Ice machine
OwnerGlenn Hoffman, Robert Joseph Hoffmaninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ice machine including a cabinet with a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly. A frame within the cabinet includes a base portion and a support portion supporting a hopper that contains an ice dispensing interface. A housing is operably coupled with the cabinet door and defines an ice harvesting chamber having a bottom (floor) portion containing multiple levels as defined by separation of the bottom portion from the top of the housing and a drain. A chute is coupled with the housing and is in communication with the ice dispensing interface. A container hanging assembly is coupled with the chute. An attachment rod, coupled to the housing, is positioned on a side of the chute opposite to the container hanging assembly.
Claims20
An ice machine comprising:
- a cabinet defining a compartment and having a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly;
- a frame removably positioned within the cabinet and laterally offset relative to a lateral centerline of the compartment,
- a hopper that is supported by the frame, the hopper including an ice dispensing interface;
- a housing having a top and a bottom and affixed to the cabinet door to be moved from inside the compartment when the cabinet door is opened, said housing defining an ice harvesting chamber, wherein the bottom of the housing includes a surface that is separated from the top by a first distance at a first location at said surface and by a second distance at a second location at said surface, the first distance being different from the second distance;
- a chute coupled with the housing and in communication with the ice dispensing interface;
- a container hanging assembly operably coupled with the chute;
- an attachment rod;
- and
- a drain defined in the bottom of the housing.
An ice machine comprising:
- a cabinet defining a compartment with a compartment volume and having a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly;
- a frame surrounding a frame volume and removably positioned within the cabinet and including a base portion of the frame and a support portion of the frame, the frame laterally offset relative to a lateral centerline of the compartment, the frame volume being smaller than the compartment volume;
- a hopper disposed on top of the support portion of the frame and having an ice dispensing interface;
- and
- a chute coupled with a housing that hangs on the cabinet door and in communication with the ice dispensing interface, wherein the housing has a bottom that is unequally distanced from the hopper at first and second locations along the bottom.
An ice machine comprising:
- a cabinet enclosing a compartment with a compartment volume and having a cabinet door hingedly coupled thereto;
- a frame surrounding a frame volume that is smaller than the compartment volume, the frame being repositionably located within the cabinet and supporting a hopper, wherein the hopper is supported by the support portion of the frame and includes an ice dispensing interface, wherein the frame is offset from a lateral centerline of the compartment;
- a housing defining an ice harvesting chamber with a bottom configured to define at least first and second levels of the bottom along a vertical direction, the housing attached to the cabinet door whereby the ice harvesting chamber is hinged away from the compartment volume when the cabinet door is opened;
- a chute coupled with the housing and in communication with the ice dispensing interface;
- and
- an attachment rod attached to and extending through a rear wall of the housing and including a retainer on an end portion thereof, the retainer disposed vertically above a lower portion of the chute.
A vending compartment configured as an ice harvesting chamber for an ice machine, the ice machine including
- a cabinet defining a compartment and having a cabinet door coupled thereto through a hinge assembly;
- a frame removably positioned within the cabinet and laterally offset relative to a lateral compartment centerline,
- a hopper that is supported by the frame, the hopper including an ice dispensing interface;
- and
- a chute in communication with the ice dispensing interface;
- wherein the vending compartment has a top and a bottom and affixed to the cabinet door to be moved from inside the compartment when the cabinet door is opened,
- wherein the bottom includes a surface that is separated from the top by a first distance at a first location at said surface and by a second distance at a second location at said surface, and
- wherein the first distance being different from the second distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.