US2912835A - Rotary ice cube ejector mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1959 E. E. MODES ETAL ROTARY ICE CUBE EJECTOR MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1955 ATTORNEYS INVENTORS. EDWARD-EMODE? NlCHOL-A MILL'EK q Q m. \l-E k .S 6 Q r .355 w iiiaiaafau N v N 8 mm a N N 3 5 m W Nov. 17, 1959 ELIE. MODES ETAL 2,912,835

I ROTARY ICE CUBE EJECTOR MECHANISM I Filed July 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I G 4 INVENTOR5 EDWARD e. MODE5 kHCHOLA NULL-ER MM l ATTQRNEY5 United States Patent ROTARY ICE CUBE EJECTOR NIECHANISM Application July 18, 1955, Serial No. 522,526

Claims. (Cl. 62-351) This invention relates to improvements in ice making apparatus and more particularly relates to an apparatus for automatically ejecting frozen ice blocks from the mold therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified and improved ejecting device for, ice blocks from a mold in which the ice blocks are ejected by a simplified form of heat motor.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel and simplified apparatus to be contained within a household refrigerator for freezing blocks of ice and for automatically ejecting the ice blocks when frozenby the use of a heat motor in the form of a solid fill thermal element.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a simple and novel form of ice block mold for incorporation in a household refrigerator for freezing individual blocks of ice therein, in which a means is provided to heat .the mold to free the frozen ice blocks and a high motion solid or wax filled type of thermal element rotates individual blades for each ice block, for moving the freed ice blocks from the mold, and an ejector lever operating by the energy stored by the freeing operation of the ice blocks from the mold, serves to eject the freed ice blocks from the mold into an ice tray or like receptacle.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a novel and improved form of ice block mold, .particularly adapted for use in household types of refrigerators and having heating means for heating the mold upon freezing of the Water in the form of ice cubes, individual blades for each ice block, for removingthe ice cubes from the mold and an ejector member operated by operation of the freeing blades and biased to move toward the blades, for ejecting the ice blocks laterally beyond the mold upon removal of the ice blocks-from the mold by the blades, in which a high motion solid or Wax filled type of thermal element serves to operate the blades as the frozen blocks are freed from the mold by heat and in which the ejector member, blades and thermal element are returned to their initial'positions, to carry out a next succeeding ejecting cycle of the ice blocks, by the energy stored up during the preceding ejecting operation.

These and other objects of our invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherem:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an ice block mold and ejector mechanism for the frozen blocks of ice constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through the center of the mold shown in 'Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the mold shown in Figure 1 looking toward the right hand end thereof; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IVIV of Figure 1 and illustrating by broken lines the operation of depositing the ice blocks freed from the mold into a tray or like receptacle.

, 2,912,835 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 In the embodiment of'our invention illustrated in the drawings, the ice making apparatus includes generally a tray or mold 10 having a plurality of cavities 11 therein opening to the top thereof and forming molds for freezing water the form of individual cubes or blocks or ice 12 when the mold is contained within a refrigerator.

The cavities 11 or shown in Figures 2 and 4 as having concave arcuate bottoms 13'and outwardly flaring side Walls 14 to facilitate the removal of the ice blocks or cubes 12 from the mold.

The mold or tray 10 may be made from any suitable material such as aluminum, copper clad with strainless steel, or copper having high heat transfer properties and a minimum surface sticking property to the ice. The walls of the cavities may also be coated with a silicone preparation to further facilitate the freezing of the ice blocks from the mold.

The mold 10 is recessed at its bottom as indicated by reference character 15 and the recess at the bottom portion thereof terminates into a marginal recess 16 extending along the cavities 11 adjacent the bottom there of and having a heater 17 extending therealong. The heater 17 may be a well known form of sheeted electric heater and serves to heat the mold to thaw the ice blocks 12 at the contacting surfaces of the ice blocks with the cavities 1 1, to accommodatethe ice blocks to be removed thereupon.

The means for removing the ice blocks 12 from the cavities 11 upon thawing of the contacting surfaces of said ice blocks with said cavities is herein shown as comprising a plurality of parallel individual pusher or scraper blades 19, connected to move together to slidably remove ice blocks from the cavities 11. As herein shown, the blades. 19 extend from a common shank 20 extending partially about apivot shaft 21 and secured to said shaft for rotation therewith as by pins 22. The shaft 21 is -rotatably carried in spaced upwardly opening sockets 23 formed in the end walls of the mold 10 spacing said shaft above the cavities 11 to move the blades 19 into and across the cavities from one end thereof to the other.-

A suitable means (not shown) may be provided to retain said shaft to said sockets.

