U.S. patent application number 15/481363 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-02 for ice-making device and refrigerator including the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Min Bon KOO, Sung Jin YANG.
Application Number | 20170314841 15/481363 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58547390 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170314841 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOO; Min Bon ; et
al. |
November 2, 2017 |
ICE-MAKING DEVICE AND REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THE SAME
Abstract
An ice making device for a refrigerator including a cold air
generation system and a circulation unit. An ice maker is disposed
within an ice-making room and configured to produce ice. The cold
air generation system can supply cold air to the ice-making room in
the ice making device. A circulation unit is disposed within the
ice-making room to drive cold air into the ice-making room. The
circulation unit may include a fan motor and an air guide.
Inventors: |
KOO; Min Bon; (Seoul,
KR) ; YANG; Sung Jin; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
58547390 |
Appl. No.: |
15/481363 |
Filed: |
April 6, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2400/10 20130101;
F25D 2317/062 20130101; F25C 1/04 20130101; F25C 5/22 20180101;
F25D 11/02 20130101; F25C 5/182 20130101; F25D 21/08 20130101; F25D
23/028 20130101; F25D 17/065 20130101; F25D 2317/063 20130101; F25D
2317/061 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 17/06 20060101
F25D017/06; F25D 21/08 20060101 F25D021/08; F25D 11/02 20060101
F25D011/02; F25D 23/02 20060101 F25D023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 29, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0053263 |
Claims
1. An ice-making device comprising: an ice-making room comprising
an internal space; a cold air generation system connected to the
ice-making room and configured to supply cold air into the
ice-making room; and an ice maker disposed in the ice-making room
and configured to produce ice; a circulation unit disposed in the
ice-making room and being operable to facilitate cold air
circulation in the ice-making room, wherein the circulation unit
comprises: a fan motor configured to drive cold air; and an air
guide configured to guide a cold air flow.
2. The ice-making device of claim 1, wherein the air guide
comprises a first route portion configured to guide cold air toward
an inside of the ice maker; and a second route portion configured
to guide cold air toward an outside of the ice maker.
3. The ice-making device of claim 2, wherein the first route
portion faces an upper surface of the ice maker and comprises at
least one first cold air flow hole formed on one surface of the
first route portion facing the upper surface of the ice maker.
4. The ice-making device of claim 2, wherein the second route
portion faces a side surface of the ice maker and comprises at
least one second cold air flow hole formed on one surface of the
second route portion.
5. The ice-making device of claim 4, wherein a total area of the
first cold air flow hole is greater than a total area of the second
cold air flow hole.
6. The ice-making device of claim 2, wherein the fan motor is
coupled to one of the first route portion and the second route
portion to drive cold air toward the air guide.
7. The ice-making device of claim 2, wherein the first route
portion and the second route portion are injection-molded as one
piece.
8. The ice-making device of claim 1, wherein the air guide has a
substantially L-like overall shape.
9. The ice-making device of claim 1 further comprising: an ice
bucket disposed under the ice maker and configured to store ice
produced in the ice maker.
10. The ice-making device of claim 1, wherein the cold air
generation system comprises: a cooling duct providing a cold air
flow path; an evaporation coil surrounding at least a portion of
the cooling duct to generate cold air through heat exchange by
using a refrigerant; a compressor configured to phase-convert the
refrigerant discharged from the evaporation coil to a gas-phase
refrigerant; a condenser configured to phase-convert a gas-phase
refrigerant to a liquid-phase refrigerant; an expansion valve
configured to depressurize the liquid-phase refrigerant and to
supply the liquid-phase refrigerant to the evaporation coil; and a
heater configured to defrost the cooling duct.
11. The ice-making device of claim 1, wherein the ice-making room
comprises: an intake port operable to receive cold air generated in
the cold air generation system; and an exhaust port operable to
discharge cold air from the ice-making room, wherein the exhaust
port is disposed below the intake port.
12. The ice-making device of claim 11, wherein the fan motor is
disposed at a front end of the intake port and the air guide is
disposed at a front end of the fan motor.
13. A refrigerator comprising: a main body; an ice-making device
coupled to the main body and comprising: an ice-making room
comprising an internal space; a cold air generation system coupled
to the ice-making room and configured to supply cold air into the
ice-making room; an ice maker disposed in the ice-making room and
configured to produce ice; and a circulation unit disposed in the
ice-making room and operable to facilitate cold air circulation in
the ice-making room, wherein the circulation unit comprises: a fan
motor configured to drive cold air; and an air guide configured to
guide a cold air flow.
