Patent Application
20250155179
The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0155254, filed Nov. 10, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.
The present disclosure relates to an ice maker for producing and supplying ice and a refrigerator having the ice maker.
In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that provides storage for a long time using cool air. Such a refrigerator provides at least one storage compartment in which storage is stored, and the storage compartment is configured to be opened and closed by a door.
The refrigerator is provided with an ice maker producing ice. The ice maker may be provided within a storage compartment or on a refrigerator door.
The ice maker provided on the refrigerator door is provided in an installation space formed at a rear surface of the refrigerator door (the surface facing the inside of the storage compartment), and the installation space is configured to be selectively opened and closed by an ice making compartment door. Regarding this, it is the same as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0072367, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0072436, and Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0031250.
The ice maker provided on the refrigerator door produces ice with a continuous supply of cool air while automatically supplying water into a spherical space created by the engagement between two trays corresponding to each other. After ice making is completed, the ice is removed from ice making cells of the tray and dropped into an ice bin, thereby storing the ice in the ice bin.
In particular, in order to remove ice from the ice making cells of the two trays, one tray is separated from the other tray and operated to be spaced apart. That is, one tray is coupled to a rotating shaft and rotates with the rotating shaft to be separated from the other tray.
Meanwhile, in the case of the ice maker provided on the refrigerator door described above, there is problem in that the tray hits the ice making compartment door when the tray is rotated. That is, since the tray is rotated in the narrow installation space of the refrigerator door, the tray hits due to deformation of a surrounding structure.
For example, the exterior of the refrigerator door is formed by an outer casing and an inner casing, and a foam filler is filled between the outer casing and the inner casing. Therefore, when the foam filler is excessively filled, the inner casing swells, and the ice maker provided in the inner casing is pushed toward the ice making compartment door, causing the tray to hit the ice making compartment door when operating.
When the tray collides with the ice making compartment door, there is a problem that noise due to impact is generated, causing user dissatisfaction and damage to the ice making compartment door or tray.
Additionally, when the tray hits the ice making compartment door, the inner wall of the ice making compartment door is scratched, causing foreign substances to be generated, and these foreign substances fall into the ice bin. These foreign substances falling into the ice bin causes user complaints.
Additionally, if the inner casing swells excessively, the tray gets stuck in the ice making compartment door and the ice making cell does is not completely opened, causing a malfunction.
Accordingly, in the prior art, in consideration of malfunction of the ice maker, the size of the ice maker had to be made sufficiently smaller than the installation space of the refrigerator door. As a result, the conventional ice maker has the disadvantage of a reduction in the size of the ice making cell and a reduction in the amount of ice produced.
The present disclosure is devised to solve above problems occurring in the related art, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to prevent a tray from malfunctioning during an ice removal process.
In addition, the purpose of the present disclosure is intended to prevent generating foreign substances by preventing the tray from hitting an ice making compartment door during the ice removal process.
In addition, the purpose of the present disclosure is to prevent the problem of damage to the ice making compartment door due to a structure to prevent the tray from hitting the ice making compartment door.
According to a refrigerator of the present disclosure for achieving the above purposes, an ice maker and the ice making compartment door may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other to prevent malfunction during ice removal.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, a protrusion part may be provided between the ice maker and the ice making compartment door to space them apart to prevent malfunction during ice removal.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, at least one protrusion part may be provided.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to be in surface contact when contacting the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed such that the contact part has a height greater than the thickness in order to increase a contact area with the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the ice maker may be disposed so as not to interfere with the ice making compartment door when a second tray assembly is operated.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided so as not to contact the ice making compartment door when the second tray assembly is operated.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided in the ice maker for preventing interference generated when the second tray assembly is operated.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part for preventing interference generated during the operation of the second tray assembly may be provided between the ice maker and the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to space between a first tray assembly and the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to space between the second tray assembly and the ice making compartment door when the second tray assembly is operated.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided to a fixed tray assembly among the first tray assembly and the second tray assembly.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided on any one of opposite surfaces between the first tray assembly and the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided on any one of opposite surfaces between a first tray of the first tray assembly and the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to protrude from the first tray toward the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to be in surface contact with the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, a buffering member for mitigating impact may be provided on the protrusion part.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the buffering member for mitigating impact may be provided at a portion where the protrusion part hits.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be provided on any one of opposite surfaces between a tray cover of the first tray assembly and the ice making compartment door.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to be spaced apart from the ice making compartment door while ice making is in progress by the ice maker.
According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part may be formed to protrude from the first tray assembly to a position closer to the ice making compartment door than a position closest to the ice making compartment door in the operating trajectory of the second tray assembly.
In addition, according to the ice maker of the present disclosure to achieve the above purpose, the first tray assembly may be provided with at least one protrusion part that protrudes more than the second tray assembly or the operating trajectory of the second tray assembly to prevent interference with a counterpart located in the opposite direction of the ice maker when the second tray assembly operates.
