ICE MAKING APPARATUS FOR USE IN A REFRIGERATOR

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ice making apparatus comprising a casing, ice trays, an ice receptacle, a retainer for rotatably supporting the ice trays and one or more than one knob for respectively twisting the ice trays either simultaneously or singly. In the ice making apparatus of the present invention, the retainer selectively supports either one of a plurality of exchangeable covers enabling a single or simultaneous twist type ice making apparatus. One exchangeable cover has a plurality of bearings.

Claims

1. An ice making apparatus comprising a casing accommodating ice trays, an ice receptacle disposed below the ice trays, a retainer for rotatably supporting the ice trays and one or more than one knob for respectively twisting the ice trays simultaneously or singly, characterized in that the retainer is further adapted to selectively support either one of a plurality of exchangeable covers, wherein the casing further comprising an exchangeable cover which has a plurality of bearings, each bearing is adapted hold one knob for singly twisting the corresponding ice tray, each ice tray has a head and each knob has a hub which is adapted to directly and detachably engage with the head of the corresponding ice tray or another exchangeable cover which has a single bearing and a gear assembly, the single bearing is adapted to hold one knob for simultaneously twisting all ice trays via the gear assembly which couples the ice trays with the knob, the gear assembly has a driving gear and a plurality of driven gears, the driving gear has a head which is adapted to directly and detachably engage with the hub of the knob and each driven gear has a hub which is adapted to directly and detachably engage with the head of the corresponding ice tray.

2. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the hub of each knob comprising a notch and the head of each ice tray has a matching tab which is adapted to detachably fit into the notch of the corresponding knob, the head of the driving gear has a matching tab which is adapted to detachably fit into the notch of the knob and the hub of each driven gear has a notch which is adapted to detachably fit onto the matching tab of the corresponding ice tray.

3. The ice making apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the notch of each knob has one or more than one slot and the matching tab of each corresponding ice tray has one or more than one matching claw which is adapted to snap-fit into the respective slot of the corresponding knob, the matching tab of the driving gear has one or more than one matching claw which is adapted to snap-fit into the respective slot of the knob and the notch of each driven gear has one or more than one slot into which the respective matching claw 470 of the corresponding ice tray is adapted to snap-fit.

4. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that driving gear has one or more than one alignment groove and each driven gear has one or more than one alignment tooth, wherein each alignment groove is adapted to mesh with the respective alignment tooth of the corresponding driven gear when the corresponding ice tray is facing horizontally upwards and the knob is at the rest position.

5. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the retainer is adapted to support spring elements which respectively bias a corresponding ice tray to the rest position where the ice tray is horizontally aligned and faces upwards.

6. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the retainer comprising bearings for detachably and rotatably supporting the driving gear and the driven gears respectively.

7. The ice making apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the driving gear has arc-shaped claws which are adapted to snap fittingly engage with the rim of the corresponding bearing on the retainer.

8. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle is slidably and releasably disposed inside the lower section of the casing.

9. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the retainer is slidably mountable into the upper section of the casing.

10. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each knob comprising a round shaped body and a grip which is defined by two diametrically opposed recesses formed into the front section of the body.

11. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each exchangeable cover has a frame which is adapted to fit onto the front section of the retainer.

12. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing comprising two ice trays and two knobs for singly twisting the two ice trays and the exchangeable cover has two bearings, wherein each bearing holds one respective knob.

13. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing comprising two ice trays and one knob for simultaneously twisting the ice trays and the exchangeable cover has a single bearing and a gear assembly, wherein the single bearing holds the knob, wherein the gear assembly has a driving gear and two driven gears and wherein the driven gears are each directly meshed with the driving gear.

14. A refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment, characterized in that an ice making apparatus according to claim 1.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, characterized in that the ice making apparatus is detachably disposed into the freezer compartment.

Description

[0022] Additional advantages of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention and the refrigerator according to the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator which has an ice making apparatus inside the freezer compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the ice receptacle is partly pulled out,

[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial inner perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the casing, the ice trays and the ice receptacle have been omitted,

[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0028] FIG. 6 is a another schematic partial perspective exploded view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0029] FIG. 7 is a another schematic partial perspective exploded view of the ice making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0030] FIG. 8 is a schematic partial inner perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the casing, the retainer and the ice receptacle have been omitted,

[0031] FIG. 9 is a schematic partial inner perspective exploded view of the ice making apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the casing, the retainer and the ice receptacle have been omitted,

[0032] The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

[0033] 1. Apparatus

[0034] 2. Casing

[0035] 3. Tray

[0036] 4. Receptacle

[0037] 4a. Grip

[0038] 5. Retainer

[0039] 6. Knob

[0040] 6a. Body

[0041] 6b. Grip

[0042] 6c. Recess

[0043] 7a. Cover

[0044] 7b. Cover

[0045] 7c. Frame

[0046] 8a. Bearing

[0047] 8b. Bearing

[0048] 8c. Bearing

[0049] 9a. Head

[0050] 9b. Head

[0051] 10a. Hub

[0052] 10b. Hub

[0053] 11. Gear assembly

[0054] 12. Gear

[0055] 13. Gear

[0056] 14a. Notch

[0057] 14b. Notch

[0058] 15a. Tab

[0059] 15b. Tab

[0060] 16a. Slot

[0061] 16b. Slot

[0062] 17a. Claw

[0063] 17b. Claw

[0064] 17c. Claw

[0065] 18. Groove

[0066] 19. Tooth

[0067] 20. Spring element

[0068] 21. Rim

[0069] 22. Refrigerator

[0070] 23. Compartment

[0071] The ice making apparatus (1) comprises a casing (2) which accommodates ice trays (3), an ice receptacle (4) disposed below the ice trays (3), a retainer (5) for rotatably supporting the ice trays (3) and one or more than one knob (6) for respectively twisting the ice trays (3) simultaneously or singly (FIGS. 1 to 9).

[0072] In the ice making apparatus (1) of the present invention, the retainer (5) selectively supports either one of a plurality of exchangeable covers (7a, 7b). In the ice making apparatus (1) of the present invention, the casing (2) accommodates either an exchangeable cover (7a) which has a plurality of bearings (8a), wherein each bearing (8a) holds one knob (6) for singly twisting the corresponding ice tray (3) and wherein each ice tray (3) has a head (9a) and wherein each knob (6) has a hub (10a) which directly and detachably engages with the head (9a) of the corresponding ice tray (3), or the casing (2) accommodates another exchangeable cover (7b) which has a single bearing (8b) and a gear assembly (11), wherein the single bearing (8b) holds one knob (6) for simultaneously twisting all ice trays (i) via the gear assembly (11) which couples the ice trays (3) with the knob (6), wherein the gear assembly (11) has a driving gear (12) and a plurality of driven gears (13), wherein the driving gear (12) has a head (9b) which directly and detachably engages with the hub (10a) of the knob (6) and wherein each driven gear (13) has a hub (10b) which directly and detachably engages with the head (9a) of the corresponding ice tray (3).

[0073] In an embodiment, the hub (10a) of each knob (6) comprises a notch (14a). And the head (9a) of each ice tray (3) has a matching tab (15a) which detachably fits into the notch (14a) of the corresponding knob (6). In this embodiment, the head (9b) of the driving gear (12) has a matching tab (15b) which detachably fits into the notch (14a) of the knob (6). And the hub (10b) of each driven gear (13) has a notch (14b) which detachably fits onto the matching tab (15a) of the corresponding ice tray (3).

[0074] In another embodiment, the notch (14a) of each knob (6) has one or more than one slot (16a). And the matching tab (15a) of each corresponding ice tray (3) has one or more than one matching claw (17a) which snap-fits into the respective slot (16a) of the corresponding knob (6). In this embodiment, the matching tab (15b) of the driving gear (12) has one or more than one matching claw (17b) which snap-fits into the respective slot (16a) of the knob (6). And the notch (14b) of each driven gear (13) has one or more than one slot (16b) into which the respective matching claw (17a) of the corresponding ice tray (3) snap-fits.

[0075] In another embodiment, the driving gear (12) has one or more than one alignment groove (18). And each driven gear (13) has one or more than one alignment tooth (19). The alignment groove (18) and the alignment tooth (19) are relatively larger than the other grooves and the other teeth respectively. Each alignment groove (18) of the driving gear (12) meshes with the respective alignment tooth (19) of the corresponding driven gear (13) when the corresponding ice tray (3) is facing horizontally upwards and the knob (6) is at the rest position.

[0076] In another embodiment, the retainer (5) supports spring elements (20) which respectively bias the ice trays (3) to the rest positions where the ice tray (3) is horizontally aligned and faces upwards.

[0077] In another embodiment, the retainer (5) comprises bearings (8c) which detachably and rotatably support the driving gear (12) and the driven gears (13) respectively.

[0078] In another embodiment, the driving gear (12) has arc-shaped claws (17c) which snap fittingly engage with the rim (21) of the corresponding bearing (8c) on the retainer (2).

[0079] In another embodiment, the receptacle (4) is slidably and releasably disposed inside the lower section of the casing (2). In a version of this embodiment, the receptacle (4) has a grip (4a) which is formed by a depression.

[0080] In another embodiment, the retainer (5) is slidably mountable into the upper section of the casing (2).

[0081] In another embodiment, each knob (6) comprises a round shaped body (6a) and a grip (6b) which is defined by two diametrically opposed recesses (6c) formed into the front section of the body (6a).

[0082] In another embodiment, each exchangeable cover (7a, 7b) has a frame (7c) which detachably fits onto the front section of the retainer (5).

[0083] In another embodiment, the casing (2) accommodates two ice trays (3) and two knobs (6) for singly twisting the two ice trays (3). And the exchangeable cover (7a) has two bearings (8a), wherein each bearing (8a) holds one respective knob (6) (FIGS. 8 to 9).

[0084] In another alternative embodiment, the casing (2) accommodates two ice trays (3) and one knob (6) for simultaneously twisting the ice trays (3). And the exchangeable cover (7b) has a single bearing (8b) and a gear assembly (11). The single bearing (8b) holds the knob (6). The gear assembly (11) has a driving gear (12) and two driven gears (13). The driven gears (13) are each directly meshed with the driving gear (12) (FIGS. 1 to 7).

[0085] The refrigerator (22) comprises a freezer compartment (23). The refrigerator (22) of the present invention comprises the ice making apparatus (1) and in another embodiment, the ice making apparatus (1) is detachably disposed into the freezer compartment (23).

[0086] With the present invention, a convertible and environment friendly ice making apparatus (1) has been provided which can be assembled as a single twist type ice making apparatus (1) or a simultaneous twist type ice making apparatus (1). Thereby, the production and assembly costs of the ice making apparatus (1) have been reduced both in labor and material. With the present invention, a consumer satisfaction can be increased.