Refrigerator and method of manufacturing ice maker therefor

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an ice maker comprises: a main body having a cooling space supplied with the cold air generated by a cooling module; an ice making assembly comprising an ice tray arranged in the cooling space to generate ice, a cold air guide module disposed at a lower side of the ice tray and configured to guide the cold air supplied from the cooling module to the lower side of the ice tray, and a rotation module configured for rotating at least one of the ice tray and rotating an ejector for ejecting the ice from the ice tray; an ice bucket disposed at a lower side of the ice making assembly configured to receive the ice from the ice tray; and a full ice detection module. The full ice detection module comprises a first sensor coupled to a lower portion of the rotation module and a second sensor coupled to a lower portion of the cold air guide section, and detecting whether or not the ice bucket is full of the ice by operative interconnection of the first and second sensors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a case comprising a food storage space;   a cooling module configured to generate cold air;   a door disposed on the case to seal the food storage space; and   an ice maker installed in at least one of the food storage space and the door, wherein the ice maker comprises:   a main body having a cooling space for receiving the cold air generated by the cooling module;   an ice making assembly comprising: an ice tray disposed in the cooling space to generate ice, a cold air guide module disposed at a lower side of the ice tray and configured to guide the cold air supplied from the cooling module to the lower side of the ice tray; and a rotation module configured for rotating at least one of the ice tray and an ejector for ejecting the ice from the ice tray;   an ice bucket disposed at a lower side of the ice making assembly to receive the ice from the ice tray; and   a full ice detection module comprising a first sensor coupled to a lower portion of the rotation module and a second sensor coupled to a lower portion of the cold air guide module, and detecting whether or not the ice bucket is full by operative interconnection of the first and second sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is inserted into a first mounting portion disposed in the lower portion of the rotation module and the second sensor is inserted into a second mounting portion disposed in the lower portion of the cold air guide module. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors are coupled at diagonal points on a rectangular portion of a plane formed by a back surface of the ice tray. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold air is supplied into the cooling space through a discharge duct, and the cold air guide module extends from at least one surface of the discharge duct. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the cold air guide module comprises:
 a first cold air guide member extending from an upper surface of the discharge duct; and   a second cold air guide member extending from a lower surface of the discharge duct, and   wherein the second cold air guide member is spaced apart from a back surface of the ice tray, wherein a cold air movement passage is formed between the back surface of the ice tray and an upper surface of the second cold air guide member.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is a light-emitting sensor and the second sensor is a light-receiving sensor. 
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an ice maker for a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 manufacturing an ice making assembly, an ice bucket, and a transfer assembly forming an ice maker;   coupling a first sensor of a full ice detection module to a lower portion of a rotation module of the ice making assembly;   coupling a second sensor of the full ice detection module to a lower portion of a cold air guide module of the ice making assembly, wherein the full ice detection module is configured for detecting whether the ice bucket is full;   adjusting a position of the first sensor coupled to the rotation module and a position of the second sensor coupled to the cold air guide module, wherein the first sensor is operatively coupled to the second sensor; and   assembling the transfer assembly to a side of the ice bucket and assembling the ice making assembly to an upper side of the ice bucket.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 disposing an ice tray at an upper side of the cold air guide module; and   coupling the first and second sensors at diagonal points on a rectangular portion of a plane formed by a back surface of the ice tray.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 an ice maker comprising:
 a main body having a cooling space for receiving cold air generated by a cooling module; 
 an ice making assembly comprising: an ice tray disposed in the cooling space to generate ice, a cold air guide module disposed at a lower side of the ice tray and configured to guide the cold air supplied from the cooling module to the lower side of the ice tray; and a rotation module configured for rotating at least one of the ice tray and an ejector for ejecting the ice from the ice tray; 
 an ice bucket disposed at a lower side of the ice making assembly to receive ice from the ice tray; and 
 a full ice detection module comprising a first sensor coupled to a lower portion of the rotation module and a second sensor coupled to a lower portion of the cold air guide module, and detecting whether or not the ice bucket is full by operative interconnection of the first and second sensors. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first sensor is inserted into a first mounting portion disposed in the lower portion of the rotation module and the second sensor is inserted into a second mounting portion disposed in the lower portion of the cold air guide module. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first and second sensors are coupled at diagonal points on a rectangular portion of a plane formed by a back surface of the ice tray. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the cold air is supplied into the cooling space through a discharge duct, and the cold air guide module extends from at least one surface of the discharge duct. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the cold air guide module comprises:
 a first cold air guide member extending from an upper surface of the discharge duct; and   a second cold air guide member extending from a lower surface of the discharge duct, and wherein the second cold air guide member is spaced apart from a back surface of the ice tray, wherein a cold air movement passage is formed between the back surface of the ice tray and an upper surface of the second cold air guide member.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first sensor is a light-emitting sensor and the second sensor is a light-receiving sensor.