Ice maker for refrigerator

Abstract

An ice maker for a refrigerator/freezer having a control module for more reliably driving a rotatable ice ejector for removing ice bodies from a mold of the ice maker and for refilling mold cavities with water. The control module has an ice ejector drive with a drive coupling that includes a gear wheel and an ejector shaft section, both made of hard plastic material, preferably a polymide resin, for transmitting higher torque to the rotary ice ejector without failure of the plastic drive components. In one embodiment, a drive sleeve on the gear wheel and a drive shaft section have a spline coupling for more effectively distributing driving forces in the drive coupling. In another embodiment, a metallic collar is tightly positioned over the gear wheel sleeve for enhancing torque transmission in the drive coupling. The control module further is operable for refilling the ice maker mold cavities to a predetermined level during each cycle of operation notwithstanding slight alterations in positioning of water fill switching contact due to manufacturing tolerances or forces to which the ice maker is subjected during shipping, handling or installation.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . An ice maker comprising: 
 a mold in which water is frozen to form ice bodies;    a rotatable ejector having a central ejector shaft and plurality of radial arms for ejecting ice bodies from said mold;    a drive for rotatably driving said ice ejector, said drive including a drive motor and a plastic gear wheel rotatably driven by said drive motor; and    a drive coupling between said gear wheel and ejector shaft that includes a plastic sleeve and a plastic shaft section, said shaft section having an end positionable into said sleeve and mechanically coupled thereto for transmitting torque therebetween as an incident to rotary driven movement of said gear wheel, and a metallic collar positionable in tight fitting relation over said sleeve for enhancing torque transmission through said drive coupling without damage to said plastic sleeve and plastic shaft section.    
   
   
       12 . The ice maker of  claim 11  in which said sleeve is formed with a plurality of torques transmitting lugs, and said shaft section is formed with a plurality of recesses for receiving said torque transmitting lugs.  
   
   
       13 . The ice maker of  claim 12  in which said torque transmitting lugs extend axially from an end of said sleeve.  
   
   
       14 . The ice maker of claim  111  in which said sleeve is integrally formed on said gear wheel.  
   
   
       15 . The ice maker of  claim 14  in which said shaft section has a pair of legs that extend from end thereof through said sleeve into engaging relation to a side of said gear wheel opposite said sleeve.  
   
   
       16 . The ice maker of claim  111  including a storage container for storing ice bodies ejected from said mold, a sensing arm having a free end for sensing the level of ice in said storage container, and said shaft section is a cam shaft separate from said ejector shaft, said cam shaft having a vertical cam for actuating movement of said sensing arm, said cam shaft having an end opposite the end positionable into said sleeve mechanically coupled in coaxial relation to said ejector shaft for transmitting torque therebetween.  
   
   
       17 - 49 . (canceled)  
   
   
       50 . An ice maker comprising: 
 a mold in which water is frozen to form ice bodies;    a rotatable ejector having a central ejector shaft and plurality of radial arms for ejecting ice bodies from said mold;    a drive for rotatably driving said ice ejector, said drive including a drive motor and a plastic gear wheel rotatably driven by said drive motor; and    a drive coupling between said gear wheel and ejector shaft that includes a plastic sleeve and a plastic shaft section, said shaft section having an end positionable into said sleeve and mechanically coupled thereto for transmitting torque therebetween as an incident to rotary driven movement of said gear wheel, and a collar positionable in tight fitting relation over said sleeve for enhancing torque transmission through said drive coupling without damage to said plastic sleeve and plastic shaft section.