KR20220092975A - Direct cooling ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerating device has a cooling effect in at least one of a fresh food room for storing food in a refrigerated environment with a target temperature higher than 0 °C, a freezer compartment for storing food in a sub-zero environment with a target temperature lower than 0 °C, and a fresh food room and a freezer. a system evaporator for providing, and an ice tray assembly disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing the water into ice cubes. The ice tray assembly includes an ice mold having an upper surface having a plurality of cavities formed therein for ice cubes, a heater disposed in the ice mold, and abutting at least one side surface of the ice mold and heating the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0°C by heat conduction. an ice maker refrigerant conduit for cooling with a furnace, and a cover having an outlet aligned with an inlet and an outlet of the ice frame and a watering cup integrated into the cover.

Description

Direct cooling ice machine

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of US Application Serial No. 15/852,022, filed on December 22, 2017.

The present application generally relates to an ice maker for a refrigeration appliance, and more particularly, to a refrigeration appliance including a direct cooling ice maker.

Conventional refrigeration appliances, such as household refrigerators, generally have both a fresh food compartment and a freezer or freezer section. The fresh food room is a place to store foods such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages, and the freezer room is a place to store foods that must be kept frozen. The refrigerator is equipped with a refrigeration system that maintains the fresh food compartment at a temperature higher than 0°C, for example, 0.25°C to 4.5°C, and maintains the freezer compartment at a temperature lower than 0°C, for example, 0°C to -20°C. do.

The arrangement of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment relative to each other in such a refrigerator varies. For example, in one case the freezer compartment is located above the fresh food compartment and in other cases the freezer compartment is located below the fresh food compartment. Also, many modern refrigerators have a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment next to each other. Regardless of how the freezer and fresh food compartments are arranged, these compartments are usually provided with individual access doors to provide access to one compartment without exposing the other to ambient air.

Such conventional refrigerators are often equipped with a device for making ice cubes, commonly referred to as "square ice" (although many of these ice cubes are not square in shape). Such an ice maker is generally located in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator and produces ice by convection, that is, by circulating cold air over water contained in an ice tray to freeze water into square ice. A storage bin for storing frozen ice cubes is also often provided adjacent to the ice making device. The ice cubes can be dispensed from the storage bin through a dispensing port on the door that blocks the freezer compartment from ambient air. The dispensing of ice is generally via an ice delivery mechanism extending between the dispensing ports of the storage bins and freezer doors.

However, in the case of a refrigerator, such as a so-called "low-freezing" refrigerator, which includes a freezer compartment disposed vertically below the fresh food compartment, it is impractical to place the ice maker in the freezer compartment. The user will have to bring the frozen ice cubes from a location close to the floor on which the refrigerator is placed. And having an ice dispenser at the same convenient height as the fresh food room access door requires a sophisticated conveyor system to transport the frozen ice cubes from the freezer to the fresh food room access door's dispenser. Accordingly, the ice maker is generally included in the fresh food compartment of a lower freezer refrigerator, which causes many difficulties in making and storing ice in a compartment that is generally maintained above the freezing point temperature of water.

An ice maker is provided that includes an evaporator coil that cools the ice tray in direct contact with the ice tray of the ice maker.

According to one aspect, a fresh food room for storing foods in a refrigerated environment where the target temperature is higher than 0 ° C., a freezer room for storing foods in a sub-zero environment where the target temperature is lower than 0 ° C., cooling in at least one of the fresh food room and the freezer A refrigeration appliance is provided comprising a system evaporator for providing an effect, and an ice maker disposed within a fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes. The ice maker is in contact with at least one side surface of an ice mold, a heater disposed in the ice mold, and an ice mold having an upper surface having a plurality of cavities formed therein for ice cubes, and cools the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0 ° C by heat conduction. It includes an ice maker refrigerant pipe.

The ice maker refrigerant tube of the ice maker may include a first leg and a second leg abutting opposite side surfaces of the ice frame.

The refrigeration appliance may also include a retaining clip secured to the ice frame and biasing the ice maker refrigerant tube into contact with the side surface by applying a holding force against the ice maker refrigerant tube.

The ice maker refrigerant tube of the refrigeration appliance may include a portion extending from the ice frame and including a plurality of cooling fins thereon. The fan may be configured to provide a cooling airflow throughout the ice maker by passing air across the plurality of cooling fins.

The refrigerating device may further include a water supply cup integrally formed with the ice frame as an integral body. Both the ice frame and the watering cup may comprise a metallic material.

The refrigerating machine may further include an ice box evaporator disposed inside the ice maker and configured to supply cooling air to the ice bucket of the ice maker, the ice box evaporator being connected to the outlet of the ice maker refrigerant pipe. A centrifugal fan may deliver air from the ice bucket of the ice maker through the ice box evaporator and back to the ice bucket.

According to another aspect, a fresh food room for storing foods in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature higher than 0° C., a freezer room for storing foods in a sub-zero environment with a target temperature lower than 0° C., cooling in at least one of the fresh foods room and the freezer A refrigeration appliance is provided that includes a refrigeration system comprising a system evaporator for providing an effect, and an ice maker disposed within a fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes. The ice maker extends through an ice mold having an upper surface formed therein with a plurality of cavities for ice cubes, a heater disposed in the ice mold, and an ice mold adjacent to a side surface of the ice mold to transfer refrigerant and heat the ice mold by conduction. at least one passage for cooling the to a temperature lower than 0 °C.

The refrigerating apparatus according to this aspect may include a refrigerant tube disposed in the at least one passage and having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the at least one passage. The ice mold may be overmolded around the refrigerant tube so that the coolant tube is thereby encapsulated within the ice mold.

The refrigeration appliance may include a watering cup formed as an integral body with the ice mold. Both the ice frame and the watering cup may comprise a metallic material.

The refrigerating appliance may include an ice box evaporator disposed inside the ice maker and configured to supply cooling air to an ice bucket of the ice maker, the ice box evaporator being connected to the outlet of the at least one passage of the ice mold.

According to another aspect, in at least one of a fresh food room for storing foods in a refrigerated environment with a target temperature higher than 0 ° C, a freezer for storing foods in a sub-zero environment with a target temperature lower than 0 ° C, a fresh food room and a freezer A refrigeration appliance is provided that includes a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect, an ice maker disposed within a fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes, and a valve. An ice maker includes an ice mold having an upper surface having a plurality of cavities formed therein for ice cubes. The ice maker refrigerant tube cools the ice frame to a temperature lower than 0°C by heat conduction. The valve includes an inlet, a first outlet connected to the inlet of the ice maker refrigerant tube, and a second outlet connected with a bypass line around the ice maker refrigerant tube. The inlet of the valve is connected with the first outlet of the valve when the valve is in the first position to allow refrigerant to flow through the ice maker refrigerant conduit and the system evaporator in that order. The inlet of the valve is connected with a second outlet of the valve when the valve is in the second position to allow refrigerant to flow through the bypass line and the system evaporator in that order.

In the refrigeration appliance, the ice box evaporator disposed in the bypass line has the refrigerant flow only through the ice maker refrigerant tube and the system evaporator in that order when the valve is in the first position, and when the valve is in the second position, the refrigerant flows into the ice box evaporator and only through the system evaporator in that order.

In the refrigerating appliance, the ice box evaporator connected to the bypass line and the outlet of the ice maker refrigerant pipe, when the valve is in the first position, the refrigerant flows only through the ice maker refrigerant pipe, the ice box evaporator, and the system evaporator in that order, and the valve When in the second position, refrigerant flows in that order only through the ice box evaporator and the system evaporator.

The ice maker refrigerant tube of the refrigerating appliance may abut at least one side surface of the ice frame.

The ice mold of the refrigeration appliance may include at least one passageway extending through the ice mold adjacent to a side surface of the ice mold to deliver the refrigerant.

According to another aspect, at least one of a fresh food room for storing foods in a refrigerated environment where the target temperature is higher than 0 ° C, a freezer room for storing foods in a sub-zero environment where the target temperature is lower than 0 ° C, a fresh food room, and a freezer A refrigeration appliance is provided that includes a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to the refrigerator, and an ice tray assembly disposed within a fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes. The ice tray assembly includes an ice mold having an upper surface having a plurality of cavities formed therein for ice cubes. A heater is placed in the ice mold. The ice maker refrigerant tube abuts against at least one side surface of the ice mold and cools the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0° C. by heat conduction. A cover is provided comprising a watering cup integrated into the cover and an outlet aligned with an inlet of the ice frame.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the cover and the ice frame are configured to hold a support bearing for the ice ejector therebetween, the support bearing being part of an ice stripper of the ice tray assembly.

The aforementioned refrigeration appliance may further include a sensor for detecting an angular position of the ice dispenser.

The sensor of the refrigeration appliance described above may also be configured to detect the angular position of a feature of the ice dispenser.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the feature may be a contour shape formed at the distal end of the ice ejector.

The refrigeration appliance described above may further include a bail arm attached to the gearbox of the ice tray assembly.

The bail arm of the refrigeration appliance described above may be L-shaped having a first leg attached to the gearbox and a second leg extending from the first leg. The second leg may include a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the bail arm is pivotable between an upper position and a lower position, and when the bail arm is in the upper position the second leg of the bail arm is positioned under the ice mold.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the first leg is offset from the second leg with respect to the pivot axis of the bail arm.

According to another embodiment, in at least one of a fresh food room for storing foods in a refrigerated environment where the target temperature is higher than 0 ° C, a freezer room for storing foods in a sub-zero environment where the target temperature is lower than 0 ° C, a fresh food room and a freezer A refrigeration appliance is provided that includes a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect, and an ice tray assembly disposed within a fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes. The ice tray assembly includes an ice mold having an upper surface having a plurality of cavities formed therein for ice cubes. A heater is placed in the ice mold. The ice maker refrigerant tube abuts against at least one side surface of the ice mold and cools the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0° C. by heat conduction. A bail arm is attached to the gearbox of the ice tray assembly. The bail arm is pivotable between an upper position and a lower position, and when the bail arm is in the upper position the legs of the bail arm are positioned under the ice frame.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the bail arm may be L-shaped having a first leg attached to the gearbox and a second leg extending from the first leg. The second leg includes a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs and can be positioned under the ice frame when the bail arm is in the upper position.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the first leg may be offset from the second leg with respect to the pivot axis of the bail arm.

The refrigeration appliance described above may further include a cover having a watering cup integrated into the cover and an outlet aligned with the inlet of the ice frame.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the cover and the ice frame may be configured to hold a support bearing for the ice ejector therebetween, and the support bearing may be part of an ice stripper of an ice tray assembly.

The aforementioned refrigeration appliance may further include a sensor for detecting an angular position of the ice dispenser.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the sensor may be configured to detect an angular position of a feature of the ice dispenser.

In the refrigeration appliance described above, the feature may be a contour shape formed at the distal end of the ice ejector.

1 is a front perspective view of a home French door lower freezer showing a refrigerator door in a closed position.
Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the refrigerator of Fig. 1, showing the door in the open position and the ice maker of the fresh food compartment.
3 is a side perspective view of the ice maker with the side wall of the ice maker frame removed for clarity.
4A is a side perspective view of a first embodiment of the ice tray assembly for the ice machine of FIG. 3 ;
4B is a bottom perspective view of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 4A ;
5 is a cross-sectional view of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 4A taken along line 5-5.
6 is a side perspective view of the ice maker evaporator for the ice tray assembly of FIG. 4 .
7 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the ice maker evaporator for the ice tray assembly of FIG. 4 ;
Fig. 8 is a side view of the ice maker of Fig. 3 with the ice maker evaporator of Fig. 7, wherein the arrows show an example of an air circulation path within the ice maker;
9 is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of an ice tray assembly;
10 is a rear perspective view of a third embodiment of an ice tray assembly;
11 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system for a refrigerator of FIG. 1 .
12 is a side perspective view of the ice maker evaporator and the ice box evaporator of FIG. 6 , illustrating an example of a flow path of a refrigerant through the ice maker evaporator and the ice box evaporator.
13 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 3 .
Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the cooling system for the refrigerator of Fig. 1';
Fig. 15 is a side perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the ice tray assembly for the ice machine of Fig. 3, showing the bail arm in both a first upper position and a second lower position;
16 is an exploded view of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15 ;
17 is a plan view of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15 with the cover of the ice tray assembly removed.
18 is an enlarged view of one end of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15 ;
19 is an enlarged plan view of an end of one end of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15 ;
20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20 of FIG. 18 .
FIG. 21 is a side perspective view of the bail arm of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15;
22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 21 .
23 is an end view of the ice tray assembly of FIG. 15 showing the bail arm in both a first upper position and a second lower position;
24 is an exploded view of the gearbox of FIG. 15 .
FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of the gear mechanism assembly of the gearbox of FIG. 15 ;
Figure 26 is a rear perspective view of the gear mechanism assembly of Figure 25;
27A-27D are front views of the gearbox of FIG. 24 with the cover and intermediate cover removed, illustrating the gear mechanism assembly in various operating states for determining the condition of the ice bucket;
28A-28D are rear views of the gearbox of FIG. 25 with the housing removed, illustrating the gear mechanism assembly in various operating states for determining the state of the ice bucket;

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a refrigeration appliance in the form of a household refrigerator generally designated 20 . The following detailed description relates to the home refrigerator 20 , but the present invention may be implemented by a refrigerating device other than the home refrigerator 20 . Further, one embodiment is described in detail below and shown in the drawings as a lower freezing configuration of a refrigerator 20 including a fresh food compartment 24 disposed vertically above the freezing compartment 22 . However, the refrigerator 20 may be of any desired configuration, including at least a fresh food compartment 24 and an ice machine 50 (FIG. 2), such as a top-frozen refrigerator (where the freezer compartment is disposed above the fresh food compartment), a double door refrigerator ( You can have a fresh food room next to the freezer), a stand-alone refrigerator or freezer, etc.

One or more doors 26 shown in FIG. 1 are pivotally coupled to cabinet 29 of refrigerator 20 to limit and allow access to fresh food compartment 24 . Door 26 may comprise a single door that spans the entire lateral distance across the entrance to fresh food compartment 24 , or may collectively include fresh food compartment 24 to enclose fresh food compartment 24 . ) a pair of French-style doors 26 as shown in FIG. 1 spanning the entire lateral distance of the entrance. For the latter configuration, a center flip mullion 31 ( FIG. 2 ) is pivotally coupled to at least one of the doors 26 so that the seal provided on the other of the doors 26 is secured to the door ( 26) at a location between the opposite sides 27 (FIG. 2), establish the abutting surface so as to seal the entrance to the fresh food compartment 24. The mullion 31 pivots on the door 26 such that it pivots between a first direction substantially parallel to the plane of the door 26 when the door 26 is closed and the other direction when the door 26 is open. can be combined in this way. The outer exposed surface of the center mullion 31 is substantially parallel to the door 26 when the center mullion 31 is in the first orientation and the door 26 when the center mullion 31 is in the second orientation. ) to form a non-parallel angle to The seal and the outer exposed surface of the mullion 31 cooperate approximately midway between the sides of the fresh food compartment 24 .

A dispenser 28 ( FIG. 1 ) for dispensing at least the ice cubes, and optionally water, may be provided outside one of the doors 26 restricting access to the fresh food compartment 24 . Dispenser 28 may be a lever, switch, proximity sensor or user interactable to cause frozen ice cubes to be dispensed from ice bin 54 ( FIG. 2 ) of ice maker 50 disposed within fresh food compartment 24 . including other devices. Ice cubes from the ice bucket 54 may exit the ice bucket 54 through a hole 62 and be delivered to a dispenser 28 through an ice chute 32 ( FIG. 2 ), where the ice The chute 32 extends at least partially through a door 26 between the dispenser 28 and the ice bucket 54 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , the freezing compartment 22 is disposed vertically below the fresh food compartment 24 . A drawer assembly (not shown) including one or more freezer baskets (not shown) may be withdrawn from the freezer compartment 22 to allow user access to the food items stored in the freezer compartment 22 . The drawer assembly may be coupled to a freezer door 21 including a handle 25 . When the user holds the handle 25 and pulls the freezer compartment door 21 to open it, at least one or more freezer compartment baskets are at least partially drawn out from the freezing compartment 22 .

The freezer compartment 22 is used to freeze and/or maintain frozen foods stored in the freezer compartment 22 . To this end, the freezing compartment 22 is in thermal communication with the freezing compartment evaporator 82 (FIG. 11) that removes thermal energy from the freezing compartment 22, so that the internal temperature of the freezing compartment 22 during operation of the refrigerator 20 is 0 ° C. or less; It is preferably maintained at a temperature of 0°C to -50°C, more preferably 0°C to -30°C, even more preferably 0°C to -20°C.

The refrigerator 20 includes an inner liner 34 ( FIG. 2 ) forming a fresh food compartment 24 . The fresh food compartment 24 is located in the upper part of the refrigerator 20 in this embodiment and serves to minimize spoilage of foods stored therein. The fresh food compartment 24 achieves this by maintaining the temperature of the fresh food compartment 24 at a temperature generally higher than 0° C. so that the foods in the fresh food compartment 24 are not frozen. It is contemplated that the cold temperature is preferably 0°C to 10°C, more preferably 0°C to 5°C, even more preferably 0.25°C to 4.5°C. According to some embodiments, cold air from which thermal energy has been removed by the freezer compartment evaporator 82 is blown into the fresh food compartment 24 to increase the temperature therein to more than 0° C., preferably from 0° C. to 10° C., more preferably can be maintained at 0 °C to 5 °C, more preferably 0.25 °C to 4.5 °C. In an alternative embodiment, a separate fresh food evaporator (not shown) may optionally be dedicated to maintaining the temperature in the fresh food compartment 24 independent of the freezer compartment 22 . According to one embodiment, the temperature of the fresh food compartment 24 may be maintained at a cool temperature within a tight tolerance of 0° C. to 4.5° C. (including all subranges and all individual temperatures falling within that range). For example, other embodiments may optionally maintain the cold temperature in the fresh food compartment 24 within a tight enough tolerance of 0.25°C to 4°C.