As described above, the refrigerator of the present disclosure and the ice maker provided therein provide the following various effects.
First, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, it is possible to maintain a space between the ice maker and an ice making compartment door by a predetermined distance or more by a protrusion part. In particular, a separation distance secured by the protrusion part is a distance that may prevent contact with the ice making compartment door during the operation of a second tray assembly, thereby preventing any interference from occurring during the operation of the second tray assembly.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present disclosure may prevent an occurrence of foreign substances because contact with the ice making compartment door is prevented during the operation of the second tray assembly.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present disclosure may prevent damage to the ice making compartment door because contact with the ice making compartment door is prevented during the operation of the second tray assembly.
Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, when the protrusion part is formed to maximize the end surface area, the contact area with the ice making compartment door is maximized, so that impact noise and damage to the ice making compartment door may be minimized.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present disclosure may reduce or prevent damage or contact noise of the ice making compartment door due to collision with the protrusion part if additional buffering members are provided.
Additionally, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part is provided on a first tray assembly fixed to the refrigerator door, the separation distance between the first tray assembly and the ice making compartment door may be maintained at a certain distance or more regardless of whether the second tray assembly is operating.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part is provided on a first tray having relatively excellent rigidity, even when it comes into contact with the ice making compartment door, the protrusion part is not deformed and the separation distance from each other is maintained by pushing the ice making compartment door. Accordingly, no interference occurs during the operation of the second tray assembly.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part is formed closer to the ice making compartment door than the first tray assembly, which is the closest distance to the ice making compartment door in the rotation trajectory of the second tray assembly, the operation failure of the second tray assembly may be prevented.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part is disposed as close to the second tray assembly as possible, the operation failure of the second tray assembly may be prevented.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings.
In addition, in explaining the embodiment of this disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of the related known configuration or function interferes with the understanding of the embodiment of this disclosure, the detailed description is omitted.
In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe the components of the embodiment of the present disclosure. These terms are only intended to distinguish the component from other components, and the term does not limit the nature, order, or order of the component. When it is stated that a component is “combined”, or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that another component may be “coupled” or “connected” between each component, but another component may be “coupled” or “connected” between each component.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for an ice maker and a refrigerator having the same of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
The attached
As shown in these drawings, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the ice maker 40 is provided on the refrigerator door 20 and ice removal is operated in an ice making cell 41, it is possible to prevent problems caused by poor operation of the ice maker 40 or scratch of the ice making compartment door 30.
The ice maker and the refrigerator having the same according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail for each configuration.
First, as shown in
The cabinet 10 provides a storage compartment, and the refrigerator door 20 is formed to selectively open and close the storage compartment.
As shown in
As shown in
In the refrigerator door 20, a cool air inlet 20c which coincides with a cool air outlet of the cool air duct 12 is formed when the storage compartment of the cabinet 10 is closed. An ice making compartment duct (not shown) for guiding the flow of cool air introduced through the cool air inlet 20c is provided inside the refrigerator door 20.
The reference numeral 12a of
A dispenser 21 may be provided on the outer surface 20a (a surface exposed to a room) of the refrigerator door 20. Ice produced in the ice maker 40 may be supplied to a user through the dispenser 21.
An installation space C (refer to
An ice bin 22 in which ice is stored may be provided in the installation space of the refrigerator door 20. The ice bin 22 may be positioned above the dispenser 21 and configured to supply ice to the dispenser 21.
Additionally, an ice maker 40 for producing ice may be installed in the installation space of the refrigerator door 20. The ice maker 40 may be provided at an upper side of the ice bin 22. In this case, at least a portion of an upper surface of the ice bin 22 is opened, and the ice maker 40 is disposed so that the ice separated from an ice making cell 41 falls into the open upper surface of the ice bin 22. That is, the ice removed from the ice making cell 41 after being made by the ice maker 40 passes through the open upper surface of the ice bin 22 and is stored in the ice bin 22.
Meanwhile, the ice maker 40 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is configured so that two tray assemblies 100 and 200 provide the ice making cell 41, and one tray assembly 200 rotates to perform an ice removal operation.
The ice maker 40 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail for each component with reference to
First, the ice maker 40 of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include tray assemblies 100 and 200.
The tray assemblies 100 and 200 provide the ice making cell 41 for receiving and storing water for making ice. The ice making cell 41 makes ice having the same shape as the inner shape of the corresponding ice making cell 41 while the water supplied into the ice making cell 41 is frozen. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is exemplified that the inner surface of the ice making cell 41 is formed in a spherical shape.
The tray assemblies 100 and 200 may include a first tray assembly 100 and a second tray assembly 200.
The first tray assembly 100 has a first tray 110, and the second tray assembly 200 has a second tray 210.
The first tray 110 and the second tray 210 may be arranged to be engaged while facing each other in the vertical direction.
For example, the first tray 110 may be such that a hemispherical ice making cell faces a lower side of the first tray 110, and the second tray 210 may be positioned at a lower side of the first tray 110 such that a hemispherical ice making cell faces an upper side. That is, the first tray 110 and the second tray 210 produce spherical ice while providing spherical ice making cells 41 by engaging with each other while forming hemispherical ice making cells on opposite surfaces. Hereinafter, the position and direction of each component of the embodiment will be described with the structure in which the first tray 110 is positioned at an upper side and the second tray 210 is positioned at a lower side.
Although not shown, any one of the first tray 110 and the second tray 210 may be formed to provide a spherical surface smaller than a hemispherical shape or a spherical surface larger than a hemispherical shape.
Although not shown, the first tray 110 and the second tray 210 may be arranged to be engaged while facing each other in a horizontal direction, or may be arranged to be engaged while facing each other in a diagonal (or inclined) direction.
Meanwhile, a single ice making cell 41 may be provided, or a plurality of ice making cells 41 may be provided. For example, in the ice maker 40 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is exemplified that a plurality of ice making cells 41 are provided in the trays 110 and 210.
The plurality of ice making cells 41 may be formed to form a plurality of columns or rows. For example, each of the ice making cells 41 may be formed to form a plurality of rows and columns.
Considering that the ice making cells 41 are formed in a spherical shape, the ice making cells 41 in each row and column may be disposed to cross each other. For example, a part of the second row of ice making cells 41 may be positioned between the first row of ice making cells 41. By such arrangement, the maximum number of ice making cells 41 may be formed in the trays 110 and 210 having a limited width.
A water supply hole for supplying water into the ice making cell 41 may be formed in at least one tray of the first tray 110 and the second tray 210. For example, a water supply hole 111 may be formed in the first tray 110 positioned at an upper side.
The water supply hole 111 may be formed in any one of the ice making cells 41 of the first tray 110. Although not shown, the water supply hole 111 may be formed in all of the ice making cells 41 of the first tray 110 or may be formed in a plurality of ice making cells.
The ice making cells 41 may be formed in the same size as each other, or at least one ice making cell 41 may be formed in a different size from other ice making cells 41.
Meanwhile, the first tray 110 may be formed of a metal material to increase thermal conductivity. In this case, the first tray 110 may be formed by die casting.
Also, the first tray 110 may be fixedly mounted at a fixed portion. Accordingly, the respective components of the ice maker 40 may be sequentially coupled or inter-workably connected with respect to the first tray 110.
For example, the first tray 110 may be fixedly installed on a wall surface forming an installation space of the refrigerator door 20. The first tray 110 may be fixed directly to the wall surface of the refrigerator door 20 or may be indirectly fixed by a separate structure.
An ice outlet hole 112a may be formed in the first tray 110. The ice outlet hole 112a is a hole formed in which an ejector pin 312 of a first ejector 310, which will be described later, is inserted. The ice outlet hole 112a may be formed to penetrate from an outer surface of the first tray 110 to the ice making cell 41.
One ice outlet hole 112a may be formed for each ice making cell 41. Specifically, the ice outlet hole 112a may be formed to penetrate the center of each of the ice making cells 41.
As shown in
The insertion tube 112 is formed to protrude from the outer surface of the first tray 110. For example, the insertion tube 112 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the first tray 110, and the inside thereof is provided as the ice outlet hole 112a that penetrates to the ice making cell 41. The space (the space provided by the ice outlet hole 112a) from the ice making cell 41 to the insertion tube 112 may be provided as a space in which the ice made in the ice making cell 41 may be expanded. In addition, a space through which cool air passes is provided between the upper surface of the first tray 110 and the bottom surface of the tray cover 120 by the height of the insertion tube 112.
The first tray assembly 100 may include a tray cover 120.
The tray cover 120 may supply water to the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110. To this end, a water supply duct 121 for supplying water may be provided in the tray cover 120.
The water supply duct 121 may be formed to supply water to the water supply hole 111 formed in the first tray 110. For example, the water supply duct 121 may flow water to the water supply hole 111 from a direct upper portion of the water supply hole 111, or may flow water from one side of the water supply hole 111.
Also, the tray cover 120 may guide cool air to pass the first tray 110. To achieve this, the tray cover 120 may be provided with a cool air guide duct 122 to guide cool air to flow toward the first tray 110.
The cool air guide duct 122 may receive cool air from any one side of the tray cover 120 to guide the cool air toward the first tray 110. For example, the cool air guide duct 122 may be formed to supply the cool air to a space formed between the upper surface of the first tray 110 and the bottom of the tray cover 120.
