U.S. patent application number 12/303631 was filed with the patent office on 2010-09-16 for ice maker.
This patent application is currently assigned to WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Roberto Riccardi, Armando Solis.
Application Number | 20100229590 12/303631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37074185 |
Filed Date | 2010-09-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100229590 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Riccardi; Roberto ; et
al. |
September 16, 2010 |
Ice Maker
Abstract
An ice maker adapted to be mounted a refrigeration appliance
comprises an ice-making container (14) and an ice-releasing system
(18, 18a) for separating the formed ice from the ice-making
container. The ice-making container is provided with a
substantially water-tight cover (16) for preventing a water spill
when ice is not already formed in the ice-making container.
Inventors: |
Riccardi; Roberto; (Comerio,
IT) ; Solis; Armando; (Comerio, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WHIRLPOOL PATENTS COMPANY - MD 0750
500 RENAISSANCE DRIVE - SUITE 102
ST. JOSEPH
MI
49085
US
|
Assignee: |
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Benton Harbor
MI
|
Family ID: |
37074185 |
Appl. No.: |
12/303631 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
May 30, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2007/055243 |
371 Date: |
December 5, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/345 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20130101;
F25C 1/04 20130101; F25C 2500/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/345 |
International
Class: |
F25C 1/10 20060101
F25C001/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 7, 2006 |
EP |
06115099.1 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. An ice maker adapted to be mounted a refrigeration appliance,
comprising an ice-making container and an ice-releasing system for
separating the formed ice from the ice-making container, the
ice-making container having a substantially water-tight cover for
preventing a water spill when ice is not already formed in the
ice-making container.
12. The ice maker according to claim 11, comprising an ice-making
container and cover having semicircular cross sections and the
cover is adapted to assume by rotation a closed configuration in
which the ice-making container and the cover form a cylindrical
assembly, and an open configuration in which the cover is
substantially under the ice-making container.
13. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the cover has an
aperture for loading water in the ice-making container while in the
close configuration of the ice maker.
14. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein the ice-releasing
system has an ice release lever adapted to rotate together with the
cover.
15. The ice maker according to claim 13, further comprising a drive
unit for providing power for driving the ice release lever and/or
for driving the rotating cover.
16. The ice maker according to claim 14, wherein the ice release
lever has a knob-shaped end for manually rotating the lever.
17. The ice maker according to claim 11, wherein the ice releasing
system has a movable and deformable ice-making container.
18. The ice maker according to claim 17, further comprising a drive
unit for providing power for driving of the ice-making
container.
19. The ice maker according to claim 17, further comprising a
movable and deformable ice-making container adapted to be rotated
manually.
20. The ice maker according to claim 17, wherein the ice-making
container can be rotated between a first horizontal position and a
second position in which one end of the container abuts a
corresponding portion of a supporting frame and the other end is
driven by a predetermined torque so that the ice-making container
undergoes a predetermined degree of warping.
21. The ice maker according to claim 11, wherein the ice-making
container can be rotated between a first horizontal position and a
second position in which one end of the container abuts a
corresponding portion of a supporting frame and the other end is
driven by a predetermined torque so that the ice-making container
undergoes a predetermined degree of warping.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker for a
refrigeration appliance. More particularly, it relates to an ice
maker comprising a frame adapted to be mounted in the refrigeration
appliance, an ice-making container supported by the frame, and an
ice-releasing system for separating the formed ice from the
ice-making container.
[0002] Ice makers are well known in the technical field of domestic
refrigeration appliances. They are usually installed on a wall of a
freezing chamber of the refrigerator (freezer) and therefore they
are not subject to movement which could cause spill of water when
ice is not already formed in the ice-making container or ice tray.
This traditional construction has the drawback of requiring means
for conveying ice cubes from the ice maker in the freezing chamber
into a storage container in the door of the refrigerator where the
user can collect ice from the outside through an ice dispenser.
Moreover the traditional location of ice makers requires an
automatic water supply device which increases the overall cost of
the appliance. Moreover it is clear that the installation in the
cavity of the freezer of the ice maker reduces the space for
storing frozen food. No appliance producer has up to now proposed a
mounting of the ice maker in a door of the freezer, mainly because
the movement of the door during opening and closing thereof could
cause water spill from the ice maker when the ice is not already
formed.
[0003] An object of the invention is to provide an ice maker of the
type mentioned at the beginning of the description which can be
installed within the door of the appliance without any water spill
problems. Another object is to provide an ice maker having a low
cost since it does not need automatic and costly water supply
devices. A further object of the present invention is to provide an
ice maker which can easily work either with an automatic or manual
drive system for removing ice from the ice-making container.
[0004] The above objects are reached thanks to the features listed
in the appended claims.
[0005] The above and other objects and features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description of
preferred embodiments of the invention, given in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker according to a
first embodiment of the invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the ice maker of FIG.
1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 and shows a
variant of the ice maker of FIGS. 1-2;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ice maker according to a
second embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the ice maker of FIG.
