Ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

An ice maker includes: an upper tray including an upper tray body defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber for generating ice; and a lower tray rotated relative to the upper tray based on a rotational center, and including a lower tray body defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber, where a top surface of the lower tray body can contact a bottom surface of the upper tray body, the rotational center is disposed outside of the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the bottom surface of the upper tray body includes a first surface and a second surface disposed farther from the rotational center than the first surface, and before the top surface of the lower tray body contacts the bottom surface of the upper tray body, the second surface is lower than the first surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 a first tray including a first tray body defining a first chamber; and   a second tray including a second tray body defining a second chamber,   wherein the second tray is configured to move relative to the first tray,   wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to couple to each other to form an ice chamber in which ice is generated,   wherein each of the first tray and the second tray is made of a deformable material, and   wherein the second tray is configured to perform an additional movement in a state in which one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body are in contact with each other.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and
 wherein the one surface of the first tray body includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is closer to the pivot axis than the second surface is.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein an overlap amount between the first surface and one surface of the second tray increases based on the additional movement of the second tray. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein an overlap amount between the second surface and one surface of the second tray increases based on the additional movement of the second tray. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein before the second tray moves toward the first tray such that the ice chamber is closed, a distance between the second surface of the first tray body and at least a portion of a contact surface between the one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body at an ice-making position is larger than a distance between the first surface of the first tray body and the at least a portion of the contact surface. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein before one surface of the second tray body and the one surface of the first tray body come into contact with each other, a distance between the second surface of the first tray body and at least a portion of a contact surface between one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body at an ice-making position is greater than a distance between the first surface of the first tray body and the at least a portion of the contact surface. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein in a state in which the ice chamber is open, the one surface of the first tray body is inclined. 
     
     
         8 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein before the second tray moves such that one surface of the second tray body extends in a horizontal manner, the one surface of the second tray body and the one surface of the first tray body come into contact with each other. 
     
     
         9 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and
 wherein the pivot axis is located outside each of the first chamber and the second chamber.   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first chamber and the second chamber has a hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a casing supporting the first tray; and   a supporter supporting the second tray,   wherein the supporter includes a hinge body, wherein the supporter is pivotally coupled to the casing via the hinge body,   wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and   wherein the pivot axis coincides with a center of the hinge body of the supporter.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , further comprising a heater disposed in the supporter,
 wherein the heater contacts the second tray.   
     
     
         13 . The ice maker according to  claim 2 , wherein the second tray further includes a circumferential wall extending from the second tray body and surrounding the first tray when the ice chamber is closed. 
     
     
         14 . The ice maker according to  claim 13 , wherein the circumferential wall includes:
 a first wall disposed to be adjacent to the second surface of the first tray body and extending in a straight line; and   a second wall disposed to be adjacent to the first surface of the first tray body and having a curved shape.   
     
     
         15 . The ice maker according to  claim 13 , wherein the circumferential wall includes:
 a first wall positioned adjacent to the second surface of the first tray body and including a portion extending so as to have a first curvature; and   a second wall positioned adjacent to the first surface of the first tray body and including a portion extending so as to have a second curvature,   wherein the second curvature is larger than the first curvature.   
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet having a storage space defined therein; and   an ice maker disposed in the storage space,   wherein the ice maker includes:
 a first tray including a first tray body defining a first chamber, and 
 a second tray including a second tray body defining a second chamber, 
   wherein the second tray is configured to move relative to the first tray,   wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to couple to each other to form an ice chamber in which ice is generated,   wherein each of the first tray and the second tray is made of a deformable material, and   wherein the second tray is configured to perform an additional movement in a state in which one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body are in contact with each other.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis,
 wherein one surface of the first tray body includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is closer to the pivot axis than the second surface is, and   wherein at least one of an overlap amount between the first surface and one surface of the second tray or an overlap amount between the second surface and one surface of the second tray increases based on the additional movement of the second tray.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and
 wherein one surface of the first tray body includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is closer to the pivot axis than the second surface is, and   wherein before the second tray moves toward the first tray such that the ice chamber is closed, a distance between the second surface of the first tray body and at least a portion of a contact surface between one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body at an ice-making position is larger than a distance between the first surface of the first tray body and the at least a portion of the contact surface.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and
 wherein one surface of the first tray body includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is closer to the pivot axis than the second surface is, and   wherein, before one surface of the second tray body and one surface of the first tray body come into contact with each other, a distance between the second surface of the first tray body and at least a portion of a contact surface between one surface of the first tray body and the second tray body at an ice-making position is greater than a distance between the first surface of the first tray body and the at least a portion of the contact surface.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the second tray moves about a pivot axis, and
 wherein the pivot axis is located outside each of the first chamber and the second chamber.