Furthermore, the tray cover 120 may support an operation of a first ejector 310 to be described later. The first ejector 310 functions to remove the ice adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110.
In order for the tray cover 120 to support the operation of the first ejector 310, lifting grooves 120a for lifting and moving an interworking link 123 may be formed on both sidewalls of the tray cover 120. The interworking link 123 functions to interwork so that the first ejector 310 is also operated when the second tray assembly 200 is operated.
Meanwhile, the sidewalls on which the water supply duct 121, the cool air guide duct 122, and the lifting groove 120a provided in the tray cover 120 are formed may all be formed as a single body, or at least one of the them may be formed as a single body. Although not shown, the tray cover 120 may be formed such that a bottom surface and each circumferential wall are integrally formed with each other, at least one portion thereof may be formed separately and configured to be combined or combined in a different structure.
The sidewalls on which the water supply duct 121, the cool air guide duct 122, and the lifting groove 120a provided in the tray cover 120 are formed may be provided or at least one sidewall may be provided to the tray cover 120.
The tray cover 120 may be coupled to the first tray 110. When the tray cover 120 is fixed to a fixed portion (e.g., a refrigerator door), the first tray 110 may be coupled to the tray cover 120.
As shown in
When a plurality of ice outlet holes 112a are provided, a plurality of communication holes 120b are also provided to coincide with each other. At least one of the communication holes 120b may be formed to communicate with the water supply hole 111 of the first tray 110.
The insertion tube 112 formed in the first tray 110 and providing the ice outlet hole 112a may be inserted into the communication hole 120b. In this case, the insertion tube 112 is press-fitted into the inner circumferential surface of the communication hole 120b, and through such press-fit coupling, the first tray 110 and the tray cover 120 may be firmly coupled to each other.
The end surface of the insertion tube 112 may be formed to be exposed from the bottom of the tray cover 120. That is, the end surface of the insertion tube 112 may be formed to have the same height as the bottom surface of the tray cover 120 (the upper surface in the drawings), or may be formed to further protrude from the bottom surface of the tray cover 120.
Although not shown, the insertion tube 112 may also protrude downward from the bottom of the tray cover 120. In this case, only the ice outlet hole may be formed in the first tray 110, and the insertion tube 112 may be configured to be press-fitted into the ice outlet hole.
The second tray 210 of the second tray assembly 200 may be formed of a material capable of bending and deformation so that ice may be easily removed. For example, the second tray 210 may be formed of silicon.
A tray supporter 220 for supporting the second tray 210 may be included in the second tray assembly 200.
The tray supporter 220 is formed to surround the bottom surface of the second tray 210, and is formed of a material having rigidity more than the second tray 210.
A plurality of seating grooves 221 having a spherical shape are formed in the tray supporter 220 so that the portion where the ice making cells 41 of the second tray 210 are formed is seated. A through hole 222 may be formed in a central portion of each of the seating grooves 221. The ejector pins 322 of a second ejector 320 pass through the opened portions of each seating grooves 221 and may press the portion where the ice making cells 41 of the second tray 210 are formed.
The second tray 210 and the tray supporter 220 may be coupled to each other and configured to be provided as a single body. To this end, the second tray assembly 200 may include a coupling cover 230 for coupling the second tray 210 and the tray supporter 220.
The coupling cover 230 is formed to collectively grip a circumference of the second tray 210 and a circumference of the tray supporter 220 to be coupled to each other.
Also, the tray supporter 220 may be rotatably provided in the first tray assembly 100 using a rotating shaft 223 and a rotating link 224. The gearbox 223a may be connected to the rotating shaft 223 and may be configured to be rotated by receiving a driving force of a driving source (not shown).
A first hole 113 through which the rotating shaft 223 passes may be formed at both sides of the first tray 110, and a second hole 225 through which both ends of the rotating shaft 223 pass may be formed at the tray supporter 220.
At the same time, one end of the rotating link 224 is coupled to the end of the rotating shaft 223 to rotate with the rotating shaft 223, and the other end of the rotating link 224 is rotated while pressing the tray supporter 220.
An elastic member 226 is provided between the other end of the rotating link 224 and the tray supporter 220. The elastic member 226 may be formed to press the tray supporter 220 while being compressed and deformed by the rotational force generated by rotation of the rotating link 224. The elastic member 226 is operated to closely contact the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110 and the second tray 210 while providing a restoring force when the rotating shaft 223 is returned to an initial position.
Meanwhile, the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include ejectors 310 and 320.
The ejectors 310 and 320 are provided to remove ice adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the tray assemblies 100 and 200.
The ejectors 310 and 320 may include a first ejector 310 for removing ice made in the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110.
That is, even if the ice is adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110, the first ejector 310 may eject the ice from the ice making cell 41.
The first ejector 310 may be provided to be movable toward the tray cover 120 from an upper side of the tray cover 120.
The first ejector 310 may be vertically moved by the support of the tray cover 120. For example, moving protrusions 311a which move along the lifting grooves 120a formed on both sidewalls of the tray cover 200 may be formed on both sides of the first ejector 310.
The first ejector 310 has an ejector body 311 and an ejector pin 312.
The ejector body 311 forms the body of the first ejector 310, and the moving protrusions 311a moving along the lifting grooves 120a are formed on both side surfaces of the ejector body 311.
The ejector pin 312 is formed to protrude from the ejector body 311. The ejector pin 312 may protrude from the bottom of the ejector body 311 toward the center of the ice outlet hole 112a formed in the first tray 110 (or the center of the communication hole 202 of the tray cover). That is, the ejector pin 312 may pass through the ice outlet hole 112a of the first tray 110 to remove the ice in the ice making cell 41 while pressing the ice.
A plurality of ejector pins 312 are provided to pass through each ice outlet hole 112a, and each ejector pin 312 is positioned to face each ice outlet hole 112a.
The first ejector 310 may be configured to be interworked with the second tray 210. For example, when the second tray 210 is separated from the first tray 110 while rotating with respect to the rotating shaft 223, the first ejector 310 may be configured to press and remove ice adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110 while descending.
The interworking link 123 may be provided for interworking of the first ejector 310 and the second tray 210.
One end of the interworking link 123 may be rotatably connected to both side walls of the tray supporter 220 forming the second tray assembly 200.
The other end of the interworking link 123 may be connected to the moving protrusion 311a of the first ejector 310 exposed through the lifting groove 120a of the tray cover 120 forming the first tray assembly 100.
Accordingly, when the second tray 210 rotates with respect to the rotating shaft 223, one end of the interworking link 123 is pulled downward to move the moving protrusion 311a connected to the other end of the interworking link 123 downward.
The second ejector 320 may be fixed in a state positioned below the second tray 210.
The ejector pins 322 of the second ejector 320 are formed to protrude toward a rotation path of the second tray assembly 200. That is, during the rotation operation of the second tray assembly 200, the ejector pins 322 of the second ejector 320 pass through the through hole 222 of the tray supporter 131 to remove the ice adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the second tray 120 seated in the seating groove 131a.
Next, a protrusion part 400 may be included in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
The protrusion part 400 may be provided to separate the first tray assembly 100 from the ice making compartment door 30.
In the case of the ice making compartment door 30, it is disposed as close to the ice maker 40 as possible to allow sufficient cool air to flow to the ice maker 40 installed in the installation space of the refrigerator door 20. However, if the ice making compartment door 30 is disposed excessively adjacent to the ice maker 40, a portion (e.g., corner) of the coupling cover 230 forming the second tray assembly 200 hits the inner wall of the ice making compartment door 30 and interferes with the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
Of course, when designing the ice maker 40, the first tray assembly 100 may be designed not to hit the ice making compartment door 30, or even if the second tray assembly 200 operates, it may be designed not to hit the ice making compartment door 30.
However, in the case of the refrigerator door 20, it is difficult to predict excessive swelling of a specific portion while filling the foam filler (not shown) between the outer casing (outer wall) 20a and the inner casing (inner wall) 20b. Considering this, when the portion of the inner casing 20b where the ice maker 40 is disposed is excessively deformed by the foam filler, the separation distance between the second tray assembly 200 and the ice making compartment door 30 becomes close, resulting in an unwanted collision with the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, even if the inner casing 20b constituting the refrigerator door 20 is deformed, such as swelling, or due to other reasons, the protrusion part 400 is provided to ensure that the first tray assembly 100 (or the second tray assembly) and the ice making compartment door 30 are always spaced apart at regular intervals.
Thus, the second tray assembly 200 may be prevented from interfering with the ice making compartment door 30 when the second tray assembly 200 is operated. Furthermore, damage or noise generated by the second tray assembly 200 scraping the ice making compartment door 30 may be prevented.
The protrusion part 400 may be provided at various positions of the opposite surface between the ice maker 40 and the ice making compartment door 30.
As an example, the protrusion part 400 may be provided to a component fixed to the refrigerator door 20 among the components forming the ice maker 40. That is, the protrusion part 400 is provided to the components fixed to the refrigerator door 20, so that a certain protruding distance may be always secured.
More specifically, as shown in
That is, the protrusion part 400 is formed in the first tray 110 closest to the maximum protruding position among the motion trajectories of the second tray assembly 200 or the second tray assembly 200 among the parts fixed to the refrigerator door 20. Accordingly, since the second tray assembly 200 may be operated in a state of being spaced apart from the ice making compartment door 30 at a predetermined distance, malfunction of the operation of the second tray assembly 200 or scratch of the ice making compartment door 30 may be prevented.
In particular, considering that the first tray 110 is made of a metal material with excellent rigidity, it is preferable to form the protrusion part 400 in the first tray 110 to prevent unwanted damage to the protrusion part 400.
The protrusion part 400 may be integrally formed with the first tray 110. Although not shown, the protrusion part 400 may be provided to be coupled to the circumference of the first tray 110 by a separate coupling structure.
As another example, as shown in
In this embodiment, the second tray assembly 200 and the ice making compartment door 30 may be spaced apart from each other at a portion closest to the operating portion of the second tray assembly 200 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, a problem of hitting the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200 may be prevented.
In particular, since the first tray 110 is made of metal, the distance between the first tray 110 and the ice making compartment door 30 can always be kept constant because the first tray 110 is not deformed even if the protrusion part 400 hits the first tray 110.
The protrusion part 400 may be integrally formed on the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30, or may be provided by being coupled to the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30 by a separate coupling structure.
As another example, as shown in
In this case, each of the protrusion parts 400 may be formed to face each other in a shape corresponding to each other. Although not shown, each of the protrusion parts 400 may be formed in a shape that engages each other.
Furthermore, the gap between each protrusion part 400 is narrower than the gap when the coupling cover 230 of the second tray assembly 200 is closest to the ice making compartment door 30 during operation.
As another example, as shown in
In this case, the protrusion part 400 is preferably formed at a lower end of the tray cover 120 as much as possible. That is, the tray cover 120 may be easily deformed even by a small pressing force. Considering this, the protrusion part 400 may be formed at a lower end portion of the tray cover 120 in which there is little risk of deformation because the first tray 110 is coupled.
In particular, even if the protrusion part 400 is formed on the tray cover 120, it is positioned as close as possible to the second tray assembly 200, so that interference during the operation of the second tray assembly 200 may be minimized.
The protrusion part 400 may be integrally formed with the tray cover 120 or may be provided to be coupled to the wall surface of the tray cover 120 by a separate coupling structure.
As another example, as shown in
In this case, the protrusion part 400 is preferably formed to face the lower end of the tray cover 120 as much as possible. That is, even if the protrusion part 400 hits the tray cover 120, the protrusion part 400 may hit the lower end portion to which the first tray 110 is coupled. Accordingly, the tray cover 120 may be protected from unwanted damage.
The protrusion part 400 may be integrally formed on the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30, or may be provided by being coupled to the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30 by a separate coupling structure.
Next, the protrusion part 400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed to have various shapes.
For example, as shown in
For example, in a case in which the protrusion part 400 protrudes from the first tray 110, the protrusion part 400 may be formed in a structure in which a width thereof becomes gradually narrower toward the end portion when viewed in a plan view. For example, the protrusion part 400 may be formed in a trapezoidal shape as shown in
As another example, although not shown, when the protrusion part 400 is formed to protrude from the tray cover 120, the protrusion part 400 may be formed to gradually protrude toward the lower end.
In this case, the protrusion part 400 may be formed from any one part (e.g., an upper or central part) of the tray cover 120 to the lower end.
As another example, when the protrusion part 400 is formed to protrude from the lower end of the tray cover 120 as shown in
As another example, as shown in
As shown in
Next, when the protrusion part 400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is provided to the ice maker 40, it may have a structure for preventing damage to the ice making compartment door 30.
As an example, the whole or a part of the protrusion part 400 may be formed of a soft material or an elastic structure. Accordingly, even if the protrusion part 400 hits the ice making compartment door 30, damage to the ice making compartment door 30 may be prevented.
As another example, as shown in
The first buffering member 410 may be formed to surround the outer surface of the end of the protrusion part 400. Although not shown, the first buffering member 410 may be integrally formed with the end of the protrusion part 400.
As another example, a second buffering member 420 may be provided at a portion of the ice making compartment door 30 facing the protrusion part 400 as shown in
The second buffering member 420 is preferably formed to have a larger area than the protrusion part 400. Accordingly, even if the ice making compartment door 30 is deformed or a position change of the ice maker 40 occurs, the protrusion part 400 may accurately hit the second buffering member 420. In this case, the second buffering member 420 may be integrally formed on the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30 or may be attached to the wall surface of the ice making compartment door 30 by attachment or coupling.
Next, the protrusion part 400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed to have a sufficient protruding distance to prevent interference during the operation of the second tray assembly 20 when provided to the ice maker 40.
That is, the protrusion part 400 may be formed to separate the first tray assembly 100 and the ice making compartment door 30 by a distance such that the second tray assembly 20 does not contact the ice making compartment door 30 during the rotation operation of the second tray assembly 200.
As an example, as shown in
That is, when the ice making compartment door 30 or the refrigerator door 20 is deformed, the protrusion part 400 may contact the ice making compartment door 30 as shown in
For example, when designing, the protrusion part 400 and the ice making compartment door 30 are spaced apart from each other. Meanwhile, if the ice maker 40 pushes more than a set distance toward the ice making compartment door 30 due to an unexpected cause (deformation of the refrigerator door or excessive swelling of the inner case, etc.), the protrusion part 400 is made to contact the ice making compartment door 30.
As another example, the minimum protruding length of the protrusion part 400 is formed to have a length enough to be disposed closer to the ice making compartment door 30 than the component disposed closest to the ice making compartment door 30 among the components constituting the first tray assembly 100.
Hereinafter, an ice making and ice removal process by the ice maker according to the above-described embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
First, during ice making operation, the second tray 210 is positioned adjacent to the first tray 110. In this case, the second tray 210 is coupled to surround the first tray 110, and opposite surfaces (a bottom surface of the first tray and an upper surface of the second tray) between the two trays 110 and 210 are positioned to be partially spaced apart from each other.
In this state, when water is supplied to the water supply duct 121, the water is supplied to the water supply hole 111 formed in the first tray 110 under the guidance of the water supply duct 121.
Additionally, the water supplied into the ice making cell 41 through the water supply hole 111 is provided between the first tray 110 and the second tray 210, and the same amount (water level) is supplied to all ice making cells 41 through the area between the first tray 110 and the second tray 210.
When the supply of a predetermined amount of water is completed, the rotating shaft 223 is rotated due to the driving source and the rotating link 224 is rotated together. When the pressing force of the elastic member 226 is released by the rotation of the rotating link 224, the second tray 210 is moved toward the first tray 110 by the restoring force of the elastic member 226. Accordingly, the second tray 210 is completely in close contact with the first tray 110, and thus the ice making cells 41 provided between the two trays 110 and 210 form partitioned spaces.
Subsequently, the cool air is supplied to the cool air guide duct 122. The cool air is guided by the cool air guide duct 122 toward the first tray 110. More specifically, the cool air is supplied to a space formed between the top surface of the first tray 110 and the bottom surface of the tray cover 120, by the cool air guide duct 122.
Accordingly, the first tray 110 freezes the water in the ice making cell 41 therein while being cooled by heat conduction with the cool air.
The cool air may be provided continuously or intermittently for a predetermined period of time, and when the predetermined period of time elapses, the cool air supply is stopped.
When the supply of cool air is stopped, the driving source operates and the rotating shaft 223 is rotated. When the rotating shaft 223 is rotated, the rotating link 224 coupled to the rotating shaft 223 is rotated together to pressurize the elastic member 226. Accordingly, while the tray supporter 220 to which the elastic member 226 is connected is rotated, the second tray 210 is spaced apart from the first tray 110.
Due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 223 and the pressure of the rotating link 224 on the elastic member 226, the tray supporter 220 rotates around the rotating shaft 223 and rotates the second tray 210. As a result, the second tray 210 is separated from the first tray 110.
In addition, when the tray supporter 220 is rotated while the rotating shaft 223 is rotated, the interworking link 123 is linked to lower the ejector body 311 of the first ejector 310.
Due to the downward movement of the ejector body 311, the ejector pins 312 of the first ejector 310 are moved downward toward the inside of the ice outlet hole 112a of the first tray 110. In this case, the ejector body 311 receives downward movement force from the two moving protrusions 311a formed on both side surfaces thereof by the interworking link 123, respectively. Accordingly, the two moving protrusions 311a are moved downward along the lifting grooves 120a formed on both sidewalls of the tray cover 120.
In addition, the ejector pin 312 inserted into the ice outlet hole 112a of the first tray 110 removes the ice from the ice making cell 41 while pressing the ice in the ice making cell 41 communicating with the ice outlet hole 112a. Thus, the ice separated from the ice making cell 41 and falling is stored in the ice bin 22.
The ice stored in the ice bin 22 is provided to the user by manipulation of the dispenser 21.
Meanwhile, during the ice removal process, the coupling cover 230 of the second tray assembly 200 may contact the inner wall of the ice making compartment door 30 while the second tray assembly 200 is rotated from the first tray assembly 100 (rotation for ice removal or rotation for return after ice removal). That is, when the inner casing constituting the refrigerator door 20 swells or the separation distance between the ice maker 40 and the ice making compartment door 30 becomes narrower than the set distance (design distance), the coupling cover 230 may contact the inner wall of the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
However, when the separation distance between the ice maker 40 and the ice making compartment door 30 becomes narrower than the set distance, the protrusion part 400 provided between the ice maker 40 and the ice making compartment door 30 separates the second tray assembly 200 from the ice making compartment door 30 by the set distance, as shown in
If the protrusion part 400 is provided to the first tray assembly 100 and the second buffering member 420 is provided to the ice making compartment door 30 facing the protrusion part 400, damage to the ice making compartment door 30 or impact noise may be prevented even if the protrusion part 400 hits the ice making compartment door 30.
