US 11,906,230 B2Granted

Refrigerator

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsDonghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park

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Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first tray assembly defining a portion of an ice making cell, a second tray assembly defining another portion of the ice making cell, a heater disposed adjacent to at least one of the first and second tray assemblies, and a controller configured to control the heater. The refrigerator further includes a pusher having a first edge pressing the ice or at least one of the first and second tray assemblies to separate the ice from the tray assemblies, a bar extending from the first edge, and a second edge disposed at the end of the bar. The second tray assembly includes a first coupling part connected to the pusher and a second coupling part connected to the driver. The controller moves at least one of the pusher and the second tray assembly to change a relative position between the pusher and the second tray assembly.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a storage chamber;
a cooler configured to supply cold into the storage chamber;
and
an ice maker including:
a first tray assembly having a first portion of a cell;
a second tray assembly having a second portion of the cell, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell;
a tray supporter configured to support the second portion of the cell;
a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid to the space;
a driver that moves the second tray assembly relative to the first tray assembly such that the second portion of the second tray assembly contacts the first portion of the first tray assembly to form the space of the cell in an ice making process when the liquid in the space is phase-changed into ice, and that moves the second tray assembly relative to the first tray assembly such that the second portion of the second tray assembly is spaced from the first portion of the first tray assembly in an ice separation process to remove the ice from the first and second tray assemblies;
and
a controller configured to control the cooler, the driver,
wherein the controller controls the cooler so the liquid in the space of the cell is phase-changed into the ice after the second tray assembly moves to an ice making position,
wherein the controller controls the driver to move the second tray assembly to an ice separation position so as to remove the ice from the first tray assembly and the second tray assembly when the liquid in the cell has phase-changed into the ice,
wherein the refrigerator further comprises a pusher including a first edge having a surface pressing at least one of the ice, the first tray assembly, or the second tray assembly to separate the ice from the first tray and the second tray assemblies, a bar extending from the first edge, and a second edge provided at an end of the bar,
wherein the tray supporter includes a first coupling region connected to a link coupled to the pusher and a second coupling region connected to the driver, and
wherein the controller is configured to operate the driver such that at least one of the pusher or the second tray assembly moves to change a position of the pusher relative to the second tray assembly.

13 more elements

An ice maker comprising:

a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;
a first tray assembly having a first portion of a cell;
a second tray assembly having a second portion of the cell, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell to receive the liquid;
a tray supporter configured to support the second portion of the cell;
and
a driver configured to move the second tray assembly relative to the first tray assembly between:
a first position where the first portion contacts the second portion to form the space and the liquid in the space is phase-changed into ice, and
a second position where the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from such that the ice can be separated from the first and second tray assemblies,
wherein the tray supporter includes a first coupling region, and a second coupling region that is spaced apart from the first coupling region and connected to a spring, and
wherein the ice maker further comprises:
a pusher connected to the first coupling region by a link such that a movement of the second tray assembly causes the pusher to move relative to the second tray assembly and to remove the ice from at least one of the first tray assembly or the second tray assembly.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/282,565Filed 1 Oct 2019
Priority: KR 10-2018-01177852 Oct 2018
Published: US 2021/0341206 A14 Nov 2021
Granted: 20 Feb 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F25C 1/25
Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds: filling devices for moulds
F25C 5/22
Distributing ice: particularly adapted for household refrigerators
F25C 1/04
Producing ice: by using stationary moulds
F25C 1/18
Producing ice: of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air

Family

US 2021/0341206 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Nov 2021
US 11,906,230 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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