The shaft 21 extends for the length of the mold 10 and is shown as being in alignment with the longitudinal axis thereof and in vertically spaced relation with respect to the cavities 11, and has an outboard end 24 having a pinion 25 keyed or otherwise secured thereto. The pinion 25 meshes with the teeth of a gear sector 26, formed integrally with the depending end portion 27 of a lever 29. The lever 29 is pivotally mounted on the end wall of the mold or tray 10 on a pivot pin 30.

The lever 29 is shown as having a flattened engaging portion 31, spaced inwardly from the pin 30 toward the pinion 25 and facing to one side of the mold 10. The flattened engaging end portion 31 of the lever 29 is shown as being engaged by a rounded bearing end 32 of a piston 33 of a heat motor 35, herein shown as being a thermal element of the so called power or high motion solid fill type of thermal element, such as is shown and described in the Vernet Patent No. 2,368,181 dated January 30, 1945. The wax or solid fill type of thermal element shown has been selected for its compactness and simplicity, as well as its extreme power and the relatively long range of travel of its power member or piston 33. In such types of thermal elements, a thermal medium (not shown) is contained within a casing 36 for the thermal element and acts against a membrane or deformable member (not shown), to extend the power member or piston 32 with respect to the casing 36, as the thermal medium in the casing reaches its fusion point, The thermal medium may be a wax alone or a wax containing a powdered metal heat conductor and a binder, the

material used being selected for its melting or fusion point, and the fusion point thereof determining the temperature range of operation of the thermal element.

The casing 36 is shown as being surrounded by a shield or outer casing 37, encasing a resistance heater 38, energized through conductors 39 and 40, connected with a suitable source of power, to heat the thermal element and effect extension of the piston 33 with respect to the casing 36, to eject the ice cubes from the mold or tray 10.

As herein shown, the thermal element 35 has a stud 41 extending from its end opposite the piston 33, which is threaded within a plate 42 extending along the side of the mold and outwardly therefrom and secured thereto as by machine screws 43. A nut 44 is provided to lock the stud 41 in position. The lever 29 is biased into the position shown in Figure 3 by a tension spring 45. The spring 45 is shown as being hooked at one end through an ear 47 extending outwardly from the lever 29 and at its other end, through the plate 42. The spring 45 also serves to return the piston 33 of the thermal element 35 and to return the scraper blades 19 to the initial ejecting position shown in Figure 4.

Freely mounted on the shaft 21, inwardly of the bearing supports 23, is an ejector member 50 extending the length of the mold or tray 10. The ejector member 50 is shown as having two spaced arms 51 extending from opposite ends thereof and freely mounted on the shaft 21 inwardly of collars 53 which abut the inner walls of the bearing supports 23. Spaced torsion springs 54- encircle the shaft 21 inwardly of the arms 51. Said torsion springs each have an end 55 resting on a top portion 56 of the mold or tray 10 and have an opposite arm 57 extending through a slotted portion 59 of an upright lip 66* defining the inner margin of the ejector member 50. The torsion springs 54 bias outer lips 61 of the ejector member 50 into engagement with the top wall of the tray or mold 10.

Upon energization of the energizing circuit established through the conductors 39 and 40 and the heating of the heat motor or thermal element 35, the piston 33 will be extended from said thermal element, to pivot the lever 29 in a clockwise direction and rotate the pinion 25 and the shaft 24 in the same direction. This will engage the scraper blades 19 with the individual ice blocks or cubes 12, sliding said ice blocks along the arcuate bottoms 13 of the cavities 11, provided the heater 17 has first been energized to free the ice blocks by thawing the surfaces thereof in contact with the Walls of said cavities.

Continued extension of the piston 33 and rotation of the shaft 24 will engage the advance edges of the ice blocks 12 with the ejector member 50 within the lips 61 thereof. Continued turning movement of the scraper blades 19 in a clock-wise direction will effect the turning of the ejector member 50 against the torsion springs 54 to the extreme position indicated by broken lines in Figure 4 and designated by reference character A. In this position of the ejector member 50, extensible movement of the piston 33 will have stopped. The torsion springs 54 will then turn the ejector member 51} in a counterclockwise direction, sliding the ice blocks along the surfaces of the scraper blades 19 beyond the edge of the mold or tray 10 into an ice tray or like receptacle 65.

