Lg Electronics Inc.

Kwang-Ha Suh

Kyung-Han Jeong

Dong-Hoon Lee

Yong-Su Kim

Young-Jin Kim

Young-Kwan Kim

Moon-Chang Choi

Yoo-Chol Ji

Dae-Sung Wang

Tae-Hee Lee

Jin-Sung Park

Hong-Hee Park

Deul-Re Min

Ki-Won Noh

Joon-Hwan Oh

Min-Je Cho

Byung-Tak Park

Choong-Min Jung

Yong-Hwan Eom

Hoi-Sun Kim

An ice detecting apparatus for an ice maker provided in a refrigerator includes an ice maker, and an ice detecting sensor attached to the ice maker and detecting an amount of ice collected in an ice container. The ice detecting sensor includes at least one optical transmitter or emitter provided on one side of the ice maker and at least one receiver at another side of the ice maker. The optical transmitter and receiver are separated by a prescribed distance and, at least one heater is provided to generate heat to be transferred to at least one of the optical transmitter or receiver.

Refrigerator and ice maker with optical sensor to detect ice level

A method for cleaning a water purifier comprising: a filtering unit; a water tank unit for storing purified water having passed through the filtering unit; and a discharging unit for discharging out the purified water stored in the water tank unit, the method comprises: a cleaning water supplying step of supplying cleaning water in which a cleaning agent is dissolved to the water tank unit; a cleaning water discharging step of discharging the cleaning water when a predetermined time has lapsed; a rinsing water supplying step of supplying rinsing water to the water tank unit when the cleaning water discharging step has been completed; and a rinsing water discharging step of discharging the rinsing water when a predetermined time has lapsed. In the method, cleaning and rinsing processes for a water purifier are automatically executed by a series of consecutive processes. Accordingly, a user can directly clean the water purifier if necessary without requiring a Codi's visit.

Method for cleaning water purifier

An ice detecting apparatus for a refrigerator the apparatus includes an ice maker, an ice container to collect ice made by the ice maker, and an ice detecting sensor to detect an amount of ice stored in the ice container. The ice detecting sensor has a transmitter module provided on one side of the ice maker and a receiver module provided on another side of the ice maker. The transmitter module is separated by a prescribed distance from the receiver module. At least one of the transmitter module or receiver module includes at least one optical element and at least one heater, and the heater is made of an electroconductive heating material.

An apparatus for purifying water comprises: an ice making unit configured to make introduced water into ice cubes, and to store the ice cubes; a cold water unit configured to generate cold water by receiving the ice cubes made by the ice making unit; and a cooling unit configured to supply cold air to the ice making unit. Firstly, since cold water is generated by using ice cubes made by the ice making unit, may be solved the conventional problem that the ice cubes cling to each other due to contact with the cold water. Secondly, the ice making unit, the cold water unit, etc. may be installed so as to be stacked with each other in upper and lower directions, the apparatus for purifying water may have a slim configuration.

Apparatus for purifying water

An ice detecting apparatus for a refrigerator having an ice maker includes an ice detecting sensor which determines whether or not an ice storage container which receives and stores ice made by the ice maker is full or nearly full of ice based on pulses transmitted from and received by transmitting and receiving units. The ice detecting sensor includes a transmitting unit to transmit one or more pulses and a receiving unit to detect the pulses transmitted from the transmitting unit. A controller is operably coupled to the transmitting and receiving units to determine whether the storage container is full or nearly full based on pulses detected by the receiving unit among one or more pulses transmitted by the transmitting unit. The controller also determines whether or not external light has been introduced into the ice maker based on the pulses detected by the receiving unit.

Ice detecting apparatus of ice maker for refrigerator and ice detecting method thereof

A method of determining a amount of ice collected in a storage container of a refrigerator, the ice being discharged into the storage container by an ice maker having an ice detecting sensor with a heater, the method comprises determining whether or not the ice storage container is full or nearly full of ice by turning on the detecting sensor for a prescribed period of time. In one embodiment, the heater is turned on while the determining step is preformed. In an alternative embodiment, the heater is continuously maintained in an 'ON' state.

Ice detecting method and apparatus for a refrigerator

An ice maker and a refrigerator having the same include an ice making container which is maintained at a temperature higher than a freezing point of water. Ace core rods having the temperature lower than the freezing point are inserted into the ice making container to cause water in the container to freeze. Accordingly, water at the periphery of the ice making container remains liquid which the water surrounding the ice core rods freezes. As a result, air bubbles generated when the ice is made can be discharged from the liquid portions of the water at the outer edges of the container. This results in ice without trapped air bubbles, which allows excellent transparent ice pieces to be formed. In some embodiments, the exterior surfaces of the ice making container are maintained at a temperature lower than the freezing point of water, and thawing rods maintained at the temperature higher than the freezing point of water are inserted into the center portions of the ice making container. In this embodiment, water at the edges of the ice making container are frozen first, while the water surrounding the thawing rods remains liquid. This also allows air bubbles to escape during formation of the ice, which results in transparent ice pieces.

Ice maker and refrigerator having the same

A method of detecting an amount of ice stored in a storage bin made by an ice maker of a refrigerator, the method comprises applying heat to the ice detecting sensor of the ice maker, detecting an amount stored in the storage bin, and controlling heat application according to the detected amount. The ice maker has an ice detecting sensor attached thereto. A sensor heater provides the heat.

Ice amount detecting method of ice detecting apparatus of ice maker for refrigerator

A compressor comprises a reciprocating motor disposed within a casing, for generating a driving force; a compressing unit for sucking, compressing and discharging gas by a linearly reciprocating motion of a piston connected to the reciprocating motor; a plurality of resonant springs connected to the piston, for inducing a resonant motion to the linearly reciprocating motion of the piston, wherein centers of the resonant springs are positioned at the same radius on the basis of a central axis of the piston.

Compressor

A system for cooling a turbo compressor includes two compressing parts on opposite ends of a rotational shaft driven by a motor. Fluid from a fluid chamber within the casing of the device is supplied to a bearing chamber when the temperature of the bearing chamber increases. A supply passage is formed in a first support where the radial bearing for supporting a load in the axial direction is formed. The open-and-shut valve supplies fluid when the temperature of the bearing chamber increases.

Thrust bearing cooling unit for a turbo compressor

A cooling system, which includes a compressor for compressing the refrigerant by operation of a motor, a condenser, an expansion means, and an evaporator, comprises a motor cooling device for cooling down the motor by making some of the refrigerant passed the condenser flow to the compressor according to temperature of the motor, and therefore the heat of high temperature generated from the motor in the compressor during the operation of the compressor which is used in the cooling system can be cooled down efficiently.

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Seoul, South Korea

Kwang-Ha Suh