The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jun. 02, 1992

Filed:

Jun. 24, 1991
Applicant:
Inventor:

Mark G Steffenhagen, Knight Township, Vanderburgh County, IN (US);

Assignee:

Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B65G / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
62344 ; 198661 ; 198670 ; 198676 ; 222412 ;
Abstract

An ice dispenser for a refrigeration apparatus includes a container for storing ice bodies. The container has opposite front and rear walls and an access opening through the front wall. A housing is secured at the front wall adjacent the access opening and has a dispensing space for dispensing ice bodies. An ice conveyor transfers ice bodies stored in the container to the dispensing space. The ice conveyor includes a wire auger and a cylindrical sleeve surrounding the wire auger for rotation therewith. The cylinder has an outer wall including a helical rib extending outwardly therefrom. The sleeve rib moves ice bodies frontwardly at a slower rate than the wire auger.


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