公开(公告)号：US12163714B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US18095814

申请日：2023-01-11

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Jinil Hong ,  Yonghyun Kim

IPC: F25C1/10 ,  F25C1/243 ,  F25C1/25

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US12163713B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US17867314

申请日：2022-07-18

Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong ,  Hyunji Park

IPC: F25C1/10 ,  F25C1/243 ,  F25C5/04

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US12061032B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-13

申请号：US18094033

申请日：2023-01-06

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Hyunji Park ,  Jinil Hong ,  Seunggeun Lee

IPC: F25C1/04 ,  F25C1/243 ,  F25D11/02

CPC classification number: F25C1/04 ,  F25C1/243 ,  F25D11/02 ,  F25C2305/022 ,  F25C2400/06 ,  F25C2400/10

Abstract: 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. The ice maker includes a cold-air hole for receiving cold air, an upper tray made of an elastic material, wherein the upper tray is positioned to be exposed to the cold-air flowing from the cold-air hole, a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein the lower tray is coupled to the upper tray to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers therebetween, a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open the spherical ice chambers, at least one thermally-insulating portion formed at a top face of the upper tray and corresponding to at least one of the ice chambers respectively, wherein the at least one thermally-insulating portion is constructed to prevent the cold-air from invading the at least one corresponding ice chamber.

公开(公告)号：US11959685B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US16511888

申请日：2019-07-15

Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong

IPC: F25C1/04 ,  F25C5/04 ,  F25D17/06

CPC classification number: F25C1/04 ,  F25C5/04 ,  F25D17/065 ,  F25C2305/0221

Abstract: An ice maker of a refrigerator includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of spherical ice making chambers. The ice maker also includes a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly and configured to rotate relative to the upper assembly about a rotation shaft and having lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of spherical 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 spherical ice making chambers that is configured to be pushed by the lower ejector unit.

公开(公告)号：US11953252B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-09

申请号：US18119424

申请日：2023-03-09

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong

IPC: F25C5/08 ,  F25C1/04

CPC classification number: F25C5/08 ,  F25C1/04 ,  F25C2400/14 ,  F25C2600/04 ,  F25C2700/12

Abstract: An ice maker includes: an upper tray defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber, where an upper opening is provided in an upper side of the upper tray; a lower tray defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber; a lower support supporting the lower tray and provided with a lower heater; and a control unit configured to operate the lower heater in an ice making process. The control unit variably controls an output of the lower heater so that bubbles included in water in the ice chamber are gathered in a lowermost section in the ice making process.

公开(公告)号：US11874050B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-16

申请号：US17984775

申请日：2022-11-10

Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong

IPC: F25C5/08 ,  F25C1/04

CPC classification number: F25C5/08 ,  F25C1/04 ,  F25C2400/14 ,  F25C2600/04 ,  F25C2700/12

Abstract: An ice maker of the present invention comprises: an upper tray defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber, wherein an upper opening is provided in an upper side of the upper tray; a lower tray defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber; a lower support supporting the lower tray and provided with a lower heater; and a control unit configured to operate the lower heater in an ice making process, wherein the control unit variably controls an output of the lower heater so that bubbles included in water in the ice chamber are gathered in a lowermost section in the ice making process.

公开(公告)号：US12264865B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-01

申请号：US18526671

申请日：2023-12-01

Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.

Inventor： Jinil Hong ,  Nayoung Kim ,  Ayoung Choo

IPC: F25C5/20 ,  F25D17/06 ,  F25D17/08

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, and an ice maker assembly provided in the storage space. The ice maker assembly includes an ice maker provided forward of a cold air discharge port that is provided at a rear portion of the storage space, where the cold air discharge port is configured to deliver cold air, a front cover that covers a front side of the ice maker and that is configured to be exposed to an outside of the cabinet based on the door being opened, and a heat insulating material provided at a rear surface of the front cover and configured to at least partially block the cold air passing through the ice maker from being delivered past a front surface of the front cover.

公开(公告)号：US12235032B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-25

申请号：US18244668

申请日：2023-09-11

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Sangjun Kang ,  Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong

IPC: F25C1/10 ,  F25C1/24 ,  F25C1/25 ,  F25C5/20

Abstract: In a refrigerator, a cam of a cam gear rotating by a driving motor is provided with a structure protruding from an edge portion of a cam gear to a center, thereby increasing the thickness of a cam surface. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the magnitude of force directly transferred from the cam gear to a magnet lever.

公开(公告)号：US12055331B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-06

申请号：US18084086

申请日：2022-12-19

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong ,  Hyunji Park

IPC: F25C5/04 ,  F25C1/10 ,  F25C1/243

CPC classification number: F25C5/04 ,  F25C1/10 ,  F25C1/243 ,  F25C2400/10 ,  F25C2400/14

Abstract: Provided is an ice-maker including an upper tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of lower chambers defined therein in contact with the plurality of upper chambers to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, respectively, each ejector-receiving opening defined in the upper tray and opened to each of the plurality of upper chambers, an upper ejector disposed above the upper tray, wherein the upper ejector is configured to pass through the ejector-receiving opening and remove each ice from each ice chamber, a water supply for supplying water for ice-making through the ejector-receiving opening, and a driver for pivoting the lower tray.

公开(公告)号：US11959686B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US16685726

申请日：2019-11-15

Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.

Inventor： Yonghyun Kim ,  Jinil Hong ,  Hyunji Park ,  Seunggeun Lee

IPC: F25C1/243 ,  F25C1/04 ,  F25C1/10 ,  F25C5/00 ,  F25D11/02 ,  F25D17/06

CPC classification number: F25C1/243 ,  F25C1/04 ,  F25C1/10 ,  F25C5/00 ,  F25D11/02 ,  F25D17/062

Abstract: 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 a cold-air hole for receiving cold air, an upper tray having a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray pivotably disposed below the upper tray, wherein the lower tray has a plurality of lower chambers defined therein respectively connected to the upper chambers by pivoting, wherein each of the lower chambers and each of the upper chambers connected with each other define an ice chamber for forming spherical ice therein, a driver for pivoting the lower tray, and at least one shield formed on an outer face of the upper tray and corresponding to at least one of the ice chambers respectively, thereby to reduce the cold-air from invading the at least one corresponding ice chamber.