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US 2008/0156016 A1Published application
Ice supply device
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsKyung Han Jeong, Wook Yong LEE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice supply device is capable of supplying cubed ice, sliced ice, and grinded ice. The ice supply device is configured to supply cubed ice, sliced ice, or grinded ice based on a speed and direction of rotation of a rotary blade included in the ice supply device.
Claims22
An appliance comprising:
- an ice maker configured to make ice;
- an ice storage bin configured to store ice made by the ice maker;
- a dispenser including an ice dispensing chute;
- a housing configured to define an ice processing cavity, the housing including an inlet configured to receive ice from the ice storage bin and an outlet configured to communicate with the ice dispensing chute to enable ejection of ice from within the housing to the ice dispensing chute;
- an ice processing device provided in the ice processing cavity and including a rotary blade that has a relatively sharp side, a relatively dull side, and at least one protrusion extending from and positioned on a circumferential surface of an end of the rotary blade;
- and
- a controller configured to control a direction of rotation and a speed of rotation of the rotary blade to control a shape of ice processed by the ice processing device and communicated to the ice dispensing chute.
4 more elements
An appliance comprising:
- an ice maker configured to make ice;
- an ice storage bin configured to store ice made by the ice maker;
- a dispenser including an ice dispensing chute;
- an ice processing device configured to process ice in at least three shapes, the ice processing device including an outlet configured allow ice processed by the ice processing device to enter the ice dispensing chute;
- a user input device configured to receive a selection of a shape of ice the user desires to dispense, the desired shape of ice corresponding to one of the at least three shapes;
- and
- a controller configured to control the ice processing device to process ice in the desired shape of ice to allow dispensing of the desired shape of ice by the dispenser.
4 more elements
A method of controlling an appliance to dispense ice, the method comprising:
- receiving user input indicating a selection of a shape of ice a user desires to dispense from among a list of at least three shapes, the at least three shapes including a first shape, a second shape that is generally smaller than the first shape, and a third shape that is generally smaller than the first shape and the second shape;
- controlling a direction of rotation and a speed of rotation of a rotary blade included in an ice processing device of the appliance to process ice in the desired shape of ice selected by the user;
- and
- dispensing ice from the appliance in a shape corresponding to the desired shape of ice selected by the user.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.