Refrigerator and method of making shaved ice

• US 20060070386A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: An, Jae Koog
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/66
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/10 by using rotating or otherwise moving moulds F25C1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/12 Ice-shaving machines
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/17 Ice crushers

Abstract

A refrigerator and a method of making shaved ice by controlling a period during which ice is fed into an ice-shaving compartment, thereby preventing ice from overflowing the ice-shaving compartment and preventing the ice-shaving compartment from being broken due to an excessive amount of ice. The method of making shaved ice comprises feeding cubed ice stored in an ice-storing unit mounted in a freezing compartment to a shaved ice-making unit mounted at a discharge port side of the ice-storing unit though an ice-feeding unit to make shaved ice, setting a driving time for the shaved ice-making unit, and setting a driving time for the ice-feeding unit. The driving time for the shaved ice-making unit is longer than the driving time for the ice-feeding unit.

Claims

1. A method of making shaved ice comprising feeding cubed ice stored in an ice-storing unit mounted in a freezing compartment to a shaved ice-making unit mounted at a discharge port side of the ice-storing unit though an ice-feeding unit to make shaved ice, the method further comprising:

setting a driving time for the shaved ice-making unit; and

setting a driving time for the ice-feeding unit, wherein the driving time for the shaved ice-making unit is longer than the driving time for the ice-feeding unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a controlling operation such that the ice-feeding unit is stopped earlier than the shaved ice-making unit.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising further driving the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined period after the ice-feeding unit is stopped.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising repeatedly driving and stopping the ice-feeding unit while driving the shaved ice-making unit continuously.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising driving the ice-feeding unit for a predetermined first period, and then stopping for a predetermined second period, while driving the shaved ice-making unit continuously, thereby repeatedly driving and stopping the ice-feeding unit.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising further driving the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined third period after the predetermined period elapses to make cubed ice.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising stopping the ice-feeding unit after the ice-feeding unit is driven for a predetermined number of times.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising further driving the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined third period after the predetermined period elapses to make cubed ice.

9. A method of making shaved ice comprising feeding cubed ice stored in an ice-storing unit mounted in a freezing compartment to a shaved ice-making unit mounted at a discharge port side of the ice-storing unit though an ice-feeding unit to make shaved ice, the method further comprising:

driving the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined period; and

controlling the ice-feeding unit such that the ice-feeding unit is repeatedly driven and stopped for the predetermined period.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising driving the ice-feeding unit for a predetermined first period, and then stopping for a predetermined second period, while driving the shaved ice-making unit, thereby repeatedly driving and stopping the ice-feeding unit for the predetermined period.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising immediately stopping the ice-feeding unit, without stopping the ice-feeding unit for the predetermined second period, after the ice-feeding unit is driven for a predetermined number of times.

12. A refrigerator comprising:

an ice shaver mounted in a freezing compartment to make ice;

an ice-storing unit to store the ice made by the ice shaver;

an ice-feeding unit to feed the ice stored in the ice-storing unit to the outside of the ice-storing unit;

a shaved ice-making unit to receive the ice from the ice-feeding unit and to make the ice into shaved ice; and

a control unit to perform a controlling operation such that the shaved ice-making unit is driven for a longer period than the ice-feeding unit.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the control unit performs a controlling operation such that the ice-feeding unit is stopped earlier than the shaved ice-making unit.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the control unit performs a controlling operation such that the ice-feeding unit is driven for a predetermined first period, and is then stopped for a predetermined second period, while the shaved ice-making unit is driven, the ice-feeding unit being repeatedly driven and stopped.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the control unit

drives the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined period,

drives the ice-feeding unit for a predetermined first period, and then stops the ice-feeding unit for a predetermined second period, the ice-feeding unit being repeatedly driven and stopped for the predetermined period, and

further drives the shaved ice-making unit for a predetermined third period after the predetermined period elapses.