14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the air guide comprises a
first route portion configured to guide cold air toward inside of
the ice maker; and a second route portion configured to guide cold
air toward outside of the ice maker.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the first route portion
faces an upper surface of the ice maker and comprises at least one
first cold air flow hole formed on one surface of the first route
portion facing the upper surface of the ice maker.
16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the second route portion
faces a side surface of the ice maker and comprises at least one
second cold air flow hole formed on one surface of the second route
portion.
17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein a total area of the first
cold air flow hole is greater than a total area of the second cold
air flow hole.
18. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the fan motor is coupled
to one of the first route portion and the second route portion to
drive cold air toward the air guide.
19. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the first route portion
and the second route portion are injection-molded as one piece.
20. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the ice-making room
comprises: an intake port operable to receive cold air generated in
the cold air generation system; and an exhaust port operable to
discharge cold air from the ice-making room, wherein the exhaust
port is disposed below the intake port.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2016-0053263, filed on Apr. 29, 2016, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an
ice-making device and a refrigerator including the same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A refrigerator is an appliance used for storing food or
other times at low temperature, e.g., in a frozen state or
refrigerated.
[0004] The interior of the refrigerator is cooled by cold air
circulating therein. Cold air can be continuously generated as a
refrigerant recycles through compression, condensation, expansion
and evaporation. Cold air supplied in the refrigerator is uniformly
distributed by convection.
[0005] In general, a top-mount-type refrigerator has a freezer
located on top of a refrigeration compartment. In contrast, a
bottom-freezer-type refrigerator has a freezer located under the
refrigeration compartment. This enables a user to conveniently
access the refrigeration compartment. On the other hand, this may
be inconvenient for a user to access the freezer, if the user has
to bend or lower his or her body to reach, e.g., to take out ice
pieces.
[0006] Some bottom-freezer-type refrigerators have an ice dispenser
disposed in a refrigeration compartment door located at the upper
side of the refrigerator. As the ice-making device is also disposed
in the door of the refrigeration compartment, cooling efficiency of
the ice-making device typically is unsatisfactory.
SUMMARY
[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an ice-making
device for a refrigerator that offers improved cooling
efficiency.
[0008] According to one embodiment, an ice making device includes
an ice-making room having an internal space; a cold air generation
system configured to supply a cold air into the ice-making room; an
ice maker disposed within the ice-making room and configured to
produce ice; a circulation unit disposed within the ice-making room
to circulate the cold air supplied into the ice-making room,
wherein the circulation unit includes a fan motor configured to
blow the cold air and an air guide configured to guide the cold air
blown by the fan motor along a moving route.
[0009] The air guide may include: a first route portion configured
to guide the cold air toward an inside of the ice maker; and a
second route portion configured to guide the cold air toward an
outside of the ice maker.
[0010] The first route portion may face an upper surface of the ice
maker and have at least one first cold air flow hole formed on one
surface of the first route portion facing the upper surface of the
ice maker.
[0011] The second route portion may face a side surface of the ice
maker and have at least one second cold air flow hole formed on one
surface of the second route portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration
of an exemplary refrigerator according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating the
configuration of the exemplary refrigerator according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a configuration view illustrating the
configuration of an exemplary ice-making device according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure, which is viewed from the
interior of the refrigerator.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary cold air
generation system disposed in the ice-making device according to
one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air guide in the
exemplary ice-making device according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the air guide in the
exemplary ice-making device according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a state in which cold air circulates
through the ice-making device according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The
illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description,
drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other
embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without
departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented
here.
[0020] One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments
of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the
art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described
exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways,
all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present
disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments
described herein.
[0021] It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not
necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and
proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced
in size, and a predetermined size is merely exemplary and not
limiting. The same reference numerals designate the same
structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings
in order to exhibit similar characteristics.
[0022] The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate
ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more
detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are
expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to
a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, may
include a modification of form due to manufacturing.
[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator 1 according
to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partial
perspective view of the refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment
of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a configuration view of an
ice-making device 2 according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure, which is viewed from the interior of the refrigerator
1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a cold air generation
system 200 in the ice-making device 2 according to one embodiment
of the present disclosure.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the refrigerator 1 according to
one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an ice-making
device 2 configured to produce ice, a refrigerator main body 10
constituting an outer body, and refrigerator doors 30 disposed on a
front surface of the refrigerator main body 10 and configured to
selectively open and close the refrigerator main body 10. Herein
detailed descriptions of the embodiments are made with reference to
a bottom-freezer-type refrigerator in which a refrigeration
compartment 11 is positioned at an upper side and a freezer 12 is
positioned at a lower side. However, it will be appreciated that
the present disclosure can be applied in various types of
refrigerators that are well known in the art.
