US3643456A - Mechanical bin-level-sensing control for domestic ice maker - Google Patents

Mechanical bin-level-sensing control for domestic ice maker Download PDF

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Publication number
US3643456A
US3643456A US46920A US3643456DA US3643456A US 3643456 A US3643456 A US 3643456A US 46920 A US46920 A US 46920A US 3643456D A US3643456D A US 3643456DA US 3643456 A US3643456 A US 3643456A
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United States
Prior art keywords
ice
level
drive
harvesting
bodies
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Expired - Lifetime
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US46920A
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English (en)
Inventor
Duane C Nichols
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Whirlpool Corp
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Whirlpool Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of US3643456A publication Critical patent/US3643456A/en
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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
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C1/00—Producing ice
    • F25C1/04—Producing ice by using stationary moulds
    • 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
    • F25C5/18—Storing ice
    • F25C5/182—Ice bins therefor
    • F25C5/187—Ice bins therefor with ice level sensing means
    • 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
    • F25C2305/00—Special arrangements or features for working or handling ice
    • F25C2305/022—Harvesting ice including rotating or tilting or pivoting of a mould or tray
    • F25C2305/0221—Harvesting ice including rotating or tilting or pivoting of a mould or tray rotating ice mould

Definitions

  • An ice body maker having means permitting the drive motor to run continuously while interrupting the operation of the mechanism when collected ice bodies reach a preselected level.
  • a sensing means is provided which includes means for cyclically ascertaining the quantity of ice bodies in a collecting bin and permitting a. successive ice body forming cycle only in the event that the level is below the preselected level.
  • the cycle of operation of the mechanism comprises a timed cycle under the control of the drive motor.
  • This invention relates to ice making apparatus and in par ticular to apparatus for automatically making ice bodies such as ice cubes.
  • the present invention comprehends an improved ice maker apparatus wherein means are provided for mechanically disconnecting the ice maker harvesting mechanism from the ice maker drive motor to interrupt the ice-making operation such as when the collecting bin is full, thereby permitting the ice maker drive motor to run continuously and provide a continuous drive for use in conjunction with the defrost means of the apparatus.
  • the present invention provides an improved, simplified and economical construction overcoming the disadvantages of the known refrigeration apparatuses discussed above in a novel and simple manner.
  • the illustrative means provided for effecting the mechanical disconnection of the ice maker mechanism is extremely simple.
  • these means comprise latching means for preventing mechanical connection between driving portions of the mechanism as an incident of a sensed full condition of the collecting bin.
  • FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an ice body maker embodying the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 3 is a front elevation thereof with portions thereof removed to facilitate illustration of the control mechanism
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevation of a portion ofthe mechanism
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantiully along the line 5-3 of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form of level-sensing means.
  • an ice maker generally designated llll is shown to comprise a mold Ill defining a plurality of cavities 12 adapted to receive water to be frozen into a plurality of ice bodies.
  • Mold 111 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis whereby the ice bodies may be formed with the mold cavities opening upwardly and may be discharged from the mold by turning the mold to an inverted position with the cavities opening downwardly therefrom subsequent to a suitable freeing of the ice bodies from the walls of the mold such as by twisting the mold.
  • Rotation of the mold is effected by an elec tric drive motor 14 forming a part of a control mechanism generally designated 15 mounted in a suitable housing T6.
  • the mold may be partially received within an enclosure wall 117 projecting forwardly from housing l6 as shown in FIG. I.
  • a receptacle or collecting bin 13 is slidably carried on suitable brackets 19 to be disposed subjacent the mold to receive the discharged ice bodies in the harvesting operation.
  • Mechanism 15 includes a sensing arm 26 adapted to sweep through the upper portion of the space 211 within collecting bin l6 thereby to sense the level of ice bodies collected in the bin.
  • the sensing arm When the sensing arm senses a full condition, i.e., the condition where the level of the ice bodies is at least a preselected full level, it causes a discontinuation of the ice body forming cycle by suitable control of mechanism 15.
  • the present invention comprehends an improved mechanism for effecting this discontinuation.
