Off-time detector for stand-alone ice making appliances
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsRonald Scott Tarr, Yan Bo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Stand-alone ice making appliances and methods of controlling stand-alone ice making appliances are provided. An appliance includes a container defining a first storage volume for receipt of ice, a water tank defining a second storage volume for receipt of water, and a pump in fluid communication with the second storage volume. The appliance further includes an ice maker which is in fluid communication with the pump for receiving water from the pump. The appliance further includes an off-time detector configured to provide a signal indicative of whether the ice maker has been unpowered for a time period sufficient to begin ice production without overheating.
Claims10
A stand-alone ice making appliance, comprising:
- a removable container disposed within an opening defined by an outer casing of the stand-alone ice making appliance, the removable container defining a first storage volume for receipt of ice;
- a water tank, the water tank defining a second storage volume for receipt of water;
- a pump in fluid communication with the second storage volume for actively flowing water from the water tank;
- an ice maker, the ice maker in fluid communication with the pump for receiving water from the pump;
- an off-time detector comprising a capacitor, wherein the off-time detector is configured to provide a signal indicative of a period of time during which the ice maker has been unpowered which is sufficient to begin ice production without overheating;
- a controller configured to periodically receive one or more measurements indicative of a voltage across the capacitor and wherein the signal indicative of the period of time during which the ice maker has been unpowered is based on the one or more voltage measurements;
- and
- wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal based at least in part on the signal indicative of the period of time during which the ice maker has been unpowered and said control signal causes ice production to begin.
A stand-alone ice making appliance, comprising:
- a removable container disposed within an opening defined by an outer casing of the stand-alone ice making appliance, the removable container defining a first storage volume for receipt of ice;
- a water tank, the water tank defining a second storage volume for receipt of water and disposed below the container along a vertical direction;
- a pump in fluid communication with the second storage volume for actively flowing water from the water tank;
- a reservoir defining a third storage volume, the third storage volume in fluid communication with the pump for receiving water that is actively flowed from the water tank;
- an ice maker, the ice maker comprising a sealed refrigeration system, the sealed refrigeration system comprising a compressor;
- a chute extending between the ice maker and the container for directing ice produced by the ice maker towards the first storage volume;
- an off-time detector comprising a capacitor, wherein the off-time detector is configured to provide a signal indicative of a period of time during which the ice maker has been unpowered which is sufficient to begin ice production without overheating,
- a controller configured to control the ice maker, the controller further configured to periodically receive one or more measurements indicative of a voltage across the capacitor and wherein the signal indicative of the period of time during which the ice maker has been unpowered is based on the one or more voltage measurements, and
- wherein the controller is further configured to generate a control signal based at least in part on the one or more voltage measurements and said control signal causes ice production to begin in a period of time that is less than three minutes after power is restored to the ice maker.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.