Ice maker and refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12078402-B2
Application number	US-202318094766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2023
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, an ice maker configured to make spherical ice, and an ice bin for storing the ice. The ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled to the upper assembly, wherein the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers that are configured to come in contact with the plurality of hemispherical upper chambers to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, and an ice-full state detection lever that is coupled to and configured to be pivoted by the driver, wherein the ice-full state detection lever is configured to pivot in the same direction as the lower assembly to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
an ice maker disposed in the cabinet and configured to make spherical ice; and
an ice bin disposed below the ice maker and configured to receive the spherical ice made in the ice maker,
wherein the ice maker comprises:
a case that defines an exterior of the ice maker,
a first tray that defines a first chamber recessed in a first direction and is disposed at a fixed position,
a second tray that defines a second chamber recessed in a second direction different from the first direction, the second tray being configured to move with respect to the first tray between (i) an open position in which the first tray and the second tray are spaced apart from each other and (ii) a closed position in which the first tray and the second tray are in contact with each other,
a driver disposed at one side of the case, and
an ice-full state detection lever that is configured to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state,

wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to define an ice chamber based on the closed position of the second tray,
wherein the ice-full state detection lever comprises:
a first inserted portion coupled to the driver and configured to be pivoted by the driver,
a second inserted portion rotatably connected to the case,
a first extension that extends downward from the first inserted portion to a position below the second tray,
a second extension that extends downward from the second inserted portion to a position below the second tray, and
a third extension that extends between a bottom end of the first extension and a bottom end of the second extension, and

wherein the third extension is configured to, based on the second tray being in the open position, be located (i) lower than a lowest point of the second tray and (ii) outside a first line extending in a vertical direction through an end portion of the first chamber.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detection lever is configured to rotate based on movement of the second tray.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the third extension comprises a detecting portion configured to be in contact with the ice in the ice bin in the ice-full state of the ice bin.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the third extension is configured to pass a position under the first chamber based on the ice bin not being in the ice-full state.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein each of the first extension and the second extension is bent at least once in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the ice-full state detection lever that rotates to detect whether the ice bin is in the ice-full state.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the first extension and the second extension extend substantially parallel to each other.

7. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein each of the first extension and the second extension comprises a plurality of bent portions.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of bent portions allow the third extension to be located outside the first line extending in the vertical direction through the end portion of the first chamber.

9. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the first extension comprises:
a first bent portion extending from an end of the third extension; and
a second bent portion extending from the first bent portion to the driver, and
wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion are bent to define a predetermined angle therebetween.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein a length of the first bent portion is greater than a length of the second bent portion.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the third extension is configured to be located lower than the lowest point of the second tray in a state in which the second tray is in each of the open position and the closed position.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker is configured to separate ice from the second chamber through a plane that is defined by the first extension, the second extension, and the third extension.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker further comprises an ejector configured to press the second tray to thereby separate ice form the second chamber based on the second tray being in the open position.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the third extension is configured to, based on the second tray being in the open position, located between the first line and a second line, the second line extending in the vertical direction through a pressed portion of the second chamber by the ejector.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction based on the second tray being in the closed position.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first extension and the second extension are spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction, and
wherein the third extension defines a detection body that extends in the horizontal direction and connects the bottom end of the first extension to the bottom end of the second extension.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yonghyun
• Hong Jinil
• Park Hyunji

Classifications

• F25C2305/022

  Harvesting ice including rotating or tilting or pivoting of a mould or tray · CPC title

• F25C5/08

  by heating bodies in contact with the ice · CPC title

• F25C1/10 Primary

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

• F25C5/187 Primary

  with ice level sensing means · CPC title

• F25C2700/02

  Level of ice · CPC title