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US 11,994,330 B2Granted
Refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsDonghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The refrigerator includes: a first tray forming a part of ice-making cells which are where water changes phase into ice due to cold air; a second tray forming the other part of the ice-making cells; and a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the water or ice in the ice-making cells, wherein the temperature sensor comes into contact with the first tray and/or the second tray.
Claims19
A refrigerator comprising:
- a storage chamber;
- and
- an ice maker comprising:
- a first tray having a first portion of a cell;
- a first tray case configured to support the first tray;
- a second tray having a second portion of the cell, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell in which a liquid is phase-changed into ice;
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the liquid or the ice in the space of the cell and mounted on the first tray case;
- a heater configured to supply heat to the cell in an ice making process;
- a controller configured to move the second tray by a driver motor from an ice making position to an ice separation position for an ice separation process to separate the ice from the cell after completion of the ice making process,
- wherein the temperature sensor is in contact with the first tray,
- wherein the first tray and the second tray define a first ice making cell and a second ice making cell, and
- wherein the temperature sensor is positioned so that a first distance between a cold air hole, through which cold air flows, and the temperature sensor is less than a second distance between the cold air hole and the first ice making cell, the second distance between the first ice making cell and the cold air hole is greater than a third distance between the second ice making cell and the cold air hole.
9 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a storage chamber;
- a cooler configured to supply cold air into the storage chamber;
- and
- an ice maker comprising:
- a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;
- a tray having a first portion and a second portion of a cell, the second portion being movable relative to the first portion, and the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell in which the liquid is phase-changed to form ice;
- a heater provided adjacent to the first portion;
- and
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the liquid or the ice in the space of the cell,
- wherein the temperature sensor is in contact with the first portion and positioned to be spaced apart from the heater, and
- wherein a distance from the temperature sensor to a contact region between the first portion and the second portion is less than a distance from the heater to the contact region between the first portion and the second portion.
8 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a storage chamber;
- a cooler configured to supply cold air into the storage chamber;
- and
- an ice maker comprising:
- a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;
- a tray having a first portion and a second portion of a cell, the second portion being movable relative to the first portion, and the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell in which the liquid is phase-changed to form ice;
- a heater provided adjacent to at least one of the first portion or the second portion;
- and
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the space of the cell,
- wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion includes a sensor accommodation region in which the temperature sensor is accommodated, and
- wherein the sensor accommodation region is recessed toward another one of the first portion or the second portion.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.