Ice making apparatus and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

An ice making apparatus capable of reducing an ice making time be rapid cooling of an ice making tray thereof while guaranteeing the making of transparent ice and a refrigerating having the ice making apparatus. The ice making apparatus includes the ice making tray to freeze water filled therein so as to make ice, and a cold air guiding device to guide cold air to a lower surface of the ice making tray. The cold air guiding device includes a cold air guiding plate installed below the ice making tray to be spaced apart from the lower surface of the ice making tray, and a plurality of protrusions provided at an upper surface of the cold air guiding plate to guide the cold air flowing along the upper surface of the cold air guiding plate in a direction toward the lower surface of the ice making tray.

1 . An ice making apparatus comprising an ice making tray to freeze water filled therein to make ice, and a cold air guiding device to guide cold air to a lower surface of the ice making tray, wherein
 the cold air guiding device comprises:   a cold air guiding plate installed below the ice making tray to be spaced apart from the lower surface of the ice making tray; and   a plurality of protrusions provided at an upper surface of the cold air guiding plate to guide the cold air flowing along the upper surface of the cold air guiding plate in a direction toward the lower surface of the ice making tray.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold air guiding device further comprises first and second side guiding portions extending upward from opposite sides of the cold air guiding plate, respectively, to allow the cold air to flow in a space defined between the lower surface of the ice making tray and the upper surface of the cold air guiding plate. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the cold air guiding device further comprises a third side guiding portion having opposite ends connected, respectively, to first ends of both the first and second side guiding portions, and the third side guiding portion comprising a cold air inlet to be connected to a cold air duct. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the cold air guiding device opens at an opposite side of the third side guiding portion. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise a triangular cross section. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air and comprise a triangular cross section, and each of the protrusions comprise opposite ends which come into contact with the first and second side guiding portions, respectively. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air and comprise a triangular cross section, and the respective protrusions are spaced apart from each other in the flow direction of the cold air and are alternately arranged at opposite sides of the cold air guiding plate. 
   
   
       10 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body having at least one storage compartment; and   an ice making apparatus mounted in a partitioned space within the storage compartment, wherein   the ice making apparatus comprises an ice making tray to freeze water filled therein to make ice and a cold air guiding device to guide cold air to a lower surface of the ice making tray, and   the cold air guiding device comprises:
 a cold air guiding plate installed below the ice making tray to be spaced apart from the lower surface of the ice making tray; and 
 a plurality of protrusions provided at an upper surface of the cold air guiding plate and adapted to guide the cold air flowing along the upper surface of the cold air guiding plate in a direction toward the lower surface of the ice making tray. 
   
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the cold air guiding device further comprises first and second side guiding portions extending upward from opposite sides of the cold air guiding plate, respectively, to allow the cold air to flow in a space defined between the lower surface of the ice making tray and the upper surface of the cold air guiding plate. 
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the cold air guiding device further comprises a third side guiding portion having opposite ends connected, respectively, to first ends of both the first and second side guiding portions, and the third side guiding portion comprising a cold air inlet to be connected to a cold air duct. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air. 
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of protrusions have a triangular cross section. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air and comprise a triangular cross section, and each of the protrusions comprises opposite ends to come into contact with the first and second side guiding portions, respectively. 
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed lengthwise in a direction intersecting with a flow direction of the cold air and comprise a triangular cross section, and the respective protrusions are spaced apart from each other in the flow direction of the cold air and are alternately arranged at opposite sides of the cold air guiding plate. 
   
   
       18 . An ice making apparatus comprising: an ice making tray to freeze water filled therein to make ice, and a cold air guiding device having a cold air flow path to guide cold air to a lower surface of the ice making tray, wherein
 the cold air flow path of the cold air guiding device has a cross sectional area decreasing from the upstream to the downstream.   
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the cold air guiding device comprises: a cold air guiding plate installed below the ice making tray to be spaced apart from the lower surface of the ice making tray; and a plurality of side guiding portions extending upward from opposite sides of the cold air guiding plate. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the cold air guiding plate comprises a plurality of stepped portions configured such that the heights of upper surfaces of the stepped portions initially gradually increase and again, gradually decrease from the upstream to the downstream. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the cold air guiding device comprises a plurality of triangular ribs formed in the cold air flow path to connect an upper surface of the cold air guiding plate and one of the side guiding portions to each other, for creating an eddy of cold air. 
   
   
       22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of triangular ribs gradually increase in size from the upstream to the downstream of the cold air flow path. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the cold air flow path of the cold air guiding device has a cross sectional area initially decreasing and again increasing from the upstream to the downstream thereof.