Front-accessible ice dispenser ice agitation motor

1. An ice dispenser comprising:

a) an ice storage bin with a drive shaft aperture and an ice dispensing aperture;

b) an ice dispensing chute connected to the storage bin in proximity to the ice dispensing aperture;

c) a paddlewheel inside the storage bin; and

d) a drive mechanism, including a solid drive shaft passing through the drive shaft aperture, for rotation of the paddlewheel, said paddlewheel not directly in contact with said drive shaft;

e) the drive shaft being slidably connected to the paddlewheel without any fastening device in such a fashion that the paddlewheel is prevented from disengaging from the drive shaft during normal operation of the ice dispensing apparatus, but the drive shaft can be disengaged from the paddlewheel in order to be able to remove the drive mechanism from the ice dispenser without accessing the ice storage bin, wherein the paddlewheel and ice storage bin have an interconnection at the drive shaft aperture that keeps the paddlewheel aligned with the drive shaft aperture even when the drive shaft is not present, wherein the paddlewheel and ice storage bin have a further interconnection provided by an extension on the paddlewheel that fits within a recess of a wall of the ice storage bin and wherein the paddlewheel comprises a coupler that attaches to the drive shaft, the coupler being molded into the paddlewheel, and the extension is provided by a collar on the coupler.

2. The ice dispenser of claim 1 wherein the wall of the ice storage bin containing said recess is provided by a paddlewheel bushing.

3. The ice dispenser of claim 1 further comprising an agitator coupled to the paddlewheel and driven by the drive mechanism, and extending into the ice storage bin, to agitate ice in the bin when the drive mechanism rotates the paddlewheel.

4. The ice dispenser of claim 1 wherein the connection of the drive shaft to the paddlewheel comprises a coupler, with the drive shaft extending into an axial opening in the coupler.

5. The ice dispenser of claim 4 wherein the paddlewheel is made of molded plastic, and the coupler is molded into the paddlewheel.

6. The ice dispenser of claim 5 wherein the coupler is wider in its center region than at its ends, thus helping to secure the coupler in the paddlewheel.

7. The ice dispenser of claim 4 wherein the coupler comprises a second axial opening, and a shaft for driving an ice bin agitator extends into the second axial opening.

8. The ice dispenser of claim 4 wherein the coupler is made of molded material having a Young's modulus of at least 2,000,000 psi.

9. The ice dispenser of claim 4 wherein the coupler has two axial openings, separated by a wall.

10. An ice dispenser comprising:

a) an ice storage bin with a drive shaft aperture and an ice dispensing aperture;

b) an ice dispensing chute connected to the storage bin in proximity to the ice dispensing aperture;

c) a paddlewheel inside the storage bin; and

d) a drive mechanism, including a solid drive shaft passing through the drive shaft aperture, for rotation of the paddlewheel, said paddlewheel not directly in contact with said drive shaft;

e) the drive shaft being slideably connected to the paddlewheel without any fastening device in such a fashion that the paddlewheel is prevented from disengaging from the drive shaft during normal operation of the ice dispensing apparatus, but the drive shaft can be disengaged from the paddlewheel in order to be able to remove the drive mechanism from the ice dispenser without accessing the ice storage bin; and

f) an agitator coupled to the drive mechanism, the agitator comprising a shaft that extends through the ice bin and is supported by a rear wall of the ice bin opposite the paddlewheel wherein a bushing is used to support the agitator shaft on the rear wall, and wherein the bushing includes a cavity and a removable stop, the stop being in place during normal operation to prevent the agitator shaft from moving axially in the cavity, thus preventing the paddlewheel from disengaging from the drive shaft during normal operation, but the cavity being deep enough that when the stop is removed, a second end of the agitator shaft can slide deeper into the cavity, allowing a first end of the agitator shaft to be disconnected from the drive mechanism.

11. A combined ice and beverage dispenser comprising:

a) at least one beverage dispensing nozzle;

b) an ice storage bin with a drive shaft aperture and an ice dispensing aperture;

c) an ice dispensing chute connected to the storage bin in proximity to the ice dispensing aperture;

d) at least one paddlewheel located in the ice storage bin, the paddlewheel being made of molded plastic and comprising a coupler molded into the paddlewheel, extending axially through the paddlewheel, the coupler having a first opening; and

e) a drive motor and gear assembly having a solid drive shaft extending through the drive shaft aperture and into the coupler, the drive shaft fitting into the first opening of the coupler, the drive shaft and opening having surfaces configured to transmit torque from the drive shaft, through the coupler, to rotate the paddlewheel;

f) the drive shaft being slideably engaged without any fastening device in the coupler during normal operation, so that the drive motor and gear assembly can be detached from the paddlewheel without accessing the ice storage bin; and

g) an agitator coupled to the drive mechanism, the agitator comprising a shaft that extends through the ice bin and is supported by a rear wall of the ice bin opposite the paddlewheel, wherein a bushing is used to support the agitator shaft on the rear wall, and wherein the bushing includes a cavity and a removable stop, the stop being in place during normal operation to prevent the agitator shaft from moving axially in the cavity, thus preventing the paddlewheel from disengaging from the drive shaft during normal operation, but the cavity being deep enough that when the stop is removed, a second end of the agitator shaft can slide deeper into the cavity, allowing a first end of the agitator shaft to be disconnected from the drive mechanism.

12. The ice dispenser of claim 1 wherein the ice dispenser is built into an ice and beverage dispenser.