An exemplary embodiment of an ice maker 50 is shown in FIG. 3 . An ice maker 50 generally includes a frame or enclosure 52 , an ice bucket 54 , an air handler assembly 70 , and an ice tray assembly 100 . The ice bucket 54 stores the ice cubes made by the ice tray assembly 100 , and the air handler assembly 70 circulates the cooled air to the ice tray assembly 100 and the ice bucket 54 . Ice maker 50 is secured within fresh food compartment 24 using any suitable fasteners. Frame 52 is generally rectangular in shape to receive ice bucket 54 . Frame 52 includes insulated walls to thermally insulate ice maker 50 from fresh food compartment 24 . A plurality of fasteners (not shown) may be used to secure the frame 52 of the ice maker 50 to the inside of the fresh food compartment 24 of the refrigerator 20 . The ice tray assembly 100 is then secured to the frame 52 .

For clarity, the ice maker 50 is shown with the sidewalls of the frame 52 removed. In general, the ice maker 50 is surrounded by an insulated wall. The ice bucket 54 includes a housing 56 having an open front end and an open top. A front cover 58 is secured to the front end of the housing 56 and surrounds the front end of the housing 56 . When secured together to form the ice bucket 54 , the housing 56 and front cover 58 form an internal cavity of the ice bucket 54 used to store the ice cubes made by the ice tray assembly 100 ( 54a) is formed. Front cover 58 may be secured to housing 56 by mechanical fasteners that may be removed using suitable tools, examples of suitable tools including screws, nuts and bolts, or by hand without tools. Any suitable friction fittings including a tab system that allow for removal from the housing 56 are included. Alternatively, the front cover 58 is non-removably secured in place of the housing 56 using methods such as, but not limited to, adhesives, welding, non-removable fasteners, and the like. In various other examples, a recess 59 is formed in the side of the front cover 58 to form a handle usable by a user to easily remove the ice bucket 54 from the ice maker 50 . A hole 62 is formed in the bottom of the front cover 58 . A rotary auger (not shown) may extend along the length of the ice bucket 54 . As the auger rotates, the ice cubes in the ice bucket 54 are pushed towards the hole 62 where an ice crusher (not shown) is placed. The ice crusher is provided to crush the ice cubes transported to the ice crusher when the user requests crushed ice. Optionally, the auger may be automatically activated and rotated by an auger motor assembly (not shown) of the air handler assembly 70 . Hole 62 is aligned with ice chute 32 (FIG. 2) when door 26 is closed. This alignment allows the auger to push the frozen ice cubes stored in the ice bucket 54 into the ice chute 32 for dispensing by the dispenser 28 .

4A and 4B , the ice tray assembly 100 includes an ice mold 102 , a cover 118 , a harvest heater 126 for partially melting ice cubes ( FIGS. 4B and 5 ), and a plurality of sweepers. an arm 132 ( FIG. 5 ) and an ice maker evaporator 150 . The ice mold 102 is preferably made of a thermally conductive metal such as aluminum or steel. In addition, the ice frame 102 is preferably a single integral body.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the ice mold 102 includes an upper surface 104 , a lower surface 106 and a side surface 108 . A plurality of cavities 112 are formed in the upper surface 104 of the ice mold 102 . The plurality of cavities 112 are configured to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes. The plurality of cavities 112 may be defined by weirs 114 , some or all of which have through holes that allow water to flow between the cavities 112 . Cavity 112 may have a number of variants. Various cube shapes and sizes are possible as long as the ice cubes can be removed by the plurality of sweeper arms 132 (eg, crescent, cube, hemispherical, cylindrical, star, moon, company logo, simultaneous combination of shapes and sizes). etc). In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of cavities 112 are laterally aligned in the ice mold 102 .

The lower surface 106 of the ice mold 102 is contoured to receive a harvest heater 126 as described in detail below. The lower surface 106 includes a groove 106a extending around the perimeter of the lower surface 106 to receive a harvest heater 126 therein.

The side surface 108 is contoured or shaped to receive the ice maker evaporator 150 . The side surface 108 may include an elongated recess 108a that closely matches the outer profile of the ice maker evaporator 150 , as described in detail below.

4A and 5 , a cover 118 is attached to the top surface 104 of the ice mold 102 to secure the ice tray assembly 100 to the liner 34 of the fresh food compartment 24 . . When the ice frame 102 is installed as a unit, it may be attached to the inside of the frame 52 of the ice maker 50 . Cover 118 includes tabs 118a for securing ice tray assembly 100 to mating openings (not shown) in the top wall of liner 34 or frame 52 . One longitudinal edge 118b of the cover 118 is dimensioned to be spaced apart from the top edge of the ice mold 102 to define an opening 122 . The opening 122 is dimensioned to allow ice cubes to exit the ice tray assembly 100 as will be described in detail below.

4B and 5 , by attaching a harvest heater 126 to the lower surface 106 of the ice mold 102 to give a heating effect to the ice mold 102 , the solidified ice cubes during the ice harvesting operation are removed from the ice mold. Separate from (102). The heater 126 may be an electrical resistance heater, and may be caught in a groove 106a formed in the lower surface 106 of the ice mold 102 . The heater 126 is configured to be in direct or substantially direct contact with the ice mold 102 to increase conductive heat transfer. In the illustrated embodiment, harvest heater 126 is a U-shaped element that extends around the perimeter of lower surface 106 and has a cylindrical outer surface. It is contemplated that the groove 106a may have a cylindrical profile that coincides with the outer cylindrical outer surface of the harvest heater 126 . In the illustrated embodiment, the legs of the U-shaped heater 126 extend along the lateral direction of the ice mold 102 . It is noted that the heater 126 may have other shapes, such as, but not limited to, round, oval, spiral, etc., as long as the heater 126 is disposed in direct or substantially direct contact with the ice mold 102 . are considered

A plurality of sweeper arms 132 are disposed in a cavity 112 formed in the upper surface 104 of the ice mold 102 . The plurality of sweeper arms 132 are elongate elements attached to the rotatable shaft 134 . As the shaft 134 rotates, the sweeper arm 132 moves through the cavity 112 to push the ice cubes in the cavity 112 out of the ice mold 102 . 5 , the shaft 134 extends laterally of the ice mold 102 and rotates clockwise such that the sweeper arm 132 pushes the ice cubes into the area above the ice mold 102 . It is possible. The lower surface of the cover 118 is curved to direct the ice cubes to the opening 122 between the cover 118 and the ice mold 102 . As the sweeper arm 132 continues to rotate, ice cubes are ejected from the ice tray assembly 100 into the ice bucket 54 ( FIG. 3 ) located below the ice tray assembly 100 .

Prior to actuating the plurality of sweeper arms 132 , power is supplied to the harvest heater 126 to heat the ice mold 102 , which in turn heats the ice mold 102 at the bottom of the ice cubes in the plurality of cavities 112 . melt the surface; A thin film of liquid is formed on the lower surface of the ice cubes to help separate the ice cubes from the ice mold 102 . The plurality of sweeper arms 132 may then eject the ice cubes out of the ice mold 102 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the ice mold 102 is a one-piece body including an integrally formed watering cup 136 . It is contemplated that the watering cup 136 may be made of the same material as the ice mold 102 . In particular, it is contemplated that the ice mold 102 may be made of a metallic material, for example aluminum or steel. The watering cup 136 includes flat sidewalls and a bottom wall that slope toward the cavity 112 of the ice frame 102 . The water injected into the watering cup 136 in this way will flow into the cavity 112 of the ice frame 102 by gravity. It is contemplated that the thermal energy provided by harvest heater 126 may also be sufficient to melt frost or ice that may accumulate in watering cup 136 during normal operation.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the ice maker evaporator 150 includes a first leg 152 , a second leg 154 , and a connection part 156 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first leg 152 is U-shaped and includes an upper portion 152a and a lower portion 152b. Similarly, the second leg 154 is U-shaped and includes an upper portion 154a and a lower portion 154b. Upper portions 152a , 154a and lower portions 152b , 154b are shown in FIG. 6 as straight elongate elements extending along the lateral direction of ice mold 102 . These portions 152a , 154a , 152b , 154b may have different shapes, for example curved, wavy, serrated, curved, wavy, serrated, as long as they are in close or face-to-face contact with the respective side surfaces 108 of the ice mold 102 . It is contemplated that it may have a shape such as a step shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the ice maker evaporator 150 is U-shaped. It is contemplated that the ice maker evaporator 150 may have other shapes as long as it is in close contact with the ice mold 102 .

