KR20230055015A - Ice maker and refrigerator including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes an ice-making chamber mounted on a cooling body and partitioned into a plurality of spaces, wherein the ice-making chamber includes a first ice-making chamber in which the ice maker is accommodated, and a second ice-making chamber in which refrigerant flowing from the ice maker is introduced and a drinking water container is accommodated. An ice maker including an ice making chamber and a refrigerator including the same are provided.

Description

Ice maker and refrigerator including the same {ICE MAKER AND REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THE SAME}

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

In general, a refrigerator is a device that prevents deterioration of food at room temperature by storing food at a low temperature. Recently, a product equipped with an ice maker for a refrigerator that is provided in a refrigerator and provides ice to a user separately from food has been released.

An ice maker for a refrigerator includes an ice making tray having a plurality of ice making grooves for automatically receiving water and making ice of a certain size, and an ice bank provided under the ice making tray to store the ice flaked by an ice shaving motor.

Here, there may be two methods for separating the ice from the ice-making tray. The ice-making tray itself is twisted using the above-described ice-making motor to separate the ice from the ice-making groove, and then the ice at the bottom thereof. A twist type that drops the ice into a bank and an ice-making operation in which a separate ice-ejector is rotated after separating the ice from the ice-making groove by applying a predetermined ice-leaving heat to the ice-making tray equipped with a metal material and separating the ice from the ice-making groove. It is a type of heater that is pushed to one side of the tray and dropped into the ice bank below it.

On the other hand, as a method of cooling the ice maker, an inter-cooling type that cools the ice maker by guiding the cold air generated by the evaporator outside the ice making room to the ice making room through a transfer duct, and a separate heat exchanger installed inside the ice making room to cool the cold air generated inside the ice making room As a result, there is a direct cooling type that directly cools the ice maker. In particular, in the direct cooling type, there is a method in which a refrigerant pipe contacts an ice-making tray of an ice maker so that the ice-making tray itself serves as a heat exchanger without a separate heat exchanger. In this way, the ice making method using the direct cooling type ice maker in which the refrigerant tube is in contact with itself to serve as a heat exchanger has an advantage in that the cooling speed is faster than other methods.

On the other hand, recently, there is a high demand for an ice maker equipped with various functions in a single refrigerator.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0078532

The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker separated into a space independent of the ice maker and capable of storing beverages and the like cold, and a refrigerator including the same.

One embodiment of the ice maker according to the present invention includes an ice making chamber mounted on a cooling main body and partitioned into a plurality of spaces,

The ice making chamber,

a first ice making chamber in which an ice maker is accommodated; and

It may include a second ice making chamber in which the refrigerant flowing from the ice maker is introduced and a drinking water container is accommodated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, an extension member extending to a predetermined length may be formed in the second ice-making chamber in which the drinking water container is accommodated.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one hinge portion is formed on the extension member, and bending by rotation of the hinge portion may be formed to be possible.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice making chamber may further include a second ice making chamber in which ice released from the ice maker is stored.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker,

ice maker body;

an ice-making tray rotatably mounted on one side of the ice maker main body, including an upper tray and a lower tray that are detachably coupled to each other and form an ice-making groove in which ice-making water is accommodated;

at least one heater part formed on at least a part of the upper tray; and

A control box provided with at least one driving unit providing rotational force to rotate the ice making tray;

At least one side of the upper tray may be slid or pressed in a state of being mounted on the ice machine main body to be separated from the lower tray, and the ice to be made may be released from the lower tray.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first ice-making chamber, the second ice-making chamber, and the third ice-making chamber is formed with a communication hole at least partially communicating with each other so that cold air in the ice maker can flow. can

In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of blowing fans may be disposed in the ice making chamber.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker may further include a control unit, and an operation of the blowing fan may be controlled through the control unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control box may be connected to a drift lever operated by cam rotation.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice-making groove of the ice-making tray may have a circular or elliptical cross section.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker may further include a heater, and the heater unit may be a surface heater and may be insert-injected into the ice tray.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the heater is formed on the upper tray of the ice-making tray and may be radially formed in a curved portion where the ice-making groove is formed. For example, the heater is formed in the curved portion. It may be formed in a spiral shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a heater seating portion for supporting the heater may be formed on a curved portion of the upper tray where the ice-making groove is formed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor unit for detecting entry and exit of the drinking water container may be further formed in the second ice-making chamber.

