US20190178556A1 - Refrigerator icemaking console - Google Patents

Refrigerator icemaking console Download PDF

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Publication number
US20190178556A1
US20190178556A1 US15/835,953 US201715835953A US2019178556A1 US 20190178556 A1 US20190178556 A1 US 20190178556A1 US 201715835953 A US201715835953 A US 201715835953A US 2019178556 A1 US2019178556 A1 US 2019178556A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
fresh food
console
food compartment
compartment
refrigerator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US15/835,953
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English (en)
Inventor
Eric Scalf
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Midea Group Co Ltd
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Midea Group Co Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Midea Group Co Ltd filed Critical Midea Group Co Ltd
Priority to US15/835,953 priority Critical patent/US20190178556A1/en
Assigned to MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD. reassignment MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SCALF, ERIC
Priority to PCT/CN2018/074188 priority patent/WO2019109491A1/fr
Publication of US20190178556A1 publication Critical patent/US20190178556A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
    • F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
    • F25C5/20—Distributing ice
    • F25C5/22—Distributing ice particularly adapted for household refrigerators
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
    • F25D23/028—Details
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/06—Walls
    • F25D23/062—Walls defining a cabinet
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/06—Walls
    • F25D23/069—Cooling space dividing partitions
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
    • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
    • F25D25/024—Slidable shelves
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C2400/00—Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice
    • F25C2400/10—Refrigerator units
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/06—Walls
    • F25D23/065—Details
    • F25D23/067—Supporting elements
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2300/00—Special arrangements or features for refrigerators; cold rooms; ice-boxes; Cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass

Definitions

  • Top mount refrigerators for example, include a freezer compartment near the top of the refrigerator, either accessible via a separate external door from the external door for the fresh food compartment, or accessible via an internal door within the fresh food compartment.
  • Side-by-side refrigerators orient the freezer and fresh food compartments next to one another and extending generally along most of the height of the refrigerator.
  • Door-mounted ice dispensers (which are often combined with water dispensers) are common convenience features on many of these residential refrigerators. Incorporating these features into top mount and side-by-side refrigerators has generally been straightforward because it is generally possible to mount such dispensers on the external door for the freezer compartment at a convenient height for a user, as well as at a location suitable for receiving ice produced by an ice maker mounted in the freezer compartment.
  • Bottom mount refrigerators orient the freezer compartment below the fresh food compartment and near the bottom of the refrigerator. For most people, the fresh food compartment is accessed more frequently than the freezer compartment, so many of the items that a user accesses on a daily basis are accessible at a convenient height for the user.
  • Some bottom mount refrigerators include a single door for each of the fresh food and freezer compartments, while other designs commonly referred to as “French door” refrigerators include a pair of side-by-side doors for the fresh food compartment. Some designs may also utilize sliding doors instead of hinged doors for the freezer compartment, and in some designs, multiple doors may be used for the freezer compartment.
  • ice dispensers rely at least in part on gravity to convey ice from an ice maker mold to a storage receptacle and/or to convey ice from the storage receptacle to an exit chute for the ice dispenser, so it is generally desirable to orient the ice maker at a higher elevation than the ice dispenser.
  • bottom mount refrigerators generally provide a relatively large fresh food compartment that extends the full width of the refrigerator, access to some food items maintained by shelves and/or bins may be difficult, particularly when many food items are stored in the refrigerator.
  • the herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a refrigerator that utilizes a center console in a fresh food compartment that extends only a portion of the height of the fresh food compartment and separated from each of the side walls of the fresh food compartment.
  • the center console may be insulated and house an icemaker, as well as provide an ability to support fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins within the fresh food compartment.
  • the fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins may be supported by a top of the center console, while in other instances, they may be supported along the sides of the center console.
  • a bottom mount refrigerator may include a cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed in the cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed in the cabinet above the freezer compartment and having a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, the bottom wall separating the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment, an icemaking console extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the top wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the icemaking console from the fresh food compartment, and an icemaker disposed within the icemaking console.
  • some embodiments may also include one or more fresh food doors closing the fresh food compartment, and one or more freezer doors closing the freezer compartment.
  • the one or more fresh food doors include one or more hinged doors.
  • the one or more freezer doors include one or more hinged doors.
  • the one or more freezer doors include one or more sliding doors.
  • some embodiments may also include an ice dispenser coupled to the icemaking console to dispense ice generated by the icemaker, where the ice dispenser is externally accessible when the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors are closed.
  • the icemaking console includes a sealing surface against which at least one door among the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors forms a seal when closed.
  • the freezer compartment has a top wall extending generally parallel to the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, where the icemaking console further extends downwardly from the top wall of the freezer compartment only a portion of a height of the freezer compartment, and where the ice dispenser extends below a bottom edge of the one or more fresh food doors.
  • a front of the icemaking console is covered by at least one door among the one or more fresh food doors and the one or more freezer doors.
  • the icemaking console includes first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment
  • the bottom mount refrigerator further includes one or more first sliding storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the icemaking console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment, and one or more second sliding storage elements extending between the second side wall of the fresh food compartment and the second side wall of the icemaking console and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment, where each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element is configured to support a food item within the fresh food compartment.
