Patent Publication Number: US-11378322-B2

Title: Ice storage apparatus and method of use

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/813,539, filed on Jul. 30, 2015, which claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0109445, filed on Aug. 22, 2014, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator having an ice making device and an ice bucket, and more particularly, to a cool air flow structure and a full-ice detecting structure of an ice bucket. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, a refrigerator is an appliance configured to store foods in a fresh status while having a storage compartment to store the foods and a cool air supplying apparatus to supply cool air to the storage compartment. The storage compartment is provided inside a body, and is provided with a front surface thereof open. The open front surface of the storage compartment may be open/closed by a door. 
     An ice making device to generate ice and an ice bucket to store the ice generated at the ice making device may be provided at the refrigerator. The ice stored at the ice bucket may be withdrawn through a dispenser of the door when desired by a user. Cool air is needed to be supplied to the ice bucket to prevent the ice stored at the ice bucket from melting prior to a user withdrawing the ice stored at the ice bucket. 
     With respect to an automatic ice-making apparatus at which an ice-making cycle including a supplying of water, a making of ice, and a moving of ice automatically occurs, the automatic ice making device is configured to determine whether to repeat or stop the ice-making cycle by determining if the ice bucket is full of ice. 
     A full-ice detecting sensor to detect the full-ice status and a control unit to determine the full-ice status on the basis of an output signal from the full-ice detecting sensor may be provided at the refrigerator. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a structure configured to supply cool air to an ice bucket to cool the ice stored at the ice bucket, and a structure of the ice bucket configured so cool air may easily be circulated in the ice bucket. 
     It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a refrigerator having an optical sensor serving as a full-ice detecting sensor to provide a mounting structure of the optical sensor capable of increasing reliability of detecting full ice, and a full-ice detecting algorithm. 
     Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a body, an ice making device and an ice bucket. The body may have a storage compartment. The ice making device may be configured to generate ice. The ice bucket may be configured to store the ice generated at the ice making device. The ice bucket may include an ice bucket body, an ice storage space formed at an inside the ice bucket body, and a spacing member to allow ice to be spaced apart from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space to secure a flow path of cool air. 
     The spacing member may be integrally provided with the ice bucket body, and may be protruded from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space. 
     The spacing member may include a plurality of guide ribs extendedly formed lengthways in vertical directions at both side walls of the ice bucket. 
     Guide ribs adjacent to each other among the plurality of guide ribs may form a cool air flow path while spaced apart from each other by a predetermined gap. 
     The spacing member may include a dividing wall extendedly formed at inner sides of the plurality of guide ribs to divide the cool air flow path. 
     A cool air communication hole may be formed at the dividing wall to have cool air communicated after the cool air is penetrated through the dividing wall. 
     The spacing member may include a plurality of bottom ribs extendedly formed in lengthways in horizontal directions at a bottom of the ice bucket. 
     The ice bucket may include a cool air inlet and a cool air outlet each formed at an upper wall of the ice bucket to have cool air introduced and discharged. 
     The cool air inlet may be formed adjacent to one side wall of the ice bucket, and the cool air outlet may be formed adjacent to an opposite side wall of the ice bucket. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a body, a door, an ice making device, an ice storage compartment, an ice bucket and a full-ice detecting sensor. The body may have a storage compartment. The door may be configured to open/close the storage compartment. The ice making device may be disposed at a ceiling of the storage compartment to generate ice. The ice storage compartment may be provided at the door. The ice bucket may be mounted at the ice storage compartment to store the ice generated at the ice making device. The full-ice detecting sensor may have an emitter to radiate optical signals and a receiver to receive optical signals to detect the full-ice status at the ice bucket, while provided at the ice storage compartment to be positioned at an outside the ice bucket. 
     The ice storage compartment may include an ice storage compartment body having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, and a bottom, and an ice bucket mounting space formed at an inside the ice storage compartment body. 
     The full-ice detecting sensor may be installed at the ice storage compartment body. 
     One of the emitter and the receiver may be installed at the left side wall or the right side wall of the ice storage compartment, and the remaining one of the emitter and the receiver may be installed at the rear wall of the ice storage compartment, so that an optical path in between the emitter and the receiver is diagonally formed. 
