Icemaker

Abstract

An icemaker including an icemaker control module comprises components including an insert molded circuit board assembly, a motor assembly, an ice level sensing system using a bail arm or a paddle, and a water fill system. Lance features in the circuit board connect switch and motor leads. The thermostat, ground member, and heater of the icemaker electrically couple to the insert molded circuit board when the icemaker control module is joined to the ice maker. Energy may be conserved by pausing rotation and turning off the heater.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/353,041 filed Jan. 13, 2009 which is fully incorporated by reference herein. This application also claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/043,578 filed Apr. 9, 2008 which is also fully incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an icemaker used in the freezer space of a domestic refrigerator freezer.

BACKGROUND

Icemakers in the freezer section of residential refrigerator freezers are well known and produced and installed in large volume. Typically such icemakers work by: filling molds with the proper amount of water to make ice bodies of the desired size, without overfilling and spilling excess water, determining when the water has become solid ice, performing an action to harvest the ice bodies from the mold and move them to a storage container, repeating the cycle.

To successfully perform the above steps, it is also common that the icemaker: 1) briefly heat the molds to loosen the ice bodies and 2) sense when the storage container is full, to delay moving ice bodies to the storage container until there is room again.

There are three basic icemaker designs currently on the market. The first design consists of a steel or plastic base, to which a motor, two switches, a gear, a cam and an adjusting lever are attached. A third switch and another lever are attached to the icemaker housing along with the thermostat, heater, wire harness and bail arm. The motor, switches, thermostat, heater and wire harness are all connected with lead wires, making final assembly very labor intensive and prone to wiring errors. Also, the water fill level is controlled by time, which is adjusted by moving one of the switches attached to a lever, which varies the distance between the switch actuator and the cam ramp surface.

The second design consists of a self-contained control module and the icemaker housing. The control module is made up of a plastic base, to which a number of copper stampings are assembled, then a cam, gear, two levers, adjusting screw and motor are attached. The gear also has a number of copper stampings assembled to it. The switching is accomplished by formed features of the copper stampings in the base contacting the copper stampings in the gear, completing the circuit. Formed features of the copper stampings in the base make the connections to the heater, thermostat and wiring harness when the control module is attached to the icemaker housing.

The third design consists of an electronic control circuit that replaces the snap switches in the previous two designs with magnetic proximity switches and a liquid level sensor, then the motor, gear and bail arm levers are assembled into the icemaker housing and all electrical connections are made with lead wires.

Engineers and business people who mass-produce products tend to modularize them into smaller portions. An example of this is the automotive industry, where many subassemblies of a car, for example the engine, chassis, and transmission are designed and built separately. Later these modules are efficiently assembled.

With regards to icemakers, modularization by some manufacturers has changed the terminology used. Currently, with modularization, a device for making ice has a portion referred to as an icemaker control module (ICM) that can be pre-assembled, and attached to an “icemaker” portion. Improvements to either the icemaker control module portion, or the icemaker portion, may be done independently of the other.

The design of the icemaker portion has remained fairly constant. It is made of only a few parts so assembly labor is less of an issue. Most of the parts remain stationary and are not subject to wear. The icemaker portion is not responsible for the details of controlling the cycle, so there is less need to improve the design to seek precision and adjustability.

On the other hand, the ICM has many moving parts that must be assembled, leading to high labor costs. The first and third designs mentioned above each have about 40 components, and the second design has about 21 components.

The ICM must operate precisely and reliably. Service technicians may prefer that the icemaker be adjustable should the need arise. Naturally, manufacturers desire to make the pieces, and the assembled ICM, at a reduced cost. Among ways to do this are to reduce the number of parts and improve the manner in which they assemble. Designs and components that can be assembled by automated equipment, with few connections, and little human involvement, are desirable. They further desire that the ICM be able to be assembled to the icemaker portion in equally easy fashion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, an icemaker comprises: a rotatable ejector shaft having a plurality of ejectors, the rotatable ejector having an end with a flat; an icemaker control module comprising a base, a circuit board assembly secured to the base, the circuit board assembly including a circuit board comprising conductive material and a nonconductive material molded around the conductive material and having a conducting circuit contacting and electrically coupled to a ground member, a thermostat and a heater of the icemaker. The icemaker further comprises a motor assembly secured to the base, a drive gear rotatably driven by a pinion gear of the motor assembly, the drive gear having a bore and a flat sized to assemble to the ejector shaft end and the flat, wherein the drive gear is mechanically coupled to the ejector shaft of the icemaker such that rotation of the drive gear of the icemaker control module rotates the ejector shaft of the icemaker.

According to another aspect, an icemaker comprises: an icemaker control module having a housing; an ice mold snapped to the housing; a unitary stripper and fill cup snapped to the ice mold and a rotatable ejector shaft. The icemaker control module includes a base, a motor assembly mounted to the base, the motor assembly having a pinion gear. A drive gear is secured to the base and rotated by rotation of the pinion gear, the drive gear being adapted to couple to and drive an ejector shaft in the icemaker. The icemaker control module further comprises a circuit board assembly mounted to the base, the circuit board assembly having a conducting circuit contacting and being electrically coupled to a thermostat, a heater, and a ground member of the icemaker.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an icemaker comprises: an icemaker control module comprising a housing, a base and a drive gear having a water fill cam and being secured to the base. The icemaker further comprises: an ice mold secured to the housing; a unitary stripper and fill cup snapped to the ice mold; a rotatable ejector shaft coupled to the icemaker control module and driven by a drive gear of the icemaker control module. The icemaker control module further comprises a water fill adjustment lever pivotally connected to the base; a water fill lever having a first end pivotally coupled to the water fill adjustment lever, a cam contact that is contacted by the water fill cam, and a second end contacting a water fill switch; and wherein adjusting the coupling of the water fill adjustment lever changes the closure time of the water fill switch to change the size of the ice-bodies made by the icemaker.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an icemaker comprises: a motor assembly having a plastic housing with two attaching posts, wire leads, and a pinion gear; a drive gear driven by the pinion gear, having a bore sized to receive an ejector shaft of an icemaker; a water fill control surface on the drive gear operatively coupled to a water fill control switch; a storage capacity control surface on the drive gear operatively coupled to an ice body storage level switch and a sensor for sensing when an ice body storage container is full. The drive gear also has a cycle complete control surface on the drive gear that is operatively coupled to a motor switch. The icemaker further comprises a circuit board assembly having a conducting circuit that mechanically grasps and electrically couples the wire leads, the water fill control switch, the ice body storage level switch, and the motor switch. The icemaker further comprises a base on which the circuit board assembly and the motor assembly are mounted, wherein the conducting circuit also mechanically grasps and electrically couples a thermostat, ground member, and heater and wherein the bore of the drive gear couples to the ejector shaft of the icemaker when the icemaker control module is joined to the icemaker.

The icemaker control module has a circuit board having a conducting circuit adapted to contact and electrically couple to electrical components of the icemaker when the icemaker control module and the icemaker are joined together and at least one moving mechanical portion adapted to mechanically couple to at least one mechanical portion of the icemaker when the icemaker control module and the icemaker are joined together.

In another aspect, an icemaker control module for controlling an icemaker that makes ice-bodies inside a freezer has a base having a first hole and a second hole and an adjuster comprising a plurality of teeth on the inside surface of the base. It also has a drive gear with a water fill cam that rotates in the first hole through the base. A water fill adjustment lever is pivotally connected to a second hole through the base, and adjustably coupled to the adjuster. A water fill lever has a first end pivotally coupled to the water fill adjustment lever and a cam contact that is contacted by the water fill cam of the drive gear. A second end of the water fill lever contacts a water fill switch. When one adjusts the adjuster by moving the water fill adjustment lever through a window in the base, it changes the closure time of the water fill switch to change the size of the ice-bodies made by the icemaker.

