Patent Application
20090249804
This invention relates generally to refrigerators, and more particularly, to ice dispenser assemblies for a refrigerator and methods of assembling the same.
Typically, automatic icemakers for household refrigerators produce crescent-shaped ice cubes. An example of an existing ice maker is shown in published patent Application US 2006,0016209. dated Jul. 26, 2006. A tray including a plurality of crescent-shaped compartments separated by slotted weirs is provided. Near the top of each compartment, slots in the weirs that separate each compartment from its adjacent compartment(s) allow water to flow between compartments as they are filled with water. Often, a water inlet is in fluid flow communication with a single compartment so that water fills the compartment past the bottom of the slot(s) or weir and into the adjacent compartment. As each compartment is filled, water runs through the slot in the weir into adjacent compartments so that each compartment is filled. Once all of the compartments are filled, the water stands in the compartments until it freezes to form ice cubes.
Once frozen, the ice cubes are removed from each compartment, typically by turning an ejector rake or arm. The rake member is typically mounted above the tray to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the tray. Typically, a separate finger or tab for each compartment extends radially from the ejector rake. The tab has a length sufficient to permit the free end to extend into a compartment when the ejector rake is rotated to urge the ice cube therein out of the compartment. To facilitate removal of the ice cubes, a heater often runs for a period to cause the ice in the ice tray to slightly melt on surface of contact of the ice tray. This melted ice (water) film between the ice cubes and the ice tray permits the ice cubes to slide more freely from the tray under the inducement of the ejector rake. This water film can reduce the torque exerted on the ejector rake.
A problem with existing ice makers is they harvest a slab of several webbed or fused cubes into an ice bin from the ice mold body (tray). The rotating ejector rake of the ice maker sweeps the ice from mold body. However, ice cubes are not broken apart from each other; rather, the ice cubes are swept out in one webbed slab that results from the water that remains in the weir slots and freezes with the ice cubes. Thus, the ice cubes are harvested from the tray as one large group or webbed slab, and often rely on being separated by a combination of the impact of their fall into the ice bin (or storage compartment) and by the motion of the ice auger. Often, the ice cubes are not fully separated by their fall into the ice bin or by the motion of the ice auger. This results in occasional groups of two or three cubes being dispensed to the consumer through the ice dispenser of a refrigerator or ice making machine. This often makes it difficult for consumers to dispense ice from the ice dispenser of a refrigerator, and the fused cubes are undesirable to consumers. This also makes it difficult to retrieve a single ice cube from the ice bin. Thus, it is desirable to provide an ice harvester that harvests ice cubes individually to make it easier for consumers to dispense ice from the ice dispenser of a refrigerator.
The Underwriter Laboratory may be requiring a hand/forearm probe test, which may result in the refrigerator including requiring a narrower ice chute. Thus, it is desirable to provide an ice dispensing system that results in a narrower ice chute for a single ice cube instead of groups of webbed cubes.
The present invention relates to an ice cube maker. More particularly, it relates to an ice cube harvesting mechanism that dispenses single ice cubes instead of a slab of fused or webbed cubes. The ice bridge that connects ice cubes into a slab, which results from the freezing of the water channel that allows for even water distribution to the ice cube mold body to create equal-sized cubes during mold filling, is forced into the cube divider walls (weirs) of the mold body while the ice is being harvested; thus breaking the ice cubes apart. Thus, the cube divider walls (weirs) are designed to assist the breaking of the ice bridge between each cube.
An icemaker assembly includes an ice tray, an ice ejector member and a motor having an output shaft coupled to the ice ejector. The ice tray has at least two ice forming compartments that define a space. Rotation of the output shaft of the motor causes the ejector member to advance into the space whereby ice located in the space is urged in an ejection path of movement out of the at least two ice forming compartments.
An appliance is provided including a freezer compartment, an ice bin positioned within the freezer compartment and configured to store ice cubes therein.
An ice harvester has an ice cube tray having at least two compartments for holding ice cubes; a rotating member used to remove ice cubes from the ice cube tray; at least two arms extending radially from the rotary member for removing ice cubes from the ice cube tray; a motor coupled to the rotary member for powering rotation of the member; and a divider wall (weir) formed in the ice cube tray extending vertically between said arms having an edge, wherein the arms are rotated toward the edge to remove ice cubes from the tray, and wherein the edge breaks a web formed between adjacent ice cubes in the tray during rotation of the arms.
An ice harvester has an ice cube tray for holding a plurality of ice trays, the tray has a plurality of compartments formed by divider walls (weirs) extending from a bottom wall; a sweeping member extending along a longitudinal axis of the ice cube tray, the member has a plurality of bars extending from the member which remove ice cubes from the tray when the sweeping member is rotated about the longitudinal axis; wherein the bars are offset from the other along a circumference of the sweeping member.
An ice harvester has a tray for holding a set of ice cubes, the tray has a plurality of compartments formed by divider walls; an arm which rotates to sweep ice cubes from the ice tray; a plurality of bars extending from the arm to sweep the ice cubes from the tray: wherein each of the bars comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion has a ramped surface to break apart the ice cubes.
A method for harvesting ice, includes providing a tray for forming and holding ice cubes, wherein the tray has a plurality of divider walls, each having a vertical edge; providing motorized arm (ejector rake) having a plurality of bars (ejector rake fingers) extending therefrom, wherein rotating the arm so that the bars contact the ice cubes in the tray; and pushing the ice cubes with the bars against the edges of the divider walls to break apart a web formed between the ice cubes so that single ice cubes are disposed from the tray.
One aspect of the invention is to allow for single, non-bridged cubes to be dispensed instead of a slab of webbed cubes.
Another aspect is to reduce the required ice chute dimension since only single cubes will be dispensed at a time.
Another aspect of the invention is the benefit to the user of dispensing single ice cubes.
Another aspect of the invention is it reduces required rotating ejector rake arm motor torque to dispense cubes. A rotating ejector rake of the icemaker that sweeps the ice from the mold body is modified to a staggered design in which each individual rake finger (bar) is offset at a certain angle relative to other rake fingers. This enables each ice cube to be contacted by its corresponding rake finger at different times.
A rotary ejector rake of the ice maker sweeps the ice from the mold body and allows the cubes to be broken apart at different times, and the cube divider walls facilitate the breaking of the ice bridge between ice cubes, thereby reducing required motor torque.
Additional features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
Referring to
Referring now to
The motor 30 is controlled by the controller so that rotation of the ejector arm is stopped for a period of time to permit water to freeze in the ice tray. Once the water is frozen in the ice tray, the controller enables the motor to drive the ejector arm or rake in the direction of arrow 46 causing ice in the tray to be forced out of an ejection side 48 of the tray.
The ice tray is formed to include any number of semi-circular crescent or other shaped compartments 50, an end inlet ramp 52, a side inlet ramp 54 and ejector or rake arm mounting brackets 56. The tray includes a plurality of divider walls (weirs) 58 to form the ice forming compartments 60. The end inlet ramp is positioned below a water inlet to facilitate filling the compartments using a water channel through the slotted weirs method. The mounting brackets extend from the removal side of the ice tray to facilitate mounting the tray 20 to a mounting side or back wall of a freezer compartment.
Water from the water inlet flows down the inlet ramp (the rectangular portion above arm 32) into the rear ice-forming compartment. The water enters and fills the rear ice-forming compartment until the level reaches the level of the slot, channel of the weir and flows into the adjacent compartment. After water fills each compartment, it flows through the channel into an adjacent compartment. When the water in all of the compartments has reached a desired level, water flow stops.
Freezing of water in the channel (or slots in the weirs) results in the ice cubes all being one group of fused webbed ice cubes. The presence of the webbed ice increases the torque that the rake must exert to remove the ice cubes from the tray.
The compartments in the ice tray are substantially identical and are configured to include a space 64 in which semi-circular (or other shaped) ice cubes are formed. Each divider wall (weir) includes a top surface and two oppositely faced side surfaces. The compartments may be wide at the top and narrow near the bottom.
Water is released from the water inlet and flows down the end inlet ramp into the rear compartment. When sufficient water has entered the rear compartment to raise the level of the water in the compartment to the level of the slot in the weir/into the flow channel, water flows into an adjacent compartment until the adjacent compartment overflows into its corresponding adjacent compartment. This filling of the compartments through the channel continues until water has filled each compartment to a desired level.
Each cube is formed separately within its own compartment with an ice web extending between the cubes that results from water freezing in the channel/slot between weirs.
Once the ice cube has formed in each compartment, the controller can actuate a heater that heats the tray/mold body to slightly expand the tray and melt a small amount of ice cube adjacent the walls of each compartment.
Once the ice cubes are ready for removal, the controller actuates the motor to turn its output shaft that is coupled through the drive train to the ejector rake shaft 36. The motor 30 drives the rake shaft to rotate about the rotation axis in the direction of the arrow 46 inducing a front portion 41 of each rake member to pass through a slot 43 in a cover 45 and into contact with the ice cube formed in its associated compartment. The front portion of each rake member contacts the top surface of its associated ice cube adjacent the narrow end of the cube downwardly along the arcuate bottom surface of the compartment.
The ejector rake arm proceeds along a path of movement a sufficient amount to completely remove the ice cubes from each compartment.
Referring to
Referring now to
In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a divider wall (weir) 70 is provided on an opposite or the right side of the mold body as seen in
In a second embodiment, referring to
Referring now to a side view of the mold body to show the slot/channel in the weir that allows water to flow from each compartment to the next in
Referring now to
In still another embodiment, referring to
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.
