Patent Publication Number: US-9903636-B2

Title: Ice making system and method for refrigerator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and system for making ice for a refrigerator. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     A refrigerator is an appliance that serves to store food at low temperatures; it may be configured to store food at temperatures below freezing or at low but above freezing temperatures. 
     The temperature inside the refrigerator is maintained at the desired level by cool air that is continuously supplied to the refrigerator. The cool air is continuously produced by a heat exchange operation between air and a refrigerant performed in a refrigeration cycle comprising four sequential phases: compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation. Cool air is channeled to the inside of the refrigerator and is evenly distributed inside the refrigerator by convection. 
     The body of a refrigerator typically has a rectangular hexahedral shape that opens frontward, with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment defined and isolated from one another within the refrigerator body. The open front of the refrigerator body may comprise both a refrigerator compartment door and a freezer compartment door that can open or close the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively. The storage space defined inside the refrigerator may comprise a plurality of drawers, shelves, and boxes designed to store various kinds of food in various optimal states. 
     In the related art, a top mount type refrigerator in which the freezer compartment is provided in the upper part of the refrigerator body and the refrigerator compartment is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator body is well known. However, in recent years, for greater convenience to users, a bottom freezer type refrigerator in which the freezer compartment is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator body has been proposed and used. Here, the bottom freezer type refrigerator may be preferable since the more frequently used refrigerator compartment is located in the upper part of the refrigerator body and the less frequently used freezer compartment is located in the lower part of the refrigerator body. However, the bottom freezer type refrigerator is problematic in that to take ice cubes from the freezer compartment, a user must open the freezer compartment door and collect ice cubes while bending. 
     In an effort to solve the problem, in recent years, a refrigerator in which an ice dispenser for dispensing ice cubes is provided in a refrigerator compartment door placed in the upper part of a bottom freezer type refrigerator has been proposed and used. In such a refrigerator, an ice making device for making ice cubes may be provided in the refrigerator compartment door or inside the refrigerator compartment. 
     For example, in a bottom freezer type refrigerator having an ice making device in the refrigerator compartment door, cool air that has been produced by an evaporator is divided and discharged both into the freezer compartment and into the refrigerator compartment. Here, cool air that was discharged into the freezer compartment flows to the ice making device via a cool air supply duct arranged in a sidewall of the refrigerator body, and then freezes water while circulating inside the ice making device. Thereafter, the cool air is discharged from the ice making device into the refrigerator compartment via a cool air restoration duct arranged in the sidewall of the refrigerator body, so that the cool air can reduce the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment. 
     Here, to make ice cubes using the ice making device in the above-mentioned refrigerator, cool air should flow to the ice making device via the cool air supply duct and should flow from the ice making device via the cool air restoration duct; this way, the refrigerator is more efficient because cool air flows to the refrigerator compartment via both the cool air supply duct and the cool air restoration duct. 
     Further, in the refrigerator, the ice making device is located on the refrigerator compartment door, while the cool air supply and cool air restoration ducts are provided in the refrigerator body, so the refrigerator is problematic in that when the cool air flows from the cool air supply duct to the ice making device or flows from the ice making device to the cool air restoration duct, the cool air may leak from the junction between the refrigerator compartment door and the refrigerator body. 
     Document of Related Art 
     (Patent Document) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2005-0098135 (published on Oct. 11, 2005) 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been conceived with the above problems in mind; it proposes an ice making system and method for a refrigerator which can efficiently supply cool air produced from a cooling duct of the refrigerator body to the ice making unit of the refrigerator compartment door without allowing leakage of the cool air. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, an ice making system for a refrigerator is provided, including: an ice making unit that makes ice cubes in a refrigerator compartment door; a cool air producing unit that is provided in a refrigerator body and cools air inside a cooling duct so as to produce cool air; a connection unit that communicates the ice making unit to the cooling duct in response to a closing action of a refrigerator compartment door onto the refrigerator body; and a cool air circulation unit that supplies the cool air from the cool air producing unit to the ice making unit and discharges the cool air from the ice making unit to the cool air producing unit. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in that when a refrigerator compartment door is closed onto a refrigerator body, the junction between the refrigerator body and the refrigerator compartment door is closely sealed, so the embodiments can prevent leakage of cool air from the junction between the refrigerator body and the refrigerator compartment door. 
     Another advantage of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention resides in that the embodiments can efficiently supply cool air produced in a cooling duct in the refrigerator body to an ice making unit of the refrigerator compartment door without leakage of the cool air. 
     A further advantage of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention resides in that the embodiments allow for the making of ice cubes directly using the cool air produced from the cooling duct, thereby increasing the efficiency of ice making and cool air supplying. 
     Still another advantage of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention resides in that the cool air circulates only a short distance within the ice making space located between the cooling duct and the refrigerator compartment door, in contrast to a conventional technique in which cool air produced in the lower part of a refrigerator flows to an ice making space located in a refrigerator compartment door. The present invention can efficiently reduce the loss of cool air and save electricity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an ice making system for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the internal structure of an ice making system in a refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows the structure of a connection unit of the ice making system for a refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the structure of a cool air producing unit for an ice making system in a refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing the structure of a connection unit for an ice making system in a refrigerator according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing an ice making method for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that they can be readily implemented by someone skilled in the art. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an ice making system for a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a view showing the internal structure of an ice making system for a according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is an enlarged view showing the structure of a connection unit of the ice making system for a refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the ice making system for the refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can efficiently supply cool air produced in a cooling duct  210  of a refrigerator body into the ice making cabinet  110  of an ice making unit  100  provided in a refrigerator compartment door without leakage of the cool air. 
     Here, the refrigerator  1  may include: a refrigerator body  10 ; a barrier  20  that divides the interior of the refrigerator body  10  into a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment; one or more refrigerator compartment doors  30  hinged to an edge of the front of the refrigerator compartment and open and close the refrigerator compartment; and a freezer compartment door  40  that is hinged to an edge of the front of the freezer compartment, and opens and closes the freezer compartment. Although the refrigerator  1  of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is a bottom freezer type refrigerator in which the freezer compartment is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator body, it should be understood that the present invention may be adapted to various types of refrigerators without being limited to the bottom freezer type. 
     The ice making system of the present invention may include an ice making unit  100 , a cool air producing unit  200 , a cool air circulation unit  300 , and a connection unit  500 . 
     Described in detail, the ice making unit  100  is a unit that changes the state of water to ice using cool air, and may be provided on an inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door  30 . Although the ice making unit  100  of the present embodiment is provided on the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door  30 , it should be understood that the ice making unit  100  may be provided elsewhere on the refrigerator compartment door  30 . 
     The ice making unit  100  may include an ice making cabinet  110 , an ice maker  120 , and an ice bank  130 . 
     Here, the ice making cabinet  110  may be provided on the inside surface of the refrigerator compartment door  30 , and may define an ice making space in which ice cubes are produced. The ice maker  120  can freeze water using cool air flowing into the ice making space, make ice cubes, and discharge the ice cubes into the ice bank  130 . The ice bank  130  is provided at a location below the ice maker  120  so as to receive ice cubes discharged from the ice maker  120 . The ice bank  130  can store the ice cubes discharged from the ice maker  120 , and can dispense ice cubes to users via an ice dispenser unit (not shown). 
     The cool air circulation unit  300  serves to introduce cool air from the cool air producing unit  200  into the ice making space of the ice making unit  100  or to discharge the cool air from the ice making space to the cool air producing unit  200 . 
     For example, the cool air circulation unit  300  may include: an inlet hole  310  provided on an upper part of the ice making unit  100  at a location corresponding to a first duct hole  212  of the cooling duct  210 ; an outlet hole  320  provided on a lower part of the ice making unit  100  at a location corresponding to a second duct hole  213  of the cooling duct  210 ; and a circulation fan  330  that channels the cool air from the inlet hole  310  to the outlet hole  320 . 
     Particularly, the cooling duct  210  is located in the refrigerator body  10 , and the ice making unit  100  is located on the refrigerator compartment door  30  of the refrigerator  1 , so that when the refrigerator compartment door  30  is closed onto the refrigerator body  10 , the first duct hole  212  and the second duct hole  213  of the cooling duct  210  communicate with the inlet hole  310  and the outlet hole  320  of the ice making unit  100 , respectively. 
     Thus, when the refrigerator compartment door  30  is closed onto the refrigerator body  10 , the cool air inside the cooling duct  210  flows into the inlet hole  310  of the ice making unit  100  via the first duct hole  212 . In the ice making unit  100 , the cool air circulates inside the ice making space  111  by the operation of the circulation fan  330 , thereby freezing water inside the ice making space  111  and making ice cubes. Thereafter, the cool air inside the ice making unit  100  is discharged into the second duct hole  213  of the cooling duct  210  via the outlet hole  320 . The cool air discharged from the ice making unit  100  is cooled again inside the cooling duct  210  prior to being introduced into the inlet hole  310  of the ice making unit  100 . 
     The connection unit  500  can connect the ice making space of the ice making unit  100  with a cooling line of the cooling duct  210  in response to the closing of the refrigerator compartment door  30  onto the refrigerator body  10 . 
     To this end, the connection unit  500  may include: a hollow sealing gasket  510 ; and a cool air depression  520  having a plurality of holes  421 . Here, the sealing gasket  510  is a hollow sealing protuberance from the refrigerator compartment door  30  in such a way that the sealing gasket  510  can communicate with the ice making space of the ice making unit  100 . The sealing gasket  510  may be provided with a bellows part. 
     Further, the cool air depression  520  of the connection unit  500  may be located on the refrigerator body  10  at a position corresponding to the sealing gasket  510  when the refrigerator compartment door  30  is closed onto the refrigerator body  10 . Here, the cool air depression  520  may be located on the refrigerator body  10  in such a way that the sealing gasket  510  can be inserted into the cool air depression  520 . The cool air depression  520  may comprise a plurality of holes  421  that communicate with the first duct hole  212  and the second duct hole  213  of the cooling duct  210 . 
     When the refrigerator compartment door  30  is closed onto the refrigerator body  10 , the sealing gasket  510  and the cool air depression  520  can constitute an airtight sealing of the junction between the refrigerator body  10  and the refrigerator compartment door  30 , so the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the leakage of cool air from the junction between the refrigerator body  10  and the refrigerator compartment door  30 . 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the structure of the cool air producing unit of the ice making system for the refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cool air producing unit  200  can cool the air flowing through the cooling duct  210 , thereby producing cool air, and can supply this cool air to the ice making unit  100 . The cool air producing unit  200  may be located inside the refrigerator body  10  of the refrigerator  1 . More specifically, the cool air producing unit  200  may be located on the sidewall of the refrigerator body  10  and in the lower part of the refrigerator body  10 . 
     The cool air producing unit  200  includes: the cooling duct  210  that is provided in the sidewall of the refrigerator body so as to form a cooling line through which air flows; an evaporation coil  220  wound around the cooling duct  210  such that the air inside the cooling duct is cooled by a heat exchange operation between the air and a refrigerant; a compressor  230  that compresses the refrigerant discharged from the evaporation coil  220  so as to change the refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant; a condenser  240  that condenses the gas refrigerant so as to change the gas refrigerant to a high pressure liquid refrigerant; and an expansion valve  250  that performs adiabatic expansion of the liquid refrigerant and supplies the refrigerant to the evaporation coil  220 . Here, the first duct hole  212  may be provided on the upper end of the cooling duct  210  such that the first duct hole  212  can communicate with the inlet hole  310 , and the second duct hole  213  may be located on the lower end of the cooling duct  210  such that the second duct hole  213  can communicate with the outlet hole  320 . 
     The refrigeration cycle involves the compressor  230 , the condenser  240 , the expansion valve  250  and the evaporation coil  220 , and comprises four processes: compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation. This results a heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant. Accordingly, air inside the cooling duct  210  may be cooled to become cool air by a heat exchange operation performed between the air inside the cooling duct  210  and the refrigerant inside the evaporation coil  220 . Here, the evaporation coil  220  cools the cooling duct  210  through heat conduction. Further, the cooling line is sufficiently long that air inside the cooling line can be efficiently cooled, so when the air flows through the cooling line for a predetermined lengthy period of time, the air can be cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 14 degrees below zero or lower) at which the cool air can efficiently make ice cubes. 
     Accordingly, the refrigerant may circulate through a refrigeration cycle composed of the evaporation coil  220 , the compressor  230 , the condenser  240 , and the expansion valve  250 , thereby cooling the cool air supplied to the ice making unit  100 . 
     Here, although the compressor  230 , the condenser  240 , and the expansion valve  250  in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention form a refrigeration cycle that can supply cool air to the ice making unit  100 , the refrigeration cycle may supply the cool air to both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Further, the compressor  230 , the condenser  240 , and the expansion valve  250  may use the refrigerant used in an evaporator (not shown) provided to supply cool air to both the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing the structure of the connection unit of an ice making system for a refrigerator according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the cool air depression  520  of the connection unit  500  according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may comprise ribs  522  that are seated in an internal space of the sealing gasket  510  when the sealing gasket  510  is inserted into the cool air depression  520 . 
     Here, the ribs  522  may protrude from the lower surface of the cool air depression  520 , and may comprise a plurality of holes  421  that communicate with the first duct hole  212  and the second duct hole  213  of the cooling duct  210 . 
     When the sealing gasket  510  is inserted into the cool air depression  520  by closing the refrigerator compartment door  30  onto the refrigerator body  10 , the ribs  522  are seated in the internal space of the sealing gasket  510 , thereby constituting a closer sealing of the junction between the refrigerator body  10  and the refrigerator compartment door  30 . 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram shows a method for making ice in a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the ice making method for the refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a step of connecting the ice making unit located on the refrigerator compartment door with the cooling duct located in the refrigerator body (S 100 ); a step of cooling air using the cooling duct so as to produce cool air (S 200 ); a step of supplying the cool air to the ice making unit (S 300 ); a step of discharging the cool air from the ice making unit into the cooling duct (S 400 ); and a step of cooling the discharged cool air again in the cooling duct (S 500 ). 
     In the step of connecting the ice making unit located on the refrigerator compartment door with the cooling duct located in the refrigerator body (S 100 ), the sealing gasket located on the refrigerator compartment door is inserted into the cool air depression provided on the refrigerator body by closing the refrigerator compartment door onto the refrigerator body. Here, the sealing gasket and the cool air depression can realize close sealing of the junction between the refrigerator body and the refrigerator compartment door, thereby preventing leakage of cool air from the junction between the refrigerator body and the refrigerator compartment door. 
     In the step of cooling air using the cooling duct so as to produce cool air (S 200 ), air is cooled to become cool air by making the air flow through the cooling duct on which the evaporation coil is wound. In this case, the air inside the cooling duct flows through the cooling line for a predetermined period of time while losing heat to the refrigerant flowing in the evaporation coil, so the air discharged from the cooling line can be cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 14 degrees below zero or lower) at which the cool air can efficiently make ice cubes. 
     In the step of supplying the cool air to the ice making unit (S 300 ), the cool air cooled in the cooling duct is supplied to the ice making space of the ice making unit through the inlet hole of the ice making unit. Here, the cool air supplied to the ice making space circulates in the ice making space by the operation of the circulation fan, and can freeze water inside the ice making space, thereby making ice cubes. 
     In the step of discharging the cool air from the ice making unit to the cooling duct (S 400 ), the cool air is discharged from the ice making space into the cooling duct through the outlet hole of the ice making unit. 
     In the step of cooling the discharged cool air again in the cooling duct (S 500 ), the cool air discharged into the cooling duct flows through the cooling line of the cooling duct for a predetermined period of time, thereby being cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower at which the cool air can freeze water to make ice cubes. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.