Apparatus and method for making ice for a refrigerator

Abstract

An apparatus for making ice for a refrigerator unit including: an ice making compartment configured to accommodate an ice tray and to store ice therein; a first cooling plate configured to form at least a portion of at least one side surface of the ice making compartment; and a first refrigerant pipe configured to move a refrigerant that is circulated by a refrigeration cycle, wherein at least one side surface of the ice tray comes in direct contact with the first cooling plate, and the first refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the first cooling plate that is directed to an outside of the ice making room.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for making ice for a refrigerator, comprising;
 an ice making compartment configured to accommodate an ice tray and to store ice therein;   a first cooling plate configured to form at least a portion of at least one side surface of the ice making compartment; and   a first refrigerant pipe configured to move a refrigerant that is circulated by a refrigeration cycle,   wherein at least one side surface of the ice tray comes in direct contact with the first cooling plate, and the first refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the first cooling plate that is directed to an outside of the ice making compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first refrigerant pipe is fixed to the first cooling plate by an aluminum tape. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first cooling plate is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first cooling plate is made of aluminum. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second cooling plate configured to form at least a portion of an upper surface of the ice making compartment; and   a second refrigerant pipe configured to move the refrigerant that is circulated by the refrigeration cycle,   wherein the second refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the second cooling plate that is directed to the outside of the ice making compartment.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second refrigerant pipe is fixed to the second cooling plate by an aluminum tape. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second cooling plate is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the second cooling plate is made of aluminum. 
     
     
         9 . A method for making ice for a refrigerator, comprising:
 providing a refrigerant that is circulated by a refrigeration cycle to a first refrigerant pipe;   transferring cold air by heat conduction from the first refrigerant pipe to a first cooling plate that forms at least a portion of at least one side surface of an ice making compartment;   transferring the cold air by heat conduction from the first cooling plate to at least one side surface of an ice tray that comes in direct contact with the first cooling plate; and   generating ice in the ice tray using the cold air,   wherein the first refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the first cooling plate that is directed to an outside of the ice making compartment.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 providing the refrigerant that is circulated by the cooling cycle to a second refrigerant pipe;   transferring cold air by heat conduction from the second refrigerant pipe to a second cooling plate that forms at least a part of an upper surface of the ice making compartment; and   transferring the cold air by heat conduction from the second cooling plate into the ice making compartment,   wherein the second refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the second cooling plate that is directed to the outside of the ice making compartment.   
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a freezer chamber located within a main body of the refrigerator;   a refrigeration chamber located within the main body of the refrigerator; and   an apparatus for making ice, wherein the apparatus comprises:
 an ice making compartment configured to accommodate an ice tray and to store ice therein; 
 a first cooling plate configured to form at least a portion of at least one side surface of the ice making compartment; and 
 a first refrigerant pipe configured to move a refrigerant that is circulated by a refrigeration cycle, 
 wherein at least one side surface of the ice tray comes in direct contact with the first cooling plate, and the first refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the first cooling plate that is directed to an outside of the ice making compartment. 
   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the first refrigerant pipe is fixed to the first cooling plate by an aluminum tape. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the first cooling plate is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the first cooling plate is made of aluminum. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second cooling plate configured to form at least a portion of an upper surface of the ice making compartment; and   a second refrigerant pipe configured to move the refrigerant that is circulated by the refrigeration cycle,   wherein the second refrigerant pipe is attached to one of opposing surfaces of the second cooling plate that is directed to the outside of the ice making compartment.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the second refrigerant pipe is fixed to the second cooling plate by an aluminum tape. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the second cooling plate is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second cooling plate is made of aluminum.