Meanwhile, the present invention provides a refrigerator including the ice maker.

An ice maker according to the present invention and a refrigerator including the same have an effect of being separated into a space independent of the ice maker and storing beverages and the like to keep them cold.

1 is a view showing a refrigerator in which an ice maker is installed according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 and 3 are perspective views of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ice-making chamber having a plurality of spaces according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is perspective views of a twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is cross-sectional views of a twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
7 is diagrams in which a heater of a twist type ice maker according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is disposed;
8 is a partial perspective view of an upper tray on which a heater of the twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ice maker according to the present invention and a refrigerator including the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing an embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the embodiment of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term. In addition, unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

FIG. 1 is a view showing a refrigerator in which an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an ice maker 100 .

The refrigerator 1 may include a cabinet forming a storage compartment with an open front surface, and at least one door 8 or 9 opening and closing the open front surface of the storage compartment.

The storage compartment may include at least one of a refrigerating compartment for storing food in a refrigerated state and a freezing compartment for storing food in a frozen state. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is exemplified as including both the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and the refrigerating compartment may be provided above the freezing compartment.

The doors 8 and 9 may include a refrigerating compartment door 8 opening and closing the refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment door 9 opening and closing the freezing compartment. There are two refrigerating compartment doors 8 disposed on the left and right of each other, so that the left refrigerating compartment door 8 can open and close the left side, which is part of the refrigerating compartment, and the right refrigerating compartment door 8 can open and close the right side, which is the rest of the refrigerating compartment. can

The ice maker 100 may be installed in at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the ice maker 100 may be installed in the upper left corner of the refrigerating compartment.

The ice maker 100 may receive ice-making water from the refrigerator 1, and convert the ice-making water into ice by cold air supplied from the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator 1 to the storage compartment to manufacture the ice. .

The ice maker 100 includes a control box 20 in which a circulation fan 50 is installed, an ice tray 102, a flow path cover 150, a pressure support unit 200, and a drain unit 70. 2 and 3 as an example for explanation in the present embodiment, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, but is not limited thereto, and a storage unit in which ice is moved after ice is made, an auger motor installed in the storage unit, a screw, and an ice making tray (102). ), components such as a water supply unit supplying ice-making water are omitted from the illustration.

An ice making groove (not shown) may be formed in the ice making tray 102 . The ice-making grooves may be formed in the shape of a plurality of concave grooves spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the ice-making tray 102 . These ice-making grooves may be formed on the upper surface of the ice-making tray 102 . Heat exchange fins 102a may be formed on the lower surface of the ice making tray 102 in a shape extending downward to a predetermined length. The heat exchange pin 102a may contact the refrigerant pipe 120 to perform heat exchange.

The control box 20 may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape. The control box 20 may be disposed at one end of the ice making tray 102 . One end of the ice making tray 102 may be disposed on one side of the control box 20 . The length of the ice making tray 102 may extend horizontally from one side of the control box 20 . A water supply unit (not shown) may be disposed near the other end of the ice making tray 102 . The water supply unit may form a passage through which ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making groove. The ice-making water supplied to the ice-making groove may be cooled by cold air in the storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 and turned into ice. Inside the control box 20, various internal parts including a gearbox (not shown) and a controller (not shown) may be installed. An ice breaker motor (not shown) may be accommodated inside the control box 20 . The ice-breaking motor may be driven to release ice from the ice-making groove.

In addition, the ejector 30 may be disposed at a position spaced upward from the ice making tray 102 . The ejector 30 may be formed as a long axis extending in a horizontal direction from one side of the control box 20 . The ejector 30 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray 102 .

One end of the ejector 30 may be rotatably installed on one side of the control box 20 . One end of the ejector 30 may be inserted into the control box 20 . The ejector 30 may be rotated in the circumferential direction by the driving force of the ejection motor. An eject pin 26 may protrude from the ejector 30 . The eject pin 26 may protrude from the circumferential surface of the ejector 30 in a radial direction. The eject pin 26 may be formed of a plurality of eject pins 26 spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the ejector 30 . A plurality of ejection pins 26 may be disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of ice-making grooves.

