초록 ▼

An ice supplier includes a case configured to store ice from an ice maker. The case includes an outlet and a transfer unit configured to transfer ice pieces in the case to the outlet. A sensor is configured to sense ice pieces passing through the outlet and a controller is configured to control the

An ice supplier includes a case configured to store ice from an ice maker. The case includes an outlet and a transfer unit configured to transfer ice pieces in the case to the outlet. A sensor is configured to sense ice pieces passing through the outlet and a controller is configured to control the transfer unit according to input from the sensor.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An appliance comprising: a dispenser including an ice dispensing chute; an ice storage bin configured to store ice pieces, the ice storage bin including an opening configured to communicate with the ice dispensing chute, and an ice flow path extending at least partially from

What is claimed is: 1. An appliance comprising: a dispenser including an ice dispensing chute; an ice storage bin configured to store ice pieces, the ice storage bin including an opening configured to communicate with the ice dispensing chute, and an ice flow path extending at least partially from the ice storage bin to an outlet of the dispenser; a transfer mechanism configured to transfer ice pieces from the ice storage bin along the ice flow path; an input device configured to receive user input indicating a desired discharge volume of ice per unit time, wherein the user input indicating the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is a selection of one of a slow volume of ice per unit time and a fast volume of ice per unit time; a sensor configured to sense ice pieces passing along the ice flow path; and a controller configured to: determine a volume of ice per unit time passing along the ice flow path based on input from the sensor, and control the transfer mechanism based on the determined volume of ice per unit time. 2. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises: a sender positioned at a side of the opening and configured to send a signal; and a receiver positioned at a side of the opening opposite the sender and configured to receive the signal sent from the sender enabling ice pieces passing along the ice flow path to be sensed. 3. The appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal is an Infrared light signal that is at least partially occluded by ice pieces passing along the ice flow path. 4. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises: a regulator configured to transfer the ice pieces in the ice storage bin to the opening and along the ice flow path; and a driving mechanism configured to drive the regulator based on a signal received from the controller. 5. The appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to control velocity of the driving mechanism based on the determined volume of ice per unit time. 6. The appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path based on a number of sensed ice pieces per unit time, and control the driving mechanism based on the number of sensed ice pieces per unit time. 7. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display device configured to render a user interface showing a volume of ice per unit time based on the determined volume of ice per unit time passing along the ice flow path. 8. An appliance comprising: a dispenser including an ice dispensing chute; an ice storage bin configured to store ice pieces, the ice storage bin including an opening configured to communicate with the ice dispensing chute, and an ice flow path extending at least partially from the ice storage bin to an outlet of the dispenser; a transfer mechanism configured to transfer ice pieces from the ice storage bin along the ice flow path; an input device configured to receive user input indicating a desired discharge volume of ice per unit time; a sensor configured to sense ice pieces passing along the ice flow path; and a controller configured to: determine a volume of ice per unit time passing along the ice flow path based on input from the sensor, compare the determined volume of ice per unit time to the desired volume of ice per unit time, increase a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism conditioned on the determined volume of ice per unit time being less than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time, decrease a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism conditioned on the determined volume of ice per unit time being greater than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time, and control a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism to adjust the volume of ice per unit time passing along the ice flow path such that a difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is less than a threshold amount. 9. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user input indicating the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is a number of ice pieces per unit time. 10. An appliance comprising: an ice maker configured to make ice pieces; an ice storage bin configured to store ice pieces made by the ice maker; a dispenser configured to dispense ice pieces stored by the ice storage bin through an outlet; an ice dispensing chute that extends at least partially between the ice storage bin and the outlet of the dispenser and that defines at least a portion of an ice flow path for ice pieces being dispensed by the dispenser; a transfer mechanism configured to transfer ice pieces stored by the ice storage bin along the ice flow path; an input device configured to receive user input indicating a desired discharge volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces; at least one sensor configured to sense ice pieces passing along the ice flow path; and at least one controller configured to: determine a volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path based on input from the at least one sensor, and control the transfer mechanism to cause a difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time to be within a threshold amount. 11. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to compare the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path to the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time. 12. The appliance as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to increase a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism conditioned on the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path being less than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time. 13. The appliance as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to decrease a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism conditioned on the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path being greater than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time. 14. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the transfer mechanism to cause the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time to be within the threshold amount by: comparing the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path to the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time; determining whether the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is within the threshold amount based on the comparison; and controlling the transfer mechanism based on the determination of whether the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is within the threshold amount. 15. The appliance as claimed in claim 14, wherein controlling the transfer mechanism based on the determination of whether the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is within the threshold amount comprises: maintaining a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism in response to a determination that the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is within the threshold amount; and adjusting a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism in response to a determination that the difference between the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path and the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time is outside of the threshold amount. 16. The appliance as claimed in claim 15, wherein adjusting the transfer speed of the transfer mechanism comprises: determining whether the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path is greater than or less than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time; increasing a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism in response to a determination that the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path is less than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time; and decreasing a transfer speed of the transfer mechanism in response to a determination that the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path is greater than the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time. 17. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the user input indicating the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces is a number of ice pieces per unit time. 18. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the user input indicating the desired discharge volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces is a selection of one of multiple possible discharge volumes of ice per unit time. 19. The appliance as claimed in claim 18, wherein the selection of one of multiple possible discharge volumes of ice per unit time is a selection of one of a relatively slow discharge volume of ice per unit time and a relatively fast discharge volume of ice per unit time. 20. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a display device configured display a discharge volume of ice per unit time based on the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path. 21. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises: a sender positioned at a side of the ice dispensing chute and configured to send a signal; and a receiver positioned at a side of the ice dispensing chute opposite the sender and configured to receive the signal sent from the sender enabling ice pieces passing along the ice flow path to be sensed. 22. The appliance as claimed in claim 21, wherein the signal is an Infrared light signal that is at least partially occluded by ice pieces passing along the ice flow path. 23. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transfer mechanism comprises: a regulator configured to transfer the ice pieces in the ice storage bin to the ice dispensing chute and along the ice flow path; and a driving mechanism configured to drive the regulator based on a signal received from the controller. 24. The appliance as claimed in claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to control a speed of the driving mechanism based on the determined volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path. 25. The appliance as claimed in claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the volume of ice per unit time of ice pieces passing along the ice flow path based on a number of sensed ice pieces per unit time, and control the driving mechanism based on the number of sensed ice pieces per unit time.