Patent Publication Number: US-7219509-B2

Title: Ice making and dispensing system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is related to the following U.S. patent applications filed concurrently herewith: Ser. Nos. 10/973,968; 10/973,509; and 10/973,542. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to an ice making and dispensing system that relates to a bottom freezer refrigerator comprising an ice forming and dispensing apparatus positioned outside the freezer compartment. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In today&#39;s household refrigerator market, there are three basic configurations to choose from: a bottom freezer refrigerator in which the refrigerator compartment is located above the freezer compartment, a top-mount refrigerator in which the freezer compartment is located above the refrigerator compartment, and a side-by-side refrigerator in which the refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment extend the entire height of the refrigerator. 
   Of these three configurations, the bottom freezer configuration is considered by many consumers to have the most convenient configuration since most consumers access the refrigerator compartment of a refrigerator far more frequently than the freezer compartment. The upper position of the refrigerator compartment in a bottom freezer configuration positions the majority of the contents of the refrigerator compartment at the standing height of the consumer, negating the need for the consumer to stoop or bend over to see or select items. Therefore, a combination refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom provides the user with the greatest convenience by providing the maximum fresh food compartment space at eye-level and within easy reach. 
   One of the most desired accessories for a household refrigerator is a through-the-door ice and water dispenser. A through-the-door ice and water dispenser is desirable because it greatly simplifies the process of retrieving ice cubes, i.e. it eliminates opening the door, removing the ice cube storage bin, separating and scooping ice cubes, and pouring the ice cubes into a glass. The feature also can be viewed as an energy saver, since the freezer door is not opened as often. 
   However, of these three configurations, only the side-by-side configuration typically offers a through-the-door ice and water system. The side-by-side configuration is well suited for through-the-door ice dispensing because the freezer door extends the height of the refrigerator cabinet, which permits the ice dispenser to be located in the freezer door at a height convenient for the user. In contrast, the top-mount and bottom freezer refrigerators have freezer door locations that would place the ice dispenser either too high or too low for convenient use by the consumer. In particular, locating the ice dispenser in a bottom freezer refrigerator involves two problems that must be overcome. First, if ice is made and/or stored in the refrigerator compartment, it will melt if not insulated from and chilled independently of the refrigerator compartment. Second, if ice is made and/or stored in the freezer compartment, it must be transported upwardly for dispensing through the ice and water dispenser. 
   With current ice making and dispensing technology, it has not been possible for a consumer to have the most convenient refrigerator configuration with the most desired accessory. In other words, bottom freezer refrigerators have not been available with through-the-door ice and water dispensing. Thus, it would be desirable to have an ice making and dispensing system that can be used to dispense the ice through the refrigerator compartment door of a bottom freezer refrigerator to provide the consumer with both the bottom freezer configuration and the through-the-door ice and water dispensing functionality. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a refrigerator having a cabinet defining a freezer compartment maintained at a temperature below 0° C. and a refrigerator compartment maintained at a temperature above 0° C. located above the freezer compartment. The refrigerator includes an insulated refrigerator door moveably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the refrigerator compartment and a refrigeration system for cooling the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment. The refrigerator includes an automatic ice maker located in an insulated module located outside the freezer compartment and an insulated ice cube storage bin located outside the freezer compartment. The refrigerator includes an ice dispenser located on the refrigerator door and an ice cube dispensing outlet located in the refrigerator door. The ice maker module and ice cube storage bin are maintained below 0° C. for forming and storing ice cubes. 
   At least a portion of the insulated module is mounted to the exterior of the cabinet. The insulated module can include an upper portion housing the ice maker and a lower portion housing the ice cube storage bin. The upper and lower portions can be separable and can have a seal provided between the upper and lower portions. The upper portion can be mounted to the exterior of the cabinet and the lower portion can be mounted inside of the refrigerator door. 
   The lower portion can be mounted adjacent the ice dispenser and can be arranged so that ice cubes from the ice cube storage bin can enter the ice dispenser. 
   In another aspect the ice cube storage bin can be located in the insulated module with the ice maker and the insulated module includes an ice cube outlet. The refrigerator door can include a passage extending from the ice cube outlet to the ice dispenser and can be arranged so that ice cubes from the ice cube storage bin can enter the ice dispenser through the passage. 
   In another aspect the invention relates to an ice maker and dispenser for a bottom freezer refrigerator having a cabinet including a freezer compartment maintained at a temperature below 0° C., a refrigerator compartment maintained at a temperature above 0° C. positioned above the freezer compartment, an insulated refrigerator compartment door and a refrigeration system for cooling the freezer compartment and the refrigerator compartment. The bottom freezer refrigerator includes an ice maker in the insulated sub-compartment for generating ice cubes in an insulated sub-compartment located outside of the cabinet maintained at a temperature below 0° C. The bottom freezer refrigerator further includes a water supply for the ice maker, an insulated ice cube storage bin, and an ice dispenser positioned on the refrigerator door arranged to receive ice cubes from the ice cube storage bin and dispense ice cubes from the face of the refrigerator door. The ice cube storage bin is maintained below 0° C. for storing ice cubes. 