The ice maker evaporator 150 includes an inlet end 162 through which the refrigerant is injected into the ice maker evaporator 150 and an outlet end 164 through which the refrigerant is discharged from the ice maker evaporator 150 . A first capillary tube 98 (described in detail below) is attached to the inlet end 162 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , in the illustrated embodiment, the ice maker evaporator 150 has a cylindrical outer surface, and each recess 108a formed in the side surface 108 of the ice mold 102 has a conforming contour. . In the embodiment shown, the recess 108a is preferably contoured to contact at least half or 180° of the cylindrical outer surfaces of the first and second legs 152 , 154 of the icemaker evaporator 150 . It is contemplated that the amount of contact may be greater or less than 1/2 or 180°.

Retaining clips 172 are provided to apply a holding force to the ice maker evaporator 150 to secure the ice maker evaporator 150 to both side surfaces 108 of the ice frame 102 . In the illustrated embodiment, the clip 172 includes a top end 174 shaped to engage a slotted opening 108b in the side surface 108 of the ice mold 102 . The lower end 176 of the clip 172 is shaped to allow the clip 172 to be attached to the lower surface 106 of the ice mold 102 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper end 174 is J-shaped to secure the clip 172 to the slotted opening 108b and the lower end 176 is the opposite edge of the lower surface 106 of the ice mold 102 . It is S-shaped to attach the clip 172 to the elongate ribs 106b that extend along the ribs. Clip 172 inserts upper end 174 into slotted opening 108b and then clips until lower end 176 snaps or clips into elongate rib 106b or equivalent functional portion of ice mold 102 . It is installed by rotating the 172 toward the ice mold 102 . Clips 172 are sized and positioned to bias or retain ice maker evaporator 150 in intimate contact or contact with side surface 108 of ice mold 102 . The ice maker evaporator 150 may be configured to snap into respective recesses 108a on the side surface 108 of the ice mold 102 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , according to another embodiment, the ice maker evaporator 150 may include a plurality of cooling fins 182 . Referring to FIG. 8 , when the ice maker evaporator 150 is disposed on the ice maker 50 , the plurality of pins 182 may be positioned on the air handler assembly 70 proximate to the circulation fan 184 . When power is supplied to the fan 184 , air is carried over the plurality of fins 182 , and the cooled air is circulated into the ice maker 50 . Preferably, the cooled air is delivered to the ice bucket 54 to keep the ice cubes therein cool. The arrows in FIG. 8 show the path of air circulated inside the ice maker 50 from a circulation fan that delivers air over the ice maker evaporator 150 .

Referring to FIG. 9 , there is shown an ice tray assembly 200 of a second embodiment similar to the ice tray assembly 100 . The second ice tray assembly 200 includes an ice frame 202 . The second ice tray assembly 200 includes other components similar to or identical to those of the ice tray assembly 100, but these components are not shown or described in detail below. For example, similar to ice mold 102 , ice mold 202 includes a plurality of cavities (not shown) configured to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes.

The ice mold 202 includes an elongate interior cavity 202a extending along at least one, preferably both, of the ice mold 202 in the lateral direction of the ice mold 202 . The elongate cavity 202a is dimensioned and positioned to receive the first leg 152 and preferably also the second leg 154 of the icemaker evaporator 150 . The ice frame 202 includes a back surface 202b that is contoured to receive the connections 156 of the ice maker evaporator 150 when the ice maker evaporator 150 is fully inserted into the cavity 202a. Clips or fasteners (not shown) may be used to secure the ice maker evaporator 150 to the ice frame 202 . In the first embodiment ice tray assembly 100 described above, the first leg 152 and the second leg 154 of the ice maker evaporator 150 are located on the outer surface of the ice frame 102 . In the second embodiment ice tray assembly 200 , the first leg 152 and the second leg 154 of the ice maker evaporator 150 are located inside the ice frame 202 .

Referring to FIG. 10 , a third embodiment ice tray assembly 300 similar to the ice tray assembly 100 is shown. The third ice tray assembly 300 includes an ice mold 302 . The third ice tray assembly 300 includes the same other components as the ice tray assembly 100 , but these components are not shown or described in detail below. For example, similar to ice mold 102 , ice mold 302 includes a plurality of cavities (not shown) configured to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes. Similar to the second embodiment ice tray assembly 200 , the third embodiment ice tray assembly 300 includes a tube 303 positioned inside an ice frame 302 .

The ice mold 302 is a cast or cast block of metal, such as aluminum or steel, that is cast around a tube 303 in a manner similar to overmolding techniques commonly used in the manufacture of polymers. Tube 303 may be made of stainless steel or other high temperature material that will withstand the heat required to cast metal ice mold 302 . A connector (not shown) may be attached to the tube 303 to fluidly connect the tube 303 to the cooling system of the refrigerator 20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tube 303 is disposed along one side of the ice mold 302 . Tubes 303 are connected by internal U-channels (not shown). It is contemplated that the tube 303 may be disposed on either side of the ice mold 302 . Tubes 303 when interconnected and the cooling system define a third ice maker evaporator 350 . The tube 303 may be inserted into one or more holes (not shown), and it is considered that the outer diameter of the tube 303 is substantially equal to the diameter of the hole so that the tube 303 is in intimate contact with the ice mold 302 . do. It is also contemplated that the tube 303 may include threads for screwing the tube 303 to the ice mold 302 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tube 303 is parallel to the lower surface of the frame. It is contemplated that the tube 303 may be inclined or angled relative to the lower surface of the frame.

Instead of arranging the tube 303 in the ice mold 302 , a plurality of passages (not shown) may be formed in the ice mold 302 itself and extend through the ice mold 302 to form a flow path for the refrigerant. It is also contemplated that Appropriate connectors will be attached to the ice mold 302 itself to fluidly connect the passageways of the ice mold 302 to the appropriate portion of the refrigerator's cooling system. As such, the ice mold 302 itself defines the ice maker evaporator 350 .

The ice tray assembly 100 , 200 , 300 of the present disclosure uses a direct cooling method in which the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 is in direct (or substantially direct) contact with the ice frame 102 , 202 , 302 . Ice cubes are made without cold air entering through ducts at remote locations (eg, freezers) to create or retain ice. Direct contact is intended to mean that the icemaker evaporator 150 , 350 abuts the ice mold 102 , 202 , 302 . Also, while no air is normally drawn in via ducts from a remote location (eg, a freezer) to create or maintain ice, it will either increase the rate of deicing production or freeze the ice cubes stored in the ice bin 54 . It is contemplated that cold air may be ducted in from other locations, for example around the system evaporator (not shown), if desired to maintain the temperature. This may be useful, for example, in configurations where the ice bucket 54 is provided separate from or at a distance from the ice maker evaporators 150 , 350 , or in configurations where accelerated ice formation is desired.

Still, although the term “evaporator” is used for simplicity, in another embodiment instead the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 generates an amount of water sufficient to solidify the water into ice cubes in the ice molds 102 , 202 , 302 . may be a thermoelectric element (or other cooling element) operable to cool the Similar operating service lines (eg, electrical lines) may be provided similar to the inlet/outlet lines described above.

Referring to FIG. 11 , a schematic diagram of a cooling system 80 for a refrigerator 20 is shown. The cooling system 80 includes existing components such as a freezer compartment evaporator 82 , a liquid separator 84 (optionally), a compressor 86 , a condenser 88 and a dryer 92 . These components are conventional components well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

Ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 is connected between valve 94 and ice box evaporator 96 . It is contemplated that both valve 94 and dryer 92 may be located in a machine room (not shown) of refrigerator 20 . The valve 94 includes a single inlet 94a and two outlets 94b, 94c. Inlet 94a connects to condenser 88 and optionally to dryer 92 . A first outlet 94b is connected to the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 (indicated by arrow “A”). A first capillary tube 98 connects the first outlet 94b of the valve 94 to the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 . A second outlet 94c is connected to the ice box evaporator 96 (indicated by arrow "B"). A second capillary tube 99 connects the second outlet 94c of the valve 94 to the ice box evaporator 96 . It is contemplated that the ice box evaporator 96 is an optional component. For example, ice maker evaporator 96 may not be needed if ice maker evaporator 150 includes cooling fins 182 that are sufficiently configured to maintain the ice cubes in ice bin 54 at a desired temperature.

