Depth-adjustable ice compartment for refrigerator and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a refrigerator includes providing a main body including a food storage space and a cold air generator, installing an ice compartment in the food storage space, the ice compartment being configured to produce ice, and installing a door on the main body, the door being configured to openably close the food storage space, wherein installing the ice compartment includes forming a housing of the ice compartment by extrusion molding, manufacturing a front end frame and a rear end frame which are respectively coupled to front and rear ends of the housing of the ice compartment, respectively coupling the front end frame and the rear end frame to the front and rear ends of the ice compartment, and performing a urethane foaming process to include thermal insulation in some of the space in the housing of the ice compartment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a refrigerator, said method comprising:
 providing a main body including a food storage space and a cold air generator;   installing an ice compartment in the food storage space, the ice compartment being configured to produce ice; and   installing a door on the main body, the door being configured to openably close the food storage space,   wherein installing the ice compartment comprises:   forming a housing of the ice compartment by extrusion molding;   manufacturing a front end frame and a rear end frame which are respectively coupled to front and rear ends of the housing of the ice compartment;   respectively coupling the front end frame and the rear end frame to the front and rear ends of the ice compartment; and   performing a urethane foaming process to include thermal insulation in some of a space in the housing of the ice compartment, the some of the space separated from the rest of the space by a separation plate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the front end frame and the rear end frame is manufactured by injection molding. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the housing of the ice compartment comprises:
 integrally forming the housing of the ice compartment and the separation plate by extrusion molding.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 manufacturing the separation plate through a process separate from a process for forming the housing of the ice compartment,   wherein the separation plate is manufactured by a process selected from the group consisting of extrusion molding and injection molding.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the some of the space that is separated by the separation plate and that includes the thermal insulation forms a free surface part of the housing of the ice compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the some of the space that includes the thermal insulation is along only two sides of the ice compartment, the two sides facing into the food storage space. 
     
     
         7 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body including a food storage space and a cold air generator;   a door installed on the main body and configured to openably close the food storage space; and   an ice compartment installed in the food storage space and configured to produce ice,   wherein the ice compartment comprises a housing integrally formed by extrusion molding, and   wherein a length of the housing of the ice compartment is predetermined depending on a size and an appearance of the refrigerator.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the ice compartment comprises:
 a front end frame and a rear end frame configured to be respectively coupled to front and rear ends of the housing of the ice compartment,   wherein each of the front end frame and the rear end frame is manufactured by injection molding and then assembled with the housing of the ice compartment.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein some of a space in the housing of the ice compartment is separated from the rest of the space in the housing by a separation plate, and
 wherein a urethane foaming process is performed to include thermal insulation in the some of the space that is separated by the separation plate.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the separation plate is integrally formed with the housing of the ice compartment by extrusion molding. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the separation plate is manufactured through a process separate from a process of forming the housing of the ice compartment,
 wherein the separate process is a process selected from the group consisting of extrusion molding and injection molding.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the some of the space that is separated by the separation plate forms a free surface part of the housing of the ice compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the some of the space that includes the thermal insulation is along only two sides of the ice compartment, the two sides facing into the food storage space.