Ice making assembly and an ice bucket

• US 9,644,878 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• 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: Mitchell, Alan Joseph, Miller, Charles Benjamin, Nuss, Bart Andrew, Seenivasan, Ansuraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Application Number:
  US14/075,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20150128633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/147 by using augers
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/142 extrusion of ice crystals
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/18 Storing ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/22 particularly adapted for household refrigerators

Abstract

An ice making assembly and an ice bucket are provided. The ice bucket includes a sidewall that defines a storage volume and an auger disposed within the storage volume. A motor is configured for rotating the auger within the storage volume. The motor is positioned above the storage volume along a vertical direction. The position of the motor relative to the storage volume can assist with limiting or preventing damage to the motor.

Claims

1. An ice making assembly that defines a vertical direction, comprising:

a casing;

an ice making auger rotatably mounted within the casing;

an ice making motor configured for selectively rotating the ice making auger within the casing;

a removable ice bucket comprising

a bottom wall;

a sidewall extending between a top portion and a bottom portion along the vertical direction, the sidewall defining an opening at the top portion of the sidewall, the sidewall mounted to the bottom wall at the bottom portion of the sidewall, the sidewall defining a handle and a storage volume, the opening positioned for receiving ice nuggets from the casing such that ice nuggets from the casing enter the storage volume at the opening;

an ice bucket auger disposed within the storage volume;

an ice bucket motor configured for selectively rotating the ice bucket auger within the storage volume, the ice bucket motor positioned above the storage volume along the vertical direction;

a latch assembly configured for selectively securing the ice bucket in an ice receiving position; and

a first gear fixed to the ice bucket auger at the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger, the first gear permitting removable coupling of the ice bucket auger to a second gear on the ice bucket motor.

2. The ice making assembly of claim 1, wherein the ice bucket auger extends between a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger positioned proximate the top portion of the sidewall, the distal end portion of the ice bucket auger positioned proximate the bottom portion of the sidewall.

3. The ice making assembly of claim 2, wherein the distal end portion of the ice bucket auger is rotatably mounted to the bottom wall.

4. The ice making assembly of claim 2, further comprising a top wall mounted to the sidewall at the top portion of the sidewall, the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger rotatably mounted to the top wall.

5. The ice making assembly of claim 2, wherein the ice bucket auger comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions of the ice bucket auger disposed in the storage volume between the distal and proximal end portions of the ice bucket auger, the first portion of the ice bucket auger positioned adjacent the sidewall at the top portion of the sidewall, the second portion of the ice bucket auger positioned adjacent the sidewall at the bottom portion of the sidewall.

6. The ice making assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bottom plate positioned within the sidewall, the bottom plate positioned above the bottom wall along the vertical direction such that the bottom plate and the bottom wall define a dispensing volume therebetween, the dispensing volume positioned below the storage volume along the vertical direction.

7. The ice making assembly of claim 6, further comprising a sweep disposed in the dispensing volume, the sweep coupled to the ice bucket auger such that the sweep rotates with the ice bucket auger.

8. The ice making assembly of claim 6, wherein the bottom plate defines an opening, the opening of the bottom plate sized for permitting ice nuggets from the storage volume to enter the dispensing volume, the bottom wall defining an ice chute sized for directing ice nuggets out of the dispensing volume, the sweep configured for moving ice nuggets from the opening of the bottom plate to the ice chute of the bottom wall during rotation of the sweep.

9. The ice making assembly of claim 1, wherein the sidewall has a substantially circular cross-section in a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

10. A refrigerator, comprising;

a housing defining a top portion and a bottom portion;

a fresh food chamber positioned adjacent the top portion of the housing;

a freezer chamber positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the housing;

at least one refrigerator door rotatably hinged to an edge of the housing for selectively accessing the fresh food chamber;

at least one freezer door positioned for selectively accessing the freezer chamber;

a dispensing assembly disposed in the at least one refrigerator door configured for selectively dispensing water and ice;

a freezer sub-compartment defined adjacent the dispensing assembly, the freezer sub-compartment extending into the fresh food chamber and communicating air with both the freezer chamber and the fresh food chamber;

an ice making assembly disposed within the freezer sub-compartment, the ice making assembly comprising;

a casing in communication with chilled air from the freezer compartment;

an ice making auger rotatably mounted within the casing;

an ice making motor configured for selectively rotating the ice making auger within the casing;

a removable ice bucket in communication with fresh food air from the fresh food compartment, comprising;

a bottom wall;

a sidewall extending between a top portion and a bottom portion along the vertical direction, the sidewall defining an opening at the top portion of the sidewall, the sidewall mounted to the bottom wall at the bottom portion of the sidewalk the sidewall defining a storage volume, the opening positioned for receiving ice nuggets from the casing such that ice nuggets from the casing enter the storage volume at the opening;

an ice bucket auger disposed within the storage volume;

an ice bucket motor configured for selectively rotating the ice bucket auger within the storage volume, the ice bucket motor positioned above the storage volume along the vertical direction; and

a latch assembly configured for selectively securing the ice bucket in an ice receiving position.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the ice bucket auger extends between a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger positioned proximate the top portion of the sidewall, the distal end portion of the ice bucket auger positioned proximate the bottom portion of the sidewall.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the distal end portion of the ice bucket auger is rotatably mounted to the bottom wall.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a top wall mounted to the sidewall at the top portion of the sidewalk the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger rotatably mounted to the top wall.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a first gear fixed to the ice bucket auger at the proximal end portion of the ice bucket auger, the first gear assisting with removably coupling the ice bucket auger to a second gear on the ice bucket motor.

15. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the ice bucket auger comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions of the ice bucket auger disposed in the storage volume between the distal and proximal end portions of the ice bucket auger, the first portion of the ice bucket auger positioned adjacent the sidewall at the top portion of the sidewall, the second portion of the ice bucket auger positioned adjacent the sidewall at the bottom portion of the sidewall.

16. The refrigerator of claim 10, further comprising a bottom plate positioned within the sidewall, the bottom plate positioned above the bottom wall along the vertical direction such that the bottom plate and the bottom wall define a dispensing volume therebetween, the dispensing volume positioned below the storage volume along the vertical direction.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, further comprising a sweep disposed in the dispensing volume, the sweep coupled to the ice bucket auger such that the sweep rotates with the ice bucket auger.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the bottom plate defines an opening, the opening of the bottom plate sized for permitting ice nuggets from the storage volume to enter the dispensing volume, the bottom wall defining an ice chute sized for directing ice nuggets out of the dispensing volume, the sweep configured for moving ice nuggets from the opening of the bottom plate to the ice chute of the bottom wall during rotation of the sweep.

19. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the freezer sub-compartment comprises slots in an access door configured to communicate air from the fresh food chamber such that ice nuggets in the ice bucket melt over time to prevent clumping.