Compact ice making system for slimline ice compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948226-B2
Application number	US-201916581801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator including a fresh food compartment; a freezer compartment; an ice compartment disposed in the fresh food compartment; an ice maker disposed in the ice compartment, the ice maker including an ice maker tray, a separate fin evaporator, and a cooling tube which is assembled between the ice maker tray and the fin evaporator, such that the cooling tube is in direct contact with the ice maker tray and the fin evaporator; and an ice bucket for storing ice, the ice bucket being disposed in the ice compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a fresh food compartment;
a freezer compartment;
an ice compartment disposed in the fresh food compartment;
an ice maker disposed in the ice compartment, the ice maker including an ice maker tray, a separate fin evaporator, and a cooling tube which is assembled between the ice maker tray and the fin evaporator, such that the cooling tube is in direct contact with the ice maker tray and the fin evaporator; and
an ice bucket for storing ice, the ice bucket being disposed in the ice compartment.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker and the ice bucket are arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction within the ice compartment, and
wherein no portion of the ice bucket is located below the ice maker when the ice maker is projected downward in a vertical height direction.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising an optical sensor system including an emitter and a receiver and configured to sense a level of ice in the ice bucket, wherein the emitter and the receiver are disposed on the ice maker.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice compartment is disposed in an upper corner of the fresh food compartment.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator is a French door-bottom mount configuration having the fresh food compartment on top and the freezer compartment below the fresh food compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the ice compartment is disposed in an upper left hand corner of the fresh food compartment.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice bucket is removably mounted in the ice compartment.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice compartment has a thin dimension in a vertical height direction H of approximately 5.6 inches ±2.0 inches, and wherein the ice compartment has a horizontal width W of approximately 10.4 inches ±2.0 inches.

9. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the ice bucket has a front cover, and the front cover has an opening in a bottom portion for discharging pieces of ice.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the fresh food compartment includes a door, and further comprising an ice chute for an ice dispenser and being disposed in the door, the ice chute being configured to communicate with the opening in the front cover.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cooling tube is formed of at least one of copper or a copper alloy.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker tray is formed of at least one of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the fin evaporator includes a plurality of fins that extends downward substantially vertically.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising an air handler/auger motor assembly disposed at a rear portion of the ice compartment behind the ice bucket.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the air handler/auger motor assembly comprises an air duct having a motor driven fan disposed therein, wherein an inlet of the motor driven fan communicates with an airflow passage under the ice maker tray and fin evaporator, such that the motor driven fan creates a suction and draws cool air from the ice maker tray and the fin evaporator and discharges the cool air through the air duct and to the ice bucket to prevent any ice pieces in the ice bucket from melting.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the air duct is located at an upper portion of the air handler/auger motor assembly.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , further comprising an ice compartment air duct member that communicates with an outlet of the air duct and is configured to direct and distribute the cool air over the ice pieces in the ice bucket.

18. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the ice bucket is removably mounted in the ice compartment, and the ice bucket has a front cover with an opening in a bottom portion for discharging pieces of ice; and further comprising:
a cube/crush motor assembly including a cube/crush motor and a Hall effect switch and being disposed in the ice compartment at a location in front of the ice maker and being configured to control whether cubed or crushed ice is delivered to the opening in the front cover,
wherein the ice bucket has a magnet that interfaces with the Hall effect switch, such that on condition that the ice bucket with front cover is removed from the ice compartment, the Hall effect switch disables the ice maker.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18 , wherein the opening has an ice gate that pivots, such that the ice gate opens or closes, and wherein the pivoting of the ice gate is carried out by a rod that is controlled by the cube/crush motor.

20. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a drain assembly positioned under the fin evaporator, wherein the ice bucket is arranged side-by-side with the ice maker and the drain assembly in a horizontal direction within the ice compartment, such that a bottom portion of the ice bucket is located at substantially the same level as a bottom portion of the drain assembly in a vertical height direction.

21. The refrigerator of claim 20 , wherein the drain assembly cooperates with a bottom portion of the fin evaporator to form an airflow passage under the ice maker and through evaporator fins of the fin evaporator.

22. The refrigerator of claim 20 , wherein the drain assembly comprises a drain housing, drain insulation, and a drain plate.

23. The refrigerator of claim 20 , further comprising a heater plate and an extender housing attached at a rear end of the drain assembly.

24. The refrigerator of claim 23 , wherein the heater plate is formed of aluminum.

25. The refrigerator of claim 24 , wherein the heater plate and the extender housing transfer heat from a defrost heater into a drain hole.

26. The refrigerator of claim 21 , wherein an inner side wall of the ice bucket is formed with a recessed portion across a bottom front of the ice bucket in order to facilitate air flow into a front end portion of the airflow passage.

27. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein a bottom of the front cover includes at least one gripper recess for a user to insert their fingers to pull and remove the ice bucket.

28. An ice maker assembly for use in an ice compartment of a refrigerator, the ice maker assembly including an ice maker tray portion, a separate fin evaporator portion, and a cooling tube which is assembled between the ice maker tray portion and the fin evaporator portion, such that the cooling tube is in direct contact with the ice maker tray portion and the fin evaporator.

29. A refrigerator comprising:
a fresh food compartment;
a freezer compartment;
an ice compartment disposed in the fresh food compartment;
an ice maker disposed in the ice compartment, the ice maker including an ice maker tray, an evaporator, and a cooling tube which is disposed between the ice maker tray and the evaporator, such that the cooling tube is in direct contact with the ice maker tray and the evaporator; and
an ice bucket for storing ice, the ice bucket being disposed in the ice compartment,
wherein the ice maker and the ice bucket are arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction within the ice compartment, and
wherein no portion of the ice bucket is located below the ice maker when the ice maker is projected downward in a vertical height direct

Assignees

• Bsh Home Appliances Corp
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Bertolini Nilton
• Görz Alexander
• Montalvo Sanchez Jorge Carlos
• Vekariya Vishal

Classifications

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25C2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25C5/22 Primary

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C5/187

  with ice level sensing means · CPC title

• F25C2400/00

  Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice · CPC title