US 7,610,772 B2
Ice level sensing system for a bottom freezer refrigerator
Patrick A. Braun, Newburgh, Ind. (US); James Foster Dasher, Evansville, Ind. (US); Terry Eugene Goldman, Evansville, Ind. (US); Dennis Jan Staley, Princeton, Ind. (US); and John Charles Meadway, Newburgh, Ind. (US)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich. (US)
Filed on Mar. 06, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/369,083.
Prior Publication US 2007/0204644 A1, Sep. 06, 2007
Int. Cl. F25C 5/18 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 62—344  [62/298; 62/137; 62/66] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a freezer compartment accessible through an openable door, said freezer compartment extending between two side walls;
an ice bin slidably mounted in said freezer compartment occupying a width of said freezer compartment, less than a full width between said two side walls;
a food storage compartment slidably mounted in said freezer compartment with at least a portion horizontally adjacent to said ice bin, and slidable independently of said ice bin;
a non-contact ice level sensing apparatus having an emitter component and a receiver component, with one of said components mounted between said ice bin and said food storage compartment and the other of said components mounted on an opposite side of said ice bin from said food storage compartment.