Patent ID: 8408016
Filing Date: 2013-04-02
Classification: F25C

Abstract:
1. An ice maker including: an ice mold including a plurality of cavities and configured to be rotatable about an axis that is spaced apart from the cavities and extends longitudinally with respect to the ice mold; and a sweeping element configured to be rotatable about the axis and including a shaft with a plurality of fingers radially extending from the shaft, each of the fingers configured to extend into a corresponding one of the cavities upon rotation of the shaft about the axis, wherein, during a harvesting step, the ice mold is configured to rotate in a first direction about the axis while the sweeping element is configured to rotate in a second direction about the axis that is opposite the first direction, and wherein the ice maker further comprises a crank and a gear train including a first gear and a second gear, the ice mold is interlocked to rotate with the first gear, the sweeping element is interlocked to rotate with the second gear that is concentric and rotatable about the first gear, the crank is operatively connected to the first gear to rotate in the first direction, and the second gear operatively connected via the gear train to the first gear to rotate in the second direction.