Refrigerator

A refrigerator including a main body, a door, and an ice making chamber provided in the door and including an ice maker to make ice and an ice bucket to store the ice produced. The ice maker includes an ice making tray having a plurality of ice making cells for receiving water, an ice separation heater to heat the ice making tray so that ice is separated from the ice making tray, an ejector rotatably provided to transfer the ice separated to the outside of the ice making tray, and a water channel formed on partitions partitioning the plurality of ice making cells to allow water to flow between the partitions and configured such that at least one of surfaces in contact with ice has a tapered shape in which a thickness thereof gradually decreases in a direction of directing to the ice.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage Application, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2019/007708, filed Jun. 26, 2019 which claims the foreign priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0082885, filed Jul. 17, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator capable of reducing noise generated when ice moving from an ice making tray falls.

BACKGROUND ART

A refrigerator is a home appliance including a main body having a storage compartment, a cold air supply device for supplying cold air to the storage compartment, and a door for opening and closing the storage compartment to keep food fresh.

The refrigerator may further include an ice maker and an ice bucket to make and store ice, which is disposed in the main body or in an ice making chamber formed at the door.

In general, in the case of a bottom-mounted freezer (BMF) type refrigerator, the ice making chamber is provided in one corner of a refrigerating compartment or at a rear or front side of a refrigerating compartment door.

The ice maker may include an ice making tray having a plurality of ice making cells for receiving water, and an ejector for transferring ice from the ice making tray to the outside of the ice making tray.

When the respective pieces of ice that are transferred from the ice making tray to the outside of the ice making tray by the ejector are not separated and fall into the ice bucket while being attached to each other, a loud noise may be generated.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The present disclosure is directed to providing a refrigerator including an improved ice maker to reduce noise generated when ice to be transferred from an ice making tray to the outside of the ice making tray falls.

Technical Solution

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment, a door rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the storage compartment, and an ice making chamber provided in the door and including an ice maker configured to make ice and an ice bucket configured to store the ice produced by the ice maker, wherein the ice maker includes an ice making tray having a plurality of ice making cells for receiving water, an ice separation heater configured to heat the ice making tray so that ice is separated from the ice making tray, an ejector rotatably provided to transfer ice separated from the ice making tray to the outside of the ice making tray, and a water channel formed on each of partitions partitioning the plurality of ice making cells to allow water to flow between the partitions and configured such that at least one of surfaces in contact with ice has a tapered shape in which a thickness thereof gradually decreases in a direction of directing to the ice.

The water channel may include a first surface in contact with ice, a second surface formed at a position facing the first surface and in contact with ice, and a third surface formed between the first surface and the second surface and in contact with ice.

The first surface and the second surface may be configured to have a tapered shape in which a thickness thereof gradually decreases in a direction of directing to ice.

The ice making tray may include a pocket part receiving water to be supplied to the ice making cells, and the water channel closest to the pocket part among the plurality of water channels may be configured to have a larger width than the remaining water channels.

The remaining water channels may be configured to have the same width, and the water channels formed at positions facing each other may be formed at positions misaligned with each other.

The remaining water channels may be configured to have the same width, and some of the remaining water channels may be formed at positions facing each other, and some of the remaining water channels may be formed at positions misaligned with each other.

The ejector may include an ejector rotation shaft provided to be rotatable, and a plurality of ejector pins protruding from the ejector rotation shaft.

The plurality of ejector pins may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other to have a certain angle along a circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft.

The ice separation heater may have a U shape and may be disposed at a lower portion of the ice making tray so that heat of a higher temperature is transferred toward the pocket part.

The plurality of ejector pins may be configured such that the ejector pin closest to the pocket part first comes into contact with ice.

The plurality of ejector pins may include a plurality of ejector pin portions disposed to be spaced apart from each other to have the same angle along a circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft, and the plurality of ejector pin portions may be configured to have different angles along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft.

The ice separation heater may have a U shape and may be disposed at a lower portion of the ice making tray so that heat of a higher temperature is transferred toward the pocket part.

The plurality of ejector pin portions may be configured such that the ejector pin portion closest to the pocket part first comes into contact with ice.

The ice maker may further include an ejector pin guide configured to guide the plurality of ejector pins.

The ejector pin guide may include a rib-shaped guide lane configured to guide such that pieces of ice are maintained in a state of being separated from each other in a process in which the pieces of ice to be transferred to the outside of the ice making tray are separated.

