SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ICE MAKING DEVICES

Description

BACKGROUND

Ice making devices, such as ice making appliances, can freeze water into ice, and can manipulate the ice into various useful structures, such as ice nuggets and crushed ice.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure can allow for ice making devices to selectively generate ice of various shapes. For example, the ice making device can include a mechanism to receive manual and/or electronic input from a user and operate the ice making device according to the input to create selected shapes of ice (e.g., nugget or crushed ice). Various such systems and methods as described herein can allow for a greater variety of ice types to be produced while retaining a compact form factor for the ice making device.

At least one aspect relates to an ice maker. The ice maker can include an extruder through which ice is directed from a first chamber towards a second chamber, an ice shaper disposed in the second chamber, the ice shaper to modify a shape of the ice to be a target shape, the target shape corresponding to a pose of the ice shaper, and a control member coupled with the ice shaper, the control member to control the pose of the ice shaper.

At least one aspect relates to an ice maker. The ice maker can include a first chamber including an inlet to receive water and an outlet, an auger disposed in the first chamber, the auger to drive ice material from freezing of the water in the first chamber through the outlet, a die comprising a plurality of apertures between the first chamber and the second chamber such that the ice material is driven by the auger through the plurality of apertures to form a plurality of ice structures, an ice shaper disposed in the second chamber and facing the die such that contact of the plurality of ice structures with the ice shaper causes the plurality of ice structures to form into ice pieces having an expected shape, the expected shape corresponding to a position of the ice shaper relative to the die, and a control member coupled with the ice shaper, the control member to control the position of the ice shaper.

At least one aspect relates to an ice making system. The ice making system can include a die to receive ice material driven by an auger and extrude the ice material as one or more ice structures, a cone facing the die, the cone to cause the one or more ice structures to break into pieces of ice of a selected length, and an input device coupled with the cone by at least one gear such that manipulation of the input device causes the cone to move to a selected distance from the die, the selected distance corresponding to the selected length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 depicts a detailed view of components of the ice making appliance of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 9A-C depict perspective views of components of an example ice making appliance.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross-sectional view of components an example of an ice making appliance.

FIGS. 11A-D depict cross-sectional, perspective, and side views of components of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 12 depicts a top, perspective view of components of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 13 depicts a cross-sectional view of components of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 14 depicts a cross-sectional view of components of an example of an ice making appliance.

FIG. 15 depicts a cross-sectional view of components of an example of an ice making appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and implementations of, methods, apparatuses, and systems of ice making devices. The various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below can be implemented in any of numerous ways.

Ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can implement a refrigeration cycle to freeze water into ice, such as into pieces of ice. The pieces of ice can be formed into ice of a target structure, such as a cylindrical structure having target texture, density, and/or size characteristics. For example, an ice shaver, scraper, and/or auger can be used to drive ice material from a surface on which the ice freezes into an extruder to form the ice into the target structure. The target structure can include crushed and/or nuggets of ice with the target texture and density. The ice making devices may select the target structure by adjusting an ice shaper disposed in the ice making device. For example, the ice shaper can be raised or lowered to cause a resulting change in the target structure of the ice making device based on how the ice material contacts the ice shaper. The ice shaper can have conical and/or curved surfaces, such as concave curved surfaces, facing the ice, to facilitate breaking the ice material (e.g., subsequent to extrusion of the ice material from a die) into ice of the target shape.

In some implementations, ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can be deployed independently of a refrigerator. These devices may not have similar limits (e.g., compared to refrigerator-based ice makers) on the amount of ice that can be produced, and may not rely on the refrigeration system of the refrigerator to form the ice.

Some ice making appliances form ice in an auger system, which drives water upwards through an auger casing towards a die (e.g., an extruding head). The auger casing can be disposed within an evaporator that is connected to a cooling and/or refrigeration system. The cooling system cools the water in the auger casing to form the water into flakes inside the auger casing, which are then scraped by the auger. The auger can drive the flakes to be extruded through the die, forming the target shape. A speed of rotation of the auger can be adjusted based on a desired production rate of ice.

Ice makers that provide different types of ice, such as cubed or crushed ice, can be mechanically complex. For example, some devices can require multiple ice processing pathways or multiple ice processors, such as both an ice cutter and an ice crusher, to achieve ice of different form factors.