     The ice bucket may include an ice bucket body and a storage space formed at an inside the ice bucket body, and an optical hole may be formed at the ice bucket body so that the optical signals transmitted/received through the full-ice detecting sensor are penetrated through the ice bucket body. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a body, an ice making device, a water supplying device, an ice bucket, an ice moving device, a full-ice detecting sensor and a control unit. The body may have a storage compartment. The ice making device may be configured to generate ice. The water supplying device may be configured to supply water to the ice making device. The ice bucket may be configured to store ice. The ice moving device may be configured to move the ice generated at the ice making device to the ice bucket. The full-ice detecting sensor may have an emitter to radiate an optical signal to an inside the ice bucket, and a receiver to receive the optical signal radiated from the emitter and output a value of the received optical signal. The control unit may be configured to primarily determine a full-ice status by turning the full-ice detecting sensor on, turning the full-ice detecting sensor off during a predetermined standby time upon determining to be in the full-ice status as a result of the primary determination of the full-ice status, and secondarily determine the full-ice status by turning the full-ice detecting sensor on when the predetermined standby time is elapsed. 
     The control unit may control the ice moving device and the water supplying device to finish an ice-making cycle having a supplying of water, a making of ice, and a moving of ice, upon determining to be in the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status. 
     The control unit may control the ice moving device and the water supplying device to proceed with an ice-making cycle having a supplying of water, a making of ice, and a moving of ice, upon determining not to be in the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status. 
     The control unit may control the ice moving device and the water supplying device to proceed with an ice-making cycle including a supplying of water, a making of ice, and a moving of ice, upon determining not to be in the full-ice status as a result of the secondary determination on the full-ice status. 
     The refrigerator may further include a sensor heater to heat the full-ice detecting sensor. The control unit may turn the sensor heater on to heat the full-ice detecting sensor upon determining to be in the full-ice status as a result of the primary determination on the full-ice status. 
     The control unit may turn the sensor heater off when the predetermined standby time is elapsed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary ceiling of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary ice bucket of a door of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary ice bucket disassembled from the door of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary ice bucket of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an exemplary plane view of the ice bucket of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary spacing member in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary spacing member in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary ice-making process of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary detecting a full-ice status in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 12  is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary detecting a full-ice status in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure,  FIG. 2  is an exemplary schematic side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary ceiling of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary ice bucket of a door of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , a refrigerator  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a body  10 , storage compartments  21  and  22  formed, for example, at an inside the body  10 , a cool air supplying apparatus  23  to generate cool air, and doors  30 ,  40 , and  41  to open/close the storage compartments  21  and  22 . 
     The body  10  may be provided with the approximate shape of a box, and may include an inner case  11  and an outer case  12 . The inner case  11  may be formed with resin material, and may form the storage compartments  21  and  22  at an inside thereof. The outer case  12  may be coupled to an outer side of the inner case  11 , and may be formed with metallic material. A foamed insulation material  13  may be filled in between the inner case  11  and the outer case  12  to insulate the storage compartments  21  and  22 . 
     The body  10  may include an upper wall  14 , a bottom  15 , a rear wall  16 , a left side wall  17 , and a right side wall  18 . 
     The storage compartments  21  and  22  may be divided into an upper storage compartment  21  and a lower storage compartment  22  by a middle dividing wall  29 . The upper storage compartment  21  may be used as a refrigerating compartment, and the lower storage compartment  22  may be used as a freezing compartment. According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper storage compartment  21  may be used as a freezing compartment, and the lower storage compartment  22  may be used as a refrigerating compartment. That is, the refrigerator may be provided in the form of a BMF (Bottom Mounted Freezer) type or a TMF (Top Mounted Freezer) type. 
     The storage compartments of a refrigerator may be divided into left and right sides by a vertical dividing wall. That is, the refrigerator may be in the form of a SBS (Side By Side) type. According to an exemplary embodiment, a refrigerator may be provided with one storage compartment without a separate dividing wall. Even in the form of the refrigerator as such, aspects of the present disclosure may be applied. 
     Each of the storage compartments  21  and  22  may be provided with a front surface thereof to deposit/withdraw foods. The open front surfaces may be open/closed by the doors  30 ,  40 , and  41 . The upper storage compartment  21  may be open/closed by the plurality of rotating doors  30  and  40 . The lower storage compartment  22  may be open/closed by the drawer-type door  41  configured to be inserted into/withdrawn from an inside. 
     A shelf  27  capable of supporting foods and a sealed container  28  to store foods in a sealed status may be provided at the storage compartment  21 . 
     A door guard  32  at which foods are stored may be provided at a lower surface of the door  30 . An ice bucket  110  to store the ice generated at an ice making device  80  and an ice storage compartment  90  at which the ice bucket  110  may be mounted may be provided at the door  30 . A rotating axis hole  31  into which a hinge axis (not shown) may be coupled so that the door  30  may be rotated, and a filler member  33  to prevent the cool air of the storage compartment  21  from released by sealing the in between of the door  30  and the door  40  in a status of the doors  30  and  40  closed may be provided at the door  30 . 
