Ice makers and refrigerators

Abstract

The refrigerator of this embodiment includes: a box forming a storage space; a door for opening and closing the storage space; and an ice maker arranged in the storage space or the door; the ice maker includes: an upper tray including an upper chamber forming an upper portion of an ice cube chamber; a lower tray including a lower chamber forming a lower portion of the ice cube chamber; and an upper heater arranged along the periphery of the upper chamber to form at least two heating areas at different positions in the upper and lower directions of the upper chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an ice maker and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that can store food at a low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a door. Such a refrigerator utilizes cold air to cool the interior of the storage space, thereby being able to keep the stored food in a refrigerated or frozen state.

[0003] Typically, a refrigerator is equipped with an ice maker for making ice. The ice maker is configured to collect water supplied from a water supply source or a water tank in an ice tray and turn it into ice cubes. Furthermore, the ice maker is configured to remove the finished ice cubes from the ice tray by heating or twisting the ice tray.

[0004] As described above, the ice maker for automatic water supply and ice removal is formed to open upward and lift ice cubes upward. The ice cubes made by the ice maker having the above structure have at least one flat surface, such as a crescent shape or a cube shape.

[0005] On the other hand, when the ice cubes are spherical in shape, it is convenient to use the ice cubes and can provide users with a different sense of use. In addition, when storing the produced ice cubes, it is also possible to prevent the ice cubes from sticking together by minimizing the contact area between the ice cubes.

[0006] Korean Patent Gazette No. 10-1850918, a prior art document, discloses an ice maker. The ice maker disclosed in the Korean Patent Gazette includes an upper tray having a plurality of hemispherical upper units (or chambers, hereinafter referred to as "chambers") arranged therein; a lower tray having a plurality of hemispherical lower units arranged therein and rotatably connected to the upper tray; a water supply tray disposed above the upper tray for supplying water for ice making; and a water supply guide for directing water supplied from the water supply tray to the lower tray.

[0007] In the ice maker disclosed in the Korean Patent Gazette, in a structure in which an upper tray and a lower tray are connected to form an ice chamber, the upper tray and the lower tray are separated from each other in order to move the generated ice cubes.

[0008] During the ice removal process, the ice cubes may adhere to the inner surface of the upper tray due to the close contact between the inner surface of the upper tray and the ice cubes. If they are separated only by physical force, the ice cubes may be broken.

[0009] In this regard, the ice maker disclosed in the Korean Patent Gazette is provided with an upper heater for moving ice. That is, during the ice moving process, the upper heater heats the upper tray to melt the surface of the ice cubes, thereby separating the ice cubes from the upper tray.

[0010] However, if the entire surface of the upper unit cannot be heated uniformly, even if a portion of the area where the upper tray and the ice cubes meet is not heated sufficiently, the ice cubes in that portion may be broken during the ice removal process as described above.

[0011] Furthermore, if the heating time of the upper tray is prolonged to prevent breakage of the ice cubes, breakage caused by adhesion between the ice cubes and the upper tray can be prevented, but more ice cubes in the overheated area will melt, making it impossible to obtain the desired ice cube shape.

[0012] For example, in the ice maker disclosed in the Korean Patent Gazette, when the upper heater heats only a specific portion of the upper tray, the heating effect decreases as the distance from the heat transfer area of ​​the upper heater increases, and thus the aforementioned problem may occur.

[0013] Furthermore, the thermal conductivity varies depending on the material of the upper tray. If the upper tray is made of a material with low thermal conductivity, the above-mentioned problem will be aggravated. This will limit the possibility of changing the material of the upper tray. Summary of the Invention

[0014] The present invention provides an ice maker and a refrigerator having a heating structure capable of uniformly transferring heat over the entire surface of an upper chamber for forming ice cubes.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the present invention provides an ice maker and a refrigerator capable of moving ice cubes without damaging them during the process of generating and moving ice cubes.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, the present invention provides an ice maker and a refrigerator having a heating structure capable of transferring heat between adjacent ice chambers when a plurality of ice chambers for producing ice are formed.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, the present invention provides an ice maker and a refrigerator capable of eliminating the restriction on changing the material of the upper tray generated during the ice removal process.

[0018] According to one aspect, a refrigerator may include: a body forming a storage space; a door opening and closing the storage space; and an ice maker provided in the storage space or the door.

[0019] The ice maker may include an upper tray including an upper chamber forming an upper portion of an ice cube chamber; a lower tray including a lower chamber forming a lower portion of the ice cube chamber; and an upper heater arranged along a periphery of the upper chamber to form at least two heating areas at different positions in a vertical direction of the upper chamber.

[0020] The ice maker may further include an upper housing coupled to the upper tray. The lower tray may be rotatably supported by the upper housing.

[0021] The heating region may include: a first heating region; and a second heating region formed below the first heating region.

[0022] The upper chamber may be formed so that its diameter decreases toward the upper side. In the upper chamber, a diameter of a portion forming the first heating region is smaller than a diameter of a portion forming the second heating region.

[0023] The upper tray may include: a first heat transfer portion protruding upward from the upper chamber at a position corresponding to the first heating area, transferring heat from the upper heater to the upper chamber; and a second heat transfer portion protruding from the upper chamber at a position corresponding to the second heating area, transferring heat from the upper heater to the upper chamber.

[0024] The upper heater may include a first portion in contact with the first heat transfer portion and a second portion in contact with the second heat transfer portion.

[0025] The second heat transfer portion may be formed to surround at least a region of the periphery of the upper chamber.

[0026] An area where the first heat transfer portion and the upper chamber intersect may form the first heating area, and an area where the second heat transfer portion and the upper chamber intersect may form the second heating area.

[0027] The upper chamber may be provided in plurality.

[0028] At least one first heat transfer portion may be formed in each of the upper chambers, and at least one first heat transfer portion may be formed between a pair of adjacent upper chambers.

[0029] When the upper housing and the upper tray are combined, an upper end portion of the first heat transfer portion may be in contact with the upper heater.

[0030] A first area where the first heat transfer portion and the upper chamber meet may be wider than a second area where the first heat transfer portion and the upper heater meet.

[0031] The first heat transfer portion may include a chamber contact portion extending from the upper chamber; and a heater contact portion extending upward from the chamber contact portion, wherein a horizontal length of the heater contact portion is smaller than a horizontal length of the chamber contact portion.

[0032] A heater insertion portion may be provided at a position of the upper housing corresponding to the first heat transfer portion and the second heat transfer portion, and the upper heater may be inserted into the heater insertion portion so that the upper heater is exposed downward.

[0033] The heater insert may include a first heater insert into which the first heat transfer part is inserted, and a second heater insert into which the second heat transfer part is inserted. The upper heater may be inserted into the first and second heater inserts.

[0034] A region of the upper heater inserted into the first heater insertion portion may be located above a region of the upper heater inserted into the second heater insertion portion in a vertical direction.

[0035] The upper shell may further include a tray opening through which the upper portion of the upper chamber passes when the upper shell and the upper tray are combined; and an opening wall extending downward from at least a region of an inner diameter of the tray opening.

[0036] The first heater insertion portion may be formed to protrude radially inward from an inner wall of the opening wall.

[0037] The second heater insertion portion may be formed in at least one region of a lower end portion of the opening wall.

[0038] An auxiliary heat transfer portion extending from the second heat transfer portion toward the radially outer side of the upper chamber may be further included.

[0039] The upper tray may be formed of a plastic material, and the lower tray may be formed of an elastic material.