12 shows one embodiment in which an ice maker evaporator 150 is connected to an ice box evaporator 96 . When valve 94 is in the first position (ie entering through inlet 94a and exiting through first outlet 94b ) refrigerant flows along flow path “A” through first capillary tube 98 through the ice maker evaporator. It enters the inlet end 162 of 150, flows through the ice maker evaporator 150, exits the outlet end 164, enters the inlet end 96a of the ice box evaporator 96, and the ice box evaporator 96. and exits the outlet end 96b of the ice box evaporator 96 (indicated by arrow “C”). When valve 94 is in the second position (ie, entering through inlet 94a and exiting through second outlet 94c), refrigerant flows along flow path "B" through second capillary tube 99 and ice It enters the inlet end 96a of the box evaporator 96, flows through the ice box evaporator 96, and exits the outlet end 96b of the ice box evaporator (indicated by arrow "C"). As such, the refrigerant bypasses the ice maker evaporator 150 when the valve 94 is in the second position.

During the ice harvesting process, full bucket mode, during defrosting of the ice box evaporator 96 or when the ice maker 50 is “OFF”, the valve 94 opens the second outlet 94c to the ice box evaporator 96 ) and is in a second position such that the refrigerant bypasses the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 . During another process/mode of operation, the valve 94 is configured such that the first outlet 94b of the valve 94 is connected to the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 and the refrigerant passes through the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 followed by the ice box evaporator. It is in the first position to flow to (96).

14 shows a second embodiment in which the ice box evaporator 96 and the ice maker evaporator 150, 350 are arranged in parallel paths. The ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 is connected to the first outlet 94b of the bistable valve 94 by a first capillary tube 98 , and the ice box evaporator 96 is connected to the bistable valve 94 by a second capillary tube 99 . connected to the second outlet 94c of the valve 94 . When valve 94 is in the first position (ie, entering through inlet 94a and exiting through first outlet 94b), refrigerant flows along flow path "A" into first capillary tube 98 and ice maker evaporator ( 150). When valve 94 is in the second position (ie entering through inlet 94a and exiting through second outlet 94c), refrigerant flows along flow path "B" into second capillary tube 99 and the ice box evaporator. (96) flows through. As such, the refrigerant bypasses the ice maker evaporator 150 when the valve 94 is in the second position and the refrigerant bypasses the ice box evaporator 96 when the valve 94 is in the first position. As shown in FIG. 14 , the ice box evaporator 96 is disposed in a bypass line or path around the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 . Alternatively, ice maker evaporators 150 , 350 are disposed in a bypass line or path around ice box evaporator 96 .

During the ice harvesting process, full bucket mode, defrosting of the ice box evaporator 96 or when the ice maker 50 is “OFF”, the valve 94 allows the second outlet 94c to fluidly connect the ice box evaporator 96 . and the refrigerant is in the second position to bypass the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 . During another process/mode of operation, valve 94 is in a first position such that a first outlet 94b of valve 94 connects to ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 and bypasses ice box evaporator 96 .

The switching of the valve 94 is designed to reduce the operating cost of the cooling system 80 for the ice machine 50 . For simplicity, the housing of the air handler assembly 70 is not shown in FIG. 12 . The arrows in FIG. 12 show the path of the refrigerant through the ice maker evaporator 150 and the ice box evaporator 96 .

It is contemplated that the valve 94 may be, for example, but not limited to, a bistable valve, a stepper valve, or an electronic expansion valve configured to control the flow of refrigerant into the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 . The bistable valve may be a two-way valve, ie, a “either/or” valve in which 100% of the flow exits through either the first outlet 94b or the second outlet 94c. The electronic expansion valve allows the flow of refrigerant to the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 independent of the flow of the refrigerant to the ice box evaporator 96 . Accordingly, the flow of refrigerant to the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 can be properly stopped during ice making even while the compressor 86 is operating and refrigerant is being delivered to the ice box evaporator 96 . In addition, the temperature of at least one of the ice maker evaporators 150 and 350 and the ice box evaporator 96 may be adjusted by controlling the opening and closing of the electronic expansion valve. In addition to or in lieu of operation of compressor 86 , the duty cycle of the electronic expansion valve may be adjusted to vary the amount of refrigerant flowing through icemaker evaporators 150 , 350 based on cooling demand. The cooling demand by the icemaker evaporator 150 , 350 is greater while the water is being frozen to form ice cubes than when no ice cubes are being formed. It is thus avoided to change the operation of the compressor 86 while the electronic expansion valve is operating to handle the demands of the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 .

When the ice is produced by the ice maker 50 , a controller (not shown) may at least partially open the electronic expansion valve. After passing through the electronic expansion valve, the refrigerant enters the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 to expand and at least partially evaporate into a gas. It draws the latent heat of vaporization necessary to achieve a phase change from the surrounding environment of the ice maker evaporators 150 and 350 to lower the temperature of the outer surfaces of the ice maker evaporators 150 and 350 below 0°C. As the temperature of the portion exposed to the outer surface of the ice maker evaporator 150 and 350 in the ice molds 102 , 202 , and 302 is lowered, the water in the cavity 112 is frozen to form ice cubes.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the ice maker 50 includes a circulation fan 64 . An ice box evaporator 96 is disposed proximate the circulation fan 64 such that air is drawn from the ice bucket 54 , over the ice box evaporator 96 and back into the ice bucket 54 . It is contemplated that the circulation fan 64 may be a centrifugal or squirrel cage fan in which air is drawn into the center of the fan 64 and then discharged radially away from the fan. It is also contemplated that the circulation fan 64 may be an axial fan in which air is delivered through the fan along an axis of rotation of the fan. It is contemplated that the ice box evaporator 96 may include a heater 97 ( FIG. 12 ) that may be energized during the defrost cycle of the ice box evaporator 96 . The heater may be configured such that the heat generated by the heater is sufficient to defrost both the ice box evaporator 96 and the watering cup 136 ( FIG. 5 ) of the ice tray assembly 100 .

Dedicated ice maker evaporators 150 , 350 remove thermal energy from the water in ice molds 102 , 202 , 302 to produce ice cubes. As previously described herein, the ice maker evaporators 150 and 350 may be configured to be part of the same cooling loop as the freezer compartment evaporator 82 that provides cooling to the freezer compartment 22 of the refrigerator 20 . In various examples, the ice maker evaporators 150 , 350 may be provided in series or parallel configuration with the freezer compartment evaporator 82 . In another example, the ice maker evaporator 150 , 350 may be configured as a completely independent refrigeration system.

Additionally or alternatively, the ice maker of the present disclosure may be further configured for mounting and use on a freezer door. In this configuration, at least the ice maker (and possibly the ice bucket), although still disposed within the freezer compartment, is mounted on the interior surface of the freezer compartment door. It is contemplated that the ice mold and the ice bucket may be separate elements, with one remaining within the freezer cabinet and the other at the freezer door.

Cold air may be ducted into the freezer door from an evaporator in a fresh food compartment or freezer, including the system evaporator. Cold air may enter the ducts in a variety of configurations, such as ducts extending over or within the freezer door, or ducts located on or within the sidewalls of the freezer liner to the ceiling of the freezer compartment liner. In one example, the cold air duct may extend across the ceiling of the freezer and may have an end adjacent to the ice maker (when the freezer door is closed) that exhausts cold air across the ice mold and over it. If the freezer door also has an ice bucket inside, the cold air can flow down across the ice bucket and keep the ice cubes frozen. The cold air can then be returned to the freezer via a duct that extends back to the evaporator of the freezer. A similar duct configuration may be used where the cold air is delivered through ducts on or inside the freezer door. The ice mold may be rotated upside down (via gravity or twist tray) for ice harvesting or may include a sweeper finger type, and a heater may similarly be used. It is further contemplated that a cold air duct from a freezer compartment evaporator as described herein may not be used, although it is further contemplated that a thermoelectric cooler or other alternative cooling device or heat exchanger using various gas and/or liquid fluids may be used instead. In yet another alternative, heat pipes or other heat carriers may be used that are cooled directly or indirectly by cold air entering through ducts to promote and/or accelerate ice formation in the ice mold. Of course, it is contemplated that the ice maker of the present disclosure may be similarly configured for mounting and use in a freezer drawer.

Alternatively, it is further contemplated that the ice maker of the present disclosure may be used inside a cabinet of a fresh food room or on a fresh food door. It is contemplated that the ice mold and the ice bucket may be separate elements, with one remaining in the fresh food cabinet and the other in the fresh food door.

