ICE TRAY APPARATUS AND METHOD

Abstract

In one embodiment an ice tray is manufactured using a material having higher thermal conductivity, hardness, and elongation than those of aluminum. A time or duration to complete making the ice may be shortened. The material can include copper alloy. The material can have an antibiotic effect.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0086754, filed on Jun. 18, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ice tray, an ice machine for a refrigerator, and a method for manufacturing an ice tray.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An ice tray is a device that is used to generate ice in a refrigerator. The ice tray includes a plurality of spaces that can contain water. When the ice tray containing water is stored in a freezer compartment, cold air in the freezing compartment exchanges heat with the ice tray, and the water in the ice tray is phase-changed to ice. Conventional, ice trays have been manufactured using aluminum.

Traditionally, many refrigerators are top-mount-type refrigerators having a freezing compartment positioned at an upper side or portion of the refrigerator and a refrigerating compartment positioned at the lower side or portion of the refrigerator. There are also commercially available bottom-freeze-type refrigerators. Bottom-freeze-type refrigerators can enhance user convenience in which a more frequently-used refrigerating compartment is positioned at an upper portion of the refrigerator and a less frequently used freezing compartment is positioned at a lower portion of the refrigerator. This provides an advantage in that a user can conveniently use the refrigerating compartment. However, the bottom-freeze-type refrigerators (in which the freezing compartment is positioned at the lower portion or side) can pose an inconvenience when a user does access the freezing compartment, in that a user typically has to bend at the waist to open the freezing compartment door (e.g., to take out pieces of ice, food, etc.).

Traditional attempts at solving the above problem in the bottom freeze type refrigerators have included an ice dispenser installed in the refrigerating compartment or refrigerating compartment door in some implementations. In this approach, the refrigerating compartment door or the inside of the refrigerating compartment may be provided with an ice maker which generates ice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, an ice tray is manufactured using a material having higher thermal conductivity, hardness, and elongation than those of aluminum. A time or duration to complete process of making ice may be shortened. The material can include copper alloy. The material can have an antibiotic effect.

In one embodiment, an ice tray comprises: a tray main body including a material having higher thermal conductivity, hardness, and elongation than aluminum; and a plurality of partitions included in the tray main body and configured to partition the inner space into a plurality of formation spaces. The tray main body may have an inner space configured to hold water and an upper surface of the tray main body may be open. The material can be a copper alloy. The material can be brass and the brass can have an antibacterial effect. The copper alloy can have a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.94 (cal/cm²/sec/° C.). The tray main body can be thinner than another tray main body made of aluminum. Cooling ribs that increase an area configured to contact cold air can be formed on a bottom portion of the tray main body. A heater can be coupled to a bottom portion of the tray main body, the heater is operable to transfer heat to the tray main body and ease ice removal from the plurality of formation spaces. A surface of the ice tray can be coated.

In one exemplary implementation a method for manufacturing an ice tray comprises: injecting a copper alloy material in a melted state into a mold for forming the ice tray provided with a plurality of formation spaces in which an upper surface is open; cooling the mold into which the copper alloy material is injected; and separating the ice tray from the mold. The copper alloy material can be brass. A surface of the ice tray that is separated from the mold can be coated. The copper alloy material in a melted state can become solid through the cooling of the mold.

In one embodiment, an ice machine for a refrigerator comprises: a copper alloy ice tray which receives cold air and generates ice; an ice separation member which drops the ice that is generated in the ice tray; and an ice bucket arranged on a lower side of the ice tray so as to contain the ice that is dropped from the ice tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an ice tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a horizontal cross-section of the ice tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a bottom surface of the ice tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an ice machine for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an ice machine combined in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an ice tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the current invention.

Hereinafter, constructions and actions according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known constructions or functions may be omitted if such description may make the nature of the present invention unnecessarily vague.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an ice tray 100 according to one embodiment. Ice tray 100 includes a tray main body 110 and a plurality of partitions 120 formed in the tray main body 110. The tray main body 110 has an inner space of which an upper surface is opened to allow water to flow into the inner space and ice can to be ejected. The plurality of partitions 120 are configured to partition the inner space into a plurality of formation spaces. The formation spaces may have various shapes according to the desired shape of the ice to be generated. The number of formation spaces may also vary.