[0040] According to another aspect, an ice maker may include: an upper tray including an upper chamber forming an upper portion of an ice chamber; an upper housing coupled to the upper tray on an upper side of the upper tray; a lower tray including a lower chamber forming a lower portion of the ice chamber when in contact with the upper chamber; and an upper heater arranged along a periphery of the upper chamber and in contact with two portions of the upper chamber having different heights.

[0041] The upper heater may be provided on the upper housing.

[0042] The upper tray may include a first heat transfer portion extending upward from the upper chamber to contact the upper heater; and a second heat transfer portion extending upward from the upper chamber at a position spaced apart from the first heat transfer portion to contact the upper heater.

[0043] An upper end portion of the first heat transfer portion may be located higher than an upper end portion of the second heat transfer portion.

[0044] An area where the first heat transfer portion and the upper chamber intersect may form the first heating area.

[0045] The area where the second heat transfer portion and the upper chamber intersect may form the second heating area.The second heating area is wider than the first heating area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a refrigerator with its door opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 3 2 is a perspective view of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of an upper tray and a lower tray as one structure of an ice maker according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 6 The figure is a top view of an upper tray of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 7 This is an image simulating the heat distribution in the upper chamber when the upper chamber is heated with the same heater heat amount.

[0053] Figure 8 This is an example of a specific structure of the upper tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view viewed from above.

[0054] Figure 9 Observing from above Figure 8 A top view of the upper tray is shown.

[0055] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the upper tray is shown.

[0056] Figure 11This is a bottom view of the upper housing of the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

[0057] Figure 12 This is a partial perspective view of the upper housing of the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

[0058] Figure 13 1 is a diagram showing the states of the upper tray and the lower tray of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention after water supply is completed.

[0059] Figure 14 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which ice making of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention is completed and the lower tray is rotated.

[0060] Figure 15 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ice making machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 16 FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 17 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining the ice removal steps according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 18 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for illustrating ice removal steps according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 19 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 20 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in an ice making machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The advantages, features, and implementation methods of the present invention will be further clarified through the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be embodied in a variety of different shapes. This embodiment is provided only to fully disclose the present invention and to fully disclose the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of protection of the present invention is determined solely by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same components.

[0067] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention with the door 20 opened.

[0068] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2A refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a body 10 forming a storage space and a door 20 for opening and closing the storage space.

[0069] More specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the box body 10 can be formed with a storage space divided left and right by a partition 11, and a refrigerator compartment 13 can be formed on one of the left and right sides, and a freezer compartment 12 can be formed on the other side. Here, the refrigerator compartment 13 and the freezer compartment 12 of the embodiment of the present invention can be provided with drawers, shelves, baskets and other storage components.

[0070] The door 20 of the embodiment of the present invention may include a refrigerator door 22 that shields the refrigerator compartment 13 and a freezer door 21 that shields the freezer compartment 12. The configuration of the refrigerator compartment 13 and the freezer compartment 12, and the configuration of the door 20, may vary depending on the type of refrigerator. The present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various types of refrigerators. For example, a refrigerator may have the freezer compartment 12 and refrigerator compartment 13 arranged vertically.

[0071] The door 20 of the embodiment of the present invention can be rotatably combined with the cabinet 10 to respectively open and close the refrigerator compartment 13 and the freezer compartment 12. As mentioned above, the door 20 can include a refrigerator compartment door 21 for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 22 and a freezer compartment door 22 for opening and closing the freezer compartment 12. The refrigerator compartment door 21 can include a plurality of doors 22, 23 arranged in an upper and lower manner.

[0072] On the other hand, the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a dispenser 24. The dispenser 24 is configured to allow a user to dispense water or ice. In the embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser 24 is illustrated as being disposed on the door 20, for example, on the freezer door 22. The example of the dispenser 24 being located above the freezer door 22 for user convenience is used for illustration.

[0073] In addition, the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a display assembly 231. Here, the display assembly 231 is a component for displaying the operating status of the refrigerator 1 and for the user to input an operation for operating the refrigerator 1.

[0074] As an example, the display assembly 231 can be disposed on the door 20. In the embodiment of the present invention, the display assembly 231 is disposed on the refrigerator door 21 as an example for description, and is disposed on the upper portion of the refrigerator door 21 for user convenience.

[0075] On the other hand, an ice making chamber 26 accommodating a main ice maker 25 may be formed in the freezer door 21. The ice making chamber 26 receives cold air from the evaporator 14 provided in the housing 10 and makes ice in the main ice maker 25.

[0076] The ice making chamber 26 and the dispenser 24 may be in communication with each other so that ice cubes made by the main ice maker 25 can be taken out from the dispenser 24 .

[0077] On the other hand, in the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, an ice maker 100 independent of the main ice maker 25 can be installed in the freezer compartment 12. The ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described below by taking the case where it is installed on the upper shelf 103 of the freezer compartment 12 as an example. As mentioned above, the installation of the ice maker 100 can be achieved by fixing the upper housing 230 of the ice maker 100 (described later) to the shelf 103.

[0078] An ice box 102 for storing ice cubes made by the ice maker 100 may be provided below the ice maker 100. A plurality of outlets 151 for guiding cool air generated by the evaporator 14 may be formed below the shelf 103.

[0079] On the other hand, a pipe for supplying cold air to the freezing chamber 12 may be provided in the freezing chamber 12. Therefore, a portion of the cold air generated in the evaporator 14 and supplied to the freezing chamber 12 may flow toward the ice maker and generate ice cubes by indirect cooling.

[0080] Of course, as another example, the refrigerator 1 may not have the dispenser 24 and the main ice maker 25 , but may only be provided with the ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The ice maker 100 may also replace the main ice maker 25 and be provided inside the ice making chamber 26 .

[0081] Hereinafter, the ice making machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0082] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice making machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 1 is a cross-sectional view of an upper tray 210 and a lower tray 310 as one component of the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a top view of the upper tray 210 of the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Referring to the above drawings, the ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an upper tray 210 , a lower tray 310 , and an upper heater 270 .

[0084] Hereinafter, directions are defined for ease of explanation and understanding: Hereinafter, a direction in which the upper tray 210 is formed is defined as an upper portion, and a direction in which the lower tray 310 is formed is defined as a lower portion.

[0085] The upper tray 210 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an upper chamber 211 forming an upper portion of the ice chamber IC.

[0086] The lower tray 310 may include a lower chamber 311 forming a lower portion of the ice chamber IC while being joined with the upper tray 210 .

[0087] That is, the upper chamber 211 forms an upper portion of the ice chamber IC, and the lower chamber 311 forms a lower portion of the ice chamber IC. Thus, when the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 are connected, the ice chamber IC for forming ice cubes can be formed.

[0088] In the embodiment of the present invention, three ice cube chambers IC are formed as an example for description. Therefore, the upper tray 210 includes three upper chambers 211, and the lower tray 310 also includes three lower chambers 311. However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to the number of ice cube chambers IC shown.

[0089] In the ice making machine 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the ice chamber 1C is described as having a substantially spherical shape, and the ice cubes produced in the ice chamber 1C are described as having a substantially spherical shape. Therefore, the upper chamber 211 can be substantially hemispherical, and the lower chamber 311 can also be hemispherical.

[0090] The shape of the ice cube chamber IC in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to Figure 5 That is, when the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 are connected, various shapes can be formed by the upper chamber 211 and the lower chamber 311.

