Ice machine with drain

Abstract

There is an ice machine. The machine has i) a cabinet, ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker, (iv) a drawer positioned in the bin. The icemaker is situated in the cabinet. The drawer is substantially non-refrigerated and is adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the cabinet. The drawer has an opening at the top thereof such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand and has a drain therein to allow melt water to drain out.

1 . An ice machine, comprising:
 i) a cabinet;   ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, wherein the icemaker is situated in the cabinet;   iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker; and   iii) a drawer positioned in the bin, the drawer adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, wherein the drawer is adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the cabinet, wherein the drawer has an opening at the top thereof such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, and wherein the drawer has a drain therein to allow melt water to drain out.   
   
   
       2 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the icemaker comprises a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. 
   
   
       3 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer is substantially non-refrigerated. 
   
   
       4 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer is at least partially insulated. 
   
   
       5 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the bin. 
   
   
       6 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drain takes the form of an orifice in the bin, wherein the orifice is in communication with a drainage hose. 
   
   
       7 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the bin is at least partially insulated, wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the bin, and wherein the one or more orifices is in communication with one or more drainage hoses. 
   
   
       8 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the bin has a removable liner situated therein, wherein the liner is adapted to receive and retain the ice, wherein the liner and the drawer are positioned with respect to each other as to define a cavity therebetween, and wherein the liner has one or more orifices therein to allow melt water to drain from the liner into the cavity. 
   
   
       9 . The ice machine of  claim 8 , wherein the drawer is at least partially insulated, wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the drawer, and wherein the one or more orifices in the bin is in communication with one or more drainage hoses. 
   
   
       10 . An ice machine, comprising:
 i) a cabinet;   ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, wherein the icemaker is situated in the cabinet;   iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker;   iv) a drawer positioned in the bin, the drawer being adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the bin, the drawer having an interior therein, the drawer being adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, the drawer defining an opening therein such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, the drawer having a drain therefrom to allow water to drain out, the bin having a drain therefrom to allow water to drain out, the drain from the bin having a valve therein substantially preventing the backflow of water into the bin.   
   
   
       11 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , further comprising a liner, the liner being situated at least partly in the interior of the drawer and at least generally conforming to the shape thereof, the liner being removable from the drawer, the liner being adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, the liner defining an opening therein such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, the liner having at least one orifice therein providing a passage for melt water from the liner to a cavity between the liner and the drawer. 
   
   
       12 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the drawer is positioned in the bin such that a cavity is defined therebetween. 
   
   
       13 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the drawer has a drain therethrough that takes the form of a valve that opens when the drawer is in a resting position in the bin and closes to water flow when the drawer is pulled from the resting position. 
   
   
       14 . The ice machine of  claim 13 , wherein the valve in the liner is a duckbill valve. 
   
   
       15 . The ice machine of  claim 13 , wherein the valve in the liner is a dome valve. 
   
   
       16 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the valve in the drain from the bin is a check valve. 
   
   
       17 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the icemaker includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. 
   
   
       18 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the bin is at least partially insulated. 
   
   
       19 . The ice machine of  claim 10 , wherein the drain from the drawer and the drain from the bin converge to a common drain having an electric pump therein.