Ice-making system for refrigeration appliance

An ice-making system comprising:

• an ice-making unit adapted to operate within a section of a refrigeration appliance that is maintained at a temperature above zero degrees Centigrade and to be placed in operative association with a refrigeration system for furnishing to the ice-making unit a cooling effect sufficient to freeze water and form ice in the ice-making unit, the ice-making unit and the ice made in the ice-making unit being exposed to the temperature of the section of the refrigeration appliance that is maintained at a temperature above zero degrees Centigrade;
• and
• a reservoir for holding water, the reservoir being adapted to be located within the same section of the refrigeration appliance as the ice-making unit and further adapted to be in fluid communication with a source of water outside the refrigeration appliance whereby water from the source of water may be delivered to the reservoir, a valve for automatically controlling the delivery of water to the reservoir from the source of water outside the refrigerator appliance in response to the quantity of water in the reservoir, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the ice-making unit whereby water from the reservoir may be delivered to the ice-making unit and water from the ice-making unit may be returned to the reservoir.

A method of operating a refrigeration appliance having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment in which an ice-making unit is located so that the ice-making unit and the ice pieces made thereby are exposed to the temperature in the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment being in fluid communication with one another whereby air may be circulated between the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment, the method comprising:

• providing to the freezer compartment a cooling effect sufficient to maintain the freezer compartment at a temperature of zero degrees Centigrade or less;
• circulating air between the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment while maintaining the fresh food compartment at a temperature greater than zero degrees Centigrade;
• providing to the ice-making unit in the fresh food compartment a cooling effect separate from the cooling effect provided to the freezer compartment, the cooling effect provided to the ice-making unit being sufficient to freeze water and form the ice pieces in the ice-making unit.