Ice dispenser for dispensing cubed and crushed ice and related refrigeration appliance   

Abstract: An ice dispensing assembly includes an ice bucket for containing ice cubes, with at least a first exit in the ice bucket for the ice cubes. An optional second exit may be provided in the ice bucket for crushed ice made from the ice cubes. One motor moves a rotatable member to move ice from the ice bucket through at least one of the exits. A second motor moves either a crush plate or counter rotating members to create crushed ice. The crushed ice may be dispensed though the first exit or the second exit. Related refrigeration appliances are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to ice dispensing assemblies that can dispense cubed or crushed ice and to a related refrigeration appliances having such an ice dispenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various ice maker and dispenser designs have been proposed for refrigeration appliances such as commercial or home refrigerators and/or freezers. Some of these devices dispense crushed ice and ice cubes.

These devices generally dispense ice cubes and crushed ice through the same outlet with an ice crushing assembly located somewhat “upstream” of the dispensing outlet used by the consumer. In such situations, mixing can occur as switchover happens between crushed and cubed ice, which may be undesirable in some situations.

Other conventional assemblies use complicated augers and crushers to create crushed ice from ice cubes. While these devices generally work as desired, a less complicated solution would be welcome in some applications.

Accordingly, an improved design would be welcome for an ice dispenser where both cubed and crushed ice can be readily dispensed, and/or wherein ice cubes and crushed ice can be dispensed as desired separately.

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

According to certain aspects of the disclosure, an ice dispensing assembly includes an ice bucket for containing ice cubes, with a first exit in the ice bucket for the ice cubes and a second exit in the ice bucket for crushed ice made from the ice cubes. A first motor moves a rotatable member to move ice cubes from the ice bucket through the first exit. A second motor moves two counter-rotating members to grind ice cubes from the ice bucket therebetween into crushed ice and to move the crushed ice through the second exit. Various options and modifications are possible.

According to certain other aspects of the disclosure, an ice dispensing assembly includes an ice bucket for containing ice cubes, with an exit in the ice bucket for the ice cubes. A first motor moves a rotatable member to move ice cubes from the ice bucket through the exit. A second motor moves a crush element toward or away from the rotatable member, the crush element cooperating with the rotatable member when moved toward the rotatable member to grind ice cubes from the ice bucket therebetween into crushed ice and to move the crushed ice through the exit. The crush element is spaced from the rotatable member when moved away so as to allow ice cubes to pass out of the exit without crushing via rotation of the rotatable member. As above, various options and modifications are possible.

According to certain aspects of the disclosure, a refrigeration appliance with an ice dispenser includes a refrigerated cabinet and at least one door, and an ice bucket in one of the refrigerated cabinet or door for containing ice cubes. A first exit is located in the ice bucket for the ice cubes, with a second exit in the ice bucket for crushed ice made from the ice cubes. A first motor moves a rotatable member to move ice cubes from the ice bucket through the first exit and through the door. A second motor moves two counter-rotating members to grind ice cubes from the ice bucket therebetween into crushed ice and to move the crushed ice through the second exit and through the door. Various options and modifications are possible.

According to certain other aspects of the disclosure, a refrigeration appliance with an ice dispenser includes a refrigerated cabinet and at least one door, and an ice bucket in one of the refrigerated cabinet or door for containing ice cubes. An exit is provided in the ice bucket for the ice cubes. A first motor moves a rotatable member to move ice cubes from the ice bucket through the exit and through the door. A second motor moves a crush element toward or away from the rotatable member, the crush element cooperating with the rotatable member when moved toward the rotatable member to grind ice cubes from the ice bucket therebetween into crushed ice and to move the crushed ice through the exit and through the door. The crush element is spaced from the rotatable member when moved away so as to allow ice cubes to pass out of the exit and through the door without crushing via rotation of the rotatable member. As above, various options and modifications are possible.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 provides a front view of a refrigeration appliance with its doors closed;

FIG. 2 provides a front view of the refrigeration appliance of FIG. 1 with its doors opened;

FIG. 3 provides a diagrammatical front view of an ice dispensing assembly according to certain aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 provides a diagrammatical top view of ice dispensing assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 provides a diagrammatical front view of an alternate ice dispensing assembly according to certain aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 provides a diagrammatical top view of ice dispensing assembly of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 is a frontal view of an exemplary refrigeration appliance 10 depicted as a refrigerator in which dispenser target indicating assemblies in accordance with aspects of the present invention may be utilized. It should be appreciated that the appliance of FIG. 1 is for illustrative purposes only and that the present invention is not limited to any particular type, style, or configuration of refrigeration appliance, and that such appliance may include any manner of refrigerator, freezer, refrigerator/freezer combination, and so forth. The present disclosure may be especially suitable for a compact refrigerator and/or freezer appliance where space is at a premium and an ice-making capability is desired. However, the disclosed ice-making assembly may be used with any such appliance.

Referring to FIG. 2 the refrigerator 10 includes a fresh food storage compartment 12 and a freezer storage compartment 14, with the compartments arranged side-by-side and contained within an outer case 16 and inner liners 18 and 20 generally made from a suitable plastic or metal material. In smaller refrigerators 10, a single liner is formed and a mullion spans between opposite sides of the liner to divide it into a freezer storage compartment and a fresh food storage compartment. The outer case 16 is normally formed by folding a sheet of a suitable material, such as pre-painted steel, into an inverted U-shape to form top and side walls of the outer case 16. A bottom wall of the outer case 16 normally is formed separately and attached to the case side walls and to a bottom frame that provides support for refrigerator 10.

A breaker strip 22 extends between a case front flange and outer front edges of inner liners 18 and 20. The breaker strip 22 is formed from a suitable resilient material, such as an extruded acrylo-butadiene-styrene based material (commonly referred to as ABS). The insulation in the space between inner liners 18 and 20 is covered by another strip of suitable resilient material, which also commonly is referred to as a mullion 24 and may be formed of an extruded ABS material. Breaker strip 22 and mullion 24 form a front face, and extend completely around inner peripheral edges of the outer case 16 and vertically between inner liners 18 and 20.

Slide-out drawers 26, a storage bin 28 and shelves 30 are normally provided in fresh food storage compartment 12 to support items being stored therein. In addition, at least one shelf 30 and at least one wire basket 32 are also provided in freezer storage compartment 14.

The refrigerator features are controlled by a controller 34 according to user preference via manipulation of a control interface 36 mounted in an upper region of fresh food storage compartment 12 and coupled to the controller 34. As used herein, the term “controller” is not limited to just those integrated circuits referred to in the art as microprocessor, but broadly refers to computers, processors, microcontrollers, microcomputers, programmable logic controllers, application specific integrated circuits, and other programmable circuits, and these terms are used interchangeably herein.

A freezer door 38 and a fresh food door 40 close access openings to freezer storage compartment 14 and fresh food storage compartment 12. Each door 38, 40 is mounted by a top hinge 42 and a bottom hinge (not shown) to rotate about its outer vertical edge between an open position, as shown in FIG. 1, and a closed position. The freezer door 38 may include a plurality of storage shelves 44 and a sealing gasket 46, and fresh food door 40 also includes a plurality of storage shelves 48 and a sealing gasket 50.

The freezer storage compartment 14 may include an automatic ice maker 52 and a dispenser 54 provided in the freezer door 38 such that ice and/or chilled water can be dispensed without opening the freezer door 38, as is well known in the art. Doors 38 and 40 may be opened by handles 56 is conventional. A housing 58 may hold a water filter 60 used to filter water for the ice maker 52 and/or dispenser 54.

As with known refrigerators, the refrigerator 10 also includes a machinery compartment (not shown) that at least partially contains components for executing a known vapor compression cycle for cooling air. The components include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series as a loop and charged with a refrigerant. The evaporator is a type of heat exchanger which transfers heat from air passing over the evaporator to the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator, thereby causing the refrigerant to vaporize. The cooled air is used to refrigerate one or more refrigerator or freezer compartments via fans. Also, a cooling loop can be added to directly cool the ice maker to form ice cubes, and a heating loop can be added to help remove ice from the ice maker. Collectively, the vapor compression cycle components in a refrigeration circuit, associated fans, and associated compartments are conventionally referred to as a sealed system. The construction and operation of the sealed system are well known to those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an ice dispensing assembly 100 includes an ice bucket 102 that can be mounted within refrigeration appliance 10. As shown, ice bucket 102 is mounted to an interior of freezer door 38, although it could be mounted to the refrigerator door 40 as well, or in the refrigerator compartment 12 or freezer compartment 14. Ice maker 52 (shown in dotted lines) would be most likely mounted in freezer compartment 14 if ice bucket 102 is mounted to freezer door 38 so that ice cubes 104 can drop from the ice maker into the ice bucket when made. However, as is known, ice maker 52 could be mounted in refrigerator compartment 12 and cooled in some way, such as by providing cooled air from freezer compartment to the area of the ice maker to cool it sufficiently to make ice. Accordingly, it should be understood that various options are possible for mounting ice bucket 102 and ice maker 52 within refrigerated appliance 10, its various compartments or its doors.

Ice bucket 102 includes side walls 106 and a bottom wall 108. A first exit 110 and a second exit 112 are provided in bottom wall 108. Both exits lead to a conduit 114 that leads eventually to an opening (not shown) through door 38 within dispenser 54. Trapdoors, seals, etc. may be provided between the exits and the dispenser for thermal reasons as is known, either within the exits or below.

A first motor 116 is provided for moving a rotatable member 118 to move ice cubes 104 from ice bucket 102 through first exit 110. As shown, ice cubes 104 that drop from ice maker 52 will fall to the bottom area of ice bucket 102 near rotatable member 118 and first exit 110. Eventually, enough ice can be made to fully cover this area. If desired, rotatable member 118 may be concentrically or non-concentrically mounted on shaft 120. Mounting rotatable member 118 non-concentrically may allow ice to be “throttled” downward more forcefully through exit 110 while breaking up clumps and pulling accumulated ice down from above. If desired, rotatable member 118 may have a ridged, grooved, etc. outer surface 122 to assist in grabbing and pushing ice. Alternatively, rotatable member 118 could be concentrically mounted but have a somewhat non-uniform surface 122 shape to assist in moving ice as desired. Rotating element 120, when stopped, also provides a “shut off” to stop the flow of ice to the exit at the end of the dispense cycle.

A second motor 124 is provided to move two counter-rotating members 126 to grind ice cubes 104 from the ice bucket 102 between them into crushed ice and to move the crushed ice through the second exit 112. As shown, counter-rotating members 126 are mounted to shafts 128 connected via gearing 130 at a base end near second motor 124. The spacing between shafts 128 and/or the diameter of members 126 may be selected to provide crushed ice of a desired size. Members 126 may have teeth, as shown, or other shapes to help pull ice cubes 104 down between the members for crushing and pass them toward second exit 112. If desired, a guide 132 may be provided proximate counter rotating members 126 for guiding ice cubes to and through the counter rotating members. As shown, guide 132 is cup shaped and extends upward above exit 112. Use of such guide helps direct ice cubes in the right direction toward the crushing counter-rotating members and also keeps crushed ice from missing second exit 112, either to fall in the bottom of ice bucket 102 or passing out first exit 110.

Ice dispensing assembly 100 therefore provides a simple and reliable source of both ice cubes and crushed ice. The feeds of crushed ice and ice cubes are not mixed, so a user gets only what is desired, not the tail end of a previously dispensed quantity of cubed or crushed ice. The dual motors allow each side of the ice bucket to operate independently. Complicated auger mechanisms are avoided.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another example of an ice dispensing assembly. As shown, assembly 200 also includes an ice bucket 202 mounted to a freezer door 38, although it could be mounted to the refrigerator door 40 as well, or in the refrigerator compartment 12 or freezer compartment 14. Therefore, as above, various optional locations and arrangements are possible.

Ice bucket 202 has only one exit 210 in the bottom wall 208. A first motor 216 moves a rotatable member 218 to move ice cubes 104 from the ice bucket through the exit. Rotatable member 218 as shown is concentrically mounted on shaft 220 and has a plurality of teeth for gripping and pulling down ice cubes.

A second motor 224 moves a crush element 225 toward or away from the rotatable member 218. Second motor 224 may accordingly be a solenoid motor. As shown, the crush element 225 is a plate slidable on a ramp 227 formed atop bottom wall 208 or side wall 202. A distal end of 229 of ramp 227 extends into or over exit 210. Crush 225 element is movable between a first position toward rotatable member 218 (as in FIG. 5) and a second position away from the rotatable member (see FIG. 6). When in the position toward rotatable member 218, crush member 225 narrows the width of the passageway for ice cubes moving downward through exit 210, thereby cooperating with the rotatable member when rotated to grind ice cubes into crushed ice. The crush element 225 also serves as a “shut off” over the exit when the ice dispense cycle is over and rotating element 218 is no longer turning. When pulled back from rotatable member 218, crush element 225 allows ice cubes to pass out of exit 210 without crushing via rotation of the rotatable member. In other words, when moved back, crush element 225 provides enough space for ice cubes to be pulled down and passed through exit 210 without being crushed. Structure 231 may be provided on an output shaft 228 of second motor 224, such as an eccentric, a slider, a rack and pinion arrangement, etc., to allow crush element 225 to slide back and forth under the direction of the second motor.

Accordingly, the device of FIGS. 5 and 6 provides a reliable and simple ice dispensing assembly 200 for providing cubed or crushed ice as desired. Again, complicated auger mechanisms are avoided, and two small motors are used for the various functionality.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.