[0091] As an example, the ice cube chamber IC Figure 5 The cross-section in the direction shown can be a racetrack or elliptical shape. That is, the upper and lower sides of the ice chamber IC can each have a curved shape. Of course, as another example, the upper chamber 211 can be in the shape of a polygonal trapezoid, and the lower chamber 311 can also be in the shape of a polygonal trapezoid.

[0092] As described above, the shape of the ice chamber IC, i.e., the shape of the upper chamber 211, can be defined as narrowing radially inward as it approaches the upper direction. Similarly, the shape of the lower chamber 311 can also be defined as narrowing radially inward as it approaches the lower direction. In other words, the diameter of the upper chamber 211 can decrease as it approaches the upper side. The diameter of the lower chamber 311 can also decrease as it approaches the lower side.

[0093] In the upper chamber 211 , a diameter of a portion forming the first heating region h1 is smaller than a diameter of a portion forming the second heating region h2 .

[0094] Hereinafter, the ice cube chamber IC of the embodiment of the present invention is spherical in shape, and the upper chamber 211 and the lower chamber 311 are respectively formed into hemispherical shapes corresponding thereto. In this case, the spherical shape or hemispherical shape may not be the ideal spherical or hemispherical shape defined in the dictionary.

[0095] On the other hand, the upper heater 270 of the embodiment of the present invention can heat the upper chamber 211. For example, during the ice removal process of the ice maker 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the upper heater 270 can melt the surface of the ice formed in the ice chamber 1C by heating the upper chamber 211, thereby smoothing the removal of the ice.

[0096] Here, if Figure 5 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the upper heater 270 heats the upper chamber 211 to form at least two heating areas h1 and h2 at different positions in the vertical direction is described as an example.

[0097] like Figure 5 As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the heating areas h1 and h2 are formed at two different positions in the vertical direction is described as an example, but the heating areas h1 and h2 may be formed at three or more positions.

[0098] Below, the case where the heating areas h1 and h2 of an embodiment of the present invention are divided into two areas is taken as an example, and the heating areas h1 and h2 formed on the upper side of the heating areas h1 and h2 are defined as the first heating area h1, and the heating areas h1 and h2 located on the lower side than the first heating area h1 are defined as the second heating area h2 and explained.

[0099] According to the above-described configuration, the upper heater 270 forms heating areas h1 and h2 at different positions in the vertical direction, thereby being able to uniformly heat the entire upper chamber 211 .

[0100] This can eliminate the problem that the areas relatively separated from the heating areas h1 and h2 are not sufficiently heated, resulting in insufficient melting of the ice cubes during ice removal. This can not only prevent the ice cubes from being damaged during ice removal, but also prevent the phenomenon of residual ice in the upper chamber 211 caused by damaged ice cubes.

[0101] In addition, in order to prevent the ice from being broken when it is moved, the ice can be made into the desired shape by eliminating the overheating condition.

[0102] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper tray 210 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a first heat transfer portion 510 and a second heat transfer portion 520 .

[0103] In the embodiment of the present invention, the first heat transfer portion 510 is formed to protrude upward from the upper chamber 211 at a position corresponding to the first heating region h1 of the heating regions h1 and h2. The second heat transfer portion 520 is formed to protrude upward along the periphery of the upper chamber 211 at a position corresponding to the second heating region h2 of the heating regions h1 and h2.

[0104] Here, the second heat transfer part 520 of the embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of surrounding at least one area of ​​the periphery of the upper chamber 211. Therefore, the second heating area h2 formed by the second heat transfer part 520 may also be in the form of surrounding at least one area of ​​the periphery of the upper chamber 211.

[0105] like Figure 5 As shown, the first heating area h1 of the embodiment of the present invention is located higher than the second heating area h2 in the vertical direction, so the first heat transfer part 510 can be formed by protruding upward from the upper chamber 211 at a position higher than the second heat transfer part 520 in the vertical direction.

[0106] Here, the first heat transfer part 510 may transfer the heat of the upper heater 270 to the upper chamber 211 . Similarly, the second heat transfer part 520 may also transfer the heat of the upper heater 270 to the upper chamber 211 .

[0107] Thus, the area where the first heat transfer part 510 and the upper chamber 211 intersect forms a first heating area h1 of the upper chamber 211 heated by the upper heater 270 , and the area where the second heat transfer part 520 and the upper chamber 211 intersect forms a second heating area h2 of the upper chamber 211 heated by the upper heater 270 .

[0108] The second heating region h2 may be formed to be wider than the first heating region h1.

[0109] The upper heater 270 may include a first portion corresponding to the first heating region h1 and a second portion corresponding to the second heating region h2.

[0110] The first portion and the second portion may be located at different heights from each other. The first portion may be in contact with the first heat transfer part 510 . The second portion may be in contact with the second heat transfer part 520 .

[0111] As mentioned above, a plurality of upper chambers 211 are provided, such as Figure 2 As shown, at least one first heat transfer portion 510 is formed in each upper chamber 211 , and thus at least one first heating region h1 may also be formed in each upper chamber 211 .

[0112] Furthermore, the following describes an example in which at least one of the plurality of first heat transfer portions 510 formed corresponding to the plurality of upper chambers 211 is formed between a pair of adjacent upper chambers 211. This solves the problem of ice breakage and residual ice during ice removal, which occurs in conventional heater structures that are designed to entirely surround the plurality of upper chambers 211, due to the inability to transfer heat between the upper chambers 211.

[0113] As described above, since the upper chamber 211 is in a shape that becomes narrower inward in the radial direction as it goes upward, for example, in a hemispherical shape, according to the shape of the upper chamber 211 as described above, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the first heating region h1 may be formed radially inward of the second heating region h2.

[0114] That is, a distance d1 from the center C of the upper chamber 211 to the first heating region h1 may be smaller than a distance d2 from the center C of the upper chamber 211 to the second heating region h2.

[0115] Figure 7 This is an image simulating the heat distribution of the upper chamber 211 when the upper chamber 211 is heated with the same heater heat amount. Figure 7 (a) is an image simulating the heat distribution in the existing heater structure. That is, Figure 7 (a) is an image simulating a conventional structure in which heaters are arranged in a row at a predetermined height in the vertical direction on the periphery of a chamber. Figure 7 (b) is an image simulating heat distribution under the structure of the upper heater 270 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] exist Figure 7 In the conventional heater structure shown in (a), the heater is located at the same height in the vertical direction and has a structure that surrounds the entirety of a plurality of chambers. Figure 7 The area shown in red in (a) is the area where the heater is arranged.

[0117] In contrast, the upper heater 270 of the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the first heat transfer part 510 and the second heat transfer part 520 are located at different positions in the vertical direction, and at least one of the first heat transfer parts 510 is disposed between a pair of adjacent upper chambers 211 .

[0118] In addition, if Figure 6 As shown, the first heat transfer part 510 is located radially inwardly of the second heat transfer part 520. Therefore, the first heating region h1 is located radially inwardly, and the second heating region h2 is located radially outwardly of the first heating region h1.

[0119] As described above, the structural features not only have differences in the positions in the up and down directions, but also in the positions in the planar direction based on the radial direction. Therefore, when the upper chamber 211 is heated by the upper heater 270, heat can be transferred to the entire upper chamber 211 more evenly.

[0120] The above effects can be achieved by Figure 7 The simulation results shown clearly confirm this.

[0121] like Figure 7 As shown in (a), it can be confirmed that, in the conventional heater structure, heat transfer becomes poorer as the radial center of the chamber approaches. In addition, it can be confirmed that heat transfer in the space between the chambers is also poor.

