Ice maker and refrigerator including the same

Abstract

Disclosed is an ice maker in which a pressing portion of an ice cover presses a heating wire cover that covers a heating wire seated in the ice tray such that the ice tray and the heating wire are brought into being close contact with each other. Accordingly, a heat transfer efficiency at which a heat amount from the heating wire is transferred to the ice tray is increased.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 an upper tray including a plurality of upper chambers and having a heating wire receiving groove defined therein;   a lower tray including a plurality of lower chambers;   a heating wire inserted into the heating wire receiving groove;   a heating wire cover seated on the heating wire receiving groove so as to cover the heating wire; and   an upper cover disposed on top of the upper tray and including at least one pressing portion pressing the heating wire cover.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the upper tray further includes an upper plate, wherein a cold air flow path is defined between the upper cover and the upper tray. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the heating wire receiving groove is depressed in a downward direction beyond an uppermost surface of the upper plate. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the upper chamber protrudes in a downward direction beyond an uppermost surface of the upper plate. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the heating wire inserted into the heating wire receiving groove is positioned lower than the uppermost surface of the upper plate. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the heating wire receiving groove at least partially extends along at least a partial area of an outer circumference of each of the upper chambers. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the upper tray further includes a plurality of inlet guides respectively communicating with the plurality of upper chambers and respectively extending upwardly from the plurality of upper chambers,
 wherein the heating wire receiving groove at least partially extends along at least a partial area of an outer circumference of each of the plurality of inlet guides.   
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of inlet guides acts as a water-supply guide constituting a water-supply path,
 wherein in an area of the heating wire receiving groove corresponding to the water-supply guide, the heating wire receiving groove extends along a portion of an inner circumference of the water-supply guide.   
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the heating wire cover includes:
 a heating wire cover body having a closed curve shape and including a hollow space defined therein; and   at least one side extension protruding outwardly from a side surface of the heating wire cover body,   wherein the upper tray includes at least one fixing hook fixing the side extension.   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 9 , wherein the fixing hook is constructed to temporarily fix the heating wire cover to the heating wire receiving groove. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the heating wire cover includes:
 a heating wire cover body having a closed curve shape and including a hollow space defined therein;   an upper convex portion protruding upwardly from an upper surface of the heating wire cover body and extending along a shape of the heating wire cover body; and   a lower convex portion protruding downwardly from a lower surface of the heating wire cover body and extending along the shape of the heating wire cover body,   wherein the heating wire cover body is positioned out of the heating wire receiving groove, and the lower convex portion is inserted into the heating wire receiving groove.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker of  claim 11 , wherein a width of each of the upper convex portion and the lower convex portion is smaller than a width of the heating wire cover body. 
     
     
         13 . The ice maker of  claim 11 , wherein each of the upper convex portion and the lower convex portion extends in a continuous manner. 
     
     
         14 . The ice maker of  claim 11 , wherein the upper convex portion extends in a discontinuous pattern manner. 
     
     
         15 . The ice maker of  claim 14 , wherein each of the upper convex portions is positioned to overlap each of the inlet guides in a front-back direction. 
     
     
         16 . The ice maker of  claim 11 , wherein the pressing portion presses the upper convex portion in a downward direction, and thus, the lower convex portion presses the heating wire in a downward direction. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion protrudes downwardly from a lower surface of the upper cover. 
     
     
         18 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion includes a plurality of pressing portions,
 wherein the pressing portions adjacent to each other are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         19 . The ice maker of  claim 18 , wherein the upper tray further includes a plurality of inlet guides respectively communicating with the plurality of upper chambers and respectively extending upwardly from the plurality of upper chambers,
 wherein each of the pressing portions overlaps with each of the inlet guides in a frontward-backward direction.   
     
     
         20 . A refrigerator comprising:
 at least one storage compartment;   at least one door for opening and closing the storage compartment; and   an ice maker mounted into the storage compartment or the door,   wherein the ice maker includes:
 an ice tray including a plurality of chambers and having a heating wire receiving groove defined therein; 
   a heating wire inserted into the heating wire receiving groove;   a heating wire cover seated on the heating wire receiving groove so as to cover the heating wire; and   an ice cover disposed on top of the ice tray and including one or more pressing portions pressing the heating wire cover.