Ice making device and refrigerator

Abstract

An icemaker according to the present embodiment may comprise a tray which is provided in an ice-making chamber, and which has ice-making cells for making ice. The icemaker may further comprise: a water supply unit for supplying water to the ice-making cells during ice-making; and a controller for controlling the water supply unit.

1 . An ice making device comprising:
 a tray provided in an ice making chamber and having a cell for generating ice;   a liquid supplier having a sub liquid supplier configured to supply liquid to the cell in an ice making process;   a controller configured to control the liquid supplier.   
     
     
         2 . The ice making device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the controller is configured to reduce an output of the liquid supplier in response to a decrease in distance between the ice generated in the cell and the sub liquid supplier after supplying a cooling power to the tray.   
     
     
         3 . The ice making device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the liquid supplier further comprises a pump configured to pump liquid, and   wherein the controller is configured to gradually reduce an output of the pump.   
     
     
         4 . The ice making device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the controller is configured to reduce an output of the liquid supplier based on an elapse of time.   
     
     
         5 . The ice making device of  claim 2 , further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the tray,
 wherein the controller is configured to reduce an output of the liquid supplier according to a change in temperature detected by the temperature sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The ice making device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the tray comprises a second one tray forming a second one cell and a second another tray disposed at one side of the second one tray and forms a second another cell,   wherein liquid supplied by the liquid supplier is supplied to the one cell through the second another tray, and   wherein an output reduction rate of the liquid supplier when the ice is generated in the second one cell is less than an output reduction rate of the liquid supplier when the ice is generated in the second another cell.   
     
     
         7 . The ice making device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the tray comprises a second one tray forming a second one cell and a second another tray disposed at one side of the second one tray and forms a second another cell,   wherein liquid supplied by the liquid supplier is supplied to the one cell through the second another tray, and   wherein a number of times in reducing an output of the liquid supplier when the ice is generated in the one cell is less than a number of times in reducing an output of the liquid supplier when the ice is generated in the second another cell.   
     
     
         8 . The ice making device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the tray comprises a plurality of ice making cells, and   wherein the sub liquid supplier comprises a plurality of liquid supply nozzles corresponding to a number of cells to spray liquid into each of the plurality of cells.   
     
     
         9 . An ice making device comprising:
 a tray provided in an ice chamber and having a cell for generating ice;   a liquid supplier having a sub liquid supplier configured to supply liquid to the cell in an ice making process; and   a controller configured to control the liquid supplier,   wherein the controller is configured to control a distance between the ice generated in the cell and the sub liquid supplier to be maintained within a predetermined range based on an elapse of time after a cooling power is supplied to the tray.   
     
     
         10 . The ice making device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the controller is configured to move the sub liquid supplier away from the tray, move the tray away from the sub liquid supplier, or move the sub liquid supplier and the tray away from each other based on the elapse of time.   
     
     
         11 . The ice making device of  claim 10 ,
 wherein a movement of one or more of the sub liquid supplier and the tray is performed in stages.   
     
     
         12 . An ice making device comprising:
 a tray provided in an ice making chamber and having a cell for generating ice;   a liquid supplier having a sub liquid supplier configured to supply liquid to the cell in an ice making process;   a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the tray; and   a controller configured to control the liquid supplier.   
     
     
         13 . The ice making device of  claim 12 ,
 wherein as a temperature detected by the temperature sensor decreases after supplying a cooling power to the tray, the controller is configured to control a distance between the ice generated in the cell and the sub liquid supplier to be maintained within a predetermined range.   
     
     
         14 . The ice making device of  claim 13 ,
 wherein as a temperature detected by the temperature sensor decreases, the controller is configured to move the sub liquid supplier away from the tray,   move the tray away from the sub liquid supplier, or   move the sub liquid supplier and the tray away from each other.   
     
     
         15 . The ice making device of  claim 14 ,
 wherein a movement of one or more of the sub liquid supplier and the tray is performed in stages.   
     
     
         16 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The ice making device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the tray comprises a second one tray forming a second one cell and a second another tray disposed at one side of the second one tray and forms a second another cell,   wherein liquid supplied by the liquid supplier is supplied to the second one cell through the second another tray.   
     
     
         32 . The ice making device of  claim 31 ,
 wherein the sub liquid supplier comprises a liquid supply nozzle, and   the second another tray comprises an opening into which liquid sprayed by the liquid supply nozzle is introduced.   
     
     
         33 . The ice making device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the predetermined range is greater than a distance between the sub liquid supplier and a lowermost of the cell and equal to or less than a distance between the sub liquid supplier and an uppermost of the cell.   
     
     
         34 . The ice making device of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the tray comprises a second one tray forming a second one cell and a second another tray disposed at one side of the second one tray and forms a second another cell,   wherein liquid supplied by the sub liquid supplier is supplied to the second one cell through the second another tray.   
     
     
         35 . The ice making device of  claim 34 ,
 wherein the sub liquid supplier comprises a liquid supply nozzle, and   the second another tray comprises an opening into which liquid sprayed by the liquid supply nozzle is introduced.