Refrigerator appliance and ice bin having a gear assembly therein

• US 10,641,536 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Wantland, Louis A., Gilkey, Bradley Nicholas, Miller, Charles Benjamin, Kudikala, Sateesh Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Duke, Emmanuel E
• Application Number:
  US16/106,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20200064044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/02 Geometry problems
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/06 Spillage or flooding of water
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/08 Sticking or clogging of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/182 Ice bins therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/24 for storing bins ice bins F25C5/182

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance and ice bin assembly therefor are provided herein. The ice bin may include a bin body, an ice sweep, a sweep gear, and a drive gear. The bin body may define a storage volume to receive ice therein. The ice sweep may be positioned below the storage volume. The sweep gear may be rotatable about a sweep axis. The drive gear may be positioned in mechanical communication with the sweep gear. The drive gear may be rotatable about a drive axis, the drive axis extending along a non-parallel angle relative to the sweep axis.

Claims

1. An ice bin of an ice making assembly, the ice bin comprising:

a bin body defining a storage volume to receive ice therein;

an ice sweep positioned below the storage volume;

a sweep gear rotatable about a sweep axis; and

a drive gear positioned in mechanical communication with the sweep gear, the drive gear being rotatable about a drive axis, the drive axis extending along a non-parallel angle relative to the sweep axis.

2. The ice bin of claim 1, further comprising an ice agitator positioned within the storage volume in mechanical communication with the sweep gear to rotate therewith.

3. The ice bin of claim 2, wherein the ice agitator is fixed to the ice sweep to rotate therewith about the sweep axis.

4. The ice bin of claim 3, wherein the ice agitator comprises a single, continuous, folded wire.

5. The ice bin of claim 1, wherein the non-parallel angle is a perpendicular angle relative to the sweep axis.

6. The ice bin of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizing bearing fixed within the bin body about the sweep axis, the stabilizing bearing being positioned below the sweep gear in radial support thereof.

7. The ice bin of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizing bearing fixed within the bin body about the sweep axis, the stabilizing bearing being positioned above the sweep gear in radial support thereof.

8. The ice bin of claim 1, further comprising an ice cover positioned between the ice sweep and the storage volume to support ice therein, the ice cover defining a cover opening extending along a vertical direction from the storage volume to the ice sweep.

9. The ice bin of claim 1, wherein the bin body extends along a vertical direction from a bottom end to a top end, and wherein the bin body defines a bin opening at the top end to receive ice into the storage volume.

10. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;

a door rotatable between an open position permitting access to the chilled chamber and a closed position restricting access to the chilled chamber;

a bin motor attached to the cabinet; and

an ice bin removably received within the chilled chamber and in selective mechanical communication with the bin motor, the ice bin comprising

a bin body defining a storage volume to receive ice therein,

an ice sweep positioned below the storage volume,

a sweep gear rotatable about a sweep axis, and

a drive gear positioned in mechanical communication with the sweep gear, the drive gear being rotatable about a drive axis, the drive axis extending along a non-parallel angle relative to the sweep axis.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises an ice agitator positioned within the storage volume in mechanical communication with the sweep gear to rotate therewith.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11, wherein the ice agitator is fixed to the ice sweep to rotate therewith about the sweep axis.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, wherein the ice agitator comprises a single, continuous, folded wire.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the non-parallel angle is a perpendicular angle relative to the sweep axis.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises a stabilizing bearing fixed within the bin body about the sweep axis, the stabilizing bearing being positioned below the sweep gear in radial support thereof.

16. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises a stabilizing bearing fixed within the bin body about the sweep axis, the stabilizing bearing being positioned above the sweep gear in radial support thereof.

17. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises an ice cover positioned between the ice sweep and the storage volume to support ice therein, the ice cover defining a cover opening extending along a vertical direction from the storage volume to the ice sweep.

18. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the bin body extends along a vertical direction from a bottom end to a top end, and wherein the bin body defines a bin opening at the top end to receive ice into the storage volume.