   The insulated sub-compartment is mounted to the exterior of the refrigerator compartment. The ice cube storage bin is located in the insulated sub-compartment. 
   A passage connects the insulated sub-compartment with the ice dispenser. The passage is mounted to the inside of the refrigerator compartment door. 
   The cabinet can include supply and return air ducts leading from a source of below 0° C. air to the insulated sub-compartment. 
   The refrigeration system can include an evaporator for cooling the insulated sub-compartment. The evaporator can be positioned adjacent the ice maker. 
   The insulated sub-compartment can include a chilled water reservoir and the ice dispenser is arranged to dispense chilled water from the chilled water reservoir in addition to ice cubes. 
   In another aspect the invention relates to a method of dispensing ice cubes through the refrigerator compartment door of a bottom freezer refrigerator having an ice maker positioned in an insulated sub-compartment located outside the refrigerator cabinet including, operating the refrigeration system to provide cooling to the refrigerator and freezer compartments, maintaining the temperature below 0° C. in the insulated sub-compartment, filling the ice maker with water and forming ice cubes, harvesting the ice cubes and operating the dispenser to dispense ice cubes through the dispenser outlet. 
   The method can also include storing ice cubes harvested from the ice maker in an ice cube storage bin. 
   The method can also include operating a mover to move ice cubes from the ice cube storage bin toward a passage connecting the ice cube storage bin and the ice dispenser. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bottom freezer refrigerator comprising one embodiment of an ice forming and dispensing unit providing through-the-door ice cube and water dispensing. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the interior of the refrigerator illustrated in  FIG. 1  illustrating a first embodiment of a refrigerator-mounted ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus. 
       FIG. 2A  is a schematic representation of a dedicated evaporator system that can be used with the ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the interior of the refrigerator illustrated in  FIG. 1  illustrating another embodiment of a refrigerator-mounted ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus according to the invention. 
       FIG. 3A  is a partial perspective view illustrating another embodiment of an ice cube storage bin and dispenser for use with the ice cube forming an dispensing embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3B  is a partial exploded view illustrating another embodiment of an ice cube storage bin and dispenser for use with the ice cube forming and dispensing embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to  FIGS. 1-3  of another embodiment of a refrigerator-mounted ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus. 
       FIG. 4A  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 4  illustrating another embodiment of a refrigerator-mounted ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the interior of a bottom freezer refrigerator illustrating another embodiment of an ice cube forming and dispensing apparatus. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of an ice making and dispensing apparatus that can be used in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 6A  is a partial perspective view of the ice storage bin of the ice making and dispensing apparatus shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6B  is a partial section view of the ice storage bin of  FIG. 6A  showing the movable door mounting. 
       FIG. 6C  is a partial perspective view of the ice storage bin of  FIG. 6  showing the bottom of the ice cube storage bin with the movable door open. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of ice cube storage bin that can be used in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 7A  is a schematic end view of the ice storage bin of  FIG. 7  showing the bottom of the ice cube storage bin. 
       FIG. 7B  is a schematic side view of the ice cube storage bin of  FIG. 7A . 
       FIG. 7C  is a schematic top view of an ice cube storage bin illustrating another embodiment of movable door operator. 
       FIG. 7D  is a schematic end view of the ice cube storage bin of  FIG. 7C . 
       FIG. 7E  is a schematic side view of the ice cube storage bin of  FIG. 7C . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention described herein relates to an ice dispensing unit for dispensing ice at a height convenient for a user, i.e. the user can retrieve ice while in a standing position, which is located above a freezer compartment. Several embodiments are described of an ice making and storage unit positioned outside the freezer compartment and can be positioned in a refrigerator compartment located above the freezer compartment. 
   It should be noted that the embodiments described hereinafter share many of the same elements, such as a refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, refrigerator and freezer compartment doors, a dispensing outlet mounted in the refrigerator door, an ice maker, an ice cube storage bin, and the like. It will be understood that the operation of these elements will generally be the same for each embodiment, and a description of their operation will not be repeated for each embodiment, unless otherwise noted. As well, elements common to more than one embodiment will be identified with common numerals. Ice cubes are illustrated in the Figures as generally semicircular pieces of ice, although the inventive concepts described herein are not so limited, and are equally applicable to ice particles having a cylindrical, rectilinear, or other shape. The term refrigerator is generally used to refer to an appliance with having both a refrigerator compartment and freezer compartment. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a bottom freezer refrigerator  50  comprising an embodiment of an ice-making and dispensing apparatus according to the invention. The refrigerator  50  comprises a generally well-known insulated cabinet  52  defining an upper refrigerator compartment  54  and a lower freezer compartment  56  located beneath the refrigerator compartment  54 . Refrigerator compartment  54  can be arranged to maintain temperatures above 0° C., while freezer compartment  56  can be arranged to maintain temperatures below 0° C. The cabinet  52  comprises a pair of insulated sidewalls  58 ,  60 , an insulated top wall  62 , and an insulated back wall  64 . A compartment separator  65  can bisect the interior of the cabinet  52  and separate the refrigerator compartment  54  from the freezer compartment  56 . 
