The present disclosure relates to an ice maker and a refrigerator.
Generally, refrigerators are appliances that can be used to cool and store food items. A storage space inside the refrigerator may be cooled using cool air, and the food items may be stored in a refrigerated or a frozen state.
In some cases, an ice maker may be provided in the refrigerator. For example, water can be supplied automatically from a water supply source to an ice tray to form ice pieces. In some cases, the formed ice pieces may be removed by heating the tray or by physically removing the ice pieces. Ice pieces formed in this manner typically have crescent or cubic shapes. In some cases, spherical ice may be made by the use of appropriately designed ice trays.
During the ice making process, air bubbles can become trapped inside the ice, thus leading to a cloudy, opaque appearance. Allowing the air bubbles to escape during the ice making process, on the other hand, can help lead to the formation of clear, transparent ice pieces.
According to one aspect of the subject matter described in this application, an ice maker includes a tray assembly. The tray assembly includes an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers, each of the plurality of ice making chambers being configured to receive water and generate an ice piece. The tray assembly also includes a lower tray that is located vertically below the upper tray, that is configured to rotate relative to the upper tray, and that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, wherein at least one of the upper tray or the lower tray includes a flexible tray made of a flexible material. The tray assembly also includes a case that is configured to accommodate at least a portion of the flexible tray and that is configured to restrict a deformation of the flexible tray. The tray assembly also includes a heater that is located between the case and the flexible tray, that is configured to contact the flexible tray, and that is configured to supply heat to the plurality of ice making chambers through the flexible tray.
Implementations according to this aspect may include one or more of the following features. For example, the plurality of ice making chambers may be arranged along a direction parallel to a rotation axis of rotation of the lower tray relative to the upper tray, and the heater may include a line heater that extends in the direction parallel to the rotation axis and that surrounds at least a portion of a lower perimeter of each of the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. The plurality of ice making chambers may include outer ice making chambers and an inner ice making chamber that is located between the outer ice making chambers. The heater may include a line heater that surrounds at least a portion of the outer ice making chambers and at least a portion of the inner ice making chamber. The heater may further include a first part located between the flexible tray and the inner ice making chamber and configured to supply heat to the inner ice making chamber as well as second parts that extend from the first part, each of the second parts being located between the flexible tray and one of the outer ice making chambers and configured to supply heat to the one of the outer ice making chambers. A length of each of the second parts may be greater than a length of the first part.
In some implementations, the heater may further include an extension part that protrudes horizontally outward from at least one of the second parts to increase a contact length between the heater and the outer ice making chambers. In some cases, the case may define a heater accommodation groove that is configured to seat the heater. At least a portion of the heater may protrude toward the flexible tray based on the heater being seated in the heater accommodation groove. In some cases, the flexible tray may include a stepped portion that protrudes from an outer surface of each of the plurality of ice making chambers and that is configured to contact the heater.
In some implementations, the flexible tray may include: a spherical portion that defines each of the plurality of ice making chambers and that is configured to contact the case, the case being configured to restrict a deformation of the spherical portion; and a deformable portion that extends from the spherical portion and that is configured to change from a first shape to a second shape based on an expansion of the ice piece in a state in which the flexible tray is received in the case. In some cases, the case may define a chamber accommodation groove configured to receive and support the spherical portion as well as a case opening that is: defined at a bottom portion of the chamber accommodation groove, configured to face the deformable portion, and configured to allow the deformable portion to change from the first shape to the second shape based on the expansion of the ice piece.
In some cases, the ice maker according to this aspect may include an ejector that is configured to, based on rotation of the lower tray rotating relative to the upper tray, pass through the case opening and push the deformable portion of the flexible tray to discharge the ice piece from the flexible tray. The case may define a heater accommodation groove that surrounds at least a portion of the case opening and that is configured to seat the heater at a position outside of the ejector based on the ejector passing through the case opening.
In some implementations, the heater may include a direct current (DC) heater configured to generate heat based on receiving DC power and to separate the ice piece from the plurality of ice making chambers. The upper tray may be the flexible tray, and the heater may include: an upper heater that is the DC heater, that is located vertically above the upper tray, and that is configured to supply heat to the upper portions of the plurality of ice making chambers; and a lower heater located vertically below the lower tray and configured to supply heat to the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers.
In some implementations, the ice maker may include a plurality of lower ejectors that are located vertically below the lower tray at positions corresponding to the plurality of ice making chambers. The plurality of lower ejectors may include a first ejector and a second ejector that are configured to contact the lower tray one after the other based on rotation of the lower tray relative to the upper tray. In some cases, the ejector may extend toward a first ice making chamber among the plurality of ice making chambers by a first length, and the second ejector may extend toward a second ice making chamber among the plurality of ice making chambers by a second length different from the first length.
In some implementations, the heater may include an upper heater that is located vertically above the upper tray and that is configured to supply heat to an upper heating area of each of the plurality of ice making chambers and a lower heater located vertically below the lower tray and configured to supply heat to a lower heating area of each of the plurality of ice making chamber, the lower heating area being less than the upper heating area. Each of the upper heater and the lower heater may be a line heater that defines a circular shape, and a diameter of the upper heater may be greater than a diameter of the lower heater. In some cases, the ice maker may include a temperature sensor configured to contact an outer surface of the upper tray and configured to detect a temperature of the upper tray. The upper tray may define a sensor accommodation groove that is located between the plurality of ice making chambers, that is recessed downward from an upper surface of the upper tray, and that is configured to receive the temperature sensor. The upper tray may also define a heater accommodation groove recessed downward from the upper surface of the upper tray and configured to contact the upper heater. The case may include an upper case located vertically above the upper tray and configured to couple to the upper tray, and the upper case may include sensor installation ribs that protrude from a bottom surface of the upper case toward the upper tray and that are configured to, based on the upper tray being coupled to the upper case, insert into the sensor accommodation groove to limit movement of the temperature sensor.
In some implementations, the upper tray may include a plurality of inlet walls that define inflow openings configured to receive cold air to the plurality of ice making chambers, and the heater may be located between the case and the upper tray at a position vertically below the inflow openings. At least one of the inflow openings may be a water receiving hole configured to receive water to at least one of the plurality of ice making chambers.
Referring to
One or more doors may be provided to open and close the storage space of the refrigerator. For example, a refrigerating compartment door 5 may be provided for the refrigerating compartment 3, and a freezing compartment door 6 may be provided for the freezing compartment 4. As illustrated in
The refrigerating and freezing compartments may be arranged in various alternative ways, as readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the refrigerating and freezing compartments may be arranged side by side. In some cases, the freezing compartment may be positioned above the refrigerating compartment.
As illustrated in
The ice made by the ice maker 100 may be obtained by a user by, for example, opening the appropriate door to gain access to the ice bin 102. Alternatively, or additionally, a dispenser 7 for dispensing water and/or ice may be provided at an external side of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door. A transfer unit may be used to transfer the ice stored in the ice bin 102 to the user via the dispenser 7.
Referring to
In more detail, referring to
The upper assembly 110 includes an upper case 120 that defines an outer appearance and an upper tray 150 that is mounted within the upper case 120. The upper tray 150, which can be made from a flexible material such as silicone, defines the upper portion of the plurality of ice making chambers 111. For example, in the case of spherical chambers 111 designed to form spherical ice pieces, the upper hemisphere of the chambers may be defined by the upper tray 150 (with the lower hemisphere being defined by a corresponding lower tray, as further detailed below).
