Automatic ice maker using thermoacoustic refrigeration and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

An automatic ice maker for saving an ice making time. The automatic ice maker has a U-shaped resonator filled up with an inertia gas, a pair of ice trays attached to both ends of the U-shaped resonator in a reverse direction to each other, a pair of speakers attached to both ends of the U-shaped resonator for compressing and expanding parcels of the inertia gas by applying an acoustic pressure to the U-shaped resonator thereby varying a temperature distribution in the U-shaped resonator, a pair of heat exchangers for transferring an inner temperature of the U-shaped resonator to the ice trays, a reversible motor for driving the U-shaped resonator in a forward or a reverse direction at an angle of 180 degrees, and an electric control unit for sequentially operating the speakers and the reversible motor. The automatic ice maker can be adopted to a refrigerator or other refrigeration system. By the automatic ice maker, the ice making time can be saved and the productivity in making the ice increases.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.