Cleaning a stand-alone ice making appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorMark Aaron Weaver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stand-alone ice making appliance includes an upper reservoir fluidly coupled to a lower reservoir via a first valve. An ice maker is disposed within the casing. A pump is disposed within the casing and is operable to flow water from the lower reservoir to upper reservoir and the ice maker. A controller is positioned in the casing. A method of operating the stand-alone ice making appliance includes opening the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir. The method also includes draining the liquid from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir and closing the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir. The method further includes operating a descale or cleaning operation of the stand-alone ice making appliance.
Claims18
A stand-alone ice making appliance, comprising:
- a casing;
- a user interface on the casing;
- a container within the casing;
- a lower reservoir removably mounted beneath the container;
- an upper reservoir disposed within the casing, the upper reservoir fluidly coupled to the lower reservoir via a first valve;
- an ice maker disposed within the casing;
- a pump disposed within the casing, the pump in fluid communication with each of the lower reservoir, the upper reservoir and the ice maker, the pump operable to flow water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir and the ice maker;
- and
- a controller positioned in the casing, the controller in signal communication with the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir, the controller configured to:
- open the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- drain fluid from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir;
- close the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- and
- operate a descale or cleaning operation of the stand-alone ice making appliance,
- wherein operating the descale operation further comprises the controller configured to pump fluid from the lower reservoir into the upper reservoir and through the ice maker, and
- wherein after the descale operation, the controller further configured to:
- open the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- drain fluid from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir;
- and
- close the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir.
A method of operating a stand-alone ice making appliance, the stand-alone ice making appliance comprising a casing, a user interface on the casing, a container within the casing, a lower reservoir removably mounted beneath the container, an upper reservoir disposed within the casing, the upper reservoir fluidly coupled to the lower reservoir via a first valve, an ice maker disposed within the casing, a pump disposed within the casing, the pump in fluid communication with each of the lower reservoir, the upper reservoir and the ice maker, the pump operable to flow water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir and the ice maker, and a controller positioned in the casing, the controller in signal communication with the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir, the method comprising:
- opening, by the controller, the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- draining, by the controller, fluid from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir;
- closing, by the controller, the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- and
- operating, by the controller, a descale operation of the stand-alone ice making appliance,
- wherein operating the descale operation further comprises pumping fluid from the lower reservoir into the upper reservoir and through the ice maker, and
- wherein after the descale operation, the method further comprises:
- opening the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir;
- draining fluid from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir;
- and
- closing the first valve between the upper reservoir and the lower reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.