Ice maker

Abstract

Disclosed is an ice making device that is able to selectively make ices having different transparencies from each other. The ice making device includes: an ice making chamber including an ice making container to accommodate ice making water therein; a cooler configured to supply cool air to the ice making chamber to cool the ice making water; an ice making fan configured to circulate the supplied cool air; an ice making heater configured to supply heat to the ice making water when the ice making water is cooled; and a controller configured to control at least one of the cooling unit, the ice making fan and the ice making heater to adjust a rate of change of temperature of the ice making container to generate one of two types of ice having different transparency.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An ice making device comprising:
 an ice making chamber including an ice making container to accommodate ice making water; 
 a cooler configured to supply cool air to the ice making chamber to cool the ice making water; 
 an ice making fan configured to circulate the supplied cool air; 
 an ice making heater configured to supply heat to the ice making water when the ice making water is cooled; and 
 a processor configured to;
 identify whether a rate of change of temperature of the ice making container is within a range preset to correspond to a currently executed ice making mode from among a plurality of ice making modes; and 
 based on the rate of change of temperature of the ice making container being not within the preset range of change, control the cooler, the ice making fan and the ice making heater to adjust the rate of change of temperature of the ice making container within the preset range of change to generate a type of ice corresponding to the preset range of change from among a plurality of types of ice having different transparency. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The ice making device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor installed in the ice making container to measure a temperature of the ice making container. 
     
     
       3. The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to reduce an output of the ice making heater and raise an output of the cooler and the ice making fan provided the rate of change of temperature of the ice making container is lower than a set rate of change. 
     
     
       4. The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of types of ice having different transparency is generated in a fast ice making mode, a normal ice making mode and a transparent ice making mode according to the rate of change of temperature of the ice making container. 
     
     
       5. The ice making device according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of types of ice having different transparency is generated in a normal ice making mode in which the rate of change of temperature of the ice making container ranges between 0.03 and 0.08 (° C./min). 
     
     
       6. The ice making device according to  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to turn off the ice making heater in the fast ice making mode. 
     
     
       7. The ice making device according to  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to vary an output of the ice making heater in the transparent ice making mode. 
     
     
       8. The ice making device according to  claim 4 , wherein the temperature of the ice making container at the time of separation of ice cubes in the transparent ice making mode is higher than a temperature of the ice making container at the time of separation of ice cubes in the fast ice making mode. 
     
     
       9. The ice making device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice making heater comprises a heating rod configured to extend from a surface of the ice making water to a bottom of the ice making container to be soaked into the ice making water and transfer heat to the ice making water, and a rotation shaft connected to the heating rod and configured to extend to cross an upper part of the ice making container and rotate the heating rod to separate the heating rod from the ice making container. 
     
     
       10. The ice making device according to  claim 9 , wherein the rotation shaft comprises a hollow part in a longitudinal direction, and the ice making heater comprises a heater accommodated in the hollow part of the rotation shaft and heating the heating rod. 
     
     
       11. The ice making device according to  claim 10 , wherein the heater is provided to cause a first air gap to exist between the heater and an internal circumference of the rotation shaft. 
     
     
       12. The ice making device according to  claim 9 , further comprising a heater supplying heat to a rotation driver rotating the rotation shaft and to the heating rod,
 wherein the rotation shaft comprises a first rotation shaft configured to support the heater and comprising the heating rod, and a second rotation shaft coupled to the first rotation shaft and configured to transfer a driving force of the rotation driver to the first rotation shaft. 
 
     
     
       13. The ice making device according to  claim 12 , wherein the first rotation shaft comprises a material with a high heat conductivity, and the second rotation shaft comprises a material with a heat conductivity lower than the first rotation shaft. 
     
     
       14. The ice making device according to  claim 12 , wherein the second rotation shaft is provided to cause a second air gap to exist between the second rotation shaft and the first rotation shaft. 
     
     
       15. The ice making device according to  claim 9 , further comprising a heater configured to supply heat to the heating rod,
 wherein the heating rod comprises a hollow part provided inside and has the heater accommodated in the hollow part. 
 
