Provided is a refrigerator including a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment defined therein, and an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment, wherein the ice maker includes an upper tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein the lower tray comes into contact with the upper tray by pivoting to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers therebetween, a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open and close the upper tray and the lower tray, and each rib formed along a circumference of each upper chamber or each lower chamber in contact with each other.

The present invention relates to a snow ice maker, comprising a coupling shaft (40) assembly wherein refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) and a refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) are arranged in a main passage (41), and the passage (41) is closed at a welding part (43) as a result of the capillary tubes (20) and a refrigerant gas inlet tube being simultaneously provided. The refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) comprise ends (22) arranged in proximity to an injecting position inside a cooling drum, and the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) are arranged by collecting the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) in the passage (41) of the coupling shaft (40); extending the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) to the outside of the cooling drum; combining the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) at a multiple connection part (21); and directly connecting the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) to a refrigerant supply tube (52) of a refrigerant compressor. The refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) is connected to a multiple inlet tube (33) in an ice-making drum, and the refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) is arranged by directly connecting the refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) through the main passage in the coupling shaft (40), from a connection part (31) outside the cooling drum to a gas inlet tube (54) of a condenser. According to the present invention, clean snow ice can be used because supplied water for ice making is frozen in an ice-making drum, edible powder ice can be obtained by cutting the ice layers of the ice-making drum with a cutter, and water for ice making is sterilized by ultraviolet rays. In addition, the ice-making drum can be cleaned and sterilized by heated water and vapor so that ingredients including milk, sugar and juice can be ice-made and variously used in a summer environment of high temperature and humidity.

The present invention relates to a snow ice maker, comprising a coupling shaft (40) assembly wherein refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) and a refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) are arranged in a main passage (41), and the passage (41) is closed at a welding part (43) as a result of the capillary tubes (20) and a refrigerant gas inlet tube being simultaneously provided. The refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) comprise ends (22) arranged in proximity to an injecting position inside a cooling drum, and the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) are arranged by collecting the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) in the passage (41) of the coupling shaft (40); extending the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) to the outside of the cooling drum; combining the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) at a multiple connection part (21); and directly connecting the refrigerant injection capillary tubes (20) to a refrigerant supply tube (52) of a refrigerant compressor. The refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) is connected to a multiple inlet tube (33) in an ice-making drum, and the refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) is arranged by directly connecting the refrigerant gas outlet tube (30) through the main passage in the coupling shaft (40), from a connection part (31) outside the cooling drum to a gas inlet tube (54) of a condenser. According to the present invention, clean snow ice can be used because supplied water for ice making is frozen in an ice-making drum, edible powder ice can be obtained by cutting the ice layers of the ice-making drum with a cutter, and water for ice making is sterilized by ultraviolet rays. In addition, the ice-making drum can be cleaned and sterilized by heated water and vapor so that ingredients including milk, sugar and juice can be ice-made and variously used in a summer environment of high temperature and humidity.

An ice maker includes a harvest motor and an ice tray operably coupled to the harvest motor. The ice tray has a plurality of heat sinks coupled to a bottom section of ice forming cavities on the ice tray. The harvest motor is operable to twist the ice tray for causing the plurality of heat sinks to move relative to each other for releasing ice pieces from the ice forming cavities.

An ice maker includes a harvest motor and an ice tray operably coupled to the harvest motor. The ice tray has a plurality of heat sinks coupled to a bottom section of ice forming cavities on the ice tray. The harvest motor is operable to twist the ice tray for causing the plurality of heat sinks to move relative to each other for releasing ice pieces from the ice forming cavities.

An ice piece making assembly and a refrigeration appliance containing the ice piece making assembly is disclosed. The ice making assembly produces ice pieces by directional freezing and includes: an ice piece forming tray having a motor engaging end, a distal end, a first side, a second side and a bottom surface, a plurality of ice piece making compartments divided by divider walls, and a plurality of heat sinks engaged to the bottom surface of the ice making compartments and deliver defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at at least one of the distal end and the motor engaging end; and an ice piece forming tray canopy spaced a distance above the ice piece forming tray wherein the ice piece forming tray canopy comprises a heater and a temperature sensor.

An ice piece making assembly and a refrigeration appliance containing the ice piece making assembly is disclosed. The ice making assembly produces ice pieces by directional freezing and includes: an ice piece forming tray having a motor engaging end, a distal end, a first side, a second side and a bottom surface, a plurality of ice piece making compartments divided by divider walls, and a plurality of heat sinks engaged to the bottom surface of the ice making compartments and deliver defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at at least one of the distal end and the motor engaging end; and an ice piece forming tray canopy spaced a distance above the ice piece forming tray wherein the ice piece forming tray canopy comprises a heater and a temperature sensor.

A refrigerator includes an ice-making unit disposed in the door and can make ice through direct cooling by a refrigerant without using cold air flow. A cold air generation system operates to circulate the refrigerant for supplying a cold air flow for the refrigerator. A refrigerant pipe is installed in the refrigerator main body to branch off some refrigerant from the cold air generation system. An ice-making pipe is installed within the ice-making unit and receives the refrigerant from the refrigerant pipe. Water freezes into ice through heat transfer between the ice-making unit and the ice-making pipe containing refrigerant. A soft pipe is disposed around a hinge shaft of the refrigerator main body and the door and configured to interconnect the ice-making pipe and the refrigerant pipe in a twistable manner.

An ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled relative to the upper assembly, wherein the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, a pair of rotating parts disposed at both sides of the lower assembly, a first pivoting arm pivotally mounted on one of the rotating parts, a second pivoting arm pivotally mounted on the other of the rotating parts and connected to the driver, a connection shaft connecting the first pivoting arm to the second pivoting arm, a first elastic member having one end connected to the first pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly, and a second elastic member having one end connected to the second pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly.

An ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled relative to the upper assembly, wherein the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, a pair of rotating parts disposed at both sides of the lower assembly, a first pivoting arm pivotally mounted on one of the rotating parts, a second pivoting arm pivotally mounted on the other of the rotating parts and connected to the driver, a connection shaft connecting the first pivoting arm to the second pivoting arm, a first elastic member having one end connected to the first pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly, and a second elastic member having one end connected to the second pivoting arm and the other end connected to the lower assembly.