BACKGROUND
1. Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an ice making unit and a refrigerator having the
same, and, more particularly, to an ice making unit separably installed in a freezing
compartment and a refrigerator having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus incorporating a refrigeration cycle, to
refrigerate or freeze articles stored therein using cold air generated from components
of the refrigeration cycle. Some refrigerators have an ice making unit installed in
a freezing compartment.
[0003] Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
10-2003-0060633 discloses an ice making unit and a refrigerator having the same. The disclosed conventional
refrigerator includes a body having a freezing compartment therein, an ice making
tray, an ice receptacle disposed below the ice making tray to receive ice, and a vessel-shaped
ice maker body installed to be pulled out and pushed into the freezing compartment,
in which the ice making tray and the ice receptacle are separably installed.
[0004] In this case, a plurality of water receiving members is rotatably installed in the
ice making tray. Also, a plurality of grips are installed at a front surface of the
ice making tray, to rotate the plurality of water receiving members, so as to separate
ice made in the respective water receiving members. When any one of the plurality
of grips is rotated, the ice made in the corresponding water receiving member can
be separated.
[0005] However, the above-described conventional ice making unit and refrigerator having
the same have a problem of inconvenient supply of water for use in ice making because
the ice making tray must be separated from the ice maker body in order to fill water
in the water receiving members of the ice making tray.
[0006] Another problem of the above-described conventional ice making unit and refrigerator
having the same is that it is necessary to fill water in the plurality of water receiving
members one by one, and this further complicates supply of water for use in ice making.
[0007] In addition, in the above-described conventional ice making unit and refrigerator
having the same, every grip used to rotate each of the plurality of water receiving
members must be rotated to separate ice made in the plurality of water receiving members,
resulting in inconvenient separation of ice made in the water receiving members.
SUMMARY
[0008] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making unit to achieve
more easy supply of water for use in ice making, and a refrigerator having the same.
[0009] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making unit to achieve
more easy supply of water into a plurality of ice making trays, and a refrigerator
having the same.
[0010] In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making tray to achieve
more convenient separation of ice made in a plurality of ice making trays, and a refrigerator
having the same.
[0011] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an ice making unit,
which takes the form of a kit separably installed in a freezing compartment, wherein
the ice making unit includes a water supply tank to supply water; an ice making case
defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice making case being
formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water supply tank installation
hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed therethrough; at least
one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water supplied
from the water supply tank; and an ice separating device to separate ice from the
at least one ice making tray, and the water supply tank is coupled to or separated
from the ice making case via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof.
[0012] The ice making case may be formed, at one side thereof, with a first opening to observe
ice making in the at least one ice making tray, and the at least one ice making tray
may include a plurality of ice making trays.
[0013] A transparent window may be rotatably installed, at an upper end thereof, to an upper
side of the first opening, to open or close the first opening.
[0014] The at least one ice making tray may include an upper ice making tray and a lower
ice making tray arranged up and down in parallel within the ice making case.
[0015] A guide tray may be provided between the water supply tank and the upper ice making
tray, to distribute and supply the water discharged from the water supply tank into
the upper ice making tray and the lower ice making tray.
[0016] The interior of the guide tray may be divided into two parts to distribute and supply
the water into an upper ice making tray and a lower ice making tray, and may include
a water supply hole to guide the water into the upper ice making tray and a water
supply tube to guide the water into the lower ice making tray.
[0017] The ice separating device may include a lever to be rotated about one end thereof
upon receiving an external force, a driving gear to be rotated by the lever, and a
pair of driven gears to be rotated by the driving gear so as to rotate the upper ice
making tray and lower ice making tray, respectively.
[0018] An ice storage vessel may be provided in a lower region of the ice making case, to
receive the ice separated from the ice making tray, and the ice making case may be
formed, at a lower portion of the front surface thereof, with a second opening, to
allow the ice storage vessel to be slidably installed therethrough.
