FLUIDIZER FOR AN ICE DISPENSING ASSEMBLY OF A COOLING COMPARTMENT

Abstract

A fluidizer for an ice dispensing assembly of a cooling compartment. The fluidizer has at least one base member. At least one angular projection may be coupled with or integrally formed with a surface of the base member. Rotation of fluidizer fluidizes ice cubes located in the ice bucket. The ice cubes are fluidized when the at least one angular projection contacts the ice cubes and forces the ice cubes away from the at least one base member. The rotational kinetic enemy imparted by the fluidizer breaks up any fused ice cubes so that the influence of gravity can pull ice downwards for dispensing.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention relates generally to a cooling compartment, and more particularly, to an ice dispensing assembly of a cooling appliance.

2. Related Art

Generally, a cooling appliance includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment which are partitioned from each other to store various foods at low temperatures in appropriate states for relatively long time.

An ice making system is typically mounted within the freezer compartment. The ice making system makes ice and stores ice in an ice bucket until ice cubes are requested by a user. The ice cubes are then generally dispensed at an ice dispenser located on an outside door of the freezer compartment.

However, the ice cubes stored in the ice bucket are usually in a stagnant position, which can prevent ice delivery through the ice dispenser. For example, the ice cubes in the ice bucket may have formed large clumps of ice since the previous instance of ice dispensing. This creates a problem in conventional ice dispensers because stagnant and clumped ice cubes cannot readily move through the ice dispensing system for delivery to a user. As a result, the effectiveness of conventional ice dispensers can be compromised.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As described herein, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention overcome one or more of the above or other disadvantages known in the art.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a fluidizer. The fluidizer has at least one base member and an angular projection on the at least one base member. Another aspect of the present invention relates to an ice dispensing assembly having a fluidizer. Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a cooling compartment having a fluidizer.

The fluidizer fluidizes the ice cubes within the ice bucket when the fluidizer is rotating. Rotation of fluidizer fluidizes the ice cubes located in the ice bucket by pushing the ice cubes, in contact with the at least one angular projection of fluidizer, upwards. Kinetic energy provided by the rotation of the fluidizer breaks up any fused ice cubes so that the influence of gravity can pull ice downwards in order to be dispensed. As such, motion is imparted to stagnant ice cubes stored in the ice bucket creating a more effective ice dispensing system.

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made briefly to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a cooling appliance having as an element thereof an embodiment of a fluidizer;

FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of the cooling appliance of FIG. 1 with the access doors of the freezer compartment and fresh food compartment being in their open positions;

FIG. 3 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the freezer compartment of FIG. 2, taken along line A-A, in which an embodiment of the fluidizer of FIG. 2 is implemented;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an ice dispensing assembly having as art element thereof an embodiment of a fluidizer;

FIG. 5 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the fluidizer of FIG. 4, taken along line B-B;

FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the fluidizer of FIG. 4, taken along line C-C accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a partial, top perspective view of an fluidizer in accordance with another embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is perspective view of a fluidizer in accordance with yet another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a cooling appliance 100, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a chiller, and the like, having as an element thereof an embodiment of an fluidizer, when implemented as shown and described, fluidizes ice within an ice bucket located inside a compartment 104 formed in a body 106 of the cooling appliance 100. The body 106 of the cooling appliance 100 includes opposing sidewalls 123 coupled with a top wall 122, a bottom wall 124 and a back wall 226 (FIG. 2). The cooling appliance 100 described above is coolable by a conventional vapor-compression temperature control circuit (not shown).