     A dispenser  34  at which a user may be supplied with water or ice without having to open the doors  30  and  40  may be provided at the door  30 . The dispenser  34  may include a dispensing space  35  concavely formed at a front surface of the door  30  so that a user may be supplied with water or ice by inserting a container such as a cup thereinto, a chute  36  connecting an outlet  121  of the ice bucket  110  to the dispensing space  35  of the dispenser  34 , an opening/closing member  37  to open/close the chute  36 , and a dispensing switch  38  to drive the opening/closing member  37 . 
     When the opening/closing member  37  is open/closed, for example, by driving the dispensing switch  38 , the ice stored at the ice bucket  110  is descended into the dispensing space  35  through the chute  36 , so that a user may be supplied with ice without opening the doors  30  and  40 . 
     The cool air supplying apparatus  23  may be configured to form cool air by circulating a cooling cycle, and may supply the generated cool air to the storage compartments  21  and  22 . The cool air supplying apparatus  23  may include a cooling cycle apparatus having a compressor  25 , a condenser (not shown), an expansion apparatus (not shown), and evaporators  45  and  70 , a refrigerant pipe  26  to guide refrigerant to the each cooling cycle apparatus, and a draft fan  61  to forcedly flow air as to supply the cool air generated at the evaporators  45  and  70  to the storage compartments  21  and  22 . The compressor  25  may be disposed at a machinery compartment  24  formed at a lower portion of the body  10 . 
     The cool air supplying apparatus  23  may include the plurality of evaporators  45  and  70  to independently cool the upper storage compartment  21  and the lower storage compartment  22 . In the present embodiment, the upper evaporator  70  may cool the upper storage compartment  21 , and the lower evaporator  45  may cool the lower storage compartment  22 . The upper evaporator  70  may cool the ice bucket  110  provided at the door  30 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the upper storage compartment  21  and the lower storage compartment  22  may be simultaneously cooled by use of a single evaporator. 
     The lower evaporator  45  may be disposed at a lower cooling space  47  separately divided by a cover  46 . The cool air generated at the lower evaporator  45  may be supplied to the lower storage compartment  22  through a supplying hole  48  formed at the cover  46 , and after circulating in the lower storage compartment  22 , through a collecting hole  49  formed at the cover  46 , the cool air may be collected to the lower cooling space  47 . A draft fan (not shown) to forcedly flow cool air may be provided at the supplying hole  48  or the collecting hole  49 . 
     The upper evaporator  70  may be disposed at an upper side of an inside the upper storage compartment  21 . Hereinafter, for convenience of descriptions, the upper evaporator  70  is referred to the evaporator  70 , and the upper storage compartment  21  is referred to the storage compartment  21 . 
     The upper evaporator  70  may be disposed at a cooling space  60  formed between a cover plate  50  disposed at an inside the upper storage compartment  21  and the upper wall  14  of the body  10 . The cooling space  60  may be divided by the cover plate  50  from a remaining domain of the storage compartment  21  while excluding the cooling space  60 . As the evaporator  70  may be disposed at an inside the cooling space  60 , the inside the cooling space  60  may be directly cooled by the cool air generated at the evaporator  70  without a separate duct structure. 
     The draft fan  61  may be provided at the cooling space  60  to increase heat-exchanging efficiency of the evaporator  70  and circulate cool air by forcedly circulating air. The draft fan  61  may be provided at a front of the evaporator  70 . Therefore, the draft fan  61  may be provided to inlet air from a rear of the evaporator  70 , heat-exchange the inlet air by having the inlet air pass through the evaporator  70 , and forcedly flow the air cooled through the evaporator  70  toward a front of the evaporator  70 . 
     The refrigerator  1  may include the ice making device  80  to generate ice. The ice making device  80  may include an ice-making cell  83  configured to accommodate water and generate ice while provided with the approximate shape of a semicircle, a scraper (not shown) rotatably provided to move the ice generated at the ice-making cell  83  from the ice-making cell  83 , a driving unit (not shown) having an ice-moving device  81  to provide a driving force to rotate the scraper (not shown), and a slider (not shown) inclinedly formed as to descend the ice moved from the ice-making cell  83  to the ice bucket  110  provided at the door. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the ice making device  80  may be provided at a front of the evaporator  70 . Therefore, the cool air generated at the evaporator  70  may be provided to flow toward the ice making device  80  by the draft fan  61 , and ice may be generated at the ice making device  80  by the cool air as such. The ice making device  80  may be provided in the form of a direct-cooling type ice making device configured to be delivered with cooling energy as a direct contact is made with the refrigerant pipe  26 . 