When the ejector 30 rotates, the eject pin 26 is inserted into the ice-making groove to take out and separate the ice. The ice taken out by the ejection pin 26 from the ice-making groove and flaked off may fall and be received and stored in the ice box.

That is, the ice tray 102 may be twisted for ice removal, or the ejector 30 may be rotated as described above. tray 102 . Of course, it may be a material including polypropylene.

The ice box may be installed in the storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 . The ice box may be disposed below the ice maker 100 . The ice box may be formed in a tubular shape with an open top. Ice made in the ice maker 100 may be transferred from the ice maker 100 to the ice box, and may be received and stored in the ice box.

An auger may be disposed in the ice box. The auger may be rotatably installed in the ice box in a circumferential direction. Both ends of the auger may be rotatably coupled to both sides of the ice box, respectively. A spiral groove may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the auger. When the auger rotates, the ice stored in the ice box may be transferred to the outside of the ice box through the spiral groove. The auger may be rotated by a driving force of an auger motor installed on one side of the ice box.

On the other hand, the ice heater 110 may be a planar heater. Heat may be transferred through surface contact between the surface heater and the bottom surface of the ice tray 102 , and ice may be formed by the heat transfer. The ice maker 100 may further include another heater. Moisture generated in the process of repeatedly heating and cooling may form on the bottom of the ice making tray 102 and fall downward, and the dropped water droplets may reach the drain unit 70 . Water droplets reaching the drain unit 70 may be frozen due to the internal environment of the ice making chamber. If the ice is accumulated, the purpose of drainage may be lost, so heat from the heater may be transferred to a location where there is a possibility of freezing. The heater is a thawing heater 71 and may be located inside the drain part 70 for thawing.

A heater cover (not shown) may cover the ice heater 110 . The heater cover may be disposed below the ice making tray 102 . The heater cover may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape with one side opened. A fastening part 42 coupled to the rotation shaft 41 and the control box 20 may be protruded with a predetermined length from the heater cover so that one side of the drain part 70 is rotatable in a fixed state. Accordingly, one side of the drain unit 70 may rotate while being fixed to the rotation shaft 41 of the heater cover.

A refrigerant pipe 120 may be installed on a lower surface of the ice making tray 102 . The refrigerant pipe 120 may be U-shaped with a longitudinal center bent. The refrigerant pipe 120 may receive refrigerant from the refrigeration cycle circuit of the refrigerator 1 to cool the ice making tray 102 . The refrigerating cycle circuit may include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and the refrigerant pipe 120 may cool the ice making tray 102 by receiving the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion device. The coolant pipe 120 cools the ice making tray 102 so that the ice making water in the ice making groove can be made more quickly.

Here, the flow path cover 150 may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape with one side open to surround a portion where the refrigerant pipe 120 is installed. The flow path cover 150 may form a passage through which air flows WD. That is, a through hole H may be formed in the flow path cover 150 and the control box 20 to allow the air to flow. Accordingly, the air flowing in the flow path cover 150 may be discharged along the circulation fan 50 installed in the control box 20 while moving through the through hole H. At both ends of the flow path cover 150, a pair of pressing support parts 200 according to the present invention are coupled and fixed to support or surround the refrigerant pipe 120, respectively.

A specific fastening structure between the flow path cover 150 and the pressing support 200 will be described in more detail with reference to related drawings below.

The drain unit 70 may be disposed below the ice making tray 102 . The drain part 70 may be formed at a position spaced apart from the flow path cover 150 by a predetermined distance. The drain unit 70 may be formed in a shape corresponding to that of the ice tray 102 and may include a substantially rectangular lower surface and side surfaces extending upward from four sides of the lower surface. The drain unit 70 may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape with an open upper side.

The drain unit 70 may be formed of a material having low thermal conductivity, and may further include a thawing heater (not shown) preventing freezing on the surface. The thawing heater and the ice thawing heater 110 may be electrically connected in one or more of series and parallel. The ice melting heater 110 and the melting ice heater may be electrically connected to each other, and may be connected through one or more methods of series and parallel. This is because a plurality of the two heaters may be provided.

