US20080092567A1 - Ice maker with ice bin level control - Google Patents
Ice maker with ice bin level control Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080092567A1 US20080092567A1 US11/681,963 US68196307A US2008092567A1 US 20080092567 A1 US20080092567 A1 US 20080092567A1 US 68196307 A US68196307 A US 68196307A US 2008092567 A1 US2008092567 A1 US 2008092567A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- ice
- bin
- temperature
- clear
- ice maker
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C1/00—Producing ice
- F25C1/12—Producing ice by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
- F25C5/18—Storing ice
- F25C5/182—Ice bins therefor
- F25C5/187—Ice bins therefor with ice level sensing means
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25C2600/00—Control issues
- F25C2600/04—Control means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the manufacture of ice, and particularly to automated clear ice maker units.
- a conventional ice maker forms ice cubes by depositing water in a mold attached to an evaporator and allowing the water to freeze in a sedentary state. Such an approach results in clouded ice cubes resulting from air and impurities present within the frozen water.
- harvested ice cubes It is conventional for harvested ice cubes to fall into an ice bin where the ice cubes are stored until they are used.
- the ice bin can properly store a certain maximum amount of ice cubes, and ice making must be stopped when the ice bin is full to prevent overfilling the ice bin. Overfilling the ice bin can cause ice to spill out of the ice maker when the ice maker door is opened. Overfilling the ice bin can also lead to ice building up in the ice making assembly which can result in water traveling down the built-up ice into the ice bin thereby melting the ice stored therein.
- the ice level in the ice bin can be sensed to control the production of ice and to prevent overfilling the ice bin.
- a mechanical arm or a light sensor can sense the ice level in the bin and shut off power to the ice making assembly when the ice reaches a certain level. The mechanical arm is pushed up by the ice thereby throwing a switch that shuts down the ice making assembly.
- Optical mechanisms can have a light source, light sensor, and/or reflector that shut down the ice making assembly when the path of travel of the light is disrupted by the ice.
- a thermostat located in the ice bin can interrupt the power supply to the ice making assembly when the thermostat drops below a certain temperature.
- the present invention provides a clear ice maker with a controller that can determine improperly stacked ice.
- the invention provides an ice maker unit having an ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the ice maker mechanism being capable of producing ice during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing the ice into an ice bin within the cabinet.
- the ice maker unit includes a sensor disposed in the cabinet to sense the temperature at the ice bin and an electronic control having clock circuitry and fuzzy logic programming for controlling the ice maker mechanism.
- the control is electrically coupled to the sensor to receive an input signal from the sensor associated with a bin temperature.
- the control uses the fuzzy logic programming to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on the bin temperature sensed by the sensor.
- the control initiates the next ice making cycle only if first and second conditions are met.
- the first condition is that the bin temperature is above a first threshold temperature and the second condition is that the bin temperature is not below a second threshold temperature for a prescribed time period.
- the sensor can be disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin.
- the second condition can correspond to an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
- the first threshold temperature can be essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit and wherein the second threshold temperature can be essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
- the prescribed time period can be set according to a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles.
- the prescribed number of ice making cycles can be three.
- the ice maker unit can include a user input connected to the controller, wherein the first threshold temperature can be set by the user input.
- the ice maker unit can be a clear ice maker unit with a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice.
- the ice bin can not be cooled by a refrigeration system.
- the present invention provides a clear ice maker unit with a cabinet defining an ice maker chamber and an ice storage bin.
- the ice maker includes a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice.
- a controller is configured to control the clear ice maker, the controller configured to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle.
- a sensor is connected to the controller and disposed in the ice storage bin for sensing a bin temperature. The controller is configured to prevent the initiation of the next ice making cycle when the bin temperature is not above a first temperature and is less than or equal to a second temperature for a prescribed time period, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.
- the evaporator can have a plurality of pockets therein, and the clear ice maker mechanism can be capable of cascading water over the evaporator during the plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into the ice storage bin.
- the sensor can be disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin.
- the second temperature can be associated with an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
- the prescribed time period can be set according a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles.
- the first temperature can be essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit
- the second temperature can be essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit
- the prescribed time period can be essentially one hour.
- the clear ice maker can include a user input connected to the control so that the first temperature can be set by the user input.
- the sensor can be a thermistor.
- the ice storage bin can not be cooled by a refrigeration system.
- the present invention provides a method for making clear ice in a clear ice maker unit having a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the clear ice maker mechanism being capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into an ice bin within the cabinet.
- the method includes detecting an uneven ice distribution in the ice bin in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above a maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin and prohibiting a next ice making cycle following detection of an uneven ice distribution condition.
- the method can also include sensing an ice bin temperature at a maximum ice level in the ice bin before initiation of the next ice making cycle, prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature, and prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a second temperature for more than a prescribed period of time.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clear ice maker unit having the features of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof similar to FIG. 1 albeit with its cabinet door open so that the interior of the cabinet is visible;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clear ice maker evaporator of the ice maker unit of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a partially filled ice bin with an uneven ice distribution
- FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a partially filled ice bin with an even ice distribution
- FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a filled ice bin with an even ice distribution
- FIG. 9 is diagram of the refrigeration system of the ice maker unit of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 10 is a schematic of the control system of the ice maker unit of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 11 is a flow chart for determining whether to initiate a next ice making cycle.
- a clear ice maker 30 includes a cabinet 32 with an upper forward opening 34 and an interior 36 .
- the opening 34 is closed by a door 38 that is hinged to the cabinet 32 .
- the interior 36 includes an ice making area 40 in the upper portion of the cabinet 32 and a bin area 42 below the ice making area 40 .
- the ice making area 40 includes a clear ice maker assembly 44 .
- the clear ice maker assembly 44 is electrically connected to a controller 46 and connected to a refrigeration system 48 .
- the bin area 42 includes a rectangular ice bin 50 .
- the bin area 42 and ice in the ice bin 50 are not cooled by the refrigeration system 48 .
- Both the cabinet 32 and the door 38 are formed of inner molded plastic members and outer formed metal members with the space filled with an insulating layer of foam material, all of which is well known in the art. Thus, ice in the ice bin 50 is insulated from the ambient air.
- the clear ice maker assembly 44 is positioned in the ice making area 40 .
- the clear ice maker assembly 44 includes a metal evaporator grid 70 mounted in a plastic shroud 72 .
- the evaporator grid 70 has a series of vertical and horizontal dividers 70 a and 70 b , respectively, which extend from a rear wall 74 and between lateral edges to divide the evaporator grid 70 into a series of pockets.
- the horizontal dividers 70 b slope towards the bottom front of the evaporator grid 70 .
- the shroud 72 is formed of a plastic material such as a polypropylene or ABS and is molded about the evaporator grid 70 .
- the shroud 72 has a continuous bulbous edge which engulfs the edges of the evaporator grid 70 .
- the shroud 72 has laterally extending wing portions 76 projecting from each end of the evaporator grid 70 .
- a bib portion 80 of the shroud 72 is disposed beneath the bottom edge of the evaporator grid 70 and contains integral projecting deflector fins 82 . Each deflector fin 82 is aligned with the center of a column of pockets in the evaporator grid 70 .
- the shroud 72 also includes an inclined roof 86 disposed above the evaporator grid 70 .
- a water distributor 88 is attached to the shroud wings 76 above the roof 86 .
- the distributor 88 has a floor 90 with a central well 92 at one edge. Spaced upright barriers 94 a and 94 b extend from the floor 90 beyond the well 92 .
- a second series of spaced barriers 96 a , 96 b , et seq. extend between the barriers 94 a and 94 b and a rear edge 98 of the floor 90 . Water deposited in the well 92 will be directed by the barriers 94 and 96 to flow uniformly over the rear edge 98 and on to the inclined roof 86 .
