Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a storage chamber for storing food; a cool air supplying means for supplying cool air to the storage chamber; a first tray which forms a part of an ice-making cell in which water is phase-changed to ice by the cool air; a second tray which forms another part of the ice-making cell and can be in contact with the first tray during an ice-making process; a water supply valve for adjusting a flow of the water supplied to the ice-making cell; a water supply amount detector for detecting the amount of water supplied to the ice-making cell; and a controller for controlling the water supply valve. The controller controls the water supply valve to supply water to the ice-making cell as much as a first reference water supply amount, for supplying water to the ice-making cell at a water supply position of the second tray. After finishing the water supply as much as the first reference water supply amount, the controller moves the second tray to an ice-making position and determines whether the water supply amount of the ice-making cell has reached a target water supply amount by using the water supply amount detector. When the water supply amount of the ice making cell has reached the target water supply amount, the controller starts ice-making, and when the water supply amount of the ice making cell has not reached the target water supply amount, the controller moves the second tray back to the water supply position and controls the water supply valve to supply water as much as a second reference water supply amount which is less than the first reference water supply amount.

1 . An ice maker comprising:
 a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;   a first tray having a first portion of a cell, the cell being a space where the liquid is received and phase-changed to form ice;   a second tray having a second portion of the cell, the second tray being movable relative to the first tray so that the first tray and the second tray may contact each other;   a heater configured to provide heat to the cell;   a first tray case coupled to the first tray;   a second tray case coupled to the second tray; and   a second tray cover disposed on the second tray,   wherein the second tray is disposed between the second tray case and the second tray cover, and the second tray has a portion exposed to an outside.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the second tray includes:
 a first surface covered by the second tray case;   a second surface covered by the second tray cover; and   a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface and defining a thickness of the second tray, the third surface being exposed to the outside.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the second tray is made of a flexible material. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 3 , wherein the first tray and the second tray are made of a same material. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the first tray case is manufactured as a separate part from a bracket and then is coupled to the bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the first tray case is integrally formed with a bracket. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , further comprising a first tray cover provided with an opening corresponding to a shape of the cell of the first tray. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , further comprising a first tray cover coupled to a surface of the first tray. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the heater includes:
 a first heater configured to provide heat to the cell to separate the ice from the cell; and   a second heater configured to provide heat to the cell to make the ice transparent, the first heater and the second heater being a wire-type heater.   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 9 , wherein an output of the first heater is different from an output of the second heater. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein an output terminal of the first heater has different shape from an output terminal of the second heater. 
     
     
         12 . The ice maker of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first heater includes:   a first portion; and a second portion positioned in an opposite to the first portion and spaced apart from the first portion by a first distance, and   the second heater includes:   a third portion; and a fourth portion positioned in an opposite to the third portion and spaced apart from the third portion by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance.   
     
     
         13 . The ice maker of  claim 12 , wherein the cell includes a first cell and a second cell, the first cell and the second cell being arranged in a X-axis direction, the first portion of the cell and the second portion of the cell is arranged in a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the first distance being greater than the second distance in a Y-Z axis cutting plane of the cell. 
     
     
         14 . An ice maker comprising:
 a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;   a tray configured to define a space of a cell where the liquid is received and phase-changed to form ice;   a heater configured to provide heat to the cell;   a tray case coupled to the tray; and   a tray cover disposed on the tray,   wherein the tray is disposed between the tray case and the tray cover, and the tray has a portion exposed to an outside.   
     
     
         15 . The ice maker of  claim 14 , wherein the tray includes:
 a first surface covered by the tray case;   a second surface covered by the tray cover; and   a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface and defining a thickness of the tray, the third surface being exposed to the outside.   
     
     
         16 . The ice maker of  claim 15 , wherein the heater includes:
 a first heater configured to provide heat to the cell to separate the ice from the cell; and   a second heater configured to provide heat to the cell to make the ice transparent, the first heater and the second heater being a wire-type heater, and   wherein the first heater includes:   a first portion; and a second portion positioned opposite to the first portion and spaced apart from the first portion by a first distance, and   the second heater includes:   a third portion; and a fourth portion positioned opposite to the third portion and spaced apart from the third portion by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance.   
     
     
         17 . The ice maker of  claim 16 , wherein the cell includes a first cell and a second cell, the first cell and the second cell being arranged in a X-axis direction, the first portion of the cell and the second portion of the cell is arranged in a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the first distance being greater than the second distance in a Y-Z axis cutting plane of the cell. 
     
     
         18 . An ice maker comprising:
 a liquid supply configured to supply a liquid;   a tray configured to define a space of a cell where the liquid is received and phase-changed to form ice;   a first heater configured to provide heat to the cell to separate the ice from the cell; and   a second heater configured to provide heat to the cell to make the ice transparent, the first heater and the second heater being a wire-type heater,   wherein the first heater includes:   a first portion; and a second portion positioned opposite to the first portion and spaced apart from the first portion by a first distance, and   the second heater includes:   a third portion; and a fourth portion positioned opposite to the third portion and spaced apart from the third portion by a second distance,   wherein the cell includes a first cell and a second cell, the first cell and the second cell being arranged in a X-axis direction, the first portion of the cell and the second portion of the cell is arranged in a Y-axis direction, and a Z-axis direction is orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the first distance being greater than the second distance in a Y-Z axis cutting plane of the cell.   
     
     
         19 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet including a storage chamber;   a door that opens and closes the storage chamber; and   an ice maker according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet including a storage chamber;   a door that opens and closes the storage chamber; and   an ice maker according to  claim 14 .