Advantageous Effects

Refrigerators according to embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce noise generated when ice falls from an ice making tray.

MODE OF THE DISCLOSURE

The embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only examples of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made at the time of filing of the present disclosure to replace the embodiments and drawings of the present specification.

Like reference numbers or signs in the various drawings of the application represent parts or components that perform substantially the same functions.

The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to restrict and/or to limit the present disclosure. For example, the singular expressions herein may include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, the terms “comprises” and “has” are intended to indicate that there are features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component. The term “and/or” includes any combination of a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of related items.

In this specification, the terms “front end,” “rear end,” “upper portion,” “lower portion,” “front side,” “rear side,” “upper end” and “lower end” used in the following description are defined with reference to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 2illustrates that an ice making chamber door is opened in the refrigerator inFIG. 1,FIG. 3is a side cross-sectional view illustrating main components of the refrigerator inFIG. 1, andFIG. 4is an exploded perspective view illustrating a storage compartment door and an ice making chamber of the refrigerator inFIG. 1.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 4, a refrigerator may include a main body10including storage compartments21and22, doors26,27,28, and29provided in front of the storage compartments21and22, an ice making chamber40provided in the door26, an ice maker60and an ice bucket80disposed in the ice making chamber40, and a cold air supply device provided to supply cold air to the storage compartments21and22and ice making chamber40.

The cold air supply device includes an evaporator2, a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), and an expansion device (not shown), and may generate cold air by using the latent heat of evaporation of a refrigerant.

The cold air generated by the evaporator2may be supplied to the storage compartment21and the ice making chamber40by the operation of a blowing fan3.

The refrigerator1may include a cold air duct (not shown) for guiding the cold air generated by the evaporator2to the ice making chamber40.

The main body10may include an inner case11forming the storage compartments21and22, an outer case12coupled to an outer side of the inner case12and forming an outer appearance of the refrigerator1, and an insulator13provided between the inner case11and the outer case12to insulate the storage compartments21and22.

The inner case11may be formed by injection of a plastic material, and the outer case12may be formed of a metal material.

Urethane foam insulation may be used as the insulator13, and a vacuum insulation panel may be used together as necessary.

The main body10may include an intermediate wall17, and the storage compartments21and22may be divided into the upper storage compartment21and the lower storage compartment22by the intermediate wall17.

The intermediate wall17may include an insulator to insulate the upper storage compartment21and the lower storage compartment22.

The upper storage compartment21may be used as a refrigerating compartment for storing food in a refrigerating mode by maintaining indoor air at a temperature of about 0 to 5 degrees Celsius, and the lower storage compartment22may be used as a freezing compartment for storing food in a freezing mode by maintaining indoor air at a temperature of about 0 to −30 degrees Celsius.

The storage compartments21and22are provided with an open front side so that food may be put in and out, and the open front side of the storage compartments21and22may be opened and closed by the doors26,27,28, and29which are rotatably provided in front of the storage compartments21and22.

The storage compartment21may be opened and closed by the doors26and27, and the storage compartment22may be opened and closed by the doors28and29.

The door26may include a storage compartment door30rotatably coupled to the main body10to open and close the storage compartment21, and an ice making chamber door36rotatably provided in front of the storage compartment door30.

The storage compartment door30may be rotatably coupled to the main body10through a hinge member (not shown).

The ice making chamber door36may be rotatably coupled to the storage compartment door30or the main body10through a hinge member39.

The storage compartment door30and the ice making chamber door36may be configured to be rotatable in the same direction.

The ice making chamber door36may have a size corresponding to a size of the storage compartment door30.

Therefore, when both the storage compartment door30and the ice making chamber door36are closed, only a dispenser90is exposed to the outside through an opening37of the ice making chamber door36, and the other portion of the storage compartment door30may be hidden by the ice making chamber door36not to be exposed.

The ice making chamber40may be formed on a front side of the storage compartment door30.

The ice making chamber40may be partitioned, separated, and independent from the storage compartment21by the storage compartment door30.

The storage compartment door30includes a front plate31, a rear plate32coupled to a rear side of the front plate31, and an insulator33provided between the front plate31and the rear plate32, and the ice making chamber40may be formed by a partial region of the front plate31being recessed toward the insulator33.

