# US 2014/0150465 A1 · On-door ice maker cooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150465 A1 - Document ID: US20140150465A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,878 - Filed: 2012-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: PATRICK J. BOARMAN; GREGORY GENE HORTIN; MARK E. THOMAS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150465A1 ## CPC - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25B 25/005: {using primary and secondary systems} - F25C 1/04: by using stationary moulds - F25C 5/182: Ice bins therefor - F25D 17/02: for circulating liquids, e.g. brine - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25D 23/04: with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator cabinet; a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet; a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment; an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door; a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side; a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink thermally coupled with one of the first side and the opposite second side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising fluid cooling media within the cooling loop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The refrigerator of claim 3 wherein the cooling media comprises at least one of glycol or water. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the cooling loop further provides for heating water to provide heated water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The refrigerator of claim 5 further comprising a dispenser on the refrigerator compartment door adapted to dispense the heated water. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising an ice storage bucket operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and a pathway conveying ice from the ice maker to the ice storage bucket. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a fluid pump operatively connected to the cooling loop for circulating cooling media through the fluid loop. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a fan at the refrigerator compartment door for circulating air to and from the refrigerator compartment in manner that alters temperature of the air. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the temperature is reduced. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the temperature is increased. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The refrigerator of claim 11 further comprising a heat sink and wherein the fan circulates the air by the heat sink to increase the temperature of the air. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a second refrigerator compartment door and wherein the refrigerator compartment door and the second refrigerator compartment door are French doors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The refrigerator of claim 13 further comprising a freezer compartment disposed below the refrigerator compartment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a hinge operatively connected between the refrigerator compartment door and the refrigerator cabinet and wherein the cooling loop contains cooling media, with no cooling media crossing the hinge. ### Claim 16 A method of making ice on a door of a refrigerator, the method comprising: providing a refrigerator comprising (a) a refrigerator cabinet, (b) a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, (c) a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, (d) an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, (e) a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and (f) a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door; cooling a surface associated with the ice maker using the first side of the thermoelectric cooler; circulating cooling media through the cooling loop to cool the second side of the thermoelectric cooler. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising cooling water by circulating the cooling media through the cooling loop. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising heating water or ice by circulating the cooling media through the cooling loop. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the refrigerator further comprises a fan associated with the refrigerator compartment door and further comprising altering temperature in the refrigerator compartment door using the fan. ### Claim 20 A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator cabinet; a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet; a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment; an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door; a fluid cooled thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door.