  • each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element includes a shelf, a basket or a storage bin. Further, in some embodiments, at least one of the one or more first sliding storage elements and the one or more second sliding storage elements is supported by a plurality of full extension slide rails permitting substantially full extension thereof outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • some embodiments may also include one or more shelves extending substantially between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the icemaking console and supported by the icemaking console.
  • the one or more shelves includes a first sliding shelf configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • the first sliding shelf is supported by at least one full extension slide rail permitting substantially full extension of the first sliding shelf outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • the at least one full extension slide rail includes at least one undermount slide rail extending along an underside of the first sliding shelf and slidably coupling the first sliding shelf to the icemaking console.
  • the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment defines an opening into the freezer compartment, where the icemaking console is positioned over the opening such that the interior compartment of the icemaking console is open to the freezer compartment and is cooled by air circulated within the freezer compartment. Further, in some embodiments, the interior compartment of the icemaking console is maintained at a below freezing temperature.
  • Some embodiments may also include an evaporator disposed within or behind the icemaking console. Further, in some embodiments, the evaporator is disposed rearwardly from the icemaker. Also, in some embodiments, the evaporator is a fresh food evaporator and the icemaking console includes an interior wall separating the icemaker from the fresh food evaporator. In addition, in some embodiments, the evaporator includes a tube extending through the interior wall and coupled to the icemaker to provide direct cooling of the icemaker.
  • a bottom mount refrigerator may include a cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed in the cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed in the cabinet above the freezer compartment and extending substantially a full width of the cabinet, the fresh food compartment having a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, the bottom wall separating the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment, an insulated console extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the top wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the insulated console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the insulated console from the fresh food compartment, the one or more walls including first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, one or more full width shelves extending between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the insulated console, one or more first sliding storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the insulated console and configured to
  • the one or more full width shelves includes a first sliding shelf supported by the insulated console between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment and configured to slide outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • each first sliding storage element and each second sliding storage element includes a shelf, a basket or a storage bin, and where at least one of the one or more first sliding storage elements and the one or more second sliding storage elements is supported by a plurality of full extension slide rails permitting substantially full extension thereof outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • Some embodiments may further include an icemaker disposed within the insulated console.
  • the insulated console further includes an ice dispenser.
  • a refrigerator may include a cabinet, fresh food and freezer compartments respectively disposed in the cabinet at first and second elevations relative to one another, the fresh food compartment having first and second side walls, a dividing wall that separates the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment and an end wall that extends generally parallel to the dividing wall proximate a top or bottom end of the cabinet, an icemaking console extending substantially vertically from the dividing wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the icemaking console from the fresh food compartment, and an icemaker disposed within the icemaking console.
  • the first elevation is higher than the second elevation, where the dividing wall is a bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, where the end wall is a top wall of the fresh food compartment, and where the icemaking console extends upwardly from the bottom wall of the fresh food compartment.
  • the first elevation is lower than the second elevation, where the dividing wall is a top wall of the fresh food compartment, where the end wall is a bottom wall of the fresh food compartment, and where the icemaking console extends downwardly from the top wall of the fresh food compartment.
  • a refrigerator may include a cabinet, fresh food and freezer compartments respectively disposed in the cabinet at first and second elevations relative to one another, the fresh food compartment having first and second side walls, a dividing wall that separates the fresh food compartment from the freezer compartment and an end wall that extends generally parallel to the dividing wall proximate a top or bottom end of the cabinet, a console extending substantially vertically from the dividing wall of the fresh food compartment only a portion of a height of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of the end wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, a sliding shelf extending substantially between the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment above the console and supported by the console, where the sliding shelf is supported by at least one full extension slide rail coupled to the console and permitting substantially full extension of the sliding shelf outwardly from the fresh food compartment.
  • the at least one full extension slide rail includes at least one undermount slide rail extending along an underside of the sliding shelf and slidably coupling the sliding shelf to the console. Also, in some embodiments, the at least one full extension slide rail includes first and second full extension slide rails extending generally parallel to one another and slidably coupling the sliding shelf to the console. Some embodiments may also include one or more glides extending generally parallel to the at least one full extension slide rail to guide the sliding shelf. Moreover, in some embodiments, the one or more glides includes at least one glide supported by the console.
  • the sliding shelf has first and second sides respectively extending along the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, and where the first and second sides are unsupported by the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment.
  • the console includes first and second side walls respectively facing the first and second side walls of the fresh food compartment, where the refrigerator further includes one or more first storage elements extending between the first side wall of the fresh food compartment and the first side wall of the console and one or more second storage elements extending between the second side wall of the fresh food compartment and the second side wall of the console, where each first storage element and each second storage element is configured to support a food item within the fresh food compartment, and where the first and second sides of the sliding shelf are unsupported by any of the first and second storage elements.
  • the console is an icemaking console including one or more walls that insulate an interior compartment of the console from the fresh food compartment, and where the refrigerator further includes an icemaker disposed in the console.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator consistent with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example control system for the refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with the fresh food compartment doors open.
  • FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the icemaking console for the refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 , with the fresh food compartment doors removed, and with a storage bin in a fully extended position.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 , with the fresh food compartment doors removed, and with a full width shelf in a fully extended position.
