ICE MAKER AND REFRIGERATOR HAVING THE SAME

Abstract

An ice maker and a refrigerator having the ice maker are disclosed. The ice maker includes: an ice making tray having a plurality of cells; an ejector disposed at one side of the ice making tray and separating ice within the cells; and a driving motor installed at an upper side of the ice making tray and providing a driving force to the ejector. The size of the ice making tray can be increased in a lengthwise direction to increase the ice making capacity. The ice maker can be suitably installed at an inner side of a door where a horizontal width can be hardly changed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an ice maker and a refrigerator having the same and, more particularly, to an ice maker capable of increasing an ice making capacity and a refrigerator having the same.

BACKGROUND ART

As known, a refrigerator is a device for refrigerating or freezing food items or the like to keep them fresh in storage. The refrigerator includes a refrigerator body having a cooling chamber formed therein, and a refrigerating cycle device for providing cold air to the cooling chamber. The refrigerating cycle device generally includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser at which the refrigerant is heat-released and condensed, an expansion device for decompresses and expands the refrigerant, and an evaporator at which the refrigerant absorbs ambient latent heat so as to be evaporated.

Some of refrigerators include a dispenser and an ice maker to allow a user to take out of water and/or ice without having to open a refrigerator door.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the related art refrigerator, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ice maker of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the ice maker FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator body 10 including a freezing chamber 20 and a refrigerating chamber 30, and a freezing chamber door 25 and a refrigerating chamber door 34 each opening and closing the freezing chamber 20 and the refrigerating chamber 30. The refrigerating chamber door 35 may have a home bar 37 allowing the user to take out or put in food items without having to open the refrigerating chamber 130.

A plurality of shelves 24 are disposed such that they are spaced apart along a vertical direction at the interior of the freezing chamber 20. An ice maker 40 for making ice is provided at the interior of the freezing chamber 20. An ice bucket 60 is provided at a lower side of the ice maker 40 to keep ice, which has been made in the ice maker 40, in storage or discharge it.

A plurality of door pockets 26 are provided at the freezing chamber door 25 to allow food items to be received. A dispenser 27 is provided on the freezing chamber door 25 to allow a user to take out ice without opening the freezing chamber 20. An inlet 29 is formed on an upper surface of the dispenser 27 to allow ice discharged from the ice bucket 60 to be introduced into the dispenser 27.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ice maker 40 includes an ice making tray 41 having a plurality of cells 42 to make ice in a certain shape, a water supply unit 43 for supplying water to the ice making tray 41, and an ejector 45 for separating ice generated in the ice making tray 41.

A slider 48 is disposed at an upper portion of the ice making tray 41 to allow ice separated by the ejector 45 to slide thereon. The ejector 45 includes a shaft 46a disposed at the upper portion of the ice making tray 41 and ejector pins 46b protruded in a radial direction such that they correspond to the cells 42. The slider 48 includes a cutout portion 49 to allow the ejector pins 46b to rotate.

A guide part 44 is formed to upwardly extend from one longer side of the ice making tray 41 to guide ice separated by the ejector 45, and fixing units 50 are formed at an upper portion of the guide part 44 to fix the ice maker 40. A through hole 52 is formed on a plane of each fixing unit 50.

A control box 55 is installed at one side of the ice making tray 41 along a lengthwise direction, and an ice full state detection lever 57 is provided at one side of the control box 55 within the ice bucket 60 in order to detect whether or not the ice bucket 60 is full of ice. The control box 55 includes a driving motor (not shown) for providing a driving force to the ejector 45 and a detection unit (not shown) for detecting a rotation of the ice full state detection lever 57 formed therein. Also, the control box 55 includes a controller (not shown) for controlling the ejector 45 to separate ice and the water supply unit 43 based on a detection result obtained by the detection unit.

In the related art refrigerator, because the control box 55 is disposed at one side of the ice making tray 41 and the water supply unit is disposed at the other side of the ice making tray 41, there is a restriction in the length of the ice making tray 41 to reduce an ice making capacity. In particular, when the ice maker 40 is installed at the freezing chamber door 25 restricted in its horizontal width, the size of the ice making tray 41 cannot be increased in the lengthwise direction.

Technical Gist of the Present Invention

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ice maker capable of increasing an ice making capacity and a refrigerator having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker that can be suitably installed at a door by increasing an ice making tray in a lengthwise direction, and a refrigerator having the same.

To achieve the objects, there is provided an ice maker including: an ice making tray having a plurality of cells; an ejector disposed at one side of the ice making tray and separating ice within the cells; and a driving motor installed at an upper side of the ice making tray and providing a driving force to the ejector.

