A refrigerator appliance includes an ice packer assembly including an enclosure with a rotatable door, and an ice mold slidably supported by the enclosure. The ice mold is configured to translate between a first position and a second position. The door is configured to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation as the ice mold is translated from the first position to the second position. The enclosure defines a pass-through opening therethrough. The door opens up the pass-through opening when rotated to the first orientation, and closes the pass-through opening and defines a platform for receiving crushed ice thereon when it is rotated to the second orientation.

A refrigerator includes: an ice maker for generating ice; an ice bin for storing the ice and including a rotational blade that is rotated in order to discharge the ice; a motor for generating power for rotating the rotational blade; a manipulation pad provided on the door of the refrigerator and manipulated to discharge the ice from the ice bin; a manipulation sensing part for detecting the manipulation of the manipulation pad; and a controller for operating the motor when the manipulation of the manipulation pad is detected by the manipulation sensing part, wherein the controller rotates the motor in one direction to discharge the ice from the ice bin and the controller rotates the motor in the other direction, which is the opposite direction of the one direction, for a set period of time when the manipulation of the manipulation pad is no longer detected.

A variable ice dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of ice dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control includes a variable control actuator that is movable between a range of positions including a home position, and movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense cubed ice while movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense crushed ice. Further, in some instances, the variable control may also selectively activate the ice dispenser such that the variable control actuator controls the ice dispensing rate while the variable ice dispenser is activated. In addition, in some instances, a variable control may also include a secondary control that switches between ice and water dispensing modes.

The present invention provides an ice shaver with a multi-link, self-locking, force-reduction, motion control arm or armature to press an ice block against a blade. The armature has a lever with a forward handle, an intermediate connection to the column, and a rear connection to the frame of the ice shaver. A link is coupled between the rear connection of the lever and the frame of the ice shaver to form a four-bar linkage. The armature has a raised locked configuration in which the lever and the link are oriented substantially co-linear to maintain the column in a raised position. In another aspect, joints between the lever and the column can comprise dampers.

The present invention provides an ice shaver with a 360° splash guard and shield. The guard circumscribes a gap between a top deck and a shave deck. In one aspect, a front arcuate portion of the guard can be a door that slides open and closed around an annular track. In another aspect, another rear arcuate portion of the guard can magnetically mount to the top deck. In another aspect, a channel can be positioned under the guard as an embedded water drainage channel positioned concentrically and underneath the rear floating magnetic splash guard to capture the water droplets spun off from the ice block and direct the water to a drainage opening in the channel.

An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance includes an ice making assembly defining a receiving chamber in fluid communication with an air duct and a mold assembly removably mounted to the ice making assembly. The mold assembly includes a frame configured for receipt within the receiving chamber of the ice making assembly, a heat exchanger mounted to the frame and defining a mold support surface, and a flexible mold positioned on the mold support surface that is supported by the heat exchanger such that the flexible mold is in thermal communication with the heat exchanger and defines a mold cavity configured to receive a liquid. The mold assembly is replaceable with alternate mold assemblies.

Disclosed are an ice storage container (100) and a refrigerator (1000) having same. The ice storage container (100) includes: an ice delivering part (10) and an ice crushing part (20). The ice delivering part (10) includes: a container body (11), an ice pushing component (12), and a driving member. The container body (11) defines a first accommodating cavity (a) for accommodating ice cubes. The first accommodating cavity (a) is provided with an ice outlet (b). The ice pushing component (10) is arranged in the first accommodating cavity (a). The ice pushing component (12) includes a plurality of blades (1212). The driving member is connected to the ice pushing component (12). The blades (1212) of the ice pushing component (12) are configured to crush the ice cubes selectively based on a preset condition that is forward rotation or reverse rotation. The plurality of blades (1212) push the ice towards the ice outlet (b).

A refrigerator appliance or ice making assembly, as provided herein, may include a body and an ejector. The body may include an ice mold for receiving and freezing water. The ice mold may define a discrete first compartment and second compartment within which water freezes. The first compartment may define a first cube profile. The second compartment may be axially-spaced apart from the first compartment and define a second cube profile. The second cube profile may be different from the first cube profile. The ejector may be rotatably disposed above the first cube profile and the second cube profile to motivate ice from the first and second compartments.

A device for selectively providing crushed or uncrushed ice includes a storage receptacle for storing uncrushed ice pieces, and a grinder, which is fed with ice pieces from the storage receptacle, for crushing the ice pieces. The grinder is concealed behind an end wall which is arranged on a side of the grinder that is opposite the storage receptacle. A mechanical switching element is associated with the grinder and can be switched between two working positions. In its first working position, ice pieces received from the storage receptacle are necessarily introduced into the operating range of the grinder and in its second working position a bypass passage is freed for ice pieces received from the storage receptacle past the grinder. The device also includes a movable adjusting element in mechanical adjusting connection with the switching element.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an ice crushing device and refrigerator The ice crushing device comprises an ice storage container, in which a rotatable ice knife assembly is provided, wherein the ice knife assembly includes a rotary shaft, a fixed ice knife, a movable ice knife and an ice cube separation structure, the rotary shaft is capable of driving the movable ice knife to rotate, the fixed ice knife and the ice cube separation structure are located at two sides of the rotary shaft separately, and the fixed ice knife and the ice cube separation structure are both fixed relative to the ice storage container.