Oscillating and gyrating stir stick for an ice container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10345025-B2
Application number	US-201715637326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided that includes an ice making system, that generally includes an ice maker for making ice, and an ice container for holding the formed ice. The ice making system may be positioned anywhere within the refrigerator, and it may be a modular ice system. The shape of the ice container limits the amount of useable space taken up by the system. The ice container includes a stir stick positioned within the ice container. The stir stick is configured to rotate and oscillate in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the stir stick to provide movement of the stir stick into the full area of the ice container. The rotation and oscillation of the stir stick prevents ice from melting and clumping in the corners of the ice container, while also aiding in directing the ice towards a dispensing aperture of the ice container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet;
at least one door for providing access to within the cabinet;
an ice maker for making ice operably connected to the cabinet;
an ice container adjacent the ice maker, the ice container comprising at least one corner, a bottom wall, and at least one side wall;
a cam having a first axis of rotation;
a stir stick operably connected to the cam, the stir stick having a second axis of rotation at a location positioned outwardly from the first axis of rotation, the stir stick comprising a bent portion along its length protruding outwardly from the second axis of rotation;
a motor operably connected to the cam to rotate the cam about the first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation;
a gear train operably connected to the stir stick and configured to rotate the stir stick about the second axis of rotation in a second direction of rotation, wherein the second direction of rotation is opposite the first direction of rotation;
wherein the combination of the rotation of the cam and the rotation of the stir stick is configured to oscillate the bent portion of the stir stick in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis of rotation as the stir stick rotates within the ice container; and
wherein oscillating the bent portion of the stir stick moves the bent portion of the stir stick into and out of the at least one corner of the ice container without contacting the at least one side wall.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the stir stick includes a substantially vertical portion proximate to the bottom wall of the ice container.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first axis of rotation is positioned at a center of the ice container.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice container is rectangular-shaped.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the gear train is configured to provide multiple rotations of the stir stick relative to a rotation of the cam.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second axis of rotation is vertical.

7. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the substantially vertical portion of the stir stick extends through an aperture in the bottom wall of the ice container.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the stir stick is configured to reach a full area of the ice container to stop freeze-up of ice cubes in the ice container.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the path of the bent portion of the stir stick as it moves within the ice container is a hypocycloid path.

10. An ice making system, comprising:
an ice maker;
an ice container adjacent the ice maker, the ice container comprising at least one wall;
a cam having a first axis of rotation in a first rotational direction;
a stir stick operably connected to the cam, the cam configured to rotate the stir stick about a second axis of rotation in a second rotational direction, wherein the first rotational direction is opposite the second rotational direction, and wherein the cam and the stir stick are configured such that rotation of the cam about the first axis of rotation and the rotation of the stir stick about the second axis of rotation causes a bent portion of the stir stick to oscillate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis of rotation, the bent portion of the stir stick oscillating into at least one corner of the ice container and away from the at least one wall as the bent portion of the stir stick moves within the ice container.

11. The ice making system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a bottom member adjacent the ice container.

12. The ice making system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a motor positioned within the bottom member and operably connected to the cam to provide rotation of the cam, the rotation of the cam oscillating the bent portion of the stir stick.

13. The ice making system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a gear train configured to provide multiple rotations of the stir stick relative to a rotation of the cam.

14. The ice making system of claim 13 , wherein the stir stick further comprises a plurality of bends where at least one of the plurality of bends of the stir stick is configured to extend into the at least one corner of the ice container.

15. The ice making system of claim 14 , wherein the stir stick comprises a substantially vertical portion extending into the bottom member.

16. The ice making system of claim 10 , wherein the path of the bent portion of the stir stick as it moves within the ice container is a hypocycloid path.

17. A method of breaking ice clumps and preventing freeze-up of ice in an ice container, comprising:
providing an ice container including a stir stick with at least one bend, wherein the stir stick is operably connected to a cam at a location positioned outwardly from a first axis of rotation of the cam in a first direction of rotation, the stir stick positioned within the ice container;
rotating the stir stick about a second axis of rotation in a second direction of rotation while rotating the cam about the first axis of rotation in the first direction, wherein the first direction of rotation is opposite the second direction of rotation, and wherein the at least one bend of the stir stick oscillates into at least one corner of the ice container and away from at least one wall of the ice container as the stir stick and the cam rotate.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
providing an ice container includes providing an ice container that is rectangular-shaped.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
operating a motor positioned within a bottom member of the ice container, wherein the motor is operably connected to the cam to provide rotation of the cam.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
using a gear train to provide multiple rotations of the stir stick relative to a rotation of the cam.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Visin Jerold M

Classifications

• F25C5/182 Primary

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C5/04 Primary

  without the use of saws · CPC title

• F25C2500/08

  Sticking or clogging of ice · CPC title