Ice-Making Machine

Abstract

An ice maker comprises a tray, which has at least one automatically emptiable compartment for moulding a piece of ice, a storage chamber ( 50 ) for receiving pieces of ice produced in the compartment and a sensor ( 57, 59 ) for detecting the presence of pieces of ice in the storage chamber ( 50 ). The sensor ( 57, 59 ) comprises a transmitter ( 57 ) and a receiver ( 59 ) for a detection beam.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . An ice maker comprising:
 a tray having at least one automatically emptiable compartment for molding a piece of ice;   a storage chamber for receiving pieces of ice produced in the compartment; and   a sensor for detecting the presence of pieces of ice in the storage chamber, the sensor comprising a transmitter and a receiver for a detection beam.   
   
   
       13 . The ice maker according to  claim 12 , wherein the transmitter and the receiver are arranged at opposite sides of the storage chamber. 
   
   
       14 . The ice maker according to  claim 12 , wherein the sensor includes an optical sensor. 
   
   
       15 . The ice maker according to  claim 12 , further comprising a removable storage container and an additional sensor for detecting the presence of the removable storage container in the storage chamber. 
   
   
       16 . The ice maker according to  claim 15 , wherein the storage container is permeable to the detection beam. 
   
   
       17 . The ice maker according to  claim 15 , wherein the detection beam extends at an inclination. 
   
   
       18 . The ice maker according to  claim 15 , wherein the additional sensor comprises a detection body which is displaced by the storage container, which is present in the storage chamber, from an equilibrium position into a deflected position. 
   
   
       19 . The ice maker according to  claim 18 , wherein the detection body is loaded into the equilibrium position by a spring. 
   
   
       20 . The ice maker according to  claim 18 , wherein the detection body interacts in different manner with the detection beam in its equilibrium position and the deflected position. 
   
   
       21 . The ice maker according to  claim 20 , wherein the detection body in the equilibrium position attenuates the detection beam more strongly than in the equilibrium [sic] position. 
   
   
       22 . The ice maker according to  claim 20 , wherein the detection body is hollow and that at least in the displaced setting the transmitter or the receiver engages in the detection body.