  • motor 14 is provided with a gear reducer 22 driving an output shaft 23 carrying a pinion gear 24.
  • Pinion gear 24 drives a pair of gears, main drive gear 25 and spur gear 26.
  • Spur gear 26 is mounted for rotation on a stub shaft 27 received in a front wall 28.
  • Main drive gear 25 is rotatably mounted on a tubular shaft 29.
  • Shaft 29 includes a forward projection 30 connected to one end ofmold lll whereby rotation of tubular shaft 29 effects desired rotation of mold l l in the cyclical ice-making operation discussed above.
  • the distal end of the mold may be rotatably mounted by means of a stub shaft 3i pivoted in a front portion 32 of the enclosure wall 17.
  • spur gear 26 includes a rearwardly opening recess 33 and drive gear 25 includes an opening 34 which becomes aligned with recess 33 at periodic intervals as a result of the different rates of rotation of gears 23 and 26.
  • Carried on shaft 29 is a tubular housing 35 extending parallel to the axis of the shaft 29 and arranged to be aligned with opening 341 at one point in the relative rotation of the drive gear on shaft 29.
  • a pin 36 is coaxially slidably mounted in housing 35 to have a nose portion 37 enter into opening 34 when the opening is so aligned.
  • Pin 36 carries a rearward extension 38 received in an opening 33 in a rear wall 40 of mechanism 15.
  • a coil spring 41 extending between pin 36 and rear wall 40 biases the pin forwardly against the drive gear.
  • Nose portion 37 of pin 36 is frustoconical and is urged outwardly from opening 34 by a coacting frustoconical portion 42 whenever the movement of the pin into the opening is limited by the engagement of nose portion 37 with the face of spur gear 26 and the resultant movement of rearward extension 33 of pin 36 is not sufficient to remove it from opening 39 in rear wall 40.
  • no motion of shaft 29 is effected by the rotation of drive gear 25 as pin 36 merely moves in and out of opening 34.
  • Nose portion 37 of pin 36 moves laterally outwardly from recess 33 which, as seen in FIG. 5, opens through the circumferential edge of the spur gear 26 permitting the pin to move in an annular path in locked association with gear 25 in opening 34 for one complete revolution of gear 25.
  • On completion of the revolution nose portion 37 of pin 36 reenters the recess in spur gear 26 and is cammed outwardly thereby to restore extension 38 to the position of FIG. wherein it extends through opening 39 in rear wall 40 thereby once again locking shaft 29 against rotation with drive gear 25.
  • a latching means is provided which comprises means for preventing rotation of shaft 29 notwithstanding a continued rotation of drive motor 14 and, thus, continued rotation of gears 25 and 26.
  • the sensing arm 20 includes an upper portion 43 which cooperates with a suitable spring 44 to bias the sensing arm downwardly into the bin 18, or in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. As long as the level of ice bodies in the collecting bin is below a predetermined level, the upper end 45 of arm portion 43 bears against a cam portion 46 of shaft 29.
  • Cam portion 46 includes a depressed portion 47 which permits spring 44 to bias the lower end of the sensing arm 20 downwardly into the bin with the remaining camming surface 48 being circular and arranged to urge the sensing arm portion 45 in a counterclockwise direction sufficiently to raise the sensing arm above the preselected full level during the remainder of the rotation of cam 46.
  • a latch 49 is pivotally mounted on cam portion 46 by means of a pivot post 50 and is biased in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 4, by a spring extension arm 51 engaging a stop 52 on cam portion 46.
  • the latch includes a finger portion 53 which is biased by spring 51 into an annular notch 54 in pin 36 to lock the pin against axial movement in tubular housing 35.
  • sensing arm portion 45 When the level of ice bodies is below the preselected level in bin 18, sensing arm portion 45 is permitted to bear against latch portion 53 when cam 46 is disposed with the recess 47 aligned with sensing arm portion 45.
  • Spring 44 is preselected to overcome spring 51 at this time and thereby remove latch finger portion 53 from annular notch 54 and thereby permit pin portion 37 to move freely into opening 34 and recess 33, as discussed above, to effect a 360 rotation of shaft 29, thus completing a full ice making cycle.
  • spring 44 is prevented from biasing the sensing arm portion 45 sufficiently in a clockwise direction to retract latch finger 53 from notch 54 whereby pin 36 is held against movement into opening 34 and thereby drive gear is prevented from effecting rotation of shaft 29 notwithstanding an alignment of recess 33 with opening 34.
  • motor 14 may continue to operate drive gears 25 and I 26 without effecting further operation of the ice maker mechanism until such time as the level of ice bodies in bin 18 is lowered below the preselected full level.
  • mechanism 15 is again arranged to carry out the normal ice maker operation whereby shaft 29 is rotated periodically as a result of the aligned relationship of recess 33 and opening 34 as discussed above.
  • the level of lip 57 is dependent on the weight of ice collected and predetermined low level of the lip 57 indicates a full bin.
  • the sensing arm is inclined to the left in this embodiment so that a counterclockwise pivoting of portion 20 will cause sensing arm portion 45 to move free of latch portion 55.
