Patent ID: 8826683

Claim:
An ice dispensing assembly for an appliance, comprising: a container for the receipt of ice, said container having a bottom defining a first opening for the passage of ice from said container; a cylindrically-shaped sleeve connected with the first opening at the bottom of said container and extending from the bottom of said container; a base connected with said sleeve, said base defining a second opening for the passage of ice from said container; a cylinder positioned at least partially within said sleeve and rotatable with respect to said sleeve, said cylinder having a wall and defining an inner diameter; at least one rotatable blade carried by said cylinder and extending along the inner diameter between opposing ends positioned at the wall of said cylinder, said at least one rotatable blade defining a guide hole that is centrally positioned along said at least one rotatable blade; a shaft extending along a vertical direction perpendicular to said base into said cylinder and through the guide hole of said at least one rotatable blade, said shaft having a bottom end connected to said base; at least one non-rotating blade attached to said shaft; and a bridge connected along opposing ends to the wall of said cylinder and projecting away from said cylinder along the vertical direction to a central portion that defines an opening for receipt of a top end of said shaft.