   An insulated freezer compartment door  66  is hingedly mounted to the cabinet  52  to provide selective access to the freezer compartment  56 . Similarly, an insulated refrigerator compartment door  68  is hingedly mounted to the cabinet  52  to provide selective access to the refrigerator compartment  54 . While the freezer compartment door  66  is illustrated as being hingedly mounted about a vertical axis, it could also be configured as a horizontally translating pullout freezer drawer. 
   The refrigerator  50  also comprises shelves  74  and storage bins  76 , which are illustrated in  FIG. 2  in the refrigerator compartment  54 , but which can also be located in the freezer compartment  56 . The refrigerator  50  can also comprise a traditional cooling system comprising a motor driven compressor and evaporator containing a suitable coolant, one or more ventilation fans, appropriate thermostatic controls for maintaining the refrigerator compartment  54  and the freezer compartment  56  at selected temperatures, and other well-known functional features (not shown), which are not germane to the inventive concepts and will not be further described herein, except as necessary for a complete understanding of the inventive concepts. 
   An ice and water dispensing outlet  72  can be installed in a refrigerator compartment door  68  for delivering ice and water through the refrigerator compartment door  68 . The dispensing outlet  72  can be similar in many respects to an ice and water dispensing outlet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,097 to Nelson et al. (hereinafter referred to as “the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent”), which is incorporated herein in its entirety, and which is adapted to selectively deliver whole or crushed ice cubes and/or water in response to activation of a selection control device (not shown) incorporated into the dispensing outlet  72 . 
   An embodiment of an insulated ice maker module  80  according to the invention incorporated into refrigerator  50  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The ice maker module  80  can comprise an automatic ice maker  82  having similar features to an automatic ice maker disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent. The ice maker  82  can be mounted in the refrigerator compartment  54  in a generally well-known manner to one or more of the top wall  62 , a side wall  60 , the back wall  64 , and/or the underside of a shelf  74 . Ice maker  82  can be provided with a water supply by water valve  78  as is well known in the art. An ice cube storage bin  84  can be positioned beneath the ice maker  82  and adapted to hold ice cubes formed by the ice maker  82  and delivered to the ice cube storage bin  84  through an ice cube outlet  90 . The ice cube storage bin  84  can be adapted for removal from the refrigerator compartment  54  for bulk retrieval of ice cubes. Both the ice maker  82  and the ice cube storage bin  84  can be enclosed within an insulated housing or enclosure  88  capable of maintaining the temperature of the ice maker  82  and the ice cube storage bin  84  at a selected below 0° C. temperature sufficient for the formation and storage of the ice cubes, and to prevent the flow of below 0° C. air to the refrigerator compartment  54 . Those skilled in the art will understand that enclosure  88  can be permanently or slideably mounted in refrigerator compartment  54 , and if slideably mounted can be provided with suitable flexible/extendable water and electrical connections. Ice cube storage bin  84  can be arranged as a drawer slideably positioned in refrigerator compartment  54  or can be slideably positioned in enclosure  88 . The ice cube storage bin  84  can be provided with ice cube storage bin outlet  94  adapted for delivery of ice cubes to a dispenser  86 . 
   The dispenser  86  can be located in housing or enclosure  96  mounted to an inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door  68  and can have similar features to an ice cube dispenser disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent and can be operably connected to the dispensing outlet  72 . Enclosure  96  can be insulated, if desired, but those skilled in the art will understand that the dispenser mechanism need not be maintained at below 0° C. temperatures. The dispenser  86  can be provided with a dispenser inlet  98  which can be adapted for cooperative register with the ice cube storage bin outlet  94  to receive ice cubes from the storage compartment outlet  94  in response to activation of the selection control device in the dispensing outlet  72 . The ice cube storage bin outlet  94  can be provided with a suitable movable flap or door as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , described below, that can be designed to allow the passage of ice cubes therethrough but minimize the flow of low-temperature air from the ice cube storage bin  84  to the refrigerator compartment  54  and to the dispenser  86  when the flap is in a closed position. Those skilled in the art will understand that, in lieu of a movable flap or door, a suitable gasket can be provided to minimize the flow of below 0° C. air into the refrigerator compartment  54 . 
   In operation, ice maker  82  can form and deliver ice cubes to the ice cube storage bin  84 . A suitable well-known control device (not shown) can be employed to control the production of the ice cubes and avoid overflow from the ice cube storage bin  84 . The ice cubes can be held in the ice cube storage bin  84  until activation of the selection control device in the dispensing outlet  72 . When dispenser  86  is activated a quantity of ice cubes can be delivered from the ice cube storage bin  84  to the dispenser  86  and through the dispenser  86  to dispensing outlet  72 . Operation of dispenser  86  to dispense ice cubes through dispensing outlet  72  can be similar to operation of the ice dispenser described in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent referenced above. 
