Ice cream maker for refrigerator

• US 3,952,534 A
• Filed: 02/24/1975
• Issued: 04/27/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Jacobs, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/552,429
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 62/136, 62/342, 259/DIG. 34, 259/DIG. 32, 74/849
• US Class Current: 62/136
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/12 using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/228 Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove

Abstract

An automatic ice cream maker add-on accessory for use in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator including a rear freezing air intake with a fan induced forward split flow path. A dual state thermostat provides cycling sequencing and hold control by means of first bimetal contacts to control cycling of the unit from a combined dasher and fan operation to a fan only operation by means of a voltage drop resistor to change the voltage on the motor when a predetermined mix temperature is reached under load. A second bimetal contact member, also sensitive to the temperature of the ice cream, provides a long term feature on the completion of the mixing operation.

Claims

1. A frozen confection-making appliance for use in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator normally maintained at a below-freezing temperature, said appliance including a housing with an access opening having a freezing chamber and a machinery compartment separated by partition means, a freezing container for holding the confection to be congealed with said container adapted for removable reception in said housing freezing chamber, confection mixing means supported in said container, an electric motor disposed within said machinery compartment, said motor including an armature having first and second shaft portions, said first shaft portion connected to drive train means, said second shaft portion being drivingly connected to fan means, releasable coupling means for connecting said mixing means to the output of said drive train means upon insertion of said container into said chamber, thermostatic control means for declutching said first shaft portion from said drive train means, said fan means operative for drawing below-freezing air from said freezer compartment into said housing and through passage means into said freezing chamber in heat exchange relation with the confection, and said thermostatic control means being operative to sense the reduced temperature of the confection in said container, whereby said first shaft portion is automatically declutched from said drive train resulting in the stoppage of said mixing means while said motor continues to drive said blower means to circulate below freezing air over said container.

2. A frozen confection-making appliance for use in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator normally maintained at a below-freezing temperature, said appliance comprising a housing with a front access opening having a front freezing chamber and a rear machinery compartment separated by partition means, a freezing tray adapted for removable reception in said housing access opening, confection mixing means supported in said tray, an electric motor disposed within said machinery compartment, said motor including a bored stator, motor windings and an armature, said armature including forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft portions, said forward shaft portion having gear driving means thereon, drive train means including driven gear means, said rearwardly extending shaft portion being drivingly connected to fan means, releasable coupling means for connecting said mixing means to the output of said drive train means upon insertion of said tray into said housing, means for supporting said armature shaft in said stator bore whereby said armature is movable to a forward position upon a predetermined voltage being applied to said motor windings, declutching means normally biasing said armature to position partially withdrawn from said stator, said fan means operative for drawing below-freezing air from said freezer compartment into said housing and through passage means into said front freezing chamber in heat exchange relation with the confection in said tray, said driven gear means operative to mesh with said driving gear upon said armature being moved to its forward position, thermostatic control means operative for energizing said motor windings at said predetermined voltage during a confection mixing cycle of said appliance thereby driving said mixing means and said fan means, and said thermostatic control means being operative to sense the reduced temperature of the confection in said mixing tray whereby a reduced voltage is applied to said motor windings allowing said declutching means to move said armature gear driving means resulting in the stoppage of said mixing cycle while said motor continues to drive said blower means to circulate below freezing air over said mixing tray.

3. A frozen confection-making appliance for use in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator normally maintained at a below-freezing temperature, said appliance including an elongated housing with a front access opening having a front freezing chamber and a rear machinery compartment separated by partition means, a freezing tray for holding the confection to be congealed with said tray adapted for removable reception in said housing access opening, a confection dasher having front and rear extensions adapted to be supported in tray journal means so as to be oscillatory about a substantially horizontal axis in said tray during a confection agitation cycle, said dasher rear extension including a first half of a separable coupling, an electric motor disposed within said machinery compartment, said motor including a stator having a bore, windings and an armature shaft rotatable in said bore, said armature shaft including a forwardly extending portion having a pinion gear thereon and a rearwardly extending portion being drivingly connected to fan means, said armature having both its forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft portions supported in bearing means whereby said armature is movable by solenoid action to a forward position upon substantially full voltage being applied to said motor windings, declutching spring means normally biasing said armature to a rearward position partially withdrawn from said stator bore, said separable coupling having its second-half rotatably supported on said partition means for reception of said dasher extension one-half coupling upon said tray and dasher being located in said housing, said fan means operative for drawing below-freezing air from said freezer compartment into said housing and through passage means into heat exchange relation with the confection in said tray, gear means positioned in said machinery compartment operative to mesh with said shaft pinion gear upon said armature being moved to said forward position, said linkage means operatively connected to said second-half coupling to convert the rotary movement of said armature into oscillatory movement of said dasher, and thermostatic control means operative for energizing said motor winding at full voltage during a confection mixing cycle thereby oscillating said dasher and driving said fan, said thermostatic control means being operative to sense a predetermined reduced temperature of the confection in said tray whereby a reduced voltage is applied to said motor windings allowing said declutch spring to move said armature shaft pinion gear out of engagement with said gear means so that said dashing cycle is stopped while said motor continues to drive said blower means to circulate below freezing air over the confection in said mixing tray.

4. In an automatic frozen confection-making appliance for use in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator including a housing having a freezing chamber and a machinery compartment, a freezing container for holding the confection to be congealed, confection mixing means in said container, an electric motor in said machinery compartment, said motor including an armature having first and second shaft portions, said first shaft portion drivingly connected to said mixing means, said second shaft portion drivingly connected to fan means, said armature being axially movable by solenoid control means for declutching said first shaft portion from said mixing means, said fan means operative for drawing below-freezing air from said freezer compartment into said housing into heat exchange relation with the confection, heater means in said freezing chamber, and a thermostatic control mechanism to conduct the appliance through a series of operations, said thermostat including a manually adjustable control for setting said thermostat to provide for one or more consistencies of the frozen confection, said thermostat having a first, second and third thermomotive switch means arranged in heat exchange relation with said freezing chamber, setting of said manually adjustable control to a first consistency position said motor is energized at substantially full voltage by the closed condition of said first and second switch means causing both said mixing means and said blower to operate, upon the lowering of the temperature in said appliance chamber to a first predetermined value said second switch means opens whereby the motor winding is energized via a voltage dropping circuit to place a predetermined reduced voltage on said motor, said reduced voltage causing the armature to move axially by its solenoid action to declutch said mixing means while the reduced voltage is of sufficient value to continue to drive said fan means, upon the temperature of said appliance chamber falling a second predetermined value said third switch means moving to open said voltage dropping circuit resulting in the stoppage of said motor armature and closing a heater energizing said heater means, and said third switch means operative to cycle between said heater circuit and said voltage dropping circuit to hold said second predetermined temperature whereby the selected consistency of the confection is maintained until ready to serve.

5. The appliance as defined in claim 4 further including series wired lamp and resistor means connected in parallel with said third switch means, said lamp and resistor means being of a predetermined resistance substantially greater than said voltage dropping circuit, whereby upon said third switch means opening said voltage dropping circuit and said lamp and resistor means provide an alternate path for said motor voltage dropping circuit sufficient to light said lamp means indicating the confection is ready to serve while the voltage applied across the motor winding is of such a reduced value that said motor will not run.