Abstract: A closure is shown for use with an ice dispensing apparatus having an ice chute defining a front opening. The closure includes a door case having a front wall of a size and shape corresponding to the chute opening, a rearwardly turned perimeter wall connected to the front wall and having an outwardly turned flange, and a pair of baffles extending rearwardly from opposite sides of the flange. An insulation core is disposed within the perimeter wall rearwardly of the front wall. A gasket engages the chute incident to the closure being in the closed position. A rear wall is provided for substantially covering the chute opening incident to the closure being in the closed position. The baffles are operable to direct flow of ice pieces delivered through the opening when the closure is in the open position.

Abstract: An ice making apparatus for a deep door refrigerator comprises an ice container assembly having a container for storing ice cubes and a convying apparatus for conveying ice cubes from the container to a downwardly facing discharge opening. A door mounted to the refrigerator cabinet includes an exterior panel and an interior panel. The interior panel includes a generally vertical wall connected to a horizontal wall portion and an opening through a connected portion of the vertical wall and horizontal wall portion, the opening being disposed below the discharge opening when the door is in a closed position. A dispenser housing assembly is mounted to an opening in the door exterior panel and includes an actuator actuable to request delivery of ice bodies and a dispenser opening for delivering ice. An ice chute is mounted to the interior panel and extends between the interior panel opening and the dispenser opening for transferring ice conveyed from the discharge opening to the dispenser opening.

Abstract: An ice dispensing apparatus includes a rotatable drum dispenser and an adjacent floating baffle, the baffle having an opening for ice bodies to pass from the drum dispenser to an ice crusher mechanism. The drum dispenser has blade augers spaced from the baffle a select distance and operate in connection with the baffle opening to prevent wedging of ice bodies.

Abstract: An ice dispenser switch actuator includes three parts--a rectangular base or frame, and two movable slides. Each slide is provided with a finger knob for moving the respective slide longitudinally within the frame to actuate respective switches, one to energize a light, and one to energize a solenoid. The slides are individually molded with runners on each of the four corners to fit into slide tracks formed in the top and bottom of the base. The slides also include tangs formed between the runners at the top and bottom to provide a more snug fit between the slides and the tracks of the base or frame. The slides are snapped into place within the frame with the runner slidably mounted in the tracks.

Abstract: Frostless type refrigerator/freezers having a plastic liner utilize a metal heat shield disposed between an evaporator and the liner. A defrost heater located below the evaporator is controllably energized to melt frost away from the evaporator. A metal clip of spring steel removably mounts a thermostat to the heat shield above the evaporator to sense the temperature above the evaporator to de-energize the heater when the frost is melted from the evaporator.

Abstract: An insulated cabinet manufacture for use in a refrigeration appliance or the like, having an outer shell and an inner liner with foamed-in-place insulation therebetween. A wiring tunnel is extended inwardly through an opening in the shell, through the insulation space, and inwardly through an aligned opening in the liner. The opening in the liner may be substantially larger than the periphery of the wiring tunnel and a foam stop element is affixed to the inner surface of the liner with the wiring tunnel extending therethrough. A second foam stop element is loosely disposed on the wiring tunnel to be moved into engagement with the first stop element as an incident of the foaming of the insulation material during the foaming-in-place operation, The outer end of the wiring tunnel may be provided with a flange sealingly secured to the outer surface of the shell. A wiring harness is removably installed in the tunnel to provide wiring from exteriorly of the cabinet to the interior thereof.

Abstract: A refrigerator/freezer has an external service area with an ice/water dispenser disposed in a freezer door with color coordinated control levers for controlling the dispensing of ice/water. Each of the control levers includes a main shank portion that is pivotal to actuate the ice/water dispenser and a saddle portion that defines the area of the lever to be pressed in order to pivot the lever. The saddle portion has a three piece construction that includes a back-up saddle integrally formed with the main shank of the lever; a color coordinated main saddle mounted on and overlying the back-up saddle; and a resilient cushioning pad mounted on the back-up saddle so as to cushion a glass or the like pressing against the saddle portion of the lever to actuate the ice/water dispenser.

Abstract: Frostless type refrigerator/freezers having a plastic liner utilize a metal heat shield disposed between an evaporator and the liner. A defrost heater located below the evaporator is controllably energized to melt frost away from the evaporator. A metal clip of spring steel removably mounts a thermostat to the heat shield above the evaporator to sense the temperature above the evaporator to de-energize the heater when the frost is melted from the evaporator.

Abstract: An insulated cabinet manufacture for use in a refrigeration appliance or the like, having an outer shell and an inner liner with foamed-in-place insulation therebetween. A wiring tunnel is extended inwardly through an opening in the shell, through the insulation space, and inwardly through an aligned opening in the liner. The opening in the liner may be substantially larger than the periphery of the wiring tunnel and a foam stop element is affixed to the inner surface of the liner with the wiring tunnel extending therethrough. A second foam stop element is loosely disposed on the wiring tunnel to be moved into engagement with the first stop element as an incident of the foaming of the insulation material during the foaming-in-place operation. The outer end of the wiring tunnel may be provided with a flange sealingly secured to the outer surface of the shell. A wiring harness is removably installed in the tunnel to provide wiring from exteriorly of the cabinet to the interior thereof.

Abstract: A french door refrigerator seal having vertically extending seal elements on the juxtaposed edges of the french doors defining an air space therebetween. Closure seals are provided at the upper and lower ends of the edge seals to close the air space and thereby define an insulative dead air space between the french door edge portions when the doors are in the closed position. The closure seals illustratively may be formed as overlapping flexible flaps carried by the vertical edge seal elements which illustratively may form pairs of flexible flaps.

Abstract: Structure for controlling the delivery of ice pieces for external service with the ice pieces being formed within a refrigerator or the like. The apparatus may include a closure for selectively closing the end of a delivery chute through which the ice pieces are conducted during the delivery operation. Delivery of the ice pieces is effected by movement of an actuator as by a receptacle, such as a cup or glass, being urged thereagainst to receive the delivered ice. Movement of the actuator concurrently moves the closure away from the delivery chute and positions a guide in cooperation with the closure to guide the ice pieces from the end of the delivery chute into the receptacle. The guide may include upstanding side wall portions for preventing undesirable lateral discharge of the ice pieces and effectively assuring the delivery of all of the ice pieces into the receptacle. The guide may comprise a one-piece element removably installed on the actuator for movement therewith.

Abstract: An ice piece dispenser for automatically dispensing pieces of ice from a collecting bin associated with an automatic ice maker. The dispenser includes a delivery member for transferring the ice pieces from the collecting bin to a delivery position. A metering device is provided at the transfer position between the collecting bin and delivery member for providing a metered delivery of the ice pieces to the delivery member which may have a relatively large delivery capacity so as to permit use of the apparatus in dispensing any one of a plurality of different size and shape ice pieces. The metering device may be any one of a plurality of different metering devices correlated with the size and configuration of the ice pieces intended to be dispensed in the apparatus.