Ice-making apparatus in refrigerator

#This application claims the benefit of the Korean Application Nos. P2001-55222 and P2001-55223, which were filed on Sep. 7, 2001, and which are hereby incorporated by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to refrigerators. More particularly, the present invention relates to ice-making equipment used in refrigerators.

#The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a typical refrigerator;

#FIG. 2A is a simplified schematic depiction of a prior art ice-making apparatus suitable for use in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1;

#Reference will now be made in detail to illustrated embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or to like parts.

#FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an ice-making apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 4 provides a top-down view of that apparatus. Referring now to FIG. 3 and to FIG. 4, an ice-making apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes an internal supply pipe 9 that guides water for ice making. A motor assembly 24, having an internal motor, connects to a side of an ice-making vessel 22 that is beneath the internal supply pipe 9. As shown, the internal supply pipe 9 beneficially passes over a side of the ice-making vessel 22.

#To prevent interference between the ice-making vessel 22 and the internal supply pipe 9, the rotational axis X (shown in FIG. 4) of the ice-making vessel 22 is off-center by a predetermined interval “a.” To accomplish this, the motor assembly 24 includes a driving shaft 25 that mates with a coupling groove 23 on a side (left) of the ice-making vessel 22. Beneficially, the driving shaft 25 ends in a coupling protrusion 25a that fits into a coupling groove 23a at the end of the coupling part 23. Therefore, the rotational axis X of the ice-making vessel 22 extends along the driving shaft 25 and through the side (left) of the ice-making vessel 22.