Ice making devices in accordance with the present disclosure can facilitate making ice of selected types or shapes, e.g., in response to user input. The ice making device can make ice of selected types or shapes with greater selectivity, a smaller form factor, fewer components, and/or less complexity. In some implementations, the ice making device can include a control member (e.g., a rotatable member, dial) to receive a user input to select the target shape. The control member can be coupled with one or more mechanical gears and/or linkages, which can adjust a pose of the ice shaper. The pose of the ice shaper can correspond to a position and an angle of an outer surface of the ice shaper. The ice shaper can be located above the die, and the position of the ice shaper can change a shape of the ice extruded by the auger. For example, ice extruded by the auger through the die can be directed towards the ice shaper, the position of the ice shaper determining a length of the ice. The position of the ice shaper can determine whether the shape of the ice is shorter or longer, based on a distance away from the die the position of the ice shaper is. The angle of the ice shaper can also be modified, which can be used to control a texture and density of the ice.

In some implementations, the control member can adjust a vertical position of the ice shaper. The vertical position of the ice shaper can allow for control of the target shape, texture, and/or density of resulting ice of the ice making device. The control member can be a button, a switch, a level, and/or an electric component to change the position and/or the angle of the outer surface of the ice shaper. In some implementations, the resulting ice can be sorted by the target shape. For example, the ice making device can include a first basket and a second basket, the first basket to receive nugget ice while the second basket receives crushed ice.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of an appliance 100 (e.g., ice-making appliance, ice maker, ice-making device, stand-alone appliance, ice-making system). The components as illustrated in FIG. 1 can be disposed within a housing (e.g., housing 202 of FIG. 2), which can be positioned separately from other refrigeration devices in a space, such as to provide the appliance 100 as a stand-alone device.

The appliance 100 can include or be coupled with at least one water source (e.g., at least one water storage tank 102). The appliance 100 can receive water to store in the water storage tank 102. The appliance 100 can perform various operations on the water, including flowing the water through one or more components of the appliance 100, and freezing the water to form ice. The water storage tank 102 can be fluidly connected with one or more components of the appliance 100 as described herein. The water storage tank 102 can be a container (e.g., a receiving space, a receptacle) to store water to be used and processed by the appliance 100. The water storage tank 102 can be disposed in a bottom portion of the appliance 100.

The appliance 100 can include at least one pump 104. The pump 104 can pump (e.g., move, force) water in the water storage tank 102 to one or more components of the appliance 100 by way of at least one fluid circuit 106. The pump 104 can be a centrifugal pump, positive displacement pump, jet pump, multistage pump, hydraulic ram pump, and any other suitable pump to pump water. The pump 104 can move water from the water storage tank 102 through various components of the appliance 100 such as an ice making bucket (e.g., a chamber 302 as depicted in FIG. 3).

Water can be moved through the appliance 100 through a fluid circuit 106. The fluid circuit 106 can include one or more pipes and/or pipe fittings to pass water throughout the appliance 100. For example, the fluid circuit 106 can fluidly connect the water storage tank 102 with the chamber 302. The fluid circuit 106 can be used to support one or more of multiple operations; for example, the fluid circuit 106 can be used to flow water for making ice as well as for cleaning the appliance 100. The pump 104 can be coupled to the fluid circuit 106 to pump water through the appliance 100.

The appliance 100 can include at least one controller 108. The controller 108 can include one or more processors (e.g., hardware processors) and a memory. The processor may be a general purpose or specific purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or other suitable processing components. The processor may be configured to execute computer code or instructions stored in memory (e.g., fuzzy logic, etc.) or received from other computer readable media (e.g., CDROM, network storage, a remote server, etc.) to perform one or more of the processes described herein. The memory may include one or more data storage devices (e.g., memory units, memory devices, computer-readable storage media, etc.) configured to store data, computer code, executable instructions, or other forms of computer-readable information. The memory may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard drive storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical memory, or any other suitable memory for storing software objects and/or computer instructions. The controller 108 can be implemented as a hardware processor including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an Application-Specific Instruction-Set Processor (ASIP), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Physics Processing Unit (PPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a Controller, a Microcontroller unit, a Processor, a Microprocessor, an ARM, or the like, or any combination thereof. The memory may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. The memory may be communicably connected to the processor via the processing circuit and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by processor) one or more of the processes described herein. The memory can include various modules (e.g., circuits, engines) for completing processes described herein. The controller 108 can include and/or be coupled with one or more user interface devices and/or one or more network interface devices, such as to facilitate receiving or providing inputs and outputs for the controller 108. The controller 108 (e.g., stored in memory) can include any one or more instructions, functions, algorithms, machine learning models, logic, rules, heuristics, or various combinations thereof to implement operations described herein.