[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator
including a body having a freezing compartment, a door to open or close the freezing
compartment, and an ice making unit taking the form of a kit separably installed to
any one of the freezing compartment and the door, wherein the ice making unit includes
a water supply tank to supply water; an ice making case defining an external appearance
of the ice making unit, the ice making case being formed, at an upper portion of a
front surface thereof, with a water supply tank installation hole to allow the water
supply tank to be slidably installed therethrough; at least one ice making tray installed
in the ice making case to receive the water supplied from the water supply tank; and
an ice separating device to separate ice from the at least one ice making tray, and
the water supply tank being coupled to or separated from the ice making case via forward
and rearward sliding movement thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of
the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
of which:
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating a refrigerator in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ice making unit of the refrigerator in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice making unit of the refrigerator
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating operation of the ice making unit
of the refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like elements throughout. Exemplary embodiments are described below
to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1 illustrating a refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention, the refrigerator includes a body 10 defining an external
appearance of the refrigerator and having an open front surface, the body 10 being
formed therein with a freezing compartment 11 to freeze articles stored therein, and
a door 20 hingedly coupled at one side of the body 10 to open or close the freezing
compartment 11.
[0023] A compressor 12 to compress a refrigerant is installed in a rear lower region of
the body 10. An evaporator 13 to generate cold air and a blowing fan 14 to generate
suction and blowing force for circulation of the cold air generated from the evaporator
13 within the freezing compartment 11 are installed at the rear side of the freezing
compartment 11. The freezing compartment 11 incorporates a plurality of shelves 15
to divide the interior of the freezing compartment 11 for efficient storage of various
articles. The door 20 is provided at an inner surface thereof with a plurality of
door shelves 21 to store beverage cans or containers, etc.
[0024] A refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
includes an ice making unit 30 installed in the freezing compartment 11 to make ice.
The ice making unit 30, used in the refrigerator in accordance with an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention, is an independent kit, and the ice making unit 30 is separably
installed in the freezing compartment 11 of the refrigerator. Specifically, the ice
making unit 30 is put on a shelf in the freezing compartment 11, and thus, as shown
in FIG. 1, a vertical position of the ice making unit 30 can be freely changed if
necessary.
[0025] The ice making unit 30, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes an ice making case 300
defining an external appearance of the ice making unit 30, a plurality of ice making
trays 310U and 310L disposed in the ice making case 300 to make ice therein, a water
supply tank 320 disposed above the plurality of ice making trays 310U and 310L to
receive water to be supplied into the plurality of ice making trays 310U and 310L,
a guide tray 330 to distribute the water from the water supply tank 320 so as to guide
the water into the plurality of ice making trays 310U and 310L, an ice separating
device 340 to separate ice, made in the ice making trays 310U and 310L, from the ice
making trays 310U and 310L, and an ice storage vessel 350 disposed below the ice making
trays 310U and 310L to receive the ice separated from the plurality of ice making
trays 310U and 310L. By allowing the water supply tank 320 to be separably installed
to the ice making case 300 of the ice making unit 30, supply of water for use in ice
making can be carried out by simply coupling the water supply tank 320 into the ice
making case 30.
[0026] The ice making case 300 is installed at a front surface thereof with the ice separating
device 340. The ice making case 300 includes a case body 301 in which the plurality
of ice making trays 310U and 310L are arranged, a front cover 302 to cover a front
surface of the case body 301, and a top cover 303 to define an upper surface of the
case body 301. The case body 301 of the ice making case 300 is formed with a first
opening 301 a to allow a user to observe ice making in the ice making trays 310U and
310L. The first opening 301 a is provided with a transparent window 304. The transparent
window 304 is rotatably connected, at an upper end thereof, at the upper side of the
first opening 301 a, to open or close the first opening 301 a via pivotal rotation
thereof. In the present exemplary embodiment, the upper end of the transparent window
304 is rotatably coupled to one side of the top cover 303 that defines the upper surface
of the ice making case 300. Accordingly, even in a state wherein the transparent window
304 closes the first opening 301a, it is possible to observe ice making in the plurality
of ice making trays 310U and 310L from the outside through the transparent window
304.
[0027] The front cover 302 of the ice making tray 300 is formed, at one side of an upper
portion thereof, with a water supply tank installation hole 302a, to allow the water
supply tank 320 to slide forward and rearward therethrough, thereby being pulled out
and pushed into the ice making case 300, or being completely separated from the ice
making case 300. The case body 301 is formed, at a lower portion of a front surface
thereof, with a second opening 301b to allow the ice storage vessel 350 to slide forward
and rearward therethrough, thereby being pulled out and pushed into the ice making
case 300.