The drain unit 70 receives ice-making water that may overflow due to full water or excessive supply in the ice-making groove (not shown) of the ice-making tray 102 and prevents the ice-making water from flowing into an ice box (not shown) mounted therein. can

According to the present invention, the drain unit 70 may be coupled to one side of the control box (20). As described above, one side of the drain unit 70 may be rotated while being fixed to the rotation shaft 41 of the heater cover, and the other side may be coupled to the control box 20 . Here, on the other side of the drain part 70, a horizontal extension part 72 coupled to the front part of the circulation fan 50 of the control box 20 and a stepped part 75 pressed and fastened to the side part are formed vertically. An extension 72 may be formed. Accordingly, while one side of the drain unit 70 is rotated while being fixed to the heater cover, the other side may be pressed and coupled to the side portion of the control box 20 .

A refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an ice maker 100 . The ice maker 100 may be installed in at least one of the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the ice maker 100 may be installed in the upper left corner of the refrigerating compartment.

The ice maker 100 may receive ice-making water from the refrigerator 1, and convert the ice-making water into ice by cold air supplied from the refrigerating cycle of the refrigerator 1 to the storage compartment to manufacture the ice. .

The ice maker 100 includes a case 10, a control box 20, a circulation fan 200, a flow path cover 150, an ice tray 102, and a drain unit 70. As shown in FIG. 2 as an example for explanation in the present embodiment, it is not limited now, and the ice is moved after the ice is made, the storage unit, the auger motor, the screw, and the ice tray 102 installed in the storage unit. A configuration such as a water supply unit supplying ice-making water is omitted from the illustration.

In the ice maker 100 according to the present invention, the circulation fan 50 is located on the control box 20 side. Air in the ice making compartment 100 may be circulated by driving the circulation fan 50 . Air in the ice making chamber 100 may be in a lower temperature state than room temperature through heat exchange. The low-temperature air moves around the ice-making tray 102 and can lower the temperature of the ice-making tray, and the ice-making water supplied to the ice-making tray 102 can be made into ice by the reduced temperature of the ice-making tray 102. there is. Of course, the cooling unit 120 may be disposed to contact the ice making tray 102 . The cooling unit 120 may be a pipe or the like through which a refrigerant may flow. Due to the arrangement of the pipe and the ice tray 102 in contact with each other, the ice tray 102 may be maintained at a sub-zero temperature or cooled to a sub-zero temperature.

On the other hand, the cooled ice-making water is in an ice state, and the ice may become ice. For ice removal, the ice tray 102 may be twisted or rotated by the ejector 30 . In this embodiment, the ice tray 102 may be made of metal that is separated by rotation of the ejector 30 . Of course, it may be a material including polypropylene.

An ice box (not shown) to be described later may be installed in the storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 . The ice box may be disposed below the ice maker 100 . The ice box may be formed in a tubular shape with an open top. Ice made in the ice maker 100 may be transferred from the ice maker 100 to the ice box, and may be received and stored in the ice box.

An auger may be disposed in the ice box. The auger may be rotatably installed in the ice box in a circumferential direction. Both ends of the auger may be rotatably coupled to both sides of the ice box, respectively. A spiral groove may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the auger. When the auger rotates, the ice stored in the ice box may be transferred to the outside of the ice box through the spiral groove. The auger may be rotated by a driving force of an auger motor installed on one side of the ice box.

4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ice-making chamber having a plurality of spaces according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the ice maker 100 according to the present invention may be disposed in the refrigerator 1 while being accommodated in the ice making chamber 500 . The ice making chamber 500 includes a first ice making chamber C ₁ in which the ice maker 100 is accommodated, a third ice making chamber C ₃ in which ice e taken from the ice maker 100 is dropped and stored, and an ice maker ( 100) may be configured to include a second ice-making chamber (C ₂ ) in which the flowing refrigerant is introduced and the drinking water container (K) is accommodated. Here, a blowing fan 60 may be formed on one side of the ice maker 100 to flow the refrigerant in the direction of the ice maker tray 102 .

