US 11,988,431 B2
Icemaker and refrigerator
Donghoon Lee, Seoul (KR); Yongjun Bae, Seoul (KR); and Wookyong Lee, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/281,972
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Oct. 2, 2019, PCT No. PCT/KR2019/012974
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 31, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/071821, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2018-0117808 (KR), filed on Oct. 2, 2018; and application No. 10-2019-0112991 (KR), filed on Sep. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0341202 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. F25C 1/18 (2006.01); F25C 1/04 (2018.01)
CPC F25C 1/18 (2013.01) [F25C 1/04 (2013.01); F25C 2400/10 (2013.01); F25C 2400/14 (2013.01); F25C 2700/14 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ice maker comprising:
a first tray configured to form a first portion of each of a plurality of cells;
a first tray cover in contact with the first tray;
a first tray supporter in contact with the first tray, a portion of the first tray being disposed between the first tray cover and the first tray supporter;
a second tray configured to be rotatable with respect to the first tray and to form a second portion of each of the plurality of cells, each of the first and second portions forming a space in which liquid is phase-changed to ice, the second tray configured to move to a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the second portion is spaced apart from the first portion, and the second position being a position where the second portion contacts the first portion;
a communication passage provided in the second tray and between adjacent cells of the plurality of cells,
wherein, when the second tray is moved to the second position, the plurality of cells are isolated from each other except through the communication passage.