Gear boxes having two motors and two output shafts

Abstract

A gear box has a housing and first and second direct current motors inside of the housing. A first rotatable output shaft extends through a wall of the housing and is rotatably driven by the first motor via a first gear train. A second rotatable output shaft extends through the wall of the housing and is rotatably driven by the second motor via a second gear train. The gear box can be used to dispense ice from a refrigerator/freezer. The first motor drives the first output shaft in one direction to dispense shaved ice. The second motor drives the second output shaft in one direction to dispense ice cubes and drives the second output shaft in an opposite direction to dispense crushed ice. The first and the second motors operate independently of each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a gear box having two motors and two output shafts according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another exterior perspective view of the gear box.

FIG. 3 is an interior perspective view of the gear box showing the two motors with worm gears.

FIG. 4 is another interior perspective view of the gear box with a partition plate supporting the motors removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a motor and gear assembly of the gear box, including the partition plate, two gear trains, and the two motors.

FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram (circuit layout) including a printed circuit board of the gear box.

FIG. 7 is an interior plan view of another gear box having two motors and two output shafts according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of two motors and two output shafts of a gear box according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A gear box comprising: a housing;a first direct current motor inside of the housing;a first rotatable output shaft extending through a wall of the housing and rotatably driven by the first motor;a second direct current motor inside of the housing; anda second rotatable output shaft extending through the wall of the housing and rotatably driven by the second motor.

2. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein the first and second motors operate independently of each other and independently drive the first and second output shafts.

3. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein the first motor has a motor shaft and the second motor has a motor shaft, the motor shafts of the first and second motors aligned substantially parallel to each other.

4. A gear box according to claim 3, wherein the motor shafts of the first and second motors point in generally the same direction.

5. A gear box according to claim 3, wherein the motor shafts of the first and second motors point in generally opposite directions.

6. A gear box according to claim 3, wherein the first output shaft is generally perpendicular to the motor shaft of the first motor and the second output shaft is generally perpendicular to the motor shaft of the second motor.

7. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein the first output shaft is generally perpendicular to a motor shaft of the first motor and the second output shaft is generally perpendicular to a motor shaft of the second motor.

8. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein the second motor operates at a different speed and torque than the first motor.

9. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein cross-sections of the first and the second output shafts are hexagon-shaped.

10. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first output shaft is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second output shaft.

11. A gear box according to claim 1, further comprising: a first gear train operatively connecting the first motor to the first output shaft; anda second gear train operatively connecting the second motor to the second output shaft.

12. A gear box according to claim 1, wherein the first motor drives the first output shaft in one rotational direction; and wherein the second motor drives the second output shaft in two rotational directions.

13. A gear box for driving an ice dispenser, comprising: a housing;a first direct current motor inside of the housing;a first output shaft extends through a wall of the housing and is driven by the first motor via a first gear train in one direction to dispense shaved ice;a second direct current motor inside of the housing; anda second output shaft extends through the wall of the housing and is driven by the second motor via a second gear train, the second output shaft is driven in one direction to dispense ice cubes and driven in an opposite direction to dispense crushed ice.

14. A gear box according to claim 13, wherein the first and second motors operate independently of each other and independently drive the first and second output shafts.

15. A gear box according to claim 13, wherein the first motor has a motor shaft and the second motor has a motor shaft, the motor shafts of the first and second motors aligned substantially parallel to each other.

16. A gear box according to claim 15, wherein the motor shafts of the first and second motors point in generally the same direction.

17. A gear box according to claim 15, wherein the motor shafts of the first and second motors point in generally opposite directions.

18. A gear box according to claim 15, wherein the first output shaft is generally perpendicular to the motor shaft of the first motor and the second output shaft is generally perpendicular to the motor shaft of the second motor.

19. A gear box according to claim 13, wherein the first output shaft is generally perpendicular to a motor shaft of the first motor and the second output shaft is generally perpendicular to a motor shaft of the second motor.

20. A gear box according to claim 13, wherein the second motor operates at a different speed and torque than the first motor.

21. A gear box according to claim 13, wherein a longitudinal axis of the first output shaft is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second output shaft.

22. A method of dispensing ice, comprising: rotating a first output shaft of a gear box by a first motor to dispense ice in a first form;rotating a second output shaft of the gear box in a first direction by a second motor to dispense ice in a second form; androtating the second output shaft of the gear box in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the second motor to dispense ice in a third form;wherein the first and second motors rotate the first and second output shafts, respectively, independent of each other.

23. A method of dispensing ice according to claim 22, wherein the first output shaft is rotated a higher speed and lower torque relative to the rotation of the second output shaft.

24. A method of dispensing ice according to claim 22, wherein rotating the first output shaft dispenses shaved ice, rotating the second output shaft in the first direction dispenses ice cubes, and rotating the second output shaft in the second direction dispenses crushed ice.