Driving device of icemaker for refrigerator

Abstract

A driving device of an icemaker for refrigerator may include: a driving device case coupled to an ice-making tray having an ejector rotating shaft coupled thereto; and a driving module housed in the driving device case so as to rotate the ejector rotating shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A driving device of an icemaker for refrigerator, comprising:
 a driving device case coupled to an ice-making tray having an ejector rotating shaft coupled thereto; and   a driving module housed in the driving device case so as to rotate the ejector rotating shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The driving device of  claim 1 , wherein the driving module comprises a driving module case housed in the driving device case and a driving unit mounted in the driving module case so as to rotate the ejector rotating shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The driving device of  claim 1 , wherein the driving device case has a guide protrusion formed therein, and
 the driving module case has a guide groove formed therein, which is guided by the guide protrusion when the driving module case is inserted into the driving device case.   
     
     
         4 . The driving device of  claim 3 , wherein the driving unit comprises a driving motor for generating a rotational force and a gear part for transmitting the rotational force generated through the driving motor to the ejector rotating shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The driving device of  claim 4 , wherein the driving motor comprises a DC step motor. 
     
     
         6 . The driving device of  claim 4 , wherein the driving motor is mounted on the outer surface of the driving module case. 
     
     
         7 . The driving device of  claim 4 , wherein the gear part comprises a driving pinion coupled to a rotating shaft of the driving motor, a driven gear coupled to the ejector rotating shaft, and a plurality of two-stage gears for transmitting the rotational force of the driving pinion to the driven gear while reducing rotation speed and increasing torque. 
     
     
         8 . The driving device of  claim 7 , wherein the driven gear is mounted on the outer surface of the driving module case. 
     
     
         9 . The driving device of  claim 7 , wherein each of the two-stage gears comprises a top gear and a bottom gear having a smaller number of gear teeth than the top gear. 
     
     
         10 . The driving device of  claim 7 , further comprising a rotation detection part for detecting the rotation position of the driven gear. 
     
     
         11 . The driving device of  claim 10 , wherein the rotation detection part comprises a magnet coupled to the driven gear and rotated through the rotation of the driven gear, and a hall IC for outputting a signal according to the magnitude of a magnetic force of the magnet. 
     
     
         12 . The driving device of  claim 11 , wherein the magnet and the hall IC are arranged in such a manner that a pole of the magnet and a receiving surface of the hall IC face each other when the magnet and the hall IC are positioned adjacent to each other, and
 the hall IC outputs the signal when the receiving surface of the hall IC and the pole of the magnet face each other.