Yet another aspect is a method of manufacturing an insert molded circuit board for an icemaker. The method includes piercing and bending conducting sheet material to form lance connections configured to mechanically retain and electrically couple electrical components. Cutting the conducting sheet material into a pattern having a plurality of closely spaced shapes temporarily connected by fingers of the sheet material to stabilize the pattern. Molding a non-conductive material around the pattern gives the sheet material support and maintains the close spacing. And, severing the fingers of sheet material so that the closely spaced shapes are not electrically connected.

In another aspect, a method of manufacturing an icemaker control module includes snap fitting to a base a drive gear, a motor assembly having a pinion gear, a fill mechanism, an insert molded circuit board assembly having three switches, and an ice body level sensing system.

A further method reduces the energy consumption of an icemaker by beginning harvest when a thermostat closes a circuit to send electric current through a heater and to a motor rotating a gear so that the heater heats an ice mold to loosen ice bodies. Stopping the heater, by actions of the gear, after the ice releases from the mold, reduces current flowing through the heater during the overall process. Continuing to rotate the gear to open and close a water valve to fill the mold with water also saves energy. Pausing rotation of the gear in a position that continues to prevent current flowing through the heater reduces energy consumption. Resuming rotation of the gear to complete the harvest cycle at an elapsed time calculated to allow the thermostat to reset predominately from the warmth of the water that filled the ice mold saves energy.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings. Like numbers are used to indicate like components in the various embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an icemaker control module affixed to an icemaker.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the icemaker control module of FIG. 1 separated from the icemaker.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the icemaker and the control module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of portions of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the icemaker of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drive gear of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the drive gear of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4B is a rear view of the drive gear of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 5A-5F are back views partially broken away of the embodiment of the icemaker control module of FIG. 1, at various stages of an icemaker cycle.

FIG. 5G is a partial back view of the embodiment of the icemaker control module of FIG. 1, to illustrate an adjustment of the water fill feature.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the embodiment of the icemaker control module of FIG. 1, with the base removed for clarity.

FIG. 6A is cross-section view taken in line 6A-6A of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7A and B are detailed views of the motor and gear cup snapping into the base.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a second embodiment of an icemaker control module in which the water fill is not adjustable.

FIG. 9 is a detailed view of the connection of electrical switches within an icemaker control module.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the connection of electrical components within an icemaker control module.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section taken at line 11-11 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11A is a detailed view of a portion of FIG. 11.

FIGS. 12A through 12E are views of the manufacturing stages of an insert molded circuit board.

FIGS. 13A through 13C are electrical diagrams of portions of the operating cycle of an icemaker control module of FIG. 1

FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C are interior views of the conductive material in one circuit board of the icemaker control module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an icemaker control module affixed to an icemaker.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the icemaker control module of FIG. 15 separated from the icemaker.

FIG. 17 is a partially exploded perspective view of the icemaker and the control module of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the icemaker and the control module of FIG. 15 with components of the control module moved into the icemaker so they are viewable from the front.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the drive gear of the embodiment in FIG. 15.

FIG. 20A is a front view of the drive gear of FIG. 19.

FIG. 20B is rear view of the drive gear of FIG. 19.

FIGS. 21A-21F are schematic partial cross sectional back views of the embodiment of the icemaker control module of FIG. 15, at various stages of an icemaker cycle.

FIG. 22 is a schematic partial cross sectional back view of the embodiment of the icemaker control module of FIG. 15 to show the function of the mechanical off switch.

FIG. 23A is a perspective view of the drive gear and motor with pinion of FIG. 17.

FIGS. 23B thru 23H are sequential perspective views of the drive gear and pinion gear of FIG. 23A.

FIGS. 24A through 24C are electrical diagrams of portions of the operating cycle of an icemaker control module of any of the previous embodiments with the delay drive of FIGS. 23A through 23H.

FIG. 25 is a partially disassembled view of another embodiment of icemaker.

FIG. 26 is a partially disassembled view of the icemaker of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a portion of the icemaker of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a partially disassembled view of the icemaker of FIG. 25.

FIG. 29 is a partially disassembled view of the icemaker of FIG. 25.

FIG. 30A is an end view of the icemaker of FIG. 25 before the unitary molded stripper and fill cup member 916 and the ice mold 906 are snapped together.

FIG. 30B is an end view of the icemaker of FIG. 25 after the unitary molded stripper and fill cup member 916 and the ice mold 906 are snapped together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the detailed description that follows, it will be evident that the icemaker control module of the current invention is optimized for efficient assembly. The innovations included in the specifically described embodiments of an icemaker control module are applicable to other icemakers and their control modules, with appropriate adaptations to match the icemaker interfaces. The icemaker control module includes multiple features for ease of assembly including the following features.

The icemaker control module, when pushed onto the icemaker, mechanically couples to the ejector shaft of the icemaker. And, it electrically couples to the thermostat, ground wire, and heater element on the icemaker. These couplings are accomplished without the use of wires or connectors.

The electrical circuits of the icemaker control module are assembled upon an insert molded circuit board. The electrical traces within the insert-molded circuit board are manufactured starting with a single copper sheet. Lance features formed in the electrical traces electrically couple to electrical components to complete the circuits. The lance features also mechanically retain the electrical component connections.

Three subminiature switches and a motor are configured to push or snap onto the insert-molded circuit board without the use of connectors or soldering.

The insert-molded circuit board is configured to push or snap onto a base.

A one-piece gear with integrated cam-like control surfaces or profiles is configured to push or snap onto the base. The gear does not have any metal or electrically conductive parts.

A water fill system to control the fill-time of the ice mold has a fill lever configured to push or snap onto the base. In an adjustable embodiment of the system a water fill adjustment lever is configured to push or snap onto the base, and adjustably position the fill lever. The adjustable embodiment of the system will be described first, followed by the non-adjustable embodiment of the system.

In a first embodiment, a bail pivot, a bail rod, and a spring combine to be driven by a control surface on the one-piece gear to sense when ice making should be temporarily halted. The same parts sense when ice-making should be restarted. The bail pivot and bail rod are configured to push or snap onto the base. The bail arm, being a portion of the icemaker rather than the control module, is unchanged.

In other embodiments, a paddle is used instead of a bail arm to determine the level of harvested ice in the icemaker. A mechanical off switch provides an easily identified method to turn off the icemaker rather than lifting the bail arm or the paddle. For either embodiment, a delay drive with energy savings benefits may be incorporated.

Each of the features above will be further described with reference to specific figures. Because the icemaker and icemaker control module usually mount in a uniform orientation on the left (as viewed by a person looking into the freezer) wall of a freezer, that orientation will be used to define, for descriptive purposes, the “front”. Front will mean the front of the refrigerator freezer or the direction from which a person looks into the freezer. Aft, rear, or a similar term will be used to refer to the opposite direction. Left and right will also refer to as viewed by a person looking into the freezer, unless specifically being used to refer to the left or right of a figure.

With respect to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 3A, an icemaker control module 10 is mounted within a control housing 12 of an icemaker 14. An electrical connector 13 receives electrical power and ground, and provides an electrical pathway to a water supply valve 15 (FIG. 13A) that is anywhere in a water supply line (not shown) for the icemaker. The icemaker has an ice body mold 16, a rotatable ejector shaft 18 with a plurality of ejectors 20, a fill cup 22, a bail arm 24, strippers 26 and other components that are normally part of the icemaker. Protruding (FIG. 2) from the control housing 12 are six interface points for coupling an icemaker to an icemaker control module. They are a ground member 28, two heater-contacts 30 from a heater 31, two thermostat contacts 32 from a thermostat 33, and an ejector shaft end 34 having a flat 36. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the ejector shaft end 34 and ejectors 20 rotating in a clockwise direction.

The icemaker control module 10 has a base 38 at its forward end. As shown in FIG. 3, the base 38 has holes or openings 43,112, 226. As best shown in FIG. 3B, a barrier 37 on the back side of the base 38 partially surrounds hole 226 in base 38.

Snapped to the base 38 is an insert molded circuit board 40. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the insert molded circuit board 40 has a bus pin 41, the connector 13, an access hole 224 adapted to align with hole 43 of base 38, a barrier 45 on the back side of the circuit board 40 partially surrounding hole 224, best seen in FIG. 5B, a recess 47 as shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D. A fill switch 44 and a home switch 46 are secured to the circuit board 40 on the aft or rear side of the circuit board 40, and an ice body storage level switch 48 is secured to the forward side of the circuit board 40. Items 40, 41, 13 along with switches 44, 46, and 48 taken together are an insert molded circuit board assembly 49.

