Ice maker and refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsJinil Hong, Yonghyun Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice maker includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers. The ice maker also includes a lower assembly that is located vertically below the upper assembly and configured rotate relative to the upper assembly. The lower assembly includes a lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, and a lower support that is configured to receive the lower tray and restrict an outward expansion of the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. The lower tray includes a lower tray body configured to hold a first volume of water, and a circumferential wall that extends upward from the lower tray body and is configured to hold a second volume of water above the first volume of water.
Claims20
An ice maker comprising:
- a first tray that defines a first chamber, the first tray comprising a chamber wall defining the first chamber;
- a second tray that defines a second chamber, the second tray comprising (i) a tray body defining the second chamber recessed in a first direction, (ii) a tray circumferential wall extending from the tray body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and (iii) a first coupling protrusion that protrudes from an outer surface of the tray circumferential wall;
- and
- a case configured to support the second tray, the case comprising a case circumferential wall that is configured to support the tray circumferential wall and that defines a first coupling slit configured to be coupled with the first coupling protrusion,
- wherein the second tray is configured to move between (i) a closed position where the first tray and the second tray are in contact each other and (ii) an open position where the first tray and the second tray are separated each other, and
- wherein, in the closed position, the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to define an ice chamber, and at least a part of the chamber wall of the first tray is configured to be positioned in a space defined by the tray circumferential wall of the second tray.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet defining a storage space;
- and
- an ice maker provided in the storage space,
- wherein the ice maker comprises:
- a first tray that defines a first chamber, the first tray comprising a chamber wall defining the first chamber,
- a second tray that defines a second chamber, the second tray comprising (i) a tray body defining the second chamber recessed in a first direction, (ii) a tray circumferential wall extending from the tray body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, (iii) a first coupling protrusion that protrudes from an outer surface of the tray circumferential wall, and
- a case configured to support the second tray, the case comprising a case circumferential wall that is configured to support the tray circumferential wall and that defines a first coupling slit configured to be coupled with the first coupling protrusion,
- wherein the second tray is configured to move between (i) a closed position where the first tray and the second tray are in contact each other and (ii) an open position where the first tray and the second tray are separated each other, and
- wherein, in the closed position, the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to define an ice chamber, and at least a part of the chamber wall of the first tray is configured to be positioned in a space defined by the tray circumferential wall of the second tray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.