Ice maker for refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026036355-A1
Application number	US-202519351509-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2025
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Feb 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled relative to the upper assembly, wherein the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, a pair of rotating parts disposed at both sides of the lower assembly, a first pivoting arm pivotally mounted on one of the rotating parts, a second pivoting arm pivotally mounted on the other of the rotating parts and connected to the driver, a connection shaft connecting the first pivoting arm to the second pivoting arm, a first elastic member having one end connected to the first pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly, and a second elastic member having one end connected to the second pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ice maker comprising:
a first assembly comprising a first tray configured to form a first portion of an ice chamber for making ice; a second assembly comprising a second tray configured to form a second portion of the ice chamber; and an ejector configured to separate ice from the first assembly, the ejector including an ejector body and at least one ejecting pin extending in a direction intersecting the ejector body, wherein the first assembly further comprises a unit guide, the unit guide having a guide slot configured to guide a movement of the ejector.

2 . The ice maker of claim 1 , further comprising a casing positioned at a side of the first tray,
wherein the casing comprises a stopper protruding to restrain a movement of the unit guide.

3 . The ice maker of claim 2 , wherein the stopper is provided in contact with the unit guide.

4 . The ice maker of claim 2 , further comprising a connector including at least one link to connect the second assembly and the ejector with each other,
wherein the casing includes a through-opening which a portion of the connector passes through.

5 . The ice maker of claim 4 , wherein the casing includes a plate for fixing the first tray, the plate having a tray opening which a portion of the first tray passes through, and
wherein the through-opening is provided in a side of the tray opening.

6 . The ice maker of claim 5 , wherein the stopper protrudes from the through-opening.

7 . The ice maker of claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a plate for fixing the first tray, the plate having a through-opening, and
wherein the stopper protrudes from the through-opening.

8 . The ice maker of claim 2 , wherein the casing includes a through-opening which the unit guide passes through.

9 . The ice maker of claim 8 , wherein the stopper is formed at the through-opening.

10 . The ice maker of claim 8 , wherein the stopper is formed along the through-opening.

11 . The ice maker of claim 2 , wherein the first assembly further comprises a support positioned at another side of the first tray, and
wherein the support includes the unit guide.

12 . The ice maker of claim 2 , wherein the stopper comprises:
a first stopper; and a second stopper separated from the first stopper, and wherein the first stopper and the second stopper configured to support the unit guide from both sides.

13 . The ice maker of claim 1 , further comprising a casing positioned at a side of the first tray,
wherein the unit guide comprises a first unit guide and a second unit guide, which are spaced apart from each other, and formed at positions facing each other, wherein the casing comprises a plate that defines (i) a tray opening through which a portion of the first tray exposed, (ii) a first through-opening through which the first unit guide passes, and (iii) a second through-opening through which the second unit guide passes, and wherein the tray opening is defined between the first through-opening and the second through-opening.

14 . The ice maker of claim 13 , wherein the casing comprises a plurality of stoppers, each of which is in contact with the first unit guide or the second unit guide, and is configured to restrain a movement of each of the first unit guide and the second unit guide, and
wherein each of the plurality of stoppers is formed along at least a portion of the first through-opening or the second through-opening.

15 . The ice maker of claim 14 , wherein the casing defines a cold-air hole through which cold air flows into the casing,
wherein the first through-opening is positioned closer to the cold-air hole than the second through-opening, and wherein at least some of the plurality of stoppers formed along the second through-opening have a height smaller than the other stoppers.

16 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the guide slot extends in a direction in which the ejector moves, and
wherein, in a state in which each of both ends of the ejector body penetrates the guide slot, the ejector body moves along the guide slot.

17 . A refrigerator comprising the ice maker of claim 1 .

18 . An ice maker comprising:
a tray configured to form an ice chamber for making ice; an ejector configured to separate ice from the tray, the ejector comprising an ejector body and at least one ejecting pin extending in a direction intersecting the ejector body; and a unit guide comprising a guide slot configured to guide a movement of the ejector.

19 . The ice maker of claim 18 , further comprising a casing positioned at a side of the tray,
wherein the casing comprises a stopper protruding to restrain a movement of the unit guide.

20 . A refrigerator comprising the ice maker of claim 18 .

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yonghyun
• Hong Jinil
• Park Hyunji

Classifications

• F25C5/04

  without the use of saws · CPC title

• F25C1/243

  Moulds made of plastics e.g. silicone · CPC title

• F25C1/10 Primary

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

• F25C2600/04

  Control means · CPC title

• F25C2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title