[0122] On the contrary, Figure 7 As shown in (b), it can be confirmed that, compared with the conventional heater structure, the structure of the upper heater 270 in the embodiment of the present invention can transfer heat to the radially inner center of the upper chamber 211, for example, near the inlet 212 of the upper chamber 211. In particular, it can be confirmed that sufficient heat transfer is also carried out between adjacent upper chambers 211.

[0123] Refer again Figure 3 and Figure 4 The ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include an upper shell 230 .

[0124] The upper housing 230 of the embodiment of the present invention can support the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310. Here, the upper tray 210 can be coupled to the upper housing 230 from the lower side. In other words, the upper tray 210 is coupled to the lower side of the upper housing 230, so that the upper housing 230 and the upper tray 210 can be configured as a single assembly.

[0125] Figure 8 This is an example of a specific structure of the upper tray 210 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view viewed from above. Figure 9 Observing from above Figure 8 A top view of the upper tray 210 is shown. Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the upper tray is shown.

[0126] With reference to the above drawings, when the upper housing 230 and the upper tray 210 are combined, the upper end portion of the first heat transfer member 510 of the embodiment of the present invention is in contact with the upper heater 270. Similarly, when the upper housing 230 and the upper tray 210 are combined, the upper end portion of the second heat transfer member 520 is in contact with the upper heater 270.

[0127] Here, a first region where the first heat transfer part 510 and the upper chamber 211 meet, ie, the first heating region h1 may be wider than a second region where the first heat transfer part 510 and the upper heater 270 meet.

[0128] For this reason, Figure 8 As shown, the first heat transfer portion 510 of the embodiment of the present invention is described by taking the case where it includes a chamber contact portion 511 and a heater contact portion 512 as an example.

[0129] The chamber contact portion 511 of the embodiment of the present invention may protrude upward from the upper chamber 211. The heater contact portion 512 may be formed by extending upward from the chamber contact portion 511.

[0130] Here, the chamber contact portion 511 and the heater contact portion 512 are formed as one body, and the horizontal length of the chamber contact portion 511 is greater than the horizontal length of the heater contact portion 512 , thereby forming a step between the two components, so that the first area can be wider than the second area.

[0131] With the above configuration, when heat from the upper heater 270 is transferred to the upper chamber 211 via the first heat transfer portion 510, heat transfer can be achieved over a wider area of ​​the upper chamber 211. From the perspective of the mechanical design of the connection between the heater contact portion 512 and the upper heater 270, the above configuration not only reduces the size of the heater contact portion 512 but also improves the efficiency of heat transfer to the upper chamber 211, thereby reducing design constraints.

[0132] In the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the length of the chamber contact portion 511 is long is used as an example for explanation. However, the heat transfer efficiency can be improved by forming the thickness in the disk direction to become thicker as it approaches the upper chamber 211 side.

[0133] on the other hand, Figure 11 It is a bottom view of the upper housing 230 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below. Figure 12 It is a partial perspective view of the upper housing 230 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

[0134] With reference to the above drawings, in the embodiment of the present invention, the upper heater 270 may be provided on the upper housing 230. To this end, the upper housing 230 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a heater insertion portion 231 for inserting the upper heater 270.

[0135] Here, the heater insertion portion 231 of the embodiment of the present invention is formed at a position corresponding to the first heat transfer portion 510 and the second heat transfer portion 520 , and the upper heater 270 may be inserted so as to be exposed downward.

[0136] Here, when the upper shell 230 and the upper tray 210 are combined, the upper side ends of the first heat transfer part 510 and the second heat transfer part 520 are inserted into the heater insertion part 231, thereby connecting the upper side ends of the first heat transfer part 510 and the second heat transfer part 520 to the upper heater 270.

[0137] The heater insertion portion 231 of the embodiment of the present invention may include a first heater insertion portion 231 a into which the first heat transfer portion 510 is inserted, and a second heater insertion portion 231 b into which the second heat transfer portion 520 is inserted.

[0138] Here, the upper heater 270 can be inserted into the first heater insertion portion 231a and the second heater insertion portion 231b. At this time, based on the up-down direction, the area of ​​the upper heater 270 inserted into the first heater insertion portion 231a is located at a position higher than the area of ​​the upper heater 270 inserted into the second heater insertion portion 231b. Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is possible to form a structure in which the upper heaters 270 are located at different positions in the vertical direction when viewed from a cross section.

[0139] More specifically, the upper housing 230 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a tray opening 232 and an opening wall 233 .

[0140] The tray opening 232 of the embodiment of the present invention can allow an upper portion of the upper chamber 211 to pass through when combined with the upper tray 210. The opening wall 233 can extend downward from at least one portion of the inner diameter of the tray opening 232.

[0141] Here, the first heater insertion portion 231 a may be formed to protrude radially inward from the inner wall of the opening wall 233 , and the second heater insertion portion 231 b may be formed in a region of a lower end portion of the opening wall 233 .

[0142] That is, the second heater insertion portion 231b is formed at the lower end of the opening wall 233, and the first heater insertion portion 231a is formed on the inner wall surface of the opening wall 233, thereby forming areas where the upper heater 270 inserted into the first heater insertion portion 231a and the second heater insertion portion 231b are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, so that Figure 10 The configuration shown in cross section is possible.

[0143] In addition, the first heater insertion portion 231a protrudes toward the inner side of the opening wall 233, and the second heater insertion portion 231b is formed at the lower side end portion of the opening wall 233. Thus, as mentioned above, it can have a form in which the upper heater 270 is respectively arranged in the area adjacent to the radial center of the upper chamber 211 and on the outer contour side of the center.

[0144] On the other hand, the upper tray 210 of the ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include an auxiliary heat transfer portion 530 .

[0145] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the auxiliary heat transfer portion 530 of the embodiment of the present invention may be formed by extending radially outward from the second heat transfer portion 520. The auxiliary heat transfer portion 530 may extend from the second heat transfer portion 520 and connect to an area of ​​the upper tray 210.

[0146] Thus, the heat transferred from the upper heater 270 to the second heat transfer part 520 can be transferred to an area of ​​the upper tray 210 through the auxiliary heat transfer part 530, thereby preventing residual ice from occurring in an area outside the upper chamber 211, such as an area of ​​the upper tray 210 around the upper chamber 211.

[0147] Here, in the embodiment of the present invention, a case where a downwardly recessed recess 235 is formed on the surface of the upper tray 210 is described as an example. The upper chamber 211 is disposed in the recess 235 formed on the upper tray 210 as an example.

[0148] The auxiliary heat transfer part 530 is described by taking as an example the case where the second heat transfer part 520 from the upper chamber 211 arranged inside the recess 235 passes through the recess 235 and is connected to the inner wall surface of the recess 235, thereby transferring heat through the inner wall surface of the recess 235.

[0149] As mentioned above, in an embodiment of the present invention, a case where a plurality of upper chambers 211 are formed, for example, three upper chambers 211 are formed is described as an example, and a case where a plurality of auxiliary heat transfer parts 530 are formed at predetermined intervals along the periphery of each upper chamber 211 in the recessed portion 235 area is described as an example.

[0150] The upper tray 210 of the embodiment of the present invention is described as being formed of a common plastic resin material used for injection molding. As an example, the upper tray 210 can be formed of a common thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin material.

