Ice maker for refrigerator and driving method thereof

Abstract

The ice maker for refrigerator and driving method thereof disclosed herein have advantages over a full ice level detection method using mechanical device in that an ice height can be more accurately detected by a detection signal reflected from ice, wherein an ultrasonic signal is transmitted to the ice to sense the height of ice in the ice storage bin using the reflected ultrasonic signal, enabling to precisely detect the ice height, prevent the overflow of ice, prolong the life and prevent the failure of the ice maker for refrigerator.

1 . An ice maker for refrigerator comprising: an ice making bin for making ice with water fed from a water supplier; a heater for detaching the ice made by the ice making bin by applying heat; an ice storage bin for storing the ice detached from the ice making bin; an ice separating lever for dropping the ice detached from the ice making bin into the ice storage bin; and an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the ice in the ice storage bin and receiving the ultrasonic signal transmitted from the ice and measuring the height of ice stored in the ice storage bin. 
   
   
       2 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic sensor is installed at an upper surface of the ice storage bin. 
   
   
       3 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic sensor comprises an ultrasonic transmission sensor; and at least one ultrasonic reception sensor. 
   
   
       4 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising an ice height converter converting a height of ice stored in the ice storage bin using an ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic sensor and outputting the converted ice height. 
   
   
       5 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a controller receiving a signal relative to the ice height outputted from the ice height converter, and outputting to the water supplier a signal for stopping water supply to the ice making bin when the ice height corresponds to a full ice level in which ice is fully stored in the ice storage. 
   
   
       6 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a heater separating an interface between the ice making bin and the ice by using heat of the heater. 
   
   
       7 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an ice making temperature detection sensor detecting the ice temperature inside the ice making bin. 
   
   
       8 . An ice maker for refrigerator comprising: an ice making unit in which ice is made; a water supplier supplying water to the ice maker; an ice storage storing the ice made by the ice making unit; and a full ice level detector sending an ultrasonic signal or an optical signal to the ice stored in the ice storage and detecting the full ice level by receiving the ultrasonic signal or the optical signal reflected from the ice and processing the received ultrasonic signal or the optical signal. 
   
   
       9 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising: a controller controlling the ice making unit, the water supplier and the fall ice level detector; and an indicator displaying a full ice level by receiving a signal outputted by the controller when the full ice level is detected by the full ice level detector. 
   
   
       10 . An ice maker for refrigerator comprising: an ice making unit in which ice is made; an ice storage storing the ice made by the ice maker; an ultrasonic sensor transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the ice in the ice storage and receiving the ultrasonic signal transmitted from the ice; and an ice height converter converting an ice height in the ice storage using the ultrasonic signal received from the ultrasonic sensor and outputting the converted ice height. 
   
   
       11 . The ice maker for refrigerator as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a controller receiving a signal relative to the ice height outputted from the ice height converter and outputting a signal for indicating the ice height;   and an indicator displaying the ice height by receiving the signal outputted by the controller.   
   
   
       12 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising: a water supplier supplying water to the ice making unit; a comparator comparing the ice height converted by the ice height converter and a predetermined height and outputting a signal; and a controller receiving the signal outputted by the comparator and controlling the water supplier to stop the water supply to the ice making unit. 
   
   
       13 . The ice maker as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising: an ice making temperature detection sensor detecting an ice making temperature of the ice making unit; and a heater separating an interface between the ice making bin and the ice by using heat from the heater. 
   
   
       14 . A driving method of an ice maker for refrigerator comprising: making ice using water in an ice making bin; storing the ice by separating the ice made by the ice making bin and storing the ice in an ice storage bin; and detecting a height of ice stored in the ice storage bin. 
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising: supplying water to the ice making bin from the water supplier prior to the step of ice making; determining to check whether the detected ice height is higher than a predetermined height after detecting the height of ice stored in the ice storage bin; and stopping water supply to the ice making bin from the water supplier when it is determined that the detected ice height is higher than the predetermined height. 
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising between ice making and storing the ice in the ice storage bin: detecting an ice making temperature of the ice making bin; and determining to check whether the detected ice making temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, and separating the ice from the ice making bin and storing the ice in the ice storage bin when the detected ice making temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature. 
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein that the height of ice stored in the ice storage bin is detected is conducted by an ultrasonic sensor transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the ice stored in the ice storage bin, receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from the ice and detecting the height of ice using the ultrasonic signal received from the ultrasonic sensor. 
   
   
       18 . A driving method of an ice maker for refrigerator comprising:
 transmitting an ultrasonic signal from an ultrasonic transmission sensor to the ice stored in the ice storage bin; receiving, by an ultrasonic reception sensor, the ultrasonic signal reflected by the ice; time-counting from a time of the ultrasonic signal transmitted by the ultrasonic transmission sensor to a time of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor; converting a height of ice using the counted time;   determining whether the converted ice height is more than a predetermined ice height; and stopping the ice making in the ice making bin when the converted ice height is more than a predetermined ice height.   
   
   
       19 . The driving method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the time counted from a time of the ultrasonic signal transmitted by the ultrasonic transmission sensor to a time of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor is such that ‘T 1 ’ is a time on which the ultrasonic transmission sensor transmits the ultrasonic signal, ‘T 2 ’ is a time on which changes of ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor starts, ‘T 3 ’ defines a time on which inclination changes of ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor start, and ‘T 4 ’ defines a time on which size of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor is maximized, and the time counted from a time of the ultrasonic signal transmitted by the ultrasonic transmission sensor to a time of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic reception sensor is one of T 2 −T 1 , T 3 −T 1  and T 4 −T 1 .