Systems and methods of ice making devices

Abstract

An ice maker can include a first chamber including an outlet and a second chamber coupled to the outlet. The ice maker can also include an extruder removably coupled to the outlet including a plurality of apertures through which ice is directed from the first chamber to the second chamber, the extruder to modify a shape of the ice to be a target shape, the target shape corresponding to a state of the extruder between at least a first state and a second state, and a controller coupled to the extruder, the controller to control the state of the extruder.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Ice making devices, such as ice making appliances, can freeze water into ice, and can manipulate the ice into various useful structures, such as nugget ice and flake ice.SUMMARY

[0002] Systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure can allow for ice making devices to selectively generate ice of various shapes. For example, the ice making device can first form flake ice, and then extrude the ice through a die to compress the flake ice into nugget ice. The die can be interchanged via manual and / or electronic input from a user and the ice making device can be operated according to the input to create selected shapes of ice. For example, a dimension of apertures of the die through which ice is extruded may change in response to the input. Various such systems and methods as described herein can allow for a greater variety of ice types to be produced while retaining a compact form factor for the ice making device.

[0003] At least one aspect relates to an ice maker. The ice maker can include a first chamber including an outlet and a second chamber coupled to the outlet. The ice maker can also include an extruder removably coupled to the outlet including a plurality of apertures through which ice is directed from the first chamber to the second chamber, the extruder to modify a shape of the ice to be a target shape, the target shape corresponding to a state of the extruder between at least a first state and a second state, and a controller coupled to the extruder, the controller to control the state of the extruder.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to an ice maker. The ice maker can a first chamber including an inlet to receive water and an outlet. The ice maker can also include a second chamber including an inlet coupled to the outlet. The ice maker can include a die structure including a plurality of apertures and a plurality of dies located between the first chamber and the second chamber, each of the plurality of dies including a portion of the plurality of apertures, each portion of the plurality of apertures having a different shape. The ice maker can include an auger disposed in the first chamber, the auger to drive ice material from freezing of the water in the first chamber to the second chamber through the plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures to form a plurality of ice forms and a controller coupled to the die structure, the controller to control a position of each of the plurality of dies such that the position of each of the plurality of dies corresponds to a shape of the plurality of ice forms.

[0005] At least one aspect relates to an ice making system. The ice making system can include a kit including a first die and a second die, the first die and the second die to receive ice material driven by an auger and extrude the ice material as one or more ice structures. The first die and the second die can be interchangeable to control a target shape of the one or more ice structures. The ice making system can also include an ice shaper facing the die, the ice shaper to cause the one or more ice structures to break into pieces of ice based on the target shape.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example of an ice making appliance.

[0007] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an example of an ice making appliance.

[0008] FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0009] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0010] FIG. 5 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 5.

[0012] FIG. 7 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0013] FIG. 8 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 7.

[0014] FIG. 9 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0015] FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 9.

[0016] FIG. 11 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0017] FIG. 12 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 11.

[0018] FIG. 13 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0019] FIG. 14 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 13.

[0020] FIG. 15 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0021] FIG. 16 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 15.

[0022] FIG. 17 depicts a top, perspective view of the component of FIG. 15.

[0023] FIG. 18 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0024] FIG. 19 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 18.

[0025] FIG. 20 depicts a top, perspective view of the component of FIG. 18.

[0026] FIG. 21 depicts a bottom, perspective view of an example component of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

[0027] FIG. 22 depicts a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 21.

[0028] FIG. 23 depicts a top, perspective view of the component of FIG. 21.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and implementations of, methods, apparatuses, and systems of ice making devices. The various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below can be implemented in any of numerous ways.

