong Min Shin | Refrigerator and ice maker |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20140157810A1 (en) * | 2012-12-11 | 2014-06-12 | Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation | Refrigerator |
US20150345850A1 (en) * | 2012-12-31 | 2015-12-03 | Cagatay BOLUKBASI | A crashed ice making machine and refrigerator wherein the same is used |
US9523528B2 (en) | 2013-01-23 | 2016-12-20 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice well diverter wedge for ice container |
US9903632B2 (en) | 2013-01-23 | 2018-02-27 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice well diverter wedge for ice container |
US9879895B2 (en) | 2013-10-09 | 2018-01-30 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Ice maker assembly for a refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same |
US20150135758A1 (en) * | 2013-11-19 | 2015-05-21 | General Electric Company | Refrigerator appliance and an ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance |
US20170248357A1 (en) * | 2016-02-29 | 2017-08-31 | General Electric Company | Stand-Alone Ice Making Appliances |
US20190281858A1 (en) * | 2018-03-13 | 2019-09-19 | Sean Saeyong Kim | Food preparation system and method of use |
US20200011581A1 (en) * | 2018-07-03 | 2020-01-09 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Double row barrel ice maker with overhead extraction |
US10890367B2 (en) * | 2018-07-03 | 2021-01-12 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Double row barrel ice maker with overhead extraction |
WO2020015707A1 (en) * | 2018-07-19 | 2020-01-23 | Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co., Ltd. | Ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2010131867A2 (en) | 2010-11-18 |
EP2430379A2 (en) | 2012-03-21 |
EP2430379A4 (en) | 2016-02-17 |
WO2010131867A3 (en) | 2011-03-24 |
KR101564260B1 (en) | 2015-11-06 |
KR20100123540A (en) | 2010-11-24 |
CN102365513A (en) | 2012-02-29 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LG ELECTRONICS INC., KOREA, REPUBLIC OF Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KIM, SEONG-JAE;KIM, BONG-JIN;YUN, YOUNG-HOON;REEL/FRAME:024248/0107 Effective date: 20091223 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |