Refrigeration system, ice maker, and methods of forming ice

An ice maker system comprising:

• a plurality of trays;
• a plurality of containers disposed beneath the plurality of trays;
• a plurality of gears fixedly attached to the plurality of trays;
• and
• a motor having a shaft rotatably coupled to the motor, the shaft including a threaded surface for engaging at least one of the plurality of gears;
• wherein the plurality of gears include at least a first gear engaged with at least a second gear, such that rotation of the first gear causes rotation of the second gear.

A method of forming ice, the method comprising:

• disposing a plurality of gears on a plurality of trays within a refrigeration system, the plurality of gears including at least a first gear associated with at least a first tray and at least a second gear associated with at least a second tray, the first gear being engaged with the second gear;
• engaging a plurality of teeth formed on the first gear with a threaded surface of a shaft rotatably coupled to a motor;
• filling each of the plurality of trays with a liquid;
• sensing, using at least one sensor, a state of the liquid within each of the plurality of trays;
• determining, using the at least one sensor, that the liquid within each of the plurality of trays is in a solid state;
• and
• activating the motor, such that the first gear rotates in a first direction and the second gear rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction, thereby rotating the first tray in the first direction and the second tray in the second direction to dispose of solidified liquid within the first tray and the second tray into separate containers positioned beneath the first tray and the second tray.