- the water will thereafter flow over the roof 86 of the shroud 72 , and into and over the surfaces of the pockets in evaporator grid 70 . Uniform distribution of the water is further ensured by a guide 100 that has a top opening 102 that receives an end of a water tube 103 and a cylindrical wall section 104 that fits around a portion of the well 92 .
- the guide 100 fixes the water tube 103 at the middle of the distributor 88 .
- the water tube is also secured in place by a rivet connection to the top of the cabinet 32 .
- An ice maker evaporator 108 is attached to the rear wall 74 of the evaporator grid 70 .
- the ice maker evaporator 108 is a part of the refrigeration system 48 shown schematically in FIG. 9 .
- the refrigeration system 48 includes a compressor 120 , an accumulator 122 , the ice maker evaporator 108 , a hot gas bypass 124 , a condenser 126 , a condenser fan 128 , and a dryer 130 .
- the compressor 120 , condenser 126 and condenser fan 128 are located at the bottom of cabinet 32 beneath the insulated portion, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the evaporator 108 has an outlet line 132 that passes through the accumulator 122 to the compressor 120 .
- the output of the compressor 120 is connected to an inlet of the condenser 126 having an outlet line 134 connected to the dryer 130 .
- a capillary tube 136 leads from the dryer 130 to an inlet of the evaporator 108 .
- the compressor draws refrigerant from the evaporator 108 and accumulator 122 and discharges the refrigerant under increased pressure and temperature to the condenser 126 .
- the hot refrigerant gas entering the condenser 126 is cooled by air circulated by the condenser fan 128 .
- the refrigerant in the condenser 126 liquefies.
- the capillary tube 136 maintains the high pressure in the condenser 126 and at the compressor outlet while providing substantially reduced pressure in the evaporator 108 .
- the substantially reduced pressure in the evaporator 108 results in a large temperature drop and subsequent absorption of heat by the evaporator 108 .
- the hot gas bypass valve 124 is disposed in a line 138 between the outlet of the compressor 120 and the inlet of the evaporator 108 .
- hot gas bypass valve When the hot gas bypass valve is opened, hot refrigerant will enter the evaporator 108 , thereby heating the evaporator 108 and evaporator grid 70 .
- a water sump 140 has a trough portion 142 extending beneath the evaporator grid 70 .
- the trough 142 extends along the one side wall of the cabinet 32 , along a rear wall, and to an opposite side wall of the cabinet 32 .
- the bottom of the trough portion slopes downwardly to the level of a well 144 in which an inlet 146 of a water pump 148 is mounted.
- An outlet of the water pump 148 is connected to the well 144 in the distributor 88 .
- a removable stand pipe 152 extends into the sump 140 and leads to an overflow pipe 154 .
- the stand pipe 154 opens to a drain 156 in the bottom of the bin area 42 in the cabinet 32 .
- the drain can be connected to a drain in the home plumbing. Alternatively, the drain may lead to an overflow collector in the space beneath the insulated portion of the cabinet 32 .
- Fresh water from an external source may be provided periodically to the sump 140 through a water fill valve.
- water from the sump 140 is pumped by the pump 148 to the distributor 88 which delivers a cascade of water over the surfaces of the evaporator grid 70 .
- the evaporator 108 is connected to receive liquefied refrigerant from the condenser 126 , the water cascading over the surfaces of the evaporator grid 70 will freeze in layers and build up to form cubes of ice in the pockets. The pure water freezes first and impurities in the water will be left in suspension in the flowing water.
- the hot gas bypass valve 124 is opened and heated refrigerant is delivered to the evaporator 108 , thereby warming the surface of the evaporator grid 70 until the ice cubes dislodge from the evaporator plate grid 70 .
- the dislodged ice cubes will fall into the bin 50 and are directed away from the trough portion 142 of the sump 140 by the fins 82 . Not all water cascading over the surface of the evaporator plate will freeze.
- the excess water is collected in the trough 142 and returned to the well 144 where it is re-circulated to the distributor 88 by the pump 148 .
- a charge of fresh water is delivered to the sump 140 by the water fill valve to dilute the water and flush impurities through the overflow pipe 152 and out the drain.
- the clear ice maker 30 includes an electrical system 170 for controlling the operation of the compressor 120 , a solenoid 172 for the hot gas bypass valve 124 , a solenoid 174 for the water fill valve, condenser fan 128 , and the water pump 148 .
- the controller 46 is a microprocessor that operates by programmed logic and in response to sensor and user inputs.
- the electrical system 170 includes a bin thermistor 176 and a liquid line thermistor 178 disposed in the outlet line of the condenser 126 .
- the bin thermistor 176 is mounted to the ice bin 50 at a bin thermistor height 180 as discussed hereinafter.
- the thermistors are commercially available conventional parts.
- a user interface control unit 182 mounted near the top of the clear ice maker 30 receives user commands.
- the control unit 182 includes a display panel 184 , a power input 186 , a warmer input 188 , a cooler input 190 and a light input 192 .
- the controller 46 Upon initial start-up or restarting with the temperature of the bin thermistor 172 above 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the controller 46 energizes the hot gas bypass solenoid 172 and the water inlet valve solenoid 174 for a period of time. This will fill the sump 140 with fresh water to the level of the overflow pipe 152 . Thereafter, the compressor 120 , the condenser fan 128 and the water circulation pump 148 are energized. After a short period of time, such as ten seconds, the water fill inlet valve solenoid 174 and the hot gas bypass solenoid 172 are de-energized. The ice maker 30 is now in a freeze cycle of an ice making cycle.
- a reading of the liquid refrigerant temperature sensed by the thermistor 178 is taken. This temperature reading will determine the remaining length of time for the freeze cycle and may also be used to set or adjust the duration of the ice harvest cycle. The higher the temperature of the liquid refrigerant, the longer the freeze cycle. For example, if the liquid refrigerant temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the total freeze time will be about 14 minutes. If the sensed temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the total freeze time will be about 22 minutes. At a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the freeze time will be about 30 minutes.
- controller 46 is programmed so that once an ice making cycle has been initiated, the ice making cycle will continue to completion through ice harvest regardless of the temperature reading of the bin thermistor 176 . This prevents the ice making cycle from terminating prematurely thereby ensuring that full-sized ice cubes are formed.
- controller 46 causes the clear ice maker 30 to enter ice harvest mode in which the compressor 120 remains energized while the water pump 148 and condenser fan 128 are de-energized and the solenoids for the hot gas bypass valve 124 and the water inlet valve 160 are energized.
- the hot refrigerant gas flowing through the ice maker evaporator 120 will loosen the ice formed in the pockets of the evaporator grid 70 so that the ice can fall into the ice bin 50 .
- a typical harvest cycle lasts approximately 2-3 minute.
- the length of the ice harvest cycle can be dependent upon the reading of the liquid line thermistor 178 .
- the length of the harvest cycle would thus be adjusted inversely based upon the first sensed temperature of the liquid line thermistor. For example, if the sensed temperature of the liquid line thermistor 178 is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a harvest cycle of 2 minutes would be used. If the temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or above, the harvest cycle will be reduced in time to 1.5 minutes.
- the harvest cycle can also be made constant for a range of temperatures or entirely independent of the temperature of liquid line thermistor 178 .
- the controller 46 determines whether to initiate another ice making cycle based on the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 , which indicates the level of the ice in the ice bin 50 .
- the ice bin 50 is not cooled by the refrigeration system 50 ; therefore, the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 is determined by the ice in the ice bin 50 .
- the ice approaches the bin thermistor 176 , which causes the bin thermistor 176 to be cooled.
- the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 will be at its lowest.
- the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 can be used to control the height of the ice in the ice bin 50 by stopping the production of ice when the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 indicates that ice is adjacent to the bin thermistor 176 .
- the ice bin thermistor height 180 can be set to equal the maximum desired ice level in the bin 50 in order to ensure that the bin 50 is not overfilled and to maximize ice production.
- the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 will be equal to or less than a temperature T 1 .
