Harvesting mechanism for automatic ice maker

Claim 2

An automatic liquid freezer including a support for a mold having liquid holding pockets mounted for rotational movement on said support, means for supplying liquid to said mold, means for freezing liquid in said mold, a drive motor, means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold, temperature responsive control means for said ejecting means, said ejecting means including a sector gear mounted for pivotal movement on said support, a pinion gear connected to and co-rotatable with said mold in mesh with said sector gear, biasing means resiliently biasing said sector gear in a first rotational direction whereby said mold is rotated to an inverted position engaged by stop means, said sector gear having a resiliently flexible cam follower leaf member supported on said sector gear solely at one end, a cam gear drivingly connected to said drive motor for rotation in the first rotational direction, said cam gear having a spiral cam surface thereon formed with a gap portion between leading and trailing edges of said spiral cam surface, said leaf member extending into said gap portion in resiliently non-flexed condition when said sector gear is rotated to said tray inverted position, said spiral cam surface upon rotation of said cam gear in a second rotational direction adapted to operatively engage said leaf spring cam follower in resilient opposition to the rotation of said cam gear, whereby said sector gear is pivoted in the second direction through an arc sufficient to rotate said mold to its upright liquid fill and freeze position, upon completion of the freezing of liquid in said mold said drive motor being energized to continue rotation of said cam gear until said leaf member drops-off the cam surface into said gap portion causing said resilient biasing means to transmit a sudden driving force to said mold for rotating said mold in the second direction substantially 180* to its inverted position resulting in an impact with said stop means of sufficient magnitude to jar the ice pieces loose from said mold and cause the ice pieces to fall from said mold into a storage bin therebelow.

Claim 3

An automatic liquid freezer including a support for a mold having liquid holding pockets mounted for rotational movement on said support, means for supplying liquid to said mold, means for freezing liquid in said mold, a drive motor, means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold, temperature responsive control means for said ejecting means, said ejecting means including a mold driving sector gear mounted for pivotal movement on said support, a pinion gear connected to and co-rotatable with said mold in mesh with said sector gear, said sector gear resiliently biased in a first rotational direction whereby said mold is rotated in a second rotational direction to an inverted position engaged by stop means, said sector gear having a resiliently flexible cam follower leaf member of longitudinal extent supported on said sector gear solely at one end, a cam gear drivingly connected to said drive motor for rotation in the first rotational direction, said cam gear having a modified spiral cam surface thereon formed with a gap portion between leading and trailing edges of said spiral cam, said modified spiral cam surface having its center substantially coinciding with the center of said cam gear, said modified spiral cam surface extending from said leading edge through a first angular portion whereby said modified spiral cam surface becomes progressively greater in radial extent from its center and a second angular portion whereby said modified spiral cam surface remains at a constant radial distance from its center terminating at said trailing edge, said leaf member extending into said gap portion in resiliently non-flexed condition when said sector gear is rotated in said tray inverted position, said modified spiral cam surface upon being rotated by said drive motor in the first rotational direction causing said leading edGe to operatively engage said leaf spring cam follower adjacent its free end in resilient opposition to the rotation of said cam gear, said sector gear being pivoted in response to the rotation of said cam gear in a second rotational direction against the biasing action thereon by said biasing means until said leaf spring cam follower moves to a transition zone on said cam surface between said first and second angular portions so as to rotate said mold in the first rotational direction to an upright position for commencement of a water fill cycle and a freeze cycle, means for deenergizing said drive motor for a predetermined interval until completion of the water fill and freeze cycles, means for energizing said drive motor to continue rotation of said cam gear without any additional resilient opposition being imparted to said leaf member by said cam second angular portion until said leaf member suddenly drops-off said cam surface trailing edge into said gap portion, said sector gear resilient biasing means being responsive to the release of said leaf member to transmit a sudden driving force to said mold thereby rotating said mold in the second direction substantially 180* to its inverted position resulting in an impact with said stop means of sufficient magnitude to jar all the ice pieces loose from said mold and cause the ice pieces to fall from said mold into a storage bin therebelow.