The upper tray 150 defines, at its upper surface, a plurality of upper tray openings 154. An upper ejector 300 includes a plurality of corresponding protrusions that are designed to pass through the upper tray openings 154 during an ice ejection stage to thereby push downward and remove any ice pieces that may be located within the upper portions of the ice making chambers 111. One of the plurality of upper tray openings 154 may further be configured as a water receiving hole 112. In some cases, the water receiving hole 112 may be separately provided to the upper tray 150 in addition to the upper tray openings 154. In either case, the water receiving hole 112 is configured to receive water from a water supply part 190.
The water supply part 190 may be a trough-like structure that is coupled to the upper assembly 110 and that is configured to receive water from a water supply source of the refrigerator. The water supply part 190 may further include a spout-like structure through which the received water flows into the ice making chambers 111. As illustrated, the water supply part 190 can supply water through only a single opening in the upper tray 150. However, because the plurality of ice making chambers 111, as explained in greater detail below, are fluidically connected to one another during the water filling stage, the water received through the single opening can be distributed to all the chambers. As a result, all of the ice making chambers 111 may be filled simultaneously with water using a single water supply part 190. In some implementations, multiple water supply parts, or alternatively a water supply part having multiple spouts, may be used to deliver water directly to more than one chamber at a time.
Referring further to
In some cases, the lower tray 250 may be formed from a silicone material that is more elastically deformable than the silicone material used to form the upper tray 150. Therefore, by way of example, the lower tray 250 may be more easily flexed during the ice removal process compared to the upper tray 150.
A driving unit 180 may be provided to the ice maker 100. The driving unit 180 is configured to rotate the lower assembly 200 relative to the upper assembly 110 during the ice making process. The driving unit 180 may include a driving motor and a power transmission part, such as one or more gears, to actuate the lower assembly 200. The driving motor may be rotatable in both directions, thereby allowing the lower assembly 200 to be rotated in both directions. Although
The connection unit 350, which may include one or more links that couple the lower assembly 200 to the upper ejector 300, is configured to translate a rotational movement of the lower assembly 200 to an up-down movement of the upper ejector 300.
For example, when the lower assembly 200 rotates in one direction, the upper ejector 300 may descend by the connection unit 350 to allow the upper ejector pin 320 to move downward and push out the ice. Conversely, when the lower assembly 200 rotates in the opposite direction, the upper ejector 300 may ascend back to its original position.
The ice maker 100 may also include a lower ejector 400 that is configured to remove ice that may be retained within the lower portion of the ice chamber 111 in the lower assembly 200. The lower ejector 400 may include an ejector body 410 and a plurality of lower ejecting pins 420 that generally extend in a lateral and downward direction. The lower ejector 400 may be attached to the upper case 120 at a location such that, in use, when the lower assembly 200 is rotated away from the upper assembly 110, the lower assembly 200 is actuated toward the lower ejector 400 such that the lower ejecting pins 420 can press and deform the lower tray 250 to thereby remove ice that is retained in the lower portion of the chamber 111.
As illustrated in
The ice maker 100 may also include a temperature sensor 500 for detecting a temperature of the upper tray 150. For example, the temperature sensor 500 may be mounted on the upper case 120 such that, when the upper tray 150 is fixed to the upper case 120, the temperature sensor 500 contacts the upper tray 150. In other cases, the temperature sensor 500 may be mounted directly to the upper tray 150. In some implementations, one or more other temperature sensors may be provided, for example at the lower tray 250.
The lower assembly 200 may include a lower support 270 that is configured to provide support to a lower side of the lower tray 250 and a lower case 210 that is configured to provide support to an upper side of the lower tray 250. The lower case 210, the lower tray 250, and the lower support 270 may be coupled to each other through one or more coupling members, including but not limited to bosses, fasteners, hooks, tabs, bolts, protrusions, and the like.
The ice maker 100 may include a switch for turning the ice maker 100 on and off. For example, the ice maker 100 may be activated to make ice when a user turns on the switch 600. That is, when the switch 600 is turned on, water may be supplied to the ice making chambers 111 of the ice maker 100. Subsequently, the water supplied to the ice making chambers 111 can be frozen to form ice pieces that are in turn ejected from the ice making chambers 111.
An exemplary ice making process of the ice maker 100 will be detailed below with reference to
Referring to
In the water supply position, which is illustrated in
With the lower tray 250 in the water supply position, a predetermined volume of water can be supplied to the ice making chambers 111. The predetermined volume of water may be greater than the amount of water required to create the desired ice piece. In such cases, excess water may be channeled away from the ice making chambers through one or more water escape passages that are provided by the ice making trays, as will be described further below.
When the predetermined volume of water is supplied with the lower tray 250 in the water supply position, water W may completely fill the lower chamber 252. Water W may further fill, either partially or completely, a space that is formed between the upper and lower chambers 152, 252. In some cases, some of the supplied water may fill a lower portion of the upper chamber 152. Although the upper chamber 152 may not be filled with water, water that is held in the space between the upper and lower chamber 152, 252 can subsequently be pushed into the upper chamber 152 to thereby create a fully-formed ice piece. In order to ensure that a sufficient volume of water is retained within the upper chamber 152, the volume of water that is held between the upper and lower chambers 152, 252 during the water supply position may be equal to or greater than the volume of water that can be held within the upper chamber 152.
As described in further detail below with respect to
Referring to
In some implementations, after a complete ice making chamber has been formed in this manner, the driving unit 180 may over-rotate the lower tray 250 toward the upper tray 150 by a small amount to ensure that no gaps are present between the upper and lower surfaces 251e and 151e. The presence of gaps in this region between the trays 250 and 150, for instance, may result in an undesirable seam or protrusion that is formed around formed ice.
When the water W contained within the ice making chamber freezes, ice I is formed as illustrated in
Referring also to
In some implementations, the deformable portion 251b may initially have a convex shape that protrudes toward a center of the ice making chamber as shown in
The lower support 270 (
An exemplary process of ejecting the ice piece from the ice making chamber is illustrated in
During this ejection process, as illustrated in
As the lower assembly 200 continues to rotate outward away from the upper assembly 110, as seen in
In order to ensure that the ice piece within the chamber is properly ejected, as illustrated in
Various exemplary implementations of the ejector pin 420 are illustrated in
In some implementations, as shown in
In some implementations, as illustrated in
In some cases, a length of the ejector pin may increase along a length direction of the ejector body 410, as exemplified in
In some cases, torque provided by the driving unit 180 may cause the lower assembly 200 to twist as it is being rotated, particularly when a portion of the lower assembly 200 encounters additional resistance from the ejector pins. In such cases, the side of the lower assembly 200 that is farther away from the driving unit 180 may rotate at a slower rate than the side that is closer to the driving unit 180. For example, when the side of the lower assembly that is closer to the driving unit 180 has been rotated 110 degrees, for example, the opposite side farther away from the driving unit 180 may only be rotated by 100 degrees due to the twisting (i.e. wringing effect) of the lower assembly 200. By correspondingly increasing the lengths of the ejector pins based on their distance from the driving unit 180, for example as shown in
As will be understood by a skilled artisan from the disclosure herein, different shapes, sizes, and orientations of the ejector pins may be used.
Referring now to
The upper case 120 may include an upper plate 121 to which the upper assembly 110 is coupled. For example, the upper tray 150 may come in contact with and become attached to a bottom surface of the upper plate 121. The upper tray may include an opening 123 through which a portion of the upper tray 150 can pass through. Accordingly, when the upper tray 150 is attached to the bottom surface of the upper plate 121, a portion of the upper tray 150 may protrude upward through the opening 123. A more secure coupling between the upper plate 121 and the upper tray 150 may be achieved as a result.