The controller 108 can control operation of the pump 104. For example, the controller 108 can cause the pump 104 to drive water from the water storage tank 102 into the fluid circuit 106, such as to provide water to the chamber 302. The controller 108 can control a rate of operation of the pump 104, such as to control a corresponding flow rate of water output by the pump 104.

The appliance 100 can include at least one auger 110. As depicted in FIG. 3, the auger 110 can be disposed within the chamber 302 and can include one or more sharp edges, such as bladed edges and/or threads, which can rotate about an axis (e.g., axis 306 depicted in FIG. 3) to cause ice pieces on an inner surface of the chamber 302 to be driven towards a die (e.g., the extruder 314 of FIG. 3) to be extruded. In some implementations, the auger 110 can rotate about the axis in response to a motor driving a motion of the auger 110. The controller 108 can control operation of the auger 110. For example, the controller 108 can control the motor and adjust a speed and/or a frequency of the motion of the auger 110.

The appliance 100 can include at least one ice shaper 112. The ice shaper 112 can be disposed above the chamber 302. The ice shaper 112 can face the auger 110. The ice shaper 112 can contact ice material (e.g., ice) extruded by the auger 110 by the extruder 314 into ice structures. For example, the ice shaper 112 can cause the ice to be formed into types of ice such as nugget ice and/or crushed ice, such as by causing the ice from the extruder 314 to be broken into pieces of the type of ice.

The ice shaper 112 can contact ice extruded by the auger 110 to modify a shape of the ice to a target shape. The target shape can correspond to a pose of the ice shaper 112. The target shape can include nugget and crushed ice, and at least one of a texture and/or a hardness of the ice. The pose of the ice shaper can include a location and an angle of an outer surface of the ice shaper 112. For example, the location of the ice shaper 112 and/or the angle of the outer surface of the ice shaper 112 can be adjusted to change the target shape of the ice. The outer surface of the ice shaper 112 can include a conical surface, the conical surface contacting the ice to create the target shape.

Referring further to FIG. 1 and to FIG. 3, the appliance 100 can include at least one control member 114 (e.g., input device). The control member 114 can be coupled to the ice shaper 112. The control member 114 can be at least one of a dial (e.g., a rotatable member), a switch, a button, and/or a lever and can be controlled by a user. The control member 114 can control the pose (e.g., position and/or angle) of the ice shaper 112 via input applied to the at least one of the dial, the button, the switch, and/or the lever. For example, responsive to manipulation of the control member 114, the control member 114 can cause the ice shaper 112 to move from a first position to a second position along a vertical axis. In this case, the first position can be located closer to the extruder 314 than the second position. The first position and the second position can correspond to a selected distance from the extruder 314. The selected distance can correspond to a selected length (e.g., the target shape) of the ice. The ice shaper 112 being at the first position can, for example, create crushed ice while the ice shaper 112 at the second position can create nugget ice. In some implementations, the control member 114 includes at least one gear. For example, the dial can be coupled to at least one gear to change the ice shaper 112 from the first position to the second position. The control member 114 can also adjust the outer surface of the ice shaper 112. For example, the control member 114 can change an angle of the outer surface. The angle of the ice shaper 112 can be used to control the target shape of the ice. In some implementations, the controller 108 can control the control member 114.

In some implementations, the control member 114 can be coupled to the controller 108. For example, the controller 108 can receive an input (e.g., from a user) to cause operation of the control member 114 to move ice shaper 112. In some implementations, the control member 114 can include an actuator. In this case, the controller 108 can be coupled to the actuator to control operation of the actuator according to the input to control the pose of the ice shaper 112. For example, the controller 108 can change the pose of the ice shaper 112 by controlling operation of the actuator.

FIG. 2 depicts an example of the appliance 100. The appliance 100 can include at least one housing 202. The housing 202 can be a shell. The housing 202 can house (e.g., contain) various components of the appliance 100. The housing 202 can include one or more of metal, plastic, and/or a composite. An inner liner (not shown) that includes one or more of metal, plastic, and/or a composite can be coupled with an inner surface of the housing 202. The housing 202 can include one or more cover members, which can be moved (e.g., pivoted, rotated) to provide access into the appliance 100. The housing 202 can include at least one vent 204, which can allow for heat to be exhausted from the appliance 100.

