摘要 |
An ice forming plate member pivots upon formation of a slab of ice of predetermined weight thereon and upon pivoting, a switch senses the pivoting and controls a refrigeration system for harvesting the ice slab by conducting heat to the ice forming plate member to release the slab of ice formed. Biasing means counterweight the ice forming plate member to prevent pivoting prior to the formation of an ice slab of predetermined weight, with the weight being approximately correlated with the thickness of the ice slab. Two or more ice forming plate members may be mechanically connected in parallel for forming two ice slabs approximately simultaneously. Heat for defrosting the two ice slabs is supplied at different rates to the two ice forming plate members to release one of the ice slabs at a different time than the other ice slab is released. The method disclosed involves sensing the weight of the ice slab and correlating the weight of the ice slab to an approximate thickness and harvesting the ice slab upon it attaining a predetermined thickness.
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