In one embodiment, the freezer compartment 104 and the fresh food compartment 102 are arranged in a side-by-side configuration in the body 106 of the cooling appliance 100. Although the cooling appliance 100 in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 is shown as the “side-by-side” type, the teaching of the description set forth above is applicable to other types of cooling appliances, including but not limited to, “bottom freezer” types. Embodiments of the present invention are therefore not intended to be limited to any particular type or configuration of a cooling appliance, except those having an ice dispensing assembly, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, and further described below.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the cooling appliance 100 is shown with access doors 134 and 135. Access doors 134 and 135 close frontal access openings of the freezer compartment 104 and fresh food compartment 102, respectively. Access door 134 contains an ice (and optionally, a water) dispenser 115 on the front of the door as shown. Each access door 134, 135 is mounted to the main body 106 by a top hinge 136 (FIG. 2) and corresponding bottom hinge (not shown), thereby being rotatable about its outer vertical edge between a closed position for closing the freezer compartment 104 and fresh food compartment 102, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1, and an open position for accessing the freezer compartment 104 and fresh food compartment 102, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of the cooling appliance 100 of FIG. 1 with the access doors 134 and 135 of the freezer compartment 104 and fresh food compartment 102, respectively, being in their open positions. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 106 has a top wall 122 and a bottom wall 124. The top wall 122 connects the two sidewalls 123 to each other at the top edges thereof, and the bottom wall 124 connects the two sidewalls 123 to each other at the bottom edges thereof. A mullion 125 connects the top wall 122 and bottom wall 124 to each other and separates the fresh food compartment 102 from the freezer compartment 104. The main body 106 further comprises a back wall 226 that connects the top wall 122, the two sidewalls 123 and the bottom wall 124. Slide-out drawers, storage bins, and/or shelves (not shown) are normally located on the back walls 226 of fresh food compartment 102 and freezer compartment 104 to support items being stored therein.

The freezer compartment 104 contains an automatic ice maker 250 positioned proximate and above an ice bucket 260 disposed in and/or on the inside wall of access door 134. Although the ice maker 250 is shown in FIG. 2 as being disposed on access door 134, the teaching of the description is applicable to other configurations of the ice maker 250, including but not limited to, the ice maker 250 being mounted on the top wall 122, side wall 123, and/or back wall 226 of freezer compartment 104. Alternatively, ice maker 250 could be mounted in fresh food compartment 102 and cooled, for example, by providing cooled air from freezer compartment 104 to an area of the ice maker 250 to cool it sufficiently to make ice. Embodiments of the present invention are therefore not intended to be limited to any particular type or configuration of the ice maker 250, although it is most likely that ice maker 250 is proximate and above ice bucket 260 (so that ice cubes 315 (FIG. 3) can drop directly from ice maker 250 into ice bucket 260), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and further described below.

FIG. 3 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a freezer compartment 104 of cooling appliance 100 of FIG. 2, taken along line A-A. FIG. 3 illustrates how an embodiment of fluidizer 310 is positioned relative to various components of an ice dispensing assembly 300 of a cooling appliance. Ice dispensing assembly 300 is mounted on, removeably coupled with, and/or integrally formed within cooling appliance 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, ice dispensing assembly 300 is disposed on the inside wall of access door 134 of freezer compartment 104. More particularly, FIG. 3 illustrates that the rear wall 301 of ice dispensing assembly 300 is mounted on the inside wall of access door 134. Alternatively, ice dispensing assembly 300 could be mounted on, removably coupled with, and/or integrally formed within access door 135 of fresh food compartment 102 as well. Accordingly, various options are possible for positioning ice dispensing assembly 300 within cooling appliance 100.

The ice dispensing assembly 300 comprises ice bucket 260, a fluidizer 310, and motor 322. Ice dispensing assembly 300 may also comprise rotatable blades 320 and/or ice chute 330. Ice bucket 260 is mounted on access door 134 such that a rear wall 301 of ice bucket 260 comes into contact with an inner wall of access door 134 inside freezer compartment 104. Alternatively, a portion of the inner wall of access door 134 can serve as the rear wall 301 of ice bucket 260.

The fluidizer 310 is positioned within or below the ice bucket 260 and serves as a portion of the bottom surface of ice bucket 260. The fluidizer 310 comprises at least one base member 375. At least one angular projection 311 is mounted on, attached to, coupled with, and/or integrally formed with the base member 375 of the fluidizer 310. The shape of the base member 375, as viewed from the top down, varies depending on the embodiment. For example, the base member 375 may vary in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 310. In one embodiment, base member 375 widens in width outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 310. In another embodiment, the base member 375 narrows in width outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 310. In yet another embodiment, the width of the base member 375 remains constant along its length.