The appliance 100 can include at least one user interface 208. The user interface 208 can be coupled with the controller 108 to receive one or more user inputs indicative of, for example, parameters for operation of the appliance 100, presentation of visual and/or audio outputs regarding the appliance 100, selection of the target shape of the ice generated by the appliance 100, and/or the pose of the ice shaper 112. For example, the user interface 208 can receive an input to produce nugget ice. The controller 108 can then modify the pose of the ice shaper 112 so that the pose produces nugget ice. The user interface 208 can receive one or more parameters for operation of the appliance 100 such as frequency, speed, and/or size of the ice output by the appliance 100; the controller 108 can receive the parameters and control operation of the appliance 100 (or one or more components thereof) based on the received parameters. To do this, the controller 108 can be coupled to the control member 114, receive input from the user interface 208, and deliver the input to the control member 114 to adjust parameters of the appliance 100. For example, the controller 108 can adjust the control member 114 based on the received parameters.

As depicted in FIG. 3, the appliance 100 can include a chamber 302 (e.g., a first chamber 302) coupled with a refrigeration assembly. The chamber 302 can extend longitudinally along an axis 306, which can be a vertical axis of the appliance 100. The chamber 302 can include at least one inlet 304 and at least one outlet 305. The inlet 304 can receive water from the water storage tank 102. The refrigeration assembly can then withdraw heat from the chamber 302, such as to cause water in the chamber 302 to freeze. The outlet 305 can then output ice formed within the chamber 302.

The refrigeration assembly can include at least one evaporator 308. The evaporator 308 can be coupled with the chamber 302, such as to be in contact with an outer surface of the chamber 302 (or within a distance from the chamber 302 to allow for sufficient heat transfer from the chamber 302 to the evaporator 308). The evaporator 308 can include one or more coils extending around the chamber 302. The evaporator 308 can allow for refrigerant to flow around the chamber 302 to withdraw heat from the chamber 302, such as to cause water in the chamber 302 to freeze. For example, the evaporator 308 can cause an ice layer (e.g., ice material) to form on an inner surface of the chamber 302.

Referring further to FIG. 3, the appliance 100 can include at least one motor 310. The motor 310 can be disposed on the axis 306, such as to cause rotation of the auger 110 in the chamber 302 about the axis 306. For example, a shaft of the motor 310 can be coupled with the auger 110 to cause rotation of the auger 110. In some implementations, the motor 310 can cause the auger 110 to rotate about a vertical axis (e.g., the axis 306) of the chamber 302. The auger 110 can include one or more sharp edges, such as bladed edges and/or threads, which can rotate about the axis 306 responsive to operation of the motor 310 to cause ice pieces on an inner surface of the chamber 302 to be driven towards an extruder 314 (e.g., a die) at the outlet 305 of the chamber 302. The extruder 314 can facilitate forming ice pieces driven by the auger 110 into ice structures of a target shape, such as based on a structure (e.g., shape) of a plurality of apertures in the extruder 314. For example, the extruder 314 can extrude ice into cylindrical shapes by the one or more openings. The extruder 314 and the ice shaper 112 can be centered on the axis 306. In this case, the extruder 314 can direct ice from the chamber 302 to the ice shaper 112 in a direction along the axis 306 to create the target shape.

The appliance 100 can include a chamber 316 (e.g., a second chamber) coupled with the chamber 302, such as to receive ice from the chamber 302 and/or the extruder 314. The chamber 316 can include an inlet and an outlet. The chamber 316 can be or include an ice box, such as from which ice formed by the appliance 100 can be retrieved. The inlet of the chamber 316 can be coupled with the outlet 305 of the chamber 302 and receive ice from the chamber 302. The extruder 314 can be disposed in at least a portion of the outlet 305 and/or the inlet of the chamber 316 so that ice received by the chamber 316 is extruded through the extruder 314. The ice shaper 112 can be disposed in the chamber 316 and face the extruder 314. The extruder 314 can thus direct ice from the chamber 302 to the chamber 316 and towards the ice shaper 112. For example, the extruder 314 can form the plurality of ice structures, and the ice shaper 112 can cause the plurality of ice structures to form into ice pieces having an expected shape (e.g., the target shape). The expected shape can correspond to a position of the ice shaper 112 relative to the extruder 314 (e.g., a distance of the ice shaper 112 from the extruder 314).

As further depicted in FIG. 3, the chamber 316 can be coupled to one or more ramps 318. The ice shaper 112 can be positioned to direct ice to the ramp 318. The ramps 318 can then deliver ice from the chamber 316 to one or more baskets 320 (e.g., a third chamber, ice box). The basket 320 can hold the ice to be removed by a user. The basket 320 can include a plurality of apertures, and can be removable from the housing 202 to be cleaned. The basket 320 can be located and/or aligned below a cover of the housing 202. In various implementations, the one or more baskets 320 can include a first basket and a second basket. In this case, the ramp 318 can include one or more first apertures aligned with the first basket and one or more second apertures aligned with the second basket, the one or more second apertures having a smaller size than the first apertures. The ramp 318 can thus sort the ice based on a size of the ice. For example, the nugget ice falls through the one or more first apertures, and the crushed ice falls through the one or more second apertures. The first basket, located above the second basket, can thus store the nugget ice while the second basket stores the crushed ice. In another case, the first basket can include the one or more first apertures, and the second basket can include the one or more second apertures, the first basket being located above the second basket. Then, the ramp 318 can deliver both crushed and nugget ice to the first basket, and the crushed ice can fall through the one or more first apertures to the second basket.

In various implementations, the ramp 318 is coupled to the ice shaper 112 and can move based on movement of the ice shaper 112. For example, responsive to the ice shaper 112 being located at a first position, the ramp 318 can be located at a position directed towards the first basket. Responsive to the ice shaper 112 being located at a second position, the ramp 318 can be located at a position directed towards the second basket. In this case, the first position of the ice shaper 112 can correspond to crushed ice and the second position of the ice shaper 112 can correspond to nugget ice. The first basket can be located besides, below, or above the second basket. The ramp 318 can then direct the crushed ice to the first basket, and the nugget ice to the second basket. The ramp 318 can move by, for example, at least one of a motor, a plurality of gears, and/or a cam and a follower.

The appliance 100 can also include at least one circuit housing 322. The circuit housing 322 can house, for example, at least one or more circuits and one or more electrical components. Various components housed in the circuit housing 322 can be coupled to, for example the refrigeration assembly, the pump 104, and/or the motor 310.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the refrigeration assembly can include at least one compressor 404. The compressor 404 can compress the refrigerant from the evaporator 308 (e.g., based on being driven by power from a power supply). For example, the compressor 404 can convert the refrigerant into a high pressure, high temperature state. The refrigeration assembly can include at least one condenser 406, which can cause condensation of the refrigerant from the compressor 404 (e.g., to provide to the evaporator 308).

Referring now to FIG. 5, the ice shaper 112 can include a cone 502 (e.g., conical surface) that faces the extruder 314. The cone 502 can have a greater width in a first plane through the axis 306 further from the extruder 314 than a second plane through the axis 306 closer to the extruder 314. The cone 502 can include a surface that ice extruded from the extruder 314 contacts. The ice can be broken responsive to contact with the cone 502, and can be directed towards (e.g., at least partially by gravity) to at least one of the chamber 316, the ramp 318, and/or the basket 320.

The target shape of the ice can be determined by a location of the cone 502. For example, the cone 502 can move along a shaft 504 of the ice shaper 112. The shaft 504 can extend along the axis 306 and, in various implementations, extend from the ice shaper 112 to the auger 110. The shaft 504 can be coupled to the extruder 314.

The ice shaper 112 can be coupled to one or more gears 408, which can cause rotation of the ice shaper 112. The one or more gears 408 can be coupled to the control member 114 and turn in response to turning, clicking, pushing, and/or any other manipulation of the control member 114. Rotation of the gears 408 can cause the ice shaper 112 to modify poses (e.g., move positions and/or angles), e.g., by causing the ice shaper 112 to be driven along threads of inner surface 514. In various implementations, the appliance 100 does not include the one or more gears 408; for example, the appliance 100 can include a cam and a follower coupled with the. The cam and the follower can translate rotational movement of the control member 114 into translational movement. In various implementations, the control member 114 includes the one or more gears 408. In various implementations, the one or more gears 408 are coupled to the controller 108, and turn in response to the controller 108 to cause the ice shaper 112 to modify poses.

The cone 502 can move, responsive to being operated by the control member 114, the controller 108, and/or the one or more gears 408, to one or more of a plurality of positions (e.g., different distances relative to the extruder 314) along the shaft 504. Each of the plurality of positions can correspond to a target shape of the ice as well as the pose of the ice shaper 112. For example, the cone 502 can be located at a first position 506 of the plurality of positions and a second position 508 of the plurality of positions. The control member 114 can adjust the pose of the ice shaper 112 to be at one of the plurality of positions which can include the first position 506 and the second position 508. The first position 506 can be closer to the extruder 314 than the second position 508. As such, responsive to an input for the target shape to be crushed ice, the cone 502 can be located and/or moved to the first position 506. As another example, responsive to an input for the target shape to be nugget ice, the cone 502 can be located and/or moved to the second position 508. In various implementations, the cone 502 can be located at any position between the first position 506 and the second position 508, which can all correspond to different target shapes of the ice. The position of the cone 502 can be determined by, for example, the controller 108 based on the target shape and/or a target length received from the user interface 208. For example, the first position 506 can be located a first distance relative to the extruder 314 which can correspond to the target length of the ice.

In various implementations, the one or more gears 408 can be coupled to an outer surface 509 of the ice shaper 112. In this case, the control member 114 can cause corresponding movement of the ice shaper 112 by way of the one or more gears 408 such as to move the ice shaper from the first position 506 to the second position 508. One of the one or more gears 408 can be disposed at the first end 510 of the ice shaper 112. The outer surface 509 can extend from a first end 510 to a second end 512. The outer surface 509 can decrease in size (e.g., diameter) in a direction (e.g., along the axis 306) from the first end 510 to the second end 512. The outer surface 509 of the ice shaper 112 can have an angle spanning between 0 to 90 degrees. For example, an angle between the first end 510 to the second end 512 can be 30 degrees. In another case, a first portion of the outer surface 509 can be at 90 degrees, while a second portion of the outer surface 509 can be at 45 degrees. The second portion of the outer surface 509 can be, for example, the cone 502.

The selection of the target shape of the ice can at least partially correspond to a characteristic of a surface 511 of the cone 502 that faces the extruder 314. For example, the surface 511 of the cone 502 can have an angle. The angle can be greater than or equal to 0 degrees, and less than or equal to 90 degrees relative to the axis 306. The angle of the surface 511 of the cone 502 can change the target shape. For example, the surface 511 of the cone 502 being at 30 degrees can result in the ice having a greater density than the surface 511 of the cone 502 being at 70 degrees. In various implementations, the angle can be greater than or equal to 30 degrees, and less than or equal to 70 degrees relative to the axis 306. In various implementations, the controller 108 can modify the angle of the surface 511 of the cone 502. The controller 108 can receive input from the user interface 208 regarding the target shape, and adjust the angle of the surface 511 of the cone 502 accordingly.

As shown in FIG. 5, in various implementations, the ice shaper 112 can include an inner surface 514 forming a thread (e.g., having a threaded portion). The thread can be rotatably coupled with the shaft 504. In this case, the shaft 504 can also include a thread on an inner surface of the shaft 504. To move the ice shaper 112 along the shaft 504 relative to the extruder 314, the thread of the inner surface 514 rotates along the thread of the inner surface of the shaft 504. In various implementations, the outer surface 509 of the ice shaper 112 can include a thread rotatably coupled to the one or more gears 408. The rotation of the one or more gears 408 can thus cause the ice shaper 112 to rotate and move along the shaft 504.

The second chamber 316 can include one or more stops. For example, the second chamber 316 can include a first stop and a second stop. The first stop can correspond to the first position 506 and the second stop can correspond to the second position 508. The first stop and the second stop can be coupled to the second chamber 316, and receive (e.g., provide a surface to stop) the ice shaper 112 at a first distance and a second distance from the extruder 314, respectively. The second distance can be less than the first distance. The first stop and the second stop can be, for example, a protrusion extending around an inner surface of the second chamber 316. The first stop can correspond to the target shape of the ice being a nugget shape while the second stop corresponds to the target shape being a crushed shape.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-8, the extruder 314 can include a plurality of apertures 602. The plurality of apertures 602 can each be centered on an axis parallel to and offset from the axis 306. Ice from the chamber 302 can be driven by the auger 110, and can be driven (e.g., extruded) from the extruder 314 through the plurality of apertures 602. The plurality of apertures 602 can be aligned with (e.g., face) the cone 502. For example, as ice is extruded from each of the plurality of apertures 602, the ice can extend along the axis that each of the plurality of apertures 602 is centered on. The ice can then contact the cone 502 and break off into the target shape based on the pose of the cone 502. The plurality of apertures 602, as shown in FIG. 7, can have a circular shape. In various implementations, the plurality of apertures 602 can have a square, rectangular, or triangular shape. As shown in, for example, FIG. 7, the plurality of apertures 602 can include five or more apertures 602 (e.g., six).

Referring further to FIGS. 7-8, the plurality of gears 408 can include a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear. The first gear can be rotatably coupled to the control member 114. In this case, an inner surface of the control member 114 can have a thread, and the first gear and the inner surface of the control member 114 can be rotatably coupled. The first gear can be coupled to the second gear. In various implementations, such as in FIGS. 7-8, the first gear can be disposed on a top surface of the second gear. The second gear can be rotatably coupled to the third gear. In various implementations, such as in FIGS. 7-8, the third gear can be coupled to the ice shaper 112. For example, the third gear can be disposed on a top surface of the ice shaper 112 (e.g., the first end 510). Thus, turning the control member 114 can cause the plurality of gears 408 to turn. Turning of the plurality of gears 408 can then cause the cone 502 to move. In various implementations, the cone 502 moves via the thread of the inner surface 514 of the ice shaper 112 and the thread of the shaft 504. In various implementations, the plurality of gears 408 can cause the cone 502 to move without the threads of the ice shaper 112 and/or the shaft 504.

In various implementations, at least one of the plurality of gears 408 is a sun gear and at least one of the plurality of gears 408 is a planetary gear. For example, the sun gear can be rotatably coupled to the planetary gear and cause the planetary gear to rotate. In various implementations, the second gear can be the sun gear. In this case, the first and third gears are planetary gears. In various implementations, the first and the second gears are centered on a first axis and the third gear is centered on a second axis. In this case, the control member 114 can be centered on a third axis where the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are parallel to and offset from each other. The first and third axis can be parallel and offset from the axis 306. The second axis can be the axis 306.

FIGS. 9A-C illustrate various poses of the ice shaper 112. FIG. 9A depicts the ice shaper 112 at the second position 508. In this case, the pose of the ice shaper 112 correlates to nugget ice. The cone 502 can be at the second distance from the extruder 314 and have an angle of about 60 degrees to generate nugget ice. As shown in FIG. 9B, the angle of the cone 502 can be modified from 0 to 90 degrees. FIG. 9B depicts the pose of the ice shaper 112 at the second position 508 and the cone 502 having an angle of 90 degrees. The pose of the ice shaper 112 being at the angle of 90 degrees can correlate to a different target shape compared to the pose of the ice shaper 112 in FIG. 9A. FIG. 9C depicts the pose of the ice shaper 112 at the first position 506 which can correlate with crushed ice. In this case, the cone 502 is in contact with the extruder 314. The control member 114 can change the ice shaper 112 from the second position 508 to the first position 506 and vice versa. For example, the control member 114 can rotate the gear 408 as shown in FIGS. 9A-C to cause the ice shaper 112 to move from the second position 508 of FIG. 9A to the first position 506 of FIG. 9C. The control member 114 can modify the angle of the cone 502 via, for example, the actuator.

The controller 108 can control and move the ice shaper 112 from the second position 508 to the first position 506 and vice versa. For example, the ice shaper 112 can be coupled to a motor (e.g., a second motor), and the controller 108 can cause the ice shaper 112 to move via the motor. The controller 108 could also, for example, cause the plurality of gears 408 to rotate via the motor and thus move the ice shaper 112. The controller 108 can also modify the angle of the ice shaper 112 by, for example, a motor (e.g., a third motor) coupled with the cone 502.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-15, in various implementations, the appliance 100 does not include the plurality of gears 408. For example, as seen in FIG. 10, the control member 114 includes a first curved surface 1002. The ice shaper 112 can include a second curved surface 1004 on the first end 510 facing the first curved surface 1002. The first curved surface 1002 and the second curved surface 1004 can be rotatably coupled, and rotation of the control member 114 can cause the ice shaper 112 to move along the shaft 504. In various implementations, the appliance 100 includes a lock mechanism to prevent the ice shaper 112 from being back driven (e.g., moving towards the control member 114 responsive to the control member 114 not rotating).

