# US 9,004,325 B2 · Domestic refrigerator including an ice dispenser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,004,325 B2 - Document ID: US9004325B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/669,513 - Filed: 2012-11-06 - Published: 2014-05-08 - Granted: 2015-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-06 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Kevin E. Licht; Garett L. Strandemo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9004325B2 ## CPC - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - B67D 1/0857: {Cooling arrangements (cooling systems per se F25B)} - F25C 1/04: by using stationary moulds - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) ## Abstract An ice dispenser for a domestic refrigerator includes a lever having a housing with a passageway defined therein and a flapper door configured to pivot between a closed position in which ice is prevented from advancing into the passageway and an open position in which ice is permitted to advance into the passageway. A linkage is coupled to the lever and the flapper door such that movement of the lever causes the flapper door to move from the closed position to the open position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A domestic refrigerator comprising: an ice dispenser positioned in a door of the refrigerator, the ice dispenser comprising: a mounting bracket, a lever pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket, the lever including a housing having a passageway defined therein, a flapper door pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket, the flapper door being configured to pivot between (i) a closed position in which ice is prevented from advancing into the passageway and (ii) an open position in which ice is permitted to advance into the passageway, a rotary damper coupled to the flapper door, a linkage coupled to the lever and the flapper door such that movement of the lever from a first lever position to a second lever position advances the flapper door from the closed position to the open position, wherein (i) the linkage is configured to permit the lever to move from the second lever position to the first lever position independently of the flapper door, and (ii) the rotary damper is configured to resist the movement of the flapper door from the open position to the closed position, and a first torsional spring configured to bias the lever in the first lever position, and second a torsional spring configured to bias the flapper door in the closed position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The domestic refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the flapper door includes: a plate positioned at an upper end of the passageway of the housing, and a bracket secured to the plate, the bracket including a lower end moveably coupled to the rotary damper. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The domestic refrigerator of claim 2, wherein: the lower end of the bracket of the flapper door has a first plurality of teeth formed thereon, and the rotary damper includes a shaft having a second plurality of teeth formed thereon, the second plurality of teeth being meshed with the first plurality of teeth. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The domestic refrigerator of claim 2, wherein: the bracket includes a sidewall having a slot defined therein, and the linkage comprises (i) a roller positioned in the slot, the roller being configured to move along the slot, and (ii) a link arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the lever and a second end pivotally coupled to the roller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The domestic refrigerator of claim 4, wherein: the roller is positioned at an upper end of the slot of the bracket as the lever is moved from the first lever position to the second lever position, and the roller is moved away from the upper end of the slot as the lever is moved from the second lever position to the first lever position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The domestic refrigerator of claim 1, wherein (i) the first torsional spring is configured to urge the lever to move from the second lever position to the first lever position at a first rotational speed, and (ii) the rotary damper is configured to permit the flapper door to move from the open position to the closed position at a second rotational speed that is less than the first rotational speed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The domestic refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the lever further includes a paddle extending downwardly from the housing, the paddle having a curved surface configured to receive a container for ice. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The domestic refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and the door pivotally coupled to the cabinet, the door comprising (i) a door panel defining a front surface of the door assembly, the door panel having an opening defined therein, and (ii) a housing positioned in the opening of the door panel, the housing having the mounting bracket secured thereto. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The domestic refrigerator of claim 8, further comprising an ice bin sized to contain ice, a motor operable to advance ice from the ice bin, and a switch operable to control the motor, wherein (i) the lever includes a control arm configured to operate the switch to energize the motor, and (ii) the control arm operates the switch when the lever is in the second lever position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The domestic refrigerator of claim 9, further comprising a chute configured to guide ice to the passageway of the housing, the chute having a mouth positioned adjacent to an upper end of the passageway, wherein (i) when the flapper door is in the closed position, the flapper door is positioned over the mouth of the chute, and (ii) when the flapper door is in the open position, the flapper door is spaced apart from the mouth of the chute. ### Claim 11 A domestic refrigerator, comprising: an ice dispenser positioned in a door of the refrigerator, the ice dispenser comprising: a lever configured to pivot about an axis, the lever including a housing having a passageway defined therein that is sized to receive ice, a flapper door configured to pivot between (i) a closed position in which ice is prevented from advancing into the passageway and (ii) an open position in which ice is permitted to advance into the passageway, the flapper door including a bracket having a curved slot defined therein, a rotary damper engaged with the bracket of the flapper door, the rotary damper being configured to resist movement of the flapper door, a roller positioned in the curved slot of the bracket of the flapper door, the roller being configured to move along the curved slot, and a link having a first end pivotally coupled to the lever and a second end pivotally coupled to the roller, wherein (i) when the lever is pivoted about the axis in a first direction, the link is configured to advance the roller and the bracket upward such that the flapper door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and (ii) when the lever is pivoted about the axis in a second direction opposite the first direction, the roller is moved downward along the curved slot such that the flapper door is permitted to move between the open position and the closed position, wherein the bracket of the flapper door includes a convex lower surface, the convex lower surface having a first plurality of teeth defined thereon, and wherein the rotary damper includes a second plurality of teeth meshed with the first plurality of teeth. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The domestic refrigerator of claim 11, wherein: the lever is configured to pivot about the axis in the second direction at a first rotational speed, and the rotary damper is configured to resist movement of the flapper door as the flapper door is moved from the open position to the closed position such that the flapper door is moved at a second rotational speed that is less than the first rotational speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The domestic refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising a biasing element configured to bias the flapper door in the closed position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The domestic refrigerator of claim 11, further comprising: a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, the door pivotally coupled to the cabinet, and a mounting bracket secured to the door, the mounting bracket having the lever and the flapper door pivotally coupled thereto. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The domestic refrigerator of claim 14, further comprising: a chute in the door, the chute having a mouth positioned adjacent to an upper end of the passageway, wherein (i) when the flapper door is in the closed position, the flapper door is positioned over the mouth of the chute such that ice is prevented from advancing into the upper end of the passageway, and (ii) when the flapper door is in the open position, the flapper door is spaced apart from the mouth of the chute such that ice is permitted to advance into the upper end of the passageway. ### Claim 16 An ice dispenser for a domestic refrigerator, comprising: a lever configured to move between a first lever position and a second lever position, the lever including a housing having a passageway defined therein, a first spring to bias the lever in the first lever position, a flapper door configured to pivot between (i) a closed position in which ice is prevented from advancing into the passageway and (ii) an open position in which ice is permitted to advance into the passageway, the flapper door including a bracket having a slot defined therein, a second spring to bias the flapper door in the closed position, a roller positioned in the slot of the bracket of the flapper door, the roller being configured to move along the a link having a first end pivotally coupled to the lever and a second end pivotally coupled to the roller, and a rotary damper coupled to the flapper door, the rotary damper being configured to resist movement of the flapper door from the open position to the closed position, wherein (i) movement of the lever from the first lever position to the second lever position advances the roller and the bracket about an axis such that the flapper door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and (ii) movement of the lever from the second lever position to the first lever position causes the roller to move along the slot such that the flapper door is permitted to move from the open position to the closed position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The ice dispenser of claim 16, further comprising: an ice bin sized to contain ice, a motor operable to advance ice from the ice bin, and a switch operable to control the motor, wherein (i) the lever includes a control arm configured to operate the switch to energize the motor, and (ii) the control arm operates the switch when the lever is in the second lever position.