In one embodiment, the fluidizer 310 comprises an even number of opposing base members 375. The even number of opposing base member 375 may be, but are not required to be, identical. For example, the even number of opposing base member 375 may or may not have the same shape, width, and/or length. For example, FIG. 4 shows the fluidizer 410 comprising an even number (two) opposing base members 475 that have the same shape. Each of the two opposing base members 475 vary in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 410. FIG. 7 shows a fluidizer 510 comprising two opposing base members 575 that also have the same shape. In this embodiment, however, each of the two opposing base members has a constant width along its length. In an embodiment, the even number of opposing base members 375 is symmetrically disposed along a center axis of fluidizer 375. In an alternative embodiment, the even number of opposing base members 375 is asymmetrically disposed about the center axis of the fluidizer 375.

In another embodiment the fluidizer 310 comprises an odd number of base members that may or may not have the same shape, width and/or length. For example, FIG. 8 shows a fluidizer 610 having a single base member 675 comprising one or more angular projections 311 attached thereto, or formed integrally therewith, and the base member 675 comprising an opening 633 formed therein.

Referring again to FIG. 3, rotation of fluidizer 310 around an axis fluidizes ice cubes 315 in ice bucket 260. Ice cubes 315 are fluidized when the at least one angular projection 311 of fluidizer 310 contacts the ice cubes 315 and force the ice cubes 315 away from the base member 375. In this manner, the fluidizer 310 imparts upward rotational kinetic energy to the ice cubes 315 in ice bucket 260. This rotational kinetic energy breaks up any fused ice cubes 315 so that the influence of gravity can pull ice downwards toward ice chute 330. In an embodiment, an exit 335 below rotatable blades 320 leads to ice chute 330 through which ice cubes 315 must pass to be dispensed at ice dispenser 115 (also shown in FIG. 1).

In an embodiment, the motor 322 is coupled with the fluidizer 310. In one embodiment, this coupling occurs via a shaft 328. All or a portion of the shaft 328 may be positioned within the interior of the ice dispensing assembly 300. In an embodiment, at least a portion of the shaft 328 is coupled with or positioned adjacent the ice bucket 260. Rotatable blades 320 may also be coupled to motor 322 through their assembly to shaft 328. Shaft 328 extends through rigid stops 344 and 345 for coupling to a drive shaft 323, which is in turn coupled to motor 322. The coupling between shaft 328 and drive shaft 323 may be accomplished through coupling mechanism 324. Although shaft 328 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as being on a vertical axis, embodiments of shaft 328 are not limited to that configuration.

Stop 344 is positioned below fluidizer 310 and above rotatable blades 320 and is configured for use as a blade cover. As illustrated in FIG. 3, stop 344 is a plate that is attached to, mounted on, or formed integrally with the rear wall 301 of ice dispensing assembly 300. Alternatively, stop 344 could be attached to, mounted on, or formed integrally with the front wall 302 of ice dispensing assembly 300. An opening 333 is formed in stop 344. In an embodiment, opening 333 is positioned 180° opposite from exit 335, which is an opening formed in stop 345 located below rotatable blades 320. Ice cubes 315 must pass through opening 333 to reach rotatable blades 320. In some cases, ice cubes 315 also reach stationary crusher blades 326. Although FIG. 3 illustrates rotatable blades 320 as having three blades and stationary crusher blades 326 as having two blades, the numbers of rotatable blades 320 and stationary crusher blades 326 are not limited by this illustration. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, rotatable blades 320 may have a rigid, sharp, and/or grooved outer surface to assist with grabbing and pushing ice cubes 315. Similarly, stationary crusher blades 326 may also have a rigid, sharp, and/or grooved surface on either or both sides (not shown).

