Patent ID: 8763352

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an ice maker; a hopper adapted to receive ice from the ice maker, the hopper defining a first region in which the ice is adapted to be disposed; a first door movable relative to the hopper, the first door comprising: a closed position in which: a second region is at least partially defined by the first door, and the first door substantially prevents the ice from entering the second region from the first region defined by the hopper; and an open position in which the ice is permitted to enter the second region from the first region; a second door movable relative to each of the hopper and the first door, the second door comprising: a closed position in which: the second region is at least partially defined by the second door, the second door remains stationary, relative to the hopper, to support the ice after the ice has entered the second region from the first region, and the second door supports the ice to substantially prevent the ice from exiting the second region; and an open position in which the ice is permitted to exit the second region after the ice has entered the second region from the first region defined by the hopper; wherein the second door translates, relative to each of the hopper and the first door, from the closed position to the open position; a chute through which the ice is adapted to fall in response to exiting the second region; a bag into which the ice is adapted to enter after falling through the chute; a freezer adapted to store the bag after the ice has entered the bag; and a holding plate pivotably connected to the chute, wherein the holding plate pivots between: a closed position in which the holding plate does not contact the bag; and an open position in which the holding plate contacts the bag to maintain the bag in an open position to receive the ice; wherein, when the first and second doors are in their respective closed positions, the second door is disposed between the first door and the holding plate; and wherein, when the second door is in its closed position, the second door is disposed between the second region and the chute.