Method and apparatus for crushing ice within a refrigerator
a technology of refrigerators and ice cubes, which is applied in the field of refrigerators, can solve the problems of ice pieces being jammed during rotation, drive motor failure, mechanical failure, etc., and achieve the effect of facilitating the movement of whole ice cubes
Inactive Publication Date: 2011-05-26
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
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- Abstract
- Description
- Claims
- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
[0012]Another aspect of the current invention relates to a method of dispensing ice cubes from a refrigerator, the refrigerator including an ice making, storage and dispensing compartment and a controller for controlling the direction of rotation of an axle based on a user's input, the ice making, storage and dispensing compartment including an ice storage bin, a motor, the axle, the axle being affixed to the motor, and an ice dispenser, the ice dispenser including a crusher housing, a plurality of rotatable crusher arms, the plurality of rotatable crusher arms being affixed t
Problems solved by technology
This rotating actuator wire has disadvantages, including mechanical failure where the drive motor fails, jamming of ice pieces during rotation and mechanical failure of the rotating actuator wire itself.
This known design has disadvantages including the unreliability of the friction washers as they wear during use, the limited lifetime of the friction washers, the extra steps during assembly required to include friction washers and assembly arms and the narrow manufacturing specifications for the friction washers to ensure a precise friction force which is high enough to perform their function, but not so high as to cause rapid wear.
Method used
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Embodiment Construction
[0021]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary refrigerator 10. While the embodiments are described herein in the context of a specific refrigerator 10, it is contemplated that the embodiments may be practiced in other types of refrigerators. Therefore, as the benefits of the herein described embodiments accrue generally to ice dispensing from the refrigerator, the description herein is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit practice of the invention to a particular refrigeration appliance or machine, such as refrigerator 10.
[0022]On the exterior of the refrigerator 10, there is disposed an external access area 49 to receive drinking water and ice cubes. Upon a stimulus, a water dispenser 50 allows an outflow of drinking water into a user's receptacle. Upon another stimulus, an ice dispenser outlet 53 allows an outflow of whole ice cubes into a user's receptacle. Upon another stimulus, an ice dispenser outlet 53 allows an outflow of crushed ice cubes into a user's receptacl...
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An apparatus and method for crushing ice within a refrigerator are disclosed. The apparatus includes an ice making, storage and dispensing compartment; an ice storage bin, an agitator, an axle, and a crusher. The crusher includes a plurality of fixed blades, a plurality of rotatable crusher arms affixed to the axle, a front wall having an opening vertically above the fixed blades, sidewalls sealing a portion of the front wall to a portion of the back wall, leaving a predetermined void and a motor for rotating the axle to drive the agitator and crusher. The method includes the steps of rotating an axle, in first direction and second directions to dispense whole ice cubes or crushed ice cubes, respectively, from the ice dispenser.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The current invention relates generally to refrigerators, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for crushing ice within a refrigerator.[0002]Generally, a refrigerator includes an ice storage and an ice dispensing device. Typically the ice dispensing device can dispense whole cubes of ice or crushed cubes of ice to a user.[0003]It is now common in the art of refrigerators to provide an ice dispenser which has the ability to dispense both whole cubes of ice and crushed cubes of ice, by modifying the direction of ice crushing arms, depending on the requirements of a user. It is known in the art, in a typical ice dispenser where both crushed and whole cubes of ice can be dispensed, whole ice cubes are moved to a dispensing region from a storage region by means of a rotating actuator wire. The rotating actuator wire transports whole ice cubes which have been deposited in an ice storage bin to where the whole ice cubes are either crushed and disp...
Claims
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Login to View More IPC IPC(8): F25C5/02F25C5/18
CPCF25C5/046F25C2400/10
Inventor TALEGAONKAR, ARUN MADHAVMITCHELL, ALAN JOSEPHRANARD, GEOFFREY LEESHAHA, BIPIN N.
Owner GENERAL ELECTRIC CO