ICE MAKER OF REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20160370075A1
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation (Dayou Holdings Co.,Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation (Dayou Holdings Co.,Ltd.)
• Inventors: YANG, Sung Jin
• Granted Patent: US 10,228,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/24 for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/08 by heating bodies in contact with the ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/182 Ice bins therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/061 through special compartments

Abstract

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes a cooling unit for generating cold air; a case mounted in a food storage space, and defining a cooling space for receiving the cold air; an ice making assembly for making ice; and a bucket arranged at one side of the ice making assembly for receiving the ice. The ice making assembly includes an ice tray arranged in the cooling space, the ice tray having an ice making recess formed in an upper surface thereof for making ice; and a cold air guiding unit arranged at a lower side of the ice tray for guiding the cold air to the lower side of the ice tray, and a heater provided at the lower side of the ice tray such that the heater is spatially separated from the cold air guiding unit, and is configured for emitting heat to separate ice from the ice making recess.

Claims

1. An ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising:

a cooling unit configured for generating cold air;

a case mounted in a food storage space of the refrigerator or a door for shielding the food storage space, the case having defined therein a cooling space for receiving the cold air generated by the cooling unit;

an ice making assembly for making ice; and

a bucket arranged at one side of the ice making assembly for receiving the ice separated from the ice making assembly,

wherein the ice making assembly comprises;

an ice tray arranged in the cooling space, the ice tray having an ice making recess formed in an upper surface thereof for making ice;

a cold air guiding unit arranged at a lower side of the ice tray for guiding the cold air supplied from the cooling unit to the lower side of the ice tray, and

a heater provided at the lower side of the ice tray configured to be spatially separated from the cold air guiding unit, and wherein the heater is configured for emitting heat to separate the ice from the ice making recess.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the heater is provided along an edge of the ice tray, and the cold air flows along a central portion of the tray in a longitudinal direction of the ice tray.

3. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein:

the heater is provided along an edge of the ice tray,

the ice maker further comprises a first heat exchange prevention wall protruding downward from the bottom surface of the ice tray while extending along the edge of the ice tray, the first heat exchange prevention wall being located more inwardly of the ice tray than the heater, and

the cold air flows inside the first heat exchange prevention wall.

4. The ice maker according to claim 3, wherein:

the cold air guiding unit comprises a guide member spaced apart downward from the bottom surface of the ice tray for defining a cold air flow channel, along which the cold air flows, between the guide member and the bottom surface of the ice tray, and the ice maker further comprises a pair of second heat exchange prevention walls protruding upward from an upper surface of the guide member while extending along the edge of the ice tray in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray, the second heat exchange prevention walls being spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the ice tray.

5. The ice maker according to claim 4, wherein:

the heater is located outside the second heat exchange prevention walls, and

the cold air flows between the second heat exchange prevention walls.

6. The ice maker according to claim 4, wherein:

the first heat exchange prevention wall is adjacent to the second heat exchange prevention walls, and

at least a portion of the first heat exchange prevention wall and at least a portion of each of the second heat exchange prevention walls overlap each other in the lateral direction of the ice tray.

7. The ice maker according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of cooling ribs protruding downward from a bottom surface of the ice tray while extending in a longitudinal direction of the ice tray, wherein at least one of the cooling ribs comprises at least one curved section, and wherein the cooling ribs being spaced apart from each other.

8. A method of manufacturing an ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising:

preparing a case;

arranging a cooling unit configured for generating cold air;

arranging an ice tray having an ice making recess formed in an upper surface thereof for making ice;

arranging a heater at a lower side of the ice tray; and

arranging a cold air guiding unit for guiding the cold air generated by the cooling unit to a lower side of the ice tray,

wherein the cold air guiding unit and the heater are spatially separated from each other at the lower side of the ice tray.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the heater along an edge of the ice tray, wherein the cold air flows along a central portion of the ice tray in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a heater along an edge of the ice tray; and

arranging a first heat exchange prevention wall protruding downward from the bottom surface of the ice tray, wherein the first heat exchange prevention wall is located more inwardly in relation to the ice tray than the heater;

wherein the cold air flows inside the first exchange prevention wall away from the heater.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

arranging a pair of second heat exchange prevention walls protruding upward from an upper surface of the guide member while extending along the edge of the ice tray in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray, the second heat exchange prevention walls being spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction of the ice tray.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

arranging the first heat exchange prevention wall adjacent to the second heat exchange prevention walls, wherein at least a portion of the first heat exchange prevention wall and at least a portion of at least one of the second heat exchange prevention walls overlap each other in the lateral direction of the ice tray.

13. A refrigerator, comprising:

a freezer compartment located within a main body of the refrigerator;

a refrigeration compartment located within the main body of the refrigerator, wherein the freezer compartment is located below the refrigeration compartment; and

an ice maker, wherein the ice maker comprises;

a cooling unit configured for generating cold air;

a case mounted in a food storage space of the refrigerator or a door for shielding the food storage space, the case having defined therein a cooling space for receiving the cold air generated by the cooling unit;

an ice making assembly for making ice; and

a bucket arranged at one side of the ice making assembly for receiving the ice separated from the ice making assembly,

wherein the ice making assembly comprises;

an ice tray arranged in the cooling space, the ice tray having an ice making recess formed in an upper surface thereof for making ice;

a cold air guiding unit arranged at a lower side of the ice tray for guiding the cold air supplied from the cooling unit to the lower side of the ice tray, and

a heater provided at the lower side of the ice tray configured to be spatially separated from the cold air guiding unit, and wherein the heater is configured for emitting heat to separate the ice from the ice making recess.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the heater is provided along an edge of the ice tray, and the cold air flows along a central portion of the tray in a longitudinal direction of the ice tray.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein:

the heater is provided along an edge of the ice tray,

the ice maker further comprises a first heat exchange prevention wall protruding downward from the bottom surface of the ice tray while extending along the edge of the ice tray, the first heat exchange prevention wall being located more inwardly of the ice tray than the heater, and

the cold air flows inside the first heat exchange prevention wall.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein:

the cold air guiding unit comprises a guide member spaced apart downward from the bottom surface of the ice tray for defining a cold air flow channel, along which the cold air flows, between the guide member and the bottom surface of the ice tray, and

the ice maker further comprises a pair of second heat exchange prevention walls protruding upward from an upper surface of the guide member while extending along the edge of the ice tray in the longitudinal direction of the ice tray, the second heat exchange prevention walls being spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the ice tray.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein:

the heater is located outside the second heat exchange prevention walls, and the cold air flows between the second heat exchange prevention walls.

18. The ice maker according to claim 16, wherein:

the first heat exchange prevention wall is adjacent to the second heat exchange prevention walls, and

at least a portion of the first heat exchange prevention wall and at least a portion of each of the second heat exchange prevention walls overlap each other in the lateral direction of the ice tray.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of cooling ribs protruding downward from a bottom surface of the ice tray while extending in a longitudinal direction of the ice tray, wherein at least one of the cooling ribs comprises at least one curved section, and wherein the cooling ribs being spaced apart from each other.