Ice machine

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an ice machine including a cabinet, a tray disposed inside the cabinet, wherein ice is formed on the tray, a nozzle disposed below the tray and spraying water toward the tray, a storage tank for storing the water to be supplied to the nozzle therein, a water-level sensor disposed in the storage tank, a pump connected to the nozzle by a guide pipe and supplying the water stored in the storage tank to the nozzle, a supply pipe for supplying water to the tray, a water supply valve disposed on the supply pipe, and a controller that opens and closes a flow path of the water supply valve based on a water-level measured by the water-level sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice machine comprising: a cabinet;
 a tray disposed inside the cabinet to form ice on the tray;   a nozzle disposed below the tray for spraying water toward the tray to form the ice;   a storage tank for storing the water to be supplied to the nozzle; a water-level sensor disposed at the storage tank;   a pump connected to the nozzle by a guide pipe for supplying the water stored in the storage tank to the nozzle;   a supply pipe for supplying external water to the tray for supplying to the storage tank;   a water supply valve disposed at the supply pipe; and   a controller configured to open and close a flow path of the water supply valve based on a water-level measured by the water-level sensor at the storage tank.   
     
     
         2 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve and supply the external water to the tray when the water-level sensor detects that the water-level is lowered to a predetermined level or below at the storage tank. 
     
     
         3 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the water-level sensor periodically transmits water-level information to the controller. 
     
     
         4 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a through pipe disposed at the tray such that the external water supplied from the supply pipe falls through the through pipe toward the storage tank. 
     
     
         5 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the tray has a plurality of cells for respectively forming the ice, and
 a plurality of through pipes are disposed at the tray, a through pipe penetrating a respective cell.   
     
     
         6 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is disposed below the tray. 
     
     
         7 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a compressor for compressing a refrigerant to cool the tray.   
     
     
         8 . The ice machine of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve when the compressor starts to operate. 
     
     
         9 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a door for opening and closing an opening of the cabinet; and   a door opening and closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door.   
     
     
         10 . The ice machine of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve when the door opening and closing sensor detects the closing after the opening of the door. 
     
     
         11 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve after a predetermined period of time has passed even when the water-level sensor does not detect that the water-level has lowered to a predetermined level or below. 
     
     
         12 . An ice machine comprising: a cabinet;
 a tray disposed inside the cabinet to form ice on the tray;   a storage tank for storing water to be supplied to the tray;   a water-level sensor disposed at the storage tank;   a pump connected to the storage tank to pump the water stored in the storage tank to the tray;   a supply pipe for supplying external water to the storage tank;   a water supply valve disposed at the supply pipe; and   a controller configured to open and close a flow path of the water supply valve based on a water-level measured by the water-level sensor at the storage tank.   
     
     
         13 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve and supply the external water to the storage tank when the water-level sensor detects that the water-level is lowered to a predetermined level or below at the storage tank. 
     
     
         14 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , wherein the water-level sensor periodically transmits water-level information to the controller. 
     
     
         15 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a compressor for compressing a refrigerant to cool the tray.   
     
     
         16 . The ice machine of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve when the compressor starts to operate. 
     
     
         17 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a door for opening and closing an opening of the cabinet; and   a door opening and closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the door.   
     
     
         18 . The ice machine of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve when the door opening and closing sensor detects the closing after the opening of the door. 
     
     
         19 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to open the water supply valve after a predetermined period of time has passed even when the water-level sensor does not detect that the water-level has lowered to a predetermined level or below.