Abstract:
An ice making and storing system which may be mounted in a refrigeration appliance. The ice making and storing system includes an ice making mechanism, a removable ice storage receptacle positioned adjacent to the ice making mechanism, an insulated cover for the ice making mechanism with a portion engageable with the ice storage receptacle to provide a thermally tight seal between the cover and the ice storage receptacle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/876,344 filed Dec. 21, 2006 entitled “Ice Crushing Mechanism.” 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Ice crushing mechanisms are known, particularly those used in refrigeration appliances. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,130 and 7,111,473 disclose an ice crushing mechanism in a refrigeration appliance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,918 discloses an ice dispensing machine with rotatable keeper elements for moving ice towards a discharge opening. 
         [0003]    In an ice dispenser, and particularly those used in refrigeration appliances, freezer air is permitted to flow through the ice chute to the exterior of the appliance due to an open flow path through the ice dispenser, which may include an ice crushing mechanism. This causes condensation to occur on the ice chute door and in the dispenser housing. As the condensation occurs, water will begin to drip from the dispenser into the dispenser tray. This may cause the user of the appliance to believe that service is required to “fix the leak,” resulting in an unnecessary service call. 
         [0004]    Also, the ice crushing blades are sometimes accessible from the opening of the ice dispenser chute which can lead to the entry of foreign objects into the area of the ice crushing blades, resulting in damage to the blades or the foreign object, or stalling of the motor driving the blades. 
         [0005]    It would be an improvement in the art if there were provided an ice crushing mechanism which prevents the direct access of air from the freezer to the ice chute. Also, it would be an improvement if there were provided an ice crushing mechanism which prevents direct access to the ice crushing blades from the ice chute. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides an ice crushing mechanism which, in some embodiments, may be mounted in a refrigeration appliance having a refrigerated compartment and an ice making mechanism. 
         [0007]    The ice crushing mechanism includes a housing, a first chamber formed in the housing and defined by a first bottom wall with an opening therein, and a second chamber formed below the first chamber in the housing and defined on the top by the first bottom wall of the first chamber and also by a second wall with an opening therein angularly offset from the first bottom wall opening. A rotatable spindle is positioned in the housing extending essentially vertically through both the first and second chambers. At least one ice crushing blade is rotatably carried on the spindle and is positioned in the first chamber. A wiper is rotatably carried on the spindle and positioned in the second chamber. The second chamber, below the ice crushing chamber, with the offset opening from the second chamber prevents direct access from that opening to the ice crushing blades. 
         [0008]    The second wall, which defines the second chamber may be a bottom wall of the second chamber, or it may be a surrounding wall of the second chamber. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the first chamber may be further defined by a top wall with an opening therein angularly offset from the first bottom wall opening. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment, the openings in the first bottom wall and the second wall each have an angular extent of less than 90 degrees. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, the first chamber and the second chamber are each defined by a circular outer wall. 
         [0012]    In an embodiment, the wiper comprises at least one arm attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle with a free end terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall defining the second chamber. 
         [0013]    In an embodiment, the wiper arm is made of a flexible and resilient material. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment, the wiper arm comprises three arms attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle, each with a free end terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall defining the second chamber. 
         [0015]    In an embodiment, the ice crushing mechanism may include a housing, a first chamber formed in the housing and defined by a top wall with a first opening therein, a first bottom with a second opening having an angular extent of no more than 110 degrees therein angularly offset from the top wall opening and a circular outer wall, a second chamber formed below the first chamber in the housing and defined on the top by the first bottom wall of the first chamber, on the bottom by a lower, second bottom wall with a third opening having an angular extent of no more than 110 degrees therein angularly offset from the first bottom wall opening by approximately 180 degrees and a circular outer wall. A rotatable spindle is positioned in the housing extending essentially vertically through a central portion of both the first and second chambers. At least one ice crushing blade is rotatably carried on the spindle and positioned in the first chamber. A wiper is rotatably carried on the spindle and positioned in the second chamber, the wiper comprising a plurality of arms, each attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle and each with a free end terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall. The arms of the wiper are angularly spaced apart from each other such that at least two arms block all paths between the second opening and the third opening. In this manner, direct access of air from the freezer to the ice chute is prevented. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, the openings in the top wall, the first bottom wall and the second bottom wall each have an angular extent of less than 90 degrees. 
         [0017]    In an embodiment, the wiper arm is made of a flexible and resilient material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a refrigeration appliance incorporating an ice crushing mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side sectional schematic view of the ice crushing mechanism. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a top sectional view of the ice crushing mechanism taken generally along the line III-III of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an isolated perspective view of the wiper used in the ice crushing mechanism. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the present invention provides an ice crushing mechanism  20  which, in some embodiments, may be mounted in a refrigeration appliance  22  which includes an ice making mechanism  23 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the refrigeration appliance  22  includes a refrigerated compartment  24 . In this compartment may be located various shelves  26  and drawers  27  for storing food items. The ice crushing mechanism  20  may be located on a door  30  of the cabinet  32  of the appliance  22 , as shown, or it may be located in the main refrigerated compartment  24 . The refrigeration appliance  22  may also include a second compartment  34  which could be maintained at a different temperature than the first compartment, and the ice crushing mechanism  20  could be located in either compartment, such as one kept above freezing or one kept below freezing. 