  • the sensing arm is biased oppositely to that of the embodiment of FIGS. l-5, the spring 56 being selected to be more powerful than the sensing arm biasing spring so as to overcome the bias when the bin is not full.
  • the means for controlling the movement of pin 36 to provide the selective discontinuation of operation of mechanism 15 is extremely simple while yet providing the highly desirable advantages discussed above.
  • an ice body maker having a mold for forming ice bodies, a receptacle for collecting formed ice bodies transferred thereto in a harvesting operation, and means requiring a timed operation differing from that of the ice body forming and harvesting operations, mechanism for controlling the transfer of ice bodies from the mold to the receptacle compris-.
  • ice-harvesting means for causing transfer of ice bodies from the mold to the receptacle; drive means; control means operated by said drive means for cyclically causing formation of ice bodies in said mold; means cyclically connecting the drive means to said harvesting means for transferring formed ice bodies from said mold to said receptacle; latching means for preventing connection between said drive means and said ice-harvesting means as an incident of the level of ice bodies collected in said receptacle reaching a preselected level and permitting reconnection of said drive means to said ice-harvesting means upon the level being reduced to below said preselected level; and means connecting the drive means to said means requiring a timed operation differing from that of the ice body forming and harvesting operations for operating the same permitting the effecting of said third operation independently of the connection or disconnection of said drive means to said forming and harvesting operations.
  • the ice body maker of claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes a first connector for receiving a driving force from said drive means, said connecting means includes a second connector selectively engageable with said first connector, and said connection preventing means comprises means preventing engagement of said second connector with said first connector as an incident of the level of ice bodies collected in said receptacle reaching a preselected full level and permitting engagement of said second connector with said first connector upon the level being reduced to below said preselected level.
  • the ice body maker of claim 1 including means for biasing said connecting means to a condition wherein the drive means is connected to said ice-harvesting means and said latching means comprises means for locking the connecting means against the action of said biasing means to preclude the connection thereby of said drive means to said ice-harvesting means.
  • connecting means comprises a connector movably carried for movement with said drive means and shoulder means in said ice-harvesting means disposed for selective abutment by said connector.
  • Apparatus for controlling an ice body maker having a collecting bin for collecting ice bodies formed by said ice body maker comprising: a drive gear; drive means for continuously rotating the drive gear; a cam connected to the ice body maker for effecting mechanical operation thereof 5 in an ice body forming and harvesting cycle; means for connecting the drive gear to the cam for rotation of the cam therewith as an incident of said drive gear having been rotated a preselected number of times; and latching means for preventing operation of said connecting means to connect said gear to said cam in the event the level of ice bodies in said collecting bin is at a preselected high level.
  • the apparatus of claim 6 including a sensing arm and means for cyclically moving said sensing arm relative to said collecting bin for sensing the level of ice bodies collected in said collecting bin, said sensing arm being adapted to over come said latching means when the level of ice bodies in said collecting bin is below said predetermined level.
  • said connecting means comprises a pin carried by said cam, an aperture in said drive gear, means biasing said pin toward said drive gear, and means permitting the biased pin to move into said aperture to lock said cam and drive gear for coaxial rotation as an incident of said drive gear having been rotated a preselected number of times with the level of the collected ice bodies in said collecting bin being below said preselected high level.
  • said ice body maker includes an arm, means for cyclically moving said arm into said collecting bin to sense the level ofice bodies collected therein, control means for preventing movement of said pin toward said drive gear by said biasing means, and means associated with said arm for overcoming said control means to permit movement of said pin into said drive gear aperture when the level of collected ice bodies is below said preselected level.
  • control means comprises spring means biased to lock said pin against movement.
  • the apparatus of claim lld further including means for biasing said arm to cause said means associated therewith to overcome said spring-biased control means when the level of collected ice bodies is below said preselected level.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)
  • Production, Working, Storing, Or Distribution Of Ice (AREA)
US46920A 1970-06-17 1970-06-17 Mechanical bin-level-sensing control for domestic ice maker Expired - Lifetime US3643456A (en)

