Ice maker with slide out sump

Abstract

An ice maker for forming ice using a refrigerant capable of transitioning between liquid and gaseous states, the ice maker comprising a compressor, a condenser, a thermal expansion device, an evaporator assembly, a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly, a sump located below the freeze plate, and a guide which permits the sump to move from a first position to a second position. The ice maker may be disposed on top of an ice storage bin having a hole through which ice produced by the ice maker may fall and when the sump is in the first position, water can be recirculated from the sump to the freeze plate by a water pump, and when the sump is in the second position, the sump is adapted to cover the hole of the ice storage bin.

1 . An ice maker for forming ice using a refrigerant capable of transitioning between liquid and gaseous states, the ice maker comprising:
 (i) a compressor;   (ii) a condenser;   (iii) a thermal expansion device;   (iv) an evaporator assembly;   (v) a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly;   (vi) a sump located below the freeze plate; and   (vi) a guide which permits the sump to move from a first position to a second position.   
     
     
         2 . An ice maker assembly comprising:
 (iii) an ice storage bin assembly comprising an ice storage bin having a hole through which ice may fall and a cavity in which the ice may be stored;   (ii) a cabinet disposed on the ice storage bin assembly; and   (i) an ice maker disposed within the cabinet, the ice maker comprising a condenser, a thermal expansion device, an evaporator assembly, a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly, a sump located below the freeze plate, and a guide which permits the sump to move from a first position to a second position, wherein when the sump is in the first position, ice produced by the ice maker falls through the hole of the ice storage bin, and when the sump is in the second position, the sump is adapted to cover the hole of the ice storage bin.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 1  wherein the ice maker is disposed within a cabinet and the cabinet comprises an evaporator frame and wherein the sump and the evaporator frame cooperate to form the guide. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 3  wherein the evaporator frame further comprises one or more tabs and wherein the sump comprises one or more tabs, wherein the one or more tabs of the sump are supported by the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 4  wherein the sump further comprises a flange adapted to contact a rear edge of the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame, wherein when the flange contacts the rear edge of the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame the sump is prevented from moving forward. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 4  wherein the sump further comprises a flange adapted to be disposed in a notch between the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame, wherein when the flange is disposed in the notch between of the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame the sump is prevented from moving forward. 
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 4  wherein the sump further comprises one or more gaps and the evaporator frame further comprises one or more gaps; and
 wherein the one or more gaps of the sump are wide enough to permit the one or more tabs of the evaporator frame to pass through the one or more gaps of the sump; and 
 wherein the one or more gaps of the evaporator frame are wide enough to permit the one or more tabs of the sump to pass through the one or more gaps of the evaporator frame. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method of cleaning an ice maker assembly comprising an ice storage bin assembly comprising an ice storage bin having a hole through which ice may fall and a cavity in which the ice may be stored, a cabinet disposed on the ice storage bin assembly, and an ice maker disposed within the cabinet, the ice maker comprising a condenser, a thermal expansion device, an evaporator assembly, a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly, a sump located below the freeze plate, and a guide which permits the sump to move from a first position to a second position, wherein when the sump is in the first position, ice produced by the ice maker falls through the hole of the ice storage bin, and when the sump is in the second position, the sump is adapted to cover the hole of the ice storage bin, comprising the steps of:
 (i) moving the sump from the first position to the second position thereby covering the hole in the ice storage bin so that ice stored in the cavity of the ice storage bin does not need to be removed; and   (ii) cleaning the ice maker while the sump is the second position.