Abstract: A refrigerator includes an ice making compartment, an ice making unit producing ice in the ice making compartment, and a refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant pipe to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. Air present in the ice making compartment is cooled while undergoing direct heat exchange with at least one of the ice making unit and the refrigerant pipe.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes an ice making compartment, an ice making unit producing ice in the ice making compartment, and a refrigeration cycle including a refrigerant pipe to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. Air present in the ice making compartment is cooled while undergoing direct heat exchange with at least one of the ice making unit and the refrigerant pipe.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a body provided with a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment and an ice making compartment provided in the refrigerating compartment; an ice making unit including an ice making tray to produce ice in the ice making compartment; an ice storage container to store the ice made by the ice making unit; and a refrigerant pipe protruding from an interior wall of the body to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. A drainage duct is disposed between the ice making unit and the ice storage container adapted to prevent water drops from the ice making unit falling into the ice storage container. The drainage duct include at least one fixer configured to push the refrigerant pipe to a lower surface of the ice making tray to contact the refrigerant pipe with the lower surface of the ice making tray.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a body provided with a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment and an ice making compartment provided in the refrigerating compartment; an ice making unit including an ice making tray to produce ice in the ice making compartment; an ice storage container to store the ice made by the ice making unit; and a refrigerant pipe protruding from an interior wall of the body to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. A drainage duct is disposed between the ice making unit and the ice storage container adapted to prevent water drops from the ice making unit falling into the ice storage container. The drainage duct include at least one fixer configured to push the refrigerant pipe to a lower surface of the ice making tray to contact the refrigerant pipe with the lower surface of the ice making tray.

Abstract: An ice making unit and a refrigerator having the same are discussed. The refrigerator includes an ice making unit arranged in the ice making compartment, to produce ice, and a refrigeration cycle comprising a refrigerant pipe to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. Air present in the ice making compartment is cooled while undergoing direct heat exchange with at least one of the ice making unit and the refrigerant pipe.

Abstract: A refrigerator and a control method thereof to control a rotational direction of an ice making motor to detect an ice full state of an ice storage without separating the ice from the ice maker. The refrigerator includes an ice making tray making ice therein, an ejector separating the ice, an ice storage storing the separated ice, an ice full state sensing lever detecting the ice full state of the ice storage, an ice making motor driving the ejector and the ice full state sensing lever, and a controller detecting the ice full state by driving the ice full state sensing lever by rotating the ice making motor in an ice moving direction, and detecting release of the ice full state by driving the ice full state sensing lever by rotating the ice making motor in the opposite direction after the ice full state is detected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a boss reinforcing apparatus of a portable communication device including a press member, the boss reinforcing apparatus including at least one reinforcing part assembled with a boss that is formed on a case of the portable communication device when the case is insert-injection-molded onto the press member, to reinforce the boss and prevent a screw assembling part formed on the boss from separating from the boss.

Abstract: An ice making unit and a refrigerator having the same are discussed. The refrigerator includes an ice making unit arranged in the ice making compartment, to produce ice, and a refrigeration cycle comprising a refrigerant pipe to supply cooling energy to the ice making compartment. Air present in the ice making compartment is cooled while undergoing direct heat exchange with at least one of the ice making unit and the refrigerant pipe.

Abstract: A refrigerator and a control method thereof to control a rotational direction of an ice making motor to detect an ice full state of an ice storage without separating the ice from the ice maker. The refrigerator includes an ice making tray making ice therein, an ejector separating the ice, an ice storage storing the separated ice, an ice full state sensing lever detecting the ice full state of the ice storage, an ice making motor driving the ejector and the ice full state sensing lever, and a controller detecting the ice full state by driving the ice full state sensing lever by rotating the ice making motor in an ice moving direction, and detecting release of the ice full state by driving the ice full state sensing lever by rotating the ice making motor in the opposite direction after the ice full state is detected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a boss reinforcing apparatus of a portable communication device including a press member, the boss reinforcing apparatus including at least one reinforcing part assembled with a boss that is formed on a case of the portable communication device when the case is insert-injection-molded onto the press member, to reinforce the boss and prevent a screw assembling part formed on the boss from separating from the boss.

Abstract: A refrigerator which supplies water by driving a water valve installed on a flow path connected between a water supply source and a dispenser and a control method thereof are disclosed. A driving voltage is applied to the water valve in a start-up operation and the phase of the driving voltage applied to the water valve is controlled after the start-up operation to reduce an average voltage, thereby preventing a malfunction due to overheat of the water valve.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a valve to distribute a refrigerant to a plurality of storage compartments. The valve includes a step motor, a valve plate having at least one inlet and a plurality of outlets, and an opening/closing member rotatably coupled to the valve plate to open or close the plurality of outlets in accordance with a rotating motion thereof. In particular, the opening/closing member has one or more recesses, which are indented from the circumference of the opening/closing member by a predetermined distance, to always open only one of the plurality of outlets. With the above-described configuration, the refrigerator can reduce material costs, and can achieve not only simplified valve control, but also accurate control in temperatures of the plurality of storage compartments.

Abstract: A hot water supplying refrigerator which includes a main body having a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment, and a dispenser provided to the door. The refrigerator includes a hot water tank storing water supplied from an outside, a heater heating water stored in the hot water tank, a hot water pipe connecting the hot water tank and the dispenser, a circulating part circulating water remained in the hot water pipe to the hot water tank, and a control part controlling the heater. Thus, the present invention provides a hot water supplying refrigerator and a control method thereof supplying hot water with a constant temperature, and preventing water remained in a hot water pipe from being wasted.

Abstract: A passage switching valve for maintaining a plurality of outlet ports to be opened and for uniformly distributing a fluid to the outlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same are disclosed. The passage switching valve includes a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports, and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member. The outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port. A collecting portion is formed by providing a recess in the bottom portion of the housing such that a fluid can be collected and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

Abstract: A water supply control apparatus and method for an ice maker, in which an amount of supplied water is controlled so as to supply an accurate amount of the water to an ice tray. The method includes the steps of (a) supplying water to an ice tray for a predetermined time; (b) determining whether or not a proper amount of water has been supplied to the ice tray after the predetermined time has elapsed; and (c) resetting the predetermined time based on predetermined water supply data, in case that it is determined that the proper amount of water has not supplied to the ice tray.

Abstract: A sensorless switched reluctance motor (SRM) driving apparatus comprising: a phase control unit for outputting a start or stop command signal for the SRM and a speed command signal to set rotation speed thereof; a phase detecting circuit for outputting a phase current signal after measuring the phase current transmitted to the SRM; a digital firing angle estimating unit for outputting a rotor phase signal to supply the current to a specific phase of the rotor if the arrangement command signal is input, and for outputting a rotor phase signal after measuring a SRM firing angle by comparing a phase current signal and a reference phase converting period signal as a pulse signal is applied to a phase previously magnetized when the SRM has been rotated; a speed control unit for sending an arrangement command signal to the digital firing angle estimating unit if an operation start signal is input from the phase control unit, for outputting a voltage command signal to control the SRM rotation speed in response to th

Abstract: A control circuit and method for controlling a sensorless brushless DC motor are provided which are capable of effectively filtering noise. The control circuit includes: a phase voltage measuring unit for determining the voltage of each phase from the terminal voltages of the stator coils; a phase voltage sign detecting unit for detecting the sign of the phase voltage measured from the phase voltage measuring unit and outputting a phase voltage sign signal; and a digital phase-shifter for generating a delay signal which is delayed up to 90.degree. with respect to the phase voltage sign signal and supplying the delayed signal to the commutation unit.