Undercounter ice maker with increased capacity ice storage bin

Abstract

An undercounter ice maker assembly comprising an ice maker chassis having a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a right panel, and a back panel. The back panel comprises a bottom portion and a top portion and the bottom panel includes one or more openings. The bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel, and the bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration system compartment having a reduced height. The undercounter ice maker assembly further includes an ice maker disposed in the ice maker chassis, wherein the ice maker comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and one or more condenser fans. The one or more condenser fans each have an axis of rotation which are disposed at an angle Θ with respect to the bottom panel and air can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more openings of the bottom panel.

1 . An undercounter ice maker assembly comprising:
 (i) an ice maker chassis comprising a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a right panel, and a back panel, the back panel comprising a bottom portion and a top portion and the bottom panel comprising one or more openings,
 a) wherein the top portion extends upwardly from the bottom panel to a point above the front, left and right panels, and 
 c) wherein the bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel, and bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration system compartment; and 
   (ii) an ice maker disposed in the ice maker chassis, the ice maker comprising an evaporator disposed at the top portion of the back panel, a compressor, a condenser, and one or more condenser fans, wherein the one or more condenser fans each have an axis of rotation which are disposed at an angle Θ with respect to the bottom panel and wherein air can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more openings of the bottom panel.   
     
     
         2 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the angle Θ of the axes of the one or more condenser fans with respect to the bottom is about 90°. 
     
     
         3 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the angle Θ of the axes of the one or more condenser fans with respect to the bottom is greater than about 45° 
     
     
         4 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to: (i) intake ambient air from below the bottom panel through the one or more openings of the bottom panel, (ii) push the ambient air through the condenser where the ambient air is warmed, and (iii) exhaust the warmed air. 
     
     
         5 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to exhaust the warmed air out one or more openings in the front panel. 
     
     
         6 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to exhaust the warmed air out one or more openings in one or more of the front panel, the left panel, the right panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         7 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to: (i) intake ambient air, (ii) draw the ambient air through the condenser where the air is warmed, and (iii) exhaust the warmed air out the one or more openings of the bottom panel. 
     
     
         8 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to intake ambient air through one or more openings in the front panel. 
     
     
         9 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more condenser fans are adapted to intake ambient air through one or more openings in one or more of the front panel, the left panel, the right panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         10 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an ice storage bin removably attached to the ice maker chassis. 
     
     
         11 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the condenser is substantially parallel to the front panel. 
     
     
         12 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the width of the condenser is substantially equal to the width of the front panel. 
     
     
         13 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the refrigeration system compartment is about 6 inches. 
     
     
         14 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the refrigeration system compartment is about 4 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the condenser is about 6 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the height of the condenser is about 4 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the condenser fan is about 8 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the condenser fan is about 10 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the condenser fan is about 12 inches. 
     
     
         20 . The undercounter ice maker assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an air filter for filtering the air that can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more openings of the bottom panel.