- the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 may also be equal to or less than temperature T 1 when the ice fills the ice bin 50 non-uniformly but the ice is stacked against the wall of the bin 50 to which the bin thermistor 176 is attached.
- the controller 46 can be programmed to prohibit the initiation of further ice making cycles when the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T 1 .
- the temperature T 1 can vary depending on the configuration of the ice maker 30 and/or environmental conditions. In an embodiment, T 1 can be set to 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
- ice will not also stack up uniformly across the ice bin 50 . This can be caused if the slabs of ice are not broken apart into ice cubes when the slabs fall into the bin 50 .
- the ice does not stack up uniformly across the ice bin 50 , it is possible that the ice will reach the maximum desired ice level on one or more sides of the ice bin, but the ice will not be positioned adjacent the ice bin thermistor 176 .
- the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 will not reach a temperature below temperature T 1 , which means that ice production would not be halted and more ice would be produced.
- the ice may stack up non-uniformly across the ice bin 50 so that ice may be adjacent the bin thermistor 176 , but the volume of ice adjacent the bin thermistor 176 may not be large enough to cool the bin thermistor 176 sufficiently to reach a temperature below T 1 .
- the bin 50 has more room for ice, but would overfill after more than a few further ice making cycles without the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 reaching temperature T 1 .
- the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 may not reach a temperature below temperature T 1 , but the temperature of the ice bin thermistor 176 will reach a temperature near temperature T 1 as the bin 50 fills up with ice.
- the controller 46 can use fuzzy logic to prohibit the initiation of further ice making cycles when the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T 2 for a period of time X.
- a temperature T B of thermistor 178 below temperature T 2 indicates that the bin 50 is nearly full of ice and/or the ice is not stacked uniformly, which means that the bin 50 has room for more ice, but not too much more ice.
- the length of the period of time X can be set to allow for the appropriate number of further ice making cycles.
- the temperature T 2 and the period of time X can vary depending on the configuration of the ice maker 30 and/or environmental conditions. In one embodiment, for example, the temperature T 2 can be set to 35 degrees Fahrenheit and the period of time X can be set to one hour to allow for three more ice making cycles, which maximizes ice production and minimizes the risk of overfilling the bin 50 .
- the controller 46 monitors the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 , and logs into memory the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 , and the time the temperature reading was taken so that the controller 46 can analyze the historical temperature data to calculate the time that the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 is below temperature T 2 .
- the controller 46 can be configured to track the period of time that the temperature T B of the ice bin thermistor 176 is below temperature T 2 .
- FIG. 11 shows a decision making process 200 of determining whether to initiate an ice making cycle 202 .
- the controller 46 determines at decision block 206 whether the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T 1 . If the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T 1 , the controller 46 does not initiate the ice making cycle 202 and the controller 46 stays in decision block 206 . If the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is greater than temperature T 1 , the controller 46 determines at a decision block 208 whether the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T 2 for more than the period of time X.
- the controller does not initiate next ice making cycle 202 and returns to decision block 206 . If the temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 is greater than temperature T 2 for more than the period of time X, the controller 46 initiates the next ice making cycle 202 . At the end of the ice making cycle 202 , the controller 46 returns to ice making cycle completion 204 and restarts the decision making process 200 .
- the temperature T 1 can be 33 degrees Fahrenheit
- the temperature T 2 can be 34 degrees Fahrenheit
- the period of time X can be one hour.
- the temperature T 1 can be set by a user.
- the ice maker 30 can be run until the ice bin 50 has a user desired level of ice.
- the user can then access the current temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 and set temperature T 1 to be equal to the current temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 .
- the controller 46 is configured so that the user can set temperature T 1 through the control unit 182 .
- the user can access current temperature T B of the bin thermistor 176 through the control unit 182 .
- Temperature T 2 can be set to equal temperature T 1 plus two degrees. Alternatively, the user can also set temperature T 2 .
Abstract
A clear ice maker unit has a clear ice maker mechanism with a cascading water evaporator configured to make clear ice during ice making cycles. A controller uses fuzzy logic to control the clear ice maker and determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on input signals from a thermistor in the ice storage bin. The controller will prevent initiation of an ice making cycle when the ice bin is at or below a threshold temperature. The controller will also prohibit ice making when the ice bin is at or below a second, slightly higher temperature for more than a prescribed period of time. In this way, the clear ice maker can recognize an uneven distribution of ice and maintain an optimal amount of ice in the bin.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/862,340 filed on Oct. 20, 2006, and entitled “Ice Maker with Ice Bin Level Control,” hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
- Not applicable.
- The present invention relates to the manufacture of ice, and particularly to automated clear ice maker units.
- A conventional ice maker forms ice cubes by depositing water in a mold attached to an evaporator and allowing the water to freeze in a sedentary state. Such an approach results in clouded ice cubes resulting from air and impurities present within the frozen water.
- It is also known to form ice by flowing water over a freezing surface to allow the air and impurities to separate from the water before freezing layer-by-layer to form the ice cube. This eliminates the clouding associated with sedentary freezing. These “clear ice” makers using such a flowing process have typically been used in commercial applications. One example of a clear ice maker is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,439, issued Dec. 24, 1996 to Schlosser et al. In that patent, water flows over a vertically disposed evaporator plate whose surface defines pockets. The water flows over the pockets, and an ice cube is formed in each pocket. The ice cubes are harvested by passing hot vaporous refrigerant through the evaporator in place of the cold refrigerant.
- It is conventional for harvested ice cubes to fall into an ice bin where the ice cubes are stored until they are used. The ice bin can properly store a certain maximum amount of ice cubes, and ice making must be stopped when the ice bin is full to prevent overfilling the ice bin. Overfilling the ice bin can cause ice to spill out of the ice maker when the ice maker door is opened. Overfilling the ice bin can also lead to ice building up in the ice making assembly which can result in water traveling down the built-up ice into the ice bin thereby melting the ice stored therein.
- The ice level in the ice bin can be sensed to control the production of ice and to prevent overfilling the ice bin. If the ice bin is refrigerated, a mechanical arm or a light sensor can sense the ice level in the bin and shut off power to the ice making assembly when the ice reaches a certain level. The mechanical arm is pushed up by the ice thereby throwing a switch that shuts down the ice making assembly. Optical mechanisms can have a light source, light sensor, and/or reflector that shut down the ice making assembly when the path of travel of the light is disrupted by the ice. If the ice bin is not refrigerated, a thermostat located in the ice bin can interrupt the power supply to the ice making assembly when the thermostat drops below a certain temperature.
- In some clear ice makers, the ice can fall out of the ice making assembly as slabs of cubes. Usually, the slab falls into the ice bin and breaks into individual cubes when the slab hits the bin or ice stored in the bin. Sometimes, however, the slab does not break apart upon impact with the bin or the stored ice. Slabs tend to fail to break apart when the ice bin is more full, and the slab does not fall very far before hitting the stored ice. The slabs can then stack up to a side of the ice bin so that the ice is not stored uniformly in the ice bin (e.g., a side of the bin is full of stacked slabs and another side is empty). Mechanical arm, optical, and thermostat ice level sensors will detect the improperly stacked ice and prevent more ice from being produced even though storage space in the ice bin is actually available. Thus, the amount of ice produced and the amount of ice stored in the bin is negatively impacted.
- The present invention provides a clear ice maker with a controller that can determine improperly stacked ice.
- Specifically, in one aspect the invention provides an ice maker unit having an ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the ice maker mechanism being capable of producing ice during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing the ice into an ice bin within the cabinet. The ice maker unit includes a sensor disposed in the cabinet to sense the temperature at the ice bin and an electronic control having clock circuitry and fuzzy logic programming for controlling the ice maker mechanism. The control is electrically coupled to the sensor to receive an input signal from the sensor associated with a bin temperature. The control uses the fuzzy logic programming to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on the bin temperature sensed by the sensor. The control initiates the next ice making cycle only if first and second conditions are met. The first condition is that the bin temperature is above a first threshold temperature and the second condition is that the bin temperature is not below a second threshold temperature for a prescribed time period.
- The sensor can be disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin. The second condition can correspond to an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
- The first threshold temperature can be essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit and wherein the second threshold temperature can be essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The prescribed time period can be set according to a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles. The prescribed number of ice making cycles can be three.
- The ice maker unit can include a user input connected to the controller, wherein the first threshold temperature can be set by the user input.
- The ice maker unit can be a clear ice maker unit with a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice.
- The ice bin can not be cooled by a refrigeration system.
- In another aspect, the present invention provides a clear ice maker unit with a cabinet defining an ice maker chamber and an ice storage bin. The ice maker includes a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice. A controller is configured to control the clear ice maker, the controller configured to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle. A sensor is connected to the controller and disposed in the ice storage bin for sensing a bin temperature. The controller is configured to prevent the initiation of the next ice making cycle when the bin temperature is not above a first temperature and is less than or equal to a second temperature for a prescribed time period, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.
- The evaporator can have a plurality of pockets therein, and the clear ice maker mechanism can be capable of cascading water over the evaporator during the plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into the ice storage bin.
- The sensor can be disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin.
- The second temperature can be associated with an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
- The prescribed time period can be set according a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles.
- The first temperature can be essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit, the second temperature can be essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and the prescribed time period can be essentially one hour.
- The clear ice maker can include a user input connected to the control so that the first temperature can be set by the user input.
- The sensor can be a thermistor.
- The ice storage bin can not be cooled by a refrigeration system.
- In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for making clear ice in a clear ice maker unit having a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the clear ice maker mechanism being capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into an ice bin within the cabinet. The method includes detecting an uneven ice distribution in the ice bin in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above a maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin and prohibiting a next ice making cycle following detection of an uneven ice distribution condition.
- The method can also include sensing an ice bin temperature at a maximum ice level in the ice bin before initiation of the next ice making cycle, prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature, and prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a second temperature for more than a prescribed period of time.
- These and still other features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clear ice maker unit having the features of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof similar toFIG. 1 albeit with its cabinet door open so that the interior of the cabinet is visible; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clear ice maker evaporator of the ice maker unit ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a partially filled ice bin with an uneven ice distribution; -
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a partially filled ice bin with an even ice distribution; -
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a filled ice bin with an even ice distribution; -
FIG. 9 is diagram of the refrigeration system of the ice maker unit ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 10 is a schematic of the control system of the ice maker unit ofFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 11 is a flow chart for determining whether to initiate a next ice making cycle. - Referring to
FIGS. 1-2 , aclear ice maker 30 includes acabinet 32 with an upper forward opening 34 and an interior 36. Theopening 34 is closed by adoor 38 that is hinged to thecabinet 32. The interior 36 includes an ice making area 40 in the upper portion of thecabinet 32 and abin area 42 below the ice making area 40. The ice making area 40 includes a clearice maker assembly 44. As discussed below, the clearice maker assembly 44 is electrically connected to acontroller 46 and connected to a refrigeration system 48. Thebin area 42 includes arectangular ice bin 50. Thebin area 42 and ice in theice bin 50 are not cooled by the refrigeration system 48. Both thecabinet 32 and thedoor 38 are formed of inner molded plastic members and outer formed metal members with the space filled with an insulating layer of foam material, all of which is well known in the art. Thus, ice in theice bin 50 is insulated from the ambient air. - Referring now to
FIGS. 2-5 , the clearice maker assembly 44 is positioned in the ice making area 40. The clearice maker assembly 44 includes ametal evaporator grid 70 mounted in aplastic shroud 72. Theevaporator grid 70 has a series of vertical and horizontal dividers 70 a and 70 b, respectively, which extend from arear wall 74 and between lateral edges to divide theevaporator grid 70 into a series of pockets. As best shown inFIG. 3 , the horizontal dividers 70 b slope towards the bottom front of theevaporator grid 70. - The
shroud 72 is formed of a plastic material such as a polypropylene or ABS and is molded about theevaporator grid 70. Theshroud 72 has a continuous bulbous edge which engulfs the edges of theevaporator grid 70. Theshroud 72 has laterally extendingwing portions 76 projecting from each end of theevaporator grid 70. Abib portion 80 of theshroud 72 is disposed beneath the bottom edge of theevaporator grid 70 and contains integral projectingdeflector fins 82. Eachdeflector fin 82 is aligned with the center of a column of pockets in theevaporator grid 70. - The
shroud 72 also includes aninclined roof 86 disposed above theevaporator grid 70. Awater distributor 88 is attached to theshroud wings 76 above theroof 86. As shown inFIG. 5 , thedistributor 88 has a floor 90 with acentral well 92 at one edge. Spaced upright barriers 94 a and 94 b extend from the floor 90 beyond the well 92. A second series of spaced barriers 96 a, 96 b, et seq. extend between the barriers 94 a and 94 b and arear edge 98 of the floor 90. Water deposited in the well 92 will be directed by the barriers 94 and 96 to flow uniformly over therear edge 98 and on to theinclined roof 86. The water will thereafter flow over theroof 86 of theshroud 72, and into and over the surfaces of the pockets inevaporator grid 70. Uniform distribution of the water is further ensured by aguide 100 that has atop opening 102 that receives an end of awater tube 103 and a cylindrical wall section 104 that fits around a portion of the well 92. Theguide 100 fixes thewater tube 103 at the middle of thedistributor 88. The water tube is also secured in place by a rivet connection to the top of thecabinet 32. - An
ice maker evaporator 108 is attached to therear wall 74 of theevaporator grid 70. Theice maker evaporator 108 is a part of the refrigeration system 48 shown schematically inFIG. 9 . - Referring now to
FIG. 9 , the refrigeration system 48 includes acompressor 120, anaccumulator 122, theice maker evaporator 108, ahot gas bypass 124, acondenser 126, acondenser fan 128, and adryer 130. Thecompressor 120,condenser 126 andcondenser fan 128 are located at the bottom ofcabinet 32 beneath the insulated portion, as shown inFIG. 2 . Theevaporator 108 has anoutlet line 132 that passes through theaccumulator 122 to thecompressor 120. The output of thecompressor 120 is connected to an inlet of thecondenser 126 having anoutlet line 134 connected to thedryer 130. Acapillary tube 136 leads from thedryer 130 to an inlet of theevaporator 108. As is known, the compressor draws refrigerant from theevaporator 108 andaccumulator 122 and discharges the refrigerant under increased pressure and temperature to thecondenser 126. The hot refrigerant gas entering thecondenser 126 is cooled by air circulated by thecondenser fan 128. As the temperature of the refrigerant drops under substantially constant pressure, the refrigerant in thecondenser 126 liquefies. Thecapillary tube 136 maintains the high pressure in thecondenser 126 and at the compressor outlet while providing substantially reduced pressure in theevaporator 108. The substantially reduced pressure in theevaporator 108 results in a large temperature drop and subsequent absorption of heat by theevaporator 108. - The hot
gas bypass valve 124 is disposed in aline 138 between the outlet of thecompressor 120 and the inlet of theevaporator 108. When the hot gas bypass valve is opened, hot refrigerant will enter theevaporator 108, thereby heating theevaporator 108 andevaporator grid 70. - Referring now to
FIGS. 3-5 , awater sump 140 has atrough portion 142 extending beneath theevaporator grid 70. Thetrough 142 extends along the one side wall of thecabinet 32, along a rear wall, and to an opposite side wall of thecabinet 32. The bottom of the trough portion slopes downwardly to the level of a well 144 in which aninlet 146 of awater pump 148 is mounted. An outlet of thewater pump 148 is connected to the well 144 in thedistributor 88. Aremovable stand pipe 152 extends into thesump 140 and leads to anoverflow pipe 154. Thestand pipe 154 opens to a drain 156 in the bottom of thebin area 42 in thecabinet 32. The drain can be connected to a drain in the home plumbing. Alternatively, the drain may lead to an overflow collector in the space beneath the insulated portion of thecabinet 32. Fresh water from an external source may be provided periodically to thesump 140 through a water fill valve. - In general operation, water from the
sump 140 is pumped by thepump 148 to thedistributor 88 which delivers a cascade of water over the surfaces of theevaporator grid 70. When theevaporator 108 is connected to receive liquefied refrigerant from thecondenser 126, the water cascading over the surfaces of theevaporator grid 70 will freeze in layers and build up to form cubes of ice in the pockets. The pure water freezes first and impurities in the water will be left in suspension in the flowing water. Once the ice cubes are formed, the hotgas bypass valve 124 is opened and heated refrigerant is delivered to theevaporator 108, thereby warming the surface of theevaporator grid 70 until the ice cubes dislodge from theevaporator plate grid 70. The dislodged ice cubes will fall into thebin 50 and are directed away from thetrough portion 142 of thesump 140 by thefins 82. Not all water cascading over the surface of the evaporator plate will freeze. The excess water is collected in thetrough 142 and returned to the well 144 where it is re-circulated to thedistributor 88 by thepump 148. During ice harvest (after each freezing cycle), a charge of fresh water is delivered to thesump 140 by the water fill valve to dilute the water and flush impurities through theoverflow pipe 152 and out the drain. - Referring now to