Energization of the heater for the heat motor 35 is effected through a switch 66 having the conductor 39 connected to one terminal thereof and having a second conductor 67 connected to the other terminal thereof and connecting said switch with a source of current supply. The switch 66 may be of any well known form and is herein shown as having a depressible button 69 having an operating plate or ear 70 extending along the top thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom for engagement with the arm 27 of the lever 29 at the extreme end of travel of said lever, to shut said switch off. This will deenergize the heater for the heat motor or thermal element 35 and accommodate the spring 45 to return the lever 29 to the position shown in Figure 3, and to return the piston 33 with respect to the heat motor 35.

The switch 66 is turned on by a pivoted lever 71 pivoted outside the furcations of the bifurcated bracket 73 secured to and extending outwardly from the opposite wall of the mold 10 from the plate 42. The lever 71 is pivoted to the bracket 73 on a pivot pin 74 and has an ear 75 projecting outwardly from its outer end for engagement with the plate or operating member 70, to depress the pushbutton 69 upon pivotal movement of said lever in a direction, which is shown in Figure 1 as being a clockwise direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lever 71 has a U- shaped body portion 77 extending downwardly along the outer sides of the bifurcated bracket 7 3 and pivoted thereto. A lever arm 79 is shown as extending from the U- shaped body 77 along the inner furcation of the bracket 73. A link 80 is pivotally connected to the lever arm 79 as by a pivot pin 31. The opposite end of the link 80 is shown as being pivotally connected to an armature 82 of an electromagnet 83 as by pivot pin 84. The lever 71 is biased in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 by a tension spring 86 connected at one end with an ear 87 extending outwardly from the bracket 73 and at its opposite end to an arm 88 extending inwardly from the body 77 of the lever 71 along the outer side wall of the mold 16 in spaced relation with respect thereto.

The electromagnet may be of any well known form energized in a predetermined time sequence preferably through a timer (not shown). As shown in Figure l the armature is rockingly carried in a bracket 90 extending along one side and beyond the electromagnet 83, and is biased in the position shown in Figure l as by a tension spring 91 connected between the armature 82 and an car 93 extending outwardly from the bracket 90.

Thus upon energization of the electromagnet 83, the armature 82 will move into engagement with the core thereof. This will move the link 80 and lever arm 79 to the left, depressing the lever 71 against the tension spring 86 and engaging the car 75 of said lever with the plate 70, to depress the pushbutton 69 and effect the energization of the heater 38. This will effect operation of the heat motor or thermal element 35 and effect ejection of the ice cubes from the cavities 11 by extension of the piston 33 with respect to the thermal element as has previously been described.

In the ice making operation, the cavities 11 in the mold are first filled by suitable valve means (not shown) which may be solenoid operated under the control of a timer (not shown). The freezing of the ice cubes or blocks may then take place. Upon freezing of the water in the form of ice cubes or blocks, the heater 17 may be energized under the control of a thermostat (not shown) connected in a timing and cyclic control circuit (not shown).

The electromagnet 83 may also be energized to operate the switch 66 to connect the heater 38 in the energizing circuit. The piston 33 will then extensibly move and pivot the lever 29 in a clockwise direction and rotate the blades 19 in a similar direction.

The scraper blades 19 pivoting a clockwise direction will slide the ice blocks 12 along the cavities 11 into engagement with ejector member 50 and the lips 61 thereof. Continued movement of the scraper blades 19 will effect pivotal movement of the ejector member 50 against the bias of the torsion springs 54 until the ejector member 50 reaches the broken line position, shown in Figure 4. The lever arm 29 will also engage the plate 70 and open the circuit to the heater 38.

At the same time the torsion springs 54 will pivot the ejector member 50 about the axis of the shaft 21 in a counterclockwise direction, sliding the ice cubes or blocks along the upper surfaces of the blades 19 beyond the mold into the tray .65.

The heater 38 now being deenergized the thermal element 35 Will cool and the spring 45 will pivot the lever 29 in a counterclockwise direction and will return the scraper blades 19 to the solid line position shown in Figure 4 and return the piston 33 with respect to the thermal element or heat motor 35. A next succeeding cyclic freezing and ejecting operation may then commence.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. An ice block ejector particularly adapted to remove ice blocks from an ice block mold or tray containing Within a refrigerator, comprising a pivotally movable pusher blade extending across the top of the tray and movable Within the tray from one side thereof to the other to remove ice blocks therefrom, a shaft extending along the tray and carrying said pusher blade in spaced relation with respect to said tray, means for pivoting said shaft and pusher blade in one direction comprising a thermal element operatively connected thereto and having a casing containing a fusible material and a piston extensible with respect to said casing upon fusion of the fusible material contained therein, an ejector member freely pivoted on said shaft, spring means biasing said ejector member to overlie said tray, said ejector member being pivotally moved against its spring bias to the opposite side of said tray from said pusher blade by engagement of an ice block with said ejector member upon pivotal movement of said pusher blade into and across the tray to remove an ice block from said tray, and said ejector member ejecting the ice block from said tray along said pusher blade beyond the tray by the energy stored up in said spring means.