Turning back to FIG. 3, the passage of ice cubes 315 through ice dispensing assembly 300 is now explained. In accordance with one embodiment, ice cubes 315, produced in ice maker 250, are discharged from ice maker 250 into ice bucket 260 until the ice cubes 315 reach a preselected level. Ice cubes 315 are stored in ice bucket 260 until ice cubes 315 are requested, which can be accomplished by, but is not limited to, a user pressing a button and/or pushing a latch located at ice dispenser 115 located on the body 106 of cooling appliance 100. Motor 322 is actuated by the request for ice cubes 315. The actuation of motor 322 drives the rotation of drive shaft 323, which drives the rotation of shaft 328. The rotation of shaft 328 causes fluidizer 310 and rotatable blades 320 to rotate therewith.

In one embodiment, the rotation of fluidizer 310 causes the at least one angular projection 311 located on fluidizer 310 to also rotate. Since fluidizer 310 may serve as a portion of the bottom surface of ice bucket 260, as discussed above, a plurality of the ice cubes 315 in bucket 260 are in contact with fluidizer 310. Therefore, as fluidizer 310 rotates, the ice cubes 315 that are in contact with the at least one angular projection 311 of fluidizer 310 are pushed upward. In other words, during rotation of fluidizer 310, the at least one angular projection 311 imparts upward rotational kinetic energy to ice cubes 315. The shape of the at least one angular projection 311 in combination with the rotation of the at least one angular projection 311 pushes upward the ice cubes 315 that are in contact with the at least one angular projection 311. In other words, a portion of the rotational kinetic energy introduced to the ice cubes 315 in contact with the at least one angular projection 311 is transferred upward because of the angular shape of the at least one angular projection 311. As a result, the bottom ice cubes 315 in contact with the at least one angular projection 311 push upward on ice cubes 315 above them. The upward and rotational vectors of kinetic energy transferred to the ice cubes 315 via the at least one angular projection 311 fluidizes the ice cubes 315 located in ice bucket 260, which allows gravity to pull ice cubes 315 downward. The force of gravity, which causes the eventual downward motion of the fluidized ice cubes 315, pulls ice cubes 315 through opening 333 of stop 344 in order to eventually reach ice chute 330.

During operation, the rotational direction of fluidizer 310 (and rotatable blades 320) indicates the region of rotatable blades 320 through which ice cubes 315 descend. For example, if fluidizer 310 and rotatable blades 320 are rotated in a first direction (for example, counterclockwise), ice cubes 315 fall through opening 333, as described above, and are then driven by rotatable blades 320 into stationary crusher blades 326. Rotatable blades 320 rotate past stationary crusher blades 326. The driving force of rotatable blades 320 traps ice cubes 315 against stationary crusher blades 326 and ultimately crushes ice cubes 315. After being sufficiently crushed, ice cubes 315 can pass from the region of stationary crusher blades 326 to exit 335. Alternatively, for example, if fluidizer 310 and rotatable blades 320 are rotated in a second direction (for example, clockwise), ice cubes 315 are swept directly from opening 333 to the exit 335 and no crushing occurs.

Once at exit 335, ice cubes 315 fall through ice chute 330 to ice dispenser 115, which dispenses the ice cubes 315 through access door 134. Although FIG. 3 depicts the ice cubes 315 falling through ice chute 330 as whole ice pieces, that depiction is for illustrative purposes only. Ice cubes 315 that fall through ice chute 330 can be in either crushed or whole form depending on whether or not they reach stationary crusher blades 326 in their path through ice dispensing assembly 300.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of ice dispensing assembly 300 having an embodiment of a fluidizer 410. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the fluidizer 410, when viewed from a top plan view, has a bow-tie shape and comprises a base member 475 and at least one angular projection 311 on the base member 475. A pair of ramps 411, 412 and 413, 414 slope from opposing edges 424, 425 and 426, 427, respectively, of base member 475. Each pair of ramps 411, 412 and 413, 414 form a side of bow-tie fluidizer 410. In an embodiment, as viewed from the top down, base member 475 widens in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 410. In other words, the distance d (FIG. 5) between, for example, edges 424 and 425 of base member 475 increases as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In an alternative embodiment, base member 475 narrows in width outwardly along its length from a center of the fluidizer 410.