In one embodiment, an inner space of the tray main body 110 includes a structure that is surrounded by a bottom portion of the tray main body 110 and outer walls 130, 140, 150, and 160 that are formed along the edges or outer circumference of the bottom portion. The inner space may include and be partitioned by the plurality of partitions 120. If the ice tray 100 is sufficiently cooled when water is in the plurality of formation spaces, the water is frozen to generate ice. In one exemplary implementation, the ice tray 100 serves as a kind of heat exchanger.

In one embodiment, the tray main body 110 and the plurality of partitions that are formed in the tray main body 110 may be made of a copper alloy material. Aluminum has thermal conductivity of 0.53 (cal/cm²/sec/° C.), and copper has thermal conductivity of 0.94 (cal/cm²/sec/° C.). Accordingly, when ice tray 100 is manufactured with a copper alloy material instead of aluminum, thermal conductivity of the ice tray made with copper alloy is greater than an ice tray made with aluminum. In one embodiment, the ice tray 100 is manufactured with a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity and the heat exchange rate between the water in the ice tray 100 and cold air is greater than traditional approaches. Accordingly, ice can be generated more promptly and the amount of ice that can be generated per unit time can be increased.

In one embodiment, the tray main body 110 and the plurality of partitions that are formed in the tray main body 110 may be made of brass that is a copper alloy material. Brass is an alloy that is made by adding zinc to copper. Brass is a material which is usually considered to have a beautiful color, is relatively easily cast in comparison to pure copper, and has relatively high hardness and elongation compared to aluminum.

In one exemplary implementation, the tray main body 110 and the plurality of partitions 120 are manufactured with brass and the thickness of a bottom portion of the tray main body 110 becomes approximately half in comparison to a traditional aluminum tray. As the thickness of the bottom portion of the ice tray becomes thinner, the heat exchange rate or transferring speed with cold air increases. Thus, the heat exchange rate of the ice tray 100 that is manufactured with brass is considered better in comparison to the heat exchange rate of a traditional ice tray manufactured with aluminum.

The brass material can have an antibiotic effect, and if the ice tray 100 is manufactured with brass, the propagation of germs in the ice that is generated in the ice tray 100 can be reduced or prevented compared to traditional aluminum ice trays.

Cooling ribs 180 may be formed on the bottom portion of the tray main body 110. The cooling ribs increase contact area with the cold air. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cooling ribs 180 widen or increase the area with which cold air comes in contact with the bottom portion of the tray main body 110. By widening or increasing the area in which the cold air comes in contact with the tray main body 110 through the cooling ribs 180, a loss of cold air can be reduced to heighten energy efficiency. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, in the case where the cold air is guided in direction along the bottom portion of the tray main body 110 (e.g., illustrated by the arrow, etc.), the area in which the moving cold air comes in contact with the tray main body 110 is expanded or increased by the cooling ribs 180, and thus the loss of cold air can be reduced.

A heater 170 may be coupled to the bottom portion of the tray main body 110. The heater 170 can transfer heat so that the ice formed in the plurality of formation spaces is more easily removed from the formation spaces in the tray main body. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heater 170 may be a heating line arranged on the bottom portion of the tray main body 110. It is appreciated the heater 170 may have other various structures and shapes. If the tray main body 110 is heated through the heater 170 while ice is in the ice tray 100, the surface of the ice is melted, and thus the ice can be easily separated from the plurality of formation spaces.

The surface of the ice tray 100 may be coated. For example, the surface of the ice tray 100 may be coated by a coating technique, such as Teflon coating, silicon coating, epoxy coating and so on. The whole surface or a part of the surface of the ice tray 100 may be coated.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an ice machine 300 for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ice machine may be installed in the food storage space in the refrigerator or at the door. Ice machine 200 may include the ice tray 100 which receives cold air and generates ice, an ice separation member 230 which drops the ice that is generated in the ice tray 100, and an ice bucket 320 arranged on the lower side of the ice tray 100 so as to catch or contain the ice that is dropped from the ice tray 100.