[0028] The top cover 303 of the ice making case 300 is formed with a plurality of through-holes
303a, to introduce cold air in the freezing compartment 11 into the case body 301.
[0029] In the present exemplary embodiment, a pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L is
arranged up and down in parallel. For convenience of description, one of the ice making
trays 310U disposed above is referred to as an upper ice making tray 310U, and the
other one disposed below is referred to as a lower ice making tray 310L.
[0030] The pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L is rotatably installed up and down in
parallel, and each is formed, at an upper surface thereof, with a plurality of ice
making recesses 311 having an arched cross section.
[0031] The guide tray 330 is installed at an upper portion of a rear surface of the case
body 301 of the ice making case 300. The guide tray 330 is divided into two parts,
namely, a first water supply guide portion 330a and a second water supply guide portion
330b, to distribute and guide the water discharged from the water supply tank 320
into the upper ice making tray 310U and the lower ice making tray 310L. The first
water supply guide portion 330a of the guide tray 330 is located immediately above
the upper ice making tray 310U, and the second water supply guide portion 330b is
located beside and above the upper ice making tray 310U. The first water supply guide
portion 330a is formed with a water supply hole 331 to supply the water from the first
water supply guide portion 330a into the upper ice making tray 310U. The second water
supply guide portion 330b is formed with a water supply tube 332 to supply the water
from the second water supply guide portion 330b into the lower ice making tray 310L.
For this, the water supply tube 332 extends obliquely downward.
[0032] Accordingly, a part of the water discharged from the water supply tank 320 into the
guide tray 330 is delivered to the upper ice making tray 310U through the water supply
hole 331 formed at the first water supply guide portion 330a, and the remaining water
is delivered to the lower ice making tray 310L through the water supply tube 332 formed
at the second water supply guide portion 330b. As the water in the water supply tank
320 is distributed into the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L through the guide
tray 330, supply of water into the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L can be accomplished
in a very simple manner.
[0033] The ice separating device 340 is a device to rotate the ice making trays 310U and
310L so as to separate the ice made in the ice making trays 310U and 310L. In the
present exemplary embodiment, the ice separating device 340 simultaneously rotates
the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L, thereby simultaneously separating the
ice from the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L.
[0034] The ice separating device 340 includes a lever 341 to be rotated about one end thereof
upon receiving an external force, a driving gear 342 to be rotated by the lever 341,
and a pair of driven gears 343 to be rotated upon receiving rotating force of the
driving gear 342 so as to rotate the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L, respectively.
In this case, the driving gear 342 and the pair of driven gears 343 are installed
at the front surface of the case body 301. A gear cover 306 is provided between the
case body 301 and the front cover 302, to cover the driving gear 342 and the pair
of driven gears 343. The gear cover 306 is centrally formed with a lever installation
hole 306a, to allow one end of the lever 341 to be coupled to the driving gear 342.
Also, a lever guide slot 302b extends lengthwise vertically in one side of the front
cover 302, to guide vertical movement of the lever 341.
[0035] One end of the lever 341 is coupled to the center of the driving gear 342. Accordingly,
as the lever 341 is rotated about one end thereof, the driving gear 342 is rotated
together with the lever 341. The pair of driven gears 343 are arranged at upper and
lower positions of the front surface of the ice making case 300 and are engaged with
the driving gear 342. As the driven gears 343 are rotated according to rotation of
the driving gear 342, they rotate the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L, respectively.
In this case, the driving gear 342 is elastically supported in a circumferential direction
thereof by a torsion spring (not shown), such that it is rotated in a direction upon
receiving an external force applied to the lever 341, and then, is returned to an
original position thereof.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, if the user forces the lever 341 to rotate about one end thereof
in a state wherein the ice making recesses 311 face upward, the driving gear 342 is
rotated in a direction together with the lever 341, and simultaneously, the pair of
driven gears 343 and the pair of ice making trays 310U and 310L connected to the respective
driven gears 343 are rotated as shown in FIG. 5, causing the ice made in the pair
of ice making trays 310U and 310L to be separated on the whole. Accordingly, with
operation of the single lever 341, all the ice made in the pair of ice making trays
310U and 310L can be separated, resulting in convenient use of the ice making unit
30.