         [0023]    As shown schematically in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the ice crushing mechanism  20  includes a housing  40 , a first chamber  42  formed in the housing and defined by a first bottom wall  44  with an opening  46  therein, and a second chamber  48  formed below the first chamber in the housing and defined on the top by the first bottom wall  44  of the first chamber and also by a second wall  50  with an opening  52  therein angularly offset from the first bottom wall opening  46 . A rotatable spindle  54  is positioned in the housing  40  extending essentially vertically through both the first  42  and second  48  chambers. At least one ice crushing blade  56  is rotatably carried on the spindle  54  and is positioned in the first chamber  42 . A wiper  58  is rotatably carried on the spindle  54  and positioned in the second chamber  48 . 
         [0024]    The second wall  50 , which defines the second chamber  48  may be a bottom wall  60  of the second chamber, or it may be a surrounding wall  62  of the second chamber. The first chamber  42  may be further defined by a top wall  64  with an opening  66  therein angularly offset from the first bottom wall opening  46 . 
         [0025]    In an embodiment, the openings  46 ,  52  in the first bottom wall  44  and the second wall  50  each have an angular extent A of less than 90 degrees. 
         [0026]    In an embodiment, the first chamber  42  and the second chamber  48  are each defined by a circular outer wall  68 ,  62 . The two circular outer walls  68 ,  62  may have the same diameter, or they may have different diameters. 
         [0027]    In an embodiment, the wiper  58  comprises at least one arm  70  attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle  54  with a free end  72  terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall  62  defining the second chamber  48 . In an embodiment, the wiper arm  72  is made of a flexible and resilient material such that is a rigid obstacle is positioned between the wiper arm and an edge of either opening  46 ,  52 , the arm will flex and the wiper  58  will continue rotating, without causing damage to the rigid obstacle. 
         [0028]    In an embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the wiper arm  72  comprises three arms  74 ,  76 ,  78  attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle  54 , each with a free end  80 ,  82 ,  84  terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall  62  defining the second chamber  48 . 
         [0029]    In an embodiment, the opening  66  in the top wall  64  may have an angular extent of no more than 110 degrees and may be angularly offset from the opening  46  in the bottom wall  44  of the first chamber, such as by between 90 and 180 degrees. 
         [0030]    In an embodiment, the wiper  58  is provided with a plurality of arms  70 , each attached to be rotatably driven by the spindle  54  and each with a free end  72  terminating closely adjacent to the outer wall  62 . The arms  70  of the wiper  58  are angularly spaced apart from each other such that at least two arms  70  block all paths between the opening  46  in the first bottom wall and the second opening  52  in the second chamber, regardless of the rotational position of the wiper. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the openings  46  and  52  may have an angular offset B of 180 degrees from each other, each with an angular extent A of no more than about 90 degrees. The wiper  58  may be provided with three arms  70 , each positioned at 120 degrees from each other. In such an arrangement, for any given rotational position of the wiper  58  in the second chamber  48 , at least one arm  70  will be positioned between the two openings  46 ,  52  in each rotational direction. In this situation, and when the arms  70  of the wiper  58  have a vertical extent  92  as great as a height  94  of the second chamber  48 , that is, the distance between the first bottom wall  44  and the second bottom wall  60 , then the arms  70  will prevent a flow of air between the two openings  46 ,  52 . In other arrangements, where blockage of air flow is not of concern, the vertical extent  92  of the arms  70  need not be as great as the height  94  of the second chamber  48 . 
         [0031]    In an embodiment, the openings  66 ,  46 ,  52  in the top wall  64 , the first bottom wall  44  and the second bottom wall  60  each have an angular extent A of no more than about 90 degrees. 
         [0032]    In operation, ice from the ice making mechanism  20  passes through the opening  66  in the top wall  64  of the first chamber  42  and onto the bottom wall  44  of the first chamber. The ice crushing blade  56  is rotated by the spindle  54  and pushes the ice against a fixed member  96  to crush the ice into small pieces. The small pieces are then carried along by the rotating ice crushing blade  56  until they fall through the opening  46  in the bottom wall  44  of the first chamber  42 . The crushed ice particles then fall to the bottom wall  60  of the second chamber  48  and they are pushed by the arm  70  of the rotating wiper  58  until they reach the side or bottom opening  52  in the second chamber where they will move through the opening  52  to be dispensed by another portion of the ice crushing mechanism  20  not described here. A possible dispensing arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,130, incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0033]    Various features of the ice crushing mechanism  20  have been described which may be incorporated singly or in various combinations into a desired system. 
         [0034]    As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.