Ice-making unit for flow-down type ice maker

Abstract

Disclosed is an ice-making unit for a flow-down type ice maker which improves a deicing efficiency by coupling ice cubes in the widthwise direction by a slight thickness. A cooling pipe 34 is disposed zigzagged between the opposing surfaces of a pair of ice-making plates 32, 32, with straight portions 34 a vertically separated from one another by predetermined intervals to allow the cooling pipe to contact with the ice-making plate 32, 32. Vertical ribs 38 vertically extending to define ice-making areas 40 are protrusively provided on the front side of the ice-making plate 32, apart from one another at predetermined intervals in the widthwise direction. The height h 2 of the vertical ribs 38 is set smaller than the height h 1 of ice cubes 36 in the protruding direction of the vertical ribs 38. A refrigerant is supplied in circulation to the cooling pipe 34 and ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making areas 40 in an ice-making operation, thus forming ice cubes 36 on the front side of the ice-making plate 32 where the straight portions 34 a contact. When the ice-making operation progresses, the ice cubes 36 become larger and rise over the right and left vertical ribs 38, 38 so that the ice cubes 36, 36 adjoining in the widthwise direction are coupled together by a light thickness.

1 . A ice-making unit for a flow-down type ice maker comprising:
 a cooling pipe arranged zigzagged at a back side of an ice-making member disposed vertically so that straight portions extending in a widthwise direction are vertically separated at predetermined intervals;   a plurality of vertical partition members protrusively provided at the back side of the ice-making member, apart from one another at predetermined intervals in the widthwise direction and vertically extending to define ice-making areas,   whereby an ice-making operation of supplying a refrigerant in circulation to the cooling pipe and causing ice-making water to flow down to the ice-making areas, allowing ice cubes with a predetermined height to be formed in a protrusion direction of the vertical partition members,   a height of the vertical partition members being set lower than the height of the ice cubes so that ice cubes adjoining in the widthwise direction rise over the vertical partition members to be coupled together.   
   
   
       2 . The ice-making unit according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the height of vertical partition members to the height of the ice cubes is set to approximately 0.7 to 0.9. 
   
   
       3 . The ice-making unit according to  claim 1 , wherein a vertical separation distance between the straight portions of the cooling pipe is set to such a value that upper and lower ice cubes are not coupled together. 
   
   
       4 . The ice-making unit according to  claim 1 , wherein shield members extending in a vertical direction of the ice-making member and having a height set greater than the height of the ice cubes are provided at the ice-making member water, apart from one another in the widthwise direction, in such a way as to sandwich a predetermined number of the vertical partition members.