US 11,841,180 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)
Appl. No. 17/281,950
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Oct. 2, 2019, PCT No. PCT/KR2019/012977
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 31, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/071824, 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. 10-2019-0081688 (KR), filed on Jul. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0356187 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
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)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigerator comprising:
a storage chamber;
a cooler configured to provide cold air;
a first temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the storage chamber;
a first tray provided in the storage chamber;
a second tray provided in the storage chamber and configured to contact the first tray to define a cell having a space in which liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed into ice, the cell having a first portion defined by the first tray and a second portion defined by the second tray, wherein the second portion has a cavity configured to hold the liquid and the second tray has an extension extending from a side of the second portion;
a driver configured to move at least one of the first tray or the second tray;
a liquid supply configured to provide the liquid into the space;
a second temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the liquid or the ice formed in the cell;
a heater provided adjacent to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and
a controller configured to:
control the driver to move at least one of the first tray or second tray such that, as liquid is introduced, the first and second portions of the cell are spaced apart from each other, and after liquid is supplied to a level above the second portion defined by the second tray, the first and second portions contact each other; and
control the heater during an ice making process such that air bubbles in the liquid move from where liquid is phase-changing into ice toward liquid that is still in a liquid state,
wherein the extension includes a first section extending from the side of the second portion, a second section extended from the first section, and a third section extended from the first section.
 
14. A refrigerator comprising:
a storage chamber;
a cooler configured to supply cold air;
a first temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the storage chamber;
a first tray provided in the storage chamber;
a second tray provided in the storage chamber and configured to contact the first tray to define a cell having a space in which liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed to ice, wherein the second tray has a cavity configured to hold the liquid and define a portion of the cell and an extension extending from the cavity at a predetermined position, at least a portion of the extension being curvedly extending extends in a direction away from the first tray;
a liquid supply configured to provide water into the ice making cell;
a second temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the liquid or the ice within the cell;
a heater provided 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 liquid is phase-changing into ice toward 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.
 
17. A refrigerator comprising:
a storage chamber;
a cooler configured to supply cold air;
a first temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature within the storage chamber;
a first tray provided in the storage chamber;
a second tray provided in the storage chamber, movable with respect to the first tray, and configured to contact the first tray to define a cell having a space in which liquid is phase-changed to ice, wherein the second tray has a cavity configured to hold the liquid and to partially define the cell, the cavity having a first region and a second region having a curvature different from the first region;
a liquid supply configured to provide liquid into the cell;
a second temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the liquid or the ice within the cell; and
a heater provided to supply heat the cell in an ice making process.