Whirlpool Corporation

Jerold Michael Visin

Kevin Michael Chase

Tony Lee Koenigsknecht

Kate E Presnell

Guolian Wu

Marcus Roland Fischer

Jim J Pastryk

A refrigerator having a cabinet, a door for providing access within the cabinet, an ice maker for making ice operably connected to the cabinet, and an ice bin with a pair of opposite-facing walls and a bottom wall. The ice bin is disposed within the cabinet and located adjacent the ice maker, and has a stir stick assembly having a stir stick, a cam rod, and a pair of breaker walls and is positioned within the ice bin. The stir stick oscillates about an axis of rotation and the cam rod is coupled to the stir stick. The pair of breaker walls are engaged with the cam rod near the bottom of the breaker walls, and hingedly attached to the pair of opposite-facing walls.

Stir stick and breaker walls for an ice container

A refrigerator is provided that includes an ice making system, that generally includes an ice maker for making ice, and an ice container for holding the formed ice. The ice making system may be positioned anywhere within the refrigerator, and it may be a modular ice system. The shape of the ice container limits the amount of useable space taken up by the system. The ice container includes a stir stick positioned within the ice container. The stir stick is configured to rotate and oscillate in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the stir stick to provide movement of the stir stick into the full area of the ice container. The rotation and oscillation of the stir stick prevents ice from melting and clumping in the corners of the ice container, while also aiding in directing the ice towards a dispensing aperture of the ice container.

Oscillating and gyrating stir stick for an ice container

An ice crushing system includes multiple sets of interleaved blades with some of the blades being provided with a series of raised protrusions on one or more faces. With this arrangement, the spacing between the interleaved blades is reduced and a finer crushed ice consistency is established. In accordance with aspects of the invention, the raised protrusions are staggered along each side of a set of fixed blades, with the raised protrusions on one side of a fixed blade overlapping the raised protrusions on the opposing side.

Ice crushing system

An appliance including an ice manipulation reservoir capable of receiving ice having a base, wherein the base includes a first level and a second level, with the first level descending gradually to the second level. A first ice modification member is disposed inside the ice manipulation reservoir adjacent the first level of the base, and a second ice modification member is disposed inside the ice manipulation reservoir adjacent the second level of the base. A motor is operably connected with the ice manipulation reservoir and includes an output shaft. An impeller is connected with the output shaft proximate to the plurality of ice modification members, with the impeller being operable between a first directional rotation, and a second directional rotation.

Modular bucket and door architecture to deliver three ice functions

A refrigerator is provided including an ice making assembly. The ice making assembly includes a storage container that has a discharge zone including a crushing assembly for selectively crushing formed ice before dispensing the ice through the dispenser of the refrigerator. The crushing assembly includes both rotating and fixed crushing blades, and including crushing teeth for crushing the formed ice cubes therebetween. A diverter wedge may be positioned at or formed integrally with the fixed crushing blades such that the diverter wedge closes any gap between the rotating blades and the wall of the discharge zone. The diverter wedge can include a sloped portion to move any smaller or differently-shaped cubes from the outer edge of the discharge zone to between the crushing blades such that it is ensured that the cubes are crushed before being dispensed.

Ice well diverter wedge for ice container

A refrigerator is provided comprising a cabinet, a door for providing access within the cabinet, an ice maker for making ice operably connected to the cabinet, an ice bin comprising a pair of opposite-facing walls and a bottom wall, disposed within the cabinet and located adjacent the ice maker, and a stir assembly positioned within the ice bin, comprising a stir stick, a cam rod, and a pair of breaker walls; wherein the stir stick is configured to oscillate about an axis of rotation, the cam rod is coupled to the stir stick; and the pair of breaker walls are engaged with the cam rod near the bottom of the breaker walls, and hingedly attached to the pair of opposite-facing walls.

An appliance including a module-receiving cavity disposed in the appliance. Also included is a removable module disposed in the module-receiving cavity, and at least one ice modification member disposed inside the removable module. A motor is operably connected with the removable module and includes an output shaft that extends into the removable module. An impeller is connected with the output shaft proximate to the at least one ice modification member, the impeller being operable between a first ice manipulating condition defined by a first directional rotation of the impeller, and a second ice manipulating condition defined by a second directional rotation of the impeller. An ice chute is located proximate the ice modification member for dispensing ice.

An appliance dispenser includes a housing defining a recess. The housing includes a receptacle support member and a fixed funnel. An ice dispensing passage extends through the fixed funnel and operably connected with an ice bin. A variable funnel includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is adjacent the fixed funnel. The distal end is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.

Ice guide funnel

An ice level detection device of a refrigerator includes an ice level detection arm and an ice storage container detection arm, the ice level detection arm operatively connected to a mechanical motor for movement between an ice sensing position with the ice level detection arm extending at least partially into the ice storage container and an ice harvest position with the ice level detection arm being clear of the ice storage container, the ice storage container detection arm abutting the ice storage container while the ice storage container is mounted at the door. The ice level detection arm transitions from the ice sensing position to the ice harvest position for ice harvest by the ice maker. Opening the door disables ice harvest by the ice maker. Upon removal of the ice storage container the ice level detection arm transitions to the ice harvest position and disables ice harvest.

Door mounted ice level detection device

An automatic ice maker for f a refrigerator freezer door having an elongated mold including a first edge, a second edge and a fill trough extending along the second edge above the mold. The fill trough has at least one opening for water to flow into the mold from the fill trough. The fill trough has a first side wall extending above the mold, a bottom wall extending from the first side wall away from the mold and a second side wall spaced from the first side wall and extending upwardly from the bottom wall higher than the first side wall. The mold includes a first end wall and a second end wall that extends above the second edge. The fill trough and the second end wall direct water back into the mold when the insulated door is moved abruptly with water present in the mold.

Growing community of inventors

Benton Harbor, MI, United States of America

Jerold Michael Visin