Ice maker

Abstract

There is provided an ice maker. The ice maker includes: a freezing plate configured to be cooled by an evaporator to freeze water flowing thereon; a water tub disposed below the freezing plate to collect water falling from the freezing plate; an ice bin forming an ice storage space around the water tub to collect ice falling from the freezing plate; and a plate-shaped ice storage guide placed on an upper end of the water tub between the freezing plate and the water tub, the ice storage guide including a sloped part inclined toward the ice bin and a plurality of discharge holes narrower than widths of ice cubes formed by the freezing plate. Parts of the ice maker are simple and can be easily cleaned, and thus the ice maker may be hygienically used.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 a freezing plate configured to be cooled by an evaporator to freeze water flowing thereon;   a water tub disposed below the freezing plate to collect water falling from the freezing plate;   an ice bin forming an ice storage space around the water tub to collect ice falling from the freezing plate; and   a plate-shaped ice storage guide placed on an upper end of the water tub between the freezing plate and the water tub, the ice storage guide comprising a sloped part inclined toward the ice bin and a plurality of discharge holes narrower than widths of ice cubes formed by the freezing plate.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge holes are elongated in an inclination direction of the sloped part. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the ice storage guide further comprises a reinforcement rib vertically protruding from a rear side thereof and extending in a length direction thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein end plates are provided on both ends of the ice storage guide to support a main body of the ice storage guide with respect to the upper end of the water tub. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the ice storage guide further comprises an auxiliary discharge hole formed in front of the discharge holes and spaced apart from the discharge holes. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary discharge hole is formed between the discharge holes neighboring each other. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of auxiliary discharge holes are arranged at predetermined intervals in a length direction of the ice storage guide, and
 a guide jaw is formed between the auxiliary discharge holes neighboring each other so as to guide water flowing on the sloped part to the auxiliary discharge holes.   
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein when the ice storage guide is placed on the water tub, a discharge gap is formed between an end of the ice storage guide and an upper end of an inner wall of the of the water tub. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the ice storage guide further comprises a guide protrusion formed on an end of the sloped part. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the ice storage guide further comprises ridges protruding from the sloped portion at edges of the discharge holes. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the freezing plate comprises front and rear freezing plates making contact with both ends of the evaporator, and
 front and rear parts of the ice storage guide are symmetrical to guide ice falling respectively from the front and rear freezing plates.