Ice bin and method of transferring ice using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982933-B2
Application number	US-201314106640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An ice bin and a method of transferring ice using the same include a case having an upper portion configured to store ice produced by an ice maker, and a dispensing port at one side of a lower end of the case configured to dispense ice to the outside; a transferring unit that transfers ice from a lower portion of the case to the upper portion of the case; and a crushing unit configured to crush ice transferred by the transferring unit, and discharge the crushed ice to the dispensing port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice bin comprising:
a case having a first portion configured to store and/or accommodate ice produced by an ice maker, and a dispensing port at one side of an end or surface of the case, configured to dispense the ice; and
a transferring unit that transfers the ice from a second portion of the case to the first portion of the case,
wherein the transferring unit includes a plurality of guide ribs that rotates along an outer surface of a crushing unit.

2. The ice bin of claim 1 , further comprising:
a partition and/or wall in the case, configured to divide the case into a storage space and a transferring space.

3. The ice bin of claim 2 , wherein the partition and/or wall has a supply port at a lower side of the partition and/or wall, configured to supply ice in the case to the transferring unit.

4. The ice bin of claim 1 , wherein the end of the case has another side configured to slope downwardly toward the transferring unit.

5. The ice bin of claim 1 , wherein the transferring unit further comprises one or more accommodating ribs, at a side and/or end of the plurality of guide ribs.

6. The ice bin of claim 5 , wherein the transferring unit further comprises:
a first plate at one end or side of the crushing unit, connected to one end, edge or surface of each of the plurality of guide ribs; and
a second plate on or at another end or side of the crushing unit, connected to another end or surface of each of the plurality of guide ribs.

7. The ice bin of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs, the accommodating ribs, the first plate, and the second plate are integral with each other.

8. The ice bin of claim 1 , wherein the crushing unit comprises:
a housing having an inlet port at an upper side, configured to receive ice from the transferring unit; and
a rotatable crushing blade in the housing, configured to crush the ice received in the housing.

9. The ice bin of claim 8 , wherein the crushing unit further comprises a cover configured to open and close an outlet port.

10. The ice bin of claim 9 , wherein the outlet port is at a lower side and/or (of one) surface of the crushing unit housing.

11. The ice bin of claim 10 , wherein the housing is configured to communicate with the dispensing port.

12. The ice bin of claim 8 , further comprising a drive unit at one side of the housing, configured to provide a driving force to a rotation shaft of the transferring unit and the crushing blade.

13. A method of transferring ice, comprising:
dropping ice produced by an ice maker into an ice bin;
supplying the ice from the ice bin to a transferring unit along a surface formed at a lower end of a case of the ice bin;
transferring the ice from the transferring unit to a crushing unit,
crushing the ice transferred ice; and
discharging the crushed ice through a dispenser,
wherein the transferring the ice comprises moving the ice using a plurality of guide ribs that rotate along an outer surface of the crushing unit.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the discharging the ice comprises discharging the crushed ice.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the transferring the ice comprises placing the ice into an inlet port at an upper side of the crushing unit.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein transferring the ice further comprises preventing the ice from deviating from a path in the transferring unit using one or more accommodating ribs.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the accommodating rib(s) are on ends of the plurality of the guide ribs.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs are rotatable in multiple directions.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

Assignees

• Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Choo Gwang Ho

Classifications

• F25C5/18

  Storing ice · CPC title

• F25C5/046 Primary

  Ice-crusher machines · CPC title

• F25C5/182

  Ice bins therefor · CPC title

• F25C5/20 Primary

  Distributing ice · CPC title

• F25C5/12 Primary

  Ice-shaving machines · CPC title