Specifically, according to the present invention, the ice maker 100 described above may be disposed in the refrigerator 1 and stored in the first ice making chamber C ₁ of the ice making chamber 500 partitioned into a plurality of spaces. A second ice-making chamber C ₂ accommodating the drinking water container K may be formed below the first ice-making chamber C ₁ in which the ice maker 100 is stored. Here, the first ice-making chamber (C ₁ ), the second ice-making chamber (C ₂ ), and the third ice-making chamber (C ₃ ) are partitioned through a partition wall (B), and the refrigerant is allowed to flow on the partition wall (B). A communication hole (not shown) may be formed. In addition, a blowing fan 60 may be disposed in the communication hole.

Here, an extension member 300 extending to one side may be formed on the second ice-making chamber C ₂ in which the drinking water container K is accommodated. The extension member 300 may be extended in a folding or sliding manner according to the size of the stored drinking water container K, and the relatively small size of the drinking water container K may extend the extension member 300 and then extend the upper surface. can also be stored.

In addition, a spacer bar L may be formed on an inner circumferential surface of the third ice-making chamber C ₃ in which ice e is stored so that the ice e is not thawed and does not adhere to the inner circumferential surface. A heater may be formed in the spacer bar L so that the ice e may be easily discharged when taking out.

Meanwhile, a flow process of refrigerant through the ice maker 100 disposed in the ice making chamber 500 divided into a plurality of spaces will be described. The ice (e) ejected through the first ice-making chamber (C ₁ ) and the third ice-making chamber (C ₃ ) is directed toward the third ice-making chamber (C 3 ) through the communication hole formed in the partition wall (B) that spatially separates the first and third ice-making chambers (C ₃ ). can fall into

At this time, in general, conventionally, the ice maker 100 mounted on the refrigerator 1 includes only a space for receiving ice, but the ice making chamber 500 according to the present invention has a separate drinking water container K stored therein. and can be cooled. Furthermore, by controlling the refrigerant flowing on one side of the ice maker 100 to naturally flow in the direction of the second ice-making chamber C ₂ where the drinking water container K is stored, the drinking water container K may be refrigerated together. there is. That is, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerant may be maximized by allowing the refrigerant flowing on one side of the ice maker 100 to be circulated and introduced into the area where the drinking water container K is stored.

5 is perspective views of a twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is cross-sectional views of a twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a twist-type ice maker according to various embodiments of the present invention. 8 is a partial perspective view of an upper tray on which a heater of a twist-type ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed.

Referring to these drawings, the ice maker 100 according to the present invention includes an ice maker main body 300 forming the outer shape of the entire ice maker body and an ice making groove 15 rotatably mounted on one side of the ice maker main body 300 and accommodating ice making water. An ice maker tray 200 composed of an upper tray 210 and a lower tray 220 to be formed, a drive unit 50 accommodated in the ice maker main body 300 and providing rotational force to rotate the ice maker tray 200, an ice maker The full ice detection unit 11 formed on one side of the main body 300 to detect full ice in the ice box (not shown) and the ice making groove 15 of the ice making tray 200 formed on one side of the ice maker main body 300 It may be configured to include a water supply unit 10 for supplying iced water. 3 to 7 are shown as examples for explaining one embodiment, but are not limited thereto, and a storage unit in which ice is moved after ice is made, an auger motor installed in the storage unit, a screw, an ice box, etc. The composition omitted the city.

The ice maker body 300 may have a rectangular shape as a whole, and an upper portion of the ice maker body 300 may include an open portion. Both ends of the ice maker tray 200 may be rotatably coupled to both sides of the inner circumferential surface of the ice maker body 300 .

The ice making tray 200 may include a pair of an upper tray 210 and a lower tray 220 that are detachably detachable from each other. The upper tray 210 and the lower tray 220 of the ice making tray 200 may be mutually coupled to form a circular ice making groove 15 . The ice-making grooves 15 may be formed in the shape of a plurality of concave grooves spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the ice-making tray 200, preferably having a circular or elliptical cross section.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, a temperature sensor T for measuring the temperature of the ice maker 100 may be formed on one side of the ice maker tray 200 . The temperature sensor T may be formed on the side surface of the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200 or the bottom portion of the lower tray 220, but may be formed at a position where it does not interfere with the rotation of the ice making tray 200. . In addition, a sealing member 600 may be formed between the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 220 of the ice making tray 200 to prevent the ice water contained in the ice making groove 15 from leaking outward during ice making.