  • FIG. 7 is a functional top plan view of an alternate full width shelf support to that illustrated in FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 8 is a functional top plan view of another alternate full width shelf support to that illustrated in FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 9 is a functional front elevational view illustrating a top mount refrigerator utilizing an icemaking console consistent with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 10 is a functional front elevational view illustrating a bottom mount refrigerator utilizing an icemaking console covered by the fresh food compartment doors consistent with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 11 is a functional front elevational view illustrating a bottom mount refrigerator utilizing an icemaking console that additionally extends into a freezer compartment consistent with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the icemaking console in the refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 13 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the icemaking console in the refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 14 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the icemaking console in the refrigerator of FIG. 1 , with the upper and lower ice storage bins pulled to open positions.
  • FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an alternate lower ice storage bin to that illustrated in FIG. 4 .
  • FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of operations for making ice in the refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example refrigerator 10 in which the various technologies and techniques described herein may be implemented.
  • Refrigerator 10 is a residential-type refrigerator, and as such includes a cabinet or case 12 , a fresh food compartment 14 , a freezer compartment 16 , one or more fresh food compartment doors 18 , 20 and one or more freezer compartment doors 22 , 24 .
  • Fresh food compartment 14 is generally maintained at a temperature above freezing for storing fresh food such as produce, drinks, eggs, condiments, lunchmeat, cheese, etc.
  • Various shelves, drawers, and/or sub-compartments may be provided within fresh food compartment 14 for organizing foods, and it will be appreciated that some refrigerator designs may incorporate multiple fresh food compartments and/or zones that are maintained at different temperatures and/or at different humidity levels to optimize environmental conditions for different types of foods.
  • Freezer compartment 16 is generally maintained at a temperature below freezing for longer-term storage of frozen foods, and may also include various shelves, drawers, and/or sub-compartments for organizing foods therein.
  • Refrigerator 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is a type of bottom mount refrigerator commonly referred to as a French door refrigerator, and includes a pair of side-by-side fresh food compartment doors 18 , 20 that are hinged along the left and right sides of the refrigerator to provide a wide opening for accessing the fresh food compartment, as well as a pair of sliding freezer compartment doors 22 , 24 that are similar to drawers and that pull out to provide access to items in the freezer compartment. Both the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment may be considered to be full width as they extend substantially across the full width of the cabinet 12 .
  • refrigerator 10 is a bottom mount refrigerator with freezer compartment 16 disposed below fresh food compartment 14
  • the invention is not so limited, and as such, the principles and techniques may be used in connection with other types of refrigerators in other embodiments, e.g., top mount refrigerators, side-by-side refrigerators, etc.
  • Refrigerator 10 also includes a cabinet-mounted dispenser 26 for dispensing ice and/or water.
  • dispenser 26 is an ice and water dispenser capable of dispensing both ice and chilled water, while in other embodiments, dispenser 26 may be an ice only dispenser for dispensing only cubed and/or crushed ice. In still other embodiments, dispenser 26 may additionally dispense hot water, coffee, beverages, or other liquids, and may have variable and/or fast dispense capabilities. In some instances, ice and water may be dispensed from the same location, while in other instances separate locations may be provided in the dispenser for dispensing ice and water.
  • a refrigerator consistent with the invention also generally includes one or more controllers configured to control a refrigeration system as well as manage interaction with a user.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of a refrigerator 10 including a controller 40 that receives inputs from a number of components and drives a number of components in response thereto.
  • Controller 40 may, for example, include one or more processors 42 and a memory 44 within which may be stored program code for execution by the one or more processors.
  • the memory may be embedded in controller 40 , but may also be considered to include volatile and/or non-volatile memories, cache memories, flash memories, programmable read-only memories, read-only memories, etc., as well as memory storage physically located elsewhere from controller 40 , e.g., in a mass storage device or on a remote computer interfaced with controller 40 .
  • controller 40 may be interfaced with various components, including a cooling or refrigeration system 46 , an ice and water system 48 , one or more user controls 50 for receiving user input (e.g., various combinations of switches, knobs, buttons, sliders, touchscreens or touch-sensitive displays, microphones or audio input devices, image capture devices, etc.), and one or more user displays 52 (including various indicators, graphical displays, textual displays, speakers, etc.), as well as various additional components suitable for use in a refrigerator, e.g., interior and/or exterior lighting 54 , among others.
  • User controls and/or user displays 50 , 52 may be disposed, for example, on one or more control panels disposed in the interior and/or on doors and/or other external surfaces of the refrigerator.
  • audio feedback may be provided to a user via one or more speakers, and in some embodiments, user input may be received via a spoken or gesture-based interface.
  • Additional user controls may also be provided elsewhere on refrigerator 10 , e.g., within fresh food and/or freezer compartments 14 , 16 .
  • refrigerator 10 may be controllable remotely, e.g., via a smartphone, tablet, personal digital assistant or other networked computing device, e.g., using a web interface or a dedicated app.
  • Controller 40 may also be interfaced with various sensors 56 located to sense environmental conditions inside of and/or external to refrigerator 10 , e.g., one or more temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc. Such sensors may be internal or external to refrigerator 10 , and may be coupled wirelessly to controller 40 in some embodiments. Sensors 56 may also include additional types of sensors such as door switches, switches that sense when a portion of an ice dispenser has been removed, and other status sensors, as will become more apparent below.
  • sensors 56 located to sense environmental conditions inside of and/or external to refrigerator 10 , e.g., one or more temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc.
  • Sensors 56 may also include additional types of sensors such as door switches, switches that sense when a portion of an ice dispenser has been removed, and other status sensors, as will become more apparent below.
  • controller 40 may also be coupled to one or more network interfaces 58 , e.g., for interfacing with external devices via wired and/or wireless networks such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, cellular and other suitable networks, collectively represented in FIG. 2 at 60 .
  • Network 60 may incorporate in some embodiments a home automation network, and various communication protocols may be supported, including various types of home automation communication protocols. In other embodiments, other wireless protocols, e.g., Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, may be used.
  • refrigerator 10 may be interfaced with one or more user devices 62 over network 60 , e.g., computers, tablets, smart phones, wearable devices, etc., and through which refrigerator 10 may be controlled and/or refrigerator 10 may provide user feedback.
  • user devices 62 e.g., computers, tablets, smart phones, wearable devices, etc.
  • controller 40 may operate under the control of an operating system and may execute or otherwise rely upon various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, etc.
  • controller 40 may also incorporate hardware logic to implement some or all of the functionality disclosed herein.
  • the sequences of operations performed by controller 40 to implement the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented using program code including one or more instructions that are resident at various times in various memory and storage devices, and that, when read and executed by one or more hardware-based processors, perform the operations embodying desired functionality.
  • such program code may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that the invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of computer readable media used to actually carry out the distribution, including, for example, non-transitory computer readable storage media.
  • the various operations described herein may be combined, split, reordered, reversed, varied, omitted, parallelized and/or supplemented with other techniques known in the art, and therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular sequences of operations described herein.
  • FIGS. 1-2 Numerous variations and modifications to the refrigerator illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, as will become apparent from the description below. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific implementations discussed herein.
  • an icemaking console 70 may be disposed in fresh food compartment 14 and may extend upwardly from a bottom wall 72 of the fresh food compartment 14 only a portion of a height H of the fresh food compartment and spaced apart from each of a top wall 74 , right side wall 76 , and left side wall 78 of the fresh food compartment.
  • Console 70 may include a front wall 82 , top wall 84 , right side wall 86 and left side wall 88 , and in some instances, at least portions of front wall 82 may be externally-accessible when doors 18 , 20 are closed.
  • front wall 82 may include a sealing surface 90 against which gaskets 92 , 94 on doors 18 , 20 may form a seal when doors 18 , 20 are closed.
  • Console 70 may extend in some instances to a back wall 96 of fresh food compartment 14 , while in other instances, and as shown in FIG. 4 , a separate housing 98 may project from back wall 96 (e.g., formed integrally with back wall 96 , or formed as a separate component that is fastened or otherwise attached to back wall 96 ). Housing 98 may be used, for example, to provide space for an evaporator and/or other cooling system component, for control electronics, for air ducts, or for other suitable purposes.
  • console 70 may be insulated (e.g., via foam or another suitable insulator) such that console 70 is an insulated console and such that an interior compartment of console 70 is maintained at a below-freezing temperature for the purposes of making and storing ice.
  • console 70 is in fluid communication with freezer compartment 16 through an opening 100 formed in bottom wall 72 of fresh food compartment 14 , such that while console 70 is physically disposed within the boundary of fresh food compartment 14 , the interior of console 70 is insulated from the fresh food compartment and in fluid communication with freezer compartment 16 , thus effectively operating as an extension of freezer compartment 16 .
  • console 70 may be separate from freezer compartment 16 , e.g., insulated from freezer compartment 16 and including a separate cooling system, e.g., a thermoelectric cooling system, or separated from freezer compartment 16 but fluidly coupled via ducts or vents to receive cool air circulated by the freezer compartment cooling system.
  • a separate cooling system e.g., a thermoelectric cooling system
  • console 70 is formed separate from the shell or liner used to form the fresh food and/or freezer compartments. In other embodiments, however, console 70 may be formed integrally with the shell or liner of a fresh food and/or freezer compartment.
  • Console 70 in some embodiments may also provide a convenient location for a control panel 102 suitable for controlling various functions of refrigerator 10 .
  • control panel 102 may include displays, buttons, sliders, switches, etc., and may be used to perform various control operations such as setting temperature setpoints, controlling ice and/or water functions, displaying alarms or alerts, etc.
  • top wall 84 of console 70 may be bi-level to accommodate control panel 102 , although in other embodiments, no control panel may be used, and top wall 84 may be at a substantially consistent elevation along its depth.
  • Console 70 in some instances may be an icemaking console insofar as the console is used to make, dispense and/or store ice. As will become more apparent below, however, console 70 may not be an icemaking console in some embodiments. In some embodiments, however, console 70 may be configured to receive one or more drawers or storage bins, e.g., upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 .
  • Upper ice storage bin 104 includes a front face 108 that insulates console 70 from the external environment when the bin is pushed into the console and forms a front surface of the upper ice storage bin
  • lower ice storage bin 106 includes a front face 110 that similarly insulates console 70 from the external environment when the bin is pushed into the console and forms a front surface of the lower ice storage bin.
  • Front faces 108 , 110 also house at least a portion of an externally-accessible ice and water dispenser, discussed in greater detail below. In some embodiments, a single front face may be used, whereby the upper and lower ice storage bins may be coupled to the same front face.
  • console 70 also provides a number of structural features associated with the storage of food items within fresh food compartment 14 .
  • side walls 86 , 88 of console 70 respectively face side walls 76 , 78 of fresh food compartment 14 , and may provide structural support for one or more sliding storage elements (e.g., storage elements 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 , 122 ) within fresh food compartment 14 .
  • sliding storage elements e.g., storage elements 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 , 122
  • a storage element within the context of the disclosure may include any structural member capable of storing or otherwise supporting a food item, e.g., a shelf, a basket, a storage bin, a drawer, a rack, etc., and a sliding storage element may be considered to be a storage element capable of sliding within a horizontal plane, e.g., along a generally horizontal axis extending from the rear to the front of refrigerator 10 .
  • Storage elements 112 and 118 are sliding shelves, while storage elements 114 , 116 , 120 and 122 are sliding storage bins or drawers. It will also be appreciated that storage bins or drawers may be configured with customizable environmental conditions (e.g., different temperatures, humidity levels, etc.) suitable for storing food items such as meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, etc. Further, not all of storage elements 114 - 122 need be configured as sliding storage elements, and moreover, different numbers and types of storage elements may be used for any of the storage elements illustrated in FIG. 5 , so the invention is not limited to the particular combination of storage elements illustrated herein.
  • console 70 provides greater support for these storage elements, so much so that in some embodiments it may be desirable to utilize full extension slide rails (e.g., slide rails 124 , 126 for storage element 120 ) to support a sliding storage element, permitting the sliding storage element to be fully extended outwardly from the fresh food compartment, thereby providing greater access to the rear portion of the interior of a storage bin, drawer or basket, or to the rear portion of a shelf or rack.
  • a full extension slide rail in this regard, is configured to extend at least substantially the full depth of a sliding storage element, including overextension beyond the full depth of the sliding storage element in some embodiments.
  • console 70 may also provide structural support for storage elements located above the console, e.g., full width shelf 128 , which is disposed underneath a pair of non-sliding shelves 130 , 132 (which could also be sliding shelves in some embodiments as well).
  • full width shelf 128 a full width shelf, extending substantially between the side walls of the fresh food compartment, would be exceptionally prone to sagging given the typical dimensions of such refrigerators.
  • configuring such a shelf to slide would generally strain any slide rails mounted to the side walls of the fresh food compartment, and adding full extension capability would provide even greater challenges.
  • top wall 84 of console 70 may provide adequate support for full width shelf 128 to enable a full width shelf to substantially span the entire width of fresh food compartment 14 .
  • a pair of undermount slide rails 134 , 136 i.e., substantially horizontally oriented slide rails
  • slide rails 134 , 136 may be full extension slide rails to permit substantially full extension of full width shelf 128 .
  • slide rails 134 , 136 may provide sufficient support for full width shelf 128 to eliminate the need to support the shelf from side walls 76 , 78 , such that while the shelf extends substantially between the side walls of the fresh food compartment, the ends of the shelf do not necessarily contact or couple with the side walls themselves.
  • console 70 generally provides sufficient support such that shelf 128 need not be supported by any storage elements or other components disposed proximate the sides of the shelf.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of an alternate full width shelf 140 supported by a console 142 using a single full extension undermount slide rail 144 and a pair of undermount glides 146 , 148 extending generally parallel thereto.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of an alternate full width shelf 150 supported by a console 152 using a pair of side wall mounted full extension slide rails 154 , 156 and a pair of undermount glides 158 , 159 .
  • Other combinations of components may be used to slidably support a full width shelf in other embodiments, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
  • console 70 extends upwardly from a bottom wall of a fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator only a portion of the height of the fresh food compartment, and further supports an externally-accessible ice and water dispenser that may be accessed without opening any door to the fresh food or freezer compartment.
  • console 70 extends upwardly from a bottom wall of a fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator only a portion of the height of the fresh food compartment, and further supports an externally-accessible ice and water dispenser that may be accessed without opening any door to the fresh food or freezer compartment.
  • various modifications may be used.
  • an icemaking console may extend downwardly rather than upwardly in some embodiments.
  • the figure illustrates a top mount refrigerator 160 including a top mount freezer compartment 162 covered by a single freezer door 164 and disposed at a higher elevation from a fresh food compartment 166 covered by a pair of French doors 168 , 170 .
  • an icemaking console 172 may extend downwardly from a dividing wall 174 that functions as a top wall for the fresh food compartment and separates fresh food compartment 166 from freezer compartment 162 .
  • the icemaking console 172 extends only a portion of the height of fresh food compartment 166 , and is thus separated from an end wall 176 and side walls 178 , 180 of the fresh food compartment.
  • French doors 168 , 170 also have cut-outs such that console 172 is externally-accessible without opening any of doors 164 , 168 and 170 .
  • an icemaking console may not be externally-accessible in some embodiments, and may be covered by one or more of the fresh food and/or freezer doors.
  • the figure illustrates a bottom mount refrigerator 182 that includes a fresh food compartment 184 at a higher elevation than a freezer compartment 186 , with each compartment 184 , 186 covered by a pair of French doors 188 , 190 and 192 , 194 .
  • An icemaking console 196 extends upwardly from a dividing wall 198 separating the fresh food and freezer compartments; however, no cut-outs are provided on any of the doors such that console 196 is only accessible by opening one or more of doors 188 - 194 .
  • an icemaking console may not only extend into a fresh food compartment, but also into a freezer compartment. Doing so, for example, may assist in positioning an ice and water dispenser at a more convenient height.
  • a bottom mount refrigerator 200 may include a fresh food compartment 202 at a higher elevation than a freezer compartment 204 , with each compartment 202 , 204 covered by a pair of French doors 206 , 208 and 210 , 212 .
  • An icemaking console 214 extends upwardly from a dividing wall 216 separating the fresh food and freezer compartments.
  • Dividing wall 216 functions as both a bottom wall for fresh food compartment 202 and a top wall for freezer compartment 204 , and in this embodiment, console 214 not only extends upwardly but also extends downwardly from dividing wall 216 a portion of the height of the freezer compartment. Moreover, at least a portion of the console (and if included, an ice and/or water dispenser) is disposed below the bottom edges of the fresh food doors 206 , 208 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, cut-outs are provided on each of doors 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 .
  • some embodiments of the invention may include an icemaking system incorporating a pair of tandem ice storage bins as well as a removable dispenser recess portion consistent with this invention.
  • the icemaking system may include an icemaker 220 disposed within cabinet 12 , and in particular, within icemaking console 70 , e.g., proximate a top of the icemaking console.
  • Produced ice is ejected out of a front end 222 of icemaker 220 and drops into an intermediate area of upper ice storage bin 104 , which is disposed below icemaker 220 and configured to receive ice produced by the icemaker.
  • icemaker 220 extends generally from front to back within console 70 , in other embodiments icemaker 220 may extend transversely (i.e., from side to side). Therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular icemaker design illustrated herein.
  • Upper ice storage bin 104 also includes a reversible ice mover 224 .
  • Ice mover 224 may be driven by a motor 226 or other drive, which in the illustrated embodiment is external to upper ice storage bin 104 and removably and mechanically coupled to ice mover 224 to drive ice mover 224 in two opposing directions when upper ice storage bin 104 is in an operating position, but to separate from the upper ice storage bin when the upper ice storage bin is slid outwardly from console 70 .
  • an ice mover drive may be incorporated into upper ice storage bin 104 itself, and may be removable from refrigerator 10 along with the upper ice storage bin.
  • Ice mover 224 in the illustrated embodiment may be configured as an auger. In other embodiments, however, ice mover 224 may be configured as a conveyor, a paddle, or other suitable component. Moreover, while no ice crusher is specifically illustrated in the figures, it will be appreciated that various types of ice crusher configurations may be used, and may provide selective crushing of ice dispensed by the icemaking system.
  • ice mover 224 is reversible, and in this regard, may be actuated to push ice disposed in upper ice storage bin 104 in two opposing directions.
  • ice mover 224 pushes ice towards an ice dispenser 228 , which in the illustrated embodiment includes portions disposed on each of the front faces 108 , 110 of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 .
  • ice mover 224 may be configured to push ice towards the front of refrigerator 10 , and towards an ice chute 230 disposed in front face 108 of the upper ice storage bin.
  • ice cubed or crushed
  • a flap 234 or other closure may also be provided proximate ice chute 230 to provide some insulation for the ice chute and reduce heat loss from icemaking console 70 .
  • ice mover 224 pushes ice away from ice dispenser 228 , and towards a rearwardly-disposed aperture 236 formed in upper ice storage bin at an opposite end from ice dispenser 228 such that ice pushed into aperture 236 drops into lower ice storage bin 106 positioned below upper ice storage bin 104 .
  • aperture 236 is illustrated as being formed in a bottom wall of upper ice storage bin 104 , aperture 236 may alternatively be disposed elsewhere, e.g., on an end or side wall of upper ice storage bin 104 .
  • aperture 236 is illustrated as being always open, in other embodiments a movable closure element such as a hinged or sliding trap door may be used, e.g., so that aperture 236 is closed when upper ice storage bin 104 is removed from icemaking console 70 .
  • aperture may be normally closed but opened when ice mover 224 is pushing ice in the second, rearward direction.
  • Lower ice storage bin 106 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12-14 includes an ice bucket 238 that is fastened or otherwise secured to front face 110 .
  • a lower ice storage bin e.g., lower ice storage bin 106 ′
  • an ice bucket may also include one or more handles, e.g., handles 242 of ice bucket 238 ′, that facilitate carrying the ice bucket when loaded down with ice. Ice bucket 238 ′ may be removed, for example, by first sliding lower ice storage bin 106 ′ out of icemaking console 70 and then lifting the ice bucket out of the lower ice storage bin.
  • both of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 are removable from icemaking console 70 .
  • upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 are both fully removable, while in other embodiments one or both of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 may be only partially removable, e.g., to provide access to the ice stored therein, but without fully disengaging from icemaking console 70 .