A power transmission unit may be provided at one side of the ice making tray to transfer a rotational force of the driving motor to the ejector.

The power transmission unit may include a plurality of gears rotated by being engaged between the driving motor and the ejector. The driving motor may be disposed in parallel with the ejector.

A frame may be formed at one side of the ice making tray to support the gears.

An ice bucket may be provided at a lower side of the ice making tray, and an ice full state detection lever may be provided at the frame in order to detect an ice full state of the ice bucket.

A water supply unit for supplying water to the ice making tray may be provided at an upper side of the ice making tray.

The water supply unit may be disposed at an inner side of the ice making tray when projected from a plane surface.

A controller may be disposed at an upper side of the ice making tray in order to control the driving motor.

A housing may be provided at the upper side of the ice making tray in order to house the driving motor and the controller.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including: a refrigerator body having a cooling chamber formed therein; a door for opening and closing the freezing chamber; and an ice maker disposed in the cooling chamber according to one of claims 1 to 8.

The ice maker may be configured to be installed at the door.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the size of the ice making tray can be increased in a lengthwise direction to increase the ice making capacity.

Also, because the size of the ice making tray can be increased in the lengthwise direction, no in the widthwise direction, so the ice maker can be suitably installed at the door.

Accordingly, a larger capacity ice maker can be provided without having to change the structure of the refrigerator door, and because the number of times of ice making is reduced, the number of times of driving of each element (electric parts) can be reduced to reduce power consumption and lengthen a life span.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the related art refrigerator;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ice maker of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the ice maker of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the ice maker of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the ice maker of FIGS. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the interior of the ice maker of FIG. 5.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An ice maker and a refrigerator having the ice maker according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the ice maker of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a front view of the ice maker of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the interior of the ice maker of FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, a refrigerator having an ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body 110 having cooling chambers 120 and 130 formed therein; doors 125 and 135 for opening and closing the cooling chambers 120 and 130; and an ice maker 160 disposed at the interior of the cooling chambers 120 and 130.

Here, the cooling chamber generally refers to a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, and the refrigerator body 110 may be configured to include only the freezing chamber. In addition, the ice maker 160 may be generally installed in the freezing chamber (or a freezing chamber door), and alternatively, it may be provided to be installed with a cool air supply unit in the refrigerating chamber (or a refrigerating chamber door) according to the configuration of the refrigerator body. The case where the refrigerator body 110 includes the freezing chamber 120 and the refrigerating chamber 130 and the ice maker 160 is installed in the freezing chamber door 125 will now be taken as an example in the following description.

The refrigerator body 110 includes the freezing chamber 120 and the refrigerating chamber 130 formed along a horizontal direction therein. A freezing chamber door 125 and a refrigerating chamber door 135 are rotatably hinge-coupled at a front side of each of the freezing chamber 120 and the refrigerating chamber 130 to selectively open and close the freezing chamber 120 and the refrigerating chamber 130. A home bar 137 may be installed on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 135 to allow a user to take out or take it food items without having to open the refrigerating chamber door 135.

A plurality of shelves 124 are separately installed along a vertical direction to receive and support food items within the freezing chamber 120. A plurality of door pockets 126 are provided at the inner side of the freezing chamber door 125 to receive food items.

The ice maker 160 for making ice is provided at an upper portion of the freezing chamber door 125, and an ice bank or an ice bucket (referred to as the ‘ice bucket’, hereinafter) for keeping ice, which has been made by the ice maker 160, in storage is provided at a lower side of the ice maker 160. A dispenser 150 is provided at a lower side of the ice bucket 140 to allow the user to take out ice kept in the ice bucket 140 without opening the freezing chamber door 125.

The dispenser 150 includes an ice making tray 161 having a plurality of cells 162, an ejector 171 disposed at one side of the ice making tray 161 and separating ice within the cells 162, and a driving motor 181 installed at an upper side of the ice making tray 161 and providing a driving force to the ejector 171.

The ice making tray 161 has substantially a rectangular shape when projected from a plane and includes the plurality of cells 162 divided along a lengthwise direction formed therein. The bottom of each cell 162 may have a circular arc shape, and ice formed by the cells 162 has substantially a semicircular sectional shape. The ice making tray 161 may be formed as a metal member, and an electric heater (not shown) may be provided at the bottom and/or the side portion of the ice making tray 161 to heat the ice making tray 161. Here, the electric heater heats the ice making tray 161 such that the ice within the ice making tray 161 can be separated. The electric heater is electrically connected with the controller so as to be controlled by the controller.

