Ice-making assembly of refrigerator

Abstract

Provided is an ice-making assembly of a refrigerator. A tray is removable from a frame to improve cleaning of the tray.

1 . An ice-making assembly of a refrigerator, the assembly comprising:
 a tray provided with a recess region for making ice;   a frame receiving the tray and supporting both side ends of the tray;   an ice bank on a lower side of the tray, the ice bank storing the ice made at the tray, the ice falling to the ice bank;   a gear assembly at a side surface of the frame, the gear assembly rotating the tray; and   a lever providing torque to the gear assembly to rotate the tray,   wherein the tray is coupled to the frame such that the tray is slidingly withdrawable.   
     
     
         2 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a rotation shaft protrudes from a side surface of the tray, and
 an inner side surface of the frame is provided with a guide guiding movement of the rotation shaft, and a shaft insertion hole into which the rotation shaft is inserted.   
     
     
         3 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the guide is recessed with a length ranging from a front end of the frame to the shaft insertion hole, and
 the guide decreases in width toward the shaft insertion hole.   
     
     
         4 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein a width of an inlet of a connection between the guide and the shaft insertion hole is less than a diameter of the rotation shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein a catch protrusion is provided to a connection between the guide and the shaft insertion hole. 
     
     
         6 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the inner side surface of the frame is provided with a catch rib defining a portion of the shaft insertion hole, and
 the catch rib is provided with a bent portion bent toward the catch protrusion.   
     
     
         7 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein when the rotation shaft passes by the catch protrusion, the catch rib is elastically deformed. 
     
     
         8 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the frame is open, and a tray door is rotatably coupled to a front end of the frame. 
     
     
         9 . An ice-making assembly of a refrigerator, the assembly comprising:
 a plurality of vertically arranged trays provided with a recess region for making ice;   a frame receiving the trays and supporting both side ends of the respective trays;   an ice bank on a lower side of the tray, the ice bank storing the ice made at the tray, the ice falling to the ice bank; and   a gear assembly at a side surface of the frame, the gear assembly rotating the tray,   wherein the trays are removably stored in the frame, and a coupling rib, receiving a rotation shaft of the gear assembly, protrudes from a side surface of each of the trays.   
     
     
         10 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the coupling rib defines an opening into which the rotation shaft is fitted, and
 the gear assembly and the tray integrally rotate in a state where the coupling rib has received the rotation shaft.   
     
     
         11 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the gear assembly comprises:
 a driving gear coupled to an end of a lever;   a connection gear engaging with the driving gear; and   driven gears engaging with the connection gear and respectively coupled to the trays through a shaft member.   
     
     
         12 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the coupling ribs selectively receive rotation shafts of the driven gears to respectively transmit torque of the driving gear to the trays. 
     
     
         13 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the gear assembly rotates the trays in a same direction. 
     
     
         14 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein a rotation shaft of the driven gear has a non-circular cross section. 
     
     
         15 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the connection gear comprises:
 an upper connection gear engaging with the driving gear; and   a lower connection gear engaging with the driven gear and integrally provided with the upper connection gear.   
     
     
         16 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 9 , further comprising a cover covering the gear assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein a rotation shaft of one of the trays, provided on a lower side, is horizontally spaced from a rotation shaft of another of the trays, provided on an upper side. 
     
     
         18 . The ice-making assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein a rotation shaft of one of the trays, provided on a lower side, is spaced a predetermined distance rearward from a rotation shaft of another of the trays, provided on an upper side.