  • both ice storage bins may share the same front face, and may be removable together.
  • a stop, tab or latch may be provide on either or both of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 to enable upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 to be withdrawn at most a predetermined amount from icemaking console 70 , but thereafter allow the upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 to be fully withdrawn after actuation of the stop.
  • lower ice storage bin 106 may be used as a primary ice storage bin from which a user may obtain ice when a large quantity of ice is needed by the user.
  • the lower ice storage bin 106 may lack a stop and thus may be easily removed from icemaking console 70 , even when doors 18 , 20 , 22 and 24 are all closed.
  • Upper ice storage bin 104 in contrast, may be primarily used to hold ice for dispensing purposes, and thus may not be frequently removed from icemaking console 70 by a user.
  • upper ice storage bin 104 may include stop 244 such that it is not fully removed by a user in most circumstances, yet is still fully removable through actuation of stop 244 , e.g., for use by service personnel or when wider access to the upper area of the icemaking console is needed or desired.
  • Each of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 may be configured to be slidably removed from icemaking console 70 , either with or without the use of slide rails or other tracking guides.
  • upper ice storage bin 104 lacks any tracking guides
  • lower ice storage bin 106 slides along slide rails 246 , 248 .
  • other configurations may be used, and moreover, ice storage bins may be mounted for other movement relative to icemaking console 70 in other embodiments, e.g., through rotation or some combination of linear and rotational movement, and through openings in other walls of the icemaking console.
  • housing 98 in some embodiments provides additional space within fresh food compartment, e.g., for a fresh food, freezer, or other evaporator, a fan, a compressor, or other cooling system component, for control electronics, or for other purposes.
  • the interior of housing 98 may insulated from fresh food compartment in some embodiments, or may be in fluid communication with the fresh food compartment via vents. In other embodiments, housing 98 may be omitted, and console 70 may extend all of the way to back wall 96 .
  • an evaporator 250 for fresh food compartment 14 may be disposed within housing 98 .
  • cooling tubes 252 may extend through an interior wall 254 of console 70 that insulates console 70 from housing 98 .
  • an evaporator may be disposed within console 70 , rather than behind console 70 as is the case in FIG. 12 . It will be appreciated that by placing fresh food evaporator 250 either within or behind console 70 , additional space on the back wall of the fresh food compartment is available, thereby enabling the fresh food compartment to be deeper than would otherwise be possible with the evaporator spread across the back of the cabinet, and thereby increasing the capacity of refrigerator 10 .
  • refrigerator 10 includes ice and water dispensing functionality.
  • ice dispenser 228 are formed by front faces 108 , 110 of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 , with front face 108 housing ice chute 230 and flap 234 , and front face 110 housing a dispenser recess portion 232 .
  • Dispenser recess portion 232 is recessed relative to ice chute 230 such that a container (e.g., a cup, glass, bowl, bucket, cooler, etc.) placed into dispenser recess portion 232 will be aligned with ice chute 230 to receive ice dispensed by ice dispenser 228 .
  • a container e.g., a cup, glass, bowl, bucket, cooler, etc.
  • dispenser recess portion may also include one or more ice dispenser controls 256 for actuating ice dispenser 228 .
  • a single ice dispenser control 256 configured as a paddle may be used in dispenser recess portion 232 , and may be actuated by a user's finger or by pressing a container against the paddle.
  • a separate control or setting may be used to select from between cubed and crushed ice, or in some instances, two paddles or other controls may be used to separately dispense cubed and crushed ice.
  • refrigerator 10 also includes a water dispenser 258 disposed on icemaking console 70 .
  • Water dispenser 258 as with ice dispenser 228 , is externally-accessible when doors 18 , 20 , 22 , and 24 are closed. Unlike ice dispenser 228 , however, water dispenser 258 is disposed at a fixed location in icemaking console 70 , e.g., on a cantilevered extension 260 having a profile that conforms with front face 108 of upper ice storage bin 104 .
  • Water dispenser 258 includes an outlet 262 coupled to a supply line 264 , and further includes a valve (not shown) that controls the supply of water to outlet 262 .
  • a water dispenser control 266 e.g., a paddle or button, may be disposed underneath outlet 262 , e.g., on front face 108 of upper ice storage bin 104 , may be used to selectively actuate water dispenser 258 either through pressing by a user's finger or by pressing the edge of a container against the control.
  • water dispenser 258 By providing at least the water supply and outlet of water dispenser 258 on a fixed component of refrigerator 10 , no detachable couplings or flexible hoses are needed in order to support movement of the water dispenser relative to icemaking console 70 . In addition, since at least outlet 262 of water dispenser 258 is separate from ice dispenser 228 , ice storage bins 104 , 106 are readily removable without concern for the water supply to water dispenser 258 .
  • ice and water may be dispensed from the same dispenser recess portion, and in some instances using the same control (e.g., where a separate dispenser mode switch is used to select between ice, water, and in some instances, crushed ice).
  • different dispenser controls may be used in other embodiments, e.g., various combinations of buttons, paddles, proximity sensors, mode switches, etc.
  • the various components of the ice and/or water dispensers may be disposed on removable or fixed components in refrigerator 10 . Therefore, the invention is not limited to the particular configuration disclosed herein.