A guide part 164 may be formed to upwardly extend from one portion of a longer side of the ice making tray 161, namely, at the side of the freezing chamber door 125 to be in contact with ice released from the cells 162 to guide the ice. Accordingly, the ice separated from the cells 162 by means of the ejector 171 can be prevented from being brought into contact with the freezing chamber door 125. The guide part 164 may include a fixing unit 166 for fixing the ice making tray 161. The fixing unit 166 may be formed to be upwardly protruded from an upper end of the guide part 164 and include a through hole 168 formed on the plane face of the fixing unit 166 to allow a fixing member such as a screw, a bolt, a protrusion, or the like, to pass therethrough.

The ejector 171 is disposed at an upper side of the ice making tray 161 to separate ice, which has been generated within the ice making tray 161, from the ice making tray 161. The ejector 171 includes a shaft part 173 disposed along a lengthwise direction of the ice making tray 161 and rotatably supported, and a plurality of ejector pins 175 protruded along a radial direction from the shaft part 173 such that they correspond to each cell 162 in order to press ice within each cell 162.

A slider 170 is provided at an upper portion of the ice making tray 161 to allow ice, which has been separated by the ejector 171 and guided to the upper portion by the guiding part 164, to be dropped to the ice bucket 140 disposed at the lower portion of the ice making tray 161. The slider 170 is disposed to block the opposing side where the guide part 164 is formed, based on one upper region of the ice making tray 161, namely, the shaft part 173 of the ejector 171. The slider 170 includes a cutout portion 172 formed to allow the ejector pins 175 to pass therethrough when the ejector pins 175 are rotated. An upper surface of the slider 170 may be formed to be downwardly sloped in a direction in which it becomes away from the shaft part 173 of the ejector 171. Accordingly, ice can be smoothly dropped into the ice bucket 140.

A water supply unit 180 may be formed at one side of an upper portion of the ice making tray 161, namely, at a right region in FIG. 6 in order to supply water to the interior of the ice making tray 161. The water supply unit 180 may have substantially a rectangular shape with a receiving space formed therein to temporarily house water therein. A cutoff portion 182 may be formed to be upwardly cut off at a lower portion of the water supply unit 180 such that it is not brought into contact with the ejector pins 175 when the ejector pins 175 are rotated.

The driving motor 181 is disposed at an upper side of the ice making tray 161 to provide a driving force to rotate the ejector 171. A rotational shaft of the driving motor 181 may be disposed to be parallel to the shaft part 173 of the ejector 171. A power transmission unit may be provided between the driving motor 181 and the ejector 171 in order to transfer the rotational force of the driving motor 181 to the ejector 171.

The power transmission unit may include a plurality of gears 185, 187 and 177. The gears 185, 187 and 177 include a driving gear 185 coupled to the rotational shaft 183 of the driving motor 181, a following gear 177 coupled to the shaft part 173 of the ejector 171, and a plurality of electromotor gear 187 disposed to be rotatably in mesh with each other between the driving gear 185 and the following gear 177. Here, the size and number of electromotor gears 187 may be properly adjusted in consideration of the distance between the driving motor 181 and the ejector 171, and the like. Here, the power transmission unit may be configured to include a belt or a pulley, or a chain or a chain wheel.

A frame 195 may be provided at one side of the ice making tray 161 in order to support the rotational shaft of the plurality of the electromotor gears 187. A side housing 194 may be formed at an outer side of the frame 195 to accommodate them. A switch 196 may be formed on an outer surface of the side housing 194 in order to manipulate the ice maker 160. An ice full state detection lever 211 may be formed at a lower region of the side housing 194 in order to detect whether or not ice accommodated within the ice bucket disposed at the lower side of the ice making tray 161 is full.

The ice full state detection lever 211 may include a shaft part 212a, an arm part 212b substantially vertically extending from an end portion of the shaft part 212a, and a detection part 212c extending at a certain angle, specifically, substantially vertically extending from the end portion of the arm part 212b. The detection part 212c may be bent to be rotatably supported.

A detection unit 216 may be provided at one side of the shaft part 212a of the ice full state detection lever 211 in order to detect a state in which the detection part 212c of the ice full state detection lever 211 is rotated by being in contact with ice in the occurrence of an ice full state, namely, a position of the detection part 212c when ice is full. The detection unit 216 may include a permanent magnet 217 interworking with a rotation of the shaft part 212a and a sensor part 221 for detecting a magnetic force of the permanent magnet 217. Here, as the sensor part 221, a hall sensor may be configured. An arm 215 may be extendedly formed at the shaft part 212a in order to revolve the permanent magnet 217.

