Patent ID: 7469548

Claim:
An ice making apparatus for making ice of the nugget-forming type from ice shavings that are compacted, comprising: (a) a refrigeration system for providing refrigerant to a freezing chamber of the hollow cylinder type; (b) a freezing chamber with a generally hollow cylindrical inner wall and means for receiving water therein for forming ice on said cylindrical inner wall; (c) a rotatable ice auger sized to fit inside said freezing chamber and comprising means for scraping ice formed on the wall of said chamber and conveying the ice from the wall of said chamber, along said rotatable auger, to ice compression means; (d) means to cause rotation of aid ice auger; (e) means for supplying water to said freezing chamber; (f) ice compression means for receiving ice from said freezing chamber and compressing it into compacted solid form while squeezing water therefrom; (g) means for delivering formed ice to an ice transport tube; and (h) sensor means for sensing axial strain on the transport tube from ice buildup therein and discontinuing auger rotation and refrigeration system refrigerant drive.