Alternatively, the upper tray 150 may be positioned above the upper plate 121 such that the upper tray 150 protrudes downward through the opening 123. The upper plate 121 may include a recess part 122 that is recessed downward from an upper surface of the upper plate 121. The opening 123 may be defined at a bottom surface 122a of the recess part 122. The upper tray 150 that protrudes downward through the opening 123 may be accommodated in the recess part 122.
As seen in
The upper case 120 may include installation ribs 158 and 159, which may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the upper plate 121. Additional pairs of ribs may be provided to the upper case 120. The installation ribs 158 and 159 can be used to mount the temperature sensor 500 (
For example, as seen in
Slots 131 and 132 may be defined in the upper plate 121. The slots may be configured to receive and be coupled to corresponding protrusions that are provided to the upper tray 150. In some cases, the slot-protrusion relationship may be reversed (i.e. protrusions are provided to the upper plate 121 and slots are defined in the upper tray 150). Other types of coupling structures between the upper plate 121 and the upper tray 150 may also be used.
First slots 131 may be spaced apart from the second slots 131 along the direction B such that the slots are positioned on opposite sides of the opening 123. Each of the first slots 131 may be spaced from each other along a direction A, and each of the second slots 132 may be spaced apart from each other along the direction A. The plurality of ice chambers 111 may be arranged along the direction A. Direction A may be orthogonal to direction B and further parallel to the rotation axis C1 of the lower assembly 200.
In some cases, the first and second slots 131 and 132 may have a curved shape, for example convex with respect to the opening 123, thus allowing a length of each of the slots to be extended. By increasing the slot length, along with the length of the corresponding protrusion of the upper tray 150, a coupling force between the upper tray 150 and the upper case 120 may be increased.
In some implementations, a distance between the first upper slot 131 and the opening 123 may be different from that between the second upper slot 132 and the opening 123. For example, the distance between the first upper slot 131 and the opening 123 may be greater than that between the second upper slot 132 and the opening 123.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring back to
The upper case 120 may further include a horizontal extension part 142 that extends horizontally outward from the vertical extension part 140 to form an upper horizontal surface of the upper case 120. The horizontal extension part 142 may include a screw coupling part 142a that is configured to receive a screw that couples the upper case 120 to the freezer compartment.
The upper case 120 may further include a circumferential sidewall 143 that extends downward from the horizontal extension part 142 and at least partially surrounds a circumference of the upper and lower assemblies 110, 200. The circumferential sidewall 143 may form an eternal appearance of the ice maker 100 and helps provide a protective barrier between the various moving components of the ice maker 100, such as the lower assembly 200, and the rest of the freezing compartment. As illustrated in
Referring now to
The upper tray 150 may be integrally molded as one piece. Alternatively, the upper tray 150 may be made from separate pieces that are attached together.
In one implementation, the upper tray 150 may be made of a flexible material that is capable of being restored to its original shape after being deformed by an external force. For example, the upper tray 150 may be made of a silicone material. Accordingly, the upper tray 150 may be deformed during, for example, the ice ejection process but may subsequently return to its original shape to generate additional ice pieces. The spherical shape of the ice, therefore, may be maintained through repetitive uses. In some cases, the upper tray 150 may be intentionally deformed during the ice ejection process to facilitate removal of the ice piece.
In some cases, for reasons discussed below, the upper tray 150 may be made from a heat-resistant material that will maintain its shape when heated. A silicone material, which exhibits good heat resistance, may also be used for this purpose.
The upper tray 150 may include an upper tray body 151 that defines an internal space for molding ice, namely one or more upper chambers 152 that make up the upper half of the ice chamber 111.
In one implementation, the upper chambers 152 may include a first upper chamber 152a, a second upper chamber 152b, and a third upper chamber 152c. The one or more upper chambers 152 may be defined within a chamber wall 153 that forms an outer appearance of the upper tray body 151. In some cases, separate chamber walls may be provided to form each upper chamber. In other cases, as shown in
As illustrated in
As shown in
Moreover, the upper ejecting pins 320 of the upper ejector (
In some implementations, one or more first connection ribs 155a may be provided along a circumference of the inlet wall 155 to help prevent the inlet wall 155 from being deformed, for example, when the upper ejector 300 is inserted into the inflow opening 154. The first connection rib 155a may connect the inlet wall 155 to the upper tray body 151. For example, the first connection rib 155a may be integrated with the circumference of the inlet wall 155 and an outer surface of the upper tray body 151. In some cases, the plurality of connection ribs 155a may be disposed along the circumference of the inlet wall 155.
The two inlet walls 155 corresponding to the second upper chamber 152b and the third upper chamber 152c may be connected to each other through the second connection rib 162. The second connection rib 162 may also help prevent the inlet wall 155 from being deformed.
One of the upper tray openings 154 may be configured as the water receiving hole 112. For example, as shown in
The upper tray 150 may further include a first accommodation part 160. Referring also to
The first accommodation part 160 may be shaped to surround the upper chambers 152a, 152b, and 152c. The first accommodation part 160 may be recessed downward from a top surface of the upper tray body 151. The heater coupling part 124 to which the upper heater 148 is coupled may be accommodated in the first accommodation part 160.
The upper tray 150 may further include a second accommodation part 161 that is configured to house the temperature sensor 500 (
For example, the second accommodation part 161 may be recessed downward from a bottom surface of the first accommodation part 160. The second accommodation part 161 may be disposed between two adjacent upper chambers. For example, the second accommodation part 161 may be disposed between the first upper chamber 152a and the second upper chamber 152b. By providing separate spaces for accommodating the heater and the temperature sensor in this manner, the temperature sensor 500 may be prevented from directly measuring heat coming from the heater 148. Rather, in the state in which the temperature sensor 500 is accommodated in the second accommodation part 161, the temperature sensor 500 may contact and measure a temperature of an outer surface of the upper tray body 151.
Referring to
The upper tray 150 may further include a horizontal extension part 164 that extends horizontally outward from and surrounds the circumference of the upper tray body 151. The horizontal extension part 164 may be sandwiched between the upper case 120 and the upper support 170 below to provide a secure coupling of the upper tray 150 to the ice maker 100.
For example, a bottom surface 164b of the horizontal extension part 164 may contact the upper support 170, and a top surface 164a of the horizontal extension part 164 may contact the upper case 120. That is, at least a portion of the horizontal extension part 164 may be disposed between the upper case 120 and the upper support 170.
The horizontal extension part 164 may include a plurality of upper protrusions 165 and 166 that are configured to be inserted into the plurality of upper slots 131 and 132. In some cases, the protrusion-slot relationship may be reversed.
The plurality of upper protrusions 165 and 166 may include a first upper protrusion 165 and a second upper protrusion 166 disposed at an opposite side of the first upper protrusion 165 with respect to the inflow opening 154.
The first upper protrusion 165 may be inserted into the first upper slot 131, and the second upper protrusion 166 may be inserted into the second upper slot 132. The first upper protrusion 165 and the second upper protrusion 166 may protrude upward from the top surface 164a of the horizontal extension part 164. The first upper protrusion 165 and the second upper protrusion 166 may be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow B of
The upper protrusions 165, 166 can provide lateral coupling to help restrict a lateral movement and/or deformation of the horizontal extension part 164 relative to the upper case 120 during the ice making and/or the ice ejection process.
The horizontal extension part 164 may further include a plurality of lower protrusions 167 and 168. The plurality of lower protrusions 167 and 168 may be configured to be inserted into corresponding lower slots that are defined in the upper support 170. As with the upper protrusions and slots, the protrusion-slot relationship may be reversed.
The plurality of lower protrusions 167 and 168 may include a first lower protrusion 167 and a second lower protrusion 168 disposed at an opposite side of the first lower protrusion 167 with respect to the upper chamber 152. The first lower protrusion 167 and the second lower protrusion 168 may protrude upward from the bottom surface 164b of the horizontal extension part 164.
The first lower protrusion 167 may be disposed opposite the first upper protrusion 165 with respect to the horizontal extension part 164. The second lower protrusion 168 may be disposed opposite the second upper protrusion 166 with respect to the horizontal extension part 164. The first lower protrusion 167 may be spaced apart from the vertical wall 153a of the upper tray body 151. The second lower protrusion 168 may be spaced apart from the curved wall 153b of the upper tray body 151.
Each of the plurality of lower protrusions 167 and 168 may also be provided in a curved shape. Similar to the upper protrusions, the lower protrusions can provide lateral coupling to help restrict a lateral movement and/or deformation of the horizontal extension part 164 relative to the upper support 170 during the ice making and/or the ice ejection process.
In some implementations, the horizontal extension part 164 may include one or more through-holes 169 that may be used, for instance, to receive corresponding coupling bosses of the upper support 170. One or more of the through-holes 169 may be positioned between adjacent ones of the upper or lower protrusions 165, 167. One or more of the through-holes 169 may be positioned between adjacent ones of the upper or lower protrusions 166, 168.
Referring to
In some cases, the support plate 171 may include a plurality of lower slots 176 and 177. The plurality of lower slots 176 and 177 may include a first lower slot 176 into which the first lower protrusion 167 is inserted and a second lower slot 177 into which the second lower protrusion 168 is inserted.
The plurality of first lower slots 176 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A on the support plate 171. Also, the plurality of second lower slots 177 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A on the support plate 171.
The support plate 171 may further include a plurality of coupling bosses 175. The plurality of coupling bosses 175 may protrude upward from the top surface of the support plate 171. Each of the coupling bosses 175 may pass through the through-hole 169 of the horizontal extension part 164 and further be inserted into the sleeve 133 (
In the state in which the coupling boss 175 is inserted into the sleeve 133 (
A coupling member, such as a screw B1 (
The upper support 170 may further include unit guides 181 and 182 for guiding the connection unit 350 connected to the upper ejector 300. The unit guides 181 and 182 may, for example, extend upward from opposing side ends of the support plate 171. The unit guides 181 and 182 may extend upward from the top surface of the support plate 171. In some cases, the unit guides 181 and 182 may be integral with the circumferential wall 174.
Each of the unit guides 181 and 182 may include a guide slot 183 that extends along the length of the guides 181, 182. Both ends of the ejector body 310 of the ejector 300 may pass outward through each of the guide slots 183 and couple to the connection unit 350. Accordingly, when the rotation force from the driving unit 180 is transmitted to the ejector body 310 via the connection unit 350, the ejector body 310 may move vertically up and down along the guide slot 183.
Referring now to
In some implementations, the heater accommodation groove 124a may be recessed upward from a bottom surface of the recess part 122 of the upper case 120. The heater accommodation groove 124a, and consequently the upper heater 148 accommodated therein, may be arranged to surround an outer perimeter of the opening 123. Accordingly, the upper heater 148 may be disposed to surround the outer surface of each of the plurality of upper chambers 152 so that the heat from the upper heater 148 may be uniformly transferred to the interior of the plurality of upper chambers 152 of the upper tray 150. When the upper tray 150 is coupled to the upper case 120, the heater coupling part 124 may be inserted into the first accommodation part 160 of the upper tray 150 such that the heater 148 is positioned vertically below the upper tray openings 154.
In some implementations, as illustrated in
Accordingly, because the portion of the upper heater 148 protrudes to the outside of the heater accommodation groove 124a in the state in which the upper heater 148 is accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 124a, the upper heater 148 may directly contact the upper tray 150. In some cases, because the heater coupling part 124 is designed to be flush with the contacting surface of the upper tray 150, the portion of the upper tray 150 that makes contact with the protruded portion of the heater 148 may become deformed to accommodate the heater 148. In such cases, heat transfer from the heater 148 to the upper tray 150 may be improved.
In some cases, a separation prevention tab 124d may be provided on one or both of the outer wall 124b and the inner wall 124c to prevent the upper heater 148 accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 124a from being separated from the heater accommodation groove 124a. The separation prevention tab 124d may extend from one of the inner wall 124c and the outer wall 124b toward the other of the inner wall 124c and the outer wall 124b. For example, the tab 124d may extend to half the distance or less of the separation distance between the inner and outer walls 124c, 124b to allow the heater 148 to be inserted into the groove 124a during assembly but otherwise be prevented from being easily pulled out during use.
As shown in
The rounded portions 148c may be disposed along the circumference of the upper chamber 152 to more effectively transfer heat to the interior of the upper chamber 152. The linear portions 148d connect the rounded portions 148c and help provide heat to portions of the upper tray 150 that are not in contact with the rounded portions 148c.
As also shown in
A length of one edge portion 148e of the heater 148 may be greater than a length of one inner portion 148f of the heater 148. Because the outer upper chamber 152a or 152c that corresponds to the edge portion 148e may have a larger external surface area that is exposed to the cold air in the freezing compartment compared to the inner chamber 152b (
In some cases, a through-opening 124e may be defined in a bottom surface of the heater accommodation groove 124a. When the upper heater 148 is accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 124a, a portion of the upper heater 148 may be disposed in the through-opening 124e. For example, the through-opening 124e may be defined in a portion of the upper heater 148 facing the separation prevention protrusion 124d. When the upper heater 148 is bent to be horizontally rounded, tension of the upper heater 148 may increase to cause disconnection, and also, the upper heater 148 may be separated from the heater accommodation groove 124a. However, by providing the through-opening 124e in the heater accommodation groove 124a, a portion of the upper heater 148 may be disposed in the through-opening 124e to reduce the tension of the upper heater 148, thereby preventing the heater accommodation groove 124a from being separated from the upper heater 148.
As shown in
A first guide part 126 guiding the upper heater 148, the first connector 129a, the second connector 129c, and the wire 129d may be provided on the upper plate 121 of the upper case 120. The first guide part 126 may extend upward from the top surface of the upper plate 121 and have an upper end that is bent in the horizontal direction. Thus, the upper bent portion of the first guide part 126 may limit an upward movement of the first connector 129a.
The wires 129d may be led out to the outside of the upper case 120 after being bent in an approximately “U” shape to prevent interference with the surrounding structures. Since the wire 129d may include one or more bends, the upper case 120 may further include wire guides 127 and 128 for securing the wires 129d. The wire guides 127 and 128 may include a first guide 127 and a second guide 128, which are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction. The first guide 127 and the second guide 128 may be bent in a direction corresponding to the bending direction of the wire 129d to minimize damage to the wires 129d. Thus, each of the first guide 127 and the second guide 128 may include a curved portion.
To limit upward movement of the wire 129d disposed between the first guide 127 and the second guide 128, at least one of the first guide 127 and the second guide 128 may include an upper guide 127a extending toward the other guide.
Referring to
The coupling boss 175 of the upper support 170 may pass through the through-hole of the upper tray 150 to be accommodated in the sleeve 133 of the upper case 120. In this state, the screw B1 (
When the upper assembly 110 is assembled, the heater coupling part 124 to which the upper heater 148 is coupled may be accommodated in the first accommodation part 160 of the upper tray 150. In the state in which the heater coupling part 124 is accommodated in the first accommodation part 160, the upper heater 148 may contact a bottom surface 160a of the first accommodation part 160. When the upper heater 148 is accommodated in the heater coupling part 124 having the recessed shape to contact the upper tray body 151, transfer of heat from the upper heater 148 to the upper tray body 151 may be maximized.
