Patent GB-758982-A (GB)
Title: Automatic ice maker
IPC: F25C1/08
Filed: 1954-07-13
Abstract: 758,982. Ice-making. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. July 13, 1954 [July 13, 1953], No. 20482/54. Class 29. Ice-making apparatus comprises a movable water receptacle and means to move it relative to a refrigerating member so that the latter dips into the water, ice is formed on the member and then the receptacle is moved away from the member leaving the ice suspended thereon. The member is then heated to free the ice and make-up water is supplied to the receptacle prior to starting a fresh cycle. As shown in Fig. 1, the ice-maker is accommodated in a subsidiary compartment 10 of the upper deep . freeze compartment 4 of a two-temperature refrigerator, the storage drawer 17 of the icemaker receiving cold through the uninsulated bottom of compartment 10. The ice-maker may, however, be fitted to a refrigerator having a single storage space or to one having a bottom deep freeze compartment. In the latter case, only the storage drawer 17 is carried in the deep freeze and the rest of the ice-maker is carried in the fresh food compartment above the dividing wall of the refrigerator. The ice-maker comprises a frame 13 having depending side members 15 on which the drawer 17 is supported on runners 16. A removable water tank 21 is carried on a cradle 20 above the frame 13 and has a downwardly-extending outlet 23 closed by a valve 24. Outlet 23 depends into a reservoir 27 pivoted in brackets 30, 31 and having an abutment 26 which opens valve 24 when tank 21 is in position to allow the reservoir to fill until the water reaches level 32, whereupon the valve closes. Two spaced arms 33 extend rearwardly from the right-hand half of reservoir 27 and carry at the rear a receptacle 34 which is filled from the reservoir through a channel 35 formed in the upper surface of one arm 33. A bracket 40 on the inner arm 33 carries a roller 38 which co-operates with a cam 36 to pivot the receptacle and reservoir assembly upwards to the dotted position of Fig. 2. In this position, the receptacle 34 surrounds evaporator fingers 44 and water freezes around these fingers. The receptacle is then lowered again before all the water has frozen, thus leaving ice-cups suspended from fingers 44. These cups drip and refrigeration is continued to freeze them thoroughly. The refrigerant compressor is then stopped and electric heaters within the fingers are energized so that the cups fall off the fingers and are diverted by a shoot 61 through an aperture 62 in frame 13 into the storage drawer 17. Meanwhile receptacle 34, being in the lowered position, has filled again with water from the reservoir 27. The heaters are then de-energized and the device is ready for a new cycle. The ice-maker is controlled by a timer motor 37 driviing the cam 36 and control switches 68. Normally the main compressor is controlled by a cabinet thermostat and the timer motor 37 only runs when the compressor is operating. At the start of a cycle, the receptacle is in the raised position. After a predetermined period of operation of the compressor, the cam 36 allows the receptacle to descend and the thermostat in the cabinet is short-circuited so that refrigeration is continued to dry and freeze the suspended ice-cups for a certain time at the expiry of which the compressor is stopped and the heaters energized, the timer motor still running, so that the ice is harvested. The heaters are then switched off and the compressor motor returned to the control of the cabinet thermostat. At this moment the main circuit to the timing motor is broken and this motor comes under the control of a switch so located as to be open if the drawer 17 is full arid/or misplaced. Thus, until the drawer is correctly placed or ice is removed therefrom, the timer motor will not operate to raise the receptacle to start a new cycle. When it does operate, it restores the main circuit to its supply and a new cycle begins. The shoot 61 is pivoted to frame 13 at 63 and is guided by rollers 64, 65 during movement of the receptacle. The frame 13 is provided with insulation 19 to prevent freezing of water other than that adjacent the fingers 44.