Also snapped to the base 38 is a motor assembly 50 having two electric wire leads 51 and a plastic housing or gear cup 52 having two attaching posts 142 and a reinforcing rib 143. The gear cup 52 contains a gear train. A pinion gear 54 extends from the gear cup 52 a minimal distance. By keeping the extension distance to a minimum the rigidity and concentricity of the pinion gear 54 is increased. This increases the efficiency and precision of meshing with a drive gear 56, and helps to minimize dynamic forces that may cause wear and tear. The one-piece drive gear 56 is snapped into the first hole 112 of base 38 in meshing relationship with the pinion gear 54. The drive gear 56 is rotated by the pinion gear 54. The drive gear 56 positions and sequences an ice body storage-sensing system 58 and a water fill system 60. See FIG. 3A.

The storage-sensing system 58 has a bail arm pivot 62 snapped to the base 38 as seen in FIG. 2. The bail arm pivot 62 is adapted to receive one end of the bail arm 24. The bail arm pivot 62 has a protrusion 63 that couples the bail arm pivot 62 to a bail rod 64 at a hole 65 in the bail rod 64, as shown in FIG. 3A. Protrusion 63 also cooperates with a detent on the base 38 to hold the bail arm 24 in a raised position when a user chooses to turn off the icemaker. A spring 66 is on an appendage 67 of the bail arm pivot 62. As shown in FIG. 3A, the bail rod 64 has a pin 68, a contact 69, and a cam follower 70.

The water fill system 60 has a fill lever 72 with a contact 74 at one end and a male coupling 76 comprising two resilient members or fingers at the other end. In the approximate middle of the fill lever 72 is a first cam follower 78 facing upward towards the center axis of the drive gear 56, and a second cam follower 80 facing forward. A spacer 81 (FIG. 5B) spaces and stabilizes the fill lever 72 to the control housing 12. The male coupling 76 of the fill lever 72 snaps into an aperture 82 in a water fill adjustment lever 84.

The water fill adjustment lever 84 has a second male coupling 86 comprising two resilient members or fingers adapted to pass through and engage an opening 92 in base 38, a tooth 88 for engaging teeth 164 formed in base 38, and a retainer or hook 90 which functions to hold the tooth 88 against teeth 164 formed in the base 38. (FIG. 5E) The second male coupling 86 comprising two fingers which snap into a second aperture 92 in the base 38 (as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6).

With reference to FIG. 4-4B, the drive gear 56 has a front face 94 with a front hub 96, and a rear face 98 with a rear hub 100. The front hub 96 has a radial bearing surface 102 and an axial bearing surface 104. As shown in FIG. 4, two resilient fingers 106 each have a lead chamfer 108 and a seating surface 110. The fingers 106 snap into a first hole or aperture 112 in the base 38 (FIG. 2) and retain the drive gear 56 while it rotates within the first hole 112 in the base 38. The rear hub 100 has a bore 113 and a flat 114 sized to assemble to the ejector shaft end 34 and the flat 36, respectively. Inside the bore 113 is a partition 115 (FIG. 4A).

The drive gear 56, along with the circuitry to be described later, sequences and drives three functions. The three functions are the water fill function, the storage-sensing function, and the start-stop function. Features of the drive gear 56 involved in each function will now be described. The functions themselves will be described later.

The water fill function uses a water fill-on profile 116 on an outside surface of the aft hub 100. As shown in FIG. 4B, the water fill-on profile 116 has a protrusion 118 in the direction away from the center axis of the drive gear 56. A water fill-off profile 120 having a protrusion 122 in the direction toward the center axis of the drive gear 56 is on an outer rim 123. Adjacent the protrusion 122 is a water fill parking area 124, as shown in FIG. 4B. An alternative embodiment 124a of the water fill parking area is illustrated by a phantom line.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A, the storage-sensing function is driven by an arcuate or curved bail arm profile or cam 126 on a radially outward cam surface 128 of an arcuate ridge 130 on the front face 94 of the drive gear 56.

The start-stop function uses a start-stop profile 132 defined by the outside diameter of gear teeth 134. The gear teeth 134 have a consistent diameter from the center axis of the drive gear 56, except that at one place there is a notch 136. This notch 136 is approximately one half of the axial thickness of the gear teeth 134. For instance, if the gear teeth 134 are 0.200 inch thick, forward to aft, then the notch 136 is approximately 0.100 inch deep axially. Since the notch 136 is not the full axial thickness, the pinion gear 54 is able to rotate the drive gear 56 a full 360 degrees. Having described the various systems, functions, and piece parts, the assembly and function will now be described.

FIGS. 5A-5F and 13A-13C illustrate the cycle of the icemaker control module 10 as seen standing in the control housing 12 and looking at the control module. In FIG. 5A and 13A, the icemaker control module 10 is at its home state with the ejector 20 at approximately 200° and the cam follower 78 of the fill lever 72 resting on a cylindrical portion of the water fill profile 116 of drive gear 56. The water fill switch 44 of the insert molded circuit board assembly 49 is in its up or off position. The home switch 46 of the insert molded circuit board assembly 49 is in its up position resting within the notch 136 of the start-stop profile 132 of drive gear 56. The bail rod 64 is in its rest position and is not in contact with the bail profile 126. Shown in phantom lines is a half circular ice body 138. The protrusion 122 of water fill off profile 120 is hidden from view behind the fill lever 72 and the cam follower 80 is also hidden from view over the park area 124 of the water fill off profile 120. The bail arm 24 is in its down position indicating that the storage container is not so full that ice bodies blocked it from reaching the down position during the previous cycle. The bail arm 24 is snapped into the bail pivot 62 that is snapped into the base 38. The protrusion 63 of the bail pivot 62 is in the hole 65 of the bail rod 64 that is partially hidden behind the drive gear 56. The pin 68 of the bail rod 64 is guided by a feature (not shown) in the base 38. Spring 66 is connected from the appendage 67 to an anchor 140 on the base 38. The spring 66 applies a force rotating the bail pivot 62 to bring the bail arm 24 into its lower position.

The insert molded circuit board 40 is snapped onto the base 38 and is held by at least two clips 150 that push the base 38 against support features 39 (FIGS. 5A and 11) that support the forward side of the insert molded circuit board 40. Test points 152, labeled with letters V, H, L, T, M, and N (visible in FIGS. 1,2, and 13A-13C) at through holes in the forward side of the base 38 are aligned with test points of the insert molded circuit board 40. These test points 152 allow access to internal conductive portions of the circuit board 40 for quality control and diagnostic testing of electrical components. The home switch 46, ice body storage level switch 48 and water fill switch 44 are retained and electrically coupled by the insert molded circuit board 40. The thermostat probes 32, heater-contacts 30, and the ground wire probe 28 of the icemaker are in contact and retained within the insert-molded circuit board 40 at 154, 156, and 158, respectively. See FIG. 5A. The test points 152 depend on customer requirements and are optional features.

The gear cup or housing 52 is made of plastic and advantageously offers improved sound suppression. The plastic housing 52 has two round snap members or attaching posts 142 snapped into the base 38 at two conical snap receivers 144. FIGS. 7A and 7B show this in greater detail. Two pre-tinned electrical leads 51 from the motor assembly 50 are pushed into the insert molded circuit board 40 at locations 146 and 148 where they are retained and make electrical contact. This is shown in greater detail in FIG. 10.

The fill lever 72 is snapped into the water fill adjustment lever 84 in a manner that allows rotation between the two. The retainer 90 is passed through the window 170 of the base 38 to the forward side of the base 38, and the water fill adjustment lever 84 is snapped into second aperture or hole 92 in base 38, in a manner that allows rotation. The aft facing spacer 81 guides and properly spaces the fill lever 72 relative to the control housing.

