Ice storage apparatus and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10495366-B2
Application number	US-201514813539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator includes a body having a storage compartment, an ice making device, and an ice bucket to store the generated ice. The ice bucket includes an ice bucket body, an ice storage space inside the ice bucket body, and a spacing member to allow ice to be spaced apart from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space to secure a flow path of cool air, so that the cool air smoothly flows inside the ice bucket body. A full-ice detecting sensor having an emitter and a receiver to receive optical signals is provided. A control unit determines a full-ice status by receiving an output value of signals received from the full-ice detecting sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having a storage compartment;
an ice maker included in the body and configured to generate ice; and
an ice bucket to store the ice generated by the ice maker, the ice bucket comprising an ice bucket body, the ice bucket including an upper wall, a bottom, a front wall, a right side wall, a rear wall and a left side wall;
an ice storage space formed at an inside of the ice bucket body; and
a spacing member to allow ice to be spaced apart from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space, the spacing member including a plurality of guide ribs spaced apart from each other to allow a flow path for a cool air between adjacent guide ribs of the plurality of guide ribs,
wherein the plurality of guide ribs is approximately perpendicular to at least one of the left side wall, the right side wall, and the bottom, and
wherein the spacing member is integrally provided with the ice bucket body, and is protruded from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of guide ribs including a plurality of guide ribs extendedly formed lengthways in vertical directions at the left side wall of the ice bucket and at the right side wall of the ice bucket, respectively.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein:
the adjacent guide ribs of the plurality of guide ribs spaced apart from each other by a predetermined gap to form the flow path for the cool air between the adjacent guide ribs of the plurality of guide ribs.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein:
the spacing member comprises a left dividing wall extendedly formed at inner sides of the plurality of guide ribs formed at the left side wall and a right dividing wall extendedly formed at inner sides of the plurality of guide ribs formed at the right side wall to divide the flow path for the cool air.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein:
a cool air communication hole is formed at each of the left dividing wall and the right dividing wall to have cool air communicated after the cool air is penetrated through the left dividing wall and the right dividing wall.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of guide ribs extendedly formed lengthways in horizontal directions across an inside surface of the bottom of the ice bucket.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the ice bucket comprises a cool air inlet and a cool air outlet each formed at the upper wall of the ice bucket to have cool air introduced and discharged.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein:
the cool air inlet is formed adjacent to one side wall of the ice bucket, and the cool air outlet is formed adjacent to an opposite side wall of the ice bucket.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a door to open/close the storage compartment of the body;
an ice storage compartment provided at the door, the ice storage compartment including a bottom, a right side wall, a left side wall, and a rear wall; and
a full-ice detecting sensor, including an emitter to radiate optical signals and a receiver to receive the radiated optical signals, to detect a full-ice status at the ice bucket, the full-ice detecting sensor provided at the ice storage compartment and positioned at an outside of the ice bucket,
wherein the one of the emitter and the receiver is installed at the left side wall or the right side wall of the ice storage compartment, and the remaining one of the emitter and the receiver is installed at the rear wall of the ice storage compartment,
wherein at least a portion of an optical path between the emitter and the receiver passes the plurality of guide ribs.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein:
the ice storage compartment further comprises an ice bucket mounting space formed at an inside of the ice storage compartment.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein:
the full-ice detecting sensor is installed at the ice storage compartment.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein:
the one of the emitter and the receiver is installed at the left side wall or the right side wall of the ice storage compartment, and the remaining one of the emitter and the receiver is installed at the rear wall of the ice storage compartment, so that the optical path in between the emitter and the receiver is diagonally formed.

13. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein:
an optical hole is formed at the ice bucket body so that the optical signals transmitted/received through the full-ice detecting sensor are penetrated through the ice bucket body.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a scraper to move the ice generated at the ice maker to the ice bucket;
a full-ice detecting sensor having an emitter to radiate an optical signal to an inside of the ice bucket, and a receiver to receive the optical signal radiated from the emitter and output a value of the received optical signal;
a sensor heater to heat the full-ice detecting sensor; and
a controller to primarily determine a full-ice status by turning on the full-ice detecting sensor, turning off the full-ice detecting sensor and turning on the sensor heater to heat the full-ice detecting sensor during a predetermined standby time upon determining a full-ice status as a result of the primary determination on the full-ice status, and secondarily determine the full-ice status by turning off the sensor heater and turning on the full-ice detecting sensor when the predetermined standby time is elapsed.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller controls the scraper and the ice maker to finish an ice-making cycle having a supplying of water, a making of ice, and a moving of ice, upon determining a status to be the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller controls the scraper and the ice maker to proceed with an ice-making cycle having a supplying of water and a making of ice, upon determining not to be in the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status.

17. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller controls the scraper and the ice maker to proceed with an ice-making cycle including a moving of ice, upon determining not to be in the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status.

18. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller turning off the sensor heater when the predetermined standby time is elapsed.

19. A method of controlling an ice-making cycle in a refrigerator comprising a body having a storage compartment, an ice maker included in the body and configured to generate ice, and an ice bucket to store the ice generated by the ice maker, the ice bucket comprising an ice bucket body, the ice bucket including an upper wall, a bottom, a front wall, a right side wall, a rear wall and a left side wall, an ice storage space formed at an inside of the ice bucket body, and a spacing member to allow ice to be spaced apart from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space, the spacing member including a plurality of guide ribs spaced apart from each other to allow a flow path for a cool air between adjacent guide ribs of the plurality of guide ribs, wherein the plurality of guide ribs is approximately perpendicular to at least one of the left side wall, the right side wall, and the bottom, and wherein the spacing member is integrally provided with the ice bucket body, and is protruded from

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Jin
• Son Bong Su
• Jang Do Yun
• Cho Yeon Soo

Classifications

• F25C5/24

  for storing bins (ice bins F25C5/182) · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C2700/02

  Level of ice · CPC title

• F25C1/00

  Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25C5/187 Primary

  with ice level sensing means · CPC title