In an embodiment, the pair of ramps 411, 412 and 413, 414 on each side of fluidizer 410 meet along their top edges 420 to define the top edge of the at least one angular projection 311. The pair of ramps 411, 412 and the pair of ramps 413, 414 may be, but are not required to be, identical. For example, the pair of ramps 411, 412 and the pair of ramps 413, 414 may or may not have the same shape, width, and/or length. In an embodiment, ramps 411, 412, 413, and 414 are identical in shape, length and width. However, ramps 411, 412, 413, and 414 need not be identical as long as the pair of ramps 411, 412 and 413, 414, which form each side of bow-tie fluidizer 410, meet along their top edges 420 to define angular projection 311. Ramps 411, 412, 413, and 414 may have, but are not limited to, a slope of about 45°.

FIG. 5 shows a partial, cross-sectional view of bow-tie fluidizer 410, taken along line B-B of FIG. 4. The top edges of ramps 411 and 412 meet at an angle B, which may be, but is not limited to 90°.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in an embodiment of fluidizer 410, the height of the top edge 420 of the angular projection varies in length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer. In other words, the distance between the top edges 420 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 475 varies in length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 410. For example, the distance between the top edge 420 of angular projection 311 and edge 425 of base member 475 may increase in length as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In an alternative embodiment, the distance between top edge 420 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 475 may decrease in length as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In yet another alternative embodiment, the height of the top edge 420 of angular projection 311 may remain constant. For example, the distance between the top edge 420 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 475 remains constant as the distance from shaft 328 increases.

FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the fluidizer 410, taken along line C-C of FIG. 4 in accordance with one embodiment. In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 6, the height h of the top edge 420 of angular projection 311 varies in length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 410. For example, the distance between the top edge 420 of angular projection 311 and edge 425 of base member 475 increases in length as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In an embodiment, the angular projections 311 are symmetrically disposed along the center axis of fluidizer 410. FIG. 6 illustrates angular projections 311 being continuous and slanting. However, the slope of angular projection 311 need not be continuous; also, the slope of angular projection 311 need not be slanting. For example, the slope of angular projection 311 may be continuous, slanted, straight, level, jagged, zigzag, curved, irregular and/or a combination thereof. In an alternative embodiment bow-tie fluidizer 410 is comprised of only one side of the bow-tie. For example, fluidizer 410 may be comprised of only one pair of ramps 411 and 412 (or, alternatively, ramps 413 and 414). In another alternative embodiment, fluidizer 410 may comprise other pairs of ramps in addition to 411, 412 and 413, 414, which may be disposed perpendicularly to and/or at an angle from the ramps previously discussed.

FIG. 7 shows a top perspective view of fluidizer 510 in accordance with an embodiment. Fluidizer 510 is a modification of fluidizer 410 illustrated in FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 7, fluidizer 510 comprises a base member 575 and at least one angular projection 311 on the base member 575. The angular projection 311 of comprises a pair of ramps 511, 512 and 513, 514 sloped from opposing edges 524, 525 and 526, 527, respectively, of base member 575. The pair of ramps 511, 512 and 513, 5144 meet along their top edges 520 to define the top edge of the at least one angular projection 311. In an embodiment, fluidizer 510 further comprises lateral faces 515 and 516. In an embodiment of fluidizer 510, the width of base member 575 remains constant along its length. In other words, as viewed from the top down, the distance between, for example, edges 524 and 525 of base member 575 remains at a constant distance e as the distance from shaft 328 increases.

In an alternative embodiment of fluidizer 510, the distance between the top edge 520 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 575 varies in length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer 510. For example, the distance between the top edge 520 of angular projection 311 and edge 525 of base member 575 increases in length as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In an alternative embodiment, the distance between top edge 520 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 575 decreases in length as the distance from shaft 328 increases. In yet another alternative embodiment, the distance between the top edge 520 of angular projection 311 and an edge of base member 575 remains constant as the distance from shaft 328 increases. Ramps 511, 512, 513, and 514 may have, but are not limited to, a slope of about 45°. As such, the interior top angles y and z of lateral faces 515 and 516, respectively, may be, but are not limited to about 90°.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of fluidizer 610, in accordance with another embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8, the fluidizer 610 comprises at least one angular projection 311 disposed on a base member 675. In an embodiment, the at least one angular projection 311 is mounted on, attached to, coupled with, and/or integrally formed with base member 675. Base member 675 has a cut-out portion or opening 633 formed therein so that ice cubes 315 can fall through cut-out portion 633 and opening 333 in stop 344 (FIG. 3) in order to eventually reach ice chute 330. In other words, fluidizer 610 is positioned for use as a blade cover. In an embodiment, such as that illustrated by FIG. 8, the at least one angular projection 311 is a cone. However, the at least one angular projection 311 is not limited to being cone or pyramid shaped. Additionally, the at least one angular projection 311 need not have an angle as long as the ice cubes 315 in contact with a surface of the at least one angular projection 311 are fluidized by the rotation of fluidizer 310, as discussed above. As such, the at least one angular projection 311 of fluidizer 610 may be, but is not limited to being, spherical, cubical, spiral, straight, and/or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, fluidizer 310, 410, 510, 610 is a solid substrate, but in other embodiments, the substrate that forms the fluidizer 310, 410, 510, 610 may be hollow. Non-limiting examples of such a substrate include but are not limited to plastic and/or metal. Although FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate fluidizers with certain shapes, fluidizer 310, 410, 510, 610 may be alternatively shaped as long as fluidizer 310, 410, 510, 610 has at least one angular projection 311 and is configured to serve as a portion of the bottom surface of ice bucket 260 and configured to fluidize the ice cubes 315 when the fluidizer 310, 410, 510, 610 is rotating.

While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention cart be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, features of various embodiments/variations can be combined. Thus, while there have shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to various specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results be within the scope of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, that embodiments of the invention be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A fluidizer, comprising:

at least one base member; and

an angular projection on the at least one base member.

2. The fluidizer of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one base member varies in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer.

3. The fluidizer of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one base member widens in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer.

4. The fluidizer of claim 2, wherein:

The at least one base member narrows in width along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer.

5. The fluidizer of claim 1, wherein:

a width of e at least one base member remains constant along its length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer.

6. The fluidizer of claim 1, further comprising:

an even number of opposing base members,

wherein the angular projection is on at least one of the opposing base members.

7. The fluidizer of claim 6, wherein:

the even number of opposing base members is symmetrically disposed along a center axis of the fluidizer.

8. The fluidizer of claim 1, wherein:

the angular projection comprises a pair of ramps sloped from opposing edges of the at least one base member.

9. The fluidizer of claim 8, wherein:

the pair of ramps meet along their top edges to define a top edge of the angular projection.

10. The fluidizer of claim 9, wherein:

a height of the top edge of the angular projection varies in length outwardly from a center of the fluidizer.

11. The fluidizer of claim 9, wherein:

a height of the top edge of the angular projection remains constant.

12. The fluidizer of claim 1, wherein:

The at least one base member has an opening formed therein.

13. The fluidizer of claim 1, wherein:

the angular projection comprises a cone.

14. The fluidizer of claim 1, further comprising:

an odd number of base members; and

a plurality of angular projections.

15. An ice dispensing assembly, comprising:

a fluidizer, the fluidizer comprising at least one base member and an angular projection on the at least one base member.

16. The ice dispensing assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

an ice bucket.

17. The ice dispensing assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the fluidizer serves as a portion of a bottom surface of the ice bucket.

18. The ice dispensing assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

rotatable blades; and

a motor.

19. A cooling compartment, comprising:

an ice bucket; and

a fluidizer, the fluidizer comprising at least one base member and an angular projection on the at least one base member.

20. The cooling compartment of claim 19, further comprising:

an ice dispenser.