Ice making device and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body which forms an external appearance and has a storage chamber to be opened at a front side, and an ice making device which is disposed in the storage chamber to make ice. The ice making device includes an ice making tray which has ice making grooves for making ice, an ejector which rotates and separates the ice made in the ice making grooves, blocking members which are disposed at an upper portion of one side of the ice making grooves to prevent the ice separated from the ice making grooves through the other side of the ice making grooves from returning to the ice making grooves, and a guide member which is disposed above the other side of the ice making tray to guide the ice separated from the other side of the ice making grooves by the ejector toward the blocking members.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body which forms an external appearance;   an inner shell defining a storage chamber within the body;   an insulation disposed between the inner shell and the body;   a door movably attached to the body to open and close the storage chamber; and   an ice making device disposed at an upper region of the storage chamber to make ice, the ice making device including an ice making tray which has ice making grooves for making ice, an ejector which includes a rotation shaft with a plurality of ejector portions extending outwardly in a radial direction therefrom which are rotated by a driving motor to move ice made in the ice making grooves upward from the ice making tray to separate the ice from the ice making tray, a blocking member which is disposed at one side of the ice making tray to prevent the ice separated by the ejector from returning to the ice making tray,   wherein the ice making device is disposed in close proximity to the inner shell of the storage chamber such that the ice from the ice making tray physically contacts the inner shell as the ice is moved by the ejector,   wherein a contacting section of the inner shell functions to guide the ice moved by the ejector to rotate the ice in the same direction as a rotational direction of the ejector, enabling the rotated ice to land on top of the blocking member.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the contacting section of the inner shell is curved such that the curved section functions to guide the ice moved by the ejector. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , the ice making device is disposed in close proximity to a ceiling of the inner shell of the storage chamber such that the ice from the ice making tray physically contacts the ceiling of the inner shell as the ice is moved by the ejector. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein a guiding portion, disposed between the ceiling of the inner shell and the ice making tray, is integrally formed with the inner shell. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the ejector rotates about a horizontal axis, and a guiding section of the inner shell, including the curved section, which physically contacts the ice as the ice is moved by the ejector, extends beyond an imaginary vertical line extending above the horizontal axis of the ejector. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the curved section is provided at an upper section of the storage chamber directly above the ice making grooves. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 6 , wherein the curved section is provided separately from the ice making device. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner shell has a ceiling having the curved section and the ice making device is positioned directly under the curved section of the ceiling. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each respective ice making groove has a curved shape adapted to form a crescent shaped ice. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the curved section mirrors a portion of the curved shape of the ice making grooves. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner shell has a mounting section to mount the ice making device underneath the curved section. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member comprises a plurality of blocking portions which are alternatively disposed with respect to the ejector portions to block separated ice from returning to the ice making grooves. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ice supplying device disposed under the ice making device to store the ice released from the ice making device; and   an ice discharging part provided on a front side of the door operable to discharge the ice from the ice supplying device.   
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body which forms an external appearance;   a shell defining a storage chamber within the body;   a door movably attached to the body to open and close the storage chamber;   an ice making device disposed in the storage chamber to make ice, the ice making device including an ice making tray which has ice making grooves for making ice, an ejector which rotates to separate and move the ice made in the ice making grooves; and   an ice receptacle provided under the ice making device to store the ice,   wherein a section of the shell defining the storage chamber is curved such that the curved section functions to guide the ice moved by the ejector to rotate the ice in the same direction as a rotational direction of the ejector, wherein the curved section of the shell is separate and spaced from the ice making device,   wherein the ice making device is mounted to a portion of the shell under the curved section of the shell.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , further comprising an insulation disposed between the shell and the body. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , wherein the curved section is integrally formed with a ceiling of the shell.