Patent ID: 7383690

Claim:
An ice harvesting prevention mechanism comprising: an ice maker arranged to make, harvest and dispense ice, an ice bucket located in an ice receiving position relative to said ice maker to receive ice dispensed from said ice maker, a prevention device arranged to enable the making, harvesting and dispensing of ice by said ice maker when in a first position and to prevent at least one of the making, harvesting and dispensing of ice by said ice maker when in a second position, an actuator located relative to said ice bucket and said prevention device such that a first portion of said actuator will be in engagement with a movable actuator engagement button carried on said ice bucket when said ice bucket is located in said ice receiving position and a second portion of said actuator is able to move into engagement with said prevention mechanism when said ice bucket is displaced from said ice receiving position, and an actuator biasing element arranged to bias said second portion of said actuator into engagement with said prevention mechanism when said ice bucket is displaced from said ice receiving position and to move said prevention mechanism to said second position, said movable actuator engagement button arranged so as to engage said first portion of said actuator when said ice bucket is located in said ice receiving position and said button is in a first position, and to avoid engagement with said first portion of said actuator when said ice bucket is displaced from said ice receiving position or when said ice bucket is located in said ice receiving position and said button is in a second position, wherein said prevention device will be moved into said second position when said ice bucket is displaced from said ice receiving position and when said button is in said second position, regardless of a location of said ice bucket.