Ice Maker Feeler Arm / Paddle

thingiverse

Update 4/14/17: The original paddle has worked flawlessly for weeks now, eliminating issues with defrosting that caused cubes to fuse together. I don't expect any further updates will be necessary. Update 3/12/17: While the paddle shuts off the icemaker before it overfills the bin, a mass of frozen cubes near the back prevents the paddle from extending fully, halting new ice production until moved out of the way. A design change to the sloping line is needed, making it more flag-shaped than trapezoidal. I've added an alternative design, though less elegant, limits sensing to the bin's middle rather than one edge. The original part may still function correctly in our situation, where we prefer to operate the icemaker only on weekends during off-peak hours. Update 3/4/17: This paddle has been operating on our ice maker for a month now, performing all tasks without issue. The auger pushes ice towards the bin's front, while the paddle controls level at the back end. UPDATE 1/30/17: I installed the paddle with a 14mm lip in the ice maker. The lip clears the top by slightly less than a centimeter, resulting in the icemaker shutting off with minimal ice left. There are two other versions available, one with an 11mm lip and one with an 8mm lip, which will raise the ice level in the bin. I'm unsure what's best or most desirable, as I also don't know the curve of the replacement paddle, leading to some guesswork in this design. The 14mm version with a roman-arch looking brace seems unnecessary; it was just an attempt with limited knowledge of Sketchup CAD. When replacing the ice maker in our GE refrigerator, my wife reminded me that she often turned it off when there was enough ice due to overfilling and lack of shutdown. I found a replacement part correcting this issue, which may be used in various brands of refrigerators. The available replacement part can be accessed at http://www.appliancepartspros.com/ge-feeler-arm-field-wr49x10103-ap3717431.html. This design aims to create a part that functions like the available replacement. Print Settings: Support: Yes Resolution: 0.3 LH Infill: 25% Hex Notes: I printed the version with the 14mm lip in PLA, using 2 top and 2 bottom layers. It's very strong and rigid, thanks to hexagonal infill. Support is necessary to keep the mounting cavity open; you can stop the print and fill the cavity with sand or another material before printing the top surface. If you print the 14mm version and later decide a shorter lip would be desirable, it's easy to sand down by a mm or two.