[0030] Ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can implement a refrigeration cycle to freeze water into ice, such as into pieces of ice. The pieces of ice can be formed into ice of a target structure, such as a cylindrical structure having a target texture, density, and / or shape characteristics. For example, an ice shaver, scraper, and / or auger can be used to drive ice material from a surface on which the ice freezes into an extruder to form the ice into the target structure. The target structure may depend on a state (e.g., position, orientation, shape of apertures) of the extruder. For example, the extruder may be interchangeable via manual input or electronic input by a user, and a dimension of the apertures of the extruder through which ice is extruded may change responsive to the extruder changing. The extruder may compress ice into nugget ice, and a shape, texture, and hardness of the ice may change depending on the dimension of the apertures. The state of the extruder may also include whether the extruder is engaged or not engaged from, for example, an outlet of the auger. The ice making device may generate flake ice based on the extruder being disengaged from, for example, the outlet of the auger or an outlet of a chamber the auger is located in. The extruder being engaged may correspond to the extruder being located above, for example, an auger, such that the auger drives ice material through the extruder.

[0031] In some implementations, ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can be deployed independently of a refrigerator. These devices may not have similar limits (e.g., compared to refrigerator-based ice makers) on the amount of ice that can be produced, and may not rely on the refrigeration system of the refrigerator to form the ice.

[0032] Some ice making appliances form ice in an auger system, which drives water upwards through an auger casing towards the extruder. The auger casing can be disposed within an evaporator that is connected to a cooling and / or refrigeration system. The cooling system cools the water in the auger casing to form the water into flakes inside the auger casing, which are then scraped by the auger. The auger can drive the flakes to be extruded through the die, forming the target shape. A speed of rotation of the auger can be adjusted based on a desired production rate of ice.

[0033] Ice makers that provide different types of ice, such as nugget or flake ice, can be mechanically complex. For example, some devices can require multiple ice processing pathways or multiple ice processors, such as both an ice cutter and an ice crusher, to achieve ice of different form factors.

[0034] Ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can facilitate making ice of selected types or shapes (e.g., in response to user input). The ice making device can make ice of selected types or shapes with greater selectivity, a smaller form factor, fewer components, and / or less complexity. In some implementations, the ice making device can include a controller (e.g., control member) to receive user input to select the target shape. The target shape may be dictated by a state of the extruder, including, but not limited to, a position, an orientation, and a dimension of apertures of the extruder. The extruder can be located at an outlet of the auger system, and receive flake ice and compress the flake ice into nugget ice via the apertures of the extruder. The state of the extruder can dictate whether the ice formed is flaked or nugget, and can also control the texture, hardness, and shape of the ice. The controller can adjust the state of the extruder in response to the user input. In some implementations, the user manually changes out the extruder to adjust the state of the extruder (e.g., to change dimensions of the apertures).

[0035] FIG. 1 depicts an example of an appliance 100 (e.g., ice-making appliance, ice maker, ice-making device, stand-alone appliance, ice-making system). The components as illustrated in FIG. 1 can be disposed within a housing (e.g., housing 202 of FIG. 2), which can be positioned separately from other refrigeration devices in a space, such as to provide the appliance 100 as a stand-alone device.

[0036] The appliance 100 can include or be coupled with at least one water source (e.g., at least one water storage tank 102). The appliance 100 can receive water to store in the water storage tank 102. The appliance 100 can perform various operations on the water, including flowing the water through one or more components of the appliance 100, and freezing the water to form ice. The water storage tank 102 can be fluidly connected with one or more components of the appliance 100 as described herein. The water storage tank 102 can be a container (e.g., a receiving space, a receptacle) to store water to be used and processed by the appliance 100. The water storage tank 102 can be disposed in a bottom portion of the appliance 100.

[0037] The appliance 100 can include at least one pump 104. The pump 104 can pump (e.g., move, force) water in the water storage tank 102 to one or more components of the appliance 100 by way of at least one fluid circuit 106. The pump 104 can be a centrifugal pump, positive displacement pump, jet pump, multistage pump, hydraulic ram pump, and any other suitable pump to pump water. The pump 104 can move water from the water storage tank 102 through various components of the appliance 100 such as an ice making bucket (e.g., a chamber 302 as depicted in FIG. 3).

[0038] Water can be moved through the appliance 100 through a fluid circuit 106. The fluid circuit 106 can include one or more pipes and / or pipe fittings to pass water throughout the appliance 100. For example, the fluid circuit 106 can fluidly connect the water storage tank 102 with the chamber 302. The fluid circuit 106 can be used to support one or more of multiple operations; for example, the fluid circuit 106 can be used to flow water for making ice as well as for cleaning the appliance 100. The pump 104 can be coupled to the fluid circuit 106 to pump water through the appliance 100.

[0039] The appliance 100 can include at least one controller 108. The controller 108 can include one or more processors (e.g., hardware processors) and a memory. The processor may be a general purpose or specific purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or other suitable processing components. The processor may be configured to execute computer code or instructions stored in memory (e.g., fuzzy logic, etc.) or received from other computer readable media (e.g., CDROM, network storage, a remote server, etc.) to perform one or more of the processes described herein. The memory may include one or more data storage devices (e.g., memory units, memory devices, computer-readable storage media, etc.) configured to store data, computer code, executable instructions, or other forms of computer-readable information. The memory may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical memory, or any other suitable memory for storing software objects and / or computer instructions. The controller 108 can be implemented as a hardware processor including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an Application-Specific Instruction-Set Processor (ASIP), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Physics Processing Unit (PPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a Controller, a Microcontroller unit, a Processor, a Microprocessor, an ARM, or the like, or any combination thereof. The memory may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. The memory may be communicably connected to the processor via the processing circuit and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by processor) one or more of the processes described herein. The memory can include various modules (e.g., circuits, engines) for completing processes described herein. The controller 108 can include and / or be coupled with one or more user interface devices and / or one or more network interface devices, such as to facilitate receiving or providing inputs and outputs for the controller 108. The controller 108 (e.g., stored in memory) can include any one or more instructions, functions, algorithms, machine learning models, logic, rules, heuristics, or various combinations thereof to implement operations described herein.

[0040] The controller 108 can control operation of the pump 104. For example, the controller 108 can cause the pump 104 to drive water from the water storage tank 102 into the fluid circuit 106, such as to provide water to the chamber 302. The controller 108 can control a rate of operation of the pump 104, such as to control a corresponding flow rate of water output by the pump 104.

[0041] The appliance 100 can include at least one auger 110. As depicted in FIG. 3, the auger 110 can be disposed within the chamber 302 and can include one or more threads, such as bladed edges and / or sharp edges, which can rotate about an axis (e.g., axis A1 depicted in FIG. 3) to cause ice pieces on an inner surface of the chamber 302 to be driven towards a die (e.g., an extruder 112) to be extruded. In some implementations, the auger 110 can rotate about the axis in response to a motor driving a motion of the auger 110. The controller 108 can control operation of the auger 110. For example, the controller 108 can control the motor and adjust a speed and / or a frequency of the motion of the auger 110.

[0042] The appliance 100 can include at least one extruder 112 (e.g., die structure). The extruder 112 can be disposed above the chamber 302 and face the auger 110. Ice material (e.g., ice) can be pushed through the extruder 112 by the auger 110. The extruder 112 forms the ice into different types of ice, such as nugget ice with varying hardness, texture, and / or shape or flake ice.

[0043] The controller 108 may adjust a state of the extruder 112. For example, the controller 108 may be communicatively coupled to at least one of an actuator or motor coupled to the extruder 112 to adjust the state of the extruder 112. The state of the extruder 112 may dictate whether the appliance 100 outputs crushed ice or nugget ice as well as the hardness, texture, or shape of the ice. The state of the extruder 112 may include at least a position of the extruder 112, a dimension (e.g., shape) of the apertures of the extruder 112, or an orientation of the extruder 112. The extruder 112 can modify a shape of the ice to a target shape. The target shape may be input by the user. The target shape can correspond at least to the state of the extruder 112 between at least a first state and a second state. For example, the first state of the extruder 112 may correspond to nugget ice and the second state of the extruder 112 may correspond to flake ice.

[0044] In some implementations, the state of the extruder 112 may be adjusted manually (e.g., by a user). This may include where the extruder 112 does not include or is not coupled with the at least one actuator or motor. For example, the extruder 112 includes a first die and a second die, the second die with apertures having a different dimension than the first die. The user may then adjust a position of the first die and the second die depending on a target shape of the ice. In other implementations, a position of the extruder 112 may correspond to whether the appliance 100 outputs nugget ice or crushed ice. For example, the extruder 112 has a first position and a second position. The first position, located above the auger 110, may result in nugget ice. The second position, offset from the first position, may result in crushed ice. The position of the extruder 112 may be adjusted by at least one of the user or the controller 108.

[0045] FIG. 2 depicts an example of the appliance 100. The appliance 100 can include at least one housing 202. The housing 202 can be a shell. The housing 202 can house (e.g., contain) various components of the appliance 100. The housing 202 can include one or more of metal, plastic, and / or a composite. An inner liner (not shown) that includes one or more of metal, plastic, and / or a composite can be coupled with an inner surface of the housing 202. The housing 202 can include one or more cover members, which can be moved (e.g., pivoted, rotated) to provide access into the appliance 100. The housing 202 can include at least one vent 204, which can allow for heat to be exhausted from the appliance 100.

[0046] As depicted in FIG. 3, the appliance 100 can include the chamber 302 (e.g., the first chamber 302), which can be coupled with a refrigeration assembly. The chamber 302 can extend longitudinally along an axis A1, which can be a vertical axis of the appliance 100. The chamber 302 can include at least one inlet 304 and at least one outlet 306. The inlet 304 can receive water from the water storage tank 102. The refrigeration assembly can then withdraw heat from the chamber 302, such as to cause water in the chamber 302 to freeze. The outlet 306 can then output ice formed within the chamber 302.

[0047] The refrigeration assembly can include at least one evaporator 307. The evaporator 307 can be coupled with the chamber 302, such as to be in contact with an outer surface of the chamber 302 (or within a distance from the chamber 302 to allow for sufficient heat transfer from the chamber 302 to the evaporator 307). The evaporator 307 can include one or more coils extending around the chamber 302. The evaporator 307 can allow for refrigerant to flow around the chamber 302 to withdraw heat from the chamber 302, such as to cause water in the chamber 302 to freeze. For example, the evaporator 307 can cause an ice layer (e.g., ice material) to form on an inner surface of the chamber 302.

[0048] In some implementations, the appliance 100 includes at least one motor. The motor can be centered on the axis A1, such as to cause rotation of the auger 110 in the chamber 302 about the axis A1. For example, a shaft of the motor can be coupled with the auger 110 to cause rotation of the auger 110. The auger 110 can include one or more sharp edges, such as bladed edges and / or threads, which can rotate about the axis A1 responsive to operation of the motor to cause ice pieces on an inner surface of the chamber 302 to be driven towards the extruder 112 at the outlet 306 of the chamber 302. The extruder 112 can facilitate forming ice pieces driven by the auger 110 into ice structures of a target shape, such as based on a structure (e.g., shape, dimension, length, width) of a plurality of apertures in the extruder 112. For example, the extruder 112 can extrude ice into cylindrical shapes by the one or more apertures. As another example, the extruder 112 can extrude ice into rectangular shapes by the one or more apertures.

[0049] The appliance 100 can include a chamber 314 (e.g., a second chamber) coupled with the chamber 302, such as to receive ice from the chamber 302 and / or the extruder 112. The chamber 314 can include an inlet 316. The inlet 316 can be coupled to the outlet 306 of the chamber 302. The extruder 112 can be coupled to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316. In some implementations, the extruder 112 is removably coupled to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316. The extruder 112 includes a first position (as shown in at least FIGS. 3 and 4) and a second position. The extruder 112 is located at the outlet 306 of the chamber 302 in the first position and centered on the axis A1. In the second position, the extruder 112 is offset from the axis A1 such that the auger 110 directs the ice into the second chamber 314 without going through the one or more apertures of the extruder 112. For example, the extruder 112 can be removed from the appliance 100 by the user. As another example, the controller 108 can move the extruder 112 such that the extruder 112 is not located at the outlet 306 and offset from the axis A1. The first position of the extruder 112 can correspond to a target shape of nugget ice while the second position of the extruder 112 corresponds to the target shape of flake ice (e.g., flaked ice). Since the auger 110 outputs flaked ice, the extruder 112 being at the first position results in nugget ice as the flake ice is compacted within the one or more apertures of the extruder 112.