[0026] The refrigerator main body 10 may include an upper
refrigeration compartment 11 and a lower freezer 12 divided by a
barrier 20.
[0027] The refrigerator doors 30 may selectively open and close the
refrigeration compartment 11 and the freezer 12. For example, the
refrigerator doors 30 may include a refrigeration compartment door
31 configured to selectively seal the refrigeration compartment 11
and a freezer door 32 configured to selectively seal the freezer
12.
[0028] The ice-making device 2 can produce ice and may be installed
in the refrigerator 1. The ice-making device 2 may include, for
example, an ice-making room 100, a cold air generation system 200,
an ice maker 300 and a circulation unit 400.
[0029] The ice-making room 100 includes an outer shell that defines
an internal space S. The ice-making room 100 may be disposed in,
for example, the refrigeration compartment door 31 of the
refrigerator 1. However, the location of the ice-making room 100
may vary in different embodiments.
[0030] Cold air may be supplied to the ice-making room 100. For
example, the ice-making room 100 may communicate with the cold air
generation system 200 and may receive cold air from the cold air
generation system 200. For this purpose, the ice-making room 100
may include an intake port 110 and an exhaust port 120 for cold
air. Cold air generated in the cold air generation system 200 may
be introduced into the ice-making room 100 through the intake port
110. Cold air circulates through the interior of the ice-making
room 100 and may be supplied back to the cold air generation system
200 through the exhaust port 120 and may be cooled again. To
increase the efficiency of cold air circulation, the intake port
110 may be positioned higher than the exhaust port 120.
[0031] The cold air generation system 200 can supply cold air to
the ice-making room 100. The cold air generation system 200 may be
disposed in the refrigerator main body 10, for example, in the
lower sidewall of the refrigerator main body 10.
[0032] The cold air generation system 200 may include, for example,
a cooling duct 210 disposed in a sidewall of the refrigerator main
body 10 as a cooling flow path, an evaporation coil 220 surrounding
at least a portion of the cooling duct 210 to generate cold air
through heat exchange with a refrigerant, a compressor 230
configured to convert the refrigerant discharged from the
evaporation coil 220 to a gas phase having high temperature and
high pressure, a condenser 240 configured to the gas-phase
refrigerant to a liquid-phase refrigerant having high pressure, an
expansion valve 250 configured to adiabatically expand and
depressurize the liquid-phase refrigerant and to supply the
liquid-phase refrigerant to the evaporation coil 220, and a heater
(not shown) used to defrost the cooling duct 210.
[0033] The cooling duct 210 may be selectively brought into
communication with the ice-making room 100 depending on the opening
or closing of the refrigerator main body 10 by the refrigerator
doors 30 and may supply cold air to the ice-making room 100. For
example, if the refrigerator doors 30 are closed, the cooling duct
210 may be in communication with the ice-making room 100 and may
supply cold air to the ice-making room 100.
[0034] In this regard, the opposite end portions of the cooling
duct 210 may communicate with the ice-making room 100. For example,
a first duct hole 211 coupled to the intake port 110 of the
ice-making room 100 may be disposed in one end portion of the
cooling duct 210 and a second duct hole 212 coupled to the exhaust
port 120 of the ice-making room 100 may be disposed in the other
end portion of the cooling duct 210. Thus, the cold air passed
through the first duct hole 211 may be introduced into the
ice-making room 100 through the intake port 110. Cold air may be
circulated through the ice-making room 100 and may be discharged
through the exhaust port 120. Cold air may be introduced into the
cooling duct 210 through the second duct hole 212.
[0035] A water drain portion 600 may be coupled to the cooling duct
210 and can discharge water in the cooling duct 210 (e.g.,
generated from defrosting) to the outside.
[0036] The heater may include an insulation tape and surround at
least a portion of the surface of the cooling duct 210 and may be
configured to apply heat to the cooling duct 210.
[0037] In the compressor 230, the condenser 240, the expansion
valve 250 and the evaporation coil 220, a heat exchange process
using a refrigerant may take place and include compression,
condensation, expansion and evaporation. Thus, air in the cooling
duct 210 may be cooled into cold air by exchanging heat with the
refrigerant in the evaporation coil 220. In this regard, the
cooling flow path is long enough to cool the air into cold air.
Thus, air may remain in the cooling flow path for a sufficient time
to be cooled into cold air which has a temperature capable of
freezing water e.g., 14 degrees C. below zero or less).