  • a dispenser shut off circuit for one or both of the ice dispenser 228 and water dispenser 258 in response to movement of either of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 away from an operating position.
  • a dispenser shut off circuit may include one or more switches (e.g., contact switches, magnetic switches, etc.) that disconnect controls 256 , 266 from controller 40 when an upper and/or lower ice storage bin 104 , 106 is moved away from the operating position.
  • a contact switch 270 may be disposed on a front face of icemaking console 70 to contact a contact pad 272 disposed on a rearwardly-facing surface of front face 108 of upper ice storage bin 104 when upper ice storage bin 104 is pushed back into an operating position.
  • a second contact switch 274 may be disposed on a front face of icemaking console 70 to contact a contact pad 276 disposed on a rearwardly-facing surface of front face 110 of lower ice storage bin 106 when lower ice storage bin 106 is pushed back into an operating position.
  • Controller 40 may be configured to deactivate ice and/or water dispenser 228 , 258 whenever one or both of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 have been pulled away from icemaking console 70 . For example, it may be desirable in some instances to disable both dispensers in response to either ice storage bin 104 , 106 being out of an operating position.
  • control signals generated by controls 256 , 266 may be passed through contact switches 270 , 274 and contact pads 272 , 276 .
  • separate electrical contacts or wiring may be used to communicate control signals.
  • contact switches are illustrated as being located on surfaces that are generally transverse to the sliding axes of ice storage bins 104 , 106 , in other embodiments the contact switches may be disposed on surfaces that are generally parallel to the sliding axes, or in other locations suitable for detecting the presence of an ice storage bin in an operating position.
  • electrical contact switches are illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 14 , in other embodiments other types of switches may be used, e.g., magnetic switches, mechanical switches, optical switches, etc.
  • controls 256 , 266 include electrical switches that close upon actuation, in other embodiments electrical switches may be disposed in icemaking console and mechanical linkages may be coupled to each control 256 , 266 to depress the electrical switches only when ice storage bins 104 , 106 are in an operating position.
  • Other manners of coupling controls 256 , 266 to controller 40 and/or of disabling the ice and/or water dispensers 228 , 258 upon removal of one or both of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 will be apparent to those of ordinary skill having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
  • Control of ice production with icemaker 220 may be based in part on the sensed level of ice in each of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 .
  • an upper level sensor 280 and a lower level sensor 282 may be configured to sense the level of ice within each of upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 .
  • Level sensors 280 , 282 may be configured as optical or photoelectric sensors, although other sensors may be used in other embodiments, e.g., weight sensors, or sensor arrays capable of sensing ice level at multiple locations in each ice storage bin.
  • controller 40 may implement a sequence of operations 300 for producing ice and storing the ice in the upper and lower ice storage bins 104 , 106 .
  • an ice production operation using any of various known icemaking techniques, may be initiated.
  • Block 304 may then determine whether the icemaker is ready to release the ice, and if not, passes control to block 306 to wait for a next interval before returning control to block 304 to again check if the icemaker is ready to release the ice.
  • block 304 passes control to block 308 to determine (e.g., from sensor 280 ) whether the upper storage bin is full. If not, control passes to block 310 to operate ice mover 224 in the forward direction a predetermined amount to push ice forward towards dispenser 228 . By pushing ice forward, the ice may be positioned proximate dispenser 228 to reduce the amount of time ice mover 224 needs to be actuated before ice is dispensed to a user. Control then passes to block 312 to release the ice, thereby dropping the ice into the upper ice storage bin 104 . Control then returns to block 302 to initiate another ice production operation.
  • block 308 determine (e.g., from sensor 280 ) whether the upper storage bin is full. If not, control passes to block 310 to operate ice mover 224 in the forward direction a predetermined amount to push ice forward towards dispenser 228 . By pushing ice forward, the ice may be positioned proximate dispenser 228 to reduce the amount of time
  • block 308 instead passes control to block 314 to determine (e.g., using sensor 282 ) whether the lower ice storage bin is full. If so, control returns to block 304 to wait until the upper storage bin is no longer full (e.g., after a user has dispensed some ice using the ice dispenser), such that the produced ice is retained in the icemaker, and no additional ice is produced, until sufficient room exists in the upper ice storage bin.
  • block 314 passes control to block 316 to operate ice mover 224 in the opposite, rearward direction a predetermined amount to push ice rearward so that at least some of the ice will drop into lower ice storage bin 106 .
  • Block 318 determines if the upper storage bin is still full, and if so, returns control to block 316 to continue pushing ice rearward and thus from the upper ice storage bin to the lower ice storage bin. Once the upper ice storage bin is no longer full, block 318 then passes control to block 312 to release the ice, and then to block 302 to initiate another ice production operation.
  • an icemaking console consistent with the invention may be used in connection with other icemaking systems in other embodiments, and conversely, an icemaking system consistent with the invention may be used in other refrigerator designs, including those without an icemaking console and/or those in which an icemaking system is at least partially disposed elsewhere in a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, or door of a refrigerator.
  • an icemaking system consistent with the invention may incorporate tandem ice storage bins without a removable dispenser recess portion in some embodiments, or alternatively, a removable dispenser recess portion without tandem ice storage bins. Therefore, the invention lies in the claims hereinafter appended.

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