At least a portion of the upper heater 148 may be disposed to vertically overlap the upper chamber 152 to maximize the transfer of heat from the upper heater 148 to the upper chamber 152. For example, the rounded portion 148c of the upper heater 148 may vertically overlap the upper chamber 152. Thus, a maximum distance between two points of the rounded portion 148c that are positioned at opposing sides with respect to the upper chamber 152 may be less than a diameter of the upper chamber 152.
In some implementations, the upper heater 148 may be a DC heater that receives DC power. The upper heater 148 may have a power output of 6 W or less. The upper heater 148 may be a line heater or a heat strip or the like. In some cases, a length of the heater 148 between its input/output terminals may be between 30-40 mm.
The upper heater 148 may be heated to help control the temperature within ice making chambers 111 and in particular the upper chambers 152. In some cases, the upper heater 148 may be used to temporarily heat the upper chamber 152 to thereby help remove the ice piece during the ice ejection stage. For instance, heat may be added during the ice ejection stage to slightly melt the surface of the ice to thereby promote detachment of the ice piece from the inner surface of the upper chamber 152.
Referring to
The connection unit 350 may include a first link 352 that receives torque from the driving unit 180 to allow the lower support 270 to rotate together with the first link 352 during the various ice making stages. A second link 356 may be further be connected to the lower support 270 to transfer the rotational motion of the lower support 270 to an up-down movement of the upper ejector 300.
The first link 352 and the lower support 270 may be connected to each other by an elastic member 360. For example, the elastic member 360 may be a coil spring. The elastic member 360 may have one end connected to the first link 362 and the other end connected to the lower support 270. Accordingly, when the first link 362 is rotated by the driving unit 180, the elastic member 360 may pull up on the lower support 270 to cause the lower support 270 to rotate together with the first link 362.
The elastic member 360 can provide elastic force to the lower support 270 so that contact between the upper tray 150 and the lower tray 250 may be maintained in the ice making position. For example, referring back to
In some cases, an overall height of the ice making chamber 111 may be decrease as a result of the over-rotation and subsequent compression between the trays. A stiffness the elastic member 360 may determine the amount of compression. For example, a stiff spring may cause greater compression compared to a less stiff spring.
As shown in
Referring specifically to
An opening 212, through which a portion of the lower tray 250 can pass, may be defined in the lower plate 211. For example, when a surface of the lower tray 250 is attached to a bottom surface of the lower plate 211, an upper portion of the lower tray 250 may protrude upward through the opening 212.
The lower case 210 may further include a circumferential wall 214 that extends around a periphery of the opening 212 and that is configured to provide support to the portion of the lower tray 250 that passes upward through the opening 212.
In some implementations, the circumferential wall 214 may include a vertical wall 214a and a curved wall 215. The vertical wall 214a may extend vertically upward from the lower plate 211 to surround a corresponding vertical portion of the upper tray 250. The curved wall 215 also extends generally upward from the lower plate 211 but further includes a curved surface that curves away from the opening 212. The curved portion of the curved wall 215 is designed to support a corresponding curved portion of the upper tray 250.
In some cases, the vertical wall 214a may include a first coupling slit 214b coupled to the lower tray 250. The first coupling slit 214b may be recessed downward from an upper end of the vertical wall 214a. The curved wall 215 may include a second coupling slit 215a that is recessed downward from an upper end of the curved wall 215.
The lower case 210 may further include a first coupling boss 216 and a second coupling boss 217. The first coupling boss 216 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the lower plate 211. In some cases, a plurality of first coupling bosses 216 may protrude downward from the lower plate 211. The plurality of first coupling bosses 216 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A.
The second coupling boss 217 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the lower plate 211. In some cases, a plurality of second coupling bosses 217 may protrude from the lower plate 211. The plurality of first coupling bosses 217 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A.
The first coupling boss 216 and the second coupling boss 217 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow B. As depicted in
A first coupling member may be coupled to the first coupling boss 216 at an upper portion of the first coupling boss 216. A second coupling member may be coupled to the second coupling boss 217 at a lower portion of the second coupling boss 217. A groove 215b may be defined in the curved wall 215 to prevent the first coupling member from interfering with the curved wall 215 when the first coupling member is coupled to the first coupling boss 216.
The lower case 210 may include a slot 218 that is configured to allow coupling between the lower case 210 and the lower tray 250. For example, a corresponding portion of the lower tray 250 may be inserted into the slot 218. The slot 218 may be disposed adjacent to the vertical wall 214a.
In some cases, a plurality of slots 218 may be defined to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A. Each of the slots 218 may have a curved shape.
The lower case 210 may further include an accommodation groove 218a into which a portion of the lower tray 250 is inserted. The accommodation groove 218a may be defined by recessing a portion of the lower tray 250 toward the curved wall 215.
The lower case 210 may further include an extension wall 219 for contacting a portion of the circumference of the side surface of the lower plate 211 when it is coupled to the lower tray 250. The extension wall 219 may extended in a linear direction along the direction of the arrow A.
Referring to
Accordingly, the lower tray 250 may be restored to its original shape even after being repeatedly deformed during the ice ejection stage to remove the ice pieces from within. Thus, the desired ice shape, for example spherical ice, may be repeatedly formed without substantial variation between ice cycles. Silicone may further be useful due to its ability to withstand extreme temperature variations without deformation.
In one implementation, the lower tray 250 may include a lower tray body 251, a retaining wall 260, and a horizontal extension part 254. The retaining wall 260 may extend generally upward from the top surface of the lower tray body 251, and the horizontal extension part 254 may extend horizontally outward from an interface between the lower tray body 251 and the retaining wall 260. The lower tray body 251 defines one or more chambers 252 that forms the lower half of the ice chambers 111. For example, for spherical ice, the lower chambers 252 may be generally hemispherical in shape. For example, lower chambers 252a, 252b, and 252c shaped for forming spherical ice pieces may be defined within the lower tray body 251. In particular, the lower chambers may be defined by chamber walls 252d that are part of the lower tray body 251.
The lower tray body 251, the retaining wall 260, and the horizontal extension part 254 may be provided as a single, integrated piece, for example by being molded together. Accordingly, all three components can be made from the same flexible material. In some cases, a subset of these components may be formed separately and attached together, for example through adhesives or other bonding techniques. For example, the retaining wall 260 and the lower tray body 251 may be formed separately and subsequently attached together, with the horizontal extension part 254 having been formed together with either the retaining wall 260 or the lower tray body 251. In some cases, the retaining wall 260 and the lower tray body 251 may be formed together as a single piece, with the horizontal extension part 254 being a separate component that is later attached. Different types of materials may be used for the individual components, for example, depending on the particular structural requirements of each.
The lower tray 250 may further include a first extension part 253 between the chamber walls 252d and the horizontal extension part 254. The first extension part 253 may be extended along an outer perimeter of the lower tray body 251.
As explained above with respect to
In more detail, with reference to
The retaining wall 260 may include a vertical portion 260a and a curved portion 260b. The vertical portion 260a and the curved portion 260b of the lower tray's retaining wall 260 are configured to conform to and surround, respectively, the vertical portion 153a and the curved portion 153b of the upper tray's chamber wall 153 (
The horizontal extension part 254 may extend laterally outward from an interface region between the retaining wall 260 and the lower tray body 251 to define an overall footprint of the lower tray 250.
The lower tray 250 may include various coupling features to help couple the lower case 210, the lower tray 250, and the lower support 270 to each other in a vertically aligned configuration.
