WO2008082086A1

WO2008082086A1 - Ice tray for refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2008082086A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/006100
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee; Kyong Bae Park; Wook Yong Lee
Original assignee: Lg Electronics Inc.
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-11-29
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Also published as: KR100863042B1; KR20080062188A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ice tray in a refrigerator. The present invention provides a ice tray (1 ) in a refrigerator including a cold air flow passage (30) formed at least a portion of partitions (20) in the tray body (10) which form a plurality of unit cells ( C ) for flow of the cold air between the unit cells, thereby permitting freezing of ice faster than the related art, and reducing power consumption required for the freezing.

Description

ICE TRAY FOR REFRIGERATOR

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an ice tray in a refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ice tray in a refrigerator which can make fast freezing of water, and reduce power consumption required for the freezing. Background Art

[2] In general, the refrigerator, having a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber, stores food. The refrigerating-chamber is maintained at about 3 ~ 4°C for making long time storage of the food, and the freezing chamber is maintained at a sub-zero temperature for making frozen state storage of food.

[3] Provided to the freezing chamber of the refrigerator, there is the ice tray for filling water to form ice.

[4] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art ice tray in a refrigerator, and

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of a cold air flow around the ice tray in the refrigerator in HG. 1.

[5] Referring to FIG. 1, the related art ice tray 101 forms ice cubes substantially.

Therefore, a tray body 110 of the ice tray 101 has partitions 120 for forming the ice cubes. In the partitions 120, there are longitudinal partitions 120a formed in a direction of a long side of the tray body 110, and transverse partitions 120b formed perpendicular to the longitudinal partitions 120a.

[6] The partitions 120 form a plurality of cells C each for filling water therein for forming an ice cube.

[7] The ice tray is detachably mounted to a guide (not shown) on one side of the freezing chamber in a draw fashion, or merely placed on the guide. The water filled in the ice tray 101 is gradually turned into ice cubes in the freezing chamber as time passes by.

[8] Referring to FIG. 2, during the water is turning to the ice cubes, cold air flows in directions of arrows at the ice tray 101. Disclosure of Invention , Technical Problem

[9] tbwever, as shown with vertical arrows, the related art ice tray has a structure in which the cold air can not pass through the partitions but scatters when the cold air reaches to the partitions. [10] Consequently, uniform oold air flow to each cell C can not be provided, which delays formation of the ice. [11] Moreover, the delay of ice formation increases power required for freezing the water.

Technical Solution [12] To solve the problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an ice tray in a refrigerator. [13] An object of the present invention is to provide an ice tray in a refrigerator which can make fast freezing of water, and reduce power consumption required for the freezing with a simple structure. [14] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an ice tray in a refrigerator includes a tray body, partitions in the tray body which form a plurality of unit cells which are spaces for forming individual ice cubes, and a cold air flow passage formed at least one of the partitions for enabling the cold air to flow between the unit cells. [15] The cold air flow passage may be an opening passed through the partition in a vertical direction with respect to a bottom of the tray body. [16] The cold air flow passage may be formed in either a longitudinal partition or a transverse partition, or the cold air flow passage is formed both in a longitudinal partition and a transverse partition. [17] In another aspect of the present invention, an ice tray in a refrigerator includes a tray body having a plurality of unit cells for forming ice cubes, and at least one cold air flow passage formed in the tray body for enabling cold air to flow from an upper side of the tray body to an underside of the tray body through the tray body. [18] The opening may be formed between two adjacent unit cells.

[19] The opening may be formed in either a projected portion, or a recessed portion of the tray body for the unit cells to increase a contact area with the cold air passing through the opening.