     In a case when the height of the ice making device  80  prevents complete accommodation at the cooling space  60 , the upper wall  14  of the body  10  may be partially provided with an open portion thereof as to accommodate the ice making device  80 . An upper cover  19  (see, for example,  FIG. 2 ) may be coupled to the open portion, or the upper wall  14  of the body  10  may protrude in some degree toward an upper side. 
     The cover plate  50  may be divide the cooling space  60 , and the remaining domain of the storage compartment  21  while excluding the cooling space  60 , and cover the components disposed at the cooling space  60 . The cover plate  50  may be provided with the shape of a plate. The cover plate  50  may be provided with the shape of a bent plate. 
     The cover plate  50  may include a body unit  51 , a front inclination unit  61  inclinedly formed at a front of the body unit  51 , and a front surface unit  69  configured to prevent the cooling space  60  from being exposed to a front while inclinedly formed at the front of the front inclination unit  61 . The front surface unit  69  may be vertically formed. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the body unit  51  may be formed to be in an approximately horizontal manner, but is not limited hereto, and the body unit  51  may be inclinedly formed. 
     The body unit  51  may be provided with a cooling air supplying hole  52  formed thereto as to supply the cool air of the cooling space  60  to the storage compartment  21 , and a cool air collecting hole  53  formed thereto to collect the cool air heated at the storage compartment  21  to the cooling space  60 . 
     The cooling air supplying hole  52  and the cool air collecting hole  53  each may be provided with at least one unit thereof. The cooling air supplying hole  52  may be provided at a front of the evaporator  70 , and the cool air collecting hole  53  may be provided at a rear of the evaporator  70 . As illustrated on  FIG. 2 , the air introduced into the cooling space  60  from the storage compartment  21  through the cool air collecting hole  53  may be heat-exchanged and cooled at the evaporator  70 , and may be stored at the storage compartment  21  through the cooling air supplying hole  52  at the front of the evaporator  70 . 
     The front inclination unit  61  may be provided with an ice passing unit  64  formed thereto as the ice of the ice making device  80  is descended to the ice bucket  110  through the ice passing unit  64 , an ice bucket cool air supplying hole  62  formed thereto as to supply the cool air of the cooling space  60  to the ice bucket  110 , an ice bucket cool air collecting hole  63  formed thereto as to collect the cool air heated at the ice bucket  110  to the cooling space  60 , and a coupler coupling hole  65  formed thereto as coupler apparatuses  123  and  124  may be coupled to the coupler coupling hole  65  to deliver a driving force at a stirrer  122  of the ice bucket  110 . 
     The cover plate  50  may be coupled to an upper portion of an inner side of the storage compartment  21  after the components such as the evaporator  70  and the draft fan  61  are coupled to the upper wall  14  of the body  10 . The components such as the evaporator  70  and the draft fan  61  may be coupled to the upper wall  14  of the body  10  of the refrigerator  1  through one of various coupling structures such as a hooking structure, an inserting structure, and a screw-fastening structure. The cover plate  50  may be coupled to the upper wall  14  of the body  10  of the refrigerator  1  through one of the various coupling structures such as the hooking structure, the inserting structure, and the screw-fastening structure. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the cover plate  50  may be coupled to an upper portion of an inner side of the storage compartment  21  after the components such as the evaporator  70  and the draft fan  61  are assembled at an upper surface of the cover plate  50 . 
     The height of the cooling space  60 , that is, the height in between the cover plate  50  and the upper wall  14  of the body  10 , may not be large, and thus the evaporator  70  may be horizontally disposed in the cooling space  60 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a view of the ice bucket removed from the door of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the ice storage compartment  90  may be provided at a lower surface of the door  30 , and the ice bucket  110  may be mounted at the ice storage compartment  90 . The ice storage compartment  90  includes a mounting space  100  capable of mounting the ice bucket  110 . The ice storage compartment  90  may be provided with a front surface thereof open to deposit/withdraw the ice bucket  110  with respect to the mounting space  100 . The open front surface of the ice storage compartment  90  may be open/closed by an ice storage compartment cover  140 . The ice storage compartment cover  140  may be rotatably provided while having a hinge axis  141  as a center. The ice storage compartment cover  140  includes a locking apparatus (not shown), and the ice storage compartment cover  140  may be locked as the locking apparatus is hooked at a locking hole  142 . 