FIG. 10 , theclear ice maker 30 includes anelectrical system 170 for controlling the operation of thecompressor 120, asolenoid 172 for the hotgas bypass valve 124, asolenoid 174 for the water fill valve,condenser fan 128, and thewater pump 148. Thecontroller 46 is a microprocessor that operates by programmed logic and in response to sensor and user inputs. Theelectrical system 170 includes abin thermistor 176 and aliquid line thermistor 178 disposed in the outlet line of thecondenser 126. Thebin thermistor 176 is mounted to theice bin 50 at abin thermistor height 180 as discussed hereinafter. The thermistors are commercially available conventional parts. A userinterface control unit 182 mounted near the top of theclear ice maker 30 receives user commands. Thecontrol unit 182 includes a display panel 184, apower input 186, a warmer input 188, a cooler input 190 and alight input 192. - Upon initial start-up or restarting with the temperature of the
bin thermistor 172 above 35 degrees Fahrenheit, thecontroller 46 energizes the hotgas bypass solenoid 172 and the waterinlet valve solenoid 174 for a period of time. This will fill thesump 140 with fresh water to the level of theoverflow pipe 152. Thereafter, thecompressor 120, thecondenser fan 128 and thewater circulation pump 148 are energized. After a short period of time, such as ten seconds, the water fillinlet valve solenoid 174 and the hotgas bypass solenoid 172 are de-energized. Theice maker 30 is now in a freeze cycle of an ice making cycle. - After a certain predetermined period of time into the freeze cycle, such as four minutes, a reading of the liquid refrigerant temperature sensed by the
thermistor 178 is taken. This temperature reading will determine the remaining length of time for the freeze cycle and may also be used to set or adjust the duration of the ice harvest cycle. The higher the temperature of the liquid refrigerant, the longer the freeze cycle. For example, if the liquid refrigerant temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the total freeze time will be about 14 minutes. If the sensed temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the total freeze time will be about 22 minutes. At a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the freeze time will be about 30 minutes. - The
controller 46 is programmed so that once an ice making cycle has been initiated, the ice making cycle will continue to completion through ice harvest regardless of the temperature reading of thebin thermistor 176. This prevents the ice making cycle from terminating prematurely thereby ensuring that full-sized ice cubes are formed. When the freeze time has elapsed,controller 46 causes theclear ice maker 30 to enter ice harvest mode in which thecompressor 120 remains energized while thewater pump 148 andcondenser fan 128 are de-energized and the solenoids for the hotgas bypass valve 124 and the water inlet valve 160 are energized. The hot refrigerant gas flowing through theice maker evaporator 120 will loosen the ice formed in the pockets of theevaporator grid 70 so that the ice can fall into theice bin 50. A typical harvest cycle lasts approximately 2-3 minute. The length of the ice harvest cycle can be dependent upon the reading of theliquid line thermistor 178. The length of the harvest cycle would thus be adjusted inversely based upon the first sensed temperature of the liquid line thermistor. For example, if the sensed temperature of theliquid line thermistor 178 is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a harvest cycle of 2 minutes would be used. If the temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or above, the harvest cycle will be reduced in time to 1.5 minutes. The harvest cycle can also be made constant for a range of temperatures or entirely independent of the temperature ofliquid line thermistor 178. - At the conclusion of the harvest cycle, the
controller 46 determines whether to initiate another ice making cycle based on the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176, which indicates the level of the ice in theice bin 50. Theice bin 50 is not cooled by therefrigeration system 50; therefore, the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176 is determined by the ice in theice bin 50. As the ice fills theice bin 50, the ice approaches thebin thermistor 176, which causes thebin thermistor 176 to be cooled. When ice is adjacent to theice bin thermistor 176 and thebin 50 is uniformly filled with ice, the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176 will be at its lowest. Thus, the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176 can be used to control the height of the ice in theice bin 50 by stopping the production of ice when the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176 indicates that ice is adjacent to thebin thermistor 176. The icebin thermistor height 180 can be set to equal the maximum desired ice level in thebin 50 in order to ensure that thebin 50 is not overfilled and to maximize ice production. - Referring to
FIG. 8 , when the ice fills theice bin 50 uniformly, the ice level is at or minimally above thebin thermistor height 180 and ice is adjacent theice bin thermistor 176, the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 will be equal to or less than a temperature T1. The temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 may also be equal to or less than temperature T1 when the ice fills theice bin 50 non-uniformly but the ice is stacked against the wall of thebin 50 to which thebin thermistor 176 is attached. Thecontroller 46 can be programmed to prohibit the initiation of further ice making cycles when the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T1. The temperature T1 can vary depending on the configuration of theice maker 30 and/or environmental conditions. In an embodiment, T1 can be set to 33 degrees Fahrenheit. - Referring now to
FIG. 6 , it is possible that ice will not also stack up uniformly across theice bin 50. This can be caused if the slabs of ice are not broken apart into ice cubes when the slabs fall into thebin 50. When the ice does not stack up uniformly across theice bin 50, it is possible that the ice will reach the maximum desired ice level on one or more sides of the ice bin, but the ice will not be positioned adjacent theice bin thermistor 176. Thus, the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176 will not reach a temperature below temperature T1, which means that ice production would not be halted and more ice would be produced. Additionally, the ice may stack up non-uniformly across theice bin 50 so that ice may be adjacent thebin thermistor 176, but the volume of ice adjacent thebin thermistor 176 may not be large enough to cool thebin thermistor 176 sufficiently to reach a temperature below T1. As shown inFIG. 6 , thebin 50 has more room for ice, but would overfill after more than a few further ice making cycles without the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176 reaching temperature T1. The temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176 may not reach a temperature below temperature T1, but the temperature of theice bin thermistor 176 will reach a temperature near temperature T1 as thebin 50 fills up with ice. To prevent overfilling thebin 50 when the ice is not stacked correctly in thebin 50, thecontroller 46 can use fuzzy logic to prohibit the initiation of further ice making cycles when the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T2 for a period of time X. A temperature TB ofthermistor 178 below temperature T2 indicates that thebin 50 is nearly full of ice and/or the ice is not stacked uniformly, which means that thebin 50 has room for more ice, but not too much more ice. The length of the period of time X can be set to allow for the appropriate number of further ice making cycles. The temperature T2 and the period of time X can vary depending on the configuration of theice maker 30 and/or environmental conditions. In one embodiment, for example, the temperature T2 can be set to 35 degrees Fahrenheit and the period of time X can be set to one hour to allow for three more ice making cycles, which maximizes ice production and minimizes the risk of overfilling thebin 50. - During operation of the
ice maker 30, thecontroller 46 monitors the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176, and logs into memory the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176, and the time the temperature reading was taken so that thecontroller 46 can analyze the historical temperature data to calculate the time that the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176 is below temperature T2. Alternatively, thecontroller 46 can be configured to track the period of time that the temperature TB of theice bin thermistor 176 is below temperature T2. -
FIG. 11 shows adecision making process 200 of determining whether to initiate anice making cycle 202. Beginning with an ice makingcycle completion 204, thecontroller 46 determines atdecision block 206 whether the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T1. If the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T1, thecontroller 46 does not initiate theice making cycle 202 and thecontroller 46 stays indecision block 206. If the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is greater than temperature T1, thecontroller 46 determines at adecision block 208 whether the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T2 for more than the period of time X. If the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is less than or equal to temperature T2 for more than the period of time X, the controller does not initiate nextice making cycle 202 and returns todecision block 206. If the temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 is greater than temperature T2 for more than the period of time X, thecontroller 46 initiates the nextice making cycle 202. At the end of theice making cycle 202, thecontroller 46 returns to ice makingcycle completion 204 and restarts thedecision making process 200. In an embodiment, the temperature T1 can be 33 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature T2 can be 34 degrees Fahrenheit, and the period of time X can be one hour. - In order to adapt the
ice maker 30 to different environments, running conditions and user preferences, the temperature T1 can be set by a user. For example, theice maker 30 can be run until theice bin 50 has a user desired level of ice. The user can then access the current temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 and set temperature T1 to be equal to the current temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176. Thecontroller 46 is configured so that the user can set temperature T1 through thecontrol unit 182. The user can access current temperature TB of thebin thermistor 176 through thecontrol unit 182. Temperature T2 can be set to equal temperature T1 plus two degrees. Alternatively, the user can also set temperature T2. - It should be appreciated that merely a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above. However, many modifications and variations to the preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art, which will be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the described embodiment. To ascertain the full scope of the invention, the following claims should be referenced.