   The ice maker  82  and the ice cube storage bin  84  can be chilled by the delivery of air from an evaporator compartment  104  enclosing the refrigerator evaporator  41  ( FIG. 2A ) to the insulated enclosure  88 . The below 0° C. air can be provided to insulated housing  88  through supply and return air ducts  100 ,  102  formed in the cabinet  52  and fluidly coupled to the evaporator compartment  104 . Those skilled in the art will understand that supply air duct  100  and return air duct  102  can be located in the insulation space between the refrigerator compartment and the cabinet  52 , or can be located in refrigerator compartment  54  along the rear or side walls. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that the source of below 0° C. air can be the freezer compartment  56  instead of the evaporator compartment  104 . The insulated enclosure  88  can be controlled as a separate freezer compartment by supplying a preselected flow of below 0° C. air to the enclosure  88  while the compressor serving the refrigerator  50  is operating. Alternatively, a thermostat or thermistor control (not shown) can be utilized to control the air flow to the enclosure  88 . In yet another alternative, all or a portion of the below 0° C. air for chilling the refrigerator compartment  54  can be first routed to the enclosure  88 , then exhausted into the refrigerator compartment  54 , in proportions sufficient to provide the desired temperatures to the enclosure  88  and the refrigerator compartment  54 . 
   Alternatively, a dedicated evaporator system  40  comprising an ice maker evaporator  42  can be used to chill the insulated enclosure  88 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2A . The ice maker evaporator  42  can be placed in parallel (shown) or in series with the main refrigerator evaporator  41  to provide cooling of the insulated enclosure  88 , the ice maker  82 , and the ice cube storage bin  84 . The ice maker evaporator  42  can be fluidly connected to the main refrigerator compressor  44  and condenser coil  43 , and can be used to chill air delivered to the enclosure  88  or can be incorporated into or placed in direct contact with ice maker  82 . Refrigerant lines can be run from the main compressor/evaporator system through the cabinet walls  58 - 64  and enclosed within the insulation in the walls. Suitable controls, such as a microprocessor-controlled expansion valve  45 , a diverting valves  46 , a check valve  47 , a thermostat(s), and the like, can be used to regulate flow of refrigerant to the ice maker evaporator  42  in order to provide appropriate control of the temperature of the enclosure  88 . 
   A well-known water supply (not shown) that can include a water valve  78  can be integrated into the dispensing outlet  72  so that, in addition to ice cubes, water, or a combination of both ice cubes and water can be selectively provided to a user. Suitable flexible connectors can be provided to accommodate the movement of the door  68  between the open and closed positions. Similarly, a suitable flexible connector would be required for water lines serving both the ice maker and water dispenser. The dispensing outlet  72  can include water dispensing similar to an ice and water dispensing outlet disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/861,203 filed by Voglewede et al. (“Voglewede et al. &#39;203”), which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Voglewede et al. &#39;203 discloses a water dispenser which is adapted to selectively deliver selected quantities of chilled water in response to activation of a control device (not shown) incorporated into the dispensing outlet  72 . Water valve  78  can be connected to ice maker  82  to provide water for forming ice cubes as is well known in the art. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  3 B an alternate embodiment of an ice-making/dispensing apparatus  110  is illustrated, which is similar to many respects to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In this embodiment, an ice maker  112  can be mounted in the refrigerator compartment  54  in a well-known manner to one of the walls of the refrigerator compartment and/or the underside of a shelf  74 . In  FIG. 3  ice maker  112  can be seen mounted to the top wall of the refrigerator compartment  54 . The ice maker  112  can be enclosed within an insulated sub-compartment or insulated enclosure  114  and can be provided with an ice maker outlet  116  through which ice cubes are delivered. A combination ice cube storage bin and dispenser  118  can comprise an insulated enclosure  120  which can be mounted to an inner surface of the refrigerator compartment door  68  and can have similar features to the through-the-door dispenser disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent. An ice cube storage bin (not shown) and an ice cube dispenser (not shown) can be positioned on refrigerator door enclosed by insulated enclosure  120 . The enclosure  120  can be provided with a dispenser inlet  122  which can be adapted for cooperative register with the ice maker outlet  116  to receive ice cubes from the ice maker  112 . The combination ice cube storage bin and dispenser can also be similar to the ice cube storage bin and dispenser embodiments disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent Application US20040111 filed by Anselmino et al concurrently with this application and is incorporated herein in its entirety. Thus, in this embodiment, the ice cube storage bin can be mounted to the door  68  rather than attached to the ice maker  112 . 
   Ice can be delivered from the ice maker  112  through the ice maker outlet  116  and the dispenser inlet  122  into the ice cube storage bin. A gasket  108  can be provided on the face of insulated enclosure  114  around ice maker outlet  116  to seal the inlet  122  to the outlet  116  when the door  68  is closed. Insulated enclosure  114  and enclosure  120  create a module comprising an insulated compartment enclosing the ice maker  112 , and the combination ice cube storage bin and dispenser  118 . 
