Refrigerator and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11703263-B2
Application number	US-201917281977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2018
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator according the present disclosure includes a first tray configured to form a portion of an ice making cell, a second tray configured to form another portion of the ice making cell and capable of moving relative to the first tray, a driver configured to move the second tray, a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice making cell, and a controller configured to control the driver, in which when it is determined that the water in the ice making cell is in a supercooled state based on the temperature measured by the tray temperature sensor, the controller may operate the driver to move the second tray.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first tray configured to form a first cell;
a second tray configured to form a second cell, the first and second cells configured to form a space in which liquid is phase-changed into ice;
a driver configured to move the second tray relative to the first tray;
a temperature sensor provided in at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and
a controller configured to control the driver and determine whether the liquid in the space is being supercooled based on temperature sensed by the temperature sensor,
wherein when it is determined that the liquid in the space is being supercooled, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray from a first position to a second position, and controls the driver to return the second tray to the first position.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein, when it is determined that the liquid is being supercooled, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray in a first direction away from the first tray from the first position to the second position.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein, after the second tray has been moved to the second position, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the second tray is moved toward the first tray to the first position.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 ,
wherein, when liquid is introduced into the space, the second tray is provided at the second position.

5. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein:
after the liquid in the space has phase-changed to ice, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray away from the first tray to a third position, and
wherein the second position is between a water supply position and the third position.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein, after the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a first predetermined temperature, if a time for the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to reach a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature is shorter than a predetermined time, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the first predetermined temperature is 0 degrees Celsius or less.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the second predetermined temperature is −3 degrees Celsius or more.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second tray is configured to rotate with respect to the first tray.

10. A method for controlling a refrigerator, the method comprising:
determining, via a temperature sensor and a controller, whether a temperature of a liquid stored in a space provided inside the refrigerator reaches a first predetermined temperature, the space defined by a first tray and a second tray configured to move with respect to the first tray;
in response to a determination that the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a first predetermined temperature, measuring a time required for the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to reach a second predetermined temperature; and
in response to a determination that the time measured to reach the second predetermined temperature is shorter than a predetermined time, moving the second tray from a first position to a second position and returning the second tray to the first position, and in response to the determination that the time measured to reach the second predetermined temperature is equal to or greater than the predetermined time, maintaining a location of the second tray.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the second tray includes rotating the second tray in a first direction away from the first tray.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
after the second tray is rotated in the first direction, rotating the second tray in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined temperature is 0 degrees Celsius or less.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second predetermined temperature is −3 degrees Celsius or more.

15. A refrigerator, comprising:
a storage chamber;
a cooler configured to perform at least one of supplying cold air or absorbing heat;
a first tray provided in the storage chamber;
a second tray provided in the storage chamber, the first and second trays configured to form a cell having a space;
a driver configured to move the second tray between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the second tray faces the first tray to align with the first tray in forming the cell and the second position being a position different from the first position, wherein liquid introduced into the space is phase-changed to ice when the second tray is at the first position;
a liquid supply configured to supply liquid into the space when the second tray is at the second position;
a temperature sensor provided in at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and
a controller to determine, based on the temperature sensor, whether the liquid in the cell is being supercooled, wherein the driver moves the second tray based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor,
wherein the second tray includes a first portion to define the cell and a second portion to extend from the first portion,
when the controller determines that the liquid is being supercooled, the controller controls the driver to move the second tray from a first position to a second position,
in the first position of the second tray, a second contact surface of the first portion is in contact with a first contact surface of the first tray, and
in the second position of the second tray, the second contact surface of the first portion is spaced apart from the first contact surface of the first tray and an end of the second portion is positioned higher than the first contact surface of the first tray.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein, when the second tray is at the first position, the space of the cell has a spherical shape.

17. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the second tray is configured to rotate with respect to the first tray, and when the second tray is in the second position, the second tray has been rotated away from the first tray.

18. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein after the second tray is moved to the second position, the second tray returns to the first position.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Donghoon
• Bae Yongjun
• Yeom Seungseob
• Lee Donghoon
• Lee Wookyong

Classifications

• F25C5/08

  by heating bodies in contact with the ice · CPC title

• F25C2600/04

  Control means · CPC title

• F25C1/18 Primary

  of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air · CPC title

• F25C1/10

  by using rotating or otherwise moving moulds (F25C1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title