A refrigerator includes a main body having a food storage space therein, a door installed on the main body and configured to have an ice compartment therein and to close the food storage space, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve that are installed in the door, and an ice generator installed in the ice compartment. The ice generator includes a tray configured to receive and contain water therein, a refrigerant pipe line configured to connect the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve to each other and cool the tray by conduction, and one or more lock rings configured to connect in an airtight fashion the refrigerant pipe line to the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve.

An appliance including an ice manipulation reservoir capable of receiving ice having a base, wherein the base includes a first level and a second level, with the first level descending gradually to the second level. A first ice modification member is disposed inside the ice manipulation reservoir adjacent the first level of the base, and a second ice modification member is disposed inside the ice manipulation reservoir adjacent the second level of the base. A motor is operably connected with the ice manipulation reservoir and includes an output shaft. An impeller is connected with the output shaft proximate to the plurality of ice modification members, with the impeller being operable between a first directional rotation, and a second directional rotation.

Provided is a refrigerator including: a main body; a storage compartment formed in the main body; a door that opens/closes the storage compartment; a general water tank in which general water supplied from an external water supply source is stored; a mixing tank in which general water supplied from the general water tank is mixed with carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) so that carbonated water is made and stored; a dispenser that provides general water supplied from the general water tank to an outside and provides carbonated water supplied from the mixing tank to the outside of the refrigerator; and an ice-making machine that makes general ice by receiving general water from the external water supply source or the general water tank and makes carbonated ice by receiving carbonated water from the mixing tank, thereby providing general water, carbonated water, general ice, and carbonated ice through the dispenser.

There is provided an ice-making apparatus with an anti-contamination structure, wherein the apparatus includes: a housing having an ice-storage chamber defined therein; a pivotally-movable door having an elongate top end, wherein an elongate clearance is defined between an elongate top end of the door and a front wall of the housing; an elongate contaminant-guide plate disposed below the elongate clearance, wherein the elongate contaminant-guide plate has opposing first and second side ends, and the housing has opposing first and second side walls, wherein the opposing first and/or second side ends are disposed at or adjacent to the opposing first and/or second side walls respectively; and first and/or second contaminant-discharge holes defined in the opposing first and/or second side walls respectively, wherein the elongate contaminant-guide plate is constructed to receive contaminants falling down from the elongate clearance and to guide the contaminants toward the first and/or second contaminant-discharge holes.

A refrigerator includes an icemaker, an ice bank that is configured to store ice released from the icemaker, a weight sensor configured to measure a weight of the ice bank, and a controller configured to determine, based on weight measurements measured by the weight sensor, a variation in amount of ice stored in the ice bank during a set time period, and adjust an ice determination reference value based on the determined variation in the amount of ice stored in the ice bank during the set time period.

A refrigerator includes an icemaker, an ice bank that is configured to store ice released from the icemaker, a weight sensor configured to measure a weight of the ice bank, and a controller configured to determine, based on weight measurements measured by the weight sensor, a variation in amount of ice stored in the ice bank during a set time period, and adjust an ice determination reference value based on the determined variation in the amount of ice stored in the ice bank during the set time period.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerator comprising: a main body including a food storage space and a cold air generation portion, a door installed on the main body to open and close the food storage space, an ice machine installed in the food storage space to generate ice, an ice bucket arranged in the ice machine to accommodate the ice therein, a motor system installed in the door, and a transport system which includes a first end portion that is rotatably coupled to a rear surface of the ice bucket and a second end portion that is docked with the motor system when the door is closed, and is rotated together with a motor of the motor system to transport the ice accommodated in the ice bucket when the motor of the motor system is rotated.

There is provided a refrigerator having a locking device for an ice bucket and a method for installing a locking device for an ice bucket. A refrigerator having a locking device for an ice bucket, comprising: a main body; a storage space within the main body; an ice space configured to be disposed inside the main body, and partitioned from the storage space, and having a front opening; an ice bucket comprising an ice storage part which stores ice generated within the ice space; and a cover member which is disposed in front of the ice storage part to cover a front of the ice space and configured to be slidably installed in the ice space; and a locking device configured to lock the ice bucket within the ice space to prevent the ice bucket from being drawn out of the ice space by itself.

An ice machine includes an ice discharge gear to which an output of a motor is transmitted. The ice discharge gear is configured to rotate about a rotation axis, a cam member is disposed at a first axial side of the ice discharge gear and provided with a ratchet structure between the cam member and the ice discharge gear, and an ice discharge shaft is connected to the cam member in a facing relationship with the cam member and configured to scrape out ice pieces with ice discharge claw portions during rotation of the ice discharge shaft. A flat or substantially flat sleeve is disposed at a second axial side of the ice discharge gear so as to face the ice discharge gear across a gap, and an elastic member is interposed between the sleeve and the ice discharge gear.

An ice dispensing assembly includes a hopper, a metering disk, a shelf member, and a separating wall. The hopper includes an outlet opening defined in a bottom end of the hopper, and an ice inlet defined in a top end of the hopper. The metering disk is positioned in the hopper and includes a plurality of cavities. The shelf member is arranged to at least partially shield the cavities from a supply of ice held in the hopper. The metering disk is rotatable relative to the hopper between a first position wherein at least one cavity is exposed to the supply of ice to be filled with ice, and a second position wherein the cavity is separated from the supply of ice by the separating wall and ice in the cavity is dispensed through the outlet opening.