[0050] The chamber 314 can be or include an ice box, such as from which ice formed by the appliance 100 can be retrieved. The inlet 316 of the chamber 314 can be coupled with the outlet 306 of the chamber 302 and receive ice from the chamber 302. The extruder 112 can be disposed in at least a portion of the outlet 306 and / or the inlet 316 of the chamber 314 so that ice received by the chamber 314 is extruded through the extruder 112.

[0051] The appliance 100 can include an ice shaper 318. The ice shaper 318 can be disposed in the chamber 314 and above the chamber 302 along the axis A1. The ice shaper 318 can face the extruder 112 and contact ice extruded by the auger 110 through the extruder 112 to form (e.g., break) the ice into ice structures. The appliance 100 can also include a shaft 320. The shaft 320 can be coupled to at least one of the ice shaper 318 or the extruder 112. A surface of the ice shaper 318 facing the extruder 112 can extend from the shaft 320 at an angle greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 70 degrees, relative to the shaft 320. In some implementations, the ice shaper 318 can be adjusted along the axis A1 (e.g., along the shaft 320). The ice extruded through the extruder 112 can contact the surface of the ice shaper 318 to break off into ice structures.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 4, the extruder 112 includes a body 402. The extruder 112 also includes a plurality of apertures 404. The plurality of apertures 404 extends through the body 402. The auger 110 directs the ice formed in the chamber 302 through the plurality of apertures 404 to the chamber 314. The extruder 112 can be press fit to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316. In this case, the extruder 112 includes a plurality of protrusions 406. The plurality of protrusions 406 extend from the body 402 such that the extruder 112 can be press fit to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316. The plurality of apertures 404 each include an output portion 408 facing the chamber 314.

[0053] FIGS. 5-23 illustrate various dimensions and shapes of examples of extruders 112 and / or the plurality of apertures 404 of the extruder 112. The plurality of apertures 404 each include a receiving portion 502. The receiving portion 502 of the plurality of apertures 404 faces the chamber 302 and the output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 faces the chamber 314 and the ice shaper 318. Each output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 can have at least one of a circular, concentric, rectangular, trapezoidal, hexagonal, star, crescent, or triangular shape. The shape of the ice may affect a mouth feel or a visual melt rate of the ice, among others. An area of each of the output portions 408 can be between 35% to 100% of an area of the receiving portion 502 of the plurality of apertures 404. The area of each of the output portions 408 can also be between 15% to 80% of an inner area (e.g., defined by the body 402) of each of the plurality of apertures 404. For example, the area of each of the output portions 408 to the inner area of each of the plurality of apertures 404 is between 33% to 80%. The inner area is defined by the body 402. To change the dimensions and / or shape of the plurality of apertures 404, the extruder 112 may include a plurality of dies 324. Each of the plurality of dies 324 include the plurality of apertures 404, and a shape of the plurality of apertures 404 of each of the plurality of dies 324 are different from each other. For example, the plurality of dies 324 include a first die and a second die. The first die includes the plurality of apertures 404 having a circular shape and the second die includes the plurality of apertures 404 having a triangular shape. The first die and the second die may be included in a kit of the appliance 100.

[0054] In some implementations, the user may change between the plurality of dies 324 of the extruder 112. For example, each of the plurality of dies 324 can be press fit to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316. The plurality of dies 324 may be press fit by applying a force (e.g., load) relative to a force of the auger 110. To do so, the plurality of dies 324 includes the plurality of protrusions 406 which extend from an outer surface 407 of the plurality of dies 324. In this case, the user can switch out the plurality of dies 324 based on the target shape of the ice. For example, the user can replace the die 324 that outputs circular ice (e.g., circular shaped plurality of apertures 404) with the die 324 that outputs triangular ice (e.g., triangular shaped plurality of apertures 404). The housing 202 may include at least one of an aperture, a door, or an opening to allow the user to switch between the plurality of dies 324. In some implementations, the plurality of dies 324 are located in the housing 202. For example, the extruder 112 is a die structure including the plurality of dies 324. Each of the plurality of dies 324 can include a portion of the plurality of apertures 404, and each portion of the plurality of apertures 404 can have a different shape. The controller 108 can adjust a position of each of the plurality of dies 324 depending on the target shape as input by the user. For example, the plurality of dies 324 may rotate around the axis A1. As another example, the plurality of dies 324 may move laterally or vertically. At least one die of the plurality of dies 324 is located at the outlet 306, and remaining dies of the plurality of dies 324 are stored within the housing 202. The controller 108 can switch the die 324 located in the outlet 306 based on the target shape.

