Evaporator for ice maker

Abstract

An evaporator for an ice maker includes a refrigerant pipe extending in a first direction and through which refrigerant flows; and an ice-making plate including a first protrusion extending in the first direction and enclosing one side of the refrigerant pipe, a second protrusion extending in a second direction and intersecting the first protrusion, and a flat portion partitioned by the first protrusion and the second protrusion, wherein the second protrusion includes a first portion protruding in an outward direction from the flat portion, and a second portion protruding in the outward direction from the first protrusion, and the second portion protrudes further than the first portion in the outward direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An evaporator for an ice maker, the evaporator comprising:
 a refrigerant pipe extending in a first direction and through which refrigerant flows; and   an ice-making plate including a first protrusion extending in the first direction and enclosing one side of the refrigerant pipe, a second protrusion extending in a second direction and intersecting the first protrusion, and a flat portion partitioned by the first protrusion and the second protrusion,   wherein the second protrusion includes a first portion protruding in an outward direction from the flat portion, and a second portion protruding in the outward direction from the first protrusion, and the second portion protrudes further than the first portion in the outward direction.   
     
     
         2 . The evaporator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a pair of the ice-making plates are included, and   wherein the pair of ice-making plates oppose each other with the refrigerant pipe interposed therebetween, and enclose both sides of the refrigerant pipe.   
     
     
         3 . The evaporator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the refrigerant pipe has a circular cross-sectional surface, and   wherein the first protrusion has a curved cross-sectional surface corresponding to the cross-sectional surface of the refrigerant pipe.   
     
     
         4 . The evaporator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the refrigerant pipe includes at least two linear portions extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other, and a curved connection portion connecting the two linear portions, adjacent to each other, to each other, and   wherein the two linear portions are disposed on an upper side and a lower side of the flat portion, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The evaporator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first protrusion protrudes from the flat portion by a first length, and   wherein, in the second protrusion, the first portion protrudes from the flat portion by a second length and extends in the second direction, the second portion extends in the second direction to be continuous from the first portion, and a protruding length of the second portion gradually increases in the second direction and gradually decreases.   
     
     
         6 . The evaporator of  claim 1 , wherein the flat portion is more inwardly recessed than the first protrusion and the second protrusion. 
     
     
         7 . The evaporator of  claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion includes a vertex portion, and a connection portion disposed on a side surface of the vertex portion, connected to the second protrusion, curved in a rounded shape and having a radius of curvature greater than that of the vertex portion. 
     
     
         8 . The evaporator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first protrusion has a first width, and   wherein the second protrusion has a second width less than the first width.   
     
     
         9 . The evaporator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-making plate further includes a curved portion disposed between one end of the ice-making plate and the first protrusion, and curved in the outward direction. 
     
     
         10 . The evaporator of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the pair of ice-making plates are spaced apart from each other by a first distance, and   wherein ends of the pair of ice-making plates, opposing each other, are spaced apart from each other by a second distance longer than the first distance.   
     
     
         11 . The evaporator of  claim 10 , wherein, between the first protrusion and one end of the ice-making plate, a distance between the pair of ice-making plates gradually increases toward the one end of the ice-making plate. 
     
     
         12 . An evaporator for an ice maker, the evaporator comprising:
 a refrigerant pipe extending in a first direction and through which refrigerant flows; and   an ice-making plate including a plurality of first protrusions extending in the first direction and enclosing one side of the refrigerant pipe, a plurality of second protrusions extending in a second direction and intersecting the plurality of first protrusions, and a plurality of flat portions partitioned by the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and disposed between two first protrusions adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of first protrusions,   wherein the second protrusion includes a first portion protruding in an outward direction from the flat portion, and a second portion protruding in the outward direction from the first protrusion, and the second portion protrudes further than the first portion in the outward direction.   
     
     
         13 . The evaporator of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the refrigerant pipe has a circular cross-sectional surface, and   wherein the first protrusion has a curved cross-sectional surface corresponding to the cross-sectional surface of the refrigerant pipe.   
     
     
         14 . The evaporator of  claim 12 , wherein the refrigerant pipe includes a plurality of linear portions extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other, and a curved connection portion connecting two linear portions, adjacent to each other, among the plurality of linear portions. 
     
     
         15 . The evaporator of  claim 14 , wherein the linear portion and the flat portion are alternately disposed in the second direction. 
     
     
         16 . The evaporator of  claim 14 ,
 wherein a pair of the ice-making plates are included, and oppose each other with the refrigerant pipe interposed therebetween, and   wherein the linear portion is disposed in an accommodation space partitioned by a first protrusion of one of the pair of ice-making plates and a first protrusion of the other of the pair of ice-making plates.   
     
     
         17 . The evaporator of  claim 16 ,
 wherein a plurality of the accommodation spaces are included, and are disposed in the second direction, and   wherein the linear portion is disposed in each of the accommodation spaces.   
     
     
         18 . The evaporator of  claim 12 , wherein the first protrusion includes a vertex portion, and a connection portion disposed on a side surface of the vertex portion, connected to the second protrusion, curved in a rounded shape and having a radius of curvature greater than that of the vertex portion. 
     
     
         19 . The evaporator of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first protrusion protrudes from the flat portion by a first length, and   wherein, in the second protrusion, the first portion protrudes from the flat portion by a second length and extends in the second direction, the second portion extends in the second direction to be continuous from the first portion, and a protruding length of the second portion gradually increases toward the vertex portion in the second direction.   
     
     
         20 . The evaporator of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the ice-making plate further includes a curved portion disposed between one end of the ice-making plate and the first protrusion and curved in the outward direction, and   wherein the pair of ice-making plates are spaced apart from each other by a first distance, and ends of the pair of ice-making plates, opposing each other, are spaced apart from each other by a second distance longer than the first distance.