Claims (20)
1. An ice maker unit having an ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the ice maker mechanism being capable producing ice during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing the ice into an ice bin within the cabinet, the ice maker unit comprising:
a sensor disposed in the cabinet to sense the temperature at the ice bin; and
an electronic control having clock circuitry and fuzzy logic programming for controlling the ice maker mechanism, the control being electrically coupled to the sensor to receive an input signal from the sensor associated with a bin temperature, the control using the fuzzy logic programming to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on the bin temperature sensed by the sensor, wherein the control initiates the next ice making cycle only if first and second conditions are met, wherein in the first condition the bin temperature is above a first threshold temperature and in the second condition the bin temperature is not below a second threshold temperature for a prescribed time period.
2. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin.
3. The ice maker unit of claim 2 , wherein the second condition corresponds to an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
4. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold temperature is essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit and wherein the second threshold temperature is essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , wherein the prescribed time period is set according to a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles.
6. The ice maker unit of claim 5 , wherein the prescribed number of ice making cycles is three.
7. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , further comprising a user input connected to the control, wherein the first threshold temperature can be set by the user input.
8. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , wherein the ice maker unit includes a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice.
9. The ice maker unit of claim 1 , wherein the ice bin is not refrigerated.
10. A clear ice maker unit, comprising:
a cabinet defining an ice maker chamber and an ice storage bin;
a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in the ice maker chamber and capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles, each ice making cycle resulting in the production of a quantity of clear ice;
a controller configured to control the clear ice maker, the controller configured to determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle; and
a sensor connected to the controller and disposed in the ice storage bin for sensing a bin temperature;
wherein the controller is configured to prevent the initiation of the next ice making cycle when the bin temperature is not above a first temperature and is less than or equal to a second temperature for a prescribed time period, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature.
11. The clear ice maker unit of claim 10 , wherein the evaporator has a plurality of pockets therein, and wherein the clear ice maker mechanism is capable of cascading water over the evaporator during the plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into the ice storage bin.
12. The clear ice maker unit of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a height corresponding to a maximum ice level in the ice bin.
13. The clear ice maker unit of claim 12 , wherein the second temperature is associated with an uneven ice distribution condition in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above the maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin.
14. The clear ice maker unit of claim 13 , wherein the prescribed time period is set according to a time needed to complete a prescribed number of ice making cycles.
15. The clear ice maker unit of claim 14 , wherein the first temperature is essentially 33 degrees Fahrenheit, the second temperature is essentially 34 degrees Fahrenheit and the prescribed time period is essentially one hour.
16. The clear ice maker unit of claim 10 , further comprising a user input connected to the controller, wherein the first temperature can be set by the user input.
17. The clear ice maker unit of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is a thermistor.
18. The clear ice maker unit of claim 10 , wherein the ice storage bin is not refrigerated.
19. A method for making clear ice in a clear ice maker unit having a clear ice maker mechanism disposed in an ice maker chamber of an insulated cabinet, the clear ice maker mechanism being capable of cascading water over a vertically disposed evaporator during a plurality of ice making cycles and depositing clear ice formed on the evaporator into an ice bin within the cabinet, the method comprising:
detecting an uneven ice distribution in the ice bin in which ice is disposed in the ice bin at or above a maximum ice level at only a portion of the ice bin; and
prohibiting a next ice making cycle following detection of an uneven ice distribution condition.
20. The method of claim 19 , further including:
sensing an ice bin temperature at a maximum ice level in the ice bin before initiation of the next ice making cycle;
prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a first temperature; and
prohibiting initiation of the next ice making cycle if the bin temperature is less than or equal to a second temperature for more than a prescribed period of time.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/681,963 US20080092567A1 (en) | 2006-10-20 | 2007-03-05 | Ice maker with ice bin level control |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US86234006P | 2006-10-20 | 2006-10-20 | |
US11/681,963 US20080092567A1 (en) | 2006-10-20 | 2007-03-05 | Ice maker with ice bin level control |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080092567A1 true US20080092567A1 (en) | 2008-04-24 |
Family
ID=39316599
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/681,963 Abandoned US20080092567A1 (en) | 2006-10-20 | 2007-03-05 | Ice maker with ice bin level control |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080092567A1 (en) |
Cited By (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080092574A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooler with multi-parameter cube ice maker control |
US7878009B2 (en) | 2006-08-30 | 2011-02-01 | U-Line Corporation | Cooling unit with data logging control |
WO2014120845A1 (en) * | 2013-01-29 | 2014-08-07 | True Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Apparatus and method for sensing ice thickness in an ice maker |
US20160054044A1 (en) * | 2014-08-22 | 2016-02-25 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
US9353981B2 (en) | 2013-01-21 | 2016-05-31 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker |
JP2017032173A (en) * | 2015-07-29 | 2017-02-09 | ホシザキ株式会社 | Ice-making device |
US20170122643A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2017-05-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker with heatless ice removal and method for heatless removal of ice |
US20170152132A1 (en) * | 2014-07-25 | 2017-06-01 | Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh | Refrigeration appliance having an ice and/or water dispenser |
EP3217124A1 (en) * | 2016-03-08 | 2017-09-13 | Brema Ice Makers SpA | Ice production machine with electromechanical peripheral apparatus and automatic washing control electronic device |
US20170268813A1 (en) * | 2016-03-16 | 2017-09-21 | The Coca-Cola Company | Ice Dispenser with Reduced Ice Bridging Therein |
US11255593B2 (en) * | 2019-06-19 | 2022-02-22 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Ice making assembly including a sealed system for regulating the temperature of the ice mold |
US20230075580A1 (en) * | 2021-09-08 | 2023-03-09 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Ice maker for a refrigerator and method for producing clear ice |
US20230123955A1 (en) * | 2021-10-20 | 2023-04-20 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Sensor assembly for detecting ice level in a water jacket cooled ice storage chamber |
US11747071B2 (en) | 2021-10-07 | 2023-09-05 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Systems and methods for detecting and monitoring ice formation within an ice maker |
