Systems and methods for clear ice making in appliances
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsRichard Devos, Brent Alden Junge, Kirk Waiz, Dong Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice making appliance includes an ice mold and a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system includes a pump that is in fluid connection with a water supply and a compressor that is in fluid communication with a bypass valve. The compressor is one of a low back-pressure compressor and a medium back-pressure compressor. A condenser and an evaporator are in fluid communication with the bypass valve. The evaporator is positioned proximate the ice mold. The pump is operable to flow liquid from the water supply over the evaporator. The compressor is configured to turn off during an ice harvesting period, after the ice harvesting period, or both.
Claims17
An ice making appliance, comprising:
- an ice mold;
- and
- a refrigeration system comprising,
- a pump in fluid connection with a water supply,
- a compressor in fluid communication with a bypass valve, the compressor being one of a low back-pressure compressor and a medium back-pressure compressor, and
- a condenser and an evaporator in fluid communication with the bypass valve, the evaporator positioned proximate the ice mold, the pump operable to flow liquid from the water supply over the evaporator,
- wherein the compressor is configured to turn off during an ice harvesting period, after the ice harvesting period, or both, and
- wherein, during a pulldown period and before reactivating the compressor, the pump flows liquid from a reservoir of the water supply over the evaporator, the pulldown period occurring after the ice harvesting period.
An ice making appliance, comprising:
- an ice mold;
- and
- a refrigeration system comprising,
- a pump in fluid connection with a water reservoir,
- a compressor, the compressor being one of a low back-pressure compressor and a medium back-pressure compressor,
- a condenser and an evaporator, the evaporator positioned proximate the ice mold,
- wherein the compressor is configured to turn off during an ice harvesting period,
- wherein the pump is configured to pump water from the water reservoir over the evaporator during the ice harvesting period,
- wherein the compressor is configured to reactivate after a pulldown period, and
- wherein during the pulldown period, before reactivating the compressor, the pump flows liquid from the water reservoir over the evaporator, the pulldown period occurring after the ice harvesting period.
A method of operation an ice making appliance, the ice making appliance comprising one of a low back-pressure compressor and a medium back-pressure compressor, an ice mold, and a pump in fluid connection with a water supply, the method comprising:
- compressing, with the one of the low back-pressure compressor or the medium back-pressure compressor, a refrigerant;
- condensing, by a condenser, the refrigerant;
- heating, by an evaporator, the refrigerant, the evaporator positioned proximate the ice mold such that the refrigerant draws heat from water in the ice mold;
- pumping, by the pump, water from the water supply over the evaporator during an ice harvesting period;
- releasing, from the one of the low back-pressure compressor or the medium back-pressure compressor, hot refrigerant through a bypass valve to the evaporator during the ice harvesting period, the one of the low back-pressure compressor or the medium back-pressure compressor being off during the ice harvesting period when the hot refrigerant is released;
- harvesting, from the ice mold, ice during the ice harvesting period,
- pumping, by the pump, water from the water supply over the evaporator during a pulldown period, the pulldown period occurring after the ice harvesting period, and
- reactivating the one of the low back-pressure compressor or the medium back-pressure compressor after the pulldown period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.