US 12,013,167 B2
Refrigerator
Donghoon Lee, Seoul (KR); Seungseob Yeom, Seoul (KR); Wookyong Lee, Seoul (KR); Yongjun Bae, Seoul (KR); Sunggyun Son, Seoul (KR); and Chongyoung Park, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/282,081
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Oct. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/KR2019/012874
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 1, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/071761, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 9, 2020.
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. 10-2019-0081743 (KR), filed on Jul. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0372686 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. F25C 1/25 (2018.01); F25C 1/10 (2006.01); F25C 1/18 (2006.01); F25C 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC F25C 1/25 (2018.01) [F25C 1/10 (2013.01); F25C 1/18 (2013.01); F25C 5/04 (2013.01); F25C 2305/0221 (2021.08); F25C 2400/10 (2013.01); F25C 2400/14 (2013.01); F25C 2600/04 (2013.01); F25C 2700/04 (2013.01); F25C 2700/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first tray having a first portion of a cell;
a second tray having a second portion of the cell, the second tray being movable relative to the first tray, and the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice;
a liquid supply valve configured to adjust a flow of the liquid to the cell;
a detector configured to detect an amount of the liquid in the space of the cell, and
a controller configured to:
control the liquid supply valve to supply a first amount of the liquid to the second tray when the second tray is at a liquid supply position,
determine whether the amount of the liquid in the space of the cell is at least a target amount when the second tray moves to an ice making position to contact the first tray such that the first and second portions of the cell form the space for an ice making process,
start the ice making process when the amount of the liquid in the space of the cell is at least the target amount, and
move again the second tray from the ice making position to the liquid supply position and control the liquid supply valve to additionally supply up to a second amount of the liquid, that is less than the first amount of the liquid, to the second tray when the amount of the liquid in the space of the cell is less than the target amount.
 
16. A refrigerator comprising:
a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;
a tray having a first portion and a second portion of a cell, the second portion being movable relative to the first portion, and the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space of the cell where the liquid is received and phase-changed to form ice;
a sensor to detect when at least a target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell, and
a controller configured to:
determine whether at least the target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell when the second portion is at an ice making position after a first amount of the liquid is supplied to the cell,
when less than the target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell, moves the second portion from the ice making position to a liquid supply position, additionally supply, one or more times, a second amount of the liquid to the space of the cell until the sensor determines that at least the target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell, and
move the second portion to contact the first portion and start the ice making process when the sensor determines that at least the target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell.
 
20. A refrigerator comprising:
a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;
a tray having a first portion and a second portion of a cell, the second portion being movable relative to the first portion, and the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space of the cell where the liquid is received and phase-changed to form ice;
a sensor to detect an amount of the liquid in the space of the cell, and
a heater provided adjacent to at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the cell,
wherein:
the liquid supply supplies the liquid to the space of the cell one or more times while the first portion and the second portion are separated, until the sensor determines that at least a target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell, and
when at least the target amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell, and the heater is activated while the ice is forming in the space of the cell, and
wherein the liquid is supplied when the second portion s at a first position to be spaced from the first portion, and the sensor detects whether at least the target a amount of the liquid is in the space of the cell when the second portion of the tray is at a second position where the first portion and second portion contact each other to form the space of the cell.