   Turning to  FIG. 3A , another embodiment of ice cube storage bin and dispenser can be seen on refrigerator door  68 ′. The embodiment of  FIG. 3A  includes an insulated cover  124  that can be hingedly mounted to refrigerator door  68 ′ to form an insulated space for an ice cube storage bin  126 . Insulated cover  124  and ice cube storage bin  126  can be similar to the ice cube storage bin and dispenser disclosed in  FIG. 4  in co-pending U.S. Patent Application US20040111 filed by Anselmino et al. concurrently with this application which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Ice cube storage bin  126  can receive ice cubes from an ice maker, not shown, positioned in insulated ice maker module  114  similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . The space above ice cube storage bin  126  can be enclosed by walls  70 ,  70 ′ and  70 ″ that can be formed in the door liner of door  68 ′. The space above ice cube storage bin  126  can be arranged to be closed by the front wall of ice maker module  114  as shown in  FIG. 3 . A gasket (not shown) similar to gasket  108  in  FIG. 3  can be arranged around ice maker outlet  116  to seal the ice maker enclosure  114  to the insulated cover  124  and walls  70 ,  70 ′ and  70 ″ when refrigerator door  68 ′ is closed. An ice dispenser  128  can be positioned below ice cube storage bin  126  for dispensing ice cubes as described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that ice cube storage bin  126  can be removable for bulk dispensing of ice cubes such as into a cooler and the like. 
   Turning to  FIG. 3B , another embodiment of ice cube storage bin can be seen. Refrigerator door  68 ″ can include an insulated ice cube storage bin  126 ′ that can include double walls to insulate ice cubes stored in the bin from the above 0° C. temperatures in the refrigerator compartment  54 . Ice cube storage bin  126 ′ can be positioned on ice dispenser  128 ′ and can operate in a manner similar to the ice cube storage bin and dispenser described in  FIG. 6  of co-pending U.S. Patent Application US20040111 filed by Anselmino et al and incorporated herein in its entirety. Refrigerator compartment door  68 ″ can include walls  73 ,  73 ′ and  73 ″ that can form an enclosed space above ice cube storage bin  126 ′ when the refrigerator compartment door  68 ″ is closed and walls  73 ,  73 ′ and  73 ″ contact the face of insulated ice maker module  114  as described above. When refrigerator compartment door  68 ″ is closed the open top of ice cube storage bin  126 ′ can be positioned in front of and under ice maker module  114 , not shown in  FIG. 3B , to substantially close ice cube storage bin  126 ′ from the refrigerator compartment  54 . When refrigerator door  68 ″ is closed ice cubes harvested from the ice maker, not shown in  FIG. 3B , can fall into the ice cube storage bin  126 ′. Ice cube storage bin  126 ′ can be arranged for removal from refrigerator door  68 ″ for bulk dispensing of ice cubes such as into a cooler. 
   In operation, ice cubes from the ice maker  112  can be formed and delivered to the combination ice cube storage bin and dispenser  118  while the door  68  is closed. Similarly, ice cubes can be formed and delivered to the ice cube storage bins  126  and  126 ′ in the embodiments of  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B . A suitable control device, similar the control device in the through-the-door dispenser disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent, can be employed to control the production of the ice cubes and avoid overflow of the ice cube storage bins. As well, a control device can be employed on the ice maker  112  to control the delivery of ice cubes through the ice maker outlet  116  when the door  68  is open. The ice cubes can be held in the door-mounted ice cube storage bin until activation of the selection control device in the dispensing outlet  72 , at which time a quantity of ice cubes can be delivered from the ice cube storage bin through the dispensing outlet  72 . The insulated enclosure  120 , insulated cover  124  and insulated ice cube storage bin  126 ′ can be arranged to maintain the proper temperature in the ice cube storage bin for storage of the ice cubes. 
