Ice making apparatus and refrigerator comprising the same

Abstract

Provided are an ice maker and a refrigerator including the same. An ice maker is mounted on a rear side of a door. Flooding of water stored in an ice tray is prevented by a tray cover. Also, an ice bank storing ice made from the ice maker is taken in and out through a home bar provided to the door. Therefore, reduction in the storage capacity of the refrigerator is minimized, and simultaneously, the ice can be easily taken out.

1 . An ice maker comprising:
 an ice tray rotatably installed on a rear side of a refrigerator door, and including ice cubes for making ice; and   a tray cover rotating in cooperation with rotation of the ice tray to selectively open/close the ice cubes.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein a water supply opening for supplying water to the ice cubes is provided to the tray cover. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray cover is connected to the ice tray such that it is rotatable in relative to the ice tray. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker according to  claim 3 , further comprising a stopper member for rotating the tray cover in relative to the ice tray, the tray cover rotating in cooperation with rotation of the ice tray. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker according to  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the stopper member is so located as to deviate from a rotation trace of the ice tray and to overlap a rotation trace of the tray cover. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray cover is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape having a horizontal semicircular cross-section perpendicular to an extension line of a rotational shaft of the ice tray. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker according to  claim 6 , wherein a contact rib for contacting an upper edge of the ice tray is provided to the tray cover. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker according to  claim 7 , wherein the contact rib protrudes from an inner periphery of the tray cover. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray cover is formed in a plate shape. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker according to  claim 9 , wherein the tray cover is formed in a size extending to an outside of the ice tray. 
     
     
         11 . An ice maker comprising:
 a support frame mounted on a rear side of a refrigerator door;   an ice tray rotatably installed to the support frame, and storing water for making ice; and   a tray cover installed to be rotable in relative to the ice tray, and preventing the water stored in the ice tray from flooding.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the tray cover operates in cooperation with the ice tray rotating with respect to the support frame to rotate in the same direction as a rotation direction of the ice tray, and then rotates in an opposite direction to the rotation direction of the ice tray in relative to the ice tray to separate the ice. 
     
     
         13 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein a stopper member provided to the support frame allows the tray cover to rotate in relative to the ice tray while the tray cover rotates in cooperation with rotation of the ice tray with respect to the support frame. 
     
     
         14 . The ice maker according to  claim 13 , wherein the stopper member is provided on one side of the support frame that corresponds to a position deviating from a rotation trace of the ice tray. 
     
     
         15 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , further comprising a contact member for closely attaching the ice tray onto the tray cover. 
     
     
         16 . The ice maker according to  claim 15 , wherein the contact member comprises a contact rib protruding from the tray cover and contacting an upper edge of the ice tray. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the ice tray rotates using driving force provided from a motor. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body including a storage space;   a door for selectively opening/closing the storage space; and   an ice maker according to  claim 1 , the ice maker being mounted on a rear side of the door.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 18 , further comprising an ice bank installed on a rear side of the door that corresponds to a lower portion below the ice maker such that the ice bank is taken in and out, the ice bank storing ice made from the ice maker. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the ice bank is taken in and out through a home bar provided to the door.