In FIGS. 5B and 13B the cycle has begun in response to the thermostat 33 closing when it sensed the ice bodies 138 in the mold were frozen and ready to be harvested. The thermostat 33 allowed current flow to the heater 31 to warm the mold to loosen the ice bodies, and current to the motor assembly 50 to rotate the drive gear 56 counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow 160. During a period of time, the ejector 20 has traveled from the position shown in FIG. 5A, to the position of FIG. 5B where it is making contact with the top surface of the ice body 138. The home switch 46 is no longer in its up position within the notch 136 of the drive gear 56 but is instead in its down position because it is compressed by profile 132 of the gear teeth 134 of drive gear 56.

FIG. 5C continues the cycle with the ejector 20 having scooped the ice body 138 mostly out of the ice mold. Bail profile 126 of drive gear 56 has rotated and made contact with cam follower 70 of the bail rod 64, and has started to pull down on the bail rod 64. The bail rod 64 rotates the bail pivot 62 that starts to raise bail arm 24 while stretching spring 66.

In FIG. 5D, the fill lever 72 is partially removed to allow a better view of the bail rod 64. Continued rotation of the drive gear 56 has brought the bail arm 24 higher, as the cam follower 70 is pushed by the bail profile 126. The ice body 138 (actually all the ice bodies on a series of ejectors along the shaft) has been brought onto what is now an upward facing surface 162 of the ice ejector 20. Gravity causes the ice body 138 to slide off the ejector 20 and under the raised bail arm 24. If the storage container has room, the ice bodies 138 will fall into the storage container and away from the bail arm 24.

Through the previous figures, cam follower 78 of the fill lever 72 has been near to or in contact with profile 116 on the drive gear 56. This profile 116 of drive gear 56 is generally round, but it may also be made sloping, especially as it nears protrusion 118. See FIG. 4B.

In FIGS. 5E and 1 3C protrusion 118 of drive gear 56 has caused the fill lever 72 to push down with contact 74 against fill switch 44, overpowering the internal spring force of the switch. Activation of fill switch 44 sends electric current to a water supply valve 15 in the supply line to the icemaker, so that the valve 15 will allow water to flow. Water will flow for as long as the fill switch 44 is depressed or activated. It is contemplated that if needed, other timing interlocks could be put in the circuit to prevent water flowing an unreasonable length of time, and thus flooding the icemaker. As shown in FIG. 5E, as ice body 138 proceeds to the storage container, spring 66 lowers the bail arm 24, and contact 69 of bail rod 64 (FIG. 3A) actuates the ice body storage level switch 48.

In FIG. 5F, protrusion 118 extending outwardly from profile 116 of drive gear 56 has moved past cam follower 78 of fill lever 72, and the internal spring of fill switch 44 has re-opened the switch 44, stopping the water flow, and raising the fill lever 72. Protrusion 122 of water fill-off profile 120 of drive gear 56 pushes the fill lever 72 up at cam follower 80. This protrusion 122 is an assist or a backup for the internal spring force of fill switch 44 to return the fill lever 72 to the up position. The fill switch 44 may have enough spring force to move the fill lever 72 itself, or protrusion 122 may perform the lifting of fill lever 72. The fill switch 44 pushes the fill lever 72, but the fill lever 72 does not pull the switch.

After FIG. 5F, the harvesting cycle completes by the components returning to their positions shown in FIG. 5A. As shown in FIG. 5G, the motor assembly 50 stops when home switch 46 returns to its up position in notch 136 of drive gear 56. Cam follower 80 is at rest above park area 124 of water fill off profile 120 of drive gear 56. It is contemplated that by varying the height of park area 124, as shown as 124a (FIG. 4B) contact can be maintained with cam follower 80, as a way to prevent unusual situations where fill lever 72 may depress water fill switch 44. The icemaker will remain stationary until the start of the next cycle that will begin if two conditions are met: First, the bail arm 24 is in the down position, and second, the thermostat senses that the ice bodies are ready to be harvested.

FIGS. 5F and 5G illustrate the water fill adjustment capabilities of this design. In FIG. 5F, the tooth 88 of the fill adjustment lever 84 fits into one of the left most plurality of ratchet teeth 164 of the base 38. See FIG. 5E. This positions the pivot point 166 (FIG. 5F) between the fill lever 72 and the fill adjustment lever 84 at a first position 168 relative to aperture 92 in the base 38, and therefore also relative to the center axis of the drive gear 56. By moving the tooth 88 of the fill adjustment lever 84 to a different position on the ratchet teeth 164 of base 38, as in FIG. 5G, the pivot point 166 moves to a second position 169 (FIG. 5G). Although both positions have the same radial distance from aperture 92, they have different vertical and horizontal distances from aperture 92, and the center axis of the drive gear 56. This repositioning between 168 and 169 causes a different positioning of contact 74 on fill switch 44, for a given amount of rotation of the drive gear 56.

The pivot shown in FIG. 5F is considered “low” relative to the “high” position shown in FIG. 5G. When the pivot point is at its fully low position, the fill lever 72 is at a maximum resting distance off the fill switch 44. This means that as the drive gear 56 rotates and the water fill profile 116 of drive gear 56 reaches the cam follower 78 on fill lever 72, it takes longer for the fill lever 72 to depress the fill switch 44. When in the “high” position of FIG. 5G the fill lever 72 rests closer to the fill switch 44 so that when protrusion 118 of drive gear 56 reaches the cam follower 78 of fill lever 72, the fill switch 44 depresses earlier during the cycle, for a longer water fill time. Therefore, the adjustment feature of the fill adjustment lever 84 is that when far to the left, water fill times are at their minimum and when far to the right, they are at their maximum. For example, when far to the left, the fill time for the ice tray is approximately 5 seconds and when far to the right, it is approximately 10 seconds. The approximate 1.5° increments of the ratchet teeth 164 in the base 38 account for a change of approximately one second each. This is a feature that may be adjusted in the factory, or in the home when it is necessary to increase or decrease the size of the ice bodies. Beneficially, it is easy to view the current position of adjustment by simply looking at the position of the fill adjustment lever 84 relative to the window 170 in the base 38 adjacent to the ratchet teeth 164. See FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the letters H and L in the base 38 make the adjustment position visible from the outside of the icemaker control module, and the adjustment can be made without removing the icemaker control module 10 from the control housing 12.

FIG. 6 shows the icemaker control module 10 from the opposite direction, that is, from the front looking to the back. The base 38 has been removed for clarity so the moving parts can be seen.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a detail view of the motor assembly 50 including the gear cup 52 snap mounting to the base 38 as previously described. The snap engagement between the two pieces is approximately 0.050 inches. The plastic gear cup's integral reinforcing rib 143 (FIG. 3) extends between the snap members 142, and the open-sided receivers 144 of the base 38 engaging the snap members 142 enhance the precision and efficiency of assembly, and the stability of the pinion gear 54 meshing with the drive gear 56.

FIG. 8 illustrates a second embodiment of an icemaker control module 500 having a base 538. This embodiment lacks an adjustable water fill mechanism. In this embodiment, water fill lever 572 is shorter than fill lever 72 of embodiment 10. Fill adjustment lever 84, window 170 in the base 38, and ratchet teeth 164 of the base 38 are not present. Water fill lever 572 snaps directly into aperture 92 in the base 538.

FIG. 9 is a close-up of a lance feature 172 that retains the electrical switches 44, 46, 48. The conductive material 174 enclosed between molded plastic 176 is formed with a gap of approximately 0.012 inches between the two sides of the lance feature. This receives a switch having conductors of approximately 0.016 inches.

FIG. 10 is a close-up of a lance feature 178 that retains the motor leads 51. The conductive material 174 enclosed between molded plastic 176 is formed with a gap of approximately 0.017 inches between the two sides of the lance feature. This receives a wire of approximately 0.030 inches.

It is evident to one of ordinary skill in the art that the principles shown for these two sizes can be extrapolated to retain conductors of various sizes. The sharp edges 180 of lance features 172 and 178 retain the electrical components and prevent removal. Lance features 172 and 178 are for easy assembly, but disassembly is not easy. There are no fasteners necessary to maintain assembly other than the lance features.