In one embodiment, the ice machine 200 may receive the cold air that is generated from a cooling portion (not illustrated) included in the main body of the refrigerator, and the ice tray 100 may generate the ice. The ice tray 100 may receive water from a water supply pipe (not illustrated). The ice tray 100 may be made of a copper alloy material. The ice tray may be made of brass that is a copper alloy material. It is appreciated various characteristics or features can be obtained or achieved when the ice tray 100 is made of brass (e.g., thinner than aluminum, better thermal transfer than aluminum, more appealing appearance, etc.).

The cold air may be supplied to the ice tray 100 through a cold air guide portion 220. Specifically, the cold air guide portion 220 may guide the flow of the cold air so that the cold air that is supplied from a cooling portion moves along the bottom surface of the ice tray 100. When the cold air is supplied through the cold air guide portion 220, the cold air exchanges heat with the ice tray 100, and thus the water that is contained in the ice tray 100 is phase-changed to ice. The cold air guide portion 220 may include a first cold air guide member 221 that extends from an upper surface of a cold air discharge duct and a second cold air guide member 222 that extends from a lower surface of the cold air discharge duct.

The ice that is generated in the ice tray 100 may be dropped down by the ice separation member 230. The ice separation member 230 may include a rotating member that ca rotate the ice tray 100 and cause the ice that is generated in the ice tray 100 to drop. Specifically, an upper surface of the ice tray 100 may be rotated downward through rotation of a rotating shaft 231, and if the ice tray 100 is rotated over a predetermined angle, it is twisted through an interference of a predetermined interference member (not illustrated). The ice from the ice tray 100 may be dropped down by the twisting. The ice tray 100 may be configured to be rotated along the rotating shaft 231. The rotating shaft 231 can be seated on rotating shaft seat grooves 151 and 161 that are formed on a front portion 150 and a rear portion 160 of the ice tray 100. The rotating shaft 231 may be rotated by a motor 232 in a rotating shaft motor housing 233. In another embodiment, a plurality of ejectors (not illustrated) may be provided along the length direction of the rotating shaft 231, and through rotation of the ejectors, the ice can be separated from the ice tray 100 in a state where the ice tray 100 is not rotated.

The ice bucket 320 that catches and contains the ice that is dropped from the ice tray 100 may be arranged on the lower side of the ice tray 100. When the ice that is generated in the ice tray 100 is dropped down by the ice separation member 230, the ice may be contained in the ice bucket 320.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an ice machine included in a refrigerator according to one embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, an ice machine for a refrigerator according to one embodiment may include an auger 410 and an auger motor 420. The auger 410 may be configured to transport the ice that is accommodated in the ice bucket 320 toward a discharge portion 600. The auger 410 may be a rotating member having screw or spiral-shaped wings, and is rotated by the auger motor 420. The auger 410 is included in the ice bucket 320, and the ice accumulated in the ice bucket 320 may be put between the wings of the auger 410 and may be transported toward the discharge portion 600. The auger motor 420 may be included in the auger motor housing 430.

The discharge portion 600 may be connected to a dispenser (not illustrated) included in the refrigerator door, and the ice that is transported by the auger 410 may be supplied to a user through the dispenser in accordance with user's selection. Although not illustrated, a cutting member that can cut the ice may be provided in the discharge portion 600. The ice can be cut into pieces or cubes of a predetermined size.

In the ice machine 200, cold air that is generated through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator may be supplied into a cooling space 105, and may freeze the water contained in the ice tray 100. Ice tray 100 can be included in the cooling space 105. The cold air guide portion 220 may be coupled to and extend from the discharge duct 310. The cold air that is discharged from the discharge duct 310 may move along the cold air guide portion 220.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the ice machine 200 may be included inside the refrigerator main body 10. For example, the ice machine 200 may be installed in the refrigerating compartment. In one embodiment, the ice machine 200 is installed in the refrigerating compartment and the cold air of the freezing compartment may move through a cold air supply pipe 500. The cold air supply pipe 500 can be arranged on a wall surface on the inside of the refrigerating compartment and may be coupled to the ice machine 200 installed in the refrigerating compartment. In one exemplary implementation, the supplied cold air may be guided through the cold air guide portion 220 and may move along the bottom surface of the ice tray 100.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for manufacturing an ice tray in accordance with one embodiment.

The method for manufacturing an ice tray 100 according include injecting a copper alloy material in a melted state into a mold (S100), cooling the mold (S200), and separating the ice tray from the mold (S300).

The copper alloy material in a melted state may be injected (S100) into the mold for forming the ice tray 100 provided with a plurality of formation spaces, in which an upper surface is open. The copper alloy material may be brass.

The mold into which the copper alloy material in a melted state is injected may be cooled by a variety of techniques (e.g., naturally cooled, cooled through supply of the cold air, etc.).

In separating the ice tray from the mold (S300), the ice tray 100 that is formed through solidification of the copper alloy material is separated from the mold.

The method for manufacturing an ice tray 100 may also include coating a surface of the ice tray that is separated from the mold (S400). The surface of the ice tray 100 may be coated by a variety of coating techniques (e.g., such as Teflon coating, silicon coating, epoxy coating, etc.). The whole surface or a part of the surface of the ice tray 100 may be coated.

In one embodiment, an ice tray is manufactured using a copper alloy material having higher thermal conductivity, hardness, and elongation than those of aluminum. The copper alloy material can have an antibiotic effect. In one exemplary implementation, an ice machine for a refrigerator includes such an ice tray. In addition, since the copper alloy material has high elongation, a thinner ice tray can be made compared to a traditional aluminum ice tray. Since the ice tray can have a reduced thickness and high thermal conductivity, the time or duration to make ice can be shortened and the amount of ice made can be increased.

Even if the raw material cost of copper alloy is more expensive than a similar amount of aluminum, the material cost of the ice tray is not necessarily greatly increased since the copper alloy ice trays can be thinner than typical aluminum ice trays. The amount of copper alloy used to make the relatively thin ice tray can be significantly less than the amount of aluminum typically used to make a relatively thick ice tray. In addition, various beneficial marketing or advertising aspects can be obtained with respect to an antibiotic brass ice tray.

While the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains may substitute and change components without limitation and these substitutions and changes also are included in the scope of the present invention.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. The listing of steps within method claims do not imply any particular order to performing the steps, unless explicitly stated in the claims.

Claims

1. An ice tray comprising:

a tray main body including a material having higher thermal conductivity, hardness, and elongation than aluminum, the tray main body having an inner space configured to hold water, an upper surface of the tray main body being open; and

a plurality of partitions included in the tray main body and configured to partition the inner space into a plurality of formation spaces.

2. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein the material is a copper alloy.

3. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein the material is brass.

4. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein the brass material has an antibacterial effect.

5. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein the tray main body is thinner than another tray main body made of aluminum.

6. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein the copper alloy has thermal conductivity of approximately 0.94 (cal/cm2/sec/° C.).

7. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein cooling ribs that increase an area configured to contact cold air are formed on a bottom portion of the tray main body.

8. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein a heater is coupled to a bottom portion of the tray main body, the heater is operable to transfer heat so as to make ice to ease ice removal from the plurality of formation spaces.

9. The ice tray of claim 1, wherein a surface of the ice tray is coated.

10. A method for manufacturing an ice tray, comprising:

injecting a copper alloy material in a melted state into a mold for forming the ice tray provided with a plurality of formation spaces in which an upper surface is open;

cooling the mold into which the copper alloy material in the melted state is injected; and

separating the ice tray from the mold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the copper alloy material is brass.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising coating a surface of the ice tray that is separated from the mold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the copper alloy material in a melted state becomes solid through the cooling of the mold.

14. An ice machine for a refrigerator, comprising:

a copper alloy ice tray which receives cold air and generates ice;

an ice separation member which drops the ice that is generated in the ice tray; and

an ice bucket arranged on a lower side of the ice tray so as to contain the ice that is dropped from the ice tray.

15. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein the copper alloy is brass.

16. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein the brass material has an antibacterial effect.

17. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein the tray main body is thinner than another tray main body made of aluminum.

18. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein cooling ribs that increase an area configured to contact cold air are formed on a bottom portion of the tray main body.

19. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein a heater is coupled to a bottom portion of the tray main body, the heater is operable to transfers heat so as to make ice to ease ice removal from the plurality of formation spaces.

20. The ice tray of claim 15, wherein a surface of the ice tray is coated.