Additionally or alternatively, cold air may be introduced via a duct from another evaporator in the fresh food compartment or freezer, for example a system evaporator. Cold air may enter the duct in a variety of configurations, for example, a duct extending on or within a fresh food door, or a duct located on or within the side wall of the fresh food liner to the ceiling of the fresh food liner. have. In one example, the cold air duct may extend across the ceiling of the fresh food compartment and may have an end adjacent to the ice maker (when the fresh food door is closed) that exhausts cold air across the ice mold and over it. If the fresh food door also has an ice bucket inside, the cold air can flow down across the ice bucket to keep the ice cubes frozen. The cold air can then be returned to the fresh food room via a duct that extends back to the compartment with the associated evaporator, for example a dedicated ice maker evaporator room or a freezer room. A similar duct configuration may also be used where cold air is transmitted through ducts on or inside the fresh food door. The ice mold may be rotated upside down (via gravity or twist tray) for ice harvesting or may include a sweeper finger type, and a heater may similarly be used. A cold air duct from a freezer compartment evaporator (or similarly a fresh food evaporator) as described herein may not be used, but a thermoelectric cooler or other alternative cooling device or heat exchanger using various gas and/or liquid fluids may be used instead. It is further contemplated that In yet another alternative, heat pipes or other heat carriers may be used that are cooled directly or indirectly by cold air entering through ducts to promote and/or accelerate ice formation in the ice mold. Of course, it is contemplated that the ice maker herein may be similarly configured for mounting and use in a fresh food drawer.

15-23 show a fourth embodiment of an ice tray assembly 500 . 15 , the ice tray assembly 500 generally includes an ice frame 510 , an ice stripper 540 , an ice ejector 550 , a cover 570 , a gearbox 630 , and a bail arm 610 . include

Referring to FIG. 16 , the ice mold 510 is preferably made of a thermally conductive metal such as aluminum or steel. In addition, the ice frame 510 is preferably a single integral body. The ice mold 510 includes an upper portion 512 , a lower portion 514 , and a side 516 . A plurality of cavities 518 are formed in the upper portion 512 of the ice mold 510 . The plurality of cavities 518 are configured to receive water to be frozen into ice cubes. A plurality of cavities 518 may be defined by weirs 522 , some or all of which have through holes 524 that allow water to flow between the cavities 518 . Referring to FIG. 20 , apertures 524 are contoured to extend into locations near the bottom of cavities 518 to improve free flow of water between adjacent cavities 518 . Referring back to FIG. 16 , cavity 518 may have a number of variants. As detailed below, a variety of cube shapes and sizes are possible (eg, crescent, cube, hemispherical, cylindrical, star, moon, company logo, simultaneous combination of shape and size, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of cavities 518 are laterally aligned with the ice mold 510 .

The lower portion 514 of the ice mold 510 is contoured to receive the harvest heater 126 (FIG. 20) as detailed above. Side 516 is contoured or shaped to receive an ice maker evaporator (not shown) as detailed above.

A recess 523 is formed in the upper edge of the wall 525 at the first end of the ice mold 510 . In the illustrated embodiment, the recess 523 is arc-shaped. A wall 526 extends from an opposite second end of the ice frame 510 . One end of the wall 526 is contoured to define an entrance 528 to the ice mold 510 . The inlet 528 extends directly into one cavity 518 , and there are no intermediate steps or other features that may promote splashing of water as it flows from the inlet 528 into the cavity 518 . A recess 532 is formed in the upper edge of the wall 526 . A hole 534 extends through the wall 526 adjacent the recess 532 . Recess 532 is dimensioned and positioned to receive ice stripper 540 .

Two slots 536 are formed at the edge of one side 516 of the ice frame 510 . Adjacent to each slot 536 is a corresponding tab 538 positioned. Slot 536 and tab 538 are positioned and dimensioned to align and engage with engaging features of ice stripper 540 as described below.

As described above, it is contemplated that the ice mold 510 can reduce the amount of water splashing during the watering process so that the side 516 of the ice mold 510 can be made shorter than a conventional ice mold. When the height of the side surface 516 is reduced, the material cost of the ice mold 510 may be reduced and the manufacturing time may be shortened.

Ice stripper 540 is an elongate element comprising a plurality of tabs 542 extending from one side of ice stripper 540 . Referring to FIG. 17 , tab 542 is positioned and dimensioned to align with weir 522 of ice mold 510 when ice stripper 540 is secured to ice mold 510 . In particular, each tab 542 extends over a portion of each weir 522 when the ice stripper 540 is attached to the upper end of one side 516 of the ice mold 510 .

Referring to FIG. 16 , a notch 543 may be formed between adjacent tabs 542 . The notch 543 is configured to facilitate removal of square ice from the ice mold 510 during the harvesting process. It is contemplated that the portion surrounding the notch 543 in the ice stripper 540 may be reinforced to accommodate material loss from the notch 543 .

Tab 545 extends from ice stripper 540 and is positioned and dimensioned to engage slot 536 of ice mold 510 . In this regard, tabs 545 and slots 536 help to hold ice stripper 540 in proper position relative to ice mold 510 .

A support 544 is formed at the end of the ice stripper 540 accommodated in the recess 532 of the ice frame 510 . A hole 546 extends through a portion of the ice stripper 540 adjacent the support 544 . The aperture 546 is dimensioned and positioned such that the support 544 aligns with the aperture 534 of the ice frame 510 when the support 544 is received in the recess 532 of the ice frame 510 . The support 544 is dimensioned such that the ice ejector 550 can rotate therein. The support 544 serves as a cylindrical bearing that allows the matching portion of the ice ejector 550 to rotate therein.

The ice ejector 550 is generally a rod-shaped element having a body 552 with a plurality of arms 554 extending therefrom. Arm 554 is dimensioned and positioned as detailed below.

The first end 556 of the ice ejector 550 is received into the first opening 631a of the gearbox 630 so that the first end 556 is output inside the gearbox 630 as will be described in detail below. It is dimensioned to allow meshing with gear 658 (FIG. 24). The first end 556 rotates within the recess 523 of the ice mold 510 . In this regard, the recess 523 of the ice mold 510 and the support 544 of the ice stripper 540 define a bearing surface for enabling the ice ejector 550 to rotate about its longitudinal axis. do.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the ice ejector 550 is positioned within the ice mold 510 and the ice stripper 540 . Arm 554 of ice ejector 550 is dimensioned and positioned to align with the space between tab 542 of ice stripper 540 and cavity 518 of ice mold 510 . As the ice ejector 550 rotates about its longitudinal axis, the arm 554 moves through the cavity 518 of the ice mold 510 to push a piece of ice (not shown) out of the cavity 518 . .

Referring again to FIG. 16 , a protrusion 562 extends from the second end 558 of the ice ejector 550 . The protrusion 562 is secured relative to the arm 554 to allow the controller 800 ( FIG. 15 ) to ascertain the orientation of the arm 554 . A sensor 555 (shown schematically in FIG. 15 ) may be positioned proximate the second end 558 of the ice ejector 550 to confirm the orientation of the protrusion 562 . The controller 800 may be programmed to determine the position of the arm 554 relative to the cavity 518 of the ice mold 510 based on the detected orientation of the projection 562 . It is contemplated that the sensor 555 may be an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a mechanical switch (eg, a micro switch), or any other type of sensor that may be configured to determine the direction of the protrusion 562 . It is contemplated that the orientation of the sensor 555 may be adjusted as needed during assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 562 is generally D-shaped. It is contemplated that the protrusions 562 may have any other shape that changes direction when rotated, such as an L-shape, a star shape, and the like. It is further contemplated that a component 563 , such as a magnet, may be disposed at the second end 558 instead of the protrusion 562 . As the ice ejector 550 rotates, the position of the component 563 is changed and the sensor 555 can confirm the new position of the component.

As detailed above with respect to FIG. 3 , a cover 570 is attached to the top 512 of the ice frame 510 to secure the ice tray assembly 500 to the frame or enclosure 52 , the frame or enclosure. 52 is again attached to the liner of the fresh food compartment. The cover 570 may include slotted tabs 572a, 572b for securing the ice tray assembly 500 to an engagement feature (not shown) of the liner. The length of the opening of the slotted tab 572a is greater than the opening of the slotted tab 572b so that when the cover 570 is attached to the frame or enclosure 52 , an engagement feature (eg, a shoulder) A screw (not shown) engages first with slotted tab 572a and then with slotted tab 572b. In this regard, assembly is facilitated as not all of the four slotted tabs 572a, 572b need to be initially engaged simultaneously. One longitudinal edge 574 of cover 570 is dimensioned to be spaced apart from the top edge of side 516 of ice mold 510 to define opening 571 ( FIG. 23 ). The opening 571 is dimensioned such that the ice cubes in the ice mold 510 can be ejected from the ice tray assembly 500 when the ice ejector 550 rotates, as will be described in detail below.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18 , the watering cup 580 is integrally formed with one end of the cover 570 . The watering cup 580 has an open top 582 defined by a wall 584 . The bottom wall 586 ( FIG. 19 ) of the watering cup 580 is contoured to direct water to the outlet 588 of the watering cup 580 . The outlet 588 is dimensioned and positioned such that the outlet 588 aligns and engages with an inlet 528 formed in the wall 526 of the ice mold 510 when the cover 570 is attached to the ice mold 510 . All. As such, the water injected into the watering cup 580 will flow into the cavity 518 of the ice mold 510 by gravity. Alternatively, the watering cup may be integrally formed with the ice mold 510 .

The cover 570 includes a downward protrusion 576 at one end of the cover 570 . A hole 578 extends through the downward protrusion 576 . Referring to FIG. 20 , apertures 578 are dimensioned to align with apertures 546 in ice stripper 540 and apertures 534 in ice mold 510 when cover 570 is secured to ice mold 510 . and location is determined. Fasteners 579 extend through apertures 578 , 546 , 534 to align cover 570 , ice ejector 550 , and ice stripper 540 to ice mold 510 . In particular, it is contemplated that fastener 579 may extend through hole 578 in cover 570 , hole 534 in ice mold 510 , and hole 546 in ice stripper 540 in that order. do.

Referring to FIG. 16 , a protrusion 612 extends from the distal end of the bail arm 610 and is dimensioned to the second opening 631b of the gearbox 630 . In the illustrated embodiment, the projections 612 are square in shape. It is contemplated that the protrusion 612 may have other shapes, for example, a star shape, a triangle shape, a screw shape, etc. as long as the protrusion 612 extends through the second opening 631b. The second opening 631b may be aligned with the opening 704 of the drive shaft 702 to allow the drive shaft 702 (FIG. 26) to pivot the bail arm 610 as described in detail below. It is considered that there is

Referring to FIG. 21 , bail arm 610 is a generally L-shaped element having a first leg 614 and a second leg 622 . The bale arm is used to detect the presence and height of ice stored in an ice bucket located next to the ice machine. The protrusion 612 is disposed at the distal end of the first leg 614 for engagement with the gearbox 630 . A fastener (not shown) may extend through hole 616 extending through protrusion 612 to secure bail arm 610 to gearbox 630 . A second leg 622 extends from an opposite end of the first leg 614 .

The second leg 622 has a generally T-shaped cross-section (see FIG. 22 ) and includes a base portion 624 and a leg portion 626 . A plurality of spaced apart ribs 628 are positioned between the base portion 624 and the leg portion 626 . The plurality of spaced apart ribs 628 may be contoured to be within a rectangular space C (see FIG. 22 ) defined by the base portion 624 and the leg portion 626 . The spaced ribs 628 may be configured to provide structural support to the bail arm 610 . In the illustrated embodiment, the spaced ribs 628 are aligned parallel to the pivot axis D of the bail arm 610 (see FIGS. 15 and 21-23 ). The pivot axis D is defined by an aperture 616 .

The distal end of the second leg 622 is angled relative to the remainder of the second leg 622 to define an angled pad 629 . It is contemplated that the angled pad 629 may be dimensioned and positioned to engage a piece of ice disposed in the ice bucket 54 (FIG. 3), as will be described in detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, the sides of the angled pad 629 are chamfered.

24 , the gearbox 630 includes a housing 632 , a cover 642 , an intermediate cover 644 , and a gear mechanism assembly 650 . Housing 632 includes two tabs 636 extending from either side of housing 632 . Holes 634 through respective tabs 636 to receive fasteners (eg, screws) for securing gearbox 630 to mounting holes (not shown) in cover 570 ( FIG. 15 ). this is extended Housing 632 may include other apertures to receive fasteners for further securing gearbox 630 to cover 570 and ice mold 510 .

A plurality of mounting posts 638 extend from an interior surface of the housing 632 to allow various components to be mounted to the housing 632 . In particular, the component is mounted to a plurality of mounting posts 638 so as to be fixed, pivotable, or rotatable relative to the housing 632 .

A cover 642 is attached to the housing 632 to close the open end of the housing 632 . A motor (not shown) and drive gear (not shown) are disposed in area 646 of housing 632 . The drive gear may be attached to the output shaft of the motor (not shown) to transmit rotational motion to the gear mechanism assembly 650 . An intermediate cover 644 is disposed in the housing 632 and has a chamber for receiving the gear mechanism assembly 650 and enclosing an area 646 in which a motor (not shown) and drive gear (not shown) are disposed. limit

25 and 26 , gear mechanism assembly 650 includes a first gear 652 that meshes with a drive gear (not shown) attached to a motor (not shown). The first gear 652 drives the first intermediate gear 654 , which in turn drives the second intermediate gear 656 . The second intermediate gear 656 drives the output gear 658 . The output gear 658 includes an opening 658a dimensioned to align with a first opening 631a of the housing 632 . A first end 556 of the ice ejector 550 ( FIG. 16 ) extends through a first opening 631a and engages an opening 658a of the output gear 658 . Via first gear 652 , first and second intermediate gears 654 , 656 , and output gear 658 , rotation of the motor causes ice dispenser 550 to rotate in a desired direction.

Gear mechanism assembly 650 also includes a first lever arm 662 pivotally attached within gearbox 630 . The first lever arm 662 includes a first leg 664 extending from the central pivot body 666 of the first lever arm 662 . A pocket 668 is formed at the distal end of the first leg 664 . Pocket 668 is dimensioned to receive a magnetic element (not shown). A projection 669 extends from one side of the first leg 664 and is positioned to engage a first cam 659 on one side of the output gear 658 , as detailed below.

A second leg 672 extends from the central pivot body 666 and includes a hook portion 674 configured to attach to a spring (not shown). The spring biases the first lever arm 662 into the first position, which is shown in FIGS. 27A, 27C, 28A and 28C. The first lever arm 662 also includes a post 676 (FIG. 25) that engages a pocket 688 formed in the second lever arm 682, as described in detail below.

The second lever arm 682 includes a central pivot body 684 and an arm portion 686 attached to the central pivot body 684 . Pocket 688 is positioned and dimensioned to receive post 676 of first lever arm 662 . A receptacle 692 is formed at the distal end of the arm portion 686 for engagement with a post 706 extending from the drive shaft 702 , as detailed below. A protrusion 694 extends from one side of the arm portion 686 and is positioned to engage a second cam 671 opposite the first cam 659 at the output gear 658 .

The drive shaft 702 includes an opening 704 dimensioned to receive a protrusion 612 at the distal end of the bail arm 610 . The opening 704 is positioned to align with the second opening 631b of the gearbox 630 ( FIG. 24 ) when the drive shaft 702 is positioned in the housing 632 . Posts 706 extending from drive shaft 702 are dimensioned and positioned to be received into receptacles 692 of second lever arm 682 . Post 706 is attached to a spring (not shown) biasing drive shaft 702 into a first rotational position corresponding to bail arm 610 in a second lower position B, as will be described in detail below. do.

During operation of the ice tray assembly 500 , the controller 800 may first actuate the bail arm 610 to determine whether ice needs to be added to the ice bucket 54 ( FIG. 3 ). To determine this, the controller 800 supplies power to a motor (not shown) in the gearbox 630 so that the bail arm 610 moves around the pivot axis D as shown in FIGS. 15 and 23 . Likewise, it can be pivoted from the first upper position (A) to the second lower position (B). If the bail arm 610 comes into contact with the ice cubes before reaching the second lower position B (eg, an increase in the power required to rotate the bail arm 610 or the bail arm 610 is the ice cubes) Control 800 may return bail arm 610 to first upper position A (as determined by the combination of gears, coupling devices and sensors for determining when to contact). Accordingly, in that case, the controller 800 may prevent harvesting of ice from the ice tray assembly 500 to the ice bucket 54 . However, if the bale arm 610 reaches the second lower position B without contacting the ice cubes, the controller 800 may cause the ice tray assembly 500 to harvest the ice cubes into the ice bucket 54 . There is (Fig. 3). As noted above, the sides of the angled pad 629 are chamfered. This chamfer helps to reduce the risk of damaging the bail arm 610 if the user removes the ice bucket 54 when the bail arm 610 is in the second lower position B. According to one aspect, the controller 800 may control the gearbox 630 in the following manner to detect whether the ice bucket 54 is full or empty. 27A and 27B , the gearbox 630 includes a Hall sensor 710 that may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown) disposed in a housing 632 .

27A and 28A , first and second lever arms 662 , 682 are shown in a first position referred to as a “home” position. In this first position, a spring (not shown) attached to the hook portion 674 of the first lever arm 662 (including a pocket 668 for receiving a magnetic element (not shown)) 1 The distal end of the lever arm 662 is biased into the first position adjacent the hall sensor 710 . When the magnetic element is positioned proximate to Hall sensor 710 , Hall sensor 710 provides a signal indicating “LOW” to controller 800 . Also, the first lever arm 662 moves into the first position because the protrusion 669 of the first lever arm 662 is received into the recess 659a of the first cam 659 in the output gear 658 . be able to get in.

Further, the protrusion 694 of the second lever arm 682 engages the second cam 671 of the output gear 658 to place the second lever arm 682 in the first position. When in the first position, the second lever arm 682 pivots downward (relative to FIG. 27A ) such that the drive shaft 702 is in the first position corresponding to the bail arm 610 in the upper position A ( FIG. 15 ). 2 Make sure it is positioned in the rotational position.