FIGS. 11 and 11A illustrate connective features 181 that are meant for easy assembly as well as disassembly. The conductive material 174 in these figures is formed to create a gap 182 between the two pieces of a first portion 184 but sharp edges are avoided by forming a second portion 186 in the opposite direction of 180 to create a lead-in. Connections of this style are for the ground wire 28, two heater-contacts 30, and two thermostat contacts 32. Connection is made when the icemaker control module 10 is installed in the control housing 12 and held by fasteners 7. By way of an example, a thermostat probe 0.090 inches wide slides into a gap 182 of approximately 0.086 inches. The conductive material may be copper, copper alloy, or aluminum, and the nonconductive material may be plastic or like material.

The icemaker control module eliminates point to point wiring that requires time-consuming manual assembly with its inherent propensity for quality errors. This improved manufacturing process will be described starting with the insert-molded circuit board, and continuing through the attachment to the icemaker. The insert molded circuit board may be manufactured in a “cell” consisting of a stamping die and press for the conductive material, a die to separate the copper traces and parts after molding, and a transfer system to move the components from one machine to the next within the “cell”. The process may be done in a continuous feed and stamping system, using a roll of material, or it may be done with discreet portions of flat material. For purposes of illustration, a process using a sheet that provides for four insert molded circuit boards 40 is described.

As illustrated in FIG. 12A, a flat sheet 174 of a conductive material, such as copper, is cut and formed into a patterned sheet 200 that will become four circuit boards 202 that will be made into four insert molded circuit boards 40. The four circuit boards 202 are nested, or arranged, in pattern sheet 200 in an orientation that conserves material and reduces waste. The cutting and forming may be advantageously performed by a punch press in a manufacturing cell having transfer equipment that moves the material from one station to another. There are four external busses 204 that connect each circuit board 202 to another. There are also ten internal busses referred to as bus connectors 206 (specifically 206a through 206j (FIG. 12B) that keep each of eight separate traces 208a through 208h (FIG. 12E) connected within a circuit board 202. The external busses 204 and bus connectors 206 maintain spacing while the patterned sheet 200 is subsequently processed.

The lance features 172 that retain the switches 44, 46, 48, (FIG. 9) and the lance features 178 that retain the motor leads 51 (FIG. 10) are formed in the circuit board 202. The lance features 172 for the switches are 210a through 210h. (FIG. 12C) The lance features 178 for the motor leads 51 are 212a and 212b. (FIG. 12D)

The connective features 181 that will retain the ground wire 28, the two heater-contacts 30, and the two thermostat contacts 32 are also formed in each circuit board 202. As shown in FIG. 12A, the connective features 181 for the ground wire 28 is 214, for the heater-contacts 30 they are 216a and 216b, and for the thermostat contacts 32 they are 218a and 218b, respectively.

Two apertures 219a and 219b are formed in the circuit board 202. These will receive bus pin 41. These apertures are of a shape that works with the chosen configuration for bus pin 41.

The six test points 152 that were described with respect to earlier figures are also formed in the circuit board 202. They are identified (ref. FIG. 12A) specifically as 152H, 152L, 152M, 152N, 152T, and 152V. Respectively, they are for Heater, Live wire, Motor, Neutral, Thermostat, and water Valve. The alphanumeric identifiers 152h, 1521, 152n, 152m, 152t, 152v used in the figure are consistent with their names and functions make it easier to read this description. The test points 152 are also visible as letters “M, V, H, T, N, L” within circles in FIGS. 13A-13C.

After the cutting and forming to make the circuit board 202, a plastic 220 (FIG. 12B) is molded around each of the four circuits 202 while the traces 208 are properly spaced by the busses 206. The plastic 220 is not allowed to cover the lance features, the connective features, the bus pin apertures, or the internal bus connectors. Access hole 224, aligned with access hole 43 in base 38, is formed in the plastic 220. The plastic forms temporary plastic sprues 222a, 222b, and 222c at the connector 13.

After the plastic is solidified, the circuit board 202 is trimmed of its excess plastic and conductive material. Specifically, the four insert molded circuit boards 40 are cut from each other by removal of the external busses 204. See FIG. 12A. The eight traces 208a-208h, shown in FIG. 12E, supported in position by the plastic 220, are separated by removal of bus connectors 206a-206h, as shown in FIG. 12B, leaving windows through the plastic. The plastic sprues 222a, 22b, 222c are cut away, and busses 208a, b, d, and h are bent so that the connector 13 is at approximately a right angle from the orientation of the rest of the conductive material 174. All of these cuts and bending may be formed within an automated cell that can transfer and rotate the insert-molded circuit boards as needed. Advantageously, the trimming and bending may be done simultaneously.

Next, the eight electrically separate traces 208a through 208h are modified to create only seven. To do this, bus pin 41 is installed between aperture 218a and 218b so that trace 208c is for all practical purposes eliminated. It is now electrically combined with trace 208b. Bus pin 41, and its fastening process in aperture 219a and 219b may be done by any one of a variety of conventional methods, such as by staking or soldering. It may also be a lance feature similar to 176 or 178.

The ice body storage level switch 48 is installed to the insert-molded circuit board 202 on the same side as bus pin 41.

On the opposite side, water fill switch 44 and home switch 46 are installed into the lance features 172. This may be done now, or it may be done later as will be described. If done now, the insert molded circuit board assembly 49 is complete.

The entire module 10 is designed to be built by straight (perpendicular) axial and rotary placement of all components onto the same side of the base 38, as already described with reference to previous figures. Assembly is simple and very easy to automate. Components snap in place and do not require fasteners.

The entire module 10 connects with the control housing 12. When connecting, the thermostat probes 32, ground member 28, and heater-contacts 30 make contact with the connective features of the insert-molded circuit board. The drive gear 56 connects with the ejector shaft end 34. All these connections occur as an incident of pushing of the module onto the housing.

During disassembly, such as for service, access may be gained in two ways. First, the control module 10 may be removed from the housing 12. Second, the housing 12, with the control module 10 installed, may be removed from the icemaker mold 16. An access hole 224 in circuit board 40 is aligned with hole 43 in base 38, and an access hole 226 in base 38 is aligned (FIG. 2) with similar holes in the control housing 12. This allows fasteners that hold the control housing 12 to the icemaker mold 16 to be removed or installed. The entire control housing 12 with the module 10 installed may be removed from the icemaker. This type of disassembly is advantageous for replacing the heater 31 or thermostat 33. As an incident of assembly and disassembly, the thermostat probes 32, ground wire 28, and heater-contacts 30 make contact with the connective features, while the drive gear 56 connects with the ejector shaft end 34.

A third embodiment 600 of an ICM is illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 attached to an icemaker. In the description that follows, like-numbers are used to refer to like-features of previous embodiments. A fascia 228 covers a base 638 within the control housing 612. A mechanical switch 601 is accessible for a person to operate and turn off the icemaker. A paddle 624 is pivotally attached to the control housing.

In FIG. 16, the ICM 600 is shown removed, showing a ground wire 628, two heater-contacts 30 from a heater 31, two thermostat contacts 32 from a thermostat 33, and the ejector shaft end 34. Feet 602 extend aft to snap into receptacles 603 on the housing 612. Also visible is an approximately D-shaped aperture 604 in the housing 612 to receive a thermal cut out (TCO) device 605 that is a part of a circuit board assembly 649 (FIG. 21A).

FIG. 17 illustrates subassemblies of ICM 600 while FIG. 18 shows those components assembled in the housing 612 with the base 638 removed for illustrative purposes, even though the components cannot remain in position without support from the base 638. A circuit board assembly 649, drive assembly 636, and water fill assembly 660 are packaged and sized differently than those of the earlier embodiments 10 and 500, but operate substantially the same. A drive gear 856 is substantially different than drive gear 56 shown in FIGS. 4, 4A and 4B, and will be described in greater detail later. A storage-sensing system 658 of ICM 600 is configured to operate the paddle 624 shown in the lower right of FIG. 15 rather than bail arm 24 shown and described with respect to the earlier embodiments. The water fill assembly 660 is moved and reconfigured on the base 638 at a position to make room for the storage-sensing system 658.