The ice making chamber40is provided with an open front side, and the open front side of the ice making chamber40may be opened and closed by the ice making chamber door36.

Like the insulator13of the main body10, urethane foam insulation may be used as the insulator33, and a vacuum insulation panel may be used together as necessary.

The ice making chamber40may be insulated from the storage compartment21of the main body10by the insulator33.

In the ice making chamber40, the ice maker60capable of making ice and the ice bucket80capable of storing ice made by the ice maker60may be disposed.

A detailed structure of the ice maker60will be described later.

The ice making chamber40may include ice making chamber walls41and an ice making space47formed by the ice making chamber walls41and having an open front side.

The ice making chamber40also includes a guide rib (not shown) formed to support an ice making tray61.

The ice bucket80may be detachably disposed in the ice making chamber40and may include an ice storage space87formed therein.

The ice bucket80may be provided with a transfer member88rotatable to stir and transfer ice, and a crushing blade89for crushing ice.

A transfer motor48for driving the transfer member88is provided in the ice making chamber40, the transfer member88and the transfer motor48may be connected when the ice bucket80is mounted in the ice making chamber40, and the transfer member88and the transfer motor48may be disconnected when the ice bucket80is separated from the ice making chamber40.

A discharge port86is formed at a lower portion of the ice bucket80to discharge the stored ice, and the ice discharged from the ice bucket80may be transferred to a dispensing space92through a chute91.

With this configuration, a user may access the ice making chamber40by opening only the ice making chamber door36without having to open the storage compartment door30.

Therefore, operations such as taking out ice in the ice bucket80and separating the ice bucket80from the ice making chamber40for repair, cleaning, and replacement may be easily performed.

Also, because the user may access the ice making chamber40while the storage compartment door30is closed, leakage of cold air from the storage compartment21may be prevented and energy may be saved.

The storage compartment door30may include the dispenser90configured to provide water and ice to the user.

The dispenser90may include the dispensing space92recessed to receive water and ice, a dispensing tray93to allow a container such as a cup to be placed, and a dispensing switch94to input an operation command of the dispenser90.

The storage compartment door30may include the chute91connecting the ice making chamber40and the dispensing space92to guide ice in the ice bucket80to the dispensing space92.

The ice making chamber door36may have the opening37to allow the user to access the dispenser90of the storage compartment door30while the ice making chamber door36is closed.

The opening37may be formed at a position corresponding to the dispenser90.

A door guard34for storing food may be provided on a rear side of the storage compartment door30.

A gasket35, which is in close contact with a front side of the main body10to seal the storage compartment21, may be provided on the rear side of the storage compartment door30, and a gasket38, which is in close contact with the front side of the storage compartment door30to seal the ice making chamber40, may be provided on a rear side of the ice making chamber door36.

The refrigerator may include a water filter98provided to purify water and a water tank (not shown) provided to refrigerate and store water purified by the water filter98.

A water filter accommodating portion96may be formed in the storage compartment door30to accommodate the water filter98.

The water filter accommodating portion96may be formed on the front side of the storage compartment door30to be accessible in a state in which the storage compartment door30is closed and only the ice making chamber door36is open.

The water filter accommodating portion96is configured such that a front side is open, and a water filter cover97may be detachably provided on the open front side of the water filter accommodating portion96.

The drawings illustrate that the ice making chamber40is formed in the storage compartment door30, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the ice making chamber40may be formed in the storage compartment21.

Hereinafter, a configuration of an ice maker100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

FIG. 5is a perspective view of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 6is an exploded perspective view of a part of the ice maker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 7illustrates an ice making tray in which a water channel is formed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 8is a side cross-sectional view of the ice making tray in which the water channel is formed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIGS. 5 to 8, the ice maker100may include an ice making tray110having a plurality of ice making cells112provided to receive water, an ejector120rotatably provided to separate and move pieces of ice from the ice making cells112, an ice separation motor (not shown) provided to rotate the ejector120, a motor box130provided to accommodate the ice separation motor, an ejector pin guide140attached to a side portion of the ice making tray110, a lower cover150attached to a lower portion of the ice making tray110, a detection lever160provided to detect whether the ice bucket80is full with pieces of ice, and an ice separation heater170provided to heat the ice making tray110so that pieces of ice may be separated from the ice making chamber112.

With this configuration, the ice maker may automatically perform a series of operations such as water supply, cooling, ice separating, and ice level detection.

The motor box130may protect the ice separation motor by accommodating the ice separation motor.

The motor box130may be coupled to one of opposite ends of the ice making tray110in a longitudinal direction at which a pocket part is not formed.

The motor box130may include a motor box outer wall133having a motor accommodating space131formed therein, and a coupling bracket135protruding from the motor box outer wall133to be coupled to the ice making chamber wall41.

The ice making tray100may include the plurality of ice making cells112, partitions113to partition the plurality of ice making cells112from each other, and a cell portion111having a water channel114formed on each of the partitions113to allow water to flow between the partitions113.

The ice making tray110may also include a pocket part118provided at one side of the cell portion111in the longitudinal direction to receive water to be supplied to the ice making cells112.

The water channel114may be formed on the partitions113partitioning the plurality of ice making cells112to allow water to flow between the partitions113.

The water channel114may include a first surface115in contact with ice, a second surface116formed at a position facing the first surface115and in contact with ice, and a third surface117formed between the first surface115and the second surface116and in contact with ice.

Because the water channel114is opened upward and has three surfaces, the third surface117may form a bottom surface of the water channel114.

Among the three surfaces forming the water channel114, the first surface115and the second surface116may be configured to have a tapered shape in which a thickness thereof gradually decreases in a direction of directing to ice.

Because the first surface115and the second surface116is configured to have a tapered shape in which the thickness thereof gradually decreases in a direction of directing to ice, the surfaces in contact with the ice are sharp, so that pieces of ice may be easily separated from the respective ice making cells112when the ice making tray110is heated by the ice separation heater170.

When the pieces of ice are easily separated, the pieces of ice are separated and dropped into the ice bucket80in a process in which the pieces of ice are transferred to the outside of the ice making tray110by the ejector120, so that noise generated when the pieces of ice are dropped may be reduced.

At this time, because the water channel114is formed at a position where pieces of ice exit from the ice making tray110, that is, a position at which an ejector pin122of the ejector120, which rotates in the direction of an arrow illustrated inFIG. 8, exit from the ice making tray110, the pieces of ice may be separated by the first surface115and the second surface116of the water channel114even when the pieces of ice are not completely separated.

The ejector pin guide140may be attached to a side of the ice making tray110to guide the plurality of ejector pins122.

A plurality of the ejector pin guides140is provided to correspond to the number of the ice making cells112, and each of the ejector pin guide140includes a rib-shaped guide lane141configured to guide such that pieces of ice may be maintained in a state of being separated from each other in a process in which the pieces of ice to be transferred to the outside of the ice making tray110are separated by the ejector120.

Because by the guide lane141pieces of ice may be maintained in a state of being separated from each other in the process in which the pieces of ice are separated, the pieces of ice fall individually so that noise generated when the pieces of ice fall may be reduced.

FIG. 9illustrates an ice making tray in which a water channel is formed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 10illustrates the ice making tray viewed from a direction different from that illustrated inFIG. 9, andFIG. 11is a side cross-sectional view of the ice making tray in which the water channel is formed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIGS. 9 to 11, in a case where the water channel114is formed at a position where the ejector pin122of the ejector120rotating in the direction of the arrow enters the ice making tray110, pieces of ice may not be transferred when the pieces of ice are not completely separated by the first surface115and the second surface116of the water channel114.

In the case where the water channel114is formed at the position where the ejector pin122of the ejector120enters the ice making tray110, the other configurations except for the position of the water channel114are the same as before, and thus a description thereof will be omitted.

However, in the case where the water channel114is formed at the position where the ejector pin122of the ejector120enters the ice making tray110, the water channel114closest to the pocket part118among the water channels114may be formed at a position corresponding to a water supply portion118aof the pocket part118as illustrated inFIG. 10.

This is because water to be supplied to the ice making tray110is supplied to the pocket part118and the water supplied to the pocket part118is supplied to the ice making cells112through the water supply portion118a, and thus the water supplied to the ice making cells112may be prevented from flowing back toward the pocket part118when the water channel114closest to the pocket part118among the water channels114is formed at the position corresponding to the water supply portion118aof the pocket part118.

FIG. 12is a plan view of the ice making tray in which the water channel is formed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 13is a plan view of the ice making tray in which the water channel is formed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIG. 12, a plurality of the water channels114is provided, and the water channel114closest to the pocket part118among the water channels114may be provided to have a larger width than the remaining water channels114.

Because water to be supplied to the ice making tray110is supplied to the pocket part118and the water supplied to the pocket part118is supplied to the ice making cells112of the ice making tray110, the water supplied to the ice making cells112may be prevented from flowing back toward the pocket part118when the water channel114adjacent to the pocket part118among the plurality of water channels114is provided to have a large width.

The remaining water channels114, except for the water channel114adjacent to the pocket part118, may have the same width, and the water channels114facing each other may be positioned to be misaligned with each other.

When the water channels114are positioned to be misaligned with each other, because forces acting on pieces of ice by the ejector120in the process of separating the pieces of ice are different, the pieces of ice rotated by the ejector120have different rotation radii, so that the splitting effect of the pieces of ice may be increased (seeFIG. 6).

As illustrated inFIG. 13, some of the remaining water channels114, except for the water channel114adjacent to the pocket part118, may be formed at positions facing each other, and some of the remaining water channels114may be formed at positions misaligned with each other.

As another embodiment, the drawing illustrates that two of the water channels114are formed at positions facing each other, the water channels114located next to the two water channels114are formed at positions misaligned with each other, and this pattern is repeated, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

FIG. 6is an exploded perspective view of a part of the ice maker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 14is a side view of the ice making tray in which an ejector is disposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 14, the ejector120may include an ejector rotation shaft121provided to be rotatable, and the plurality of ejector pins122provided to protrude from the ejector rotation shaft121.

The drawing illustrates that eleven of the ejector pins122are provided to correspond to the number of ice making cells112, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The plurality of ejector pins122may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined angle along a circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121.

The plurality of ejector pins122is not provided in parallel with the adjacent ejector pins122and is provided to have the predetermined angle with the adjacent ejector pins122along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121, so that the respective ejector pins122may sequentially come into contact with pieces of ice to separate the pieces of ice from the ice making tray110.

Because the respective ejector pins122sequentially come into contact with pieces of ice to separate the pieces of ice, the pieces of ice are not dropped at the same time and may be separated and dropped sequentially.

Because pieces of ice are separated and dropped sequentially, noise generated when the pieces of ice fall may be reduced.

In this case, it may be appropriate that the ejector pins122are disposed such that the ejector pin122closest to the pocket part118among the plurality of ejector pins122first comes into contact with ice.

This is because the ice separation heater170provided in a U shape is disposed at a lower portion of the ice making tray110so that heat of a higher temperature is transferred toward the pocket part118, and thus ice in a portion adjacent to the pocket part118is first melted and separated.

In this case, it may be appropriate that an angle between the ejector pin122closest to the pocket part118and the ejector pin122farthest from the pocket part118is 60 degrees or less.

FIG. 15illustrates an ejector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 16is a side view of the ice making tray in which the ejector is disposed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated inFIGS. 15 and 16, the plurality of ejector pins122may include a plurality of ejector pin portions123disposed to be spaced apart from each other to have the same angle along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121.

The plurality of ejector pin portions123may include three of first ejector pin portions124provided at a position adjacent to the pocket part118and disposed in parallel with the adjacent ejector pins, three of second ejector pin portions125having a certain angle with the first ejector pin portions124along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121and disposed in parallel with the adjacent ejector pins, three of third ejector pin portions126having a certain angle with the second ejector pin portions125along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121and disposed in parallel with the adjacent ejector pins, and two of fourth ejector pin portions127having a certain angle with the third ejector pin portions126along the circumferential direction of the ejector rotation shaft121and disposed in parallel with the adjacent ejector pins.

As above, when the plurality of ejector pin portions123includes three of the first ejector pin portions124, three of the second ejector pin portions125, three of the third ejector pin portions126, and two of the fourth ejector pin portions127, three pieces of ice coming into contact with three of the first ejector pin portions124may first fall.

Then, in sequence, three pieces of ice coming into contact with three of the second ejector pin portions125may fall, three pieces of ice coming into contact with three of the third ejector pin portions126may fall, and finally two pieces of ice coming into contact with two of the fourth ejector pin portions127may fall.

The drawing illustrates that the plurality of ejector pin portions123includes three of the first ejector pin portions124, three of the second ejector pin portions125, three of the third ejector pin portions126, and two of the fourth ejector pin portions127, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, two of the first ejector pin portions124may be provided, or a fifth ejector pin portion having a different angle may be provided.