Refrigerator and method for controlling same

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a storage chamber in which food is stored; a cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage chamber; a tray forming an ice-making cell; a heater for supplying heat to the tray; and a controller for controlling the heater. The controller turns on the heater in at least a part of a range in which the cold air supply means supplies cold air such that air bubbles dissolved in water inside the ice-making cell can move from ice-generating parts to liquid-state water, thereby generating transparent ice. The controller determines whether or not the heater is functioning abnormally in the ice-making process. If it is determined that the heater is functioning abnormally, the controller supplies water to the ice-making cell by a second amount of water supply, which is smaller than the first amount of water supply, during the next water supply process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 a first tray having a portion of a cell;   a second tray having another portion of the cell, the portion and the another portion of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice;   a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first tray;   a first tray case coupled to the first tray, the temperature sensor being installed in the first tray case;   a driver connected to the second tray and providing power to the second tray;   a second tray case coupled to the second tray;   a first heater and a second heater configured to supply heat to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and   a controller configured to:
 perform an ice making process at an ice making position where the second tray is in contact with the first tray in order to form the ice in the space, and 
 perform an ice separation process in which the second tray is spaced apart from the first tray in order to separate the ice from the space, 
 wherein the controller is configured to:
 turn on the first heater when the controller determines that a turn-on condition of the first heater is satisfied, the first heater being not turned on immediately after the ice making process is started, 
 turn off the first heater when the controller determines that a turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, and 
 start the ice separation process when a second temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a reference temperature after the first heater is turned off, the ice separation process including a step to turn on both the first heater and the second heater, an output of the second heater being different from that of the first heater, 
 wherein the cell is provided in plurality and a first distance between the temperature sensor and one of the plurality of cells is different from a second distance between the temperature sensor and another of the plurality of cells, 
 wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and 
 determine that a turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor in the ice separation process. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the turn-off condition of the first heater in the ice making process is different from a condition to determine that the ice making process is completed. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to
 determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and   determine that the ice making process is completed, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein a turn-on reference temperature of the first heater in the ice making process is below zero degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off both the first heater and the second heater when the third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor reaches an off-reference temperature in the ice separation process. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off both the first heater and the second heater when both the first heater and the second heater operate for a predetermined time in the ice separation process. 
     
     
         7 . A refrigerator comprising the ice maker according to the  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . An ice maker comprising:
 a first tray having a portion of a cell;   a second tray having another portion of the cell, the portion and the another portion of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice;   a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first tray;   a first tray case coupled to the first tray, the temperature sensor being installed in the first tray case;   a driver connected to the second tray and providing power to the second tray;   a second tray case coupled to the second tray;   a heater configured to supply heat to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and   a controller configured to:
 perform an ice making process at an ice making position where the second tray is in contact with the first tray in order to form the ice in the space, and 
 perform an ice separation process in which the second tray is spaced apart from the first tray in order to separate the ice from the space, 
 wherein the controller is configured to:
 start the ice making process in a state in which the second tray moves to the ice making position, 
 determine that a turn-on condition of the first heater is satisfied when a first temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a turn-on reference temperature, 
 turn on the heater when the controller determines that the turn-on condition of the heater is satisfied, the heater being not turned on immediately after the ice making process is started, 
 vary an output of the heater, after the heater turns on, 
 turn off the heater when the controller determines that a turn-off condition of the heater is satisfied, 
 start the ice separation process when a second temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a reference temperature after the heater is turned off, the ice separation process including a step to turn on the heater again, 
 wherein the cell is provided in plurality and a first distance between the temperature sensor and one of the plurality of cells is different from a second distance between the temperature sensor and another of the plurality of cells. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the turn-off condition of the heater in the ice making process is different from a condition to determine that the ice making process is completed. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to
 determine that the turn-off condition of the heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and   determine that the ice making process is completed, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to
 determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and   determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor in the ice separation process.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the heater again when a third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor reaches an off-reference temperature in the ice separation process. 
     
     
         13 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the heater again when the heater operates for a predetermined time in the ice separation process. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator comprising the ice maker according to the  claim 8 . 
     
     
         15 . An ice maker comprising:
 a first tray having a portion of a cell;   a second tray having another portion of the cell, the portion and the another portion of the cell being configured to define a space of the cell to receive a liquid to be phase-changed to form ice;   a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the first tray;   a first tray case coupled to the first tray, the temperature sensor being installed in the first tray case;   a driver connected to the second tray and providing power to the second tray;   a second tray case coupled to the second tray;   a first heater and a second heater configured to supply heat to at least one of the first tray or the second tray; and   a controller configured to:
 perform an ice making process at an ice making position where the second tray is in contact with the first tray in order to form the ice in the space, and 
 perform an ice separation process in which the second tray is spaced apart from the first tray in order to separate the ice from the space, 
 wherein the controller is configured to:
 start the ice making process in a state in which the second tray moves to the ice making position, 
 determine that a turn-on condition of the first heater is satisfied when a first temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a turn-on reference temperature, 
 turn on the first heater when the controller determines that the turn-on condition of the first heater is satisfied, the first heater being not turned on immediately after the ice making process is started, 
 vary an output of the first heater, after the first heater turns on, 
 turn off the first heater when the controller determines that a turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, and 
 start the ice separation process when a second temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a reference temperature after the first heater is turned off, the ice separation process including a step to turn on the second heater, 
 wherein the cell is provided in plurality and a first distance between the temperature sensor and one of the plurality of cells is different from a second distance between the temperature sensor and another of the plurality of cells, 
 wherein the controller is further configured to
 determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and 
 determine that a turn-off condition of the second heater is satisfied, based on a third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor in the ice separation process. 
 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The ice maker of  claim 15 , wherein the turn-off condition of the first heater is different from a condition to determine that the ice making process is completed. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to
 determine that the turn-off condition of the first heater is satisfied, based on a time in the ice making process, and   determine that the ice making process is completed, based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         18 . The ice maker of  claim 15 , wherein the turn-on reference temperature of the first heater is below zero degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         19 . The ice maker of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the second heater when the third temperature of the cell sensed by the temperature sensor reaches an off-reference temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The ice maker of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the second heater when a predetermined time passes after the second heater turns on.