Convertible ice storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9109825-B2
Application number	US-201213691885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2012
Priority date	Dec 3, 2012
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice storage bucket and a drain positioned to capture water from the ice as it is melted. Ice may melt due to air from the refrigeration compartment or elsewhere, the ambient temperature within the ice storage bucket, or a heater thermally coupled to the ice storage bucket to melt ice stored in the ice storage bucket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator cabinet;
a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;
a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet below the fresh food compartment;
a door providing access to the fresh food compartment;
an ice maker at the door;
an ice storage bucket at the door;
a funnel at a bottom of the ice storage bucket;
a dispenser for dispensing ice on the door;
an ice chute extending…

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Boarman Patrick J
• Hortin Gregory G

Classifications

• F25C5/005

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25C5/18 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25C1/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25D2400/02

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25B21/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic