Refrigerator having ice maker with flexible ice mold and method for harvesting ice

Abstract

A household refrigerator includes an ice maker. The ice maker has an ice mold. The ice mold is made from a thin flexible material, such as stamped aluminum. The ice mold includes ice forming compartments and a rotatable member with fingers for removing ice pieces from the ice compartments as the rotatable member is rotated. The rotatable member also includes a cam projection that contacts and flexes the ice mold as the rotatable member is rotated to at least partially break a bond between the ice pieces and the ice forming compartments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet;   a door for providing access to the cabinet;   an ice maker mounted within the cabinet or on the door;   the ice maker having an ice mold including a plurality of ice cube forming mold sections with upward facing openings, the ice mold including an upward facing surface;   a supply of water provided to the ice cube forming mold sections;   a rotatable member rotatable about an axis spaced apart from the upward facing surface of the ice mold by a first distance, the rotatable member including fingers in alignment with the ice cube forming mold sections such that rotation of the rotatable member about the axis causes the fingers to contact and thereby dislodge and harvest ice cubes from the ice cube forming mold sections; and   a cam projection extending from the rotatable member to a second distance from the axis, the second distance being greater than the first distance such that rotation of the rotatable member causes the cam projection to contact the upward facing surface of the ice mold to thereby flex the ice mold and at least partially break a bond between the ice cubes and the ice cube forming mold sections to facilitate harvesting of the ice cubes by the fingers.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice mold comprises a single piece of stamped aluminum. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a second cam projection extending from the rotatable member to a third distance from the axis, the third distance being greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the third distance is equal to the second distance. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cam projection has a low friction surface such that the low friction surface slides freely across the upward facing surface of the ice mold. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice cube forming mold sections are concavely curved from front-to-back and from side-to-side. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the upward facing surface has a front edge and rear edge, and wherein when the rotatable member is rotated in a first direction to dislodge and harvest ice cubes, the fingers move generally in a direction toward the rear edge as they contact the ice cubes within the ice cube forming mold sections, the refrigerator further comprising an ice cube deflector positioned generally above the upward facing surface, the ice cube deflector positioned proximate the rear edge of the upward facing surface such that ice cubes dislodged from the ice cube forming mold sections are guided over the mold towards the front edge by the deflector as the rotatable member rotates with the fingers in contact with the dislodged cubes. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the cube deflector has a plurality of concavely curved inner surfaces that generally match a curvature of the ice cubes. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the cube deflector includes separator walls between the curved inner surfaces to break ice bridges between the cubes. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the upward facing surface has a front edge and a rear edge, and wherein when the rotatable member is rotated in a first direction to dislodge and harvest ice cubes, the fingers move in a direction toward the front edge as they contact ice cubes within the ice cube forming mold sections, the refrigerator further comprising an ice cube deflector positioned generally spaced apart from and above the upward facing surface between the front edge and the axis such that ice cubes dislodged from the ice cube forming mold sections are deflected downwardly over the front edge. 
     
     
         11 . A method of making and harvesting ice cubes, the method comprising:
 providing a refrigerator with an ice maker including an ice mold within the refrigerator, the ice mold including a plurality of ice cube forming mold sections with upward facing openings, the ice mold further including an upward facing surface;   providing a rotatable member including fingers in alignment with the ice cube forming mold sections, the rotatable member further having a cam projection;   providing water to the ice cube forming mold sections;   removing heat from the water within the ice cube forming mold sections to form ice cubes in the ice cube forming mold sections;   breaking an adhesion between the ice cubes and the ice cube forming mold sections by rotating the rotatable member to bring the cam projection into contact with the upward facing surface of the ice mold to thereby flex the ice mold; and   removing the ice cubes from the ice cube forming mold sections by continuing to rotate the rotatable member such that the fingers pass through the ice cube forming mold sections to thereby remove the ice cubes.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the rotatable member further comprises a second cam projection, and wherein breaking the adhesion further comprises bringing the second cam projection into contact with the upward facing surface. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the ice mold comprises a single piece of stamped aluminum. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cam projection has a low friction surface such that the low friction surface slides freely across the upward facing surface of the ice mold. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the ice mold sections are concavely curved from front-to-back and from side-to-side. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the upward facing surface has a front edge and rear edge, and wherein rotating the rotatable member in a first direction moves the fingers generally toward the rear edge as they contact the ice cubes within the ice cube forming mold sections, and further wherein an ice cube deflector is positioned generally above the upward facing surface proximate to the rear edge of the upward facing surface such that ice cubes dislodged from the ice cube forming mold sections are guided above the mold towards the front edge by the deflector as the rotatable member rotates in the first direction with the fingers in contact with the dislodged cubes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cube deflector has a plurality of concavely curved inner surfaces that generally match a curvature of the ice cubes. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cube deflector includes separator walls between the curved inner surfaces that break ice bridges between the cubes. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the upward facing surface has a front edge and a rear edge, the method further comprising: rotating the rotatable member in a first direction to dislodge and harvest ice cubes by moving the fingers toward the front edge as the fingers contact ice cubes until the ice cubes are deflected downwardly over the front edge by an ice cube deflector spaced apart from and above the upward facing surface between the front edge and the axis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising after deflecting the ice cubes over the front edge, rotating the rotatable member in a second direction opposite from the first direction until the fingers have passed completely through the ice cube forming mold sections moving in the second direction before again providing water to the ice cube forming mold sections.