Ice maker

• US 4,680,943 A
• Filed: 04/24/1986
• Issued: 07/21/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: White Consolidated Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: White Consolidated Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Mawby, Harold S., Harris, Duane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/855,489
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 62/300, 62/301, 248/309.2, 248/225.1, 211/153, 211/134, 211/105.1, 242/55.2
• US Class Current: 62/300
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/04 by using stationary moulds
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2305/0221 rotating ice mould
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/185 with freezing trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/187 with ice level sensing means

Abstract

A low cost automatic ice cube maker of simplified construction for use in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator. The ice maker includes a one-piece, molded plastic bail or sensing arm for monitoring the level of ice cubes in an underlying storage bin. The movable bail includes fingerlike resilient projection extending radially from one of the end portions of the bail. The distal end of the projection engages a portion of the ice maker fixed in position relative to the movable bail wherein the resilient projection functions as a springlike member biasing the bail toward a lowermost position. The ice maker also includes a pivotally mounted ice tray that can be easily snapped out of its ice making position for removal and cleaning at a location outside the freezer compartment. An externally accessible mechanism for actuating a test switch of the internal control circuit of the ice maker is provided to facilitate servicing of the ice maker.

Claims

1. An automatic ice cube maker for use in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator comprising:

a housing member having a generally open top and bottom defined by a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of opposed sidewalls;

a compartmented ice tray having a top side constituted by a plurality of ice cube shaped pockets for receiving water to be frozen, the ice tray being horizontally mounted within the walls of the housing for rotary movement between an upright ice making position and an inverted ice dumping position, said ice tray being rotatable on a horizontal axis extending between said front and back walls of the housing;

an electrically energized drive means connected to the ice tray for moving the ice tray between its upright and inverted positions;

a control circuit for energizing the drive means; and

ice tray mounting means including a driven means constituted by an integral rearward portion of the ice tray, a drive shaft rotatably driven by the drive means, the drive shaft being rotatably mounted on a rear wall portion of the housing, one end of the drive shaft being engageable with the integral rearward portion of the ice tray, wherein rotation of the drive shaft applies a rotating force to the rearward portion of the ice tray, an integral front portion of the ice tray providing a cylindrical projection rotatably supported by a portion of the said front wall of the housing, said front portion of the ice tray being movable by the user out of engagement with said supporting portion of the housing front wall wherein the said rearward portion of the ice tray can then be manually disengaged from the said one end of the drive shaft to permit removal and cleaning of the ice tray at a location outside the said freezer compartment, said supporting portion being constituted by a U-shaepd flange extending horizontally from the front wall of the housing, the U-shaped flange having a shelflike base portion, and a pair of generally identical, parallel, upwardly extending leg portions spaced from each other along a major portion of the legnths by a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the said cylindrical projection, wherein said projection can move downwardly from the open top of said U-shaped flange between the spaced leg portions so as to rest on and be rotatably supported by the shelf-like base portion, said U-shaped flange including detent means for retaining the cylindrical projection in position on the said shelflike base portion, said detent means being constituted by a reduced width area of the vertical channel formed between said spaced leg portions, the distance between said leg portions at said reduced width area being slightly less than the diameter of said cylindrical projection, said cylindrical projection being snapped downwardly past said reduced width area so as to rest on and be rotatably supported by the shelflike base portion of the flange.

2. An automatic ice cube maker according to claim 1, wherein said reduced width area constituting the detent means is located at a predetermined vertical distance above the shelflike base portion of the U-shaped flange so as to not interfere with free rotation of the cylindrical projection of the ice tray when resting on said shelflike base portion.