Ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers as well as a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly that is configured to rotate relative to the upper assembly. The lower assembly includes a lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. Each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to receive water when the lower assembly rotates relative to the upper assembly and generate an ice piece within when the upper and lower portions of the ice making chambers are joined. The lower tray includes a deformable portion that is configured to, based on an outward expansion of the ice piece within the ice making chamber during ice generation, change from a first shape to a second shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 an upper assembly comprising an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers; and   a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly and configured rotate relative to the upper assembly, the lower assembly comprising a lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers,   wherein each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to:
 based on rotation of the lower assembly relative to the upper assembly, receive water, and 
 based on joining of the upper portions and the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, generate an ice piece within an ice making chamber of the plurality of ice making chambers, and 
   wherein the lower tray comprises a deformable portion that is configured to, based on an outward expansion of the ice piece within the ice making chamber during ice generation, change from a first shape to a second shape.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the lower tray is made of a flexible material, and
 wherein the deformable portion is configured to, based on the outward expansion of the ice piece, protrude outward of the ice making chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable portion comprises a convex part that is recessed from a bottom portion of the lower tray toward the ice making chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 3 , wherein the convex part is configured to, based on the outward expansion of the ice piece, protrude outward of the ice making chamber to define an inner surface of the ice making chamber having a spherical shape. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the lower tray comprises a plurality of lower chamber walls that define the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, and
 wherein the deformable portion is located at a bottom portion of each of the plurality of lower chamber walls.   
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , wherein the lower assembly further comprises a lower support that is located vertically below the lower tray and that defines a plurality of chamber accommodation recesses configured to receive the plurality of lower chamber walls, and
 wherein each of the plurality of chamber accommodation recesses defines a lower opening that is configured to face the deformable portion and that allows the deformable portion to change from the first shape to the second shape based on the outward expansion of the ice piece.   
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 6 , wherein a diameter of the lower opening of the lower support is greater than a diameter of the deformable portion, and
 wherein the deformable portion is configured to be positioned within the lower opening based on the outward expansion of the ice piece.   
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 6 , further comprising a lower ejector that is located vertically below the lower support and that is configured to, based on the lower assembly rotating away from the upper assembly, pass through the lower opening of the lower support and push the deformable portion to discharge the ice piece from the ice making chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable portion is configured to change from the second shape to the first shape based on the ice piece being discharged from the ice making chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , further comprising a heater that contacts an outer surface of each of the plurality of lower chamber walls, that is configured to supply heat to the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, and that is configured to maintain a temperature of the lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers to be higher than a temperature of the upper portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of lower chamber walls comprises a stepped portion that protrudes outward from the outer surface, that surrounds the deformable portion, and that is configured to contact the heater,
 wherein the deformable portion comprises a convex part that is recessed upward from the outer surface of each of the plurality of lower chamber walls toward the ice making chamber, and   wherein an upper end of the convex part is located vertically above the stepped portion in a state in which a lower portion of the ice making chamber holds water.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker of  claim 5 , wherein the upper tray comprises a plurality of upper chamber walls that define the upper portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, and
 wherein the plurality of lower chamber walls are configured to vertically overlap the plurality of upper chamber walls and define a spherical inner surface of each of the plurality of ice making chambers in a state in which the deformable portion is in the second shape.   
     
     
         13 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the lower tray further comprises a spherical portion that extends upward from the deformable portion and that defines an inner surface of the ice making chamber together with the deformable portion, and
 wherein the spherical portion and the deformable portion are made of a silicone material.   
     
     
         14 . The ice maker of  claim 13 , wherein the lower assembly further comprises a lower support that is located vertically below the lower tray and that defines a chamber accommodation recess configured to face and contact the spherical portion of the lower tray, and
 wherein the chamber accommodation recess is configured to limit an expansion of the spherical portion based on the outward expansion of the ice piece.   
     
     
         15 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the upper tray and the lower tray are made of a silicone material. 
     
     
         16 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ice making chambers are arranged in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of rotation of the lower assembly relative to the upper assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower ejector that is located vertically below the lower tray and that is configured to, based on the lower assembly rotating away from the upper assembly, push the deformable portion to discharge the ice piece from the ice making chamber in a state in which the deformable portion is in the second shape. 
     
     
         18 . The ice maker of  claim 13 , wherein the lower assembly further comprises a lower support that is located vertically below the lower tray and that defines a plurality of chamber accommodation recess configured to face and contact the spherical portion of the lower tray,
 wherein each of the plurality of chamber accommodation recesses defines a lower opening that is configured to face the deformable portion and that allows the deformable portion to change from the first shape to the second shape based on the outward expansion of the ice piece, and   wherein the chamber accommodation recess is configured to rigidly support the spherical portion of the lower tray to thereby limit an outward expansion of the spherical portion during ice generation.   
     
     
         19 . The ice maker of  claim 18 , further comprising a lower ejector that is configured to, based on the lower assembly rotating away from the upper assembly, push the deformable portion to discharge the ice piece from the ice making chamber,
 wherein the spherical portion of the lower tray is configured, based on the deformable portion being pushed to discharge the ice piece, to be separated from the chamber accommodation recess.   
     
     
         20 . The ice maker of  claim 6 , wherein the lower tray is made of a flexible material, and the lower support is made of a rigid material.