IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,618,600
Granted Patent B2
US 12,618,600 · App. 18/425,673 · Granted May 5, 2026

Refrigerator

Inventors: Donghoon Lee (Seoul, KR); Wookyong Lee (Seoul, KR); Chongyoung Park (Seoul, KR); Donghoon Lee (Seoul, KR); Seungseob Yeom (Seoul, KR); Yongjun Bae (Seoul, KR); Sunggyun Son (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
F25C5/08F25C1/24F25C1/25F25D29/00F25C1/18F25C2400/06F25C2400/10F25C2400/14F25C2600/04F25C2700/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,618,600
App. No.
18/425,673
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator comprises: a first tray assembly forming a part of an ice making cell; and a second tray assembly forming the other part of the ice making cell. The first tray assembly includes a first tray, and the second tray assembly includes a second tray. The second tray includes a first portion forming at least a portion of the ice making cell, and a second portion extending from a predetermined point of the first portion. The second portion includes a first extension part extending from a first point of the first portion and a second extension part extending from a second point of the first portion, wherein the length of the second extension part in the horizontal direction is formed longer than the length of the first extension part.

Claims (76)

1 . An ice maker comprising:

a first tray having a first portion of a cell, the cell extending in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction respectively; and

a second tray having a second portion of the cell, the first portion and the second portion of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice,

wherein:

the cell includes a plurality of cells, the X-axis direction being a direction that one cell of the plurality of cells and another cell of the plurality of cells are arranged in,

the Z-axis direction is a direction that the first portion of the cell and the second portion of the cell are arranged in,

the Y-axis direction is a direction that is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and

an X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is a plane cutting the second tray in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, when the second tray is at an ice making position,

wherein the second tray comprises a first area, a third area spaced apart from the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, and a second area disposed between the first area and the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, the first area including a point at which a first extension line passing through the cell in the Y-axis direction and the second tray meet each other, and the third area including a point at which a second extension line passing through the cell in the X-axis direction and the second tray meet each other,

wherein a curvature change rate of an inner line of the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of an inner line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray,

wherein the inner line of the third area includes the point at which the second extension line and the second tray meet each other, and an inner line of the second area is configured to connect the inner line of the first area and the inner line of the third area.

2 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the curvature change rate of the inner line of the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is greater than that of the inner line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

3 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the first area of the second tray provides a surface on which the liquid leaked from the cell exists, or

the ice maker further comprises:

a pusher configured to separate the ice from the second tray and including at least one column, the second tray including a pressing part that is pressed by the pusher during an ice separation process, and

a second tray case configured to surround at least one portion of the second tray to support the at least one portion of the second tray.

4 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein a curvature change rate of the inner line of the second area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of the inner line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

5 . The ice maker of claim 4 , wherein the curvature change rate of the inner line of the second area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of the inner line of the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

6 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein a curvature change rate of an outer line of the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of an outer line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

7 . The ice maker of claim 6 , wherein the curvature change rate of the outer line of the first area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is greater than that of the outer line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

8 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein

the first area has a portion in a curvature of an inner line thereof in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray different from a curvature of a portion of an inner line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, or

the first area has a portion in a curvature of an inner line thereof in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray greater than a curvature of a portion of an inner line of the third area in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray.

9 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the first tray includes an auxiliary storage chamber configured to communicate with the cell, the auxiliary storage chamber storing the liquid overflowing from the cell.

10 . The ice maker of claim 1 , further comprising a heater configured to supply heat to the cell, and

a heater case in which the heater is installed.

11 . The ice maker of claim 10 , wherein the heater case includes a through hole, and the first extension line and the second extension lines pass through a line passing through the through hole in the Z-axis direction.

12 . A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a storage chamber;

a door that opens and closes the storage chamber; and

the ice maker of claim 1 .

13 . An ice maker comprising:

a first tray having a first section of a cell, the cell extending in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction respectively; and

a second tray having a second section of the cell, the first section and the second section of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice,

wherein:

the Z-axis direction is a direction that the first section of the cell and the second section of the cell are arranged in,

the cell includes a plurality of cells, the X-axis direction being a direction that one cell of the plurality of cells and another cell of the plurality of cells are arranged in,

the Y-axis direction is a direction that is orthogonal to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction, and

an X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is a plane cutting the second tray in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, when the second tray is at an ice making position,

wherein:

the second tray comprises a first portion forming the second section of the cell and a second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion being integrally formed with the second portion,

the second portion includes a first extension part extending from the first portion in a first Y direction and a second extension part extending from the first portion in a second Y direction,

each of the first and second extension parts has a curved portion in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray,

the first portion and the second portion of the second tray are made of a flexible or soft material, and

a curvature change rate of a portion of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray includes a portion different from a curvature change rate of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray,

wherein a curvature change rate of an inner line of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of an inner line of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, when the second tray is at the ice making position, and

wherein the inner line of the first extension part is connected to the inner line of the second extension part, or the inner line of the first extension part includes a portion that overlaps the inner line of the second extension part in the Y-axis direction.

14 . The ice maker of claim 13 , wherein the curvature change rate of the inner line of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is less than that of the inner line of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, when the second tray is at the ice making position.

15 . The ice maker of claim 13 , wherein a curvature change rate of an outer line of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is different from that of an outer line of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, when the second tray is at the ice making position.

16 . The ice maker of claim 15 , wherein the curvature change rate of the outer line of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is less than that of the outer line of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, when the second tray is at the ice making position.

17 . The ice maker of claim 13 , wherein the first tray includes an auxiliary storage chamber configured to communicate with the cell, the auxiliary storage chamber storing the liquid overflowing from the cell.

18 . A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a storage chamber;

a door that opens and closes the storage chamber; and

the ice maker of claim 13 .

19 . An ice maker comprising:

a first tray having a first section of a cell, the cell extending in an X-axis direction, a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction respectively;

a second tray having a second section of the cell, the first section and the second section of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice;

a second tray cover having a portion disposed at one side of the second tray; and

a second tray supporter having a portion disposed at another side of the second tray to support the second tray,

wherein:

the Z-axis direction is a direction that the first section of the cell and the second section of the cell are arranged in,

the cell includes a plurality of cells, the X-axis direction being a direction that one cell of the plurality of cells and another cell of the plurality of cells are arranged in,

the Y-axis direction is a direction that is orthogonal to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction, and

an X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray is a plane cutting the second tray in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, when the second tray is at an ice making position, and

wherein:

the second tray comprises a first portion forming the second section of the cell and a second portion extending from the first portion,

the first portion and the second portion of the second tray are made of a flexible or soft material,

the second portion includes a first extension part extending from the first portion in a first Y direction and a second extension part extending from the first portion in a second Y direction,

each of the first and second extension parts has a curved portion in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray,

a curvature change rate of a portion of the first extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray includes a portion different from a curvature change rate of a portion of the second extension part in the X-Y axis cutting plane of the second tray, and

at least the portion of the portion of the first extension part faces or overlaps the portion of the second extension part in the Y-axis direction.

20 . A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a storage chamber;

a door that opens and closes the storage chamber; and

the ice maker of claim 19 .

Priority Claims (6)
KR 10-2018-0117785 · Oct 2, 2018 · national
KR 10-2018-0117819 · Oct 2, 2018 · national
KR 10-2018-0117821 · Oct 2, 2018 · national
KR 10-2018-0117822 · Oct 2, 2018 · national
KR 10-2018-0142117 · Nov 16, 2018 · national
KR 10-2019-0081696 · Jul 6, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17281779
Related Publication 20240167748A1 · May 23, 2024
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