Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a cabinet having a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space and including an ice-making chamber; an ice maker provided in the ice-making chamber and configured to make spherical ice; and an ice bank provided below the ice maker and configured to store ice separated from the ice maker, in which the ice maker includes an upper tray including an upper cell having a hemispherical shape; a lower tray provided below the upper tray and including a lower cell which contacts the upper cell to form an ice chamber having a spherical shape; a tray supporter configured to support the lower tray and provided to be rotatable; a driving unit configured to rotate the tray supporter; and a full ice detection member connected to the driving unit, and including a detection part that rotates in the same direction as the tray supporter and detects whether the ice bank is full of ice, the detection part is configured to reciprocate between a first wall at the rear of the ice bank and a second wall at the front of the ice bank, and a minimum distance between the detection part and the first wall is smaller than a diameter of the ice chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet having a storage space;   a door configured to open and close the storage space and including an ice-making chamber;   an ice maker provided in the ice-making chamber and configured to make spherical ice; and   an ice bank provided below the ice maker and configured to store ice separated from the ice maker,   wherein the ice maker includes,   an upper tray including an upper cell having a hemispherical shape;   a lower tray provided below the upper tray and including a lower cell which contacts the upper cell to form an ice chamber having a spherical shape;   a tray supporter configured to support the lower tray and provided to be rotatable;   a driving unit configured to rotate the tray supporter; and   a full ice detection member connected to the driving unit, and including a detection part that rotates in the same direction as the tray supporter and detects whether the ice bank is full of ice,   wherein the detection part is configured to reciprocate between a first wall at the rear of the ice bank and a second wall at the front of the ice bank, and   wherein a minimum distance between the detection part and the first wall is smaller than a diameter of the ice chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in a process of a rotation of the full ice detection member and the tray supporter, a minimum distance between an end portion of the tray supporter and the detection part is larger than the diameter of the ice chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 ,
 wherein in the process of the rotation of the full ice detection member and the tray supporter, the minimum distance between the end portion of the tray supporter and the detection part is smaller than twice the diameter of the ice chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 ,
 wherein, in the process of the rotation of the full ice detection member and the tray supporter, the minimum distance between the end portion of the tray supporter and the detection part is formed when the tray supporter and the full ice detection member intersect.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a central axis of rotation of the full ice detection member is located behind a center axis of rotation of the tray supporter.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the central axis of rotation of the full ice detection member is located below the central axis of rotation of the tray supporter.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in a process of the rotation of the full ice detection member, a minimum distance between the detection part and the second wall is greater than a minimum distance between the detection part and the first wall.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the tray supporter is configured to rotate to open rearward.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the driving unit includes:   a first driving part providing rotational force to the tray supporter, and   a second driving part providing rotational force to the full ice detection member, and   wherein the first driving part is located ahead of the second driving part.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first driving part is located above the second driving part.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when forming a minimum distance between the detection part and the first wall of the ice bank, the full ice detection member forms a maximum rear rotation angle.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 ,
 wherein, when forming a minimum distance between the detection part and the second wall of the ice bank, the full ice detection member forms a maximum front rotation angle, and the maximum rear rotation angle is greater than the maximum front rotation angle.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover mounted on the upper tray and configured to guide a flow of cold air passing through the upper tray,   wherein an end portion of the full ice detection member is connected to the driving unit, and   wherein the other end portion of the full ice detection member is connected to the cover.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the detection part includes:   a first position forming a minimum distance from the first wall, and   a second position forming a minimum distance from the second wall, and   wherein the second position is located lower than the first position.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in the first position, the full ice detection member forms a maximum rear rotation angle,   wherein, in the second position, the full ice detection member forms a maximum front rotation angle, and   wherein the maximum rear rotation angle is greater than the maximum front rotation angle.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a distance from the first wall to the rotation axis of the full ice detection member is smaller than a distance from the first wall to the rotation axis of the tray supporter.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a trace of an end portion of the tray supporter is located above a trace of the detection part of the full ice detection member.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the trace of the detection part of the full ice detection member is located inside the front and rear of the trace of the end portion of the tray supporter.