U.S. patent application number 12/662739 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-30 for ice maker and refrigerator having the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Jin Jeong, Qasim Khan, Sang Hyun Park, Young Shik Shin.
Application Number | 20100326118 12/662739 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43218096 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-30 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20100326118 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jeong; Jin ; et al. |
December 30, 2010 |
Ice maker and refrigerator having the same
Abstract
Disclosed herein are an ice maker and a refrigerator having the
same. The ice maker includes an ice making tray including a
plurality of ice making cells, a driving unit to rotate the ice
making tray, a plurality of blades corresponding to the plurality
of ice making cells to block the ice cubes made in the ice making
cells and thus twist the ice making tray while removing the ice
cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is
rotated, and a protrusion formed on the ice making tray to assist
the removal of the ice cubes from the ice making cells. The ice
maker removes the ice cubes from the ice making tray by a
twisting-type deicing process using the plurality of blades and the
protrusion.
Inventors: |
Jeong; Jin; (Yongin-si,
KR) ; Shin; Young Shik; (Seongnam-si, KR) ;
Park; Sang Hyun; (Seongnam-si, KR) ; Khan; Qasim;
(Suwon-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
SUITE 700, 1201 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
43218096 |
Appl. No.: |
12/662739 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/345 ;
62/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2305/022 20130101;
F25C 1/04 20130101; F25C 5/22 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/345 ;
62/344 |
International
Class: |
F25C 1/10 20060101
F25C001/10; F25C 5/18 20060101 F25C005/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 24, 2009 |
KR |
10-2009-56482 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a plurality of storage chambers; and
an ice maker disposed in one of the storage chambers to make ice
cubes, the ice maker including: an ice making tray including a
plurality of ice making cells to receive water to make the ice
cubes; a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray; a plurality of
blades corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice
cubes from the ice making cells; and a protrusion formed on the ice
making tray to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice
making cells.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is
protruded inwardly from an end of one side of the ice making
tray.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion
has at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a
hemispherical shape.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of
blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus
twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the
ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein at least one of
the plurality of blades has a different length.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein respective
lengths of the blades increase with distance from the driving
unit.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein blades,
corresponding to the ice making cells formed at both ends of the
ice making tray have a shorter length than other ones of the
blades.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of
the plurality of blades is circumferentially offset from the other
blades.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice maker
further includes a cooling unit to freeze the water supplied to the
ice making tray.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the cooling unit
includes a heat exchanger and an air blower unit to supply cool air
to the ice maker.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the cooling unit
includes an ice making pipe, along which a refrigerant flows to
thereby freeze the water supplied to the ice making cells directly
into the ice cubes, and a cooling case to accommodate the ice
making pipe.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the plurality
of blades is disposed above the ice making tray, and is fixed to
the cooling case.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein at least one
part of the cooling case is disposed in the ice making cells.
14. An ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising: an ice making tray
including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is
supplied; a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray; a cooling
unit to convert the water supplied to the ice making tray into ice
cubes; a plurality of blades fixed to the cooling unit and
corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice cubes from
the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated; and a
protrusion to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice
making cells formed at the upper end of one side of each of the
respective ice making cells.
15. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the protrusion is
protruded inwardly from the end of one side of the ice making
tray.
16. The ice maker according to claim 15, wherein the protrusion has
at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a
hemispherical shape.
17. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of
blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus
twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the
ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated.
18. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the cooling unit
includes a heat exchanger and an air blower unit to supply cool air
to the ice maker.
19. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the cooling unit
includes an ice making pipe, along which a refrigerant flows to
thereby freeze the water supplied to the ice making cells directly
into the ice cubes, and a cooling case to accommodate the ice
making pipe.
20. An ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising: an ice making tray
including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is
supplied; a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray; a cooling
unit to convert water supplied to the ice making tray into ice
cubes; an ejector fixed to one side surface of the cooling unit
corresponding to the ice making cells; and a protrusion formed at
the upper end of one side of each of the respective ice making
cells of the ice making tray, wherein the protrusion is formed at a
side of each of the respective ice making cells opposite another
side of each of the respective ice making cells, where the ejector
is disposed.
21. The ice maker according to claim 20, wherein the protrusion is
protruded inwardly from the end of one side of the ice making
tray.
22. The ice maker according to claim 20, wherein the protrusion has
at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a
hemispherical shape.
23. The ice maker according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of
blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus
twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the
ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2009-0056482, filed on Jun. 24, 2009 in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] Embodiments relate to an ice maker, which has an improved
deicing performance and applies both indirect refrigeration-type
and direct refrigeration-type cooling methods, and a refrigerator
having the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In general, storage chambers to store various foods in an
optimal state for a long time are provided in a refrigerator. The
storage chambers include a refrigerating chamber and a freezing
chamber, which are divided from each other. Recently, a
refrigerator, in which an ice maker to make ice cubes is provided
in a storage chamber, has been developed.
[0006] Ice makers are divided into an indirect refrigeration-type
ice maker, which makes ice cubes using cool air circulating in a
freezing chamber, and a direct refrigeration-type ice maker, which
makes ice cubes using a refrigerant pipe of a refrigerating cycle.
Each of these ice makers includes an ice making tray containing
water to make ice cubes, an ejector to remove the ice cubes from
the ice making tray, and a storage container to store the ice cubes
removed by the ejector.
[0007] Deicing methods in the ice maker having the above structure
are divided into a heating type and a twisting type. Here, in the
heating type deicing method, a heater installed at the lower end of
the ice making tray made of aluminum heats the ice making tray and
thus melts the surfaces of ice cubes, and then the ejector is
rotated and thus removes the ice cubes from the ice making tray. In
the twisting type deicing method, the ice making tray made of
plastic is twisted and thus removes ice cubes from the ice making
tray.
[0008] However, the heating type deicing method uses the
high-capacity heater in a deicing process, and thus has a high
power consumption rate and causes a rise in the temperature of an
ice making chamber or a storage chamber.
[0009] Further, the twisting type deicing method uses the ice
making tray made of plastic, and thus causes a difficulty in
application to an ice maker including an ice making tray made of
aluminum.
SUMMARY
[0010] Therefore, it is one aspect to provide an ice maker, which
has an improved deicing performance and applies both indirect
refrigeration-type and direct refrigeration-type cooling methods,
and a refrigerator having the same.
[0011] Additional aspects and/or advantages will be set forth in
part in the description which follows and, in part, will be
apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention.
[0012] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
a refrigerator including a plurality of storage chambers, and an
ice maker disposed in one of the storage chambers to make ice
cubes, and the ice maker includes an ice making tray including a
plurality of ice making cells to receive water to make the ice
cubes, a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray, a plurality of
blades corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice
cubes from the ice making cells, and a protrusion formed on the ice
making tray to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice
making cells.
[0013] The protrusion may be protruded inwardly from the end of one
side of the ice making tray.
[0014] The protrusion may have at least one of a pyramidal shape, a
columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape.
[0015] The plurality of blades may block the ice cubes made in the
ice making cells and thus twist the ice making tray while removing
the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is
rotated.
[0016] At least one of the plurality of blades may have a different
length. As the plurality of blades becomes distant from the driving
unit, the plurality of blades may have a longer length. Blades,
corresponding to the ice making cells formed at both ends of the
ice making tray, may have a shorter length than those of other
blades.
[0017] At least one of the plurality of blades may be formed at a
different angle from the remaining blades. The ice maker may
further include a cooling unit to freeze water supplied to the ice
making tray. The cooling unit may include a heat exchanger and an
air blower unit to supply cool air to the ice maker.
[0018] The cooling unit may include an ice making pipe, along which
a refrigerant flows so as to freeze water supplied to the ice
making cells directly into the ice cubes, and a cooling case to
accommodate the ice making pipe.
[0019] The plurality of blades may be disposed above the ice making
tray, and be fixed to the cooling case.
[0020] At least one part of the cooling case may be disposed in the
ice making cells.
[0021] The foregoing and/or other aspects may be achieved by
providing an ice maker of a refrigerator including an ice making
tray including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is
supplied, a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray, a cooling
unit to convert the water supplied to the ice making tray into ice
cubes, a plurality of blades fixed to the cooling unit and
corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice cubes from
the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated, and a
protrusion to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice
making cells formed at the upper end of one side of each of the
respective ice making cells.
[0022] The protrusion may be protruded inwardly from the end of one
side of the ice making tray. The protrusion may have at least one
of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape.
The plurality of blades may block the ice cubes made in the ice
making cells and thus twist the ice making tray while removing the
ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is
rotated.
[0023] The cooling unit may include a heat exchanger and an air
blower unit to supply cool air to the ice maker. The cooling unit
may include an ice making pipe, along which a refrigerant flows so
as to freeze water supplied to the ice making cells directly into
the ice cubes, and a cooling case to accommodate the ice making
pipe.
[0024] The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing
an ice maker of a refrigerator including an ice making tray
including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is
supplied, a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray, a cooling
unit to convert water supplied to the ice making tray into ice
cubes, an ejector fixed to one side surface of the cooling unit
corresponding to the ice making cells, and a protrusion formed at
the upper end of one side of each of the respective ice making
cells of the ice making tray, wherein the protrusion is formed at a
side of each of the respective ice making cells opposite another
side of each of the respective ice making cells, where the ejector
is disposed.
[0025] The protrusion may be protruded inwardly from the end of one
side of the ice making tray. The protrusion may have at least one
of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape.
The plurality of blades may block the ice cubes made in the ice
making cells and thus twist the ice making tray while removing the
ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is
rotated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more
readily appreciated from the following description of the
embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of
which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the overall
appearance of a refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a freezing
chamber of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an ice
maker of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating ejectors of
the ice maker of FIG. 3;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an ice making tray shown in
FIG. 3;
[0032] FIGS. 7A to 7C are partially enlarged views of FIG. 6;
and
[0033] FIGS. 8A to 8C are views illustrating a deicing process of
the ice maker of the refrigerator in accordance with the
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements
throughout.
[0035] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a refrigerator includes a
main body 10 forming the external appearance of the refrigerator,
and storage chambers are formed in the main body 10. The storage
chambers are divided from each other by a diaphragm 15, and the
left storage chamber serves as a freezing chamber 30 and the right
storage chamber serves as a refrigerating chamber 20.
[0036] A heat exchanger 34 and an air blower fan 35, which generate
cool air and supply the cool air to each of the refrigerating
chamber 20 and the freezing chamber 30, are installed at the rear
portion of each of the refrigerating chamber 20 and the freezing
chamber 30. Further, a machinery chamber 36, in which a compressor
and a condenser to compress a refrigerant, condense the compressed
refrigerant, and transmit the condensed refrigerant to the heat
exchanger 34 are installed, is provided at the lower region of the
rear portion of the main body 10.
[0037] Doors 21 and 31 to selectively open and close the insides of
the refrigerating chamber 20 and the freezing chamber 30 are
respectively installed at the front surfaces of the refrigerating
chamber 20 and the freezing chamber 30. Plural guards 22 and 32 to
receive food are installed in multiple stages on the rear surfaces
of the respective doors 21 and 31, and reception members 23 and 33,
such as plural racks and drawers, are installed in the
refrigerating chamber 20 and the freezing chamber 30. Shelves 11,
12 are also installed in the refrigerating chamber 21 and freezing
chamber, respectively.
[0038] The refrigerator further includes an ice maker 100 installed
in the freezing chamber 30 to make ice cubes, an ice bank 40 to
store the ice cubes made by the ice maker 100, and a dispenser 50
to discharge the ice cubes from the ice bank 40 to the front
surface of the door 31. Although the term ice `cubes` is used, the
shape of the ice is not necessarily cubical. The ice bank 40 and
the dispenser 50 are the same as those which are conventionally
used and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Recently,
a refrigerator having an ice making chamber provided in a
refrigerating chamber has been placed on the market, and the
embodiment may be applied to the ice making chamber of such a
refrigerator.
