Ice making system and method for a refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370083-A1
Application number	US-201514841155-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Ice making system and method for a refrigerator is disclosed. The ice making system includes an ice making unit that makes ice cubes; a cold air generator that cools air inside a cooling duct so as to produce cold air; a cold air circulation unit that supplies the cold air from the cold air generator to the ice making unit, and discharges the cold air from the ice making unit to the cold air generator; and an opening/closing unit that discharges defrost water produced from the cooling duct to an outside.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ice making system for a refrigerator, the ice making system comprising:
an ice making unit that makes ice cubes; a cold air generator that cools air inside a cooling duct so as to produce cold air; a cold air circulation unit that supplies the cold air from the cold air generator to the ice making unit and discharges the cold air from the ice making unit to the cold air generator; and an opening/closing unit that discharges defrost water produced from the cooling duct to an outside.

2 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the opening/closing unit comprises:
a cap provided in a lowermost part of the cooling duct such that the cap communicates with the cooling duct; and a lid connected to a predetermined portion of the cap such that the lid opens the cap in response to a weight of the defrost water.

3 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the opening/closing unit includes an elastic member elastically restoring an original shape of the opening/closing unit.

4 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drainage unit that drains the defrost water discharged from the opening/closing unit to the outside through a drain hose communicating with the opening/closing unit.

5 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the opening/closing unit comprises:
a cap provided in a lowermost part of the cooling duct such that the cap communicates with the cooling duct, the cap being combined with an upper end of the drain hose; and a lid connected to a predetermined portion of the cap such that the lid opens the cap in response to a weight of the defrost water.

6 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the cap is provided with a stop rim that protrudes from an edge of the cap such that the stop rim overlaps with an edge of the lid.

7 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cold air generator comprises:
the cooling duct through which the air flows; an evaporation coil wound around the cooling duct such that the air is cooled by a heat exchanging operation between the air and a refrigerant; a compressor that compresses the refrigerant discharged from the evaporation coil so as to change the refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant; a condenser that condenses the gas refrigerant so as to change the gas refrigerant to a high pressure liquid refrigerant; an expansion valve that performs adiabatic expansion of the liquid refrigerant and supplies the refrigerant to the evaporation coil; and a heater that defrosts the cooling duct by heating the cooling duct, thereby producing the defrost water.

8 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the ice making unit comprises:
an ice making cabinet defining an ice making space; an ice maker making the ice cubes using the cold air; and an ice bank storing the ice cubes.

9 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cold air generator comprises:
an inlet hole provided on an upper part of the ice making unit such that the cold air flows from the cooling duct into the ice making unit; an outlet hole provided on a lower part of the ice making unit such that the cold air is discharged from the ice making unit into the cooling duct; and a circulation fan that circulates the cold air from the inlet hole to the outlet hole.

10 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the cooling duct is provided in a refrigerator body, and the ice making unit is provided on a refrigeration compartment door of the refrigerator; and the cooling duct communicates with the ice making unit when the refrigeration compartment door is closed.

11 . The ice making system for the refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the evaporation coil functions as an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle, and cools the cooling duct through heat conduction.

12 . An ice making method for a refrigerator, the method comprising:
cooling air using a cooling duct so as to produce cold air; supplying the cold air to an ice making unit so as to make ice cubes; discharging the cold air from the ice making unit to the cooling duct; cooling the discharged cold air again in the cooling duct; defrosting the cooling duct by heating the cooling duct, thereby producing defrost water; opening an opening/closing unit provided in a lowermost part of the cooling duct; and draining the defrost water discharged from the opening/closing unit to an outside.

13 . The ice making method for the refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein in the opening of the opening/closing unit provided in the lowermost part of the cooling duct, a lid of the opening/closing unit is opened by a weight of the defrost water.

14 . The ice making method for the refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein in the draining of the defrost water to the outside, the defrost water produced from the defrosted cooling duct is drained to a defrost water tray provided in a machine room of the refrigerator.

15 . The ice making method for the refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein in the cooling of the air using the cooling duct so as to produce the cold air, the air flows through a cooling line of the cooling duct for a predetermined lengthy period of time, thereby being cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower and producing the cold air.

16 . A refrigerator, comprising:
a freezer compartment located within a main body of the refrigerator; a refrigeration compartment located within the main body of the refrigerator, wherein the freezer compartment is located below the refrigeration compartment; an ice making unit that makes ice cubes; a cold air generator that cools air inside a cooling duct so as to produce cold air; a cold air circulation unit that supplies the cold air from the cold air generator to the ice making unit and discharges the cold air from the ice making unit to the cold air generator; and an opening/closing unit that discharges defrost water produced from the cooling duct to an outside.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the opening/closing unit comprises:
a cap provided in a lowermost part of the cooling duct such that the cap communicates with the cooling duct; and a lid connected to a predetermined portion of the cap such that the lid opens the cap in response to a weight of the defrost water.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a drainage unit that drains the defrost water discharged from the opening/closing unit to the outside through a drain hose communicating with the opening/closing unit.

19 . The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the opening/closing unit comprises:
a cap provided in a lowermost part of the cooling duct such that the cap communicates with the cooling duct, the cap being combined with an upper end of the drain hose; and a lid connected to a predetermined portion of the cap such that the lid opens the cap in response to a weight of the defrost water.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 19 , wherein the cap is provided with a stop rim that protrudes from an edge of the cap such that the stop rim overlaps with an edge of the lid.

Assignees

• Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Koo Min Bon

Classifications

• F25D21/06

  Removing frost (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D11/006 Primary

  with cold storage accumulators · CPC title

• F25C1/04

  by using stationary moulds · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title