Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body having a storage compartment; an ice-making tray provided inside the storage compartment; a water supply device to supply water to the ice-making tray; an ice-separating device to separate, ice accommodated in the ice-making tray; a sensor provided in the storage compartment; and a controller which uses a measurement value detected by the sensor after a preset time following the water supply device completing a water supply operation, so as to determine whether water supply is low on the basis that the amount of water supplied to the ice-making tray being less than a preset amount or determines whether water supply is excessive based on the amount of water supplied to the ice-making tray is greater than the preset amount, and which controls, based on whether water supply is low or excessive, the ice-separating device such that a plurality of ice-separating operations are performed.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body including a storage compartment;   an ice-making tray to be provided inside the storage compartment;   a water supply device configured to supply water to the ice-making tray;   an ice-separating device configured to separate ice accommodated in the ice-making tray from the ice-making tray;   a sensor to be provided in the storage compartment; and   a controller configured to:
 determine whether an amount of water supplied to the ice-making tray inside the storage compartment is lower than a preset amount based on a measurement value detected by the sensor after a preset time elapses following an end of a water supply operation by the water supply device; or 
 determine whether the water supplied to the ice-making tray is excessive based on the amount of the water supplied to the ice-making tray being greater than the preset amount; and 
 control the ice-separating device to perform a plurality of ice-separating operations based on whether the amount of the water supplied to the ice-making tray being determined as low or as excessive. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor is a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the ice-making tray, and   the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on a failure of the temperature of the ice-making tray to reach a preset temperature after the preset time elapses following the end of the water supply operation by the water supply device.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor is a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the ice-making tray, and   the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on a first time, in which the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor reaches a preset temperature after the preset time elapses following the end of the water supply operation by the water supply device, being less than a second time.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein
 the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on the first time being less than or equal to 80% of the second time.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor is a flow sensor that detects a flow rate of the water supplied to the ice-making tray during the preset time after the water supply operation by the water supply device, and   the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on a failure of the flow rate of the water detected by the flow sensor to reach a preset flow rate.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor is a flow sensor that detects a flow rate of the water supplied to the ice-making tray during the preset time after the water supply operation by the water supply device, and   the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on a first time, in which the flow rate of the water detected by the flow sensor reaches a preset flow rate, being greater than a second time.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein
 the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on the first time being two times or more greater than the second time.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sensor is a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the ice-making tray,   the controller controls the ice-separating device to separate ice formed in the ice-making tray from the ice-making tray based on the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor, and   the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on a first time, in which the water is supplied to the ice-making tray by the water supply device and the temperature of the ice-making tray reaches a preset temperature, being 150% or more greater than a second time.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein
 the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform an ice-separating operation based on the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in a first cycle and a second cycle preceding the first cycle, and   wherein the first time is a time taken for the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in the first cycle to reach a first preset temperature, and   the second time is a time taken for the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in the second cycle to reach a second preset temperature.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein
 the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform an ice-separating operation based on the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in a first cycle, a second cycle preceding the first cycle, a third cycle preceding the second cycle, and a fourth cycle preceding the third cycle, and   wherein the first time is a time taken for the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in the first cycle to reach a preset temperature, and   the second time is an average of times taken for the temperature of the ice-making tray detected by the temperature sensor in the second cycle, the third cycle to the fourth cycle to reach the preset temperature.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage compartment temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the storage compartment,   wherein the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the storage compartment temperature sensor being equal to or higher than a preset temperature.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a door provided to open and close the storage compartment,   wherein the controller controls the ice-separating device to perform the plurality of ice-separating operations based on the temperature of the storage compartment detected by the storage compartment temperature sensor not falling to minus 18 degrees Celsius or lower during one hour in which the door closes the storage compartment.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the ice-separating device includes a rotation motor that provides a driving force to the ice-making tray such that the ice-making tray rotates, and   the controller operates the rotation motor a plurality of times such that the ice-making tray rotates based on whether the amount of the water supplied to the ice-making tray being determined as low or as excessive.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein
 the controller controls the ice-separating device to rotate the ice-making tray in a first direction, then rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and then rotate in the first direction based on whether the amount of the water supplied to the ice-making tray being determined as low or as excessive.