Apparatus and method for making ice in refrigeration equipment

Abstract

An ice maker includes an ice making unit positioned in a refrigerating compartment, an ice making tray positioned in the ice making unit, the ice making tray configured to make ice, an ice bucket configured to store ice from the ice making tray, a cooling duct configured to form a cold air channel through which cold air is discharged to the ice making tray and the ice bucket, a refrigerant pipe configured to form a refrigerant channel and enclosing the cooling duct; and an ice making branch pipe configured to make the water into the ice through heat-exchange, where the ice making branch pipe branches from the refrigerant pipe, and an end portion of the ice making branch pipe is submerged in the water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker for refrigeration equipment, comprising:
 an ice making unit positioned in a refrigerating compartment of the refrigeration equipment;   an ice making tray positioned in the ice making unit, the ice making tray configured to make ice;   an ice bucket configured to store the ice made using the ice making tray;   a cooling duct configured to form a cold air channel through which cold air is discharged to the ice making tray and the ice bucket;   a refrigerant pipe configured to form a refrigerant channel and enclosing the cooling duct; and   an ice making branch pipe configured to make water into the ice through heat-exchange, wherein the ice making branch pipe branches from the refrigerant pipe, and an end portion of the ice making branch pipe is submerged in the water.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling duct has a structure for collecting the cold air being discharged and returning the collected cold air to an inlet side of the cooling duct. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the ice making branch pipe has a number of pipe protrusions which are downwardly bent. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the ice making tray is tilted at an angle that makes transparent ice. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vibrating member configured to minutely vibrate the ice making tray when the ice making unit executes an ice making mode.   
     
     
         6 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heating member for separating ice that is frozen on a surface of the end portion.   
     
     
         7 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 6 , wherein the heating member comprises a heater powered by a power supply of the refrigeration equipment. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker for refrigeration equipment of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a ventilator configured to ventilate the cold air discharged from the cooling duct toward the ice making tray and the ice bucket.   
     
     
         9 . A method for making ice in refrigeration equipment, the method comprising:
 containing water in an ice making tray;   making ice from the water in the ice making tray using a hybrid system comprising an indirect cooling system that discharges cold air toward the ice making tray through a cooling duct forming a cold air channel and also comprising a direct cooling system that transfers a refrigerant to the water through an ice making branch pipe that branches from a refrigerant pipe and has an end portion that is submerged in the water in the ice making tray; and   storing the ice that is transferred from the ice making tray in an ice bucket by executing a transferring mode using a heating member installed on the surface of the ice making branch pipe.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the cold air is discharged by the indirect cooling system using a ventilator. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the end portion has a number of pipe protrusions which are downwardly bent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant pipe encloses the cooling duct. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said making ice comprises:
 collecting the cold air that is discharged and returning the collected cold air to an inlet side of the cooling duct.   
     
     
         14 . A method for making ice in refrigeration equipment, the method comprising:
 containing water in an ice making tray;   executing a hybrid ice making mode that discharges cold air transferred through a cold air channel to a cooling area where the ice making tray is installed and that brings a refrigerant into thermal contact with the water using a refrigerant channel;   transferring the ice from the ice making tray by executing a transferring mode using a heating member when the hybrid ice making mode is completed; and   storing the ice being transferred in an ice bucket.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein an end portion of an ice making branch pipe that branches from a refrigerant channel is submerged in the water to bring the refrigerant in thermal contact with the water. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the end portion of the ice making branch pipe has a number of pipe protrusions which are downwardly bent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 minutely vibrating the ice making tray using a vibrating member when the ice making tray executes the hybrid ice making mode.