For example, the horizontal extension part 254 may include a first upper protrusion 255 that is configured to be inserted into the corresponding slot 218 of the lower case 210. The first upper protrusion 255 may be formed around the retaining wall 260 in a spaced apart manner and can help restrict a lateral movement and/or deformation of the horizontal extension part 254 relative to the lower case 210 during the ice making and/or the ice ejection process. In some cases, the first upper protrusion 255 may protrude upward from a top surface of the horizontal extension part 254 at a position adjacent to the vertical portion 260a.
In some implementations, a plurality of first upper protrusions 255 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A. The first upper protrusion 255 may have a curved shape to increase a length of coupling between the protrusion 255 and the slot 218.
The horizontal extension part 254 may include a first lower protrusion 257 that is configured to be inserted into a corresponding protrusion groove 287 of the lower support 270 (
The first upper protrusion 255 and the first lower protrusion 257 may be positioned opposite to each other with respect to the horizontal extension part 254. Accordingly, at least a portion of the first upper protrusion 255 may vertically overlap the second lower protrusion 257.
Many other types of coupling structures may be provided to the lower tray 250. As another example, a plurality of through-holes 256 may be defined in the horizontal extension part 254. The plurality of through-holes 256 may include a first through-hole 256a that is configured to receive the first coupling boss 216 of the lower case 210 and a second through-hole 256b that is configured to receive the second coupling boss 217 of the lower case 210.
In some implementations, the plurality of through-holes 256a may be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A (
A portion of the plurality of second through-holes 256b may be positioned between adjacent ones of the first upper protrusions 255. Also, a portion of the plurality of second through-holes 256b may be positioned between adjacent ones of the first lower protrusions 257.
The horizontal extension part 254 may also include one or more second upper protrusions 258 (
In some cases, the second upper protrusion 258 may be formed to extend alongside the curved portion 260b in a spaced apart manner and can help restrict a lateral movement and/or deformation of the horizontal extension part 254 relative to the lower case 210. The second upper protrusion 258 may protrude upward from a top surface of the horizontal extension part 254 at a position adjacent to the curved portion 260b. In some cases, the plurality of second upper protrusions 258 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A (
In some implementations, the retaining wall 260 of the lower tray 250 may include one or more first coupling protrusions 262 that are configured to couple the retaining wall 260 to the lower case 210. In some cases, each of the first coupling protrusions 262 may be button-like structures that protrude laterally from the vertical portion 260a of the retaining wall 260. In particular, the first coupling protrusion 262 may be disposed on an upper portion of an outward facing surface of the vertical portion 260a.
The first coupling protrusion 262 may include a neck part 262a having a smaller diameter compared to the remaining portion of the protrusion 262. In use, the neck part 262a may be inserted into a first coupling slit 214b that is defined in the circumferential wall 214 of the lower case 210 to couple the retaining wall 260 to the lower case 210. Once secured, a portion of the circumferential wall 214 may be positioned between an inner surface of the first coupling protrusion 262 and an outer surface of the vertical portion 260a. In some cases, the uppermost portion of the first coupling protrusion 262 may be coplanar with the uppermost edge of the vertical portion 260a of the retaining wall 260.
In some cases, as shown in
The second coupling protrusion 260c may protrude laterally from the curved portion 260b of the retaining wall 260 and be configured to be inserted into a corresponding a second coupling slit 215a that is defined in the circumferential wall 214 of the lower case 210. By providing coupling between the curved portion 260b of the lower tray 250 and the circumferential wall 214 of the lower case 210, the curved shape of the curved portion 260b may be maintained during rotation of the lower assembly 200. Alternatively, or additionally, the curved portion 260b of the lower tray 250 may be made thicker compared to the remaining portions of the retaining wall 260 for increased stiffness.
In some implementations, the horizontal extension part 254 may include a second lower protrusion 266. The second lower protrusion 266 may be disposed at an opposite side of the second lower protrusion 257 with respect to the lower chamber 252. The second lower protrusion 266 may protrude downward from a bottom surface of the horizontal extension part 254 and be linearly extended along an outer edge of the horizontal extension part 254. One or more of the plurality of first through-holes 256a may be defined between the second lower protrusion 266 and the lower chamber 252. When the lower tray 250 is coupled to the lower support 270, the second lower protrusion 266 may be accommodated within a corresponding guide groove that is defined in the lower support 270 (
In some cases, the horizontal extension part 254 may further a side restriction part 264. The side restriction part 264 may be configured to restrict a horizontal movement of the lower tray 250 when it is coupled to the lower case 210 and the lower support 270.
The side restriction part 264 may protrude laterally from the horizontal extension part 254 and can have a vertical length greater than a thickness of the horizontal extension part 254. Thus, an upper portion of the side restriction part 264 may contact a side surface of the lower case 210, and its lower portion may contact a side surface of the lower support 270.
Referring to
When the lower assembly 200 and the upper assembly 110 are brought together as shown in
The first water escape passage 261a may be formed by configuring an outer surface of the vertical portion 153a to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the vertical portion 260a when the retaining wall 260 surrounds the chamber wall 153 (e.g. in the ice making stage). The second water escape passage 261b may be formed by configuring an outer surface of the curved portion 153b of the upper tray 150 to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the curved portion 260b of the lower tray 250 when the retaining wall 260 surrounds the chamber wall 153 (e.g. in the ice making stage).
By way of example, the first and water escape passages 261a, 261b may be between 1 to 2 mm in thickness. In some cases, the first and water escape passages 261a, 261b may have a thickness of less than 1 mm. In some cases, the thickness may be less than 0.5 mm.
Referring also to
In some cases, the uppermost portion of the retention wall 260 may be positioned vertically higher than the upper tray openings 154.
With reference to
The stepped portion 251a may be in a ring shape and is protruded downward from the lower tray body 251. A lower surface of the stepped portion 251a may be flat and can provide a heater contact surface for a lower heater 296 (
The deformable portion 251b may change from a first shape to a second shape during the ice generation process. For example, as shown in
A recess part 251c may be defined at a lower surface of the deformable portion 251b to allow the deformable portion 251b to more readily transition from the first shape to the second shape. For example, due to the presence of the recess part 251c, the deformable portion 251b may have a uniform thickness across its entire before and after the shape change. In some cases, the recess part 251c may reduce a thickness of the deformable portion 251b relative to the remaining portions of the lower tray body 251 to thereby increase flexibility of the deformable portion 251b. Accordingly, the deformable portion 251b may be able to more easily transition between the first and second shapes. By adjusting the thickness or, in some cases, the material properties of the deformable portion 251b, the amount of expansion force required to transition from the first shape to the second shape may be adjusted.
By including an appropriately designed deformable portion 251b to the lower chamber 252, the desired final shape of the ice generated within the ice chamber 111 may be achieved. Notably, because water expands when phase-changed into solid ice, the shape of the ice chamber 111 itself may change as the water expands and turns into ice. For instance, a spherical chamber into which water is supplied may expand and become distorted when the water contained inside freezes. This is especially true in ice maker configurations in which the top portion of the chamber may be colder than the bottom portion of the chamber, thus causing the water to freeze starting from the top and moving down (see
In contrast, by including the deformable portion 251b at the lowermost portion of the chamber 111, the anticipated expansion of the ice in that region can be accounted for. For example, by including a convex deformable portion at the lower part of the lower chamber 252, a localized expansion of ice in that region can cause the convex portion to become concave, thus transforming the shape of the lower chamber 252 to be closer to the desired hemispherical shape. In turn, a more hemispherical lower portion of the ice can lead to a more spherical shape overall.
The shape and location of the deformable portion 251b may be adjusted depending on the specific location and size of the expected region of expansion/deformation.