     The ice storage compartment  90  may be provided with the approximate shape of a box, and may include an upper wall  91 , a left side wall  92 , a right side wall  93 , a bottom  94 , and a rear wall  95 . The ice storage compartment  90  and the ice storage compartment cover  140  may include insulation material to insulate the ice bucket  110 . 
     The upper wall  91  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be provided with a cool air inlet  97  formed thereto so that cool air may be input through the cool air inlet  97  to the ice bucket  110 , a cool air outlet  98  formed thereto so that the cool air of the ice bucket  110  may be output through the cool air outlet  98 . An ice inlet  99  may be formed thereto so that ice may be input to the ice bucket  110  through the ice inlet  99 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the cool air inlet  97  and the ice inlet  99  may be integrally formed, but are not limited hereto, and may be separately formed. 
     A coupler passing unit  106  through which a driven coupler  124  of the ice bucket  110  may be passed may be formed at the upper wall  91  of the ice storage compartment  90 . 
     The upper wall  91  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be provided with a sealing member  104  to seal the cool air inlet  97  and the cool air outlet  98 . The sealing member  104  may be formed with rubber material. The sealing member  94  may be formed in the shape of a ring at the surroundings of the cool air inlet  97  and the cool air outlet  98 . When the door  30  is closed, the sealing member  104  may seal the the cool air inlet  97  and the cool air outlet  98 , for example, while closely attached to a front cover unit  61  of the cover plate  50  of the body  10 . 
     The bottom  94  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be provided with an ice outlet  101  formed thereto so that the ice at the ice bucket  110  may be output to the dispenser  34  through the ice outlet  101 . 
     The ice bucket  110  includes an ice bucket body, and an ice storage space  101  formed inside of the ice bucket body. The ice bucket body may be provided with the approximate shape of a box, and may include an upper wall, a bottom, a front wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, and a left side wall. 
     The upper wall  102  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided with a cool air inlet  117  through which cool air may be input, a cool air outlet  118  through which cool air is output, and an ice inlet  119  through which ice is input. According to an exemplary embodiment, the cool air inlet  117  and the ice inlet  119  are integrally formed, but are not limited hereto, and may be separately formed. 
     The cool air inlet  117  of the ice bucket  110  and the cool air inlet  97  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be formed at positions corresponding to each other. The cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110  and the cool air outlet  98  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be formed at positions that correspond to each other. The ice inlet  119  of the ice bucket  110  and the ice inlet  99  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be formed at positions that correspond to each other. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the cool air inlet  117  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided adjacent to the right side wall  113  of the ice bucket  110 , and the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided adjacent to the left side wall  113  of the ice bucket  110 , but are not limited hereto, and the positions thereof may be exchanged. 
     The upper wall  111  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided with a driven coupler  124  of the ice bucket  110  positioned thereto. 
     The bottom  114  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided with an ice outlet  121  formed thereto so that the ice at the ice bucket  110  is output to the dispenser  34  through the ice outlet  121 . The ice outlet  12  of the ice bucket  110  and the ice outlet  101  of the ice storage compartment  90  may be formed at positions that correspond to each other. 
     An ice storage space  120  of the ice bucket  110  may be provided with a stirrer  122  so that ice may be easily output through the ice outlet  121  by stirring the ice stored at the ice storage space  120 . The stirrer  122  may be rotatably provided, and may rotate by receiving a rotational force from a stirring motor (not shown) provided at the body  10 . The rotational force of the stirring motor may be delivered to the stirrer  122  through a driving coupler  123  provided at the body  10 , and through the driven coupler  124  provided at an upper end of the stirrer  122 . 
     The driving coupler  123  and the driven coupler  124  may be separated from each other when the door  3  is open, and when the door  30  is closed, the driving coupler  123  and the driven coupler  124  may be coupled to each other to deliver a driving force. 
     The cool air of the cooling space  60  of the body  10  may be to the ice storage space  120  of the ice bucket  110  through the cool air inlet  117  of the ice bucket  110 . The cool air that is heated after cooling the ice stored at the ice storage compartment  120  may be collected to the cooling space  60  of the body  10  through the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 . 
     An ice detecting sensor, for example, a full-ice detecting sensor  150  may detect the ice level, for example, the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110 . An optical hole  125  may be formed at the ice bucket  110  so that the optical signals transmitted/received at the full-ice detecting sensor may be passed therethrough. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates an inside of the ice bucket of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 7  is a plane view of the ice bucket of the refrigerator of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , the ice bucket  110  may include a spacing member  130  provided such that the circulation of cool air may easily occur as the cool air is output through the cool air outlet  118  to an outside after the cool air is input through the cool air inlet  117  to the ice storage space  120 . 
