Patent ID: 11953252
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 1:
2. An ice maker comprising:
a tray body that comprises a plurality of chamber walls that are configured to define a plurality of ice chambers;
a first heater configured to supply heat to the plurality of ice chambers during an ice-making process;
a second heater configured to supply heat to the plurality of ice chambers during an ice-separation process;
a water supply configured to supply water to the plurality of ice chambers;
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of at least one of the plurality of ice chambers; and
a controller configured to control the first heater and the second heater,
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the first heater to output one or more levels of power to thereby heat the plurality of ice chambers during the ice-making process according to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor,
based on controlling the first heater during the ice-making process, define an ice forming direction in an ice chamber among the plurality of ice chambers,
define a plurality of ice levels to be formed in the ice chamber along the ice forming direction,
set the one or more levels of power based on the plurality of ice levels,
control the first heater to stop outputting the one or more levels of power during a predetermined time period, and
control the second heater to start the ice-separating process after the predetermined time period.