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 assembly comprising a first mold that defines a first chamber recessed in a first direction;
- and
- a second assembly comprising (i) a second mold that is made of a flexible material and defines a second chamber recessed in a second direction and (ii) a support that supports the second mold,
- wherein the second assembly is configured to move relative to the first assembly between (i) an open position in which the first mold and the second mold are spaced apart from each other and (ii) a closed position in which the first mold and the second mold are in contact with each other,
- wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to, in the closed position, define an ice chamber for making ice, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction in the closed position,
- wherein the support comprises a chamber accommodation portion that is recessed in the second direction and that is configured to accommodate and detachably support at least a portion of the second mold, and
- wherein at least another portion of the second mold is fixed to the support.
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 assembly comprising a first mold that defines a first chamber recessed in a first direction, and
- a second assembly comprising (i) a second mold that is made of a flexible material and defines a second chamber recessed in a second direction and (ii) a support that supports the second mold,
- wherein the second assembly is configured to move relative to the first assembly between (i) an open position in which the first mold and the second mold are spaced apart from each other and (ii) a closed position in which the first mold and the second mold are in contact with each other,
- wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to, in the closed position, define an ice chamber for making ice, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction in the closed position,
- wherein the support comprises a chamber accommodation portion that is recessed in the second direction and that is configured to accommodate and detachably support at least a portion of the second mold, and
- wherein at least another portion of the second mold is fixed to the support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.