Ice maker and refrigerator including same

Abstract

An ice maker including a first tray configured to form a first portion of an ice-making cell; a second tray configured to form a second portion of the ice-making cell, and capable of moving relative to the first tray; an ice bin configured to store ice separated from the first and second trays; and a full-ice sensing lever configured to move together with the second tray in a predetermined range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker comprising:
 a tray assembly defining a portion of a cell that is a space in which liquid is phase-changed into ice;   a heater provided to supply heat to a portion of the ice maker;   a heater case provided with the heater;   an ice bin in which the ice made by the ice maker is stored; and   a lever configured to be moved to detect the ice stored in the ice bin,   wherein the lever is connected to a driver, and is moved by a force provided from the driver, the driver including a motor, and   wherein the lever is capable of starting to be moved to detect whether the ice stored in the ice bin is full or not after the heater starts to be driven.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the heater is driven until a temperature measured by a temperature sensor reach a predetermined temperature, or a predetermined time elapses, and the heater is turned off if a turn-off condition of the heater is satisfied, and
 wherein the lever is capable of starting to be moved to detect the ice stored in the ice bin after the heater is turned off.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the heater is provided to supply the heat to create a condition in which the ice is easily separated from the tray assembly, and
 when the heat is applied by the heater, a portion of the tray assembly is heated such that the ice is melted, the portion of the tray assembly being in contact with the ice.   
     
     
         4 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the heater is disposed on a portion of the tray assembly in order to make the ice transparent. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes:
 a tray defining the cell;   a tray cover disposed in a first side of the tray, and maintaining an outer appearance of the first side of the tray; and   a tray supporter disposed in a second side of the tray, and provided with an opening,   wherein the heater case is coupled to the tray cover.   
     
     
         6 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes:
 a tray defining the cell;   a tray cover disposed in a side of the tray, and maintaining an outer appearance of the side of the tray; and   a tray supporter disposed in a second side of the tray, and provided with an opening,   wherein the heater case is integrally formed with the tray cover.   
     
     
         7 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes a first tray defining a first portion of the cell and a second tray defining a second portion of the cell,
 wherein the second tray is capable of starting to be moved in a period after the heater starts to be driven, and   wherein the lever is capable of being moved together with the second tray in the period.   
     
     
         8 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes a first tray defining a first portion of the cell and a second tray defining a second portion of the cell,
 wherein the second tray is capable of starting to be moved in a period after the heater starts to be driven, and   wherein the lever and the second tray are capable of being moved individually from each other in the period.   
     
     
         9 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes a first tray defining a first portion of the cell and a second tray defining a second portion of the cell,
 wherein the second tray is capable of being moved from a first position in a first period after the heater starts to be driven, the lever being capable of being moved from a second position in the first period, and   wherein while the lever is not being moved in a second period followed by the first period, the second tray is capable of being moved in the second period.   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray assembly includes a first tray defining a first portion of the cell and a second tray defining a second portion of the cell,
 wherein the second tray is capable of being moved from a first position in a first period after the heater starts to be driven, the lever being capable of being moved from a second position in the first period, and   wherein while the lever is moved towards the second position in a second period followed by the first period, the second tray is capable of is moved towards the first position in the second period.   
     
     
         11 . An ice maker comprising:
 a tray assembly defining a portion of a cell that is a space in which liquid is phase-changed into ice;   a pusher including a first edge having a surface pressing the ice or a surface of the tray assembly so that the ice is easily separated from the tray assembly, the pusher including a bar extending from the first edge and a second edge disposed at an end of the bar,   an ice bin in which the ice made by the ice maker is stored; and   a lever configured to be moved to detect the ice stored in the ice bin,   wherein the lever is connected to a driver, and is moved by a force provided from the driver, the driver including a motor, and   wherein the lever is capable of starting to be moved to detect whether the ice stored in the ice bin is full or not after the pusher is moved relative to the ice or the surface of the tray assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the lever is capable of starting to be moved to detect whether the ice stored in the ice bin is full or not after the pusher separates the ice from the tray assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the pusher is a penetrating type pusher configured to move through a through-hole defined in the tray assembly and to directly press the ice in the tray assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the pusher is a non-penetrating type pusher, the tray assembly being provided with a pressing part to be pressed by the non-penetrating type pusher and the non-penetrating type pusher being configured to apply a pressure to one surface of the tray assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the pusher is a movable pusher connected to a driver and configured to move so that the first edge of the movable pusher is positioned between a first point outside the cell and a second point inside the cell. 
     
     
         16 . The ice maker according to  claim 11 , wherein the pusher is a fixed pusher coupled to a fixed end, and the tray assembly is configured to move towards the pusher. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker according to  claim 16 , wherein the fixed end is a portion of a wall defining a storage chamber being defined as a space that is controlled to a predetermined temperature by a cooler, the cooler being defined as a part configured to cool the storage chamber and including at least one of an evaporator or a thermoelectric element, or
 the fixed end is a bracket which a portion of the ice maker is provided inside or outside.   
     
     
         18 . The ice maker according to  claim 17 , further comprising a liquid supply part installed on a surface of the bracket,
 wherein the liquid supply part is provided with an opening in each of a first side and a second side to guide the liquid, which is supplied to the first side of the liquid supply part, to the second side of the liquid supply part.   
     
     
         19 . The ice maker according to  claim 17 , wherein the pusher is provided with a coupling piece coupled to the bracket, and
 wherein the bar includes a first bar and a second bar, and the first bar and the second bar are installed on the coupling piece.   
     
     
         20 . The ice maker according to  claim 17 , wherein the tray assembly includes a first surface defining the portion of the cell and a deformation resistance reinforcement part extending from the first surface in a direction away from the cell, the deformation resistance reinforcement part being directly or indirectly supported by the bracket.