Ice making unit and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

An ice making unit taking the form of a kit separably installed in a freezing compartment of a refrigerator. The ice making unit includes a water supply tank to supply water, an ice making case defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice making case being formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water supply tank installation hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed therethrough, at least one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water supplied from the water supply tank, and an ice separating device to separate ice from the ice making tray, and the water supply tank is coupled to or separated from the ice making case via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof. Supply of water into the ice making unit can be accomplished via simple coupling or separation of the water supply tank, resulting in convenient use of the ice making unit.

1 . An ice making unit, which takes the form of a kit separably installed in a freezing compartment, the ice making unit comprising:
 a water supply tank to supply water;   an ice making case defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice making case being formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water supply tank installation hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed therethrough;   at least one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water supplied from the water supply tank; and   an ice separating device to separate ice from the at least one ice making tray,   wherein the water supply tank is coupled to or separated from the ice making case via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof.   
   
   
       2 . The ice making unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice making case is formed, at one side thereof, with a first opening to observe ice making in the at least one ice making tray. 
   
   
       3 . The ice making unit according to  claim 2 , wherein a transparent window is rotatably installed, at an upper end thereof, to an upper side of the first opening, to open or close the first opening. 
   
   
       4 . The ice making unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ice making tray includes an upper ice making tray and a lower ice making tray arranged up and down in parallel within the ice making case. 
   
   
       5 . The ice making unit according to  claim 4 , further comprising a guide tray, which is provided between the water supply tank and the upper ice making tray, to distribute and supply the water discharged from the water supply tank into the upper ice making tray and the lower ice making tray. 
   
   
       6 . The ice making unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the interior of the guide tray is divided into two parts to distribute and supply the water into the upper ice making tray and the lower ice making tray, and includes a water supply hole to guide the water into the upper ice making tray and a water supply tube to guide the water into the lower ice making tray. 
   
   
       7 . The ice making unit according to  claim 4 , wherein the ice separating device includes a lever to be rotated about one end thereof upon receiving an external force, a driving gear to be rotated by the lever, and a pair of driven gears to be rotated by the driving gear so as to rotate the upper ice making tray and lower ice making tray, respectively. 
   
   
       8 . The ice making unit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an ice storage vessel is provided in a lower region of the ice making case, to receive the ice separated from the ice making tray, and   wherein the ice making case is formed, at a lower portion of the front surface thereof, with a second opening, to allow the ice storage vessel to be slidably installed therethrough.   
   
   
       9 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body having a freezing compartment;   a door to open or close the freezing compartment; and   an ice making unit taking the form of a kit separably installed to any one of the freezing compartment and the door,   wherein the ice making unit comprises:   a water supply tank to supply water;   an ice making case defining an external appearance of the ice making unit, the ice making case being formed, at an upper portion of a front surface thereof, with a water supply tank installation hole to allow the water supply tank to be slidably installed therethrough;   at least one ice making tray installed in the ice making case to receive the water supplied from the water supply tank; and   an ice separating device to separate ice from the at least one ice making tray, and   wherein the water supply tank is coupled to or separated from the ice making case via forward and rearward sliding movement thereof.   
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the ice making case is formed, at one side thereof, with a first opening to observe ice making in the at least one ice making tray. 
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein a transparent window is rotatably installed, at an upper end thereof, to an upper side of the first opening, to open or close the first opening. 
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one ice making tray includes an upper ice making tray and a lower ice making tray arranged up and down in parallel within the ice making case. 
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , further comprising a guide tray, which is provided between the water supply tank and the upper ice making tray, to distribute and supply the water discharged from the water supply tank into the upper ice making tray and the lower ice making tray. 
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 13 , wherein the interior of the guide tray is divided into two parts to distribute and supply the water into the upper ice making tray and the lower ice making tray, and includes a water supply hole to guide the water into the upper ice making tray and a water supply tube to guide the water into the lower ice making tray. 
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the ice separating device includes a lever to be rotated about one end thereof upon receiving an external force, a driving gear to be rotated by the lever, and a pair of driven gears to be rotated by the driving gear so as to rotate the upper ice making tray and lower ice making tray, respectively. 
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein an ice storage vessel is provided in a lower region of the ice making case, to receive the ice separated from the ice making tray, and   wherein the ice making case is formed, at a lower portion of the front surface thereof, with a second opening, to allow the ice storage vessel to be slidably installed therethrough.