Refrigerator appliance having a removable ice storage bin

A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:

• a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
• a door rotatable between an open position permitting access to the chilled chamber and a closed position restricting access to the chilled chamber;
• and
• an ice bin removably received within the chilled chamber, the ice bin comprising
• a bin body defining a storage volume to receive ice therein, the bin body extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the bin body further defining a dispenser opening in fluid communication with the storage volume at the bottom end to selectively permit ice therefrom, and
• a non-vertical auger defining a rotation axis within the storage volume to direct ice within the storage volume to the dispenser opening, the non-vertical auger comprising a rotation shaft extending along the rotation axis and an auger blade coiled about the rotation shaft, the auger blade defining an expanding radius along the rotation axis from a first blade end to a second blade end, and
• a base platform held within the ice storage volume below the rotation shaft, the base platform defining a melt aperture through which melted ice may pass, the base platform being matched to the expanding radius of the auger blade to decrease in vertical height between the first blade end and the second blade end.

A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:

• a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
• a door rotatable between an open position permitting access to the chilled chamber and a closed position restricting access to the chilled chamber;
• and
• an ice bin removably received within the chilled chamber, the ice bin comprising
• a bin body defining a storage volume to receive ice therein, the bin body extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the bin body further defining a dispenser opening in fluid communication with the storage volume at the bottom end to selectively permit ice therefrom, and
• a non-vertical auger defining a rotation axis within the storage volume to direct ice within the storage volume to the dispenser opening, the non-vertical auger comprising a rotation shaft extending along the rotation axis and an auger blade coiled about the rotation shaft, the auger blade defining an expanding radius along the rotation axis from a first blade end to a second blade end, and
• an intermediate platform held within the ice storage volume above the rotation shaft, the intermediate platform being slanted to decrease in vertical height between the first blade end and the second blade end.