An ice-making apparatus for an appliance having a housing with an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended in the interior volume. The ice tray has a cold plate with a top surface and a bottom surface and a containment wall surrounding an edge portion of the cold plate to retain water. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the cold plate. An intake conduit extends into the interior volume over the ice tray and is configured to draw ambient air into the interior volume over the ice tray, and the ambient air is above freezing.

An ice-making apparatus for an appliance having a housing with an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended in the interior volume. The ice tray has a cold plate with a top surface and a bottom surface and a containment wall surrounding an edge portion of the cold plate to retain water. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the cold plate. An intake conduit extends into the interior volume over the ice tray and is configured to draw ambient air into the interior volume over the ice tray, and the ambient air is above freezing.

A method for preparing clear ice includes supporting an ice tray via a rotating assembly within a housing and separating an interior volume of the housing into a first air chamber and a second air chamber. The first air chamber is below the ice tray and the second air chamber is above the ice tray. Water is supplied into the ice tray and the ice tray is cooled with a cooling device thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling device is exposed to chilled air from within the appliance in the first air chamber. Ambient air is supplied from outside the appliance into the second air chamber within the interior volume of the housing. The surface of the water in the ice tray is exposed to the ambient air.

A method for preparing clear ice includes supporting an ice tray via a rotating assembly within a housing and separating an interior volume of the housing into a first air chamber and a second air chamber. The first air chamber is below the ice tray and the second air chamber is above the ice tray. Water is supplied into the ice tray and the ice tray is cooled with a cooling device thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling device is exposed to chilled air from within the appliance in the first air chamber. Ambient air is supplied from outside the appliance into the second air chamber within the interior volume of the housing. The surface of the water in the ice tray is exposed to the ambient air.

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.

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.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

The refrigerator of the present invention may include a first tray assembly configured to define one portion of an ice making cell, a second tray assembly configured to define the other portion of the ice making cell, and a heater disposed adjacent to at least one of the first and second tray assemblies, and a controller configured to control the heater.

The refrigerator further include a pusher including a first edge having a surface pressing the ice or at least one of the first and second tray assemblies to easily separate the ice from the tray assemblies, a bar extending from the first edge, a second edge disposed at the end of the bar, and a guide connection part. The controller controls to move at least one of the pusher and the second tray assembly and to change a relative position between the pusher and the second tray assembly. The refrigerator further includes a guide slot providing a movement path of the guide connection part.

An ice making system and method that includes an ice formation cell, an ejector, a panel, and an evaporator tube. The ice formation cell has a first wall and a second wall. The evaporator tube that comprises a first portion and a second portion. The panel is situated between the first portion and the second portion of the evaporator tube. The ejector is situated between the first wall and the second wall, the ejector being configured to remove an ice piece from the first portion or the second portion of the evaporator tube.

An ice making system and method that includes an ice formation cell, an ejector, a panel, and an evaporator tube. The ice formation cell has a first wall and a second wall. The evaporator tube that comprises a first portion and a second portion. The panel is situated between the first portion and the second portion of the evaporator tube. The ejector is situated between the first wall and the second wall, the ejector being configured to remove an ice piece from the first portion or the second portion of the evaporator tube.

An ice making device includes an ice tray, an ice separating mechanism which is a mechanism structured to take out ice pieces from the ice tray, a drive part structured to drive the ice separating mechanism, and a frame which supports the ice tray and the drive part. The frame is provided with a water passage part which guides water supplied from an outside to the ice tray, and the frame is attached with a water supply adaptor which is a water passage member separately provided from the water passage part for supplying the water to the water passage part.