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US4692070A 1970-06-17 1970-06-17

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US3643456A true US3643456A (en) 1972-02-22

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US (1) US3643456A (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
JP (1) JPS4942105B1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
CA (1) CA942516A (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)
DE (1) DE7119264U (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS4996353A (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html) * 1973-01-20 1974-09-12
US3863461A (en) * 1973-11-30 1975-02-04 Gen Motors Corp Tray ice maker with ice level sensing control
US5768899A (en) * 1995-12-22 1998-06-23 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Ice maker with mechanism for determining a position of an ice-making tray
US20240263861A1 (en) * 2023-02-02 2024-08-08 Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. Refrigerator appliances and removable ice making assemblies

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS52149263A (en) * 1976-06-07 1977-12-12 Tokyo Gasu Denro Kk Vertical heating furnace

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3312080A (en) * 1966-02-24 1967-04-04 Gen Electric Household refrigerator including automatic icemaker and control means therefor
US3315483A (en) * 1966-02-14 1967-04-25 Dole Valve Co Automatic ice maker
US3382682A (en) * 1965-10-19 1968-05-14 Whirlpool Co Method for harvesting ice bodies and apparatus for the same
US3446923A (en) * 1967-03-02 1969-05-27 Mallory & Co Inc P R Sequence control means
US3529430A (en) * 1968-02-05 1970-09-22 Dole Valve Co Belt driven ice maker
US3541806A (en) * 1969-02-14 1970-11-24 Gen Motors Corp Control system for refrigerator with automatic icemaker and defrosting means

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3382682A (en) * 1965-10-19 1968-05-14 Whirlpool Co Method for harvesting ice bodies and apparatus for the same
US3315483A (en) * 1966-02-14 1967-04-25 Dole Valve Co Automatic ice maker
US3312080A (en) * 1966-02-24 1967-04-04 Gen Electric Household refrigerator including automatic icemaker and control means therefor
US3446923A (en) * 1967-03-02 1969-05-27 Mallory & Co Inc P R Sequence control means
US3529430A (en) * 1968-02-05 1970-09-22 Dole Valve Co Belt driven ice maker
US3541806A (en) * 1969-02-14 1970-11-24 Gen Motors Corp Control system for refrigerator with automatic icemaker and defrosting means

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS4996353A (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html) * 1973-01-20 1974-09-12
US3863461A (en) * 1973-11-30 1975-02-04 Gen Motors Corp Tray ice maker with ice level sensing control
US5768899A (en) * 1995-12-22 1998-06-23 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Ice maker with mechanism for determining a position of an ice-making tray
US20240263861A1 (en) * 2023-02-02 2024-08-08 Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. Refrigerator appliances and removable ice making assemblies
US12429270B2 (en) * 2023-02-02 2025-09-30 Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. Refrigerator appliances and removable ice making assemblies

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Publication number Publication date
DE7119264U (de) 1971-11-25
CA942516A (en) 1974-02-26
JPS4942105B1 (cg-RX-API-DMAC7.html) 1974-11-13

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