An ice maker of the present embodiment comprises: an upper tray including an upper tray body defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber for generating ice; and a lower tray rotated relative to the upper tray based on a rotational center, and including a lower tray body defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber, wherein a top surface of the lower tray body can contact a bottom surface of the upper tray body, the rotational center is disposed outside of the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the bottom surface of the upper tray body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed farther from the rotational center than the first surface, and before the top surface of the lower tray body contacts the bottom surface of the upper tray body, the second surface is lower than the first surface.

An ice maker according to the present embodiment includes an upper assembly configured to be provided with an upper tray which has an upper chamber recessed upwardly to define an upper side of an ice chamber in which water is filled to generate ice, an lower assembly configured to be provided with a lower tray which has a lower chamber recessed downwardly to define a lower side of the ice chamber, and a lower supporter which supports a lower side of the lower tray, in which the lower assembly is rotatably connected to the upper assembly, and an upper ejector configured to be provided with an upper ejecting pin which separates ice from the upper tray after ice-making is completed, in which the upper ejector is connected to the lower assembly to be interlocked with each other, and when the lower assembly is rotated, the upper ejector is lifted and lowered.

Provided is an ice maker including an upper tray and a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein a plurality of upper chambers defined in the upper tray and a plurality of lower chambers defined in the lower tray are in contact with each other to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, respectively, each ejector-receiving opening opened to each of the plurality of upper chambers, each opening-defining wall extending upward along a circumference of each ejector-receiving opening, an upper ejector configured to pass through the ejector-defining wall and vertically move to remove each ice from each ice chamber, and a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open and close the upper tray and the lower tray, wherein the upper tray includes a horizontal extension forming a top face of the upper tray, wherein the upper chamber is positioned below the horizontal extension such that the opening-defining wall is formed at a vertical level equal to or lower than a vertical level of the opening-defining wall.

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes a tray assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers. Each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to receive water and generate an ice piece.

The tray assembly also includes a lower tray that is located vertically below the upper tray, that is configured to rotate relative to the upper tray, and that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, wherein at least one of the upper tray or the lower tray comprises a flexible tray made of a flexible material. Additionally, a case is configured to accommodate the flexible tray to restrict a deformation of the flexible tray. A heater that is located between the case and the flexible tray is configured to supply heat to the plurality of ice making chambers through the flexible tray.

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of hemispherical ice making chambers. The ice maker also includes a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly and configured rotate relative to the upper assembly about a rotation shaft and having lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of hemispherical ice making chambers. The ice maker also includes a lower ejector unit that is located vertically below the lower tray and that is configured to, based on the lower assembly rotating away from the upper assembly, push the lower tray through the lower support to thereby discharge the ice piece from the ice making chamber. The lower tray includes a deformable portion at each of the plurality of ice making chambers that is configured to be pushed by the lower ejector unit.

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers as well as a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly that is configured to rotate relative to the upper assembly. The lower assembly includes a lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. Each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to receive water when the lower assembly rotates relative to the upper assembly and generate an ice piece within when the upper and lower portions of the ice making chambers are joined. The lower tray includes a deformable portion that is configured to, based on an outward expansion of the ice piece within the ice making chamber during ice generation, change from a first shape to a second shape.

In an ice maker, water from a water supply pipe passes through a water flow port provided in a frame and is poured into a water receiving unit protruding outward from an ice making tray 5. The frame includes a first water channel portion intersecting a direction of an axis and the water flow port is provided in a side surface of the first water channel portion on a side of the ice making tray. Further, the frame includes a convex unit functioning as a water blocking unit and provided in a position on the upstream side of the water flow port and along the side surface in which the water flow port is provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress water flowing in a direction different from the opening direction of the water flow port, from reaching the water flow port.

To provide an ice maker capable of suppressing damage to a frame.

In an ice maker, an ice making tray, and a driving unit structured to cause the ice making tray to perform a flip operation and a twist operation are supported by a frame. With the frame, in an inner wall of a first side plate unit, there are provided a first inner wall portion extending in a first direction along the driving unit, and a second inner wall portion extending in the first direction along the ice making tray on the other side in a second direction with respect to the first inner wall portion, and in a step unit connecting the first inner wall portion and the second inner wall portion, there is provided a cutout serving as a through unit for passing a wire connected to the driving unit.

An ice cube dispensing unit comprising a housing suitable for containing at least two ice cubes, and a dispensing mechanism arranged at one end of the housing. The dispensing mechanism comprises an opening which is large enough for the ice cubes to pass through, a wall arranged near an edge of the opening, and an ice cube displacing mechanism suitable for displacing the ice cubes out of the housing through said opening. The ice cube displacing mechanism and the wall are arranged such that the ice cubes pass between the wall and the ice cube displacing mechanism on their way out of the housing. The ice cube displacing mechanism is arranged at a distance from the wall such that the minimum distance A between the wall and an outer periphery of the ice cube displacing mechanism is less than the minimum dimension of the ice cubes and either the wall and/or the outer periphery of the ice cube displacing mechanism is displaceable to allow the distance A to increase to allow ice cubes to leave the housing. An invention related to ejecting ice cubes from an ice cube tray and an invention related to filling an ice cube tray with liquid are also disclosed.

An icemaker employs a thermoformed ice tray that may have preprinted conductors providing for heating elements in capacitive sensing. Capacitive sensing may be used to control a water fill level and/or to detect complete freezing of the ice cubes and/or to detect complete ejection of the ice cubes.