[0039] The ice maker 100 includes a support frame 110 installed at
the upper portion of the inside of the freezing chamber 30. As
shown in FIG. 3, an ice making tray 120, a driving unit 130 to
rotate the ice making tray 120, a cooling unit 140 to make ice
cubes in the ice making tray 120, and an ejector 150 to remove the
ice cubes from the ice making tray 120 are mounted on the support
frame 110.
[0040] First, plural ice making cells 121 having a semicircular
shape, which contain water supplied from the outside through a
water supply pipe to make ice cubes, are formed on the ice making
tray 120. In order to twist the ice making tray 120 to remove the
ice cubes from the respective ice making cells 120, the ice making
tray 120 made of plastic is more effective. Further, a protrusion
123 to assist the removal of the ice is formed on one side of the
upper end of the ice making tray 120, and a detailed description
thereof will be given later.
[0041] The driving unit 130 includes a driving motor 131 to rotate
the ice making tray 120. The driving unit 130 is journalled to the
ice making tray 120, as shown in FIG. 3, and serves to rotate the
ice making tray 120 in the support frame 110 according to the
rotation of the driving motor 131. The driving unit 130 further
includes an ice fullness sensing lever 133 to sense whether or not
the ice bank 40 is completely filled with ice cubes.
[0042] The cooling unit 140 includes an ice making pipe 143
extended from the heat exchanger 34 such that a refrigerant flows
along the ice making pipe 143, and a cooling case 141 to
accommodate the ice making pipe 143. The ice making pipe 143, along
which the refrigerant flows, as described above, serves to convert
water supplied to the ice making tray 120 directly into ice cubes.
The lower end of the cooling case 141, as shown in FIG. 3, is
formed in a semicircular shape, and a designated part of the lower
end of the cooling case 141 is disposed in the respective ice
making cells 121 of the ice making tray 120.
[0043] The ejector 150, as shown in FIG. 3, includes a support
member 151 mounted on one side of the cooling case 141, and plural
blades 153 extended from the support member 151 to correspond to
the respective ice making cells 121. The plural blades 153 serve to
block the ice cubes made in the respective ice making cells 121 and
thus remove the ice cubes from the respective ice making cells 121,
when the ice making tray 120 is rotated.
[0044] In order to twist the ice making tray 120 when the ice
making tray 120 is rotated, the plural blades 153 are extended from
the support member 151 such that at least one of the plural blades
153 has a different length. As the blades 153 become distant from
the driving unit 130, the blades 153 have a longer length. That is,
in the embodiment, when the ice making tray 120 is rotated, the ice
cubes made in the respective ice making cells 121 are sequentially
blocked by the blades 153, which are distant from the driving unit
130, thereby twisting the ice making tray 120 and thus removing the
ice cubes from the ice making cells 121.
[0045] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the blades 153a, corresponding
to the ice making cells 121 formed at both ends of the ice making
tray 120, among the plural blades 153 may have a shorter length
than those of other blades 153. An ice making speed of the ice
making cells 121 formed at both ends of the ice making tray 120 is
slower than that at other ice making cells 121. Therefore, in order
to uniformly maintain the ice making speed of the respective ice
making cells 121, this structure allows the ice making cells 121
formed at both ends of the ice making tray 120 to make an ice cube
having a smaller size than that of other ice making cells 121. For
this reason, the ice making cells 121 formed at both ends of the
ice making tray 120 may have a smaller size than that of other ice
making cells 121.
[0046] Further, in order to twist the ice making tray 120 when the
ice making tray 120 is rotated, secondary blades 153' may be formed
at different angles, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0047] Ice cubes made in the respective ice making cells 121 are
attached to the lower end of the cooling case 141. Therefore, when
the ice cubes made in the respective ice making cells 121 are
removed from the ice making cells 121, the ice cubes are separated
from the lower end of the cooling case 141 as well as from the ice
making cells 121.