Advantageous Effects [20] The ice tray in a refrigerator of the present invention has following advantageous effects. [21] First, the increased contact area of the unit cells with cold air in the ice tray permits uniform flow of the cold air, thereby reducing an ice formation time period. [22] Second, the shortened ice formation time period reduces power consumption required for the ice formation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[23] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. [24] In the drawings:

[25] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art ice tray in a refrigerator;

[26] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of a cold air flow around an ice tray in a refrigerator in

FIG. 1, schematically; [27] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in acoordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; [28] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of a cold air flow around an ice tray in a refrigerator in

FIG. 3, schematically; [29] FIG. 5 illustrates a graph showing a number of ice formations with the related art ke tray in a refrigerator in FIG. 1 ; [30] FIG. 6 illustrates a graph showing a number of ice formations with the ice tray in a refrigerator in FIG. 3; [31] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and [32] FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in acoordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [33] Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the aooompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. [34] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. [35] Referring to FTG. 3, the ice tray 1 in a refrigerator includes a tray body 10, partitions 20 which form unit cells C, and cold air flow passages 30 for making cold air to flow between the unit cells C. [36] The tray body 10, forming a body of the ice tray 1, has handles 11 at opposite sides.

The handles 11 enable easy hold and carry of the ice tray 1 with a user's hand, or slidable placing of the ice tray 1 into a side of a guide (not shown) in the freezing chamber. [37] The handles 11 also enable the user to make easy twisting of the ice tray body 10, with the opposite handles 11 held with two hands, when the user intends to separate the frozen ice from the ice tray 1. [38] The partitions 20 of the tray body 10 form the unit cells C which are spaces for forming individual ice cubes. In the embodiment, the longitudinal partitions 20a formed in a long side direction of the tray body 10 and the transverse partitions 20b formed perpendicular to the longitudinal partitions 20a form six unit cells C in the ice tray 1. [39] Each of the partitions 20 has a wedge shaped water supply passage 13 formed therein for flow of the water to an adjacent cell C when the water is filled to one of the unit cells C. [40] In the meantime, the longitudinal partition 20a has a cold air flow passage 30 formed therein. The cold air flow passage 30 is an opening passing through the partition 20 in a vertical direction with respect to a bottom 19 of the tray body 10. In the embodiment, the cold air flow passage 30 is formed in the longitudinal partition

20a. [41] The cold air flow passage 30 can improve the problem of the structure of the related art ice tray 101 (see FIG. 2) in which the cold air can not pass through the partitions

120, but scatters to a front side and a rear side of the ice tray 1. [42] That is, as shown in vertical direction arrows in FIG. 4, in the ice tray 1 of the embodiment, the cold air can pass through the partition 20a owing to the cold air flow passage 30 formed therein. [43] Therefore, since the cold air can flow not only to an upper surface, and side surfaces of the ice tray 1, but also to a center portion of the ice tray 1, the ice tray 1 can has a larger contact area with the cold air. [44] Eventually, because the ice tray 1 can make the cold air to flow to the unit cells C uniformly, freezing the ice faster than the related art ice tray 101, the ice tray 1 can shorten an ice forming time period, thereby reducing power required for forming the ice. [45] Actually, in order to verify above effect, the inventor fabricated the ice tray 1, and made a test comparative to the related art ice tray 101, and obtained the following result. [46] FIG. 5 illustrates a graph showing a number of ice formations with the related art ice tray in a refrigerator in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 illustrates a graph showing a number of ice formations with the ice tray in a refrigerator in FIG. 3.

[47] In the graphs, the X-axis denotes an ice forming time period (Hbur), and Y-axis denotes a temperature (⁰C) measured at the ice tray. The water in the unit cells C of the ice tray 101, or 1 turns to ice perfectly at a subzero temperature of 15⁰C - 20⁰C substantially, and the ice is removed from the ice tray 1 and the water is filled in the ice tray 1 again when the ice tray 101, or 1 has a lowest temperature.

[48] Accordingly, since portions of the graph where the temperature rises sharply shows a state when the ice is removed and the water is supplied again, a number of ice formations can be known from the graphs.

[49] Referring to FIG. 5, the related art ice tray 101 forms ice for 8 times in 20 hours. It can be known that a temperature of the ice tray 101 having perfectly frozen ice is in a range of -15°C, substantially.