   The ice maker  112  and the ice cube storage bin can be chilled by the delivery of air from an evaporator compartment  104  of the refrigeration system to the insulated enclosure  114  or can be chilled by a dedicated evaporator system  40  as previously described. As previously described, below 0° C. air can be provided through supply and return air ducts  106 ,  107  that can be located in refrigerator compartment  54  or formed in the cabinet  52  and fluidly coupled to the evaporator compartment. Those skilled in the art will understand that air ducts  106  and  107  can be arranged to form supply and return air passages. Those skilled in the art will understand that supply and return air ducts can be located in the insulation space between the refrigerator compartment and the cabinet  52 , or can be located in refrigerator compartment  54  along the rear or side walls. Below 0° C. air can be provided to enclosure  120  from insulated ice maker enclosure  114  through ice maker outlet  116  and dispenser inlet  122 . Similarly, below 0° C. air can be provided to the ice cube storage bin  126  and insulated ice cube storage bin  126 ′ through the ice maker outlet, not shown, and the open top of ice cube storage bins  126  and  126 ′. Those skilled in the art will understand that alternate sources for below 0° C. air for insulated enclosure  120 , ice cube storage bin  126  and insulated ice cube storage bin  126 ′ can be provided. Additionally, a water supply (not shown) including water valve  78  can be integrated into the dispensing outlet  72  for selective delivery of water, or a combination of both ice cubes and water can be delivered as described above in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The water supply can also provide water to the ice maker  112  as described above in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the ice cube storage bin, not shown, in  FIG. 3  can be arranged for removal for bulk dispensing in a manner similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
     FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of an ice making and dispensing apparatus  150  comprising an insulated ice maker module  152  mounted to the exterior of the refrigerator cabinet. Insulated module  152  can also be considered an insulated sub-compartment mounted on the exterior of the refrigerator cabinet. The insulated module  152  illustrated in  FIG. 4  can be mounted to the top wall  62 . However, the insulated module  152  can also be arranged to be mounted to a side wall  58 ,  60  or the back wall  64 . The insulated module  152  can comprise an ice maker  146  for forming ice cubes and an ice cube storage bin  148  for holding ice cubes prepared by the ice maker. A well-known ice transporting device, such as an auger (not shown), can be used to transport ice cubes stored in the ice cube storage bin  148  to an outlet  149  provided in the module  152  for delivering ice by gravity feed to the dispensing outlet  72  in the door  68 . Ice cube storage bin  148  can be similar to the ice cube storage bin described in connection with  FIGS. 6A to 6C . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a passage  156  can be attached to an inner surface of the door  68  having a dispenser inlet  158  at an upper end thereof for receiving ice cubes from outlet  149  in the insulated module  152 . Passage  156  can be an insulated, however, those skilled in the art will understand that passage  156  need not be insulated unless ice cubes are stored in the passage in operation. The dispenser inlet  158  can be adapted for cooperative register with the module outlet (not shown) when the door  68  is closed. Those skilled in the art will understand that a suitable passage  153  can be provided in the top wall  62  of the cabinet to allow ice cubes to flow from outlet  149  in insulated module  152  into passage  156 . A gasket assembly  157  between the dispenser inlet  158  and the passage  153  can be used to seal the inlet  158  to passage  153  when the door  68  is closed, thereby preventing the flow of chilled air from the insulated module  152  to the refrigerator compartment  54 . Those skilled in the art will understand that gasket assembly  157  can also be mounted to passage  153  to engage dispenser inlet  158  when refrigerator door  68  is closed. Alternately, the module outlet  149  can be provided with a suitable door (not shown) similar to the movable door described below in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6  to prevent flow of chilled air out of module  152  when ice is not being dispensed. Passage  156  can discharge ice cubes into dispenser  154 . Insulated module  152  can also include a chilled water reservoir  155  that can be connected to the dispenser on the face of refrigerator door  68  in order to provide ice and water dispensing. Those skilled in the art will understand that chilled water reservoir  155  can be connected to door  68  through a door hinge or other known arrangements. Those skilled in the art will understand that dispenser  154  can be similar to the dispensers in the embodiments of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Those skilled in the art will also understand that the ice cube storage bin  148 ′ can be mounted on the refrigerator compartment door as shown in  FIG. 4A  similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  3 B. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4A  ice cube storage bin  148 ′ can be insulated and, with insulated passage  156 ′, can comprise a lower module portion connected to upper module portion  152  when door  68  is closed. In the event ice cube storage bin  148 ′ is mounted on the refrigerator door a suitable source of below 0° C. air can be provided to maintain the stored ice cubes at below 0° C. temperatures as described in connection with  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  3 B. 
   In operation, ice cubes from ice maker  146  can be delivered to the ice cube storage bin  148  as is well known in the art. As described above, a suitable well-known control device can be employed to control the production of the ice cubes and avoid overproduction. The ice cubes can be held in the ice cube storage bin  148  until activation of the selection control device in the dispensing outlet  72 . When the dispenser is activated, ice cubes can be delivered from the ice cube storage bin  148  in insulated module  152 , through passage  156  to dispenser  154  and out the dispensing outlet  72 . As indicated above, the ice cube storage bin  148  can include an auger (see  FIGS. 6 and 6B ) or other mover to move ice cubes to outlet  149  in insulated module  152  so that the ice cubes can fall through passage  156  to the dispenser  154 . Similarly, when ice cube storage bin  148 ′ is positioned on refrigerator door  68  as illustrated in  FIG. 4A  ice cubes harvested from ice maker  146  can be delivered to the ice cube storage bin  148 ′ through passage  156 ′. As in the embodiments of  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  3 B ice cubes can be delivered from ice cube storage bin  148 ′ to dispenser  154  when a user activates ice dispensing as is well known in the art. 