     The spacing member  130  may be capable of having the circulation of cool air easily occur by allowing a flow path of the cool air in between ice and the ice bucket body by spacing the ice stored at the ice storage space  120  of the ice bucket  110  apart from the ice bucket body toward the ice storage space  120 . 
     The spacing member  130  has adequate strength not to be broken or separated by a collision with ice. The spacing member  130  may be integrally formed with the ice bucket  110 . The spacing member  130  may be formed with an identical material of the ice bucket  110 . 
     The ice bucket  110  may include a plurality of guide ribs  131  extendedly formed in lengthways in vertical directions at the right side wall  113  and the left side wall  112  of the ice bucket  110  that are adjacent to the cool air inlet  117  and the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 , respectively. 
     The plurality of guide ribs  131  may space ice from the right side wall  113  apart from and the left side wall  112 . The plurality of guide ribs  131  may be extended in vertical direction to guide the cool air inlet through the cool air inlet  117  to the ice storage space  120  toward a lower direction, and may guide the cool air being outlet through the cool air outlet  118  to an outside toward an upper direction. 
     The adjacent ribs from the plurality of guide ribs  131  may be provided to be spaced apart to each other by a predetermined gap as to form a flow path of cool air in between the adjacent guide ribs  131 . 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the guide rib  131  is bar shaped, but the shape of the guide rib  131  is not limited, and may be provided with a partially bent shape or a curved shape. According to an exemplary embodiment, the guide rib  131  may be provided to be approximately perpendicular to a wall or bottom surface, but is not limited hereto, and, the guide rib  131  may be inclinedly provided in some degree. 
     According to an embodiment, as the cool air inlet  117  and the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110  are adjacently formed at the right side wall  113  and the left side wall  112  of the ice bucket  110 , respectively, the plurality of guide ribs  131  are provided at the right side wall  113  and the left side wall  112  of the ice bucket  110 , respectively. According to an embodiment, the positions of the cool air inlet  117  and the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 , the positions of the plurality of guide ribs  131  as well may be changed. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6-7 , the refrigerator  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an ice level detecting sensor, e.g., a full-ice detecting sensor  150  to detect the ice level status, e.g., the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110 . 
     The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be an optical sensor having an emitter to radiate optical signals including infrared light, and a receiver to receive the optical signals radiated from the emitter and output the value of the received optical signals. Hereinafter, the terminology referred to as the full-ice detecting sensor  150  will used as a terminology referring to the both of the emitter and the receiver, or one of the emitter and the receiver. 
     The refrigerator may include a control unit  200  (see, for example,  FIG. 10 ) to control a driving of an ice-making cycle having a supplying of water to supply water to the ice making device  80 , a making of ice to cool the ice making device  80 , a moving of ice to move the ice generated at the ice making device  80  to the ice bucket  110 , and a determining of full-ice status to determine the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110 . 
     The control unit  200  may determine that the ice bucket  110  is full of ice when the value output at the full-ice detecting sensor  150  is less than a predetermined reference value. As an example, when the output value is less than 1 V, the ice bucket  110  may be determined to be full with ice. 
     The control unit  200  may finish the ice-making cycle upon determining that the ice bucket  110  is full with ice. When determining that the ice bucket  110  is not full with ice, the control unit  200  may repeatedly continue the ice-making cycle. 
     A method of determining the full-ice status by the control unit  200  is described. 
     The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be installed at the ice storage compartment  90  to detect the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110 . The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be embedded at the left side wall  93  and the rear wall  95  of the ice storage compartment  90 . The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be provided to be positioned at an outside the ice bucket  110 . Therefore, the ice bucket  110  and the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may not be disturbed during mounting or dismounting the ice bucket  110  at the ice storage compartment  90 . 
     A mounting groove  105  at which the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be mounted may be formed at the each of the left side wall  93  and the rear wall  95  of the ice storage compartment  90 , and the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be accommodated at the mounting groove  105 . 
     Therefore, with respect to the optical path in between the emitter and the receiver, a diagonal path may be formed. As the optical path in between the emitter and the receiver may be provided to be a diagonal path, the optical path may be minimized within the limit in which the full-ice status is detected. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be provided at the each of the left side wall  93  and the right side wall  92  of the ice storage compartment  90 , or may be provided at each of the right side wall  92  and the rear wall  95  of the ice storage compartment  90 . 
