Provided is an ice-making device that can autonomously perform a series of ice-making operations that include control of a fan motor, without relying on a higher-level device. An ice-making device that is characterized by comprising an ice-making tray, a fan motor that blows air onto the ice-making tray, an ice removal mechanism that removes ice from the ice-making tray, a control part, and a frame that holds the ice-making tray, the fan motor, the ice removal mechanism, and the control part. The ice-making device is also characterized in that the control part controls the operations of the fan motor, the ice removal mechanism, and a water supply mechanism that opens/closes a water supply path that supplies water to the ice-making tray.

A refrigerator appliance or ice maker may include an assembly frame, a rotating body, a thermistor wire, and a biasing spring. The rotating body may be rotatably attached to the assembly frame to rotate about an axial direction. The thermistor wire may extend between a static end and a movable end fixed to the rotating body to move therewith. The biasing spring may be fixed to the thermistor wire between the static end and the movable end. The biasing spring may be in biased engagement with the thermistor wire to motivate the movable end toward the static end.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. A refrigerator of the present invention may comprise: a first tray assembly forming a part of an ice making cell; and a second tray assembly forming another part of the ice making cell. The first tray assembly includes a first tray defining a part of the ice making cell and a first tray case supporting the first tray, and the second tray assembly includes a second tray defining another part of the ice making cell and a second tray case supporting the second tray. One of the first and second tray cases includes a first region having a through-hole and a second region having a shape corresponding to the ice making cell to support one of the first and second trays.

A freezing and cutting assembly and method for producing ice cubes. The freezing and cutting assembly includes a freezing unit configured to freeze a slab of ice. The freezing unit includes a cold plate and a frame removably coupleable to the cold plate. The cutting unit includes at least one heated electrical wire tensioned on a cutting unit frame and configured to divide the slab of ice into ice cubes.

An ice maker, according to the present invention, comprises: a first tray forming a part of an ice-making cell; a second tray forming another part the ice-making cell; and a heater which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the first or the second tray, wherein the heater turns on during a period when cold air is being supplied to the ice-making cell, and the output of the on heater can vary.

A refrigerator comprising an ice maker. The ice maker comprises: a housing providing an ice making space, a tray disposed in the ice making space and including a plurality of ice making cells, and a temperature sensor part disposed at the tray and configured to measure a temperature in the tray. The the plurality of ice making cells are provided in an odd number of columns greater than or equal to three, and the temperature sensor part is disposed (i) at a middle column among the columns, (ii) between ice making cells that are adjacent to each other, and (iii) below the tray.

In accordance with the principals of the present invention, an ice machine, tray, and process for producing high-quality, substantially clear ice is provided. A heat exchanger in the ice machine removes energy from liquid, cooling the liquid from room temperature to freezing temperature, then overcomes the heat of fusion to form ice. The tray containing a liquid is received in a freezing/mixing chamber. The tray includes an energy transfer surface in thermal contact with the heat exchanger to define a liquid/ice boundary layer. The tray further includes at least one freezing cavity having geometry defining surfaces to form the geometry of the ice. An egress area is defined in the tray above the geometry defining surfaces. A mixing mechanism is provided in operative communication with the liquid to create a velocity profile at the liquid/ice boundary layer to create a directional freezing process starting from the energy transfer surface of the tray in thermal contact with the heat exchanger and growing through the freezing cavity up to the egress area. The velocity profile at liquid/ice boundary enables impurities to be washed away during the freezing process, deterring impurities from getting entrapped in the ice. Impurities in the liquid are thereby washed away and concentrate in a pool away from the ice, ultimately in the egress area of the tray to be purged. In addition, in embodiments sensors can be provided to provide various functions selected from the group consisting of, for example, determining ice creation status, determining freezing height, varying ice creation, determining tray presence, detecting freezing/mixing chamber door position, determining liquid level, and combinations thereof.

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator may include a first tray assembly defining a portion of an ice making cell and a second tray assembly defining another portion of the ice making cell. The refrigerator may further include a pusher provided with a first edge on which a surface configured to press one or more of the first and second tray assemblies is disposed to easily separate the ice from the tray assemblies, a bar extending from the first edge, and a second edge disposed at an end of the bar. At least one of the pusher or the second tray assembly may move so as to change a relative position between the pusher and the second tray assembly.

A refrigerator according to the present invention comprises: a storage compartment for storing food; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature in the storage compartment; a door for opening and closing the storage compartment; a cold air supply means for supplying cold air into the storage compartment; trays forming ice-making cells which are spaces in which water changes phase into ice due to the cold air; a second temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the water or ice in the ice-making cells; a heater for supplying heat to the trays; and a control unit for controlling the heater, wherein, after opening or closing of the door is sensed during the ice-making process, the control unit increases the cooling power of the cold air supply means if an increase in cooling power therefrom is determined to be needed on the basis of the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor, and decreases the amount of heat applied by the heater if a reduction in heat applied by the heater is determined to be needed on the basis of the change in temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor.

A refrigerator includes an ice maker, which includes an ice making cell, a heater configured to supply heat to the ice making cell during an ice making process, and a controller configured to control the heater. A cooling power of the cooler when a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a limit temperature during an ice making process is greater than a cooling power of the cooler when the temperature is less than the limit temperature. A heating amount of the heater when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to the limit temperature during the ice making process is greater than a heating amount of the heater when the temperature is less than the limit temperature.