     
     
       16. A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body;   an ice maker arranged inside the main body and configured to generate ice; and   a controller configured to control the ice maker in an ice-making mode selected from a plurality of ice making modes,   wherein the ice maker includes:
 an ice-making container including a plurality of ice-making cells in which ice-making water is to be accommodated; 
 a heater configured to supply the ice-making cells with heat when cooling the ice-making water; and 
 a container support arranged to cover at least an upper portion of the ice-making container, wherein the container support is coupled to the ice-making container, fixed to the main body, and comprises a cup configured to supply the ice-making water to at least one of the plurality of ice-making cells, and 
   wherein the controller is configured to turn on the heater in each of the plurality of ice-making modes, and differently control the heater in respective modes of the plurality of ice-making modes.    
     
     
       17. The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of ice making modes include:
 a first ice-making mode in which the heater is to be turned on and the output of the heater has a first level; and   a second ice-making mode in which the heater is to be turned on and the output of the heater has a second level higher than the first level.    
     
     
       18. The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the output of the heater to have different levels between a plurality of ice-making operations in the second ice-making mode.  
     
     
       19. The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to apply a first voltage to the heater in a first ice-making operation of the second ice-making mode, and apply a second voltage lower than the first voltage to the heater in a second ice-making operation performed after the first ice-making operation.  
     
     
       20. The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to alternate between turning on and turning off the heater during a set time in the second ice-making mode.  
     
     
       21. The refrigerator of  claim 17 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the ice-making container,
 wherein the controller is configured to perform ice separating in response to the temperature of the ice-making container reaching an ice-separating temperature that is set according to the first ice-making mode or the second ice-making mode.    
     
     
       22. The refrigerator of  claim 21 , wherein the ice separating temperature of the second ice-making mode is higher than the ice separating temperature of the first ice-making mode.  
     
     
       23. The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to set an ice-making speed for the first ice-making mode to be different from an ice-making speed for the second ice-making mode.  
     
     
       24. The refrigerator of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a mode setter configured to receive a command for a user to select one of the plurality of ice-making modes; and   a display provided to display the ice-making mode selected from among the plurality of ice-making modes.    
     
     
       25. The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the main body comprises a freezing chamber and an ice making chamber, wherein the ice maker is located in the ice making chamber.  
     
     
       26. The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the cup is mounted to the container support.  
     
     
       27. A method of controlling a refrigerator including an ice-making container including a plurality of ice-making cells in which ice-making water is accommodated and a heater configured to supply the plurality of ice-making cells with heat when cooling the ice-making water, the method comprising:
 receiving an input selecting a first ice-making mode or a second ice-making mode through a mode setter;   turning on the heater based on the first ice-making mode being selected, and turning on the heater based on the second ice-making mode being selected; and   adjusting an output of the heater based on the selected ice-making mode so that ice generated in the first ice-making mode has a transparency different from a transparency of ice generated in the second ice-making mode.    
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the adjusting of the output of the heater includes
 adjusting the output of the heater to have different levels between a plurality of ice-making operations in the second ice-making mode.    
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the adjusting of the output of the heater includes
 applying a first voltage to the heater in a first ice-making operation of the second ice-making mode, and applying a second voltage lower than the first voltage to the heater in a second ice-making operation performed after the first ice-making operation.    
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the adjusting of the output of the heater includes
 alternating between turning on and turning off the heater during a set time in the second ice-making mode.    
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 27 , wherein an ice-making speed in the first ice-making mode is set to be different from an ice-making speed in the second ice-making mode.  
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the adjusting of the output of the heater includes:
 controlling the heater such that the output of the heater in the second ice-making mode is higher than the output of the heater in the first ice-making mode.    
     
     
       33. A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker;   a controller configured to control the ice maker in an ice-making mode selected from a plurality of ice making modes,   wherein the ice maker includes:
 an ice-making container including a plurality of ice-making cells in which ice-making water is to be accommodated; 
 a heater configured to supply the ice-making cells with heat when cooling the ice-making water; and 
 a container support arranged to cover at least an upper portion of the ice-making container, wherein the container support is coupled to the ice-making container, and comprises a cup that is configured to supply the ice-making water to at least one of the plurality of ice-making cells, and 
   wherein the controller is configured to turn on the heater in each of the plurality of ice-making modes and to control the heater in a first manner in a first of the plurality of ice-making modes and in a second manner in a second of the plurality of ice-making modes, the first and second manners being different.    
     
     
       34. The refrigerator of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of different ice-making modes are configured to provide for different ice transparencies, respectively.