[0151] Here, plastic has a lower thermal conductivity than elastic materials, such as silicone, used to make the lower tray 310. However, as previously mentioned, the upper heater 270 of the present embodiment can heat the upper tray 210 in both the first heating region h1 and the second heating region h2, thereby uniformly heating the entire surface of the upper tray 210. This makes it possible to injection mold the upper tray 210 from a plastic material. This reduces the manufacturing cost and time of the upper tray 210.

[0152] On the other hand, the upper tray 210 may further include a pair of upper support members 234 formed at both side ends.

[0153] Here, the upper support member 234 can be connected to the upper ejector 250 and guide the upper ejector 250 in the vertical direction. In the embodiment of the present invention, the guide grooves 234a are formed in the upper support member 234 along the vertical direction, and the upper ejector 250 is guided in the vertical direction when the anti-separation protrusions 253 of the upper ejector 250 are respectively inserted into the guide grooves 234a.

[0154] Refer again Figure 3 and Figure 4 The ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a lower support member 350 and a lower housing 330 .

[0155] The lower support 350 of the embodiment of the present invention may support the lower side of the lower tray 310. The lower case 330 may cover the upper side of the lower tray 310.

[0156] That is, the lower housing 330, the lower tray 310, and the lower support member 350 can be arranged in sequence in the vertical direction and can be fastened by a fastening member to form an assembly. The above-mentioned assembly is rotated by the driving unit 700 described later, whereby the lower tray 310 can be connected to the upper tray 210 or separated from the upper tray 210 by rotation.

[0157] Hereinafter, the assembly consisting of the upper tray 210 and the upper housing 230 is defined as the upper assembly 200 , and the assembly consisting of the lower housing 330 , the lower tray 310 , and the lower support member 350 is defined as the lower assembly 300 and described.

[0158] The lower assembly 300 of the embodiment of the present invention can be rotatably mounted on one side of the upper assembly 200. Here, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the lower assembly 300 is rotatably coupled to the upper housing 230 of the upper assembly 200 is used as an example for description. The upper housing 230 is used to rotate the lower assembly 300 in forward and reverse directions, so that the lower tray 310 is supported and rotatable between an ice making position connected to the upper tray 210 and an ice removing position separated from the upper tray 210.

[0159] Here, the ice maker 100 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a driving unit 700 for rotating the lower assembly 300 so that the lower assembly 300 can rotate relative to the upper assembly 200. For example, the driving unit 700 may include a motor and one or more gears for transmitting the rotational force of the motor.

[0160] As described above, when the lower tray 310, the lower component 300 and the drive unit 700 are set on the upper shell 230, the ice maker 100 of the embodiment of the present invention can be set inside the freezer by installing the upper shell 230 on the top surface or partition of the refrigerator described later.

[0161] On the other hand, the ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a water supply guide 900. Here, the water supply guide 900 may be provided on the upper side of the upper assembly 200 to supply water to the ice cube chamber IC formed by connecting the upper chamber 211 and the lower chamber 311.

[0162] Once ice cubes are formed after water is supplied to the ice cube chamber IC via the water supply guide 900, the lower assembly 300 may rotate in the forward direction. As the lower assembly 300 rotates, the lower tray 310 is separated from the upper tray 210, thereby separating the ice cubes formed in the ice cube chamber IC and dropping them into an ice tray (described later).

[0163] In addition, the ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include an upper ejector 250 for separating ice cubes from the upper tray 210 .

[0164] The upper ejector 250 of the embodiment of the present invention may include an upper ejector body 251 and one or more upper ejector pins 252 extending from the upper ejector body 251 in a direction intersecting the ejector body. The number of upper ejector pins 252 may be the same as the number of ice cube chambers IC, and the upper ejector pins 252 may move ice cubes generated in each ice cube chamber IC.

[0165] In an embodiment of the present invention, an anti-separation protrusion 253 may be formed at both ends of the upper ejector body 251. The anti-separation protrusion 253 can move up and down along a guide groove 234a formed in the upper support member 234 described later, and can be connected to one end of the coupling member 820 described later connected to the lower assembly 300.

[0166] Here, the upper ejector 250 can move in the vertical direction in conjunction with the rotation of the lower assembly 300, thereby separating the ice cubes in the ice cube chamber 1C from the ice cube chamber 1C. Specifically, as the upper ejector pin 252 is guided through a housing opening (described later) of the upper housing 230 and the inlet 212 of the upper tray 210 and inserted into the interior of the ice cube chamber 1C, the upper ejector pin 252 can separate the ice cubes from the ice cube chamber 1C by applying pressure to the ice cube chamber 1C.

[0167] In addition, the lower assembly 300 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a lower ejector 360. The lower ejector 360 can pressurize the lower tray 310 of the lower assembly 300 to separate ice cubes adhered to the lower chamber 311 of the lower tray 310 from the lower chamber 311.

[0168] Here, the end of the lower ejector 360 can be located within the rotation range of the lower assembly 300 , and can move ice cubes by pressing the lower outer side of the ice chamber IC, that is, the lower chamber 311 during the rotation of the lower assembly 300 .

[0169] The following description takes as an example a case where the lower ejector 360 is provided in the upper housing 230 and its position is fixed regardless of the rotation of the lower assembly 300 .

[0170] The lower ejector 360 of the embodiment of the present invention is described as including a lower ejector body 361 fixed to the upper housing 230 and a lower ejector pin 262 protruding from the lower ejector body 361. Here, the surface formed by the lower ejector pin 262 is inclined so that the lower ejector pin 262 can be directed toward the lower opening 351 formed in the lower support member 350 when the lower assembly 300 rotates.

[0171] On the other hand, during the rotation of the lower assembly 300 for removing ice, the rotational force of the lower assembly 300 can be transmitted to the upper ejector 250. To this end, the ice maker 100 can further include a connecting unit 800 connecting the lower assembly 300 and the upper ejector 250. Here, the connecting unit 800 can include one or more coupling members 820.

[0172] The connection unit 800 may include a pair of rotating arms 810 and a coupling 820. The rotating arms 810 may rotate together with the lower support 350 by being connected to the driving unit 700.

[0173] The coupling 820 connects the lower support member 350 and the upper ejector 250, transmitting the rotational force of the lower support member 350 to the upper ejector 250 as the lower support member 350 rotates. The upper ejector 250 moves up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the coupling 820 and the lower support member 350. As described above, the upper ejector pin 252 pressurizes the ice cubes within the ice cube chamber IC. Conversely, when the lower assembly 300 rotates in the opposite direction, the upper ejector 250 can be lifted and returned to its original position via the coupling unit 800.

[0174] The connection shaft 830 of the connection unit 800 is connected to a hinge shaft 331 of the lower housing 330 , which will be described later, thereby transmitting the rotation of the driving unit 700 to the lower assembly 300 .

[0175] On the other hand, as in the aforementioned example, the lower tray 310 of the embodiment of the present invention may be formed of an elastic, flexible material or a ductile material that can recover to its original shape after being deformed by an external force.

[0176] Therefore, when the lower tray 310 and the upper tray 210 abut against each other for making ice, since the hardness of the lower tray 310 is low, the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 are pressed and tightly attached as the upper end of the lower tray 310 deforms, thereby being airtight.

[0177] For example, the lower tray 310 may be made of silicon. Since the lower tray 310 is structured to be repeatedly deformed by direct contact with the lower ejector 360, it can be easily deformed, thereby producing spherical ice cubes even when ice cubes are repeatedly produced.

