Ice making apparatus with improved water replenishment facility and refrigerator having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10060664-B2
Application number	US-201315033891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2013
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ice making apparatus suitable for use in a refrigerator including a freezer compartment. The ice making apparatus includes a casing which includes an ice tray for forming ice, wherein the ice tray has one or more than one pocket for filling with water. The ice making apparatus further includes a portable refillable cartridge which has an opening for dispensing water into the ice tray and a port for releasably mounting the cartridge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ice making apparatus suitable for use in a refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment, the ice making apparatus comprising a casing which includes an ice tray for forming ice, wherein the ice tray has one or more than one pocket for filling with water, the ice making apparatus being characterized by further comprising:
a portable refillable cartridge which has an opening for dispensing water into the ice tray,
a port for releasably mounting the cartridge, wherein the port is arranged above the ice tray, and wherein the port has a guide for rotatably supporting the cartridge between a released position where the opening of the cartridge is located at an upper level and a mounted position where the opening of the cartridge is located at a lower level,
a first engagement portion which is mountable onto a ceiling of the freezer compartment, and
a second engagement portion for slidably mounting an upper wall of the casing to the first engagement portion, wherein the second engagement portion is configured by a rectangular shaped first slot which is formed into the upper wall of the casing, and
wherein the first engagement portion is configured by a support member which comprises a rectangular shaped support rail for slidably engaging an edge of the first slot, and one or more than one arresting claw for releasably engaging a rear wall of the casing.

2. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the ice tray is rotatably arranged between a first position where the one or more than one pocket faces upwards and a second position where the one or more than one pocket faces downwards, wherein the ice tray is resiliently biased towards the first position by means of a resilient member and wherein the ice tray has a first knob for enabling manual rotation thereof.

3. The ice making apparatus according to claim 2 , characterized by further comprising:
a cover which configures a front wall of the casing,
a housing for accommodating the ice tray,
wherein the housing is detachably mounted into the casing,
wherein the resilient member is interposed between a rear end of the ice tray and a rear end of the housing,
wherein the first knob is detachably fixed to a front end of the ice tray, and rotatably arranged in a first bearing which is formed into the cover, and
wherein the rear end of the ice tray has a pivot which is supported by a second bearing which is formed in the rear end of the housing.

4. The ice making apparatus according to claim 3 , characterized in that an inner side of the cover has one or more than one arresting claw for releasably engaging with a front end of the housing and the rear wall of the casing has one or more than one arresting claw for releasably engaging with the rear end of the housing.

5. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized by further comprising an ice drawer for storing the ice which is removed from the ice tray, wherein the ice drawer is slidably arranged into a bottom of the casing and below the ice tray.

6. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cartridge includes a cylindrical outer wall, a first end wall and a second end wall, wherein the first end wall and the second end wall oppose each other a second knob for manually rotating of the cartridge, wherein the second knob is detachably mountable to the first end wall and a lid for refilling a space enclosed by the cylindrical outer wall, the first end wall and the second end wall, wherein the second end wall is configured by the lid, wherein said opening is formed on the lid, at a position which is offset by a predetermined distance from an axis of rotation of the cylindrical outer wall.

7. The ice making apparatus according to claim 6 , characterized in that the lid has a first threaded portion and the cylindrical outer wall has a second threaded portion, wherein the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion match each other.

8. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the port is configured by a horizontal second slot for inserting the cartridge into the casing, wherein the second slot has a cylindrical inner wall which is formed into a front wall of the casing, and wherein the cylindrical inner wall defines the guide.

9. The ice making apparatus according to claim 8 , characterized in that the cylindrical inner wall has a channel which advances in a horizontal direction along a length direction of the ice tray and the cartridge has a third engagement portion for slidably engaging the channel.

10. The ice making apparatus according to claim 9 , characterized in that the channel includes:
a straight shaped first channel which is formed in a front end of the cylindrical inner wall; and
a helical shaped second channel which is formed in a rear end of the cylindrical inner wall,
wherein the first channel joins the second channel and the third engagement portion is configured by a pin which is provided on a cylindrical outer wall of the cartridge,
wherein the pin projects in a radial direction and slidably moves along the first channel and second channel upon insertion of the cartridge into the port.

11. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the opening of the cartridge has a C-shaped cross section within a plane which is normal to a rotational axis of the cartridge.

12. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cartridge has one or more than one marking which respectively indicates a level of water to be filled into the cartridges and/or the upper/lower level of the opening.

13. A refrigerator comprising the ice making apparatus according to claim 1 .

14. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the ice tray is rotatably arranged between a first position where the one or more than one pocket faces upwards and a second position where the one or more than one pocket faces downwards, wherein the ice tray is resiliently biased towards the first position by means of a resilient member and wherein the ice tray has a first knob for enabling manual rotation thereof.

15. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening dispenses water when the opening is located at the lower level, and wherein the opening does not dispense water when the opening is located at the upper level.

Assignees

• Arcelik As

Inventors

• Celik Kadir Ridvan
• Kaymak Mehmet Ercan
• Ozyuksel Faik Emre
• Yazgan Umud

Classifications

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title

• F25C2500/06

  Spillage or flooding of water · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25C1/25 Primary

  Filling devices for moulds · CPC title

• F25C2400/14

  Water supply · CPC title