Drive bar for ice bin of ice maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023010817-A1
Application number	US-202117371659-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 12, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment. An ice maker is disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. The ice maker includes a removable ice bin for storing the ice pieces produced by the ice maker. A rotatable auger is positioned within the removable ice bin and configured to drive the ice pieces out of the removable ice bin via a driving force applied in a first direction. A motor is configured to rotate the auger. A drive bar is coupled to the motor and is configured to apply a resisting force to the removable ice bin along a second direction generally opposed to the first direction sufficient to counteract the driving force, wherein the resisting force is less than a removal force applied by a user to remove the removable ice bin from the ice maker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade; a freezer compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below zero degrees Centigrade; an ice maker disposed within the fresh food compartment or the freezer compartment for freezing water into ice pieces, the ice maker comprising a removable ice bin for storing the ice pieces produced by the ice maker; a rotatable auger positioned within the removable ice bin and configured to drive the ice pieces out of the removable ice bin via a driving force applied in a first direction; a motor configured to rotate the auger; and a drive bar coupled to the motor and configured to apply a resisting force to the removable ice bin along a second direction generally opposed to the first direction sufficient to counteract the driving force, wherein the resisting force is less than a removal force applied by a user to remove the removable ice bin from the ice maker.

2 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drive bar comprises at least one leg having a recess formed in a surface thereof for engaging the rotatable auger.

3 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drive bar comprises at least one leg having a chamfered surface for engaging the rotatable auger.

4 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drive bar comprises at least one leg with an engagement surface for engaging the rotatable auger during insertion of the removable ice bin into the ice maker.

5 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a cam disposed between the rotatable auger and the drive bar, the cam comprising a slot in a side wall thereof for receiving a distal end of the rotatable auger.

6 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 5 , wherein the drive bar comprises at least one leg with an engagement surface for engaging a protrusion formed on an inner wall of the cam during insertion of the removable ice bin into the ice maker.

7 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drive bar comprises a U-shaped body having two legs, each of said two legs comprising a recess formed in a surface thereof for engaging the rotatable auger.

8 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the drive bar comprises a U-shaped body having two legs, each of said two legs comprising a chamfered surface for engaging the rotatable auger.

9 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least one leg of the drive bar provides the resisting force sufficient to counteract the driving force of the rotatable auger.

10 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the freezer compartment is disposed at an elevation vertically below the fresh food compartment.

11 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the freezer compartment is disposed laterally next to the fresh food compartment.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Shi Zhuochen
• Candeo Marcelo C
• Reddy Lokesha Kodigenahalli Chinnappa
• Mccollough Thomas

Classifications

• F25C5/24 Primary

  for storing bins (ice bins F25C5/182) · CPC title

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title

• F25C5/22 Primary

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F25C5/182

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title