[0038] The ice maker 300 may be disposed within the ice-making room
100 to produce ice. For example, the ice maker 300 may receive
water from an external water source (not shown) and the water
freezes into ice by cold air supplied into the ice-making room 100.
The cold air generation system 200 and the ice maker 300 may be
implemented in any other suitable configurations that are well
known in art.
[0039] Hereinafter, the configuration of the exemplary circulation
unit 400 disposed in the ice-making device 2 according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with
reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air guide in the
exemplary ice-making device according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the air
guide in the exemplary ice-making device according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 illustrates a state in
which cold air circulates through the ice-making device according
to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the circulation unit 400 is
configured to circulate cold air and may be disposed within the
ice-making room 100. As an example, the circulation unit 400 may
include a fan motor 410 configured to blow cold air supplied into
the ice-making room 100 and an air guide 420 configured to guide
cold air along a cold air moving route.
[0042] The fan motor 410 may be disposed at the front end of the
intake port 110 of the ice-making room 100. The air guide 420 may
be disposed at the front end of the fan motor 410. Thus, cold air
supplied from the cooling duct 210 may be pushed to circulate
through the ice-making room 100. In this regard, the fan motor 410
may be implemented in any suitable manner that is well known in the
art.
[0043] The air guide 420 configured to guide cold air along a cold
air moving route may be disposed at the front end of the fan motor
410. The air guide 420 may guide cold air along a plurality of
routes, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the ice maker
300.
[0044] The air guide 420 may include, for example, a first route
portion 421 configured to guide cold air toward the inside of the
ice maker 300 and a second route portion 422 configured to guide
cold air to the outside of the ice maker 300.
[0045] In this regard, the first route portion 421 may face the
upper surface of the ice maker 300. At least one first cold air
flow hole 421a may be disposed on one surface of the first route
portion 421 facing the upper surface of the ice maker 300.
[0046] The first cold air flow hole 421a may guide cold air toward
an ice production portion (not shown) disposed inside the ice maker
300. Thus, the first cold air flow hole 421a enables cold air
having a low temperature just exited from the cooling duct 210 to
be preferentially supplied to the ice maker 300, thereby improving
the cooling efficiency of the ice maker 300.
[0047] The first cold air flow hole 421a may be disposed along the
longitudinal direction of the first route portion 421. For example,
a plurality of first cold air flow holes 421a may be spaced apart
from each other and disposed along the longitudinal direction of
the first route portion 421. The shape and number of the first cold
air flow holes 421a may vary in different embodiments.
[0048] On the other hand, the second route portion 422 may face the
side surface of the ice maker 300. At least one second cold air
flow hole 422a may be disposed at one side of the second route
portion 422. The second cold air flow hole 422a may face an ice
bucket 500 disposed at the lower side of the ice maker 300. Cold
air can flow to the ice bucket 500 through the second cold air flow
hole 422a.
[0049] The second route portion 422 may guide cold air along a
route differing from the first route portion 421. For example, the
second route portion 422 may guide cold air toward one side of the
ice-making room 100 where the ice maker 300 is not disposed. For
this purpose, at least one second cold air flow hole 422a may be
disposed in the second route portion 422.
[0050] The total area of the first cold air flow holes 421a may be
set larger than the total area of the second cold air flow hole
422a. Thus, the cold air may mainly flow along the first route
portion 421 (see FIG. 7).
[0051] The end portion of the first route portion 421 and the end
portion of the second route portion 422 may be coupled to each
other. The first route portion 421 and the second route portion 422
may be injection-molded into one piece. The air guide 420 may have
a substantially L-like shape overall. In this case, the fan motor
410 may be coupled to one or both of the first route portion 421
and the second route portion 422 to blow cold air toward the air
guide 420.
[0052] An ice bucket 500 configured to store ice produced in the
ice maker 300 may be disposed below the ice maker 300. A sensor
(not shown) may be disposed in the ice bucket 500 to determine the
amount of ice stored in the ice bucket 500.
[0053] The ice-making device 2 according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure includes the air guide 420 that can guide and
distribute cold air. Cold air having a lowest temperature is
preferentially supplied to the ice maker 300, thereby improving the
cooling efficiency of the ice-making device 2.
[0054] In addition, cold air introduced into the ice-making room
100 through the intake port 110 may be delivered to the ice bucket
500 disposed under the ice maker 300 through the second route
portion 422. Thus, the temperature in the ice bucket 500 may be
maintained without requiring an additional cooling device or an
additional cold air guide. As a result, ice in the ice bucket 500
can remain frozen.
[0055] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various
embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein
for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be
made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present
disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the
specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present
disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted
by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques
within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the
present disclosure.
* * * * *