An apparatus for a countertop ice dispenser or ice and beverage dispenser
is made from a single piece plastic ice bin. Parts for the dispenser are
assembled into sub-assemblies before final assembly. The ice bin may be
made by a rotomolding process. This uses relatively inexpensive molds with
reasonable control over the thickness of the resulting bin, while allowing
up to 0.005" of variation per inch of length in the overall size of the
ice bin. The resulting ice bin has hollow walls that can be filled with
insulating foam. An attractive dispenser may be assembled from such an ice
bin, with metal panels and a plastic base. If a combined ice/beverage
dispenser is desired, a cold plate and dispensing valve may be included.
The plastic base and a plastic drain pan have integral attachments that
mate for assembly. The dispenser may also be easily disassembled for
repair.
