Ice supplying apparatus and refrigerator having the same

• US 10,641,534 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Bongjun, An, Siyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkisson, Jianying C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sullens, Tavia
• Application Number:
  US14/927,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20160138845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/04 Ice guide, e.g. for guiding ice blocks to storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/02 Geometry problems
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/08 Sticking or clogging of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/046 Ice-crusher machines
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators

Abstract

An ice supplying apparatus includes: an ice bank configured to store therein ice made by an ice maker; a blade unit having a fixed blade, and a rotary blade formed to be relatively-rotatable with respect to the fixed blade, the rotary blade configured to crush ice when rotated in one direction; and a discharge guide unit provided below the blade unit, and configured to discharge the crushed ice, wherein a scattering preventing unit having a different inclination, in a gravitational direction of the earth, from another side of the discharge guide unit is formed at one side of the discharge guide unit, so as to prevent scattering of the crushed ice when the crushed ice is taken out.

Claims

1. An ice supplying apparatus, comprising:

an ice bank configured to store ice made by an ice maker;

a blade unit having a fixed blade and a rotary blade, the rotary blade being configured to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixed blade and being configured to, based on rotation of the rotary blade in a first direction, cause ice stored in the ice bank to be crushed between the rotary blade and the fixed blade;

a discharge guide located below the blade unit and configured to guide discharge of the crushed ice, the discharge guide having a first side and a second side that is opposite to the first side with respect to an axis that extends from the rotation axis in a direction of gravity; and

an ice duct located between the ice bank and the discharge guide and configured to guide the crushed ice to the discharge guide,

wherein the discharge guide includes;

a first portion that is located at the first side of the discharge guide and that is configured to, during discharge of the crushed ice, reduce scattering of the crushed ice from the discharge guide, the first portion having a first surface that extends downward and toward the axis and that defines a first angle with respect to the axis, and

a second portion that is located at the second side of the discharge guide, the second portion having a second surface that extends downward and that defines a second angle with respect to the axis, the first angle being greater than the second angle,

wherein the fixed blade is located at a side corresponding to the second side of the discharge guide opposite to the first portion of the discharge guide with respect to the axis,

wherein the axis penetrates an inner space of the ice duct and an inner space of the discharge guide,

wherein the rotary blade is configured to, based on rotating in the first direction, pass the axis and approach from the axis toward the first portion located at the first side of the discharge guide,

wherein the first portion is positioned in an area defined by a tangential vector and a normal vector that extend from a lowest point of a circle that is defined by rotation of the rotary blade as the rotary blade rotates in the first direction,

wherein the discharge guide includes;

a guide body installed at a dispenser case, the guide body defining an inlet through which the crushed ice is introduced, and

an inner guide that is located in the guide body and that is configured to guide discharge of the crushed ice, the inner guide defining a discharge outlet for discharge of the crushed ice,

wherein the inner guide includes the first portion, and

wherein a part of an inner wall of the inner guide defines the first surface of the first portion.

2. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed blade is located between the axis and the second portion of the discharge guide.

3. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outer wall of the inner guide is spaced a part from an inner surface of the guide body.

4. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the discharge guide is a part of the inner guide.

5. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein another part of the inner wall of the inner guide defines the second surface of the second portion.

6. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixed blade and the rotary blade each have a knife edge configured to crush ice located at one side, and

wherein the knife edge of the rotary blade is configured to, based on rotation of the rotary blade in the first direction, rotate toward the knife edge of the fixed blade and crush ice disposed between the rotary blade and the fixed blade, and

wherein the rotary blade has a smooth side that is configured to, based on rotation of the rotary blade in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction, push ice to bypass the fixed blade and dispense the ice as ice cubes.

7. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first portion increases toward an inside of the inner guide as the first portion extends toward the discharge outlet.

8. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the discharge guide extend downward from the inlet to the discharge outlet, and

wherein a horizontal distance between the first portion and the axis is less than a horizontal distance between the second portion and the axis.

9. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion is bent from the inner wall of the inner guide and extends toward an inside of the inner guide.

10. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 9, wherein both side walls of the inner guide corresponding to the first portion and the second portion, respectively, have a same thickness.

11. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manipulation lever configured to generate a control signal for dispensing ice based on being pressed,

wherein the inner guide has an arc shape, and

wherein the inner guide has a first end positioned at a first side of the manipulation lever, and a second end positioned at a second side of the manipulation lever that is opposite of the first side of the manipulation lever.

12. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first portion that has a thickness increasing toward an inside of the inner guide, and

wherein the thickness of the first portion of the inner guide increases toward the first end of the inner guide from a point between the first and second ends of the inner guide.

13. The ice supplying apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first end of the inner guide has a tapered portion that is spaced apart from the manipulation lever.

14. A refrigerator, comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a refrigerator door rotatably connected to the refrigerator body; and

an ice supplying apparatus installed at the refrigerator door, the ice supplying apparatus comprising;

an ice bank configured to store ice made by an ice maker;

a blade unit having a fixed blade and a rotary blade, the rotary blade being configured to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixed blade and being configured to, based on rotation of the rotary blade in a first direction, cause ice stored in the ice bank to be crushed between the rotary blade and the fixed blade;

a discharge guide located below the blade unit and configured to guide discharge of the crushed ice, the discharge guide having a first side and a second side that is opposite to the first side with respect to an axis that extends from the rotation axis in a direction of gravity; and

an ice duct located between the ice bank and the discharge guide and configured to guide the crushed ice to the discharge guide,

wherein the discharge guide includes;

a first portion that is located at the first side of the discharge guide and that is configured to, during discharge of the crushed ice, reduce scattering of the crushed ice from the discharge guide, the first portion having a first surface that extends downward and toward the axis and that defines a first angle with respect to the axis, and

a second portion that is located at the second side of the discharge guide, the second portion having a second surface that extends downward and that defines a second angle with respect to the axis, the first angle being greater than the second angle,

wherein the fixed blade is located at a side corresponding to the second side of the discharge guide opposite to the first portion of the discharge guide with respect to the axis,

wherein the axis penetrates an inner space of the ice duct and an inner space of the discharge guide,

wherein the rotary blade is configured to, based on rotating in the first direction, pass the axis and approach from the axis toward the first portion located at the first side of the discharge guide,

wherein the first portion is positioned in an area defined by a tangential vector and a normal vector that extend from a lowest point of a circle that is defined by rotation of the rotary blade as the rotary blade rotates in the first direction,

wherein the discharge guide includes;

a guide body installed at a dispenser case, the guide body defining an inlet through which the crushed ice is introduced, and

an inner guide that is located in the guide body and that is configured to guide discharge of the crushed ice, the inner guide defining a discharge outlet for discharge of the crushed ice,

wherein the inner guide includes the first portion, and

wherein a part of an inner wall of the inner guide defines the first surface of the first portion.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the first portion extends toward the discharge outlet, a thickness of the first portion increasing toward an inside of the inner guide as the first portion extends toward the discharge outlet.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the ice supplying apparatus further comprises a manipulation lever configured to generate a control signal for dispensing ice based on being pressed,

wherein the inner guide has an arc shape, and

wherein the inner guide has a first end positioned at a first side of the manipulation lever, and a second end positioned at a second side of the manipulation lever that is opposite of the first side of the manipulation lever.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the first portion increases toward an inside of the inner guide, and

wherein the thickness of the first portion increases toward the first end of the inner guide from a point between the first and second ends of the inner guide.