     The ice bucket  110  may be provided with an optical hole  125  formed thereto so that the optical signals transmitted/received at the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be passed through an inside the ice bucket  110 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the optical hole  125  may be formed at the each of the right side wall  113  and the rear wall  115  of the ice bucket  110  to correspond to the position of the full-ice detecting sensor  150 . 
     The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be installed at an adjacent position with respect to the ice bucket  110 , and as the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be stably fixed even when the ice bucket  110  is mounted and dismounted, the reliability in detecting the full-ice status may be increased, and the durability of the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be increased. 
     A sensor heater  160  may radiate heat to defrost the full-ice detecting sensor  150 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a spacing member in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG. 9  illustrates a spacing member in accordance with still an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , different embodiments of a spacing member are described. With respect to the identical structure to the embodiments described previously, the same numeric figures will be designated while descriptions may be omitted. 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 8 , a spacing member  132  may include a plurality of guide ribs  133  extendedly formed lengthways in a vertical direction at both side walls of the ice bucket  110  that are adjacent to the cool air inlet  117  and the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 , and a dividing wall  134  formed at an inner side of the plurality of guide ribs  133 . 
     The plurality of guide ribs  133  may space apart ice from both the side walls of the ice bucket  110 . The plurality of guide ribs  133  may be extended in vertical directions, and may guide the cool air inlet to the ice storage space  120  through the cool air inlet  117  toward a lower direction, and may guide the cool air outlet to an outside though the cool air outlet  118  toward an upper direction. 
     The adjacent guide ribs  133  from the plurality of guide ribs  133  may form a cool air flow path in between the adjacent guide ribs  133  while spaced apart from each other by a predetermined space. 
     The dividing wall  134  may divide the ice storage space  120  of the ice bucket  110  into an outside cool air flow path domain and an inside ice storage domain. The dividing wall  134  may be formed in the shape of a plate. The dividing wall  134  may be perpendicularly provided with respect to the guide rib  133 . 
     The dividing wall  134  may be provided with a cool air communicating hole  135  such that cool air may be communicated after penetrating through the dividing wall  134 . The plurality of guide ribs  133  and the dividing wall  134  may be integrally formed to each other, or may be coupled to each other while provided separately. 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 9 , a spacing member  136  may include a plurality of guide ribs  137  extendedly formed lengthways toward horizontal directions at the bottom  114  of the ice bucket  110 . The plurality of guide ribs  137  may be extended lengthways in a direction from the cool air inlet  117  of the ice bucket  110  in a direction towards the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 . 
     The plurality of guide ribs  137  may space apart ice from the bottom  114  of the ice bucket  110 , and may guide the cool air inlet to the cool air inlet  117  of the ice bucket  110  to the cool air outlet  118  of the ice bucket  110 . 
     The adjacent guide ribs  137  from the plurality of guide ribs  137  may form a cool air flow path in between the adjacent guide ribs  137  while spaced apart from each other by a predetermined space. 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram to describe an exemplary ice-making process of the present disclosure,  FIG. 11  illustrates detecting a full-ice status in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG. 12  illustrates detecting a full-ice status in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10  to  FIG. 12 , methods of detecting a making of ice and a full-ice status of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 
     The control unit  200  may control proceeding and finishing of an ice-making cycle including a determining of a full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  by use of a delivered output value of the optical signals that are received from the full-ice detecting sensor  150 , a supplying of water, a making of ice, a moving of ice, and a detecting of the full-ice status depending on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110 . 
     The control unit  200  may control a proceeding of an ice-making cycle after determining that the ice at the ice bucket  110  is output according to the motion of the dispensing switch  38  of the dispenser  34 . 
     The control unit  200  may supply water to the ice making device  80  by controlling a water supplying device  170 , cool the ice making device  80  by controlling the cool air supplying apparatus  23 , and move ice from the ice making device  80  by rotating the scraper (not shown) through controlling the ice-moving device  81 . 
     The control unit  200  may heat the full-ice detecting sensor  150  by controlling the sensor heater  160 . 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 11 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit  200  may be provided to standby for a predetermined standby time T after the first determination on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  is made ( 220 ), and may finally determine the full-ice status by performing a process of the second determination on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  ( 270 ). 
     That is, the control unit  200  is provided to turn the full-ice detecting sensor ( 210 ) on, and may proceed with the first determination on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  ( 220 ). The first determination on the full-ice status may be made by comparing the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  and a predetermined reference value. As an example, when the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  is greater than the predetermined reference value, a determination may be made that the full-ice status is not reached, and when the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  is less than the predetermined reference value, a determination may be made that the full-ice status is reached. 
     When determined that the full-ice status is not reached after the first determination on the full-ice status is proceeded, the control unit  200  is provided to proceed again with the ice-making cycle including the supplying of water, the making of ice, the moving of ice, and the detecting of full-ice status to store ice at the ice bucket  110  ( 230 ), and is provided to proceed again with the process of the first determination on the full-ice status. 
     When determined that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the first determination on the full-ice status, the control unit  200  turns the full-ice detecting sensor ( 240 ) off, and the ice-making cycle to standby during the predetermined standby time T. That is, the control unit  200 , even when it is determined that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the first determination on the full-ice status, standbys during the predetermined standby time T ( 250 ) without immediately finishing the ice-making cycle. 
     Thus, an error is prevented, for example, in a determination of a full-ice status of the ice bucket  110 . As an example, in a case when ice is unevenly stacked from the bottom of the ice bucket  110 , ice may further be stored. However, the ice at the uppermost position in the ice bucket  110  may momentarily disturb the optical signals, so that a determination may be erroneously made that the full-ice status is reached, while the actual status may not be an actual the full-ice status. 
     The control unit  200 , when the predetermined standby time T is elapsed, may turn the full-ice detecting sensor  150  on ( 260 ) to proceed with the second determination of the full-ice status ( 270 ). 
     When a determination is made that the full-ice status is not reached after proceeding with the second determination of the full-ice status, the ice-making cycle proceed again ( 280 ), and the process of the first determination on the full-ice status again proceeds ( 220 ). 
     When a determination is made that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the second determination on the full-ice status, the ice-making cycle is finished ( 290 ). 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 12 , the control unit  200  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided to standby for a predetermined standby time T after the first determination is made that the full-ice status is reached at the ice bucket  110  ( 320 ), and may finally determine the full-ice status by performing a process of the second determination on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  ( 390 ). The frost at the full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be removed by turning ON/OFF the sensor heater  160  (see, for example,  FIG. 7 ) in between the time when the first determination is made that the full-ice status is reached at the ice bucket  110  ( 320 ) and when the second determination is made that the full-ice status is reached at the ice bucket  110  ( 390 ). 
     That is, the control unit  200  may be provided to turn the full-ice detecting sensor on ( 310 ), and may proceed with the first determination on the full-ice status at the ice bucket  110  ( 320 ). The first determination on the full-ice status may occur by comparing the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  and a predetermined reference value. As an example, when the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  is greater than the predetermined reference value, a determination may be made that the full-ice status is not reached, and when the value of the optical signals output from the full-ice detecting sensor  150  is less than the predetermined reference value, a determination may be made that the full-ice status is reached. 
     When determined that the full-ice status is not reached after proceeding with the first determination on the full-ice status, the control unit  200  may proceed again with the ice-making cycle including the supplying of water, the making of ice, the moving of ice, and the detecting of full-ice status to store ice at the ice bucket  110  ( 330 ), and proceed again with the process of the first determination on the full-ice status. 
     When determined that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the first determination on the full-ice status, the control unit  200  may turn the full-ice detecting sensor off ( 340 ), turn the sensor heater  160  on ( 350 ), and the ice-making cycle to standby during the predetermined standby time T ( 360 ). That is, the control unit  200 , even when it is determined that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the first determination on the full-ice status, may standby during the predetermined standby time T without immediately finishing the ice-making cycle. 
     The full-ice detecting sensor  150  may be heated by driving the sensor heater  160  as to eliminate a possibility of error, which may be caused by frost at the full-ice detecting sensor  150 , in detecting the full-ice status. 
     The control unit  200 , when the predetermined standby time T is elapsed, turn the sensor heater  160  off ( 370 ) to proceed with the second determination on the full-ice status ( 390 ). 
     When a determination is made that the full-ice status is not reached after proceeding with the second determination on the full-ice status, the ice-making cycle again proceeds ( 400 ), and the process of the first determination on the full-ice status is proceeded again ( 320 ). 
     When a determination is made that the full-ice status is reached after proceeding with the second determination on the full-ice status, the ice-making cycle is finished ( 410 ). 
     As is apparent from the above, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a circulation of cool air at an inside an ice bucket can be easily occur. 
     In accordance with the aspect of the present disclosure, reliability of a full-ice detecting structure including a full-ice detecting sensor having an emitter to radiate optical signals and a receiver to receive optical signals can be increased. 
     Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.