US11802727B2 (en) | 2020-01-18 | 2023-10-31 | True Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Ice maker |
Citations (41)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1110137A (en) * | 1914-03-19 | 1914-09-08 | Johnson Service Co | Thermostatic control device. |
US1588287A (en) * | 1922-08-21 | 1926-06-08 | Willmann Joseph | Temperature-controlled, temperature-indicating, and time-durationindicating device |
US4238930A (en) * | 1978-12-26 | 1980-12-16 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker apparatus |
US4387578A (en) * | 1981-04-20 | 1983-06-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Electronic sensing and display system for a refrigerator |
US4404522A (en) * | 1981-05-12 | 1983-09-13 | Sangamo Weston, Inc. | Display connection scheme for modular analog/digital instrument |
US4481787A (en) * | 1982-07-16 | 1984-11-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Sequentially controlled single evaporator refrigerator |
US4531375A (en) * | 1984-05-14 | 1985-07-30 | Carrier Corporation | Purge system monitor for a refrigeration system |
US4852359A (en) * | 1988-07-27 | 1989-08-01 | Manzotti Ermanno J | Process and apparatus for making clear ice cubes |
US5065584A (en) * | 1990-07-30 | 1991-11-19 | U-Line Corporation | Hot gas bypass defrosting system |
US5097671A (en) * | 1990-07-05 | 1992-03-24 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Air conditioner |
US5115643A (en) * | 1989-12-01 | 1992-05-26 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method for operating air conditioner |
US5129237A (en) * | 1989-06-26 | 1992-07-14 | Servend International, Inc. | Ice making machine with freeze and harvest control |
US5212621A (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1993-05-18 | Cnc Retrofits, Inc. | Proximity switched machine control method and apparatus |
US5216893A (en) * | 1990-10-30 | 1993-06-08 | Whirlpool International B.V. | Device for controlling the operation of a refrigeration appliance, such as a domestic refrigerator, a freezer or the like |
US5289691A (en) * | 1992-12-11 | 1994-03-01 | The Manitowoc Company, Inc. | Self-cleaning self-sterilizing ice making machine |
US5455743A (en) * | 1993-02-19 | 1995-10-03 | Sony Corporation | Switch panel for electronic device |
US5460006A (en) * | 1993-11-16 | 1995-10-24 | Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Monitoring system for food storage device |
US5564285A (en) * | 1994-09-22 | 1996-10-15 | Thermo King Corporation | Method of converting a time based data logger to a time and random event based data logger |
US5662213A (en) * | 1996-03-04 | 1997-09-02 | Delta Systems, Inc. | Trim switch with waterproof boot |
US5715689A (en) * | 1996-04-03 | 1998-02-10 | U-Line Corporation | Evaporator for combination refrigerator/freezer |
US5842355A (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1998-12-01 | Rowe International, Inc. | Defrost control system for a refrigerator |
US5867235A (en) * | 1994-12-20 | 1999-02-02 | Niles Parts Co., Ltd. | Assembling construction of a display apparatus and assembling method therefor |
US6035385A (en) * | 1995-04-28 | 2000-03-07 | Sgs-Thomson Microelectronics S.A. | Circuit for loading a memory rules for a fuzzy logic microprocessor upon start-up of the circuit |
US6058731A (en) * | 1997-04-01 | 2000-05-09 | U-Line Corporation | Domestic clear ice maker |
US20020029575A1 (en) * | 2000-09-11 | 2002-03-14 | Takehisa Okamoto | Remote inspection and control of refrigerator |
US6656360B2 (en) * | 1994-12-23 | 2003-12-02 | Alliedsignal Inc. | Fibrous system for continuously capturing metals from an aqueous stream |
US6817200B2 (en) * | 2001-10-01 | 2004-11-16 | Marty Willamor | Split ice making and delivery system for maritime and other applications |
US20050115259A1 (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2005-06-02 | Dejan Ergarac | Refrigerator |
US20060021363A1 (en) * | 2004-08-02 | 2006-02-02 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Vehicle temperature regulation control unit |
US7062936B2 (en) * | 2003-11-21 | 2006-06-20 | U-Line Corporation | Clear ice making refrigerator |
US20060218958A1 (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-05 | U-Line Corporation | Pull-out access cooler unit |
US7140551B2 (en) * | 2004-03-01 | 2006-11-28 | Honeywell International Inc. | HVAC controller |
US7228704B2 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2007-06-12 | U-Line Corporation | Drawer refrigeration unit |
US20070251257A1 (en) * | 2006-04-28 | 2007-11-01 | Rand Thomas W | Control for cooler unit |
US20080053119A1 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2008-03-06 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling Unit With Coded Input Control |
US20080059003A1 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2008-03-06 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling unit with data logging control |
US20080092566A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Rand Thomas W | Single evaporator refrigerator/freezer unit with interdependent temperature control |
US20080092569A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling unit with multi-parameter defrost control |
US7556207B2 (en) * | 2005-08-04 | 2009-07-07 | Emerson Electric Co. | Thermostat with touch membrane feature |
US7573701B2 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2009-08-11 | U-Line Corporation | Electronic control mount with switch support and light guide |
US7575179B2 (en) * | 2006-04-22 | 2009-08-18 | International Contols And Measurments Corp. | Reconfigurable programmable thermostat |
-
2007
- 2007-03-05 US US11/681,963 patent/US20080092567A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (44)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1110137A (en) * | 1914-03-19 | 1914-09-08 | Johnson Service Co | Thermostatic control device. |
US1588287A (en) * | 1922-08-21 | 1926-06-08 | Willmann Joseph | Temperature-controlled, temperature-indicating, and time-durationindicating device |
US4238930A (en) * | 1978-12-26 | 1980-12-16 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker apparatus |
US4387578A (en) * | 1981-04-20 | 1983-06-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Electronic sensing and display system for a refrigerator |
US4404522A (en) * | 1981-05-12 | 1983-09-13 | Sangamo Weston, Inc. | Display connection scheme for modular analog/digital instrument |
US4481787A (en) * | 1982-07-16 | 1984-11-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Sequentially controlled single evaporator refrigerator |
US4531375A (en) * | 1984-05-14 | 1985-07-30 | Carrier Corporation | Purge system monitor for a refrigeration system |
US4852359A (en) * | 1988-07-27 | 1989-08-01 | Manzotti Ermanno J | Process and apparatus for making clear ice cubes |
US5129237A (en) * | 1989-06-26 | 1992-07-14 | Servend International, Inc. | Ice making machine with freeze and harvest control |
US5115643A (en) * | 1989-12-01 | 1992-05-26 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Method for operating air conditioner |
US5212621A (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1993-05-18 | Cnc Retrofits, Inc. | Proximity switched machine control method and apparatus |
US5097671A (en) * | 1990-07-05 | 1992-03-24 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Air conditioner |
US5065584A (en) * | 1990-07-30 | 1991-11-19 | U-Line Corporation | Hot gas bypass defrosting system |
US5216893A (en) * | 1990-10-30 | 1993-06-08 | Whirlpool International B.V. | Device for controlling the operation of a refrigeration appliance, such as a domestic refrigerator, a freezer or the like |
US5289691A (en) * | 1992-12-11 | 1994-03-01 | The Manitowoc Company, Inc. | Self-cleaning self-sterilizing ice making machine |
US5586439A (en) * | 1992-12-11 | 1996-12-24 | The Manitowoc Company, Inc. | Ice making machine |
US5455743A (en) * | 1993-02-19 | 1995-10-03 | Sony Corporation | Switch panel for electronic device |
US5460006A (en) * | 1993-11-16 | 1995-10-24 | Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Monitoring system for food storage device |
US5564285A (en) * | 1994-09-22 | 1996-10-15 | Thermo King Corporation | Method of converting a time based data logger to a time and random event based data logger |
US5867235A (en) * | 1994-12-20 | 1999-02-02 | Niles Parts Co., Ltd. | Assembling construction of a display apparatus and assembling method therefor |
