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US 9,518,772 B2Granted
Domestic refrigerator including an ice dispenser
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsKevin E. Licht, Garett L. Strandemo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims20
A domestic refrigerator comprising:
- an ice dispenser comprising:
- a mounting bracket;
- a lever pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket;
- a flapper door that includes a bracket having a lower end with a first plurality of teeth formed thereon and wherein the flapper door is pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket, the flapper door being configured to pivot between (i) a closed position and (ii) an open position;
- a rotary damper that includes a shaft having a second plurality of teeth formed thereon, the second plurality of teeth being meshed with the first plurality of teeth and wherein the rotary damper is coupled to the flapper door;
- and
- 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.
4 more elements
A domestic refrigerator, comprising:
- an 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;
- and
- wherein the bracket of the flapper door includes a lower surface having a first plurality of teeth and the rotary damper has a second plurality of teeth.
6 more elements
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, the flapper door including a bracket;
- a second spring to bias the flapper door in a closed position;
- a roller positioned in a slot of the bracket of the flapper door, the roller being configured to move along the slot;
- 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;
- 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 an 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.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.