[0037] After the manual external force applied to the lever 341 is released, the driving
gear 342 is rotated in an opposite direction by an elastic restoration force of the
torsion spring, causing the lever 341, the driven gears 343, and the pair of ice making
trays 310U and 310L to be returned to their original positions as shown in FIG. 4.
[0038] Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and
described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be
made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit
of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
1. An ice making unit, which takes the form of a kit separably installed in a freezing
compartment, the ice making unit comprising:
a water supply tank to supply water;
an ice making case defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice
making case being formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water
supply tank installation hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed
therethrough;
at least one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water
supplied from the water supply tank; and
an ice separating device to separate ice from the at least one ice making tray,
wherein the water supply tank is coupled to or separated from the ice making case
via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof.
2. The ice making unit according to claim 1, wherein the ice making case is formed, at
one side thereof, with a first opening to observe ice making in the at least one ice
making tray.
3. The ice making unit according to claim 2, wherein a transparent window is rotatably
installed, at an upper end thereof, to an upper side of the first opening, to open
or close the first opening.
4. The ice making unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ice making tray
includes an upper ice making tray and a lower ice making tray arranged up and down
in parallel within the ice making case.
5. The ice making unit according to claim 4, further comprising a guide tray, which is
provided between the water supply tank and the upper ice making tray, to distribute
and supply the water discharged from the water supply tank into the upper ice making
tray and the lower ice making tray.
6. The ice making unit according to claim 5, wherein the interior of the guide tray is
divided into two parts to distribute and supply the water into the upper ice making
tray and the lower ice making tray, and includes a water supply hole to guide the
water into the upper ice making tray and a water supply tube to guide the water into
the lower ice making tray.
7. The ice making unit according to claim 4, wherein the ice separating device includes
a lever to be rotated about one end thereof upon receiving an external force, a driving
gear to be rotated by the lever, and a pair of driven gears to be rotated by the driving
gear so as to rotate the upper ice making tray and lower ice making tray, respectively.
8. The ice making unit according to claim 1,
wherein an ice storage vessel is provided in a lower region of the ice making case,
to receive the ice separated from the ice making tray, and
wherein the ice making case is formed, at a lower portion of the front surface thereof,
with a second opening, to allow the ice storage vessel to be slidably installed therethrough.
9. A refrigerator comprising:
a body having a freezing compartment;
a door to open or close the freezing compartment; and
an ice making unit taking the form of a kit separably installed to any one of the
freezing compartment and the door,
wherein the ice making unit comprises:
a water supply tank to supply water;
an ice making case defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice
making case being formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water
supply tank installation hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed
therethrough;
at least one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water
supplied from the water supply tank; and
an ice separating device to separate ice from the at least one ice making tray, and
wherein the water supply tank is coupled to or separated from the ice making case
via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the ice making case is formed, at one
side thereof, with a first opening to observe ice making in the at least one ice making
tray; and
wherein a transparent window is rotatably installed, at an upper end thereof, to an
upper side of the first opening, to open or close the first opening.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the at least one ice making tray includes
an upper ice making tray and a lower ice making tray arranged up and down in parallel
within the ice making case.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, further comprising a guide tray, which is
provided between the water supply tank and the upper ice making tray, to distribute
and supply the water discharged from the water supply tank into the upper ice making
tray and the lower ice making tray.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the interior of the guide tray is
divided into two parts to distribute and supply the water into the upper ice making
tray and the lower ice making tray, and includes a water supply hole to guide the
water into the upper ice making tray and a water supply tube to guide the water into
the lower ice making tray.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the ice separating device includes
a lever to be rotated about one end thereof upon receiving an external force, a driving
gear to be rotated by the lever, and a pair of driven gears to be rotated by the driving
gear so as to rotate the upper ice making tray and lower ice making tray, respectively.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 9,
wherein an ice storage vessel is provided in a lower region of the ice making case,
to receive the ice separated from the ice making tray, and
wherein the ice making case is formed, at a lower portion of the front surface thereof,
with a second opening, to allow the ice storage vessel to be slidably installed therethrough.