Referring now to
The support body 271 may define one or more openings 274 through which the lower ejector 400 can pass during the ice ejection stage. For example, three lower openings 274 may be defined to correspond to the three chamber accommodation parts 272 in the support body 271. Referring also to
In some implementations, a reinforcement rib 275 may be provided around a circumference of the lower opening 274 to provide additional structural reinforcement. Structural reinforcement may also be provided through one or more connection ribs 273 that are provided across adjacent ones of the chamber walls 252d. The lower support 270 may also include a stepped portion 285 that extends laterally from an upper end of the support body 271.
In some cases, the lower support may include a second extension wall 286 that is stepped and extends from an edge of the stepped portion 285. Thus, a top surface of the second extension wall 286 may be positioned vertically higher than the stepped portion 285.
The first extension part 253 of the lower tray 250 (
The lower support 270 may further include protrusion grooves 287 that is configured to receive and secure the first lower protrusion 257 of the lower tray 250. Each of the protrusion grooves 287 may have a matching curved shape. The protrusion groove 287 may be defined in the second extension wall 286.
The lower support 270 may further include one or more first coupling grooves 286a to which a first coupling member B2 (
The plurality of first coupling grooves 286a may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the arrow A on the second extension wall 286. A portion of the plurality of first coupling grooves 286a may be defined between adjacent ones of the protrusion grooves 287.
In some cases, the lower support 270 may define a boss through-hole 286b through which the second coupling boss 217 of the upper case 210 can pass. The boss through-hole 286b may be provided, for example, in the second extension wall 286. A sleeve 286c that surrounds the second coupling boss 217, which has passed through the boss through-hole 286b, may be disposed on the second extension wall 286. The sleeve 286c may have a cylindrical shape with an open lower end. A second coupling member B3 may be coupled to the second coupling boss 217 from a lower side of the lower support 270.
The sleeve 286c may have a lower end that is disposed at the same height as a lower end of the second coupling boss 217. Alternatively, the lower end of the sleeve 286c may be disposed at a height lower than that of the lower end of the second coupling boss 217. Accordingly, when the second coupling member B3 is provided, the head part of the second coupling member B3 may contact bottom surfaces of the second coupling boss 217 and the sleeve 286c. Alternatively, the head part may contact a bottom surface of the sleeve 286c.
The lower support 270 may further include an outer wall 280 that surrounds the lower tray body 251. The outer wall 280 may be extended downward from an outer perimeter of the second extension wall 286. The lower support 270 may further include a plurality of hinge bodies 281 and 282 that are configured accommodate, respectively, hinge supports 135 and 136 of the upper case 210. The plurality of hinge bodies 281 and 282 may be spaced apart from each other in a direction of the arrow A (
A distance between the plurality of hinge bodies 281 and 282 may be less than a distance between the plurality of hinge supports 135 and 136. Thus, the plurality of hinge bodies 281 and 282 may be disposed between the plurality of hinge supports 135 and 136.
The lower support 270 may further include a coupling shaft 283 to which the second link 356 is rotatably coupled. The coupling shaft 383 may be disposed on each of both surfaces of the outer wall 280.
In some cases, the lower support 270 may include an elastic member coupling part 284 to which the elastic member 360 is coupled. The elastic member coupling part 284 may define a space in which a portion of the elastic member 360 is accommodated. The elastic member coupling part 284 may include a hook part 284a to which a lower end of the elastic member 360 can be hooked.
Referring to
The lower heater 296 may be installed on the lower support 270 to make contact with and heat the lower tray 250. For example, the lower heater 296 may contact the lower tray body 251 to thereby provide heat to the lower chamber 252. In particular, the lower heater 296 may be disposed around a circumference of the chamber walls 252d.
The lower support 270 may further include a heater coupling part 290 to which the lower heater 296 is coupled. The heater coupling part 290 may include a heater accommodation groove 291 that is recessed from the chamber accommodation part 272 of the lower support 270. The heater coupling part 290 may thus include an inner wall 291a and an outer wall 291b. In some cases, the inner wall 291a may have a ring shape, and the outer wall 291b may surround the inner wall 291a. When the lower heater 296 is accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291, the lower heater 296 may surround at least a portion of the inner wall 291a.
The lower support 270 may define lower openings 274. The lower opening 274 may be defined in a region defined by the inner wall 291a. Thus, when the chamber wall 252d of the lower tray 250 is accommodated in the chamber accommodation part 272, the chamber wall 252d may contact a top surface of the inner wall 291a. The top surface of the inner wall 291a may be a rounded surface corresponding to the chamber wall 252d having the hemispherical shape.
The lower heater may have a diameter greater than a recessed depth of the heater accommodation groove 291 such that a portion of the lower heater 296 protrudes to the outside of the heater accommodation groove 291 in the state in which the lower heater 296 is accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291. The protruded portion of the lower heater 296 may be pressed into the lower tray body 251 to allow for better heat transfer into the lower tray body 251. In some cases, the lower heater 296 may protrude approximately 0.5 mm above the accommodation groove 291.
In some implementations, a separation prevention protrusion 291c may be provided on one or both the outer wall 291b and the inner wall 291a to help prevent the lower heater 296 accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291 from being separated from the heater accommodation groove 291.
The lower heater 296 may be accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291 from an upper side of the outer wall 291b toward the inner wall 291a. Thus, the separation prevention protrusion 291c may be disposed on the inner wall 291a to prevent the lower heater 296 from interfering with the separation prevention protrusion 291c while the lower heater 296 is accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291. The separation prevention protrusion 291c may protrude from an upper end of the inner wall 291a toward the outer wall 291b.
In some cases, the separation prevention protrusion 291c may extend to half the distance or less of the separation distance between the inner and outer walls 291a, 291b to allow the heater 296 to be inserted into the groove 291 during assembly but otherwise be prevented from being easily pulled out during use.
As illustrated in
As seen in
When the lower heater 296 is bent, increased tension may be applied to the lower heater 296, thus causing the heater from being disconnected and/or separated from the heater accommodation groove 291. However, a portion of the lower heater 296 may be disposed in the through-opening 291d to reduce tension on the lower heater 296, thereby preventing the heater accommodation groove 291 from being separated from the lower heater 296.
The lower support 270 may include a first guide groove 293 that guides a power input terminal 296c and a power output terminal of the lower heater 296 accommodated in the heater accommodation groove 291. The lower support 270 may also include a second guide groove 294 that extends in a transverse direction to the first guide groove 293. For example, the first guide groove 293 may extend in a direction of an arrow B (
In some cases, the second guide groove 294 may extend from an end of the first guide groove 293 in a direction of an arrow A (
In some implementations, as seen in
In some implementations, the power input terminal 296c and the power output terminal 296d of the lower heater 296 may be connected to a first connector 297a. Additionally, a second connector 297b to which two wires 298 corresponding to the power input terminal 296c and the power output terminal 296d are connected may be connected to the first connector 297a. When the first connector 297a and the second connector 297b are connected to each other, the first connector 297a and the second connector 297b may be accommodated in the second guide groove 294.
The wire 298 connected to the second connector 297b may be led out from the end of the second guide groove 294 to the outside of the lower support 270 through an lead-out slot 295 defined in the lower support 270.
In some cases, different amount of heat may need to be provided to the individual lower chambers 252 to achieve a uniform temperature across the multiple chambers. For example, because the outer chambers may be exposed to more cold air than the middle chambers, more heat may need to be provided to the outer chambers to achieve uniform temperature across all the chambers. As another example, because some heat may be generated by the power input terminal 296c and the power output terminal 296d, a chamber that is closest to these terminals, for example, may experience an increased temperature compared to the remaining chambers. Non-uniform heat provided across the chambers may lead to different levels of transparency for the ice generated within those chambers.