Specifically, the ice maker main body 300 may be formed in a cover shape with an open lower portion. Here, the guide hole 310 and the separation hole 320 may be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the open portion of the ice maker body 300 in a shape broken to a predetermined length.

As described above, the ice making tray 200 may include a pair of an upper tray 210 and a lower tray 220 that are detachably coupled to each other. A rotary cam 213 extending to one side and a rotary hinge shaft 215 extending in a horizontal direction from the rotary cam 213 may be connected to both ends of the upper tray 210. Here, the rotary hinge shaft 215 may reciprocate a predetermined length while being inserted into the guide hole 310 of the ice maker body 300 through the rotary cam 213 .

Also, a rotation shaft 225 extending in a horizontal direction may be formed at one end of the lower tray 220 , and the rotation shaft 225 may be inserted into the separation hole 320 of the ice maker body 300 . Similarly, the rotating shaft 225 of the lower tray 220 may reciprocate a predetermined distance along the separation hole 320 of the ice maker body 300 . At this time, according to the present invention, the rotating shaft 225 of the lower tray 220 may be formed to be eccentric in one direction with respect to the central axis of rotation of the driving unit 50 . Through this, when the lower tray 220 rotates, interference with the upper tray 210 is minimized so that it can be more easily separated, so that the separation process can be easily performed. An electrode 700 is formed on one side of the upper tray 210 so that water supply control by the water supply unit 10 by voltage conduction or capacitance change may be possible. As shown in the drawings of the present invention, the electrode 700 may be formed in a non-contact manner or in a connection manner extending into the ice making tray 200 . For specific examples, it may be a non-exposed electrostatic sensor (water level sensor), an exposed electrostatic sensor (water level sensor) or an energized sensor, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, in the heater unit 30 of the upper tray 210, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a power connection unit V may extend from the heater unit 30 to receive power from the outside. The power connection part V may be connected to the cap member 800 formed on the upper part of the ice maker body 300 to receive power from the outside. At this time, the power transfer unit V extends into the ice maker main body 300 through the hinge rotation shaft 215 of the upper tray 210, so as not to interfere with the rotation of the upper tray 210. .

Meanwhile, in the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200, as shown in FIG. 5, a water supply guide part 219 may be formed at an upper portion. The water supply guiding unit 219 may guide the ice-making water supplied from the water supply unit 10 to the ice-making groove 15 . The water supply guide part 219 may be formed at a portion corresponding to the portion where the air hole 211 of the upper tray 210 is formed, and a water supply hole 212 may be formed to pass through the air hole 211 . Since the at least one water supply hole 212 is formed in the form of a groove connecting each other in the longitudinal direction, the ice-making water supplied from the water supply unit 10 passes through the at least one water supply hole. (212) can be supplied smoothly at the same time. The water supply hole 212 of the water supply guide part 219 penetrates and is connected to the air hole 211, and although not shown in the drawings of the present invention, the cross section of the inclined surface 218 is reduced in an oblique line so that the ice-making water is easily guided. ) can be formed in a funnel shape with

Here, the water supply induction unit 219, as shown in FIG. 5, is formed on the upper tray 210 or formed on a separate independent upper cover 214 coupled to the upper tray 210. may be At this time, the upper cover 214 is coupled to the upper surface of the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200 so that the ice water provided from the water supply unit 10 does not flow into the lower tray 220. ) It may be formed in a form covering the entire upper surface of the.

Meanwhile, the driving unit 50 may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape. The driving unit 50 may be disposed at one end of the ice making tray 200 . One end of the ice making tray 200 may be disposed on one side of the driving unit 50 . The length of the ice making tray 200 may extend horizontally from one side of the drive unit 50 . A water supply unit (not shown) may be disposed near the other end of the ice making tray 200 . The water supply unit 10 may form a passage through which ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making groove 15 . The ice-making water supplied to the ice-making groove 15 may be cooled by cold air in the storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 and turned into ice. In some cases, the driving unit 50 may be integrally formed inside a separate control box 110, and various internal parts including a gearbox (not shown) and a control unit (not shown) are inside the control box 110. can be installed

A water supply unit 10 may be disposed on an upper side of the ice maker body. As mentioned above, the water supply unit 10 may form a passage through which the ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making groove 15, and may be formed in an overall 'L' shape. One end of the water supply unit 10 may be formed in a downwardly bent shape toward the ice-making tray 200, and the water supply unit 10 supplies the ice-making water from the outside to the upper tray 210 of the ice-making tray 200. The ice may be supplied to the ice making groove 15 through the formed air hole 211 .

The heaters 30 may be formed spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals on the upper surface of the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200 . The heater 30 according to the present invention may be a planar heater or a silicon cord heater, preferably a planar heater. Heat can be transferred through surface contact between the surface heater and the surface of the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200, and ice can be made by the heat transfer. The ice maker 100 may further include another heater. Moisture generated in the process of repeating heating and cooling may form on the bottom of the lower tray 220 of the ice making tray 200 and fall downward, and the dropped water droplets may reach the drain plate 150 . Water droplets reaching the drain plate 150 may be frozen due to the internal environment of the ice making room. If the ice is accumulated, the purpose of drainage may be lost, so heat from the heater may be transferred to a location where there is a possibility of freezing. The heater 30 is a drain heater (not shown) and may be located on the surface of the drain plate 150 or buried inside for thawing. Also, the ice maker main body 300 and the heater 30 may be electrically connected with a silicon wire. In addition, the power connection part of the heater 30 may be provided in a separate hinge rotating cap member.

According to the present invention, the heater 30 may be formed on one side of the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 200, that is, on a curved portion forming the upper side of the ice making groove 15. The upper tray 210 of the ice making tray includes a portion horizontally extending to both sides of the curved portion, and heater mounting portions 219a may be formed at the curved portion to stably support the heater 30 . there is. Also, as shown in FIG. 8B , the heater 30 may be disposed between the boundary portions 216 formed on the upper tray 210 of the ice making tray 30 . The boundary portion 216 prevents the heaters 30 from flowing in a spaced apart state at regular intervals, so that the icing can be stably performed. Furthermore, the horizontally extending portion of the upper tray 210 may further include an upper tray extension portion 217 extending vertically upward, and a heater seating portion 219a or Of course, the boundary portion 216 may be formed and the heater 30 may be disposed.

Here, an air hole 211 passing through the ice-making groove 15 may be formed in an upper central portion of the curved portion of the upper tray 210 . Ice-making water may be supplied from the water supply unit 10 through the air hole 211 and introduced into the ice-making groove 15 . The air hole 211 may allow bubbles, that is, air, that may be generated in the process of making ice in the ice making groove 15 to be discharged to the outside.

In some cases, as shown in FIG. 7 , the heater 30 may be radially formed in a spiral shape around the air hole 211 formed in the curved portion of the upper tray 210. can

In addition, the full ice detection unit 11 may be connected to one side of the driving unit 50 so as to operate by rotating the cam. In this case, the operation of the full ice detection unit 11 is intervened during one cycle of operation, so that the ice making process can be interlocked mechanically. In addition, it may be controlled by whether the infrared sensor detects or not other than the full ice detection unit 11 . The case of being controlled by whether the infrared sensor detects or not may be selectively determined by a combination of conditions such as periodically inducing an operation or detecting whether or not the infrared sensor is detected in an infrared sensor area.

Meanwhile, the ice maker 100 according to the present invention may include the drain plate 150. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the drain plate 150 may be disposed below the ice making tray 200 . The drain plate 150 may be formed at a position spaced apart from the ice making tray 200 by a predetermined distance. The drain plate 150 may be formed in a shape corresponding to that of the ice making tray 200 and may include a substantially rectangular lower surface and side surfaces extending upward from four sides of the lower surface. The drain plate 150 may be formed in a rectangular cylinder shape with an open top.

