Ice maker and refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsYonghyun Kim, Hyunji Park, Jinil Hong, Seunggeun Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice maker includes first and second trays configured to form a plurality of ice chambers configured to make ice, an upper case including a cool air hole through which cool air passes, and a tray opening configured to allow the first tray to contact the cool air passing through the cool air hole, a driver configured to move the second tray, and a connector configured to transfer power of the driver to the second tray, wherein the upper case further includes the cool air guide configured to guide the cool air passing through the cool air hole toward the tray opening.
Claims23
An ice maker comprising:
- a first tray and a second tray, the first and second trays being configured to come together to define a plurality of ice chambers for making ice;
- and
- a case comprising:
- a first guide through which cool air passes,
- a plate defining a tray opening, and
- a second guide comprising one end positioned adjacent to the first guide and another end positioned adjacent to the tray opening such that the cool air passing through the first guide flows toward the tray opening,
- wherein each of the first tray and the second tray comprises a chamber wall having (i) an inner surface that defines the plurality of ice chambers and (ii) an outer surface,
- wherein the tray opening is disposed above the chamber wall,
- wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the chamber wall is exposed, through the tray opening, to the cool air passing through the first guide to thereby come in contact with the cool air passing through the first guide, and
- wherein the second guide is disposed on an upper surface of the plate, and the second guide and the upper surface of the plate form a guidance path from the first guide to the tray opening, a cross-sectional area of at least a portion of the guidance path being decreased in a direction away from the first guide.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a storage compartment configured to store a food object;
- and
- an ice maker configured to phase-change water of an ice chamber to ice by cool air supplied to the storage compartment,
- wherein the ice maker includes first and second trays configured to form a plurality of ice chambers, and a case configured to support the first tray;
- wherein the case comprises:
- a first guide through which the cool air passes,
- a plate defining a tray opening, and
- a second guide comprising one end positioned adjacent to the first guide and another end positioned adjacent to the tray opening such that the cool air passing through the first guide flows toward the tray opening,
- wherein each of the first tray and the second tray comprises a chamber wall having (i) an inner surface that defines the plurality of ice chambers and (ii) an outer surface,
- wherein the tray opening is disposed above the chamber wall,
- wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the chamber wall is exposed, through the tray opening, to the cool air passing through the first guide to thereby come in contact with the cool air passing through the first guide, and
- wherein the second guide is disposed on an upper surface of the plate, and the second guide and the upper surface of the plate form a guidance path from the first guide to the tray opening, a cross-sectional area of at least a portion of the guidance path being decreased in a direction away from the first guide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.