US6656360B2 (en) * | 1994-12-23 | 2003-12-02 | Alliedsignal Inc. | Fibrous system for continuously capturing metals from an aqueous stream |
US5842355A (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 1998-12-01 | Rowe International, Inc. | Defrost control system for a refrigerator |
US6035385A (en) * | 1995-04-28 | 2000-03-07 | Sgs-Thomson Microelectronics S.A. | Circuit for loading a memory rules for a fuzzy logic microprocessor upon start-up of the circuit |
US5662213A (en) * | 1996-03-04 | 1997-09-02 | Delta Systems, Inc. | Trim switch with waterproof boot |
US5715689A (en) * | 1996-04-03 | 1998-02-10 | U-Line Corporation | Evaporator for combination refrigerator/freezer |
US6058731A (en) * | 1997-04-01 | 2000-05-09 | U-Line Corporation | Domestic clear ice maker |
US6148621A (en) * | 1997-04-01 | 2000-11-21 | U-Line Corporation | Domestic clear ice maker |
US20020029575A1 (en) * | 2000-09-11 | 2002-03-14 | Takehisa Okamoto | Remote inspection and control of refrigerator |
US6817200B2 (en) * | 2001-10-01 | 2004-11-16 | Marty Willamor | Split ice making and delivery system for maritime and other applications |
US20050115259A1 (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2005-06-02 | Dejan Ergarac | Refrigerator |
US7062936B2 (en) * | 2003-11-21 | 2006-06-20 | U-Line Corporation | Clear ice making refrigerator |
US7140551B2 (en) * | 2004-03-01 | 2006-11-28 | Honeywell International Inc. | HVAC controller |
US20060021363A1 (en) * | 2004-08-02 | 2006-02-02 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Vehicle temperature regulation control unit |
US7228704B2 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2007-06-12 | U-Line Corporation | Drawer refrigeration unit |
US20060218958A1 (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-05 | U-Line Corporation | Pull-out access cooler unit |
US7556207B2 (en) * | 2005-08-04 | 2009-07-07 | Emerson Electric Co. | Thermostat with touch membrane feature |
US7575179B2 (en) * | 2006-04-22 | 2009-08-18 | International Contols And Measurments Corp. | Reconfigurable programmable thermostat |
US20070251257A1 (en) * | 2006-04-28 | 2007-11-01 | Rand Thomas W | Control for cooler unit |
US7464566B2 (en) * | 2006-04-28 | 2008-12-16 | U-Line Corporation | Cooler unit with retaining control housing |
US20080053119A1 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2008-03-06 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling Unit With Coded Input Control |
US20080059003A1 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2008-03-06 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling unit with data logging control |
US7573701B2 (en) * | 2006-08-30 | 2009-08-11 | U-Line Corporation | Electronic control mount with switch support and light guide |
US20080092566A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Rand Thomas W | Single evaporator refrigerator/freezer unit with interdependent temperature control |
US20080092569A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooling unit with multi-parameter defrost control |
Cited By (22)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7878009B2 (en) | 2006-08-30 | 2011-02-01 | U-Line Corporation | Cooling unit with data logging control |
US20080092574A1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-24 | Doberstein Andrew J | Cooler with multi-parameter cube ice maker control |
US9353981B2 (en) | 2013-01-21 | 2016-05-31 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker |
US9568230B2 (en) | 2013-01-21 | 2017-02-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker |
US9644879B2 (en) | 2013-01-29 | 2017-05-09 | True Manufacturing Company, Inc. | Apparatus and method for sensing ice thickness and detecting failure modes of an ice maker |
WO2014120845A1 (en) * | 2013-01-29 | 2014-08-07 | True Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Apparatus and method for sensing ice thickness in an ice maker |
US10126035B2 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2018-11-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker with heatless ice removal and method for heatless removal of ice |
US20170122643A1 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2017-05-04 | Whirlpool Corporation | Ice maker with heatless ice removal and method for heatless removal of ice |
US20170152132A1 (en) * | 2014-07-25 | 2017-06-01 | Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh | Refrigeration appliance having an ice and/or water dispenser |
US10495366B2 (en) * | 2014-08-22 | 2019-12-03 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Ice storage apparatus and method of use |
US11378322B2 (en) | 2014-08-22 | 2022-07-05 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Ice storage apparatus and method of use |
US20160054044A1 (en) * | 2014-08-22 | 2016-02-25 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
JP2017032173A (en) * | 2015-07-29 | 2017-02-09 | ホシザキ株式会社 | Ice-making device |
EP3217124A1 (en) * | 2016-03-08 | 2017-09-13 | Brema Ice Makers SpA | Ice production machine with electromechanical peripheral apparatus and automatic washing control electronic device |
US10287115B2 (en) * | 2016-03-16 | 2019-05-14 | The Coca-Cola Company | Ice dispenser with reduced ice bridging therein |
US20170268813A1 (en) * | 2016-03-16 | 2017-09-21 | The Coca-Cola Company | Ice Dispenser with Reduced Ice Bridging Therein |
US11255593B2 (en) * | 2019-06-19 | 2022-02-22 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Ice making assembly including a sealed system for regulating the temperature of the ice mold |
US11802727B2 (en) | 2020-01-18 | 2023-10-31 | True Manufacturing Co., Inc. | Ice maker |
US20230075580A1 (en) * | 2021-09-08 | 2023-03-09 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Ice maker for a refrigerator and method for producing clear ice |
US11747071B2 (en) | 2021-10-07 | 2023-09-05 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Systems and methods for detecting and monitoring ice formation within an ice maker |
US20230123955A1 (en) * | 2021-10-20 | 2023-04-20 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Sensor assembly for detecting ice level in a water jacket cooled ice storage chamber |
US11920848B2 (en) * | 2021-10-20 | 2024-03-05 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Sensor assembly for detecting ice level in a water jacket cooled ice storage chamber |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20080092567A1 (en) | Ice maker with ice bin level control | |
US6058731A (en) | Domestic clear ice maker | |
US7062936B2 (en) | Clear ice making refrigerator | |
CN102405383B (en) | Ice maker control system and method | |
US7131280B2 (en) | Method for making ice in a compact ice maker | |
EP1510767B1 (en) | Low-volume ice-making machine | |
KR101668251B1 (en) | Refrigerator and Control method of the same | |
US20070119193A1 (en) | Ice-dispensing assembly mounted within a refrigerator compartment | |
US20080072610A1 (en) | Apparatus and method for controlling operation of an icemaker | |
US20090165492A1 (en) | Icemaker combination assembly | |
TW200304999A (en) | Ice-making machine with improved water curtain | |
US6895767B2 (en) | Refrigerator and ice maker methods and apparatus | |
EP1589305A1 (en) | Ice-Making Apparatus | |
US20080092569A1 (en) | Cooling unit with multi-parameter defrost control | |
US20080092574A1 (en) | Cooler with multi-parameter cube ice maker control | |
US9091473B2 (en) | Float-type ice making assembly and related refrigeration appliance | |
US5207761A (en) | Refrigerator/water purifier with common evaporator | |
CN113154766B (en) | Refrigerator control method and refrigerator | |
US3803862A (en) | Refrigerator including automatic ice maker | |
KR101507037B1 (en) | Ice dispenser Housing for use of ice maker | |
JP2000258009A (en) | Automatic ice maker | |
KR101952656B1 (en) | sensing method for ice full state of refrigerator | |
KR101442838B1 (en) | Ice making assembly for a refrigerator and method for preventing an overflow therein | |
US20230075580A1 (en) | Ice maker for a refrigerator and method for producing clear ice | |
JP6995222B2 (en) | refrigerator |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: U-LINE CORPORATION, WISCONSIN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DOBERSTEIN, ANDREW J.;RAND, THOMAS W.;REEL/FRAME:018958/0671 Effective date: 20070228 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |