Refrigerator

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes: a storage chamber configured to store food; a cooler configured to supply cold into the storage chamber; a first tray assembly configured to define a portion of an ice making cell that is a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold; a second tray assembly configured to define another portion of the ice making cell, the second tray assembly being connected to a driver to contact the first tray assembly in an ice making process and to be spaced apart from the first tray assembly in an ice separation process; a heater disposed adjacent to at least one of the first tray assembly or the second tray assembly; and a controller configured to control the heater and the driver. The controller controls the heater to be turned on in at least partial section while the cooler supplies the cold so that bubbles dissolved in the water within the ice making cell moves from a portion, at which the ice is made, toward the water that is in a liquid state to make transparent ice.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber; and   an ice maker including:   a tray assembly configured to form a portion of a cell that is a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase changed into ice; and   a heater configured to provide heat to the cell,   wherein an amount of heat supplied into the cell varies when an amount of cold supplied into the cell varies,   wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell varies so as to maintain a first ice making rate within a predetermined range that is lower than a second ice making rate when an ice making process is performed in a state in which the heater is turned off, and   wherein the first ice making rate is equal to or greater than the second ice making rate×a1 and less than or equal to the second ice making rate×b1, the a1 being 0.25 or more and 0.42 or less, and the b1 being 0.64 or more and 0.91 or less.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell varies when a defrosting operation is performed with respect to a cooler of the storage chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the cooler includes an evaporator. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell increases when a cooling power of a cooler increases. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the cooler includes a compressor compressing a refrigerant, and an output of the compressor increases. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the cooler includes a fan blowing air to an evaporator, and an output of the fan increases. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the cooler includes a refrigerant valve controlling an amount of a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant cycle, and an opening degree of the refrigerant valve increases. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell increases wherein a target temperature of the storage chamber is lowered. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell increases wherein an operation mode of the storage chamber is changed from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode being a mode in which an ice making process completes faster than the first mode. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell decreases when a cooling power of a cooler decreases. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the cooler includes a compressor compressing a refrigerant, and an output of the compressor decreases. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the cooler includes a fan blowing air to an evaporator, and an output of the fan decreases. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the cooler includes a refrigerant valve controlling an amount of a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant cycle, and an opening degree of the refrigerant valve decreases. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell decreases wherein a target temperature of the storage chamber is raised. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat supplied into the cell decreases wherein an operation mode of the storage chamber is changed from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode being a mode in which an ice making process completes slower than the first mode. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cold is a cold air. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber; and   an ice maker including:   a tray assembly configured to form a portion of a cell that is a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase changed into ice; and   a heater configured to supply an amount of heat to the cell,   wherein the heater, when being turned on to supply the heat to the cell, operates to:   supply a first amount of heat when a first amount of cold is supplied to the cell, supply a second amount of heat when a second amount of cold is supplied to the cell, the second amount of heat being different from the first amount of heat, and the second amount of cold being different from the first amount of cold,   wherein the amount of heat supplied varies so as to maintain a first ice making rate within a predetermined range that is lower than a second ice making rate when an ice making process is performed in a state in which the heater is turned off, and   wherein the first ice making rate is equal to or greater than the second ice making rate×a1 and less than or equal to the second ice making rate×b1, the a1 being 0.25 or more and 0.42 or less, and the b1 being 0.64 or more and 0.91 or less.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the second amount of heat is greater than the first amount of heat when the second amount of cold is greater than the first amount of cold. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the second amount of heat is smaller than the first amount of heat when the second amount of cold is smaller than the first amount of cold. 
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a storage chamber; and   an ice maker including:   a tray assembly configured to form a portion of a cell that is a space in which a liquid introduced into the space is phase changed into ice; and   a heater configured to supply an amount of heat to the cell,   wherein the heater, when being turned on to supply the heat to the cell, operates to:   supply a first amount of heat when a first amount of cold is supplied to the cell, supply a second amount of heat when a second amount of cold is supplied to the cell, the second amount of heat being different from the first amount of heat, and the second amount of cold being different from the first amount of cold.