Front-Removable Agitator Motor for Ice Dispenser Servicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ice dispenser systems require technicians to enter the storage bin to service the agitator motor, leading to increased labor costs and the risk of dispensing loose or broken fasteners, especially when icemakers need to be moved for access.
Innovation Solution
A front removable agitator motor assembly that allows for the removal and servicing of the agitator motor without entering the storage bin, using a shaft with a bore to pass a fastening device through the agitator motor assembly and engage the agitator bar assembly, eliminating the need for icemaker specialists and reducing the risk of dispensing hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the agitator motor is mounted inside the storage bin requiring technician entry for servicing, then the motor can be directly coupled to the agitator bar assembly, but the service complexity and labor cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The agitator motor assembly is segmented from the storage bin interior, allowing the motor to be mounted on the exterior front surface while maintaining functional coupling to the agitator bar assembly through a shaft that passes through the bin wall. This segmentation enables independent servicing of the motor without requiring entry into the storage bin.
Solution Approach 2:
A shaft acts as an intermediary element, transmitting rotational force from the exterior-mounted agitator motor through the storage bin wall to the agitator bar assembly inside. This intermediary allows the motor to be positioned outside the bin while still driving the internal agitator mechanism.
2Reliability
If the fastener is located inside the storage bin to couple the motor to the agitator bar, then the coupling is secure, but the risk of fastener dislodgement and dispensing into the cup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening hardware is extracted from the storage bin interior and repositioned on the exterior front surface where the agitator motor is mounted. This extraction eliminates the risk of fasteners becoming dislodged and dispensed into the ice cup, while maintaining secure coupling between the motor and agitator bar assembly through the shaft.
3Ease of operation
If the icemaker must be moved to access the storage bin for motor servicing, then complete access to the bin interior is achieved, but the requirement for additional specialized labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The agitator motor assembly is segmented from the icemaker and storage bin interior components, allowing it to be serviced independently from the front of the dispenser. This eliminates the need to move the icemaker or gain access to the storage bin interior, enabling a single technician to service the motor efficiently.
4Ease of repair
If the agitator motor assembly is made removable from the front, then servicing becomes easier and faster, but the coupling mechanism between motor and agitator bar must be redesigned
Solution Approach 1:
A shaft with an external bore serves as the coupling mechanism, allowing the agitator motor to be removably mounted on the front while maintaining secure connection to the agitator bar assembly. The bore accommodates the shaft that transmits rotational force, enabling both easy removal and secure coupling.
Data Source
AI summary
An agitator motor assembly is removable from a front of an ice dispenser for servicing, thereby eliminating the need to gain entrance into a storage bin to uncouple the agitator motor assembly from an agitator bar assembly. The ice dispenser includes the storage bin having a port, the agitator bar assembly disposed within the storage bin, and the agitator motor assembly mounted to a front of an exterior portion of the bin. A shaft of the agitator motor assembly engages the agitator bar assembly through the port, such that the agitator motor assembly rotates the agitator bar assembly when powered. The agitator motor assembly further includes a fastening device that passes through a bore in the shaft and engages the agitator bar assembly, thereby coupling the agitator motor assembly to the agitator bar assembly. A method for removing the agitator motor assembly is also provided.