A refrigerator appliance, as disclosed herein, may include a cabinet, a door, a dispensing assembly, an ice-making assembly, and an ice storage bin. The door may define a dispenser recess having a transverse opening extending vertically from a top recess end to a bottom recess end and laterally from a first recess side to a second recess side. The dispensing assembly may be positioned within the dispenser recess and define an ice delivery passage. The ice-making assembly may be attached to the cabinet. The ice storage bin may include a bin body defining a storage cavity. The bin body may be selectively mounted to the door within the dispenser recess to receive ice from the dispensing assembly. The bin body may extend vertically from the top recess end to the bottom recess end and laterally from the first recess side to the second recess side.

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, wherein 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, wherein 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.

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, wherein 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, wherein 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.

A method of detecting ice within an automatic ice maker includes capturing an image of an ice mold within the ice maker, analyzing the image using a machine learning image recognition process, determining one or more characteristics of the ice maker, and implementing a responsive action to control the ice maker accordingly.

A method of detecting ice within an automatic ice maker includes capturing an image of an ice mold within the ice maker, analyzing the image using a machine learning image recognition process, determining one or more characteristics of the ice maker, and implementing a responsive action to control the ice maker accordingly.

In an ice making device, a frame supporting an ice tray and a drive unit has a first wall at a side of an ice detection member. Supported on the first wall is a regulation member rotatable between a first rotation position not to regulate coming down of the ice detection member and a second rotation position to regulate coming down of the ice detection member. By moving the regulation member to the second rotation position, later ice making is stopped even if ice accumulating below is not much. The regulation member includes a regulator in a circular arc form and is supported rotatably around a shaft. The regulation member as a rotary member is less liable to unexpectedly move from either of the first rotation position and the second rotation position, so that movement of the regulation member to a position not intended is suppressed.

In an ice making device, a frame supporting an ice tray and a drive unit has a first wall at a side of an ice detection member. Supported on the first wall is a regulation member rotatable between a first rotation position not to regulate coming down of the ice detection member and a second rotation position to regulate coming down of the ice detection member. By moving the regulation member to the second rotation position, later ice making is stopped even if ice accumulating below is not much. The regulation member includes a regulator in a circular arc form and is supported rotatably around a shaft. The regulation member as a rotary member is less liable to unexpectedly move from either of the first rotation position and the second rotation position, so that movement of the regulation member to a position not intended is suppressed.

An ice making device includes a restriction mechanism for restricting an ice detection lever from moving to a lower side than a restriction position. The restriction mechanism includes a restriction member, a wire spring attached to the restriction member, an opening part and a protruded part provided in the frame. A restriction part of the restriction member is capable of moving between a first rotation position and a second rotation position. When the restriction member is located at the first rotation position, the protruded part elastically deforms the wire spring and urges the restriction member to the first rotation position and, when the restriction member is located at the second rotation position, the protruded part elastically deforms the wire spring and urges the restriction member to the second rotation position. When the restriction member is located at the second rotation position, the restriction part is disposed at the restriction position.

An ice making device includes a restriction mechanism for restricting an ice detection lever from moving to a lower side than a restriction position. The restriction mechanism includes a restriction member, a wire spring attached to the restriction member, an opening part and a protruded part provided in the frame. A restriction part of the restriction member is capable of moving between a first rotation position and a second rotation position. When the restriction member is located at the first rotation position, the protruded part elastically deforms the wire spring and urges the restriction member to the first rotation position and, when the restriction member is located at the second rotation position, the protruded part elastically deforms the wire spring and urges the restriction member to the second rotation position. When the restriction member is located at the second rotation position, the restriction part is disposed at the restriction position.

The present invention comprises: a first tray for forming a portion of an ice-making cell; a second tray forming the other portion of the ice-making cell, and capable of moving relative to the first tray; an ice bin for storing ice separated from the first and second trays; and a full-ice sensing lever for moving together with the second tray in a predetermined range.