Patent ID: 11913699
Assignee: TRUE MANUFACTURING CO., INC.
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 21:
22. An ice maker comprising:
an enclosure;
a freeze plate received in the enclosure, the freeze plate comprising a back wall and a front opposite the back wall, the freeze plate further comprising a perimeter wall extending forward from the back wall, the perimeter wall comprising a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first side wall portion, and a second side wall portion, the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion defining a width of the freeze plate, the freeze plate further comprising a plurality of heightwise divider plates extending from lower ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upper ends connected to the top wall portion and a plurality of widthwise divider plates extending from first ends connected to the first side wall portion to second ends connected to the second side wall portion, the heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates being interconnected to define a plurality of ice molds inboard of the perimeter wall, each widthwise divider plate defining a plurality of molds immediately above the divider plate and a plurality of molds immediately below the divider plate, each widthwise divider plate sloping downward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate such that an included angle between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall is greater than 90° and less than 180°; and
a distributor configured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow downward along the freeze plate along the width of the freeze plate;
wherein the freeze plate is supported in the enclosure so that the back wall of the freeze plate slants forward
wherein the ice maker further comprises a support comprising at least one vertically extending support wall formed from a single monolithic piece of material, the support wall comprising an integrally formed freeze plate mount that is configured to mount the freeze plate on the support wall in the enclosure such that the back wall of the freeze plate slants forward;
wherein the ice maker further comprises a sump, at least one of a water level sensor and a pump, and a mounting plate for supporting said at least one of the water level sensor and the pump in the enclosure at an operative position with respect to the sump, the at least one vertically extending support wall comprising an integral plate mount configured to mount the mounting plate on the support and an integral sump mount configured to mount the sump on the support.