5;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 and shows a
variant of the ice maker of FIG. 4-5;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view along line VII-VII of FIG.
4; and
[0013] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 7 and shows
the ice maker in a configuration in which the ice is discharged
from the ice maker.
[0014] With reference to FIG. 1, with 10 is indicated an ice maker
having a base 12, an ice-making container 14 and a cover 16.
According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 12
contains a drive unit and can be mounted in a cantilevered way to a
wall of a door of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator (not
shown). The ice-making container 14, which is fixed to the base 12,
has an a semi-circular or half moon cross section and is formed of
metal or polymeric material. The cover 16 has a semi-circular cross
section corresponding to the cross section of the ice-making
container 14, and it is rotatably mounted on the ice-making
container so that it can assume a first configuration (shown in
FIG. 1) where it covers in a water-tight manner the ice-making
container 14, and, by rotation along the arrow R in FIG. 1, a
second configuration below the ice-making container 14, so that ice
cubes can be removed from the ice-making container 14. The rotation
of the cover 16 can be done either manually by the user or it can
be driven by the drive unit in the base 12.
[0015] Coaxially with the semi-cylindrical ice-making container 14,
it is rotatably mounted an ice releasing lever 18 for releasing ice
from the ice-making container 14. The ice-releasing lever 18 has
one end connected with the drive unit and the other hand supported
by the ice-making container 14; it is formed with a plurality of
ice releasing arms 18a spaced apart at a predetermined interval
from one another. The cover 16 is fixed to the lever or auger 18 so
that they rotate simultaneously.
[0016] The cover 16 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 16a
which is useful for loading water in the ice-making container 14
and for allowing circulation of cold air under the cover 16 for
allowing a quicker formation of the ice cubes having a cross
section in the form of a half moon.
[0017] Once the ice-making container 14 has been filled with water,
any movement of the ice maker 10 caused by the movement of the door
where it is preferably installed does not cause any spill of water
since the internal surface of the tile-shaped cover 16 is in
contact with the edges of the tile-shaped container 14.
[0018] Once the ice is formed, the cover 16 is rotated along arrow
R, under the ice-making container, and the lever 18 is rotated as
well in order to remove ice cubes from the container 14. Of course
the movement of the lever 18 and of the cover 16 can be made
independent one from the other as well. The cover 16 is intended to
house ice tray and provides a seal so that if non-iced water is
present when the icemaker is moved, no water spill occurs.
[0019] The shape of the cover 16 ensures that when it rotates, any
ice formation due to water sprinkled by movement is removed from
the housing. The ice maker cover 16 is designed so that ice maker
can be placed in areas where it can be subject to movement (for
example in the door).
[0020] In FIG. 3 is shown a modification of the ice maker of FIGS.
1-2, in which the movement of the ice-releasing lever 18 is driven
manually by a knob 20.
[0021] The cylindrical shape of the ice maker according to the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 is particularly useful for a mounting
in a reduced space as in a counter-door of a freezer
compartment.
[0022] In FIGS. 4 and 5 it is shown a second embodiment of the ice
maker according to the invention. Similar components of such
embodiment are indicated with the same reference numerals of the
first embodiment incremented by 100. According to FIGS. 4 and 5,
the base 112 is integral with the cover 116 and contains a drive
unit 115. The ice-making container 114 is rotatably mounted below
the cover 116 and presents a plurality of half moon shaped cavities
117 for forming ice cubes. The ice-making container 114 is made of
flexible material so that it can be warped in order to cause the
detachment of ice cubes. In FIG. 7 it is shown a configuration of
the ice maker 110 in which the edges of the ice-making container
114, rindicated with reference numerals 114a, are in a water-tight
contact with a cylindrical internal surface 116b of the cover 116.
In this configuration, which allows a water loading through the
longitudinal slot 116a, any movement of the ice maker 110 does not
cause any water spill. The cover 116 is intended to serve as
support for ice maker components and to provide a seal so that if
non iced water is present when the icemaker is moved, the water
will not come out of the ice-making container. The shape of the
cover 116 ensures that when the ice tray rotates, any ice formation
due to water sprinkled by movement is removed from the housing. In
FIG. 8 it is shown a second configuration of the ice maker 110 in
which the drive unit 115 has caused a predetermined rotation of the
ice-making container 114. In this configuration an end of the
container 114 opposite to the drive unit abuts a corresponding end
portions of the cover 116 so that any further rotation of the drive
unit 115 causes a warp or twist of the ice-making container as
shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8. This warping of the container
causes the fall of ice cubes from the ice-making container 114.
[0023] Instead of having a drive unit, the ice maker 110 according
to the second embodiment of the invention can also have a knob 120
(FIG. 6) for rotating the ice-making container and warping it in
order to discharge ice cubes.
[0024] The realization of the ice maker according to the invention
is flexible enough to provide fixation points to be placed anywhere
inside a refrigerated compartment or to be part of a sub-assembly
in order to facilitate fixation.
* * * * *