[50] On the other hand, referring to FIG. 6, the ice tray 1 of the embodiment can form ice for 10 times in 20 hours. Moreover, it can be known from the graph that the temperature of the ice tray 1 having perfectly frozen ice drops down near to 20⁰C which is lower than the related art ice tray 101.

[51] Aooordingly, it can be known from the test result that the ice tray 1 of the embodiment can freeze ice about 25% faster than the related art ice tray 101, enabling to reduce power consumption required for the freezing as much.

[52] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[53] In description of the embodiment, only parts different from the foregoing embodiments will be described, and description of the same parts will be omitted. The same members will have the same reference numerals.

[54] Referring to FIG. 7, different from the foregoing embodiment, the ice tray Ia of the embodiment has cold air flow passages 30a formed in transverse partitions 20b which are short ones of the partitions 20.

[55] If the cold air flow passages of the present invention can not be formed in the longitudinal partitions 20b, the cold air flow passage 30a can be formed only in the transverse partitions 20b like this embodiment.

[56] Alikely, the ice tray Ia of the embodiment will have an effect as described before by using the cold air flow passage 30a.

[57] FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view of an ice tray in a refrigerator in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. [58] In description of the embodiment, only parts different from the foregoing embodiments will be described, and description of the same parts will be omitted. The same members will have the same reference numerals.

[59] Referring to FIG. 8, different from the foregoing embodiments, the ice tray Ib of the embodiment has a tray body 10a with 18 unit cells C. Also, a number of partitions 20a and 20b which form the unit cells C are greater than the foregoing embodiments, and, particularly, the longitudinal partition 20a has two rows.

[60] The cold air flow passage 30a is formed both in the longitudinal partitions 20a and the transverse partitions 20b.

[61] In a case of the embodiment where is more unit cells C formed in the tray body 10a, the formation of the cold air flow passage 30a both in the longitudinal partitions 20a and the transverse partitions 20b increases a contact area with the cold air, which is more effective.

[62] Alikely, the ice tray Ib of the embodiment enables to obtain effect the same with the foregoing embodiment owing to the cold air flow passage 30a.

[63] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[64] That is, though the first, or second embodiment shows one cold air flow passage formed in either the longitudinal partition or the transverse partition in a tray body with six unit cells C, the cold air flow passage may be formed both in the longitudinal partition and the transverse partition.

[65] Moreover, though the foregoing embodiments have the cold air flow passage of an opening passed through the partition projected upward from a bottom of the tray body, the cold air flow passage may be formed by recessing a center portion of the partition down to a bottom portion of the tray body for increasing the contact area with the cold air. The cold air flow passage may include an opening formed in the recessed portion.

[66] Moreover, though the foregoing embodiments show the cold air flow passage formed in the partitions, if the cold air can flow from an upper side of the tray body to an underside of the tray body through the tray body, the cold air flow passage or the opening may also be formed at portions other than the partition of the tray body. Industrial Applicability

[67] The ice tray in a refrigerator of the present invention permits the unit cell to increase a contact area with cold air, thereby reducing an ice forming time period and power consumption required for the ice formation.

Claims

[1] An ice tray in a refrigerator comprising: a tray body; partitions in the tray body which form a plurality of unit cells which are spaces for forming individual ice cubes; and a cold air flow passage formed at least one of the partitions for enabling the cold air to flow between the unit cells. [2] The ice tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cold air flow passage is an opening passed through the partition in a vertical direction with respect to a bottom of the tray body. [3] The ice tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cold air flow passage is formed in either a longitudinal partition or a transverse partition. [4] The ice tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cold air flow passage is formed both in a longitudinal partition and a transverse partition. [5] An ice tray in a refrigerator comprising: a tray body having a plurality of unit cells for forming ice cubes; and at least one cold air flow passage formed in the tray body for enabling cold air to flow from an upper side of the tray body to an underside of the tray body through the tray body. [6] The ice tray as claimed in claim 5, wherein the opening is formed between two adjacent unit cells. [7] The ice tray as claimed in claim 5, wherein the opening is formed in either a projected portion, or a recessed portion of the tray body.