Referring now to FIGS. 11A-D, the inner surface 514 and the shaft 504 are rotatably coupled via a plurality of curved surfaces 1102. The control member 114 is coupled to the outer surface 509. Rotation of the control member 114 causes the ice shaper 112 to move between positions via the plurality of curved surfaces 1102.

Referring now to FIG. 12, the control member 114 can include one or more markers 1202. The markers 1202 can indicate the first position 506 and the second position 508 of the ice shaper 112. For example, rotating until a first marker of the markers 1202 indicates that the ice shaper 112 is in the second position 508. The markers 1202 can halt a rotation of the control member 114.

Referring now to FIG. 13, the appliance 100 can include a cam 1302. In this case, the control member 114 includes an engagement member 1304 which can rotate the cam 1302 and subsequently causes the ice shaper 112 to move. The cam 1302 can include a projection 1306 to engage with the engagement member 1304 and at least one flat surface 1308 in contact with the ice shaper 112 to cause the ice shaper to move upon rotation of the control member 114.

Referring now to FIG. 14, the appliance 100 can include a sliding bar 1402 coupled to the ice shaper 112 and pivotally coupled to one or more tracks 1404. The one or more tracks 1404 are coupled to the control member 114, and rotation of the control member 114 can cause the sliding bar 1402 to move the ice shaper 112.

Referring now to FIG. 15, the control member 114 can includes an angled surface 1502 facing the first end 510 of the ice shaper 112. In this case, the control member 114 does not rotate but instead, moves laterally (e.g., horizontally) to move the ice shaper 112. The control member 114 is directly in contact with the ice shaper 112. The appliance 100 can also include a spring 1504 to move the ice shaper 112 between the first position 506 and the second position 508.

References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. The orientation of various elements can differ according to other illustrative implementations, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. References herein to the order of elements (e.g., “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” “fifth,” “sixth,” “seventh”) are merely used for ease of description relative to each element in the FIGURES.

While operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, such operations are not required to be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, and all illustrated operations are not required to be performed. Actions described herein can be performed in a different order.

Having now described some illustrative implementations, it is apparent that the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by way of example. In particular, although many of the examples presented herein involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, those acts, and those elements can be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements and features discussed in connection with one implementation are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in other implementations.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” “comprising” “having” “containing” “involving” “characterized by” “characterized in that” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, equivalents thereof, and additional items, as well as alternate implementations consisting of the items listed thereafter exclusively. In one implementation, the systems and methods described herein consist of one, each combination of more than one, or all of the described elements, acts, or components.

Any references to implementations or elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular can also embrace implementations including a plurality of these elements, and any references in plural to any implementation or element or act herein can also embrace implementations including only a single element. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements to single or plural configurations. References to any act or element being based on any information, act or element can include implementations where the act or element is based at least in part on any information, act, or element.

Any implementation disclosed herein can be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, and references to “an implementation,” “some implementations,” “one implementation” or the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation may be included in at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used herein are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation. Any implementation may be combined with any other implementation, inclusively or exclusively, in any manner consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.

References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or”may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.

References to at least one of a conjunctive list of terms may be construed as an inclusive OR to indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. For example, a reference to “at least one of ‘A’ and ‘B’” can include only ‘A’, only ‘B’, as well as both ‘A’ and ‘B’. Such references used in conjunction with “comprising” or other open terminology can include additional items.

Where technical features in the drawings, detailed description or any claim are followed by reference signs, the reference signs have been included to increase the intelligibility of the drawings, detailed description, and claims. Accordingly, neither the reference signs nor their absence have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements. Modifications of described elements and acts such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations can occur without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed can be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions can also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a machine, the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.

Systems and methods described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the characteristics thereof. Further relative parallel, perpendicular, vertical or other positioning or orientation descriptions include variations within +/−10% or +/−10 degrees of pure vertical, parallel or perpendicular positioning. References to “approximately,” “about” “substantially” or other terms of degree include variations of +/−10% from the given measurement, unit, or range unless explicitly indicated otherwise. Coupled elements can be electrically, mechanically, or physically coupled with one another directly or with intervening elements. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.