[0178] On the other hand, the ice maker 100 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a lower heater 370. Here, the lower heater 370 may be provided at a position adjacent to the lower chamber 311 to heat the lower chamber 311 of the lower tray 310 (see FIG. Figure 13 and Figure 14 Here, the operation process of the lower heater 370 will be described later.

[0179] Below, refer to Figure 13 and Figure 14 , the basic operation of the ice making machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0180] During the water supply process, the top surface of the lower tray 310 is separated from at least a portion of the bottom surface of the upper tray 210, and water supplied from the outside is guided by the water supply guide 900 and supplied to the ice chamber IC. At this time, water can be supplied to the ice chamber IC through one of the inlets 212 formed in each of the plurality of upper chambers 211 of the upper tray 210.

[0181] Since the lower tray 310 is spaced apart from the upper tray 210, if a specific lower chamber 311 is filled with water during water supply, water can flow to adjacent lower chambers 311 to fill all lower chambers 311. Therefore, each of the plurality of lower chambers 311 of the lower tray 310 can be filled with water.

[0182] On the other hand, if the water supply ends, the lower assembly 300 rotates in the reverse direction by the driving unit 700, the top surface of the lower tray 310 contacts the bottom surface of the upper tray 210, the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 are closed, and ice making starts.

[0183] When ice making begins, lower heater 370 is turned on to heat lower tray 310. Consequently, ice begins to form from the uppermost side of ice chamber 1C. By controlling the output of lower heater 370 to vary according to the mass per unit height of water in ice chamber 1C, ice formation can be sequentially performed from the upper end of ice chamber 1C downward.

[0184] If ice making is completed, the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 may be turned on to remove the ice. If the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 are turned on, the heat of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 is transferred to the upper chamber 211 and the lower chamber 311 by the first heat transfer part 510 and the second heat transfer part 520, thereby separating the ice cubes 1 from the inner surfaces of the upper chamber 211 and the lower chamber 311.

[0185] Then, if the lower assembly 300 rotates in the forward direction, the lower tray 310 can be separated from the upper tray 210. During the rotation of the lower assembly 300, the upper ejector pins 252 pressurize the spherical ice cubes that are in close contact with the upper tray 210, thereby separating the ice cubes from the upper tray 210. The ice cubes separated from the upper tray 210 can be supported by the lower tray 310 again. While the ice cubes are supported by the lower tray 310, they can move together with the lower assembly 300 and, due to their own weight, separate from the lower tray 310 and move toward the ice box 102.

[0186] The ice maker and refrigerator of the present invention have one or more of the following effects.

[0187] First, the upper heater heats at least two heating regions that are different from each other in the vertical direction of the upper chamber, thereby achieving an effect of enabling heat transfer over the entire surface of the upper chamber.

[0188] Secondly, the uniform heat transfer across the entire surface of the upper chamber allows for the removal of spherical ice cubes without damage during the ice removal operation.

[0189] Third, the heating areas are formed not only at different positions in the vertical direction but also at different positions in the radial direction with the vertical center axis of the upper chamber as the center, thereby achieving uniform heat transfer over the entire surface of the upper chamber.

[0190] Fourth, at least one heating area is formed between the plurality of upper chambers, thereby preventing the spherical ice cubes formed between the upper chambers from being damaged.

[0191] Fifth, since the material of the upper tray is not limited to silicon materials that can realize an undercut structure, it can be made of ordinary plastic materials used in injection molding, thereby having the effect of reducing manufacturing costs.

[0192] Sixth, the heater structure can eliminate the problem of ice cubes being damaged when moving ice due to the adhesion between the plastic material and the ice cubes when the upper tray is made of plastic material.

[0193] Next, a control method of the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0194] Figure 15 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ice making machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0195] The ice maker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit 710 for controlling the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 .

[0196] Here, the control unit 710 may determine whether ice making is completed based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 720 .

[0197] The control unit 710 can adjust the on / off state and output of the upper heater 270 and / or the lower heater 370. In the embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 710 controls the output, i.e., the amount of heat, by controlling the on / off duty cycle of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370. Specifically, the output of the upper heater 270 and / or the lower heater 370 can be controlled by adjusting the on and off time.

[0198] If the opening and closing of the door or the operation of the fan is sensed during the process of making or removing ice, the controller 710 may adjust the current on / off and output of the upper heater 270 accordingly.

[0199] The control unit 710 can rotate the lower assembly 300 by controlling the driving unit 700. The upper ejector 250 connected to the lower assembly 300 can be lowered by the rotation of the lower assembly 300, thereby separating the ice from the upper assembly 200, that is, removing the ice.

[0200] Figure 16 FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in the ice maker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0201] Reference Figure 16 , more specifically, in order to produce ice cubes in the ice maker 100, a water supply step (S100) is first performed.

[0202] More specifically, in order to perform the water supply step ( S100 ), the lower tray 310 moves to the water supply position by the rotation of the lower assembly 300 .

[0203] Here, when the lower tray 310 is located at the water supply position, the top surface of the lower tray 310 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the upper tray 210. Water supply is started in this state, and ice making water is supplied to the inside of the ice cube chamber IC.

[0204] For example, water flows into the water supply guide 900 through a water supply pipe connected to an external water supply source or a water tank provided inside the refrigerator 1. In this way, the water is guided by the water supply guide 900 and supplied to the ice chamber IC.

[0205] At this time, since the top surface of the lower tray 310 is separated from the bottom surface of the upper tray 210, if a specific lower chamber 311 is filled with water during water supply, the water can flow along the top surface of the lower tray 310 to the other lower chambers 311. Therefore, each of the plurality of lower chambers 311 of the lower tray 310 can be filled with water.

[0206] When water supply is terminated, the lower tray 310 moves to the ice making position by rotating the lower assembly 300. Specifically, the controller 710 controls the drive unit 700 to rotate the lower assembly 300 in the reverse direction. When the lower tray 310 moves to the ice making position, the ice making step (S300) is performed.

[0207] In an embodiment of the present invention, after ice making starts, the controller 710 may control the lower heater 370 to operate in at least a portion of the ice making step ( S300 ) to supply heat to the ice chamber.

[0208] For example, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 720 reaches the turn-on reference temperature, the control unit 710 may determine that the condition for turning on the lower heater 370 is satisfied, and turn on the lower heater 370. Here, if the lower heater 370 is turned on, the heat of the lower heater 370 is transferred to the lower chamber 311 of the lower tray 310.

[0209] Therefore, when ice making is performed with the lower heater 370 turned on, heat is transferred to the water in the lower chamber 311 contained in the ice chamber 1C, so that ice is generated from the upper side in the ice chamber 1C. As a result, bubbles in the water move downward, thereby producing transparent ice.

[0210] On the other hand, in an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 710 can determine whether ice making has ended based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 720. For example, if the temperature of the upper tray 210 sensed by the temperature sensor 720 is determined to be at the ice making end temperature, e.g., below -9°C, the control unit 710 can determine that ice making has ended.

[0211] Here, if it is determined that ice making is completed, the controller 710 may turn off the lower heater 370 .

[0212] If ice making is completed through the above-described process, the control unit 710 performs an ice removal step ( S400 ).

[0213] Figure 17 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining the ice removal steps according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0214] Reference Figure 17 The ice moving step (S400) of the embodiment of the present invention may include a preheating step (S440) and an ice position moving step (S450).

[0215] In the ice removing step ( S400 ), the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 are turned on to supply heat to the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 .

[0216] In the embodiment of the present invention, as previously described, upper tray 210 is formed of a plastic material, which may have lower thermal conductivity than lower tray 310 formed of silicone. Furthermore, because injection molded products made of such plastic material have a greater affinity for water than silicone, upper tray 210 and ice cubes can be more strongly attached during the phase transition of water into ice.