[0055] In some implementations, the appliance 100 includes an actuator (not shown) coupled to the extruder 112 and the controller 108. In this case, the controller 108 can control operation of the actuator to control the state of the extruder 112. For example, the controller 108 can adjust the extruder 112 from the first position to the second position via the actuator. As another example, the actuator is coupled to each of the plurality of dies 324, and the controller 108 can adjust a position of each of the plurality of dies 324 to control the target shape via the actuator. For example, responsive to user input, the controller 108 can change between the die 324 that outputs circular shaped ice and the die 324 that outputs triangular shaped ice. The controller 108 can adjust the positions of the plurality of dies 324 such that, for example, the die 324 that outputs circular shaped ice is adjusted to be offset from the axis A1 and the die 324 that outputs triangular shaped ice is press fit to the outlet 306 and centered on the axis A1 such that ice extruded through the extruder 112 via the auger 110 is triangular shaped.

[0056] FIGS. 5-23 illustrate various dimensions (e.g., shapes) of the plurality of apertures 404 of the extruder 112. The shaft 320 may extend through the die 324 of the extruder 112. For example, the plurality of dies 324 are removably coupled to the shaft 320 and press fit to at least one of the outlet 306 or the inlet 316.

[0057] FIGS. 5-6 depicts the output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 having a circular shape, as well as a ratio of the areas of the output portion 408 to receiving portion 502 of about 62%, and the output portion 408 to the inner area of the plurality of apertures 404 having a ratio of about 47%. Ice output from the die 324 of FIGS. 5-6 may have a circular shape. The receiving portion 502 may have a sector shape (e.g., radial segment, circular sector, wedge, portion of a circle) while the output portion 408 has a circular shape.

[0058] FIGS. 7-8 depicts the output portion 408 having a circular shape, and a ratio of the area to the output portion 408 to the receiving portion 502 of about 47%. The output portion 408 to inner area of the plurality of apertures 404 has a ratio of about 47%. At least one of a texture or hardness of the ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 7-8 may be different than the die 324 of FIGS. 5-6. An area of the output portion 408 of the die 324 of FIGS. 7-8 may be greater than the die 324 of FIGS. 5-6.

[0059] FIGS. 9-10 depict the die 324 with a smaller diameter of the output portion 408 than the die 324 of FIGS. 5-8. The output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 have a circular shape. The ratio of the areas of the output portion 408 to the receiving portion 502 are about 24% with the ratio of the output portion 408 to the inner area of the plurality of apertures 404 being 18%. At least one of a texture or hardness of the ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 9-10 may be different than the die 324 of FIGS. 5-8. The receiving portion 502 may have a sector shape while the output portion 408 has a circular shape.

[0060] The output portion 408 of the die 324 of FIGS. 11-12 may have a larger diameter than the output portion 408 of the die 324 of FIGS. 9-10. The output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 may have a circular shape. The ratio of the area of the output portion 408 to the receiving portion 502 may be 83%, and the area of the output portion 408 to the inner area of the plurality of apertures 404 may be 47%. At least one of a texture or hardness of the ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 11-12 may be different than the die 324 of FIGS. 5-10.

[0061] FIGS. 13-14 depict the plurality of apertures 404 having a sector shape. A first length (e.g., dimension) of the plurality of apertures closer to the axis A1 may be shorter than a second length of the plurality of apertures 404 further away from the axis A1 than the first length. In this case, the area of the output portion 408 and the receiving portion 502 are equal. For example, both the output portion 408 and the receiving portion 502 have the second shape. In some implementations, the area of the output portion 408 and the receiving portion 502 are different. The die 324 of FIGS. 13-14 may output ice with the sector shape.

[0062] FIGS. 15-17 depict the output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 having a concentric shape. For example, the output portion 408 of each of the plurality of apertures 404 includes a first opening 410 and a second opening 412. The first opening 410 is located closer to the axis A1 than the second opening 412, and has a length less than a length of the second opening 412. In this case, the area of the output portion 408 and the receiving portion 502 may be equal. Ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 15-17 may be smaller in size (e.g., dimension) than ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 13-14. The receiving portion 502 may have a rounded sector shape. For example, the corners of the receiving portion 502 are rounded.

[0063] FIGS. 18-20 depict the output portion 408 of the plurality of apertures 404 having a triangular shape. Ice output by the die 324 of FIGS. 18-20 may be triangular. The receiving portion 502 may have the sector shape, and the inner geometry of the plurality of apertures 404 slopes (e.g., extends) towards a center of each of the plurality of apertures 404 to form the output portion 408 with the triangular shape.

[0064] FIGS. 21-23 depict the die 324 including a plurality of protrusions 2102. The plurality of protrusions 2102 extend into each of the plurality of apertures 404 to form a crescent (e.g., C-shape) for each of the plurality of apertures 404. The plurality of protrusions 2102 extend from a center of the die 324 towards a center of each of the plurality of apertures 404. In this case, ice pushed through the plurality of apertures 404 may have a crescent shape.

[0065] References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,”“bottom,”“above,”“below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. The orientation of various elements can differ according to other illustrative implementations, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. References herein to the order of elements (e.g., “first,”“second,”“third,”“fourth,”“fifth,”“sixth,”“seventh”) are merely used for ease of description relative to each element in the FIGURES.

[0066] While operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, such operations are not required to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and all illustrated operations are not required to be performed. Actions described herein can be performed in a different order.

[0067] Having now described some illustrative implementations, it is apparent that the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by way of example. In particular, although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, those acts, and those elements can be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements and features discussed in connection with one implementation are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other implementations.

[0068] The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including”“comprising”“having”“containing”“involving”“characterized by”“characterized in that” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, equivalents thereof, and additional items, as well as alternate implementations consisting of the items listed thereafter exclusively. In one implementation, the systems and methods described herein consist of one, each combination of more than one, or all of the described elements, acts, or components.

[0069] Any references to implementations or elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular can also embrace implementations including a plurality of these elements, and any references in plural to any implementation or element or act herein can also embrace implementations including only a single element. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements to single or plural configurations. References to any act or element being based on any information, act or element can include implementations where the act or element is based at least in part on any information, act, or element.

[0070] Any implementation disclosed herein can be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, and references to “an implementation,”“some implementations,”“one implementation” or the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation may be included in at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used herein are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation. Any implementation may be combined with any other implementation, inclusively or exclusively, in any manner consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.

[0071] References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. References to at least one of a conjunctive list of terms may be construed as an inclusive OR to indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. For example, a reference to “at least one of ‘A’ and ‘B’” can include only ‘A’, only ‘B’, as well as both ‘A’ and ‘B’. Such references used in conjunction with “comprising” or other open terminology can include additional items.

[0072] Where technical features in the drawings, detailed description or any claim are followed by reference signs, the reference signs have been included to increase the intelligibility of the drawings, detailed description, and claims. Accordingly, neither the reference signs nor their absence have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements. Modifications of described elements and acts such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations can occur without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed can be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions can also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0073] The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0074] Systems and methods described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the characteristics thereof. Further relative parallel, perpendicular, vertical or other positioning or orientation descriptions include variations within + / −10% or + / −10 degrees of pure vertical, parallel or perpendicular positioning. References to “approximately,”“about”“substantially” or other terms of degree include variations of + / −10% from the given measurement, unit, or range unless explicitly indicated otherwise. Coupled elements can be electrically, mechanically, or physically coupled with one another directly or with intervening elements. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.

