APPARATUS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY TURNING OFF AN ACTUATOR IN A REFRIGERATION DEVICE UPON DETECTION OF AN UNWANTED CONDITION

• US 20080156005A1
• Filed: 10/04/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: VOGLEWEDE, RONALD L., JEFFERY, RANDELL L., BOARMAN, PATRICK J., CULLEY, BRIAN KEITH
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/132
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/02 Geometry problems
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/08 Sticking or clogging of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/02 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and system for automatically turning off an electrically powered actuator in a refrigeration mechanism upon detection of an unwanted condition. In one aspect of the invention, the electrically powered actuator can be the motor of an ice maker/dispenser. The detection can be accomplished by sensing the presence of an object along or near an ice dispensing pathway from the ice maker/dispenser. The unwanted condition could be the presence of the object for more than a preset time period. This would allow to distinguish between an unwanted object such as silverware or clogged ice versus a wanted object such as flowing ice cubes, crushed ice, or shaved ice.

Claims

1. A refrigeration mechanism comprising:

a. a housing including an interior cavity;

b. an icemaker mounted to the housing, the icemaker including an electrically powered actuator;

c. a dispensing chute having a first portion positioned relative to the icemaker to receive ice from the icemaker and a second portion positioned at a dispensing location, the dispensing chute defining an ice dispensing pathway;

d. a sensor producing an electrical output signal in response to sensitivity to a measured property, the measured property comprising presence of an object along or near the ice dispensing pathway;

e. a controller operatively connected to the sensor and the actuator, the controller issuing an instruction to stop operation of the actuator based upon a parameter of the measured property of the sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator controls moving parts.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the moving parts are one or more of conveying apparatus, ice crushing components, or ice shaving blades.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the icemaker includes the ability to make ice cubes and crushed ice of a pre-determined maximum size.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor is positioned to sense the measured property nearer the second portion of the dispensing chute than the first portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a member extending from the second portion of the dispensing chute, and wherein the sensor is positioned to sense the measured property on the opposite side of the second portion of the dispensing chute from the first portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dispensing chute is tubular, with the first position comprising an ice entrance opening and the second position comprising an ice exit opening.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor wherein the sensor is positioned to sense the measured property nearer the ice exit opening than the ice entrance opening to the dispensing chute.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a member extending from the ice exit opening and wherein the sensor is positioned to sense the measured property outside the dispensing chute a distance away from the ice exit opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a platform and recessed wall defining a dispensing station cavity at the dispensing location, the dispensing station cavity adapted to receive and/or support a container to receive ice through the dispensing chute.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the optical sensor comprises a light emitter and a light detector in operative alignment with each other on generally opposite sides of the ice dispensing pathway, wherein the measured property is attenuation of emitted light energy from the emitter sensed by the detector.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the parameter of the measured property is length of time of sensed attenuation of emitted light energy.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the length of time is in the approximate range of approximately one to two second(s).

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the length of time comprises one to two second(s).

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a non-contact sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the parameter of the measured property of the sensor is calibrated to distinguish between ice moving through the ice dispensing chute and either

a. objects of greater size than the ice, or

b. objects or ice that are not moving through the dispensing chute.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the calibration comprises a cumulative time value exceeding a threshold, the cumulative time value measured by a timer that cumulates incremental time beginning at first sensing of an object by the sensor and over subsequent continuous or periodic sensing for presence of that object, the cumulative time value correlated to either (a) size of object exceeding maximum size of ice normally expected to be dispensed from the ice maker or (b) clogging of the ice dispensing chute with ice.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the cumulative time value is on the order of 1 to 2 second(s).

21. An apparatus for automatically producing an electrical instruction to stop operation of an electrically-powered ice maker/dispenser upon detection of an unwanted condition comprising:

a. a dispensing chute having a first portion adapted to receive ice from an icemaker and a second portion adapted to dispense ice at a dispensing location, the dispensing chute defined an ice dispensing pathway;

b. a sensor system producing an electrical output signal in response to sensitivity to a measured property, the measured property comprising presence of an object along or near the ice dispensing pathway;

c. the sensor system including issuing an instruction to stop operation of the ice maker/dispenser based upon a parameter of the measured property of the sensor system indicative of an unwanted condition.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the unwanted condition is presence for over a certain time period of an object.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the object is ice that is clogged along the dispensing pathway.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the sensor system comprises an optical sensor and the measured property is attenuation of optically sensed light energy.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the sensor system comprises a non-contact sensor.