[0217] Considering the above phenomenon, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case of controlling the heat supplied by the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370, that is, the output of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 during the preheating process is described as an example.

[0218] For example, during the preheating step (S440), the upper heater 270 may be kept on, and the heat supplied to the lower tray 310 may be adjusted by controlling the on / off duty cycle of the lower heater 370 (S441). For example, the lower heater 370 may be controlled to be on for 47 seconds and off for 14 seconds based on a 60-second period.

[0219] That is, in the preheating step, the amount of heat supplied by the lower heater 370 may be set to be smaller than the amount of heat supplied by the upper heater 270 .

[0220] On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, the preheating step (S440) (S442) is performed for a preset first preheating time, and the preheating step is terminated when a preset preheating termination condition is satisfied after the first preheating time (S443). For example, if the first preheating time is set to 10 minutes, the preheating step can be terminated after 10 minutes, depending on whether the preheating termination condition is satisfied.

[0221] In an embodiment of the present invention, the preheating termination condition can be set to be satisfied when the second preheating time has elapsed or the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 720 disposed on the upper tray 210 reaches a preset preheating termination temperature. For example, if the second preheating time is set to 20 minutes, the preheating step (S440) can be terminated after 10 minutes have passed, regardless of whether the preheating termination temperature has been reached, after the 10 minutes that constitute the first preheating time have elapsed and an additional 10 minutes have elapsed.

[0222] On the contrary, even if the second preheating time has not been reached, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 720 reaches the preheating end temperature, for example, 7° C., the preheating step ( S440 ) may be ended.

[0223] As described above, if the preheating step (S440) is completed, the control unit 710 performs the ice position moving step (S450). That is, the control unit 710 can rotate the lower assembly 300 in the forward direction by controlling the driving unit 700, thereby rotating the lower tray 310 to the ice moving position (S452).

[0224] If the lower assembly 300 rotates in the forward direction, the lower tray 310 is spaced away from the upper tray 210. In this ice removal process, ice cubes can be separated from the surface of the upper tray 210 due to the heat of the upper heater 270.

[0225] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to smoothly move ice, the upper and lower heaters are controlled to remain in the on state (S451) during the ice cube position moving step (S450) as an example. That is, as described above, since the output is controlled by controlling the on / off duty ratio of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370, full output can be achieved by keeping the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 in the on state.

[0226] In the process as described above, if the upper ejector pins 252 pressurize the ice cubes adhering to the upper tray 210 and the lower tray 310 is pressurized by the lower ejector 360 , the ice cubes may be separated from the lower tray 310 .

[0227] The ice cubes separated from the surface of the lower tray 310 may fall downward and be stored in the ice box 102 .

[0228] Through the preheating process as described above, ice can be removed without damaging the ice cubes, for example, spherical ice cubes can be removed.

[0229] In addition, it is possible to prevent the ice from melting due to excessive heat being transferred to the lower tray 310 during the preheating process.

[0230] Figure 18 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for illustrating ice removal steps according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0231] Reference Figure 18 In another embodiment of the present invention, the ice moving step (S400) may further include a standby time detection step (S410), a door sensing step (S420), and a fan sensing step (S430).

[0232] If ice making is determined to be complete, the control unit 710 may detect the standby time after ice making is complete. After ice making is complete, the control unit 710 may determine whether the standby time is within a pre-set preheating standby time (S410). The preheating standby time may be a time period after ice making is complete during which ice removal failure may occur. For example, it may be 60 minutes.

[0233] If the standby time is determined to be longer than the preheating standby time, the control unit 710 skips the door sensing step (S420) and the fan sensing step (S430) and performs the preheating step (S440) and the ice cube position moving step (S450). Here, the preheating step (S440) and the ice cube position moving step (S450) may correspond to the previous embodiment, and thus their description is omitted.

[0234] On the contrary, when the standby time is within the preheating standby time, the control unit 710 performs the door sensing step ( S420 ).

[0235] The refrigerator 1 may include a door sensor 730 for sensing whether the freezer door 21 is open or closed. The door sensor 730 may be a switch that is compressed when the freezer door 21 is closed and restored when the freezer door 21 is opened.

[0236] Here, when the freezer door 21 is open, the temperature of the freezer compartment 12 rises due to the influence of the outside temperature. To reduce the rising temperature, the freezer compartment fan 740 is activated, and the cold air from the evaporator compartment 14 circulates into the freezer compartment 12. The cold air circulating in the freezer compartment 12 can flow into the ice chamber IC through the cold air hole 121.

[0237] At this time, when the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 are turned on for ice removal, the upper heater 270 may not be able to transfer sufficient heat required for ice removal to the upper chamber 152 due to the influence of cold air flowing through the cold air holes 121 .

[0238] Therefore, preferably, the control unit 710 checks whether the freezer door 21 is opened or closed, and turns on the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 when the freezer door 21 is closed.

[0239] Here, if it is determined that the freezer door 21 is closed, the control unit 710 performs a fan sensing step (S430) to sense whether the freezer fan is operating. If it is determined that the freezer door 21 is open, the control unit 710 returns to the standby time detection step (S410) and stands by in the state where ice making is completed.

[0240] On the other hand, if ice making is finished, the controller 710 senses the operating state of the freezing chamber fan before turning on the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 for ice removal (S430).

[0241] At this time, when it is sensed that the freezing chamber fan is in an off state, the control part 710 may sequentially perform a preheating step (S440) and an ice position moving step (S450).

[0242] On the contrary, if it is sensed that the freezing chamber fan 740 is in the on state, the control unit 710 returns to the standby time detection step (S410) and stands by in a state where ice making is completed.

[0243] on the other hand, Figure 19 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in an ice maker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0244] In the ice making machine 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the residual ice removing step ( S200 ) may be performed before the ice making step ( S300 ) is performed after water is supplied.

[0245] In the residual ice removing step ( S200 ) of the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 710 may control at least one of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 to operate so as to transfer heat to the ice-making water in the ice chamber IC.

[0246] In the embodiment of the present invention, the case where both upper heater 270 and lower heater 370 are operated in the residual ice removal step (S200) is described as an example. Furthermore, the case where both upper heater 270 and lower heater 370 are controlled to operate at full output to quickly remove residual ice is described as an example.

[0247] As mentioned above, the output control of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 is achieved by the on / off duty cycle control. Therefore, the case where the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 are continuously kept on during the execution of the residual ice removal step (S200) is explained as an example.

[0248] In the embodiment of the present invention, the residual ice removal step ( S200 ) is described using a case where the residual ice removal process is performed within a preset residual ice removal time. For example, the residual ice removal time can be set to 30 minutes. This residual ice removal time can be determined based on factors such as the output capacity of the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 , the size of the ice chamber IC, and other factors. Alternatively, an optimal time can be derived through experimentation.

[0249] As described above, if the residual ice removal step (S200) is completed, the control unit 710 sequentially performs the ice making step (S300) and the ice moving step (S400). Since the ice making step (S300) and the ice moving step (S400) are performed through the aforementioned process, their detailed description is omitted.

[0250] Figure 20 FIG. 1 is a flow chart for explaining a process of producing ice cubes in an ice making machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0251] exist Figure 20 In the illustrated embodiment, the case where the residual ice removing step ( S200 ) is performed during each repetition of the water supplying step ( S100 ), the ice making step ( S300 ), and the ice moving step ( S400 ) is described as an example.