Here, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 16, the portions extending upwardly from both ends of the lower tray 220 are formed to be at least equal to or longer than the height of the uppermost portion of the ice-making groove 15, i.e., the water supply restriction height. It is desirable to do so. This is to prevent ice-making water that may flow out through the air hole 211 of the ice-making groove 15 from overflowing to the outside of the ice maker 100 .

The drain plate 150 may receive ice-making water that may overflow due to full water or excessive supply in the ice-making groove 15 of the ice-making tray 102 and prevent the ice-making water from flowing into an ice box (not shown) mounted therein. there is.

In addition, the drain plate 150 may further include a thawing heater to prevent freezing on the surface. The thawing heater and the heater 30 may be electrically connected in one or more of series and parallel. The heater 30 and the thawing heater may be electrically connected to each other, and may be connected through one or more methods of series and parallel. This is because a plurality of heaters 30 and the ice melting heater may be provided.

In the above, an embodiment of an ice maker according to the present invention and a refrigerator including the same has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be taken for granted that the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited by the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and implementation within the equivalent range are possible by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. will be. Therefore, it will be said that the true scope of the present invention is determined by the claims described later.

1: refrigerator 8, 9: door
11: full ice detection unit 20: control box
26: eject pin 27: ejector
30: heater unit 41: rotation shaft
50: circulation fan 60: blowing fan
70: drain unit 100: ice maker
120: cooling unit 102, 200: ice tray
210: upper tray 211: air hole
212: water supply hole 213: rotation cam
214: upper cover 215: rotation hinge shaft
216: border 217: extension
218: slope 219: water supply induction unit
220: lower tray 221: slide surface
225: rotation shaft 300: ice maker body
310: guide hole 320: spaced hole
600: sealing member
B: bulkhead C ₁ : first ice-making chamber
C ₂ : Second ice-making chamber C ₃ : Third ice-making chamber
K: Drinking water container L: Spacer bar

Claims (16)

An ice-making chamber mounted on the cooling matrix and partitioned into a plurality of spaces;
The ice making chamber,
a first ice-making chamber in which an ice maker is accommodated; and
An ice maker comprising: a second ice making chamber in which refrigerant flowing from the ice maker is introduced and a drinking water container is accommodated.
According to claim 1,
The ice making chamber may further include a second ice making chamber in which ice released from the ice maker is stored.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker extending to a predetermined length is formed in the second ice making chamber in which the drinking water container is accommodated.
According to claim 3,
At least one hinge part is formed on the extension member, and the ice maker is formed to be bent by rotation of the hinge part.
According to claim 1,
The ice maker,
ice maker body;
an ice-making tray rotatably mounted on one side of the ice maker main body, including an upper tray and a lower tray that are detachably coupled to each other and form an ice-making groove in which ice-making water is accommodated;
at least one heater part formed on at least a part of the upper tray; and
A control box provided with at least one driving unit providing rotational force to rotate the ice making tray;
At least one side of the upper tray is slid or pressed while being mounted on the ice maker main body to be separated from the lower tray, and the ice made is separated from the lower tray.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker wherein at least one of the first ice maker chamber, the second ice maker chamber, and the third ice maker chamber is formed with a communication hole at least partially communicating with each other so that cold air inside the ice maker can flow.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker in which a plurality of blower fans are disposed in the ice making chamber.
According to claim 7,
The ice maker further includes a controller,
An ice maker in which an operation of the blower fan is controlled through the control unit.
According to claim 5,
The ice maker according to claim 1 , wherein the control box is connected to an ice dumping lever operated by rotation of a cam.
According to claim 5,
The ice making groove of the ice making tray has a circular or oval cross section.
According to claim 5,
The ice maker further includes a heater,
The heater unit is a planar heater, and the ice maker is insert-injected into the ice tray.
According to claim 11,
The heater is formed on the upper tray of the ice making tray, and is radially formed in a curved portion where the ice making groove is formed.
According to claim 12,
The ice maker wherein the heater is formed in a spiral shape.
According to claim 5,
The ice maker further comprises a heater seating part for supporting the heater at a curved portion of the upper tray where the ice making groove is formed.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker further comprising a sensor unit configured to sense entry and exit of the drinking water container in the second ice making chamber.
A refrigerator comprising the ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images