US 12,072,133 B2
Refrigerator and control method therefor
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)
Appl. No. 17/282,640
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Oct. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/KR2019/012879
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/071766, 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; application No. 10-2019-0081712 (KR), filed on Jul. 6, 2019; and application No. 10-2019-0081742 (KR), filed on Jul. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0348821 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. F25C 1/18 (2006.01); F25C 1/24 (2018.01); F25C 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC F25C 1/18 (2013.01) [F25C 1/24 (2013.01); F25C 5/08 (2013.01); F25C 2400/10 (2013.01); F25C 2400/14 (2013.01); F25C 2600/04 (2013.01); F25C 2700/14 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a storage chamber;
a cold air supply configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber; and
an ice maker comprising:
a first tray having a first portion of a cell;
a second tray having a second portion of the cell, the first portion and the second portion being configured to define a space formed by the cell;
a driver that moves the second tray, relative to the first tray, such that the second portion of the second tray contacts the first portion of the first tray to form the space of the cell in an ice making process when a liquid in the space is phase-changed into ice, and that moves the second tray relative to the first tray such that the second portion of the second tray is to be spaced from the first portion of the first tray during an ice separation process to separate the ice from the cell;
an ice bin configured to store the ice when separated from the cell;
a detector configured to detect whether the ice bin is full; and
a controller configured to—operate the driver so that:
the second tray moves to an ice making position after the liquid is supplied to the cell to allow the cold air supply part to supply the cold air to cell;
the second tray moves from the ice making position to an ice separation position to take remove the ice from the cell after the ice is formed;
the second tray moves to a liquid supply position to receive liquid in the space after the ice is removed from the cell; and
when the detector determines that the ice bin is full after the ice is formed and before the ice is removed from the cell, the second tray continues to move to the ice separation position,
wherein the controller controls the driver so that, when the detector detects that the ice bin is full, the second tray moves to the liquid supply position from the ice separation position, and remains at the liquid supply position for a set length of time,
wherein, after the second tray remains at the liquid supply position for the set length of time, the detector determines whether ice bin is still full, and
wherein:
when the detector detects the ice bin is still Bill, the controller controls the second tray to stand by at the liquid supply position without the liquid being supplied to the space, and
when the detector detects that the ice bin is not full, the controller controls the liquid to be supplied to the space while the second tray is at the liquid supply position.