   The ice maker module  152  can be chilled by the delivery of air from an evaporator compartment  104  of the refrigeration system to the insulated sub-compartment  152  or can be chilled by a dedicated evaporator system  40  as previously described. As previously described, below 0° C. air can be provided through supply and return air ducts  144  formed in the cabinet  52  and fluidly coupled to the evaporator compartment. Those skilled in the art will understand that supply and return air ducts  144  can be located in the insulation space between the refrigerator compartment and the cabinet  52 , or can be located in refrigerator compartment  54  along the rear or side walls. Below 0° C. air can be provided to passage  156 ′ from insulated ice maker module  152  through inlet  158  in the event ice cube storage bin  148 ′ is positioned on refrigerator door  68 . Those skilled in the art will understand that alternate sources for below 0° C. air for insulated ice maker module can be provided including but not limited to an auxiliary or ice maker evaporator as described in connection with  FIG. 2A . Additionally, a water can be provided to the ice maker module  152  by water valve  78  as described above in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Chilled water reservoir  155  can be arranged in insulated ice maker module  152  to be cooled by in connection with cooling the ice maker  146  and ice cube storage bin  148  (in the  FIG. 4  embodiment). Those skilled in the art will understand that chilled water reservoir can be arranged to be cooled to temperatures above 0° C. to avoid freezing water stored in the reservoir. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment in which the freezer compartment  56  can include an auxiliary freezer compartment or insulated sub-compartment  190  which extends partly into the refrigerator compartment  54 . The auxiliary freezer compartment  190  is adapted to hold an ice making and dispensing apparatus  192 . The ice maker and ice cube storage bin  194  can be similar to the ice maker and ice cube storage bin described above in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that ice maker and ice cube storage bin  194  can also be also be a conventional side by side refrigerator ice maker and ice cube storage bin. The auxiliary freezer compartment  190  can be closed by the refrigerator compartment door  68  and can be provided with perimeter seals or gaskets  206  adapted for cooperative register with the door  68  to prevent the flow of air from the auxiliary freezer compartment  190  into the refrigerator compartment  54  when the door  68  is closed. Those skilled in the art will understand that gaskets  206  can be located on door  68  if desired to register with the face of compartment separator  65 , dividing wall  200 , bottom wall  65 ′ and cabinet  52  surrounding auxiliary freezer compartment  190 . A door-mounted dispenser  196  can be adapted for receipt of ice cubes through dispenser inlet  198  and dispensing of ice cubes from the ice maker and ice cube storage bin  194  as found in a conventional side-by-side refrigerator having through-the-door ice cube dispensing. Those skilled in the art will understand that the dispenser  196  can alternately be a combination ice cube storage bin and dispenser as disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent and ice maker  194  can be an ice maker as disclosed in the Nelson et al. &#39;097 patent. 
   The auxiliary freezer compartment  190  can be open to the freezer compartment  56 , or a bottom wall  65 ′ can comprise a portion of compartment separator  65  separating the freezer compartment  56  from the refrigerator compartment  54 . In the latter configuration, chilled air can be routed from the freezer compartment  56  to the auxiliary freezer compartment  190  through a passage  202  formed in bottom wall  65 ′. Bottom wall  65 ′ can be used to store items in the auxiliary freezer compartment  190  in the space below dispenser  196 . Passage  202  can be a gap between bottom wall  65 ′ and back wall  64 . Those skilled in the art will understand that in lieu of gap, passage  202  can be one or more passages formed in bottom wall  65 ′. Passage  202  can be provided with a slidable damper  204  that can be manually or thermostatically controlled to permit independent control of temperatures in the auxiliary freezer compartment  190  and freezer compartment  56 . Damper  204  is schematically shown as a sliding damper. Those skilled in the art with understand that damper  204  can be pivotal or rotatable instead of slidable if desired. The auxiliary freezer compartment  190  can be insulated and sealed to prevent the migration of chilled air into the refrigerator compartment  54 . Those skilled in the art will understand that auxiliary freezer compartment  190  can be isolated from freezer compartment  56  by dividing wall  200 , wall  65 ′ and compartment separator  65 . Those skilled in the art will understand that auxiliary freezer compartment  190  can have below 0° C. air routed to auxiliary freezer compartment  190  from the evaporator compartment  104  as described above. Those skilled in the art will also understand that an ice maker evaporator similar to that described above in conjunction with  FIG. 2A  can be provided in auxiliary freezer  190  to maintain below 0° C. temperatures for forming and storing ice cubes. Also as described above, an ice maker evaporator can be located in auxiliary freezer compartment  190  or can be mounted to the ice maker mold (not shown). Ice maker and ice storage bin  194  can be supplied with water by water valve  78  as is well known by those skilled in the art. 