As shown in FIG. 17, the storage sensing system 658 has a bail-pivot 662 snapped to the base 638 at its forward end and adapted to receive the paddle 624 at its aft end. As best seen in FIGS. 17 and 21A, the bail-pivot 662 has teeth 663 that couple the bail pivot 662 to a bail rod 664 having teeth 665. An appendage or post 667 of the bail rod 664 rests in the inner diameter of one end of spring 666 while the other end of the spring 666 bears against the base 638. The bail rod 664 also has an aperture 668 that snaps onto the base 638, a contact surface 669, and a cam follower 670.

The water fill assembly 660 has a fill lever 672 with a contact 674 at one end and a male coupling 676 at the other. In the approximate middle of the fill lever is a first cam follower 678 facing upward towards the center axis of the drive gear 856, and a second cam follower 680 facing forward. The male coupling 676 of the fill lever 672 snaps into an aperture 682 in a fill adjustment lever 684. The fill adjustment lever 684 has a second male coupling 686, at least one tooth 688, and a retainer 690. The second male coupling 686 snaps into the base 638 at an aperture 692 (FIG. 16).

With reference to FIGS. 19, 20A, and 20B, similar to FIGS. 4, 4A and 4B, the drive gear 856 has a front face 694 with a front hub 696, and a rear face 698 with a rear hub 700. The front hub 696 has a radial bearing surface 702 and four axial bearing surfaces 704. As shown in FIG. 19, two resilient fingers 706 each have a lead chamfer 708 and a seating surface 710. The fingers 706 snap into the base 638 at an aperture 712 (FIG. 16) and retain the drive gear 856 while it rotates relative to the base 638. The rear hub 700 has a bore 713 and a flat 714 sized to assemble to the ejector shaft end 34 and the flat 36. Inside the bore 713 is a partition 715 (FIG. 20A).

The drive gear 856, along with the circuit board assembly 649 sequences and drives three functions. The three functions are the water fill function, the storage-sensing function, and the start-stop function. Features of the drive-gear involved in each function will now be described. The functions themselves will be described later.

The water fill function uses a water fill-on profile 716 on an outside surface of the rear hub 700 of drive gear 856. As shown in FIG. 20B, the water fill-on profile 716 has a protrusion 718 in the direction away from the center axis of the drive gear 856. A water fill-off profile 720 having a protrusion 722 in the direction toward the center axis of the drive gear is on the rear face 698 of drive gear 856.

The storage sensing function is driven by a bail profile 726 on a radially outward surface 728 of an arcuate ridge 730 on the front face 694 of the drive gear 856. See FIGS. 19 and 20A.

The stop function of this embodiment, unlike earlier embodiments, does not use a notch in the gear teeth to allow the lever of home switch 46 to move into a notch, but instead uses an axially longer gear tooth 820 of drive gear 856 to depress the lever of home switch 46. (FIGS. 19, 20A, 20B) The lever of home switch 46 is more aft than the regular teeth 734 of drive gear 856 and is not touched by those teeth. It is touched only by teeth 820 and 821. Only one of the teeth, for example 820, is needed for stopping at the end of a harvest cycle. However another tooth 821 and a notch 814 and a tab 816 are also shown because these features are for the purpose of a delay drive 853 that will be explained with reference to later FIGS. 23A-24C. Having a delay drive 853 is not a requirement for an ICM that uses a paddle 624 as in embodiment 600 instead of a bail arm 24 as in embodiments 10 and 500. A drive gear that has two individual teeth rather than a tab 816, and only one extended tooth rather than two, would work. In other words a drive gear with profile 132, teeth 134, and extended tooth 820 may be used, but not with the delay drive 853 that will be later described.

Having described the various systems, functions, and piece parts, the assembly and function will now be described.

FIGS. 21A-21F illustrate the cycle of the icemaker control module 600 as one would see from the icemaker housing looking forward into the control module 600. In FIG. 21A the icemaker control module 600 is at its home state with the ejector 20 at approximately 200° and the cam follower 678 of the fill lever 672 resting on a cylindrical portion of the water fill-on profile 716 of drive gear 856. The water fill switch 44 is in its up (off) position. The home switch 46 is in its down (on) position depressed by extended tooth 820 of drive gear 856. The bail rod 664 is in its rest position and is not in contact with the bail rod cam profile 726 of drive gear 856. Shown in phantom lines is a half circular ice body 138. The protrusion 722 water fill off profile 720 of drive gear 856 (FIG. 20B) is hidden from view behind the fill lever 672 and the cam follower 680 of fill lever 672 (FIG. 17) is also hidden from view. The paddle 624 is in its up position indicating that the storage container is not so full that ice bodies blocked it from reaching the up position during the previous cycle. Spring 666 (FIG. 17) is keeping bail rod 664 towards the center of the drive gear 856, so that teeth 665 of bail rod 664 engage drive teeth 663 of paddle 624 keeping the paddle 624 up.

In FIG. 21B the cycle has begun in response to the thermostat 33 closing when it sensed the ice bodies in the mold were frozen and ready to be harvested. Closure of the thermostat 33 allows current flow to the heater 31 to warm the mold to loosen the ice bodies, and allows current to power the motor assembly 50 to rotate the drive gear 856 counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow 160. During a period of time, the ejector 20 has traveled from the position shown in FIG. 21A, to the position of FIG. 21B where it is making contact with the top surface of the ice body 138. The home switch 46 is no longer depressed by extended tooth 820 in its down position, and if tooth 821 is present, and holding it down, the home switch 46 remains depressed (on).

FIG. 21C continues the cycle with the ejector 20 having scooped the ice body 138 partly out of the ice mold. Bail profile 726 of drive gear 856 has rotated counterclockwise and made contact with cam follower 670 of bail rod 664 (FIG. 17), and has started to push up on the bail rod 664. The bail rod 664 rotates the bail pivot 662 clockwise as shown by arrow 3 in FIG. 21C. This movement of bail pivot 662 causes bail rod 664 to move in the direction of arrow 4, compressing spring 666 and lowering paddle 624 so that it will be out of the way when ice bodies are released to fall into the storage container. The home switch 46 is no longer in its down position depressed by extended tooth 820 but is instead in its up position.

In FIG. 21D, continued rotation of paddle 624 has brought the paddle 624 lower, as the cam follower 670 of bail rod 664 is pushed by the bail profile 726 of drive gear 856. The ice body 138 (actually all the ice bodies on a series of ejectors along the shaft) has been brought onto what is now an upward facing surface 162 of the ice ejector 20. Gravity causes the ice body 138 to slide off the ejector 20 and past the lowered paddle 624. If the storage container has room, the ice bodies will fall into the storage container and away from the paddle.

Through the previous figures, cam follower 678 of the fill lever 672 has been near to, or in contact with, profile 716 on the drive gear 856. This profile 716 is generally round, but it may also be made sloping, especially as it nears protrusion 718.

In FIG. 21E protrusion 718 has caused the fill lever 672 to push down with contact 674 of fill lever 672 (FIG. 17) against fill switch 44, overpowering the internal spring force of the fill switch 44. Fill switch 44 sends electric current to the water supply valve 15 (FIG. 13A-C) in the supply line to the icemaker, so that the water supply valve 15 will allow water to flow. Water will flow for as long as the fill switch 44 is depressed. It is contemplated that if needed, other timing interlocks could be put in the circuit to prevent water flowing an unreasonable length of time, and thus flooding the icemaker. The ice body falls to the storage container, and since no ice bodies are in the way of paddle 624, spring 666 raises the paddle 624 and bail rod 664 causing contact 669 to actuate the ice body storage level switch 48 to set the circuit to harvest again, next cycle.

In FIG. 21F, protrusion 718 has moved past cam follower 678 of fill lever 672, and the internal spring of fill switch 44 has re-opened the switch, stopping the water flow, and raising the fill lever 672. Protrusion 722 of drive gear 856 (FIG. 20B) pushes the fill lever 672 up at follower 680 (FIG. 17). This protrusion 722 of drive gear 856 is an assist or a backup for the internal spring force of fill switch 44 to return the fill lever 672 to the up position. The fill switch 44 may have enough spring force to move the fill lever 672 itself, or protrusion 722 may perform the lifting. The fill switch 44 pushes the fill lever 672, but the fill lever 672 does not pull the fill switch 44.

After FIG. 21F, the cycle completes by returning to the position shown in FIG. 21A. The motor stops when home switch 46 returns to its down position depressed by extended tooth 820. The icemaker will remain stationary until the start of the next cycle that will begin if two conditions are met: First, the paddle 624 is in the up position, and second, the thermostat senses that the ice bodies are ready to be harvested.

FIG. 21F also illustrates on/off rocker switch 601 in the “ON” position. Switch 601 does not substantially contact bail pivot 662, and contact surface 669 of bail lever 664 has ice body storage level switch 48 depressed. Also, a tab 740 of the rocker switch 601 is in contact with a detail 742 molded in the control module base 638 which frictionally prevents the rocker switch 601 from moving until a person presses (arrow 745, FIG. 22) on a lower section 744 of the rocker switch 601. Note that in FIG. 22 the insert molded circuit board assembly 649 is omitted for clarity, but an ice body storage level switch 48 normally attached to the forward side of the circuit board is shown.

FIG. 22 illustrates the on/off rocker switch 601 in the “OFF” position. A detail 746 on the bottom of the switch 601 acts as a ramp to rotate the bail pivot 662, which rotates the bail lever 664 in the direction of arrow 6 so the ice body storage level switch 48 is no longer depressed (on). There is also a small recessed area 748 at the end of the detail 746 that acts as a socket for a bump 750 on the bail pivot 662, holding the rocker switch 601 in the “OFF” position.

A delay drive 853 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 23A-H and 24A-C. The delay drive may be incorporated in any of the previous embodiments, and has been shown but not fully described in embodiment 600.

The delay drive system 853 offers an advantage of being able to turn the heater off as soon as the ice has been released from the mold and providing power to the fill valve directly rather than through the heater element. This has not been possible in previous designs because the heater must remain on until the thermostat is reset to the off position. If the thermostat is not reset by the time the gear has completed one revolution, the circuit will still be made to start another harvest cycle. Some current designs use a higher temperature reset point and a two revolution cycle to guarantee the thermostat will reset prior to the water fill. If the thermostat does not reset prior to the water fill, there is a concern that it will also not be reset by the end of the cycle, resulting in a second cycle. To prevent a second fill in the event of a second cycle, the electrical circuit for the water valve is run through the heater element, as shown in FIGS. 13A-13C. If the heater is still energized when the fill circuit is made, the electric current will take the path of least resistance (direct from the heater element to neutral rather than through the water valve) and the valve will not be turned on. This circuit arrangement results in reduced voltage at the valve because of the resistance of the heater element. This reduced voltage sometimes results in inconsistent valve operation. Previous designs have had to balance the requirement for the drive gear to rotate fast enough to provide a short, accurate fill time but slow enough to allow the thermostat to reset within one revolution. The delay drive system 853 allows the heater to be turned off as soon as the ice is released from the mold, the drive gear to rotate fast enough to provide a short, accurate fill time, then a delay period allowing the warm (room temperature) water used to fill the mold to warm the thermostat above its reset point. The delay drive 853 provides reduced energy consumption because the heater is turned off as soon as the ice is released from the mold. This reduces the energy actually used by the icemaker during the harvesting process as well as reducing the energy required by the freezer to remove the additional heat put into the freezer compartment when the heater was left on to warm up the thermostat. The delay drive 853 further provides full line voltage applied to the water valve 15, eliminating some service calls due to low voltage conditions.

FIGS. 23A through 23H illustrate the actions of the delay drive 853 comprising a motor pinion gear 854 and a drive gear 856 described above.

The motor pinion gear 854 is divided into three levels. An aft level 802 is solid and flush with the outer diameter of the teeth except for a cut out 804 for one tooth profile. The mid level 806 is a standard gear profile all the way around. The forward level 808 is solid and flush with the root diameter of the teeth except for two teeth 811a, 811b aligned with the tooth cut out on the aft level 802. Most of the time, the pinion 854 drives the gear 856 through normal gear mesh at the center level 806 as seen in FIG. 23B and 23C.

As shown in FIG. 23B, the main gear 856 also is divided into three levels. A forward level 810 has two teeth connected together to form tab 816. A mid level 812 is a standard gear profile except at a delay position 814 where two teeth are removed. An aft level 818 has the extended teeth 820 and 821.

In FIG. 23D, as the pinion 854 drives the gear 856 into the delay position 814, the cut out 804 in the rear level of the pinion gear 854 meshes with the extended tooth 820 on the top level 818 of the drive gear 856.

In FIG. 23E, as the pinion gear 854 continues to drive the drive gear 856 into the delay position where there are no teeth in the center section of the drive gear 856, the drive gear 856 will stop rotating even though pinion gear 854 continues to rotate.

In FIG. 23F the solid diameter at the top of the pinion gear 854 will interfere with the two extended teeth 820 and 821 at the top of the drive gear 856, preventing the drive gear 856 from rotating from external forces.

In FIG. 23G as the pinion gear 854 completes its rotation, the extended teeth 811 a, 811 b on the bottom of the pinion gear 854 engage with the tab 816 on the bottom level of the drive gear 856, causing the drive gear 856 to begin rotating again.

In FIGS. 23H as the pinion gear and drive gear rotate together, the teeth are again meshed and the pinion gear 854 continues to drive the drive gear 856 normally until the delay position 814 comes around again.

FIGS. 24A through 24C are electrical diagrams depicting the operating cycle of the icemaker control modules of the previous embodiments with the delay drive 853.

In FIG. 24A the ice bodies are not yet ready for harvest, so the thermostat is above its trigger temperature and is open while the home switch 46 is at an upwards position in the figure. In FIG. 24B, the thermostat has closed and the motor has started to rotate moving extended teeth 820 and 821 away from home switch 46 and allowing it to move to the downward position in the figure. With continued rotation, ice body storage profile 126, 726 pushes the bail rod 64, 664 opening ice body storage level switch 48 between the thermostat and neutral, stopping electric flow through the heater even though the thermostat may remain closed. Electricity continues to flow to the motor assembly 50, and pinion gear 854 continues to rotate drive gear 856 long enough for the water fill switch 44 to be opened and then closed by profile 116, 716 and protrusion 118, 718. This action fills the ice body tray 14 with room temperature water. Then the delay position 814 on drive gear 856 meets the pinion gear 854 and the drive gear 856 stalls (stops rotating) while the pinion gear 854 continues to rotate. This period of stall is approximately 50 seconds, by way of example, and is ample time for the room temperature water to warm the ice body tray 14 and the thermostat to reset (open). During this stall the ice body storage level switch 48 continues to be held in the open position by the action of ice body storage profile 126, 726. When tooth 811 a restarts rotation of drive gear 856, the bail rod comes off of ice body storage profile 126, 726 allowing the ice body storage level switch 48 to close again (if there are not excess ice bodies blocking it). The cycle stops when extended tooth 820 reaches home switch 46 and the switch opens, returning the electrical system to the state illustrated in FIG. 24A.

The electrical schematics of FIGS. 24A-C also differ from those of FIGS. 13A-C in that the TCO 605 is included. Also, test-points V, Mt, N, and L are not shown, and are not needed except per customer request.

There are at least two additional features contemplated to enhance the fail-safe operation while still having the energy saving benefits of the delay drive. The first is to use the electronic control of the refrigerator to monitor the water valve operation and not allow the water valve to operate for more than 10 seconds within a 30 minute time period. This time is for example only, with actual times being dependent on the ice body size, and other factors for a specific icemaker. Actual times may be determined by testing. This option could be further enhanced by adding a warning light or buzzer to the refrigerator control panel indicating that the icemaker thermostat has failed if the icemaker calls for another fill too quickly.

The second is to turn the heater off as soon as the ice has been released from the mold but keep the water fill at the end of the cycle. Pausing the drive gear 856 gives time for the residual heat from when the heater was on to reset the thermostat, then resume rotation of the drive gear, close the ice body storage level switch 48, and activate the fill switch 44. If the thermostat did not reset, the current will flow through the heater instead of the water valve as described in earlier explanations and the icemaker will continue through another harvest cycle where the heater will be on to warm the mold body more, this time without ice bodies in the mold, so the thermostat will reset. The thermostat trip points will be designed so that normal operation will result in a single cycle, saving energy, but if unusual circumstances or a thermostat failure cause the thermostat not to reset before the fill switch is activated, the old “through the heater” fail safe circuit path will prevent water overfilling.

FIGS. 25-30B illustrate another embodiment of icemaker. The icemaker 900 comprises an icemaker control module 902 inside an icemaker control module housing 904 lacking a switch. The icemaker control module 902 is like the icemaker control module 10 illustrated and described herein. However, any of the icemaker control modules described, illustrated or contemplated herein may be used in connection with icemaker 900 or any portion thereof. One advantage of this embodiment of icemaker is that the parts of the icemaker described below snap fit together eliminating the need for fasteners and reducing assembly time and costs.

The icemaker 900 includes an ice mold 906 including a ground member 908. The ice mold 906 is snapped into engagement and thereby secured to the icemaker control module housing 904, the ground member 908 being electrically coupled to the circuit board assembly and more specifically, the circuit board of the icemaker control module in a manner described above.

As shown in FIG. 25, icemaker 900 further comprises a heater 910, a safety shield 912, a rotatable ejector shaft 914 to which are attached a plurality of ejectors 915, the rotatable ejector shaft 914 being driven by activation of the icemaker control module 902 as described above. This embodiment of icemaker 900 further comprises a unitary molded stripper and fill cup member 916, a stationary paddle 918 having a tab 924 which snaps into the icemaker control module housing 904 and a movable bail arm 920 which is driven by the icemaker control module 902 as described above.

FIG. 26 illustrates icemaker 900 being assembled. More particularly, the thermostat 933 having probes 932 is inserted into an opening 922 in the control module housing 904 and the end 934 of rotatable ejector shaft 914 is inserted into opening 921 in the control module housing 904. The thermostat 933 contacts a surface 926 of the ice mold 906 to detect the temperature of the ice mold 906.

FIG. 27 illustrates a portion of the icemaker control module 902, another portion being omitted for clarity. This figure shows tab 924 of the paddle 918 snapped into engagement with the control module housing 904. FIG. 27 further shows the location of the ground member 928, two heater-contacts 930 from heater 910, two thermostat contacts 932 from a thermostat 933 when icemaker 900 is assembled. The insert molded circuit board assembly is omitted from FIG. 27 for clarity but, as shown and described with respect to the icemaker of FIG. 1, the ground member 928, two heater-contacts 930 of heater 910 and two thermostat contacts 932 of thermostat 933 electrically contact the circuit board of the insert molded circuit board assembly and more particularly, with the lance features of the circuit board.

FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate how the unitary molded stripper and fill cup member 916 snaps into engagement with the ice mold 906 without the need for any fasteners.

FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate the pivoting motion necessary to secure the unitary molded stripper and fill cup member 916 and the ice mold 906 together without the need for any fasteners.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims

1. An icemaker comprising:

a rotatable ejector shaft having a plurality of ejectors, the rotatable ejector shaft having an end with a flat;

an icemaker control module comprising a base,

a circuit board assembly secured to the base, said circuit board assembly including a circuit board comprising conductive material and a nonconductive material molded around the conductive material and having a conducting circuit contacting and electrically coupled to a ground member, a thermostat and a heater of the icemaker,

a motor assembly secured to the base,

a drive gear rotatably driven by a pinion gear of said motor assembly, said drive gear having a bore and a flat sized to assemble to the ejector shaft end and the flat, wherein said drive gear is mechanically coupled to the ejector shaft of the icemaker such that rotation of the drive gear of the icemaker control module rotates the ejector shaft of the icemaker.

2. The icemaker of claim 1 further comprising an adjustment lever secured to the base of the icemaker control module.

3. The icemaker of claim 1 wherein said drive gear has a profile for moving a bail arm.

4. The icemaker of claim 1 further comprising an ice level detector for determining a level of ice in a storage bin.

5. The icemaker of claim 1 wherein the circuit board assembly includes switches secured to lance features of the circuit board.

6. The icemaker of claim 1 wherein the conductive material is copper, copper alloy, or aluminum, and the nonconductive material is plastic.

7. An icemaker comprising:

an icemaker control module having a housing;

an ice mold snapped to said housing;

a unitary stripper and fill cup snapped to said ice mold;

a rotatable ejector shaft;

said icemaker control module including a base,

a motor assembly mounted to said base, said motor assembly having a pinion gear;

a drive gear secured to the base and rotated by rotation of the pinion gear, said drive gear being adapted to couple to and drive an ejector shaft in the icemaker; and

a circuit board assembly mounted to said base, said circuit board assembly having a conducting circuit contacting and electrically coupled to a thermostat, a heater, and a ground member of the icemaker.

8. The icemaker of claim 7 further comprising an adjustment lever secured to the base of the icemaker control module.

9. The icemaker of claim 7 further comprising a water fill lever to contact a water fill switch and operate a water fill valve when said drive gear moves the waterfill lever.

10. The icemaker of claim 7 further comprising an ice body storage level sensor moved by said drive gear to sense if an ice storage bin is full, and to temporarily cease further harvest of ice bodies.

11. The icemaker of claim 7 wherein said motor assembly is snap fit to said base.

12. The icemaker control module of claim 7 wherein said drive gear is snap fit to said base.

13. An icemaker comprising:

an icemaker control module comprising a housing, a base and a drive gear having a water fill cam and being secured to said base;

an ice mold secured to said housing;

a unitary stripper and fill cup snapped to said ice mold;

a rotatable ejector shaft coupled to said icemaker control module and driven by a drive gear of said icemaker control module;

said icemaker control further comprising a water fill adjustment lever pivotally connected to said base;

a water fill lever having a first end pivotally coupled to said water fill adjustment lever, a cam contact that is contacted by said water fill cam, and a second end contacting a water fill switch; and

wherein adjusting the coupling of the water fill adjustment lever changes the closure time of the water fill switch to change the size of the ice-bodies made by the icemaker.

14. The icemaker of claim 13 wherein said water fill adjustment lever further comprises at least one protrusion that passes through said base and a tooth which engages teeth of said base.

15. The icemaker of claim 13 wherein said drive gear has a profile for moving a bail arm.

16. The icemaker of claim 13 further comprising a paddle for guiding ice into a storage bin.

17. The icemaker of claim 13 wherein the icemaker control module comprises a circuit board assembly having switches secured to lance features of the circuit board.

18. An icemaker comprising:

a motor assembly having a plastic housing with two attaching posts, wire leads, and a pinion gear;

a drive gear driven by said pinion gear, having a bore sized to receive an ejector shaft of an icemaker;

a water fill control surface on said drive gear operatively coupled to a water fill control switch;

a storage capacity control surface on said drive gear operatively coupled to an ice body storage level switch and a sensor for sensing when an ice body storage container is full;

a cycle complete control surface on said drive gear that is operatively coupled to a motor switch;

a circuit board assembly having a conducting circuit that mechanically grasps and electrically couples said wire leads, said water fill control switch, said ice body storage level switch, and said motor switch;

a base on which said circuit board assembly and said motor assembly are mounted;

wherein said conducting circuit also mechanically grasps and electrically couples a thermostat, ground member, and heater and wherein said bore of said drive gear couples to the ejector shaft of said icemaker when said icemaker control module is joined to the icemaker.

19. The icemaker of claim 18 wherein the conducting circuit is part of an insert molded circuit board.

20. The icemaker of claim 19 wherein said insert molded circuit board assembly is snap mounted to said base.