Ice maker and refrigerator having the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator includes an ice maker tray where ice is formed and an ice removal heater arranged on the outer side of the ice maker tray for melting a side of the ice. The ice maker tray may include an ice removal heater seat for settling the ice removal heater on the outer side of the ice maker tray, and the ice removal heater comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions formed in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the ice maker tray, and a plurality of bending portions arranged between the plurality of longitudinal portions. The ice maker and refrigerator having the same, which includes an ice removal heater to increase heat transfer efficiency for the ice maker while reducing power consumption of the ice removal heater.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker tray where ice is to be formed; and   a heater arranged on an outer side of the ice maker tray to heat the outer side of the ice maker tray to melt at least a part of the ice in the ice maker tray,   wherein the ice maker tray comprises a heater seat to settle the heater on the outer side of the ice maker tray, and   wherein the heater comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions formed in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the ice maker tray, and a plurality of bending portions arranged between the plurality of longitudinal portions.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a part of the longitudinal portions and bending portions of the heater are formed with a cord heater.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein about three quarters of an outer circumferential surface of the heater comes into contact with the ice removal heater seat.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of longitudinal portions are three or more in number, and the plurality of bending portions are two or more in number.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the heater seat comprises
 a seating projection protruding outward from the ice maker tray and a seating groove sunken down from the seating projection. 
   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the seating groove has a width corresponding to an outer circumferential surface of the heater for the heater to be tightly settled in the seating groove.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the seating groove comes into contact with about three quarters of an outer circumferential surface of the ice removal heater.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein an entire area of the plurality of longitudinal portions and bending portions of the heater is settled in the heater seat.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least a portion of the bending portions of the heater is shaped like an arc, the arc having a curvature radius of about 8 mm or less.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 further comprising a supporting member for supporting at least one side of the heater.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the supporting member comprises a supporter having a form that corresponds to the heater seat.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the supporter supports the at least one side of the heater that is not in contact with the heater seat.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the cord heater comprises
 a heating wire; 
 a first heat-resistant part covering the heating wire; and 
 a second heat-resistant part covering the first heat-resistant part. 
   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first heat-resistant part has a higher heat-resistant performance than the second heat-resistant part.   
     
     
         15 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker tray opened upward where ice is to be formed; and   a heater settled under the ice maker tray to heat a side of the ice maker tray to melt at least a part of the ice in the ice maker tray and having a heating wire, a first heat-resistant part covering the heating wire and a second heat-resistant part covering the first heat-resistant part, and   wherein the first heat-resistant part has a higher heat-resistant performance than the second heat-resistant part.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the ice maker tray comprises
 an ice maker space where ice is to be formed, and 
 a heated area located under the ice maker space for transferring heat generated from the heater, and 
   wherein the heater is arranged on an outer side of the heated area.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the heater comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions extending in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the heated area and a plurality of bending portions connecting the plurality of longitudinal portions.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 ,
 wherein a same number of longitudinal portions of the plurality of longitudinal portions are arranged on either side from a center line of the heated area.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the ice maker tray further comprises a heater seat to settle the heater on the outer side of the heated area configured so that about three quarters or more of an outer circumferential surface of the heater come into contact with the outer side of the heated area.   
     
     
         20 . An ice maker comprising:
 an ice maker tray where ice is to be formed; and   a heater including a cord heater arranged on an outer side of the ice maker tray to heat the outer side of the ice maker tray to melt at least a part of the ice in the ice maker tray,   wherein the ice maker tray comprises an ice maker space where the ice is to be formed and a heater seat to settle the heater on the outer side of the ice maker tray,   wherein the heater comprises a plurality of longitudinal portions formed in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the ice maker tray, and a plurality of bending portions arranged between the plurality of longitudinal portions, and   wherein an outer circumferential surface of the ice maker tray comes into contact with the plurality of longitudinal portions and bending portions of the heater to transfer heat to the ice maker space.