[0048] For this reason, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 123 to
separate the ice cubes from the lower end of the cooling case 141
is formed on the ice making tray 120. The protrusion 123 is
protruded from one side of the upper end of the ice making tray 120
toward the center of the ice making tray 120, and although the ice
cubes 140 are not separated from the cooling unit 140 at an initial
stage of the deicing process, the ice cubes 140 are separated from
the cooling unit 140 by the protrusion 123 when the ice making tray
120 is rotated by more than a designated angle.
[0049] Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the protrusion 123a,
123b, or 123c may be formed in a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape,
or a hemispherical shape. Here, the protrusion 123a, 123b, or 123c
is protruded by a designated length so that the ice cubes are not
rotated together with the rotation of the ice making tray 120 if
the ice cubes receive more than a specific load when the ice making
tray 120 is rotated.
[0050] Although this embodiment exemplarily describes the direct
refrigeration-type ice maker, in which ice cubes are made in the
ice making tray 120 by the cooling unit 140 provided with the ice
making pipe 143, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that an
indirect refrigeration-type ice maker, in which ice cubes are made
in the ice making tray 120 by cool air generated by the heat
exchanger 34 and the air blower fan 35, may be employed. Of course,
in case of the indirect refrigeration-type ice maker, the
protrusion 123 need not be formed on the ice making tray 120.
[0051] Hereinafter, the operation and effects of the refrigerator
in accordance with the embodiment will be described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0052] In order to make ice cubes, water is supplied to the
respective ice making cells 121 of the ice making tray 120, as
shown in FIG. 8A. After water is supplied to the ice making cells
121, a refrigerant flows along the ice making pipe 143 of the
cooling unit 140, and when a designated time has elapsed, water in
the respective ice making cells 121 is frozen and thus converted
into ice cubes having a designated size.
[0053] After the ice cubes are made in the ice making tray 120, the
ice cubes are removed from the ice making tray 120 and are dropped
into the ice bank 40. Now, a deicing process of the ice making tray
120 will be described in detail. First, as shown in FIG. 8B, the
ice making pipe 143 is controlled such that the refrigerant does
not flow along the ice making pipe 143, and the ice making tray 120
is rotated by operating the driving unit 130. When the ice making
tray 120 is rotated, the ice cubes formed in the respective ice
making cells 121 are also rotated.
[0054] If the ice making tray 120 is rotated by more than a
designated angle, the ice cubes are blocked by the fixed plural
blades 153 above the ice making tray 120. Here, the plural blades
153 are configured such that as the blades 153 become distant from
the driving unit 130, the blades 153 have a longer length. Thereby,
the ice cubes distant from the driving unit 130 sequentially
contact the blades 153. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the ice
making tray 120 is rotated, the ice making tray 120 is twisted by
the plural blades 153, thereby separating the ice cubes from the
ice making cells 121.
[0055] Further, during the deicing process of the ice making cells
121, the ice cubes are easily separated from the cooling unit 140
as well as from the ice making cells 121 so as to improve a deicing
performance. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the ice making
tray 120 is rotated by more than a designated angle, the ice cubes
are separated from the cooling unit 140, i.e., the lower end of the
cooling case 141, by the protrusion 123 formed on the ice making
tray 120.
[0056] Accordingly, since the ice cubes are removed from the ice
making tray 120 and the cooling unit 140 by the plural blades 153
and the protrusion 123 of the ice making tray 120, this embodiment
improves a deicing performance as compared with a heating-type
deicing process. Moreover, in case that the deicing process of this
embodiment is used together with the heating-type deicing process,
deicing may be more effectively achieved.
[0057] Further, although this embodiment describes the
twisting-type deicing process using the plural blades 153, the
embodiment may be applied to both a direct refrigeration-type ice
maker using a cooling unit and an indirect refrigeration-type ice
maker using cool air.
[0058] As is apparent from the above description, in an ice maker
and a refrigerator having the same in accordance with one
embodiment, a twisting-type deicing process using plural blades
when an ice making tray is rotated is applied and thus a deicing
performance is improved, and both a direct refrigeration-type ice
maker using a cooling unit and an indirect refrigeration-type ice
maker using cool air are applied.
[0059] Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it
would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may
be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles
and spirit of the embodiments, the scope of which is defined in the
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *