Patent Description:
An ice machine installed in a kitchen sink for providing ice to a user typically has a structure in which transparent ice is made by applying a direct cooling cycle, an ice making portion for making the ice is disposed at a top of the ice machine, and the ice is transferred to an ice storage portion at a bottom of the ice machine through an ice-removal process and stored in the ice storage portion.

According to the prior art, the ice making portion has made only ice having the same size. However, such scheme does not satisfy requirements of a user who wants ice cubes of various sizes.

In one example, when the ice making portion includes a tray capable of making ice cubes of various sizes, the ice cubes of various sizes may be made by one tray. However, when ice cubes of a certain size are full on the tray, not entire ice cubes, which are made in the ice making portion, may be made, so that ice making is stopped.

Further, when the ice cubes of various sizes are made on one tray, time points at which the ice making is completed vary depending on the size of the ice cube. When ice-removal is performed at a time when making of ice, which is made within a relatively short time, is completed, it is difficult to make ice of a larger size.

<CIT> discloses an ice water purifier capable of generating two or more kinds of ice with one evaporator. <CIT> discloses an automatic ice making machine.

The present disclosure is to solve the above problems, and a purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an ice machine that may efficiently make ice cubes of various sizes.

The present disclosure provides an ice machine that provides ice cubes of multi-shapes from a conventional technique in which an ice machine of a spray water-circulating ice formation scheme provides ice cubes of a single shape.

The present disclosure provides an ice machine that has regions on a single tray where ice cubes of various shapes are formed, has a plurality of evaporators, and a plurality of nozzles to forming an independent ice making/ice removing system.

The present disclosure provides an ice machine that may make/remove/store ice cubes of various sizes in an ice making scheme of spraying water supplied from a storage tank to a tray, which is kept at a low temperature, using a pump to make ice.

Further, in order to make ice cubes of various types, the present disclosure attaches single-typed or plural-typed evaporation pipes to a tray to cool the tray to a temperature equal to or below a freezing point, and controls the evaporation pipes using pumps, valves, and the like.

Further, when a hot-gas cycle for ice-removal is applied after ice making is completed, a single or a plurality of hot-gas lines are formed to remove ice cubes. Whether each of a plurality of ice storage regions is in an ice-full state may be identified. Further, when the ice-full state occurs, additional ice may not be formed in an ice storage region of a tray in the ice-full state, during the ice making.

One aspect of the present disclosure proposes an ice machine including: a cabinet; a tray disposed inside the cabinet and having a plurality of cells for respectively forming ice cubes; and a nozzle disposed below the tray and spraying water toward the tray, wherein the plurality of cells includes a first cell having a smaller size and a second cell having a larger size than the first cell, and wherein the nozzle includes a first nozzle for spraying the water into the first cell and a second nozzle for spraying the water into the second cell.

The ice machine further includes a partition disposed between the first nozzle and the second nozzle; the partition is configured to guide the water sprayed from the first nozzle and the water sprayed from the second nozzle not to be mixed with each other.

In one implementation, the ice machine may further include a storage tank for storing the water supplied to the first nozzle and the second nozzle therein, and a pump connected to the first nozzle and the second nozzle by a guide pipe and supplying the water stored in the storage tank to the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

In one implementation, the pump may include a first pump for supplying the water to the first nozzle and a second pump for supplying the water to the second nozzle.

In one implementation, the pump may include a three-way valve disposed at a portion where a flow path to the first nozzle and a flow path to the second nozzle are branched, wherein the three-way valve opens and closes each of the flow paths.

In one implementation, the ice machine may further include a first ice bin disposed below the tray and storing an ice cube falling from the first cell.

In one implementation, the ice machine may further include a first ice-full state sensor for detecting whether the first ice bin is in an ice-full state.

In one implementation, when the ice-full state is detected by the first ice-full state sensor, the water supplied from the first nozzle to the tray may be blocked.

In one implementation, the ice machine may further include a second ice bin disposed below the tray and storing an ice cube falling from the second cell.

In one implementation, the ice machine of claim may further include a second ice-full state sensor for detecting whether the second ice bin is in an ice-full state.

In one implementation, when the ice-full state is detected by the second ice-full state sensor, the water supplied from the second nozzle to the tray may be blocked.

In one implementation, when an ice is completely formed in the first cell, the water supplied from the first nozzle to the tray may be blocked.

In one implementation, when an ice is completely formed in the second cell, a refrigerant compressed by a compressor for compressing the refrigerant may be guided to an evaporator.

According to the present disclosure, one tray is used to make ice cubes of different sizes together. Various ice cubes may be provided based on various ice use conditions, so that a convenience of use may be improved.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure that may specifically realize the above purposes will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In this process, a size, a shape, or the like of a component shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description.

The present disclosure installs barriers to separate ice cubes based on ice size, so that sprayed water and removed ice are separated from each other. When ice making is completed in a tray with small volume of the ice, a flow path along which a refrigerant flows may be changed to prevent cold-air from being supplied toward an evaporator near the tray in which the ice making is completed. That is, various ice cubes may be separated on one tray by the ice-removal barriers and made.

<FIG> is a view illustrating an ice machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, an ice machine according to the present disclosure includes a cabinet <NUM> for forming an outer shape of the ice machine and a door <NUM> for opening and closing a front opening of the cabinet <NUM>. The door <NUM> may be coupled to one side of the cabinet <NUM> to open and close the opening of the cabinet <NUM> while pivoting left and right about a pivoting shaft in a vertical direction.

A handle <NUM> is disposed at one side of the door <NUM>, so that a user may grip the handle <NUM> of the door <NUM> to pivot the door <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view illustrating the interior in a state in which a side of <FIG> is cut. Further, <FIG> is a view illustrating main portions of an embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, a machine room <NUM> is defined below the cabinet <NUM>. The machine room <NUM> has a compressor <NUM> disposed therein that compresses a refrigerant as one component of a freezing cycle. The compressor <NUM> may compress the refrigerant and finally generate cold air.

The machine room <NUM> may be defined in a lower portion of the cabinet <NUM> to reduce noise and vibration generated.

An evaporator <NUM> in which the refrigerant compressed by the compressor <NUM> is cooled while being evaporated is disposed at an upper portion of the cabinet <NUM>. The evaporator <NUM> is formed in a pipe shape, and in contact with a tray <NUM>. The tray <NUM> is cooled by the cold refrigerant passing through an interior of the evaporator <NUM>, and then when water comes into contact with the cold tray <NUM>, the water is converted into ice.

The evaporator <NUM> may be formed in a twisted shape to cool a space in which a plurality of ice cubes are generated defined in the tray <NUM>. The tray <NUM> may include a plurality of cells in which the plurality of ice cubes are respectively generated.

Each first cell <NUM> having a relatively small size and each second cell <NUM> having a larger size than the first cell <NUM> are formed on the tray <NUM>. Each first cell <NUM> and each second cell <NUM> are formed on one tray <NUM>. Each first cell <NUM> and each second cell <NUM> are different in size from each other, so that a user may make ice cubes of various sizes by each ice made in each cell.

A nozzle <NUM> for spraying water toward the tray <NUM> is disposed below the tray <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> sprays the water in an upward direction to spray the water into each cell of the tray <NUM>.

The nozzle <NUM> includes a first nozzle <NUM> for spraying water toward the first cell <NUM> and a second nozzle <NUM> for spraying water toward the second cell <NUM>. Both nozzles spray water upwards, but due to different positions thereof, the water may be sprayed toward different cells.

A partition <NUM> is disposed between the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM> of the tray <NUM>. The partition <NUM> guides the water sprayed from the first nozzle <NUM> and the water sprayed from the second nozzle <NUM> not to mix with each other. The partition <NUM> guides the ice falling from the first cell <NUM> and the ice falling from the second cell <NUM> on the tray <NUM> not to be mixed with each other.

The partition <NUM> extends from a bottom of the tray <NUM> to a top of the nozzle <NUM> to intersect an intermediate portion of the tray <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> is inclined such that a vertical level of one side thereof is lower than that of the other side thereof, so that the ice falling from the tray <NUM> may be guided to fall along the inclination of the nozzle <NUM>.

A storage tank <NUM> for storing water to be supplied to the nozzle <NUM> therein is disposed below the nozzle <NUM>. The water supplied from the storage tank <NUM> may be guided to the first nozzle <NUM> and the second nozzle <NUM>.

A drain pipe <NUM> is disposed in the storage tank <NUM>, so that, when a water-level of the storage tank <NUM> exceeds a certain level, the water may be discharged from the storage tank <NUM> through the drain pipe <NUM>. The drain pipe <NUM> is disposed in a form of a tube erected to have a certain vertical level inside the storage tank <NUM>. When the water-level inside the storage tank <NUM> is higher than the vertical level of the drain pipe <NUM>, as the water enters the drain pipe <NUM>, the water-level of the storage tank <NUM> is no longer increased.

The water supplied from the storage tank <NUM> is guided to the nozzle <NUM> by a pump <NUM>.

A first ice bin <NUM> and a second ice bin <NUM> are arranged below the storage tank <NUM>, so that the ice cubes respectively supplied from the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM> may be respectively stored in the first and second ice bins <NUM> and <NUM>. The first ice bin <NUM> may be disposed below the first cell <NUM>, and the second ice bin <NUM> may be disposed below the second cell <NUM>.

In order to use the stored ice, the user may open the door <NUM>, then access the first ice bin <NUM> or the second ice bin <NUM>, and then scoop the ice. The drain pipe <NUM> extends downward to penetrate a bottom of the first ice bin <NUM>, so that the water discharged from the drain pipe <NUM> is flowed to the bottom of the first ice bin <NUM>.

The first ice bin <NUM> is provided with a first ice-full state sensor <NUM> that detects whether the ice supplied from the first cell <NUM> is full in the first ice bin <NUM>. The second ice bin <NUM> is provided with a second ice-full state sensor <NUM> that detects whether the ice supplied from the second cell <NUM> is full in the second ice bin <NUM>. The first ice-full state sensor <NUM> or the second ice-full state sensor <NUM> includes a light emitting unit or a light receiving unit. Thus, the first ice-full state sensor <NUM> or the second ice-full state sensor <NUM> detects that the first ice bin <NUM> or the second bin <NUM> is full, when the ice is loaded equal to or above a certain vertical level, and detects that the first ice bin <NUM> or the second bin <NUM> is not full, when the ice is loaded below the certain vertical level. When each ice bin is full, it may mean a state in which additional ice does not necessary to be supplied, while when each ice bin is not full, it may mean that there is a space for receiving additional ice.

<FIG> is a block diagram according to one embodiment.

Referring to <FIG>, information associated with the ice-full states respectively detected by the first ice-full state sensor <NUM> and the second ice-full state sensor <NUM> is transmitted to the controller <NUM>.

The pump <NUM> may include a first pump <NUM> and a second pump <NUM> to flow water to two flow paths, respectively. The controller <NUM> may drive or stop driving the pump <NUM>, or the first pump <NUM> and the second pump <NUM>. Since the nozzle <NUM> discharges the water upwards, and the nozzle <NUM> is located above the storage tank <NUM>, when each pump is not driven, water cannot flow from the storage tank <NUM> to the nozzle <NUM>. Therefore, when each pump is not driven, the water cannot be sprayed from the nozzle <NUM>, and the water cannot be supplied to the tray <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may drive the compressor <NUM> to compress the refrigerant and allow the evaporator <NUM> to be cooled.

In addition, the controller <NUM> controls a two-way valve <NUM> and a three-way valve <NUM> to open and close flow paths, so that the flow path of each valve varies.

<FIG> is a view for illustrating a concept of one embodiment. <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a movement of a refrigerant in an ice making process, and <FIG> is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of supplying water from a storage tank.

Referring to <FIG>, when the refrigerant is compressed in the compressor <NUM>, the refrigerant is condensed in a condenser <NUM>. The refrigerant is vaporized while passing through an expansion valve <NUM>, and the refrigerant is heat-exchanged in the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM> to supply cold-air to the outside. The first evaporator <NUM> supplies the cold-air to the first cell <NUM>, so that the ice may be formed in the first cell <NUM>, and the second evaporator <NUM> supplies the cold-air to the second cell <NUM>, so that the ice may be formed in the second cell <NUM>.

Further, when the ice formation is completed, the two-way valve <NUM> opens a flow path, so that the hot refrigerant compressed in the compressor <NUM> is guided to the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM> without passing through the condenser <NUM>. Accordingly, temperatures of the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM> increase, and temperatures of the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM> also increase. Therefore, a portion of the ice formed in the first cell <NUM> attached to the first cell <NUM> or a portion of the ice formed in the second cell <NUM> attached to the second cell <NUM> melts, so that the ice drops from the first cell <NUM> or the second cell <NUM> to the first ice bin or the second ice bin. Further, the evaporator <NUM> includes the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the storage tank <NUM> is connected to the pump <NUM> by a guide pipe <NUM>. The water in the storage tank <NUM> may flow to the pump <NUM> through the guide pipe <NUM>.

The water passed through the pump <NUM> may be branched into a flow path <NUM> branched to the first nozzle <NUM> and a flow path <NUM> supplied to the second nozzle <NUM>. The three-way valve <NUM> for opening and closing each of the flow paths <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed at a portion where the two flow paths branch. Even when the pump <NUM> is driven, depending on which flow path the three-way valve <NUM> opens, the water may or may not be supplied to the first nozzle <NUM> or the second nozzle <NUM>. The water sprayed from the first nozzle <NUM> is directed toward the first cell <NUM>, so that, when the temperature of the first cell <NUM> is low, the ice may be formed while the water comes into contact with the first cell <NUM>. The water sprayed from the second nozzle <NUM> is directed toward the second cell <NUM>, so that, when the temperature of the second cell <NUM> is low, the ice may be formed while the water comes into contact with the second cell <NUM>. The first cell <NUM> is disposed to be in contact with the first evaporator <NUM>, so that, when the cold-air is supplied from the first evaporator <NUM>, the temperature of the first cell <NUM> is lowered. The second cell <NUM> is disposed to be in contact with the second evaporator <NUM>, so that, when the cold-air is supplied from the second evaporator <NUM>, the temperature of the second cell <NUM> is lowered.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the compressor <NUM> is driven, and the water is supplied from the first nozzle <NUM> and the second nozzle <NUM>, so that the ice cubes may be formed in the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM>.

When the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM>, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path <NUM> for supplying the water to the first nozzle <NUM>. Since a size of the first cell <NUM> is smaller than that of the second cell <NUM>, the ice may be formed faster in the first cell <NUM> than in the second cell <NUM>. Therefore, even after the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM>, the compressor <NUM> is driven such that the water is supplied to the second cell <NUM> through the second nozzle <NUM> to complete the ice formation in the second cell <NUM>.

When the ice formation is completed in the second cell <NUM>, the driving of the pump <NUM> is stopped to prevent the water from being sprayed into the second nozzle <NUM> as well as the first nozzle <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> allows the two-way valve <NUM> to open the flow path, so that the hot refrigerant compressed by the compressor <NUM> is supplied to the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM>. As time elapses, each ice may fall from each of the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM>, and may be stored in each of the first ice bin <NUM> and the second ice bin <NUM>.

When the first ice-full state sensor <NUM> detects that the first ice bin <NUM> is full with the ice cubes, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path <NUM>. Further, when the second ice-full state sensor <NUM> detects that the second ice bin <NUM> is full with the ice cubes, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path <NUM>. Therefore, no water is supplied to each nozzle, and no ice is generated in each cell, so that no additional ice is supplied to each ice bin.

<FIG> is a view for illustrating a concept of a variant. <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a movement of a refrigerant during an ice formation process, and <FIG> is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of supplying water from a storage tank. <FIG> is similar to <FIG>. Further, <FIG> is similar to <FIG>. Thus, overlapping descriptions of similar components will be omitted.

Referring to <FIG>, a three-way valve <NUM> is disposed to guide the refrigerant passed through the condenser <NUM> to two expansion valves <NUM> and <NUM>. When the three-way valve <NUM> guides the refrigerant to the expansion valve <NUM>, the refrigerant is supplied to the first evaporator <NUM>, so that the ice may be formed on the first cell <NUM> where the first evaporator <NUM> is disposed. Further, when the three-way valve <NUM> guides the refrigerant to the expansion valve <NUM>, the refrigerant is supplied to the second evaporator <NUM>, so that the ice may be formed on the second cell <NUM> where the second evaporator <NUM> is disposed.

When the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM>, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path along which the water is supplied to the first nozzle <NUM>, so that the water is not sprayed from the first nozzle <NUM>. In addition, the three-way valve <NUM> prevents the refrigerant from moving to the expansion valve <NUM>, so that additional refrigerant is not supplied to the first evaporator <NUM>.

When the ice formation is completed in the second cell <NUM>, the driving of the pump <NUM> is stopped, and all of the flow paths along which the refrigerant is moved from the three-way valve <NUM> to the expansion valves <NUM> and <NUM> are blocked.

In order to move the ice on the tray <NUM> to the ice bin, the two-way valve <NUM> opens the flow path, so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor <NUM> is guided to the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM> without passing through the condenser.

Further, when the ice-full state is detected by the first ice-full state sensor <NUM>, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path through which the water flows to the first nozzle <NUM>, and the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path through which the refrigerant moves to the expansion valve <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view for illustrating a concept of a further variant. <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a movement of a refrigerant during an ice formation process, and <FIG> is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of supplying water from a storage tank. <FIG> is similar to <FIG>. Further, <FIG> is similar to <FIG>. Thus, overlapping descriptions of similar components will be omitted.

Referring to <FIG>, the water stored in the storage tank <NUM> is guided to the first pump <NUM> and the second pump <NUM> through the guide pipe <NUM>, respectively. The water guided to the first pump <NUM> and the second pump <NUM> may be guided to the nozzles <NUM> and <NUM> through the flow paths <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively.

When the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM>, the driving of the first pump <NUM> is stopped. Further, when the ice formation is completed in the second cell <NUM>, the driving of the second pump <NUM> is stopped.

When the ice-full state of the first ice bin <NUM> is detected by the first ice-full state sensor <NUM>, the driving of the first pump <NUM> is stopped.

When the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM> and in the second cell <NUM>, the two-way valve <NUM> opens the flow path, so that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor <NUM> is guided to the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM> without passing through the condenser, thereby increasing a temperature of the tray <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view for illustrating a concept of a still further variant. <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a movement of a refrigerant during an ice formation process, and <FIG> is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of supplying water from a storage tank. <FIG> is the same as <FIG>, and <FIG> is the same as <FIG>.

When the ice formation is completed in the first cell <NUM>, the driving of the first pump <NUM> is stopped, and the three-way valve <NUM> blocks a flow path along which the refrigerant moves to the first evaporator <NUM>.

When the ice formation is completed in the second cell <NUM>, the driving of the second pump <NUM> is stopped. Further, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks both the flow path along which the refrigerant moves to the first evaporator <NUM> and a flow path along which the refrigerant moves to the second evaporator <NUM>. Since a size of the ice made in the second cell <NUM> is larger than the ice made in the first cell <NUM>, when the ice formation is started in the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM> at the same time, the ice formation is completed late in the second cell <NUM>. Therefore, when the ice is formed in the second cell <NUM>, it may be assumed that the ice is already formed in the first cell <NUM>.

In order to move the ice cubes in the first cell <NUM> and the second cell <NUM> to the ice bins, the two-way valve <NUM> opens the flow path such that the refrigerant compressed by the compressor <NUM> may be moved directly to the first evaporator <NUM> and the second evaporator <NUM>.

Further, when the ice-full state is detected by the first ice-full state sensor <NUM>, the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path along which the water flow to the first nozzle <NUM>, and the three-way valve <NUM> blocks the flow path along which the refrigerant moves to the expansion valve <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An ice machine comprising:
a cabinet (<NUM>);
a tray (<NUM>) disposed inside the cabinet (<NUM>) and having a plurality of cells for respectively forming ice cubes;
a nozzle (<NUM>) disposed below the tray (<NUM>) and spraying water toward the tray (<NUM>), wherein the plurality of cells includes a first cell (<NUM>) having a smaller size and a second cell (<NUM>) having a larger size than the first cell (<NUM>), wherein the nozzle (<NUM>) includes a first nozzle (<NUM>) for spraying the water into the first cell (<NUM>) and a second nozzle (<NUM>) for spraying the water into the second cell (<NUM>); characterized by
a partition (<NUM>) disposed between the first nozzle (<NUM>) and the second nozzle (<NUM>),
wherein the partition (<NUM>) is configured to guide the water sprayed from the first nozzle (<NUM>) and the water sprayed from the second nozzle (<NUM>) not to be mixed with each other.