Claims

1. An ice maker, comprising:a first chamber comprising an outlet;a second chamber coupled to the outlet;an extruder removably coupled to the outlet comprising a plurality of apertures through which ice is directed from the first chamber to the second chamber, the extruder to modify a shape of the ice to be a target shape, the target shape corresponding to a state of the extruder between at least a first state and a second state; anda controller coupled to the extruder, the controller to control the state of the extruder.

2. The ice maker of claim 1, comprising an auger disposed in the first chamber, the auger to direct the ice from the first chamber to the second chamber through the plurality of apertures.

3. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein the extruder comprises a plurality of dies, each of the plurality of dies comprising the plurality of apertures, the shape of the plurality of apertures of each of the plurality of dies being different from each other, the controller to control at least a position of each of the plurality of dies.

4. The ice maker of claim 1, comprising an ice shaper, the ice shaper located above the extruder to break the ice as the ice is directed from the first chamber to the second chamber via the plurality of apertures.

5. The ice maker of claim 4, comprising a shaft, the shaft coupled to the ice shaper and extending through the extruder, a surface of the ice shaper facing the extruder extending from the shaft at an angle relative to the shaft, the angle is greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 70 degrees.

6. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein at a first position of the extruder, the target shape corresponds to nugget ice and at a second position of the extruder, the target shape corresponds to flake ice.

7. The ice maker of claim 1, the extruder comprises a body and a plurality of protrusions, the plurality of apertures extending through the body and the plurality of protrusions extending from the body such that the extruder is press fit to the outlet.

8. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein each outlet of the plurality of apertures has at least one of a circular, concentric, rectangular, sector, or triangular shape.

9. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein an area of an outlet of the plurality of apertures is between 35% to 100% of an area of an inlet of the plurality of apertures.

10. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein the ice maker further comprises an actuator coupled to the extruder and the controller, the controller to control operation of the actuator to control the state of the extruder.

11. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein the state of the extruder comprises at least one of a shape of the plurality of apertures, a position, or an orientation of the extruder.

12. An ice maker comprising:a first chamber comprising an inlet to receive water and an outlet;a second chamber comprising an inlet coupled to the outlet;a die structure comprising a plurality of apertures and a plurality of dies located between the first chamber and the second chamber, each of the plurality of dies comprising a portion of the plurality of apertures, each portion of the plurality of apertures having a different shape;an auger disposed in the first chamber, the auger to drive ice material from freezing of the water in the first chamber to the second chamber through the plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures to form a plurality of ice forms; anda controller coupled to the die structure, the controller to control a position of each of the plurality of dies such that the position of each of the plurality of dies corresponds to a shape of the plurality of ice forms.

13. The ice maker of claim 12, wherein the die structure has a first position and a second position, the first position to form the plurality of ice forms corresponding to nugget ice and the second position to form the plurality of ice forms corresponding to flake ice.

14. The ice maker of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of dies is press fit to both the outlet of the first chamber and the inlet of the second chamber.

15. The ice maker of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of apertures define an outlet facing the second chamber, an inner area of each of the plurality of apertures being in a range from 33% to 80% of an area of the outlet.

16. The ice maker of claim 12, wherein the die structure comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from an outer surface of the die structure.

17. An ice making system, comprising:a kit comprising a first die and a second die, the first die and the second die to receive ice material driven by an auger and extrude the ice material as one or more ice structures, the first die and the second die being interchangeable to control a target shape of the one or more ice structures; andan ice shaper facing at least one of the first die or the second die, the ice shaper to cause the one or more ice structures to break into pieces of ice based on the target shape.

18. The ice making system of claim 17, wherein the first die comprises a plurality of first apertures and the second die comprises a plurality of second apertures, a shape of the first apertures different than a shape of the second apertures.

19. The ice making system of claim 17, wherein the target shape corresponds to at least a texture or hardness of the one or more ice structures.

20. The ice making system of claim 17, wherein the target shape corresponds to at least one of a circular, triangular, crescent, or rectangular shape of the one or more ice structures.

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