US 12,313,322 B2
Refrigerator
Donghoon Lee, Seoul (KR); Wookyong Lee, Seoul (KR); Seungseob Yeom, Seoul (KR); Donghoon Lee, Seoul (KR); Yongjun Bae, Seoul (KR); Sunggyun Son, Seoul (KR); and Chongyoung Park, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/386,517.
Application 18/386,517 is a continuation of application No. 17/281,950, granted, now 11,841,180, previously published as PCT/KR2019/012977, filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2018-0117785 (KR), filed on Oct. 2, 2018; application No. 10-2018-0117819 (KR), filed on Oct. 2, 2018; application No. 10-2018-0117821 (KR), filed on Oct. 2, 2018; application No. 10-2018-0117822 (KR), filed on Oct. 2, 2018; application No. 10-2018-0142117 (KR), filed on Nov. 16, 2018; and application No. 10-2019-0081688 (KR), filed on Jul. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0068728 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. F25C 1/18 (2006.01); F25C 1/10 (2006.01); F25C 1/25 (2018.01); F25C 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC F25C 1/18 (2013.01) [F25C 1/10 (2013.01); F25C 1/25 (2018.01); F25C 5/02 (2013.01); F25C 2305/0221 (2021.08); F25C 2400/10 (2013.01); F25C 2400/14 (2013.01); F25C 2700/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ice maker comprising:
a cell having a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed into ice,
a cooler configured to provide cold air, the cooler being disposed outside of the cell such that the cold air is supplied to the cell;
a first tray including a first surface contacting the cell;
a second tray including a second surface contacting the cell, and configured to contact the first tray to define the cell, the cell having a first portion defined by the first surface of the first tray and a second portion defined by the second surface of the second tray, wherein the second portion has a cavity configured to hold the liquid and the second tray has an extension extending from the second portion;
a tray case formed as a separate component to the second tray and configured to support the second tray;
a liquid supply configured to provide the liquid into the space;
a heater provided to supply heat to the cell; and
a controller configured to:
control the heater during an ice making process such that air bubbles in the liquid move from where the liquid is phase-changing into ice toward the liquid that is still in a liquid state,
wherein the extension includes a first section extending from the second portion, a second section extended from the first section, and a third section extended from the first section.
 
9. An ice maker comprising:
a cell having a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed into ice,
a cooler configured to provide cold air, the cooler being disposed outside of the cell such that the cold air is supplied to the cell;
a first tray including a first surface contacting the cell;
a second tray including a second surface contacting the cell, and configured to contact the first tray to define the cell, the cell having a first portion defined by the first surface of the first tray and a second portion defined by the second surface of the second tray, wherein the second portion has a cavity configured to hold the liquid and an extension extending from the second portion at a predetermined position, at least a portion of the extension being curvedly extending in a direction away from the second portion;
a liquid supply configured to provide the liquid into the cell;
a heater provided to supply heat to the cell; and
a controller configured to control the heater such that:
the heater is turned on during an ice making process so that air bubbles dissolved in the liquid in the space move from where the liquid is phase-changing into ice toward the liquid that is still in a liquid state,
when a heat transfer amount between the cold air supplied by the cooler and the liquid or ice in the space increases, a heating amount of the heater is increased, and
when the heat transfer amount between the cold air and the liquid or ice in the space decreases, the heating amount of the heater is decreased so as to maintain an ice making rate of the liquid in the space within a predetermined range that is lower than an ice making rate when ice making is performed in a state in which the heater is turned off.
 
11. An ice maker comprising:
a cell having a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed into ice,
a cooler configured to provide cold air, the cooler being disposed outside of the cell such that the cold air is supplied to the cell;
a first tray including a first surface contacting the cell;
a second tray including a second surface contacting the cell, movable with respect to the first tray, and configured to contact the first tray, the cell having a first portion defined by the first surface of the first tray and a second portion defined by the second surface of the second tray, wherein the second portion has a cavity configured to hold the liquid, wherein the second tray has a first region and a second region having a curvature different from the first region;
a tray case formed as a separate component to the second tray and configured to support the second tray;
a liquid supply configured to provide the liquid into the cell;
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the liquid or the ice within the cell; and
a heater provided to supply heat to the cell in an ice making process.