[0252] On the contrary, as another embodiment of the present invention, the residual ice removal step (S200) can be performed in units of a preset repetition cycle during the repetition of the water supply step (S100), the ice making step (S300) and the ice moving step (S400).

[0253] Reference Figure 20 More specifically, as described above, if the water supply step (S100) is completed, the control unit 710 can determine whether a preset repetition cycle has passed (S210). For example, it can determine whether the ice making process has been repeated n times.

[0254] At this time, if it is determined that the repetition cycle has not passed, the control unit 710 does not perform the residual ice removing step (S200), but directly performs the ice making step (S300) and the ice moving step (S400) in sequence.

[0255] On the contrary, if it is determined that a repetitive cycle has passed, that is, it is determined that the ice making process has been repeated n times, then as mentioned above, after executing the residual ice removing step (S200), the ice making step (S300) and the ice moving step (S400) are executed in sequence.

[0256] Here, if the residual ice removing step ( S200 ) is performed, the control unit 710 may initialize a value n, which is the number of repetitions ( S220 ).

[0257] As described above, after the water supply to the inside of the ice chamber IC is completed, the upper heater 270 and the lower heater 370 can remove the residual ice using the supplied ice-making water, thereby effectively removing the residual ice.

[0258] In addition, by performing the residual ice removal process for the residual ice accumulation phenomenon occurring during the anti-icing process each time or in units of a preset repetition cycle, the residual ice accumulation phenomenon can be prevented.

[0259] By this residual ice removal step, it is possible to produce, for example, complete ice cubes without damaging the outer shape of the ice cubes.

[0260] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be manufactured in various different forms. A person skilled in the art can implement the present invention in other specific forms without changing the technical concept or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, wherein: include: The box body defines the storage space; a door for opening and closing at least a portion of the storage space; as well as an ice maker, disposed in the storage space or the door; The ice making machine comprises: a first tray including a first chamber defining a first portion of an ice cube chamber; a second tray including a second chamber defining a second portion of the ice chamber; and a heater, disposed along a periphery of the first chamber, for heating the first chamber; The first tray further comprises: a first heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and transferring heat from the heater to the first chamber; and a second heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and transferring heat from the heater to the first chamber; The second heat transfer portion is formed to surround at least a region of the periphery of the first chamber.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The ice maker further includes a first housing, and the first tray is combined with the first housing.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein: The second tray is rotatably supported by the first housing.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein: The first heat transfer portion includes a first contact end portion contacting a portion of the heater, The second heat transfer portion includes a second contact end portion connected to another portion of the heater, A distance between the first contact end and the second tray in a direction in which the first tray and the second tray are arranged is greater than a distance between the two contact end and the second tray in the direction in which the first tray and the second tray are arranged.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein When the first housing is combined with the first tray, the first contact end of the first heat transfer portion contacts the heater. A first area where the first heat transfer portion contacts the first chamber is wider than a second area where the first heat transfer portion contacts the heater.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein: The first housing is provided with heater insertion portions at positions corresponding to the first heat transfer portion and the second heat transfer portion, and the heater is inserted into the heater insertion portions so that the heater is exposed toward the first tray.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein The heater insert comprises: a first heater insertion portion into which the first heat transfer portion is inserted; and a second heater insertion portion into which the second heat transfer portion is inserted; The heater is inserted into the first heater insertion portion and the second heater insertion portion, A region of the heater inserted into the second heater insertion portion is located closer to the second tray than a region of the heater inserted into the first heater insertion portion.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein The first housing further includes: a tray opening through which a portion of the first chamber passes when the first housing and the first tray are combined; and an opening wall extending from at least a region of an inner diameter of the tray opening; The first heater insertion portion is formed to protrude radially inward from the inner wall of the opening wall. The second heater insertion portion is formed in at least one region of a distal end portion of the opening wall.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a first heat transfer portion protruding from the first heating area of ​​the first chamber, A second heat transfer portion protrudes from the second heating area of ​​the first chamber, A horizontal distance between a portion of the first chamber located in the first heating region and a vertical line passing through the center of the ice chamber is formed to be shorter than a horizontal distance between a portion of the first chamber located in the second heating region and a vertical line passing through the center of the ice chamber.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein The first heating region defines an area where the first heat transfer portion and the first chamber intersect, The second heating region defines an area where the second heat transfer portion and the first chamber intersect.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The heater comprises: a first portion in contact with the first heat transfer portion; and The second portion contacts the second heat transfer portion.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The first tray includes a plurality of first chambers, the plurality of first chambers including the first chamber, The first heat transfer portion is formed in each of the plurality of first chambers, and at least one first heat transfer portion is formed between a pair of adjacent first chambers.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The first heat transfer portion includes: a chamber contact portion extending from the first chamber; and A heater contact portion extends from the chamber contact portion, wherein a horizontal length of the heater contact portion is smaller than a horizontal length of the chamber contact portion.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The invention further includes an auxiliary heat transfer portion extending from the second heat transfer portion toward the radially outer side of the first chamber.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The first tray is formed of a plastic material, The second tray is formed of an elastic material.

16. An ice making machine, wherein: include: a first tray including a first chamber defining a first portion of an ice cube chamber; a first housing coupled to the first tray at one side of the first tray; a second tray including a second chamber defining a second portion of the ice chamber upon interfacing with the first chamber; as well as a heater disposed along the periphery of the first chamber, The first tray further comprises: a first heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and transferring heat from the heater to the first chamber; and a second heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and transferring heat from the heater to the first chamber; The first housing includes a heater insertion portion into which the heater is inserted. The heater insert comprises: a first heater insertion portion into which a portion of the heater is inserted; and a second heater insertion portion into which another portion of the heater is inserted; A region of the heater inserted into the second heater insertion portion is located closer to the second tray than a region of the heater inserted into the first heater insertion portion.

17. The ice making machine according to claim 16, wherein: The first chamber includes an inlet, The first heat transfer portion is arranged closer to the inlet than the second heat transfer portion.

18. The ice making machine according to claim 16, wherein The first heat transfer portion includes a first contact end portion contacting the portion of the heater, The second heat transfer portion includes a second contact end portion that contacts the other portion of the heater. A distance between the first contact end and the second tray in the arrangement direction of the first tray and the second tray is greater than a distance between the second contact end and the second tray in the arrangement direction of the first tray and the second tray.

19. The ice making machine according to claim 18, wherein The area where the first heat transfer portion and the first chamber intersect defines a first heating area, The area where the second heat transfer portion and the first chamber intersect defines a second heating area, The second heating zone is wider than the first heating zone.

20. A refrigerator, wherein: include: The box body defines the storage space; a door for opening and closing at least a portion of the storage space; as well as an ice maker, disposed in the storage space or the door; The ice making machine comprises: a first tray including a first chamber defining a first portion of an ice cube chamber; a second tray including a second chamber defining a second portion of the ice chamber; and a heater, disposed along a periphery of the first chamber, for heating the first chamber; The first tray further comprises: a first heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and having a first contact end portion in contact with a portion of the heater; and a second heat transfer portion protruding from the first chamber and having a second contact end portion in contact with another portion of the heater; A distance between the first contact end and the second tray in the arrangement direction of the first tray and the second tray is greater than a distance between the second contact end and the second tray in the arrangement direction of the first tray and the second tray.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein The first chamber includes an inlet, The first heat transfer portion is arranged closer to the inlet than the second heat transfer portion.

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