As the output gear 658 rotates counterclockwise (see FIGS. 27A-27D ), the output gear 658 eventually causes the protrusion 694 of the second lever arm 682 to become a recess of the second cam 671 . positioned to align with (671a). In this position, a spring (not shown) attached to the post 706 of the second lever arm 682 causes the drive shaft 702 to move the bail arm 610 from the first upper position (A) to the second lower position. (B) to rotate it. When the bail arm 610 can reach the second lower position B, the first lever arm 662 and the second lever arm 682 will be positioned as shown in FIGS. 27B and 28B . In particular, the protrusion 694 of the second lever arm 682 will abut the bottom of the recess 671a such that the second lever arm 682 pivots to the second position. As the second lever arm 682 pivots, the pocket 688 of the second lever arm 682 engages the post 676 of the first lever arm 662 such that the first lever arm 662 is in the second position. will be pivoted with In the second position, the pocket 668 of the first lever arm 662 (and the magnetic element therein) is positioned away from the Hall sensor 710 . When the magnetic element is positioned away from the Hall sensor 710 , the Hall sensor 710 will send a signal indicating “HIGH” to the controller 800 .

In contrast, when the bail arm 610 cannot reach the second lower position B, for example, when it comes into contact with the ice cubes in the ice bucket 54, the protrusion 694 is the recess of the recess 671a. It will not touch the floor and the second lever arm 682 will remain in the first position. See Figures 27c and 27b. In this position the pocket 668 (and the magnetic element therein) will remain adjacent to the Hall sensor 710 and the Hall sensor 710 will send a signal to the controller 800 indicating “LOW”. As shown in FIG. 28C , the protrusion 669 of the first lever arm 662 will be positioned in the recess 659a such that the first lever arm 662 is held in the first position.

As the output gear 658 continues to rotate counterclockwise (see FIGS. 27A-D), the protrusion 694 of the second lever arm 682 continues to ride the second cam 671 and the second lever arm 682 in the first position and the bail arm in the first upper position (A). The protrusion 669 of the first lever arm 662 will ride the first cam 659 and cause the first lever arm 662 to pivot to the second position. In this second position the pocket 668 (and the magnetic element therein) will pivot away from the Hall sensor 710 . When the magnetic element is moved from the Hall sensor 710 , the Hall sensor 710 will send a signal indicating “HIGH” to the controller 800 .

As described above, as the output gear 658 rotates counterclockwise (see FIGS. 27A-27D ), the signal from the Hall sensor 710 is based on whether the ice bucket 54 is full or less full. will change between HIGH and LOW. In particular, the order of change between HIGH and LOW will depend on whether the ice bucket 54 is full or less full. The controller 800 is programmed to allow the controller 800 to determine whether the ice bucket 54 is full or low based on the sequence of changes. The present invention provides a gearbox 630 configured to use one sensor to determine the condition of the ice bucket 54, ie, full or low. In the existing method, several sensors are needed to check the condition of the ice bucket.

When the ice bucket 54 is less full, ice cubes are harvested from the ice mold 510 . In particular, a motor associated with gearbox 630 may rotate ice ejector 550 such that arm 554 moves through cavity 518 . As arm 554 moves through cavity 518 , arm 554 pushes the ice cubes in cavity 518 out of ice mold 510 . When viewed from the end of the ice maker assembly 500 opposite the gearbox 630 (see FIG. 23 ), the ice ejector 550 is rotatable counterclockwise so that the ice ejector 550 transfers the ice cubes to the ice mold 510 . ) to push it into the area above. The lower surface of the cover 570 is curved to direct the ice cubes to the opening 571 between the cover 570 and the ice mold 510 . As the ice ejector 550 continues to rotate, ice cubes are ejected from the ice tray assembly 500 into the ice bucket 54 ( FIG. 3 ) located below the ice tray assembly 500 .

Referring to FIG. 23 , while discharging the ice cubes from the ice mold 510 , the bail arm 610 is in the first upper position A. As shown in FIG. In particular, the first leg 614 is positioned adjacent to one side of the gearbox 630 and the second leg 622 is positioned below the ice frame 510 . The ice mold 510 serves to protect the ice cubes from hitting the second leg 622 of the bail arm 610 when the ice cubes fall towards the ice bucket 54 ( FIG. 3 ). There is no need for a separate shield or plate to protect the second leg 622 of the bail arm 610 from falling ice cubes. Moreover, by placing the second leg 622 of the bale arm 610 under the ice mold 510 while discharging the ice cubes, the ice cubes are placed on the bale arm 610 or between the bale arm 610 and the ice mold ( 510) is less likely to get stuck or pinched. Also, as shown in FIGS. 21-23 , compared to the pivot axis D for the bail arm 610 (see FIGS. 15 and 21-23 ), the first leg 614 and the second leg ( 622 are offset from each other by a distance d (see FIGS. 22 and 23 ). The offset may allow the first leg 614 to be kept very close to the side of the gearbox 630 , while the second leg 622 is placed under the ice frame 510 during pivoting of the bail arm 610 . is considered to be maintained. The distance d may be between about 15 mm and 25 mm, preferably about 19.5 mm.

The present invention has been described with reference to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Modifications and changes will occur to others upon reading and understanding of this specification. Exemplary embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (19)

Fresh food room for storing food in a refrigerated environment where the target temperature is higher than 0℃;
a freezer compartment for storing food in a sub-zero environment where the target temperature is lower than 0°C;
a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezing compartment; and
An ice tray assembly disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes, comprising:
an ice mold having an upper surface formed therein with a plurality of cavities for the ice cubes;
a heater disposed on the ice frame;
an ice maker refrigerant tube that is in contact with at least one side surface of the ice mold and cools the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0° C. by heat conduction; and
a cover having a watering cup integrated into the cover and an outlet aligned with an inlet of the ice frame
ice tray assembly comprising
A refrigeration appliance comprising a. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cover and the ice frame are configured to hold a support bearing for an ice ejector therebetween, the support bearing being part of an ice stripper of the ice tray assembly. 3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 2, further comprising a sensor for detecting an angular position of the ice dispenser. 4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 3, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an angular position of a feature of the ice dispenser. 5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 4, wherein the feature is a contour shape formed at the distal end of the ice dispenser. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a bail arm attached to a gearbox of the ice tray assembly. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the bail arm is L-shaped having a first leg attached to the gearbox and a second leg extending from the first leg, the second leg including a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs. , refrigeration appliances. 8. The refrigeration appliance of claim 7, wherein the bail arm is pivotable between an upper position and a lower position, and wherein the second leg of the bail arm is positioned below the ice mold when the bail arm is in the upper position. . 9. The refrigeration appliance of claim 8, wherein the first leg is offset from the second leg with respect to a pivot axis of the bail arm. Fresh food room for storing food in a refrigerated environment where the target temperature is higher than 0℃;
a freezer compartment for storing food in a sub-zero environment where the target temperature is lower than 0°C;
a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezing compartment; and
An ice tray assembly disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice cubes, comprising:
an ice mold having an upper surface formed therein with a plurality of cavities for the ice cubes;
a heater disposed on the ice frame;
an ice maker refrigerant tube that is in contact with at least one side surface of the ice mold and cools the ice mold to a temperature lower than 0° C. by heat conduction; and
a lower bail arm attached to a gearbox of the ice tray assembly, wherein the legs of the bail arm are in an upper position adjacent the lower surface of the ice mold and the legs of the bail arm are spaced apart from the lower surface of the ice mold Pivotable bail arm between positions
ice tray assembly comprising
A refrigeration appliance comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the bail arm is L-shaped having a first leg attached to the gearbox and a second leg extending from the first leg, the second leg including a plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs; and wherein the bail arm is positioned under the ice mold when in the upper position. 12. The refrigeration appliance of claim 11, wherein the first leg is offset from the second leg with respect to a pivot axis of the bail arm. 11. The refrigeration appliance of claim 10, further comprising a cover, the cover having a watering cup integrated into the cover and an outlet aligned with an inlet of the ice frame. 14. The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, wherein the cover and the ice frame are configured to hold a support bearing for an ice ejector therebetween, the support bearing being part of an ice stripper of the ice tray assembly. 15. The refrigeration appliance of claim 14, further comprising a sensor to detect an angular position of the ice dispenser. 16. The refrigeration appliance of claim 15, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an angular position of a feature of the ice dispenser. 17. The refrigeration appliance of claim 16, wherein the feature is a contour shape formed at the distal end of the ice dispenser. 11. The refrigeration appliance of claim 10, wherein the gearbox includes a single sensor for determining the condition of an ice bucket disposed below the ice frame. 19. The refrigeration assistant of claim 18, further comprising a controller programmed to determine the condition of the ice bucket based on a series of signals received from the single sensor.

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