Pulse Electrothermal Mold Release Icemaker With Safety Baffles For Refrigerator

• US 20090235682A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Inventors: PARK, Hong Hee, OH, Joon Hwan, SUH, Kwang Ha, PETRENKO, Victor F., MARTINEZ, Gabriel, LEE, Tae Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,405,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/351
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/12 by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/08 by heating bodies in contact with the ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/06 by forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/08 by electric heating

Abstract

An icemaker and a refrigerator having an icemaker are discussed. The icemaker has pulse-electrothermal ice release and includes an ice-making tray having several ice forming portions in which water is stored and ice is formed; and a housing surrounding the ice-making tray provided with at least one cold air inlet and/or ice ejection port through which cold air is supplied and ice released along a bent channel. The cold air inlet and/or ice ejection ports are baffled to prevent contact with a user'"'"'s fingers and thereby reduce the possibility of electric shock.

Claims

1. An icemaker, comprising:

an icemaking tray having a plurality of ice receiving portions in which water is stored to make ice, the icemaking tray comprising a material that generates heat when an electric current flows through the icemaking tray;

a controller for providing an electric current through the icemaking tray to perform an ice body separation; and

a housing surrounding the ice making tray and provided with a cold air inlet port through which cold air supplied from an upper part of the ice making tray flows to the ice making tray along a bent channel, and an ice outlet through which ice moved from the ice making tray is discharged along a bent passage at the lower side.

2. The icemaker according to claim 1, wherein the cold air inlet port is a gap between spaced plates disposed at an upper part of the ice-making tray.

3. The icemaker according to claim 2, wherein the plates are positioned at different height and are parallel to each other.

4. The icemaker according to claim 3, wherein the plates overlap each other such that they are spaced apart at the upper part of the ice making tray.

5. The icemaker according to claim 1, wherein the cold air inlet port is a plurality of slots formed by a plurality of slanted block members.

6. The icemaker according to claim 5, wherein the block members are slanted such that the ice making tray cannot be seen from any location at the upper part of the housing.

7. The icemaker according to claim 5, wherein the slots formed by the block members may be formed as double layers at different heights.

8. The icemaker according to claim 5, wherein the housing is provided with slanted inner surfaces that face toward the inner side of the housing at a specific angle, and the ice outlet is a gap between the slanted inner surfaces of the housing.

9. The icemaker according to claim 8, wherein the height of an upper end of the pair of slanted inner surfaces differs.

10. The icemaker according to claim 9, wherein the pair of slanted inner surfaces have a vertically overlapped portion at the lower part of the ice-making tray.

11. The icemaker according to claim 10, wherein the pair of slanted inner surfaces are extended such that the ice making tray cannot be seen from any location at the lower part of the housing.

12. The icemaker according to claim 8, wherein the gap constituting the ice outlet is less than the maximum width of ice formed in the ice-making tray.

13. The icemaker according to claim 10, wherein the vertical distance from the slanted inner surface disposed at the lower part to a lower end of the slanted inner surface disposed at the upper part is less than the maximum diameter of the ice receiving portion and is greater than the maximum depth of the ice receiving portion.

14. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet provided with a freezing chamber for freezing foods;

a door that is hinged to the cabinet in order to selectively open and close the freezing chamber;

an icemaking tray provided with a plurality of ice receiving portions in which water is stored to make ice; and

a housing surrounding the ice making tray and provided with a cold air inlet port through which cold air supplied from an upper part of the ice making tray moves to the ice making tray along a bent channel, and an ice outlet through which ice moved from the ice making tray is discharged along a bent passage at the lower side;

wherein the icemaking tray is disposed within the housing, and the housing is attached to the door.