Ice maker for refrigerator

Abstract

Disclosed is an ice maker for a refrigerator. The ice maker is further provided with an ice making evaporator in addition to an evaporator for cooling a refrigerating chamber of a freezing chamber, and the ice making evaporator is sunk in water to generate ice, thereby quickly creating transparent ice. The ice maker can also be disposed in the refrigerating chamber or a refrigerating chamber door, thus to prevent ice from being formed with air bubble remaining in water, resulting in enhancing transparency of ice. In addition, even if the ice maker is disposed in the refrigerating chamber door, cold air is not needed to be induced from the freezing chamber, which allows independent operations of the freezing chamber and the ice maker, thereby increasing energy efficiency.

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator main body having at least one chamber and at least one door for opening/closing the at least one chamber;   a compressor disposed in the refrigerant main body;   a condenser disposed in the refrigerant main body and connected to the compressor;   a cooling evaporator disposed in the refrigerant main body and connected to the condenser for supplying cold air into the at least one chamber; and   an ice making evaporator disposed in the refrigerant main body and connected to the condenser for freezing water contained in an ice making tray.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling evaporator is connected to the ice making evaporator in parallel. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling evaporator is provided in plurality, and the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in parallel. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling evaporator is provided in plurality, and the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in series. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in parallel. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein a plurality of expanding valves are disposed between each of the cooling evaporators and the condenser. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein a valve for restricting the flow of refrigerant is disposed at at least one portion between the condenser and the ice making evaporator or between the ice making evaporator and the compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling evaporator is connected to the ice making evaporator in series. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the cooling evaporator is provided in plurality, and the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in series. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in parallel. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the cooling evaporator is provided in plurality, and the plurality of cooling evaporators are connected to each other in parallel. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the ice making evaporator is connected in series to one of the plurality of cooling evaporators. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the ice making evaporator is disposed downstream of the cooling evaporator. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the ice making evaporator is disposed upstream of the cooling evaporator. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of expanding valves are disposed between each of the cooling evaporators and the condenser. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling evaporator and the ice making evaporator are connected to one condenser. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the one condenser to which the cooling evaporator and the ice making evaporator are connected is connected to one compressor. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a refrigerant converting valve is disposed at a discharge side of the compressor, and a bypass pipe for guiding a high temperature refrigerant upon separating ice is connected between the refrigerant converting valve and an inlet of the ice making evaporator. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice making evaporator comprises a housing having inlet and outlet allowing introduction and discharge of a refrigerant, and at least one or more ice core portions each protruded from one side of the housing by a certain length as long as being sunk in water of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the housing is formed in a shape of a pipe having inlet and outlet at both sides thereof, and the ice core portions are formed individually along the lengthwise direction of the housing. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator of  claim 20 , wherein the housing is curved at least one more times on a plane. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the ice core portions are integrally formed at one side surface of the housing. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerator of  claim 22 , wherein a refrigerant guiding plate extends in a lengthwise direction inside each ice core portion, to divide the ice core portion in an approximately orthogonal direction to the flowing direction of a refrigerant such that the divided parts of each ice core portion are communicated with each other at the lower end thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the ice core portion is attached to an outer surface of the housing. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerator of  claim 24 , wherein the ice core portion is configured as a heat pipe or a rod formed of a material having high thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the ice making tray is coupled to a container driving unit which shakes the ice making tray. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the ice making tray is configured to supply water to the same upon icing water while being coupled to a water supply/drain unit for draining water of the same upon separating ice. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerator of  claim 27 , wherein the water supply/drain unit comprises a water tank, and water supply/drain line and water pump for pumping water of the water tank so as to supply the pumped water to the ice making tray or to drain the pumped water out of the ice making tray. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerator of  claim 28 , wherein an ice storing container for storing ice created in the ice making tray is further provided at one side of the ice making tray, and a drain pipe for discharging water generated when ice is melted is connected to the ice storing container. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerator of  claim 29 , wherein the drain pipe is connected to the water tank. 
     
     
         31 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice making evaporator is disposed in a refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator main body or a refrigerating chamber door.