Ice tray in an ice making device and method of producing ice

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370064-A1
Application number	US-201514836136-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to an embodiment, A refrigerator including an ice tray, comprising: a main body including a food storage space; a door installed in the main body and configured to open and close the food storage space; and an ice-making device installed in the food storage space, wherein the ice-making device comprises a case including a cooling space defined therein, a cooling unit configured to cool the cooling space, and an ice-making assembly disposed in the cooling space and configured to produce pieces of ice, the ice-making assembly including an ice tray having a plurality of independently-defined ice-making spaces and manufactured by pressing a metal at one time and a water supply unit configured to supply water to the ice-making spaces, the water supply unit comprises a feeder pipe configured to feed water to the ice-making assembly, and a water supply pipe coupled to the feeder pipe and disposed above the ice tray to extend along a longitudinal direction of the ice tray, and a plurality of water supply holes is formed in the water supply pipe in the positions corresponding to the ice-making spaces so that water is supplied to the respective ice-making spaces through the respective water supply holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator including an ice tray, comprising:
a main body including a food storage space; a door installed on the main body and configured to open and close the food storage space; and an ice-making device installed in the food storage space, wherein the ice-making device includes: a case including a cooling space defined therein; a cooling unit configured to cool the cooling space; and an ice-making assembly disposed in the cooling space and configured to produce pieces of ice, the ice-making assembly includes: an ice tray having a plurality of independently-defined ice-making spaces; and a water supply unit configured to supply water to the ice-making spaces, the water supply unit includes:
a feeder pipe configured to feed water to the ice-making assembly; and
a water supply pipe coupled to the feeder pipe and disposed above the ice tray, the water supply pipe includes a plurality of water supply holes formed in positions corresponding to the ice-making spaces so that water is supplied to the respective ice-making spaces through the respective water supply holes.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the water supply holes grows larger as the water supply holes are positioned farther away from the feeder pipe.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a heater configured to heat the water supply pipe is provided on the water supply pipe in such a fashion as to surround an outer circumference of the water supply pipe.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein a heater waterproof member configured to prevent the heater from making contact with water is provided outside the heater in such a fashion as to surround the heater and the outer circumference of the water supply pipe.

5 . An ice tray of an ice-making device, comprising:
a tray body configured to provide ice-making spaces that retain water; and a plurality of partition walls extending upward from a bottom surface of the tray body and configured to define the ice-making spaces as a plurality of independent ice-making spaces, wherein the tray body and the partition walls are made of a metallic material and are manufactured by a press work at one time.

6 . The ice tray of claim 5 , wherein the tray body and the partition walls are made a material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, copper and copper alloy.

7 . A method of producing ice comprising:
filling an ice tray with water from a feeder pipe that has holes aligned to ice making spaces of the ice tray; supplying cold air to the ice tray and water; and ejecting resulting pieces of ice from the ice tray.

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising supplying the water to the feeder pipe from a water supply pipe.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein an amount of water supplied to the ice-making spaces becomes uniform.

10 . The method of claim 7 further comprising heating the feeder pipe and water supply pipe to prevent ice clogging the respective feeder pipe and water supply pipe.

11 . The method of claim 7 further comprising using a heater waterproof member to reduce moisture contact with a heater.

12 . The method of claim 7 further comprising heating the ice tray to facilitate release of the piece of ice.

13 . An ice-making device comprising:
a case including a cooling space defined therein, a cooling unit configured to cool the cooling space, and an ice-making assembly disposed in the cooling space and configured to produce pieces of ice, the ice-making assembly including an ice tray having a plurality of independently-defined ice-making spaces; and a water supply unit configured to supply water to the ice-making spaces, the water supply unit includes:
a feeder pipe configured to feed water to the ice-making assembly; and
a water supply pipe coupled to the feeder pipe and disposed above the ice tray, the water supply pipe includes a plurality of water supply holes formed in positions corresponding to the ice-making spaces so that water is supplied to the respective ice-making spaces through the respective water supply holes.

14 . The ice-making device of claim 13 , wherein the diameter of the water supply holes grows larger as the water supply holes are positioned farther away from the feeder pipe.

15 . The ice making device of claim 13 , wherein a heater configured to heat the water supply pipe is provided in the water supply pipe in such a fashion as to surround an outer circumference of the water supply pipe.

16 . The ice-making device of claim 15 , wherein a heater waterproof member configured to prevent the heater from making contact with water is provided outside the heater in such a fashion as to surround the heater and the outer circumference of the water supply pipe.

17 . The ice-making device of claim 13 , wherein the ice tray include:
a tray body configured with ice-making spaces that retain water; and a plurality of partition walls extending upward from a bottom surface of the tray body and configured to define the ice-making spaces as a plurality of independent ice-making spaces.

18 . The ice-making device of claim 17 , wherein the tray body and the partition walls are made of a metallic material and are manufactured by a press work at one time.

19 . The ice-making device of claim 17 , wherein the tray body and the partition walls are made of a material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, copper and copper alloy.

Assignees

• Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Yang Sung Jin

Classifications

• F25C1/24

  for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays · CPC title

• F25C1/225 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25C2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25C1/25 Primary

  Filling devices for moulds · CPC title