Accordingly, in some implementations, additional heater grooves 292 may be provided around the chamber accommodation portion 272 to help achieve uniform heat distribution. For example, as seen in
In some cases, a protrusion 292a may be provided in conjunction with the additional heater groove 292 to help secure the heater extension part 296e. While the implementation shown in
In some cases, as seen in
Referring to
Referring to
Initially, the lower assembly 200 may move to a water supply position (S1). As explained above with respect to
In this state, the angle between the top surface 251e of the lower tray 250 and the bottom surface 151e of the upper tray 150 at the water supply standby position of the lower assembly 200 may be approximately 8 degrees.
The supplying of water may be started in (S2). For example, water flows to the water supply part 190 through a water supply tube connected to an external water supply source or a water tank of the refrigerator 1. Subsequently, the water is guided by the water supply part 190 and supplied to the ice chamber 111. Here, the water is supplied to the ice chamber 111 through one of the upper tray openings 154, namely water receiving hole 112, of the upper tray 150.
As described above, since the top surface 251e of the lower tray 250 and the bottom surface 151e of the upper tray 150 are spaced apart from each other at this state, water that is supplied to just one of the chambers may overflow and flow into the remaining chambers as well.
Thus, the water may be fully filled in each of the plurality of lower chambers 252 of the lower tray 250.
Upon completion of the water supply stage, the lower assembly 200 is rotated toward the upper assembly 110 to the ice making position (S3). Due to this upward movement of the lower assembly 200, additional volume of water contained by the retaining wall 260 is directed into the upper chambers 152. An over-rotation of the driving unit 180 may take place at this stage to further press the lower tray 250 into the upper tray 150, thereby helping to eliminate gaps between the two trays.
Water within the chambers is allowed to freeze during the ice making process (S4).
After the ice making is started, the control unit 700 determines whether a turn-on condition of the lower heater 296 is satisfied (S5). That is, by way of example, the lower heater 296 may be turned on only when the turn-on condition of the lower heater 296 is satisfied.
Specifically, the lower heater 296 may not be turned on until the water starts to phase-change into ice. Otherwise, if the lower heater 296 is turned on before reaching the freezing point of the water in the ice chamber 111, a rate at which the temperature of the water reaches the freezing point may be lowered by the heat of the lower heater 296, resulting in a reduced ice making rate.
The control unit 700 may determine when the turn-on condition of the lower heater 296 is satisfied by determining when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor 500 reaches a turn-on reference temperature. For example, the turn-on reference temperature may be a temperature at which the freezing of water starts at the uppermost side (an inflow opening side) of the ice chamber 111.
In this implementation, since the ice chamber 111 is blocked by the upper tray 150 and the lower tray 250 except for the inflow opening 154, the water in the ice chamber 111 may directly contact the cold air through the inflow opening 154 to make ice from the uppermost side in which the inflow opening is disposed in the ice chamber 111.
When water is frozen in the ice chamber 111, a temperature of the ice in the ice chamber 111 may be below zero. Also, the temperature of the upper tray 150 may be higher than that of the ice in the ice chamber 111.
In some implementations, the temperature sensor 500 may detect the temperature of the upper tray 150 by contacting the upper tray 150 without directly detecting the temperature of the ice. According to the above-described arranged structure, to determine that making of ice is started in the ice chamber 111 on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 500, the turn-on reference temperature may be set to the below-zero temperature.
That is, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 500 reaches the turn-on reference temperature, which is below zero, and the temperature of the ice in the ice chamber 111 is lower than the turn-on reference temperature, it may be indirectly determined that the ice has formed in the ice chamber 111.
When the lower heater 296 is turned on, heat of the lower heater 296 is transferred to the lower tray 250 (S6).
Thus, when the ice making is performed in the state where the lower heater 296 is turned on, ice may be made from the upper side in the ice chamber 111 because the heat is supplied to the lower chamber 252 through the water contained in the lower chamber 252.
When the ice starts to form from the upper side of the ice chamber 111, the bubbles in the ice chamber 111 may move downward. That is, because a density of water is greater than that of ice, the bubbles in the water may easily move downward to be gathered downward.
When the ice chamber 111 has a spherical shape, the horizontal cross-sectional area for each height of the ice chambers 111 are different from each other. Then, assuming that the same amount of cold air is supplied to the ice chamber 111, if the output of the lower heater 296 is the same, the horizontal cross-sectional area for each height of the ice chambers 111 may be different from each other, and thus, ice may be made at heights different from each other. That is to say, the height at which ice is made per unit time may be non-uniform. In this case, the bubbles in the water may not be properly moved downward and instead become trapped in the ice so that the ice becomes opaque.
Accordingly, the control unit 700 may control the output of the lower heater 296 according to the height of the ice made in the ice chamber 111 (S7).
In particular, the horizontal cross-sectional area of the ice increases from the upper side to the lower side of the upper chamber 152, is maximized at a boundary between the upper tray 150 and the lower tray 250, and decreases again to the lower side of the lower chamber 252. The control unit 700 may thus allow the output of the lower heater 296 to vary in response to a variation in horizontal cross-sectional area according to the height.
The control unit 700 may determine whether the ice making is completed based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 500 (S8). When it is determined that the ice making is completed, the control unit 700 may turn off the lower heater 296 (S9).
In some implementations, the distance between the temperature sensor 500 and each of the ice chambers 111 may be different from each other. Thus, to determine that the making of ice is completed in all the ice chambers 111, ice ejection may be started after a certain time elapses from a time point at which it is determined that the ice making is completed.
When the ice making is completed, to eject the ice, the control unit 700 may operate the upper heater 148 (S10).
When the upper heater 148 is turned on, the heat of the upper heater 148 is transferred to the upper tray 150, and thus, the ice may be separated from the surface (the inner surface) of the upper tray 150. The heat of the upper heater 148 may also be transferred to the contact surface between the upper tray 150 and the lower tray 250 to help separate the bottom surface 151a of the upper tray 150 and the top surface 251e of the lower tray 250 from each other.
After the upper heater 148 has operated for a set time, the control unit 700 may turn off the upper heater 148. Also, the driving unit 180 may be operated at this time so that the lower assembly 200 is rotated away from the upper assembly 110 to the ice ejection position (S11).
Referring to
In particular, when the ice chamber is divided into the reference intervals, as shown in
In the example of
By controlling the output of the lower heater 296, the freezing rate and direction may be controlled such that the air bubbles move downward toward the lowermost portion of the ice chamber 111 during the ice making process.
For example, as shown in
Because the relatively smaller volume of water in section D may freeze quicker than section E, air bubbles may become trapped in section D. Accordingly, in order to delay the ice making rate in section D, a corresponding output W4 may be set to a value greater than the output W5 of the lower heater 296 in the section E. Thus, section D may be prevented from becoming frozen before section E.
By the same rationale, output W3 corresponding to section C, output W2 according to section B, and output W1 corresponding to section A may be increasingly greater.
To prevent the water in section F from freezing before section E, which would cause air bubbles in section E to become trapped, an output W6 of the lower heater 296 that corresponds to Section F may be greater than output W5. Similarly, output W7 may be greater than output W6, and output W8 may be greater still than output W7. Output W9 corresponding to section I, which has the smallest volume of water and thus susceptible to freezing the quickest, can thus be the largest.
Further referring to
Referring to
For example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 500 reaches the reference temperature of the next section in the present section, the control unit 700 adjusts an output of the lower heater 296 corresponding to the present section to match to an output corresponding to the next section.
Although implementations have been described with reference to a number of illustrative implementations thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and implementations can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2018-0142111 | Nov 2018 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/511,873, filed on Jul. 15, 2019, which claims the benefit of the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0142111, filed on Nov. 16, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16511873 | Jul 2019 | US |
Child | 18095814 | US |