Ice bin with magnetized scoop and method of manufacture and use
AssigneeTrue Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorsKevin Knatt, Curt Cayemberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice bin and scoop and related methods are disclosed. The ice bin includes a liner in an outer shell. A support plate is fitted in a space between the liner and the outer shell. The support plate has either ferromagnetic or magnetic material. The scoop has either magnetic or ferromagnetic material. The support plate is positioned so that the scoop can be supported inside the ice bin on the perimeter wall of the ice bin by a force of magnetic attraction between the support plate and the scoop. The support plate is positioned so that the scoop may be held out of contact with ice deposited in the bin and out of the path of falling ice. Molded-in-place insulation may support the support plate in the space between the liner and outer shell.
Claims27
An ice bin comprising:
- a bin body, the bin body comprising a lower portion, an upper portion, and a perimeter wall extending heightwise from the lower portion to the upper portion, the upper portion of the bin body defining an ice drop area configured so that ice dropped from an ice maker supported above the ice bin is passable through the ice drop area into the interior, the bin body further comprising an ice retrieval area spaced apart from the ice drop area for providing access to the interior of the ice bin, the perimeter wall comprising a support plate configured to support an ice scoop on the perimeter wall in the interior of the ice bin by a force of magnetic attraction between the ice scoop and the support plate;
- wherein the perimeter wall has a back, a front, and an inner side wall, the inner side wall having a front-to-back depth extending from the front to the back of the perimeter wall and the inner side wall having a height extending from the lower portion to the upper portion of the bin body;
- wherein the perimeter wall comprises an outer shell, a liner, and an enclosed insulation space between the outer shell and the liner, the support plate being received in the enclosed insulation space along the inner side wall of the perimeter wall and the enclosed insulation space being filled with foam insulation molded-in-place between the liner and the outer shell and around the support plate;
- wherein the support plate has a front edge margin, a back edge margin, and a front-to-back depth extending from the front edge margin to the back edge margin;
- wherein the support plate has a top edge margin, a bottom edge margin, and a height extending from the top edge margin to the bottom edge margin;
- wherein the back edge margin of the support plate is spaced apart from the back of the inner side wall by a front-to-back spacing distance;
- wherein the bottom edge margin of the support plate is spaced apart from the lower portion of the bin body by a top-to-bottom spacing distance;
- and
- wherein the front-to-back spacing distance is greater than the front-to-back depth of the support plate.
An ice storage and retrieval assembly comprising, an ice bin, the ice bin comprising a bin body, the bin body comprising a lower portion, an upper portion, and a perimeter wall extending heightwise from the lower portion to the upper portion, the upper portion of the bin body defining an ice drop area configured so that ice dropped from an ice maker supported above the ice bin is passable through the ice drop area into the interior, the bin body further comprising an ice retrieval area spaced apart from the ice drop area for providing access to the interior of the ice bin, the perimeter wall comprising a support plate, and an ice scoop comprising at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element, the scoop being configured to support itself on the perimeter wall at a location in the interior of the ice bin overlying the support plate by force of magnetic attraction between the ice scoop and the support plate;
- wherein the support plate is ferromagnetic material;
- wherein the perimeter wall comprises an outer shell, a liner, and an enclosed insulation space between the outer shell and the liner, the support plate being received in the enclosed insulation space and the enclosed insulation space being filled with foam insulation molded-in-place between the liner and the outer shell and around the support plate;
- wherein the scoop comprises a plurality of spaced apart magnet receiving enclosures and wherein the at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element comprises a plurality of magnetic elements, each magnetic element being received in a respective one of the magnet receiving enclosures, the scoop further comprising a plurality of caps, each cap joined to the scoop to cover a respective one of the magnet receiving enclosures and to retain the respective magnetic element in the magnet receiving enclosure.
An ice bin comprising:
- a bin body, the bin body comprising a lower portion, an upper portion, and a perimeter wall extending heightwise from the lower portion to the upper portion, the upper portion of the bin body defining an ice drop area configured so that ice dropped from an ice maker supported above the ice bin is passable through the ice drop area into the interior, the bin body further comprising an ice retrieval area spaced apart from the ice drop area for providing access to the interior of the ice bin, the perimeter wall comprising a support plate configured to support an ice scoop on the perimeter wall in the interior of the ice bin by a force of magnetic attraction between the ice scoop and the support plate;
- wherein the perimeter wall has a back, a front, and an inner side wall;
- wherein the perimeter wall comprises an outer shell, a liner, and an enclosed insulation space between the outer shell and the liner, the support plate being received in the enclosed insulation space along the inner side wall of the perimeter wall and the enclosed insulation space being filled with foam insulation molded-in-place between the liner and the outer shell and around the support plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.