Ice tray assembly and refrigerator having the same
An ice tray assembly and refrigerator having the same are disclosed, by which pieces of ice stored in a plurality of ice trays can be simultaneously discharged by a single motion without interfering with each other. The present invention includes a plurality of ice trays vertically provided within a case, a plurality of the ice trays connected to one another by an interoperating means to be simultaneously rotated and a driving means for rotating a plurality of the ice trays by being connected thereto.
1. An ice tray assembly comprising:
a plurality of ice trays vertically provided within a case, a plurality of the ice trays connected to one another by an interoperating means to be simultaneously rotated; and
a driving means for rotating a plurality of the ice trays by being connected thereto, wherein the interoperating means comprises a plurality of tray gears connected to a plurality of the ice trays, respectively, and a plurality of connecting gears enabling a plurality of the tray gears to interoperate with each other,
wherein a plurality of the ice trays are arranged to configure an oblique line,
wherein the driving means comprises a lever connected to one selected from the group consisting of the ice tray, the tray gear, and the connecting gear, and
further comprising an elastic member providing a recovering force when the lever is rotated.
2. The ice tray assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cover assembled to the ice tray by a hinge to open/close an upper side of the ice tray,
wherein the ice tray is provided with a hanging projection for releasing a fixed state of the cover when ice is taken out of the ice tray.
3. The ice tray assembly of claim 1 , wherein a water supply passage for supplying water to the ice tray is provided to the case.
4. A refrigerator comprising:
a door; and
an ice tray assembly comprising:
a plurality of ice trays provided in a vertically oblique line form to a case provided to a backside of the door;
a driving means for rotating a plurality of the ice trays by being connected thereto;
an interoperating means for rotating a plurality of the ice trays simultaneously by being connected thereto, the interoperating means comprising:
a plurality of tray gears connected to a plurality of the ice trays, respectively; and
a plurality of connecting gears enabling a plurality of the tray gears to interoperate with each other; and
a cover assembled to the ice tray by a hinge to open/close an upper side of the ice tray,
wherein the driving means comprises a lever connected to one selected from the group consisting of the ice tray, the tray gear, and the connecting gear, and
further comprising an elastic member providing a recovering force when the lever is rotated.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , the case comprising:
an ice-making part accommodating a plurality off the ice trays therein; and
an operating part provided with the operating means.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , the case further comprising a water supply part having a water supply passage for supplying water to a plurality of the ice trays.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the ice-making part, the operating part, and the water supply part are partitioned from each other by at least one partition.
8. The refrigerator of claim 4 , the case comprising a basket provided under a plurality of the ice trays to store pieces of ice falling from a plurality of the ice trays.
9. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the ice tray is provided with a hanging projection for releasing a fixed state of the cover when ice is taken out of the ice tray.