Ice maker and refrigerator including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12228325-B2
Application number	US-202218065967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 26, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerator includes an ice tray, a motor, an ejector including a rotary shaft and a protrusion pin, and a heater for selectively supplying heat to the ice tray. A control method of the refrigerator includes a first step of sensing whether the ejector is rotated to reach a first setup position; a second step of driving the heater and stopping driving of an ice making compartment fan if the first step is satisfied; a third step of determining whether the ejector is rotated to reach a second setup position; and a fourth step of stopping driving of the heater if the third step is satisfied, and wherein the ejector continues to be rotated while the second to fourth steps are implemented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
an ice tray configured to receive water to generate ices;
a motor configured to be rotated in a forward or reverse direction;
an ejector configured to rotate the ices made in the ice tray to discharge the ices from the ice tray, the ejector rotated by the motor;
a heater configured to selectively supply heat to the ice tray;
an ice making compartment fan configured to supply cool air to the ice tray; and
a controller configured to turn the heater on or off in accordance with a rotation position of the ejector,
wherein the controller is configured to operate the heater and stop operating the ice making compartment fan based on the ejector being rotated to reach a first setup position, and
wherein the controller is further configured to operate the ice making compartment fan based on a predetermined time elapsing after stopping the operation of the heater.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the ejector includes a rotary shaft and a protrusion pin protruded in a radius direction of the rotary shaft to adjoin the ices.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the ejector is axially connected to the motor via the rotary shaft.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to start to operate the heater based on the ejector being rotated to reach the first setup position.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on the heater based on the ejector being rotated to reach the first setup position.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the ice making compartment fan based on the ejector being rotated to reach the first setup position.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor configured to sense a position of a rotation angle of the ejector.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to stop the operation of the heater based on the ejector being rotated to reach a second setup position.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to reversely rotate the ejector when sensing whether ices separated from the ice tray and received in an ice bank exceed a set height within the ice bank.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein at the second setup position, an outer end of a protrusion pin of the ejector is positioned equal to or lower than an upper level of water supplied to the ice tray.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the second setup position is determined based on a value of current applied to the motor.

12. A control method of a refrigerator, the refrigerator comprising an ice tray configured to receive water to generate ices, a motor configured to be rotated in a forward or reverse direction, an ejector configured to rotate the ices made in the ice tray to discharge the ices from the ice tray, the ejector being configured to be rotated by the motor, a heater configured to selectively supply heat to the ice tray, and an ice making compartment fan configured to supply cool air to the ice tray, comprising:
a first step of sensing whether the ejector reaches a first setup position while being rotated;
a second step of driving the heater and stopping driving of the ice making compartment fan based on the first step being satisfied;
a third step of determining whether the ejector is rotated to reach a second setup position; and
a fourth step of stopping driving of the heater based on the third step being satisfied,
wherein the control method further comprises a step of starting driving of the ice making compartment fan based on a predetermined time elapsing between the second step and the third step,
wherein the ejector continues to be rotated while the second to fourth steps are implemented.

13. The control method of the refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the ice making compartment fan is driven at the fourth step.

14. The control method of the refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein driving stop of the heater and driving start of the ice making compartment fan are simultaneously performed at the fourth step.

15. The control method of the refrigerator according to claim 12 , further comprising a step of sensing whether ices separated from the ice tray and received in an ice bank before the first step exceed a set height.

16. The control method of the refrigerator according to claim 15 , further comprising rotating the ejector in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the ejector at the first to fourth steps while sensing whether the ices in the ice bank exceed the set height.

17. The control method of the refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the predetermined time is measured from a time point when the heater starts to be driven at the second step.

18. A control method of a refrigerator, the refrigerator including an ice tray configured to receive water to generate ices, a motor configured to be rotated in a forward or reverse direction, an ejector configured to rotate the ices made in the ice tray to discharge the ices from the ice tray, the ejector including (i) a cam that is configured to be rotated with the ejector by the motor and has a plurality of grooves defined at an outer circumferential surface of the cam and (ii) a rotating member in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam, a heater configured to selectively supply heat to the ice tray, a sensor configured to sense a position change of the rotating member based on the rotating member being hung each of the plurality of grooves of the cam, and an ice making compartment fan configured to supply cool air to the ice tray, the control method comprising:
rotating the ejector by the motor;
sensing, by the sensor, that the rotating member is hung in one of the plurality of grooves of the cam to thereby determine that the ejector reaches a first setup position while rotating the ejector by the motor;
based on determining that the ejector reaches the first setup position, driving the heater and stopping driving of the ice making compartment fan while rotating the ejector by the motor;
sensing, by the sensor, that the rotating member is hung in another one of the plurality of grooves of the cam to thereby determine that the ejector reaches a second setup position while rotating the ejector by the motor; and
based on determining that the ejector reaches the second setup position, stopping driving of the heater while rotating the ejector by the motor.

19. The control method according to claim 18 , wherein stopping driving of the heater comprises turning off the heater and operating the ice making compartment fan.

20. The control method according to claim 19 , wherein turning off the heater and operating the ice making compartment fan comprise turning off the heater and operating the ice making compartment fan simultaneously.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Donghoon
• Yeom Seungseob
• Lee Donghoon
• Lee Wookyong

Classifications

• F25D2317/061

  through special compartments · CPC title

• F25D2400/02

  Refrigerators including a heater · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C1/04

  by using stationary moulds · CPC title

• F25D17/06

  by forced circulation · CPC title