     FIGS. 6 , and  6 A to  6 C illustrate one embodiment of an ice maker module  129  that can be used in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Ice maker module  129  can include an ice cube storage bin  130  that can extend forwardly from ice maker housing  132 . Ice maker housing  132  can enclose an ice maker similar to ice maker  82  in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . An auger  134  can be provided in ice cube storage bin  130  to move ice cubes exiting ice maker housing  132  through opening  136 . Auger  134  can be a conventional auger well known for use in ice storage bins used in conjunction with ice dispensers and can be provided with a drive motor (not shown) as is well known in the art. Those skilled in the art will understand that ice maker module  129  can be provided with a control (not shown) for the ice maker and a drive motor (not shown). The control can be arranged to control operation of the drive motor (not shown) to operate auger  134  when a user operates the ice dispenser. At the forward portion of ice cube storage bin  130  a movable door  138  can be provided in bottom wall  140 . Movable door  138  can be pivotally mounted to bottom wall  140  with a spring loaded pivot  142  sufficient to bias movable door  138  closed. When auger  134  operates ice cubes  143  are moved over movable door  138  and the weight of the ice cubes  143  can cause movable door  138  to open and drop the ice cubes  143  into a dispenser inlet as described above in connection with the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that bottom wall  140  can be sloped downwardly toward movable door  138  from the sidewalls of ice cube storage bin  130  to facilitate the movement of ice cubes toward auger  134 . When auger  134  is operated ice cubes  143  can slide down sloped bottom wall  140  into auger  134 , and then be carried forward by auger  134  to movable door  138 .  FIG. 6C  illustrates ice cubes  143  falling through movable door  138  when auger  134  has operated to move ice cubes  143  to movable door  138 . Those skilled in the art will understand that ice cube storage bin  130  and ice maker housing  132  can be enclosed in an insulated housing as described above in connection with  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will also understand that portions of ice cube storage bin and/or ice maker housing can be part of the insulating housing and that an insulated cover (not shown) can be provided for the ice cube storage bin  130 . 
     FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B illustrate another embodiment of an ice cube storage bin that can be used in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Ice cube storage bin  160  can be similar to ice cube storage bin  130  of the embodiment of  FIGS. 6 and 6A  to  6 C and can be combined with an ice maker as disclosed in  FIG. 6 . Ice cube storage bin  160  can include a movable door  162  pivotally attached to sloped bottom wall  164 . Movable door  162  can be mounted to axle  168  connected to motor  172 . Motor  172  can be arranged to rotate axle  168  to cause movable door  162  to open. An auger  174  can be provided to operate as a mover in ice cube storage bin  160 . A drive  175  can be provided for auger  174 . A control  184  can be provided to operate motor  172  and a control  186  can be provided to operate auger drive  175  as is well known in the art. Controls  184  and  186  can be discrete controls or can be portions of other ice maker/ice dispenser/refrigerator controls as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. In operation, motor  172  can be operated in conjunction with auger  174  so that ice cubes  143  moved toward movable door  162  can fall freely through the opening  170  in the bottom wall into an ice dispenser as described in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that ice cube storage bin  160  can be enclosed in an insulated housing  176  as described above in connection with  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will also understand that portions of ice cube storage bin can be part of the insulating housing and that an insulated housing can include the ice cube storage bin  160 . Motor  172  and auger drive  175  can be operated by controls  184  and  186  that can be similar to the control described above in conjunction with the embodiment of  FIG. 6 . Ice maker  178  can be similar to ice maker  82  in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Opening  136  can allow ice cubes  143 , not shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B, to fall from ice maker  178  into ice cube storage bin  160 . 
     FIGS. 7C ,  7 D and  7 E illustrate another embodiment of an ice cube storage bin that is similar to the ice cube storage bin of  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A and  7 B that comprises another embodiment of an operator for movable door  162 . Ice cube storage bin  160  can include a movable door  162  pivotally attached to sloped bottom wall  164 . Movable door  162  can be mounted to axle  168  connected to solenoid  166 . Solenoid  166  can be arranged to rotate axle  168  to cause movable door  162  to open. Solenoid  166  can include operator  180  that can be retracted when solenoid  166  is energized. Operator  180  can be connected to arm  182  at axle  168 . When operator  180  is moved by solenoid  166  arm  182  an door  162  pivot allowing ice cubes to fall through opening  170  in ice cube storage bin  160 . In operation, solenoid  166  can be operated in conjunction with an auger  174  so that ice cubes  143  moved toward movable door  162  can fall freely through the opening  170  in the bottom wall into an ice dispenser as described in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will understand that ice cube storage bin  160  can be enclosed in an insulated housing  176  as described above in connection with  FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will also understand that portions of ice cube storage bin can be part of the insulating housing and that an insulated housing can include the ice cube storage bin  160 . Solenoid  166  can be operated by control  184  similar to the control described above in conjunction with the embodiment of  FIG. 6 . 
   The ice dispensers described above for use with the ice production and storage embodiments of the invention are described as being ice cube dispensers. Those skilled in the art that any of the dispensers and/or ice cube storage bin dispenser assemblies can be arranged to include well known apparatus to convert ice cubes to crushed or shaved ice if desired to afford users the choice of ice cubes, crushed ice or shaved ice. 
   The inventive concepts described herein provide the convenience of ice and water dispensing on the refrigerator door of a bottom freezer refrigerator. Since the refrigerator compartment is accessed more frequently than the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment occupies the upper portion of the cabinet, improving access to refrigerated items. The less-frequently accessed freezer compartment occupies the lower portion of the cabinet, extending the width of the cabinet. Unlike a side-by-side refrigerator, the full width freezer compartment can accommodate large items. The ice making assembly can be located in an insulated enclosure in the refrigerator compartment utilizing well-known ice making and through-the-door ice cube dispensing technology in refrigerators where the reduction and refrigerator space is not an issue. 
   While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.