Ice maker and refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, an ice maker configured to make spherical ice, and an ice bin for storing the ice. The ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled to the upper assembly, where the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers that are configured to come in contact with the plurality of hemispherical upper chambers to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, and an ice-full state detection lever that is coupled to and configured to be pivoted by the driver, where the ice-full state detection lever is configured to pivot in the same direction as the lower assembly to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker configured to make ice; and   an ice bin configured to store the ice separated from the ice maker,   wherein the ice maker comprises:
 a tray configured to define an ice chamber for making the ice, and 
 an ice-full state detector configured to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state, 
   wherein the ice-full state detector comprises a detection body configured to contact the ice in the ice bin in the ice-full state, and   wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to move to a detection position after completion of an ice-making process in which the ice is formed in the ice chamber and before completion of an ice-separating process in which the ice is separated from the ice chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to move to the detection position in the ice-separating process. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to be positioned at an initial position in the ice-making process, and to move to the detection position in the ice-separating process. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned at (i) a topmost position within a movement range of the detection body based on the ice-full state detector being positioned at the initial position, and (ii) a bottommost position within the movement range of the detection body based on the ice-full state detector being positioned at the detection position. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned lower than a lowest point of the tray regardless of a position of the ice-full state detector. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detector further comprises an extension extending from the detection body. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the ice maker further comprises a driver configured to drive the ice-full state detector, and
 wherein the extension extends to the driver.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to be moved together with the tray. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the ice maker further comprises a driver configured to drive the tray, and
 wherein the ice-full state detector is connected to the driver.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the tray comprises:
 a first tray configured to define a first portion of the ice chamber; and   a second tray configured to define a second portion of the ice chamber, and   wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to be moved in association with the second tray.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to move to the detection position before the tray is positioned at an ice-separating position. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein, while the ice-full state detector is positioned at the detection position, the tray is configured to continue to move until the tray reaches an ice-separating position. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker configured to make ice; and   an ice bin configured to store the ice separated from the ice maker,   wherein the ice maker comprises:
 a tray configured to define an ice chamber for making the ice, and 
 an ice-full state detector configured to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state, 
   wherein the ice-full state detector comprises a detection body configured to be in contact with the ice in the ice bin in the ice-full state, and   wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to be positioned at an initial position in an ice-making process in which the ice is formed in the ice chamber, and to be positioned at a detection position in an ice-separating process in which the ice is separated from the ice chamber.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned at (i) a topmost position within a movement range of the detection body based on the ice-full state detector being positioned at the initial position, and (ii) a bottommost position within the movement range of the detection body based on the ice-full state detector being positioned at the detection position. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned lower than a lowest point of the tray regardless of a position of the ice-full state detector. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the ice maker further comprises a driver configured to drive the ice-full state detector, and
 wherein the ice-full state detector further comprises an extension extending from the detection body to the driver.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the ice-full state detector is configured to move to the detection position before the tray is positioned at an ice-separating position. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker configured to make ice; and   an ice bin configured to store the ice separated from the ice maker,   wherein the ice maker comprises:
 a tray configured to define an ice chamber for making the ice, and 
 an ice-full state detector configured to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state, 
   wherein the ice-full state detector comprises a detection body configured to be in contact with the ice in the ice bin in the ice-full state, and   wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned at (i) a topmost position within a movement range of the detection body in an ice-making process in which the ice is formed in the ice chamber, and (ii) a bottommost position within the movement range of the detection body in an ice-separating process in which the ice is separated from the ice chamber.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the detection body is configured to be positioned lower than a lowest point of the tray regardless of a position of the ice-full state detector. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the ice maker further comprises a driver configured to drive the ice-full state detector, and
 wherein the ice-full state detector further comprises an extension extending from the detection body to the driver.