A controller 191 may be disposed at an upper portion of the ice making tray 161 in order to rotate the ejector 171 after ice making to separate/extract ice from the ice making tray, supply water to the interior of the ice making tray 161, and control each element to stop driving of the ejector 171 when an ice full state is detected. The controller 191 may be implemented in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB). The driving motor 181 and the sensor part 221 are connected by electrical wire to the controller 191.

An upper housing 192 may be formed at an outer side of the driving motor 181 and the controller 191 in order to house and/or support the driving motor 181 and the controller 191. The upper housing 192 may be formed to be connected with the side housing 194.

With such configuration, water is supplied to the cells 162 of the ice making tray 161 through the water supply unit 180, and when a certain time elapses, ice is formed correspondingly according to the shape of each cell 162 within the ice making tray 161. When power is applied to the electric heater, the ice making tray 161 is heated to allow the ice to be separated. At this time when power is applied to the driving motor 181 to start rotating of the driving motor 181, the driving force of the driving motor 181 is transferred by means of the plurality of gears 185, 187 and 177, and accordingly, the ejector 171 is rotated. As the ejector 171 is rotated based on the shaft part 173, the ejector pins 175 formed correspondingly according to each cell 162 are rotated by way of the interior of the cells 162

The ice within the cells 162 are moved toward the guide part 164 by each ejector pin 175 being rotated. Upon being brought into contact with the guide part 164, the ice is upwardly moved along the guide part 164, passing over the ejector 171, and then dropped to the upper portion of the slider 170. At this time, the ejector 171, making one rotation, is returned to its initial position.

Ice cubes which have been dropped to the upper portion of the slider 170, are slidably moved along the slider 170, and eventually accommodated/stored within the ice bucket 140 disposed at the lower side of the ice making tray 161.

Meanwhile, the ice full state detection lever 211, being in contact with an upper surface of the ice, is upwardly rotated as the level of the ice goes up. When the level of ice within the ice bucket 140 is as high as to indicate a full ice state, the permanent magnet 217 is rotated toward the sensor part 221, and at this time, the sensor part 221 detects a magnetic force of the permanent magnet 217 and output a detection signal to the controller 191.

Upon receiving the detection signal which has been outputted by the detection unit 216, the controller 191 determines that the ice bucket 140 is in an ice full state. Determining that the ice bucket 140 is in the ice full state, the controller 191 controls each element to stop supplying of ice to the ice bucket 140. Namely, the controller 191 stops driving of the driving motor 181 to stop the ice separation operation of the ice making tray 161 and controls the water supply unit 180 not to supply water to the ice making tray 161.

As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ice maker comprising:

an ice making tray having a plurality of cells;

an ejector disposed at one side of the ice making tray and separating ice within the cells; and

a driving motor installed at an upper side of the ice making tray and providing a driving force to the ejector.

2. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein a power transmission unit is provided at one side of the ice making tray to transfer a rotational force of the driving motor to the ejector.

3. The ice maker of claim 2, wherein the power transmission unit comprises a plurality of gears rotated by being engaged between the driving motor and the ejector.

4. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein the driving motor is disposed in parallel with the ejector.

5. The ice maker of claim 3, wherein a frame is formed at one side of the ice making tray to support the gears.

6. The ice maker of claim 5, wherein an ice bucket is provided at a lower side of the ice making tray, and an ice full state detection lever is provided at the frame in order to detect an ice full state of the ice bucket.

7. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice making tray is provided at an upper side of the ice making tray.

8. The ice maker of claim 7, wherein the water supply unit is disposed at an inner side of the ice making tray when projected from a plane surface.

9. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein a controller is disposed at an upper side of the ice making tray in order to control the driving motor.

10. The ice maker of claim 9, wherein a housing may be provided at the upper side of the ice making tray in order to house the driving motor and the controller.

11. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body having a cooling chamber formed therein;

a door for opening and closing the freezing chamber; and

an ice maker disposed in the cooling chamber, the ice maker comprising: an ice making tray having a plurality of cells; an ejector disposed at one side of the ice making tray and separating ice within the cells; and a driving motor installed at an upper side of the ice making tray and providing a driving force to the ejector.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the ice maker is configured to be installed at the door.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein a power transmission unit is provided at one side of the ice making tray to transfer a rotational force of the driving motor to the ejector.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the power transmission unit comprises a plurality of gears rotated by being engaged between the driving motor and the ejector.

15. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the driving motor is disposed in parallel with the ejector.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein a frame is formed at one side of the ice making tray to support the gears.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein an ice bucket is provided at a lower side of the ice making tray, and an ice full state detection lever is provided at the frame in order to detect an ice full state of the ice bucket.

18. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice making tray is provided at an upper side of the ice making tray.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the water supply unit is disposed at an inner side of the ice making tray when projected from a plane surface.