As described above, the refrigerator of the present disclosure may always maintain a state in which the space between the ice maker 40 and the ice making compartment door 30 is spaced apart by a predetermined distance or more by the protrusion part 400. In particular, since the separation distance secured by the protrusion part 400 is a distance that may prevent contact with the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200, interference may be prevented during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
Furthermore, since the refrigerator of the present disclosure prevents the second tray assembly 200 from contacting the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200, the occurrence of foreign substances may be prevented.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present disclosure may prevent damage to the ice making compartment door 30 by preventing the second tray assembly 200 from contacting the ice making compartment door 30 during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
In addition, if the refrigerator of the present disclosure is provided by maximizing the end surface area of the protrusion part 400, the contact area with the ice making compartment door 300 is maximized, thereby minimizing impact noise and damage to the ice making compartment door 30.
In addition, if the buffering members 410 and 420 are additionally provided in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, damage or contact noise of the ice making compartment door 30 due to collision with the protrusion part 400 may be reduced or prevented.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the protrusion part 400 is provided on the first tray assembly 100 fixed to the refrigerator door 20, so that the separation distance between the first tray assembly 100 and the ice making compartment door 30 may be maintained at a certain distance or more regardless of whether the second tray assembly 200 is operated or not.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part 400 is provided on the first tray 110 having relatively excellent rigidity, even if the protrusion part 400 comes into contact with the ice making compartment door 30, the protrusion part 400 is not deformed and the separation distance from each other is maintained by pushing the ice making compartment door 30. Accordingly, no interference occurs during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part 400 is formed closer to the ice making compartment door 30 than the first tray assembly 100, which is the closest distance to the ice making compartment door 30 in the rotation trajectory of the second tray assembly 200, the operation failure of the second tray assembly 200 may be prevented.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, since the protrusion part 400 is disposed as close to the second tray assembly 200 as possible, the operation failure of the second tray assembly 200 may be minimized.
Meanwhile, the ice maker 40 constituting the refrigerator of the present disclosure may be applied to areas other than the refrigerator door 20.
For example, the ice maker 40 may be provided in a storage compartment of a refrigerator.
When the ice maker 40 is provided in the storage compartment, the protrusion part 400 may be formed in the first tray assembly 100. That is, the protrusion part may further protrude from the first tray assembly 100 than the second tray assembly 200 or an operation trajectory of the second tray assembly 200 to prevent interference (e.g., collision with a refrigerator door) during the operation of the second tray assembly 200.
Even when the ice maker 40 is provided in the storage compartment, the protrusion part 400 may protrude from the first tray 110 or from the tray cover 120. That is, it is preferable that the protrusion part 400 is formed at a location with excellent rigidity or at a location on the fixed side.
In addition, the protrusion part 400 may be formed in a structure in which the width is gradually narrowed or the thickness decreases toward the end. In particular, the end surface of the protrusion part 400 may be formed to have a flat surface or a flat portion. The flat portion may be formed by bending the end of the protrusion part 400 upward or downward. This planar structure may increase the contact area with a counterpart, thereby minimizing damage to the counterpart.
Meanwhile, the remaining components of the ice maker of the present disclosure except for the protrusion part 400 may be implemented in a form other than the structure of the above-described embodiment.
As an example, although not shown, the tray cover 120 and the first tray 110 may be provided as a single body. That is, the structure of the tray cover 120 (e.g., the cool air guide duct, the water supply duct, etc.) may be integrally molded into the first tray 110.
As another example, although not shown, the second tray 210 and the tray supporter 220 may be integrally formed and provided. In this case, the coupling cover 230 may not be required, or the structure of the coupling cover 230 may also be integrally formed.
As another example, the first ejector 310 or the second ejector 320 may not be provided. That is, although not shown, the ice adhered to the ice making cell 41 of the first tray 110 or the second tray 210 may be removed by applying heat instead of the first ejector 310 or the second ejector 320.
In the above, just because all the components constituting the embodiment according to the present disclosure are described as operating in combination or in combination, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the purpose of the present disclosure, all of the components may operate in combination with one or more selectively. In addition, terms such as “including”, “construct”, or “have” described above mean that the corresponding component may be inherent unless otherwise stated in opposition, and thus should be construed as being capable of further including other components rather than excluding other components. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as is generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless defined otherwise. Generally used terms, such as predefined terms, should be construed as consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant technology and are not interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present disclosure.
The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present disclosure, and any person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains may make various modifications and modifications without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present disclosure but to illustrate the technical idea of the present disclosure, and the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0155254 | Nov 2023 | KR | national |
