Ice maker and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an ice maker and a refrigerator having the same. The ice maker includes an ice making tray including a plurality of ice making cells, a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray, a plurality of blades corresponding to the plurality of ice making cells to block the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus twist the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated, and a protrusion formed on the ice making tray to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice making cells. The ice maker removes the ice cubes from the ice making tray by a twisting-type deicing process using the plurality of blades and the protrusion.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a plurality of storage chambers; and   an ice maker disposed in one of the storage chambers to make ice cubes, the ice maker including:   an ice making tray including a plurality of ice making cells to receive water to make the ice cubes;   a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray;   a plurality of blades corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice cubes from the ice making cells; and   a protrusion formed on the ice making tray to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice making cells.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is protruded inwardly from an end of one side of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the protrusion has at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of blades has a different length. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein respective lengths of the blades increase with distance from the driving unit. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein blades, corresponding to the ice making cells formed at both ends of the ice making tray have a shorter length than other ones of the blades. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of blades is circumferentially offset from the other blades. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the ice maker further includes a cooling unit to freeze the water supplied to the ice making tray. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling unit includes a heat exchanger and an air blower unit to supply cool air to the ice maker. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling unit includes an ice making pipe, along which a refrigerant flows to thereby freeze the water supplied to the ice making cells directly into the ice cubes, and a cooling case to accommodate the ice making pipe. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of blades is disposed above the ice making tray, and is fixed to the cooling case. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one part of the cooling case is disposed in the ice making cells. 
     
     
         14 . An ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising:
 an ice making tray including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is supplied;   a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray;   a cooling unit to convert the water supplied to the ice making tray into ice cubes;   a plurality of blades fixed to the cooling unit and corresponding to the ice making cells to remove the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated; and   a protrusion to assist the removal of the ice cubes from the ice making cells formed at the upper end of one side of each of the respective ice making cells.   
     
     
         15 . The ice maker according to  claim 14 , wherein the protrusion is protruded inwardly from the end of one side of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         16 . The ice maker according to  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion has at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker according to  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated. 
     
     
         18 . The ice maker according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling unit includes a heat exchanger and an air blower unit to supply cool air to the ice maker. 
     
     
         19 . The ice maker according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling unit includes an ice making pipe, along which a refrigerant flows to thereby freeze the water supplied to the ice making cells directly into the ice cubes, and a cooling case to accommodate the ice making pipe. 
     
     
         20 . An ice maker of a refrigerator, comprising:
 an ice making tray including a plurality of ice making cells, to which water is supplied;   a driving unit to rotate the ice making tray;   a cooling unit to convert water supplied to the ice making tray into ice cubes;   an ejector fixed to one side surface of the cooling unit corresponding to the ice making cells; and   a protrusion formed at the upper end of one side of each of the respective ice making cells of the ice making tray,   wherein the protrusion is formed at a side of each of the respective ice making cells opposite another side of each of the respective ice making cells, where the ejector is disposed.   
     
     
         21 . The ice maker according to  claim 20 , wherein the protrusion is protruded inwardly from the end of one side of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         22 . The ice maker according to  claim 20 , wherein the protrusion has at least one of a pyramidal shape, a columnar shape, and a hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         23 . The ice maker according to  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of blades blocks the ice cubes made in the ice making cells and thus twists the ice making tray while removing the ice cubes from the ice making cells when the ice making tray is rotated.