Claim 4

An automatic liquid freezer including a support for a mold having liquid holding pockets mounted for rotational movement on said support, means for supplying liquid to said mold, means for freezing liquid in said mold, a drive motor, means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold, temperature responsive control means for said ejecting means, said ejecting means including a mold driving sector gear mounted for pivotal movement on said support, a pinion gear connected to and co-rotatable with said mold in mesh with said sector gear, said sector gear resiliently biased in a first rotational direction whereby said mold is rotated in a second rotational direction to an inverted position engaged by stop means, said sector gear having a resiliently flexible cam follower leaf member of longitudinal extent supported on said sector gear solely at one end, a cam gear drivingly connected to said drive motor for rotation in the first rotational direction, said cam gear having a modified spiral cam surface thereon formed with a gap portion between leading and trailing edges of said spiral cam, said modified spiral cam surface having its center substantially coinciding with the center of said cam gear, said modified spiral cam surface extending from said leading edge through a first angular portion whereby said modified spiral cam surface becomes progressively greater in radial extent from its center and a second angular portion whereby said modified spiral cam surface remains at a constant radial distance from its center terminating at said trailing edge, said leaf member extending into said gap portion in resiliently non-flexed condition when said sector gear is rotated in said tray inverted position, said modified spiral cam surface upon being rotated by said drive motor in the first rotational direction causing said leading edGe to operatively engage said leaf spring cam follower adjacent its free end in resilient opposition to the rotation of said cam gear, said sector gear being pivoted in response to the rotation of said cam gear in a second rotational direction against the biasing action thereon by said biasing means until said leaf spring cam follower moves to a transition zone on said cam surface between said first and second angular portions so as to rotate said mold in the first rotational direction to an upright position for commencement of a water fill cycle and a freeze cycle, means for deenergizing said drive motor for a predetermined interval until completion of the water fill and freeze cycles, means for energizing said drive motor to continue rotation of said cam gear without any additional resilient opposition being imparted to said leaf member by said cam second angular portion until said leaf member suddenly drops-off said cam surface trailing edge into said gap portion, said sector gear resilient biasing means being responsive to the release of said leaf member to transmit a sudden driving force to said mold thereby rotating said mold in the second direction substantially 180* to its inverted position resulting in an impact with said stop means of sufficient magnitude to jar all the ice pieces loose from said mold and cause the ice pieces to fall from said mold into a storage bin therebelow.

Claim 5

An automatic liquid freezer including a support for a mold having liquid holding pockets mounted for rotational movement on said support and within a freezing compartment, means for supplying liquid to said mold, a drive motor, a cam gear driven by said drive motor, means for freezing liquid in said mold, means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold, said ejecting means including a mold driving C-shaped sector gear defining an inner semi-cylindrical surface, said C-shaped sector gear forming an arcuate leg and a radial leg, the free end of said radial leg connected for pivotal movement on said support, gear teeth formed in said sector gear arcuate leg through an arc of about 30*, a pinion gear connected to and co-rotatable with said mold in mesh with said sector gear teeth, spring biasing means connected between said support and the free end of said arcuate leg resiliently biasing said sector gear in a first clockwise direction whereby said mold is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to an inverted position engaged by stop means, said sector gear having a resiliently flexible cam follower leaf member of longitudinal extent supported on said sector gear solely at one end, said cam gear drivingly connected to said drive motor for rotation in a clockwise direction, said cam gear having a modified spiral cam surface thereon formed on one face thereof with a gap portion between leading and trailing edges of said spiral cam surface, said modified spiral cam surface having its center substantially coinciding with the center of said cam gear, said sector gear when in its biased position having the center of its inner cylindrical surface substantially coinciding with the center of said modified spiral cam such that said sector gear partially envelops said cam surface in a non-contacting manner, said modified spiral cam surface extending from said leading edge through a first angular portion of about 255* whereby said modified spiral cam surface becomes progressively greater in radial distance and a second angular portion of about 60* whereby said modified spiral cam surface remains at a constant radial distance from its center terminating at said trailing edge, said leaf member extending into said gap portion in resiliently non-flexed condition when said sector gear is rotated to said tray inverted position, said modified spiral cam surface upon being rotated by said drive motor in a clockwise direction causing said cam surface leading edge to operatively engage said leaf spring cam follower adjacent its free end in resilient opposition to tHe rotation of said cam gear, said sector gear being pivoted in response to the rotation of said cam gear in a counterclockwise direction against the biasing action thereon by said biasing means until said leaf spring cam follower moves to a transition zone on said cam surface between said first and second angular portions so as to rotate said mold in clockwise direction to an upright position for commencement of a water fill cycle and a freeze cycle, means for deenergizing said drive motor for a predetermined interval until completion of the water fill and freeze cycles, thermal switch means responsive to the freezing temperature of said frozen liquid energizing said drive motor to continue rotation of said cam gear without any additional resilient opposition being imparted to said leaf member by said cam second angular portion until said leaf member suddenly drops-off said cam surface trailing edge into said gap portion, said sector gear spring biasing means being effective to transmit a sudden driving force to said mold thereby rotating said mold in a counterclockwise direction substantially 180* to its inverted position resulting in an impact with said stop means of sufficient magnitude to jar all the ice pieces loose from said mold pockets and cause the ice pieces to fall from said mold into a storage bin therebelow.

Claim 6

An automatic liquid freezer including a support for a mold having liquid holding pockets mounted for rotational movement on said support and within a freezing compartment, means for supplying liquid to said mold, a drive motor, a cam gear driven by said drive motor, means for freezing liquid in said mold, means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold, said ejecting means including a mold driving C-shaped sector gear defining an inner semi-cylindrical surface, said C-shaped sector gear forming an arcuate leg and a radial leg, the free end of said radial leg connected for pivotal movement on said support, gear teeth formed in said sector gear arcuate leg through an arc of about 30*, a pinion gear connected to and co-rotatable with said mold in mesh with said sector gear teeth, spring biasing means connected between said support and the free end of said arcuate leg resiliently biasing said sector gear in a first clockwise direction whereby said mold is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to an inverted position engaged by stop means, said sector gear having a resiliently flexible cam follower leaf member of longitudinal extent supported on said sector gear solely at one end, said cam gear drivingly connected to said drive motor for rotation in a clockwise direction, said cam gear having a modified spiral cam surface thereon formed on one face thereof with a gap portion between leading and trailing edges of said spiral cam surface, said modified spiral cam surface having its center substantially coinciding with the center of said cam gear, said sector gear when in its biased position having the center of its inner cylindrical surface substantially coinciding with the center of said modified spiral cam such that said sector gear partially envelops said cam surface in a non-contacting manner, said modified spiral cam surface extending from said leading edge through a first angular portion of about 255* whereby said modified spiral cam surface becomes progressively greater in radial distance and a second angular portion of about 60* whereby said modified spiral cam surface remains at a constant radial distance from its center terminating at said trailing edge, said leaf member extending into said gap portion in resiliently non-flexed condition when said sector gear is rotated to said tray inverted position, said modified spiral cam surface upon being rotated by said drive motor in a clockwise direction causing said cam surface leading edge to operatively engage said leaf spring cam follower adjacent its free end in resilient opposition to tHe rotation of said cam gear, said sector gear being pivoted in response to the rotation of said cam gear in a counterclockwise direction against the biasing action thereon by said biasing means until said leaf spring cam follower moves to a transition zone on said cam surface between said first and second angular portions so as to rotate said mold in clockwise direction to an upright position for commencement of a water fill cycle and a freeze cycle, means for deenergizing said drive motor for a predetermined interval until completion of the water fill and freeze cycles, thermal switch means responsive to the freezing temperature of said frozen liquid energizing said drive motor to continue rotation of said cam gear without any additional resilient opposition being imparted to said leaf member by said cam second angular portion until said leaf member suddenly drops-off said cam surface trailing edge into said gap portion, said sector gear spring biasing means being effective to transmit a sudden driving force to said mold thereby rotating said mold in a counterclockwise direction substantially 180* to its inverted position resulting in an impact with said stop means of sufficient magnitude to jar all the ice pieces loose from said mold pockets and cause the ice pieces to fall from said mold into a storage bin therebelow.