2. In an ice block ejector, an ice block tray, a pivoted pusher blade spaced above and movable within and across the tray from one side thereof to the other, an ejector member pivoted for movement with respect to said pusher blade and overlying said tray and having a free end biased into engagement with the top thereof, a heat motor for pivoting said pusher blade in a direction to remove blocks of ice from said tray comprising a thermal element having a casing containing a fusible material and a piston extensible with respect to said casing upon fusion of the fusible material contained therein, means driven by said piston for pivoting said pusher blade in a direction to remove ice blocks from said tray, said pusher blade moving an ice block into engagement with said ejector member and pivoting the ejector member out of engagement with the tray against its bias during the ice block removing operation to the opposite side of the tray from said pusher blade and said ejector member moving by its bias to move an ice block along said pusher blade beyond said tray at the end of the ice removing operation, and spring means for returning said pusher blade and piston into an initial position before a next succeeding ice block removing operation.

3. An automatic ice making apparatus comprising a tray for ice blocks and the like, said mold having a plurality of ice block cavities therein, means for removing frozen blocks of ice from said cavities comprising a shaft extending along the top of said tray and having pusher blades mounted thereon and pivotally moved by said shaft within and across said cavities, an ejector member freely mounted on said shaft, spring means biasing said ejector member to extend into engagement with the top of said tray, a thermal element for operating said shaft and containing a fusible material and having a piston extensible upon fusion of the fusible material contained in said thermal element, a lever engaged by said piston and pivoted thereby upon extensible movement thereof, a spring biasing said lever into engagement with said piston, a pinion on said shaft, teeth on said lever meshing with said pinion for pivoting said shaft and scraper blades, a heater for said thermal element to effect operation thereof to pivot said pusher blades to remove ice blocks from said cavities and to engage said ejector member and pivot said ejector member against its spring bias into position to eject ice blocks along said pusher blades beyond the side of said tray, and means operated by said lever to terminate operation of said heater, said ejector member ejecting ice blocks along said pusher blades beyond the side of said tray by the bias of its spring.

4. In an ice block ejector, an ice block tray, a shaft extending along the top of said tray and journaled for pivotal movement with respect thereto, a pusher blade mounted on said shaft and movable within said tray from one side to the other to push ice blocks therefrom upon pivotal movement of said shaft, power means for pivoting said shaft and pusher blade in a direction to push ice blocks from said tray, an ejector member freely pivoted on said shaft, spring means on said shaft biasing said ejector member to overly said tray at the opposite side thereof from said pusher blade when said pusher blade is in position to remove an ice block from said tray, said ejector member having a lip thereon retaining an ice block in engagement therewith when pushed from said tray by said pusher blade, said pusher blade moving said ejector member against its spring bias through the medium of an ice block and storing energy in said spring, and said spring returning said ejector member to its biased position to push an ice block from said tray along said pusher blade during return movement of said ejector member.

5. In an automatic ice block ejector, an ice block tray, means for freeing ice blocks from said tray, means for removing frozen ice blocks from said tray comprising a shaft extending along the top of said tray and journaled for pivotal movement with'respect thereto, pusher blades extending from said shaft and moved thereby to engage and push ice blocks from said tray, power means for operating said shaft and pusher blades, and an ejector member pivotally mounted on said shaft for relative movement with respect to said pusher blades and pivoted in a direction away from said tray over the top thereof by engagement of the blocks of ice therewith effected by pushing movement of said pusher blades, and spring means biasing said ejector member to move toward said tray and eject blocks of ice removed from said tray along said scraper blades beyond said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,161,321 Smith June 6, 1939 2,259,066 Gaston Oct. 14, 1941 2,489,896 Kempton Nov. 29, 1949 2,576,591 Geyer Nov. 27, 1951 2,599,972 Buchanan June 10, 1952 2,717,495 Andersson Sept. 13, 1955 2,717,502 Barton Sept. 13, 1955 2,744,390 Partsch May 8, 1956

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