Ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorAlan Joseph Mitchell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance includes a resilient silicone mold defining a mold cavity and a lifter mechanism positioned below the resilient mold for selectively deforming the mold and raising the ice cubes formed therein. A sweep assembly is positioned over the resilient mold and moves to an extended position after the cubes are raised to discharge the ice cubes at a top of the ice making assembly. A fill cup is positioned above the resilient mold for selectively filling the mold cavity with water and a heating element in thermal communication with the fill cup for selectively heating the fill cup to prevent ice jams or clogging.
Claims20
An ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance, the ice making assembly comprising:
- a resilient mold defining a mold cavity;
- a fill cup positioned above the resilient mold for selectively filling the mold cavity with water;
- a heat exchanger defining a cube recess that is configured to receive the resilient mold, the heat exchanger being in thermal communication with the resilient mold to freeze the water and form one or more ice cubes;
- a heating element in thermal communication with the fill cup for selectively heating the fill cup;
- and
- a lifter mechanism positioned below the resilient mold and being movable between a lowered position and a raised position to at least partially separate the resilient mold from the heat exchanger and raise the ice cubes.
A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
- a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;
- an icebox mounted to the door and defining an ice making chamber;
- an ice making assembly positioned within the ice making chamber, the ice making assembly comprising:
- a resilient mold defining a mold cavity;
- a fill cup positioned above the resilient mold for selectively filling the mold cavity with water;
- a heat exchanger defining a cube recess that is configured to receive the resilient mold, the heat exchanger being in thermal communication with the resilient mold to freeze the water and form one or more ice cubes;
- a heating element in thermal communication with the fill cup for selectively heating the fill cup;
- and
- a lifter mechanism positioned below the resilient mold and being movable between a lowered position and a raised position to at least partially separate the resilient mold from the heat exchanger and raise the ice cubes.
An ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance, the ice making assembly comprising:
- a mold defining a mold cavity;
- a fill cup positioned above the mold for discharging water into the mold;
- a sweep arm rotatably mounted to the mold and comprising a radial projections that sweeps through the mold cavity;
- a heat exchanger defining a cube recess that is configured to receive the resilient mold, the heat exchanger being in thermal communication with the mold to freeze the water and form one or more ice cubes;
- a heating element positioned within the fill cup for selectively heating the fill cup;
- and
- a lifter mechanism positioned below the mold and being movable between a lowered position and a raised position to at least partially separate the mold from the heat exchanger and raise the ice cubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.