Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Ice maker
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Application No.: US16823002Application Date: 2020-03-18
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Publication No.: US11519652B2Publication Date: 2022-12-06
- Inventor: Kevin Knatt
- Applicant: True Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- Applicant Address: US MO O'Fallon
- Assignee: True Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- Current Assignee: True Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US MO O'Fallon
- Agency: Stinson LLP
- Main IPC: F25C5/187
- IPC: F25C5/187 ; F25C1/045

Abstract:
An ice maker has a bottom wall with a sensor opening. A time-of-flight sensor is supported in relation to the bottom wall such that the time-of-flight sensor can an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin and subsequently detect a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin. The time of flight sensor is configured to determine a duration between the emission of the optical pulse and the detection of the reflected photon(s). Based on the determined duration, the time-of-flight sensor or another processor can determine an amount of ice in the ice bin. The ice maker can be configured so that the time-of-flight sensor is removable, allowing a window pane of the time-of-flight sensor to be periodically cleaned.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210293463A1 ICE MAKER Public/Granted day:2021-09-23
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