초록

An dispensing system suitable for lifting and dispensing ice through the refrigerator compartment door of a bottom-mount refrigerator or lifting and dispensing ice from an undercounter ice maker to a dispenser on the countertop.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A refrigerator comprising:a cabinet defining a freezer compartment maintained at a temperature below 0° C., and a refrigerator compartment located substantially above the freezer compartment maintained at a temperature above 0° C.;a refrigerator compartment door moveably mounted to the

We claim: 1. A refrigerator comprising:a cabinet defining a freezer compartment maintained at a temperature below 0° C., and a refrigerator compartment located substantially above the freezer compartment maintained at a temperature above 0° C.;a refrigerator compartment door moveably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the refrigerator compartment;an ice maker for generating ice cubes located within the freezer compartment;a dispenser outlet located in the refrigerator compartment door; andan ice dispenser operably connecting the ice maker to the dispenser outlet such that ice cubes generated by the ice maker are dispensed through the dispenser outlet comprising:an ice cube storage bin positioned below the ice maker in the freezer compartment for receiving the ice cubes generated by the ice maker, anda lifter extending from adjacent the ice cube storage bin toward the dispenser outlet for moving ice cubes toward the dispenser outlet comprising an elevator having a lifting platform which is moveable between a loading position, where the ice cubes are loaded onto the platform, and a dispensing position, where the loaded ice cubes are positioned for dispensing through the dispenser outlet; anda deflector to deflect the ice cubes carried by the platform to the dispenser outlet wherein the deflector is a stripper having multiple teeth, and the lifting platform has multiple openings corresponding to the teeth, such that the teeth are received within the openings as the platform is lifted to strip any ice cubes on the platform off of the platform.