# US 2014/0150466 A1 · Refrigerator with ice mold chilled by fluid exchange from thermoelectric device with cooling from fresh food compartment or freezer compartment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150466 A1 - Document ID: US20140150466A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,908 - Filed: 2012-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: PATRICK J. BOARMAN; BRIAN K. CULLEY; GREGORY G. HORTIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150466A1 ## CPC - F25C 1/00: Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence) - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - F25D 11/02: with cooling compartments at different temperatures - F25D 17/065: {with compartments at different temperatures} - F25B 2321/025: Removal of heat - F25D 2323/021: French doors - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - 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 that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment is disclosed. An icemaker is mounted remotely from the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A fluid pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. A pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold fluid or air may be taken from the freezer compartment to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold or cool/warm fluid to other cooling or warming applications in the refrigerator compartment or on the refrigerator compartment door. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment, the refrigerator comprising: an icemaker mounted remotely from the freezer compartment, the icemaker including an ice mold; a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side; a fluid supply pathway in communication with cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker; a flow pathway in communication with the warm side of the thermoelectric device and the freezer compartment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a fluid return pathway in communication between the icemaker and the cold side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the flow pathway comprises an air supply pathway in communication between the warm side of the thermal electric device and the freezer compartment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the flow pathway comprises an air supply pathway in communication between the warm side of the thermal electric device and the refrigerator compartment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein flow pathway comprises a fluid loop in communication between a heat exchanger in the freezer compartment and the warm side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the flow pathway comprises a fluid loop in communication between a freezer evaporator and the warm side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising: an insulated compartment on the door; an ice storage bin in the insulated compartment positioned to receive ice harvested from the ice mold; and the fluid supply pathway in communication with the insulated compartment and the cold side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a secondary fluid supply pathway in communication between a cooling application in the fresh food compartment and the cold side of the thermoelectric device for supplying chilled fluid to the cooling application. ### Claim 9 A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment, the refrigerator comprising: an icemaker mounted remotely from the freezer compartment, the icemaker including an ice mold; a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side; a fluid supply pathway connected in thermal communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker; a flow pathway connected in thermal communication between the warm side of the thermoelectric device and the freezer compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 further comprising a fluid return pathway in communication between the icemaker and the cold side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the flow pathway comprises a fluid loop in communication between the refrigerator compartment door and the freezer compartment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 further comprising a water reservoir under thermal influence the fluid supply pathway from the cold side of the thermoelectric device for supplying chilled water at a water dispenser or at the icemaker for filling the ice mold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 further comprising: an insulated compartment on the door; an ice storage bin in the insulated compartment positioned to receive ice harvested from the ice mold; and the fluid supply pathway in communication between the insulated compartment and the cold side of the thermal electric device for supplying chilling the insulated compartment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The refrigerator of claim 9 wherein the icemaker is mounted on the fresh food compartment door. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The refrigerator of claim 8 wherein the flow pathway comprises an air supply pathway from the freezer compartment providing a thermal influence on a fluid supply pathway in communication between the refrigerator compartment and the warm side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 16 A method for cooling in a refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment, the method comprising: providing an icemaker mounted remotely from the freezer compartment, the icemaker including an ice mold; positioning a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side; moving a fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker; moving heat through a flow pathway from the warm side of the thermoelectric device to the freezer compartment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising returning fluid from the icemaker to the thermoelectric device located in the refrigerator compartment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising returning fluid from the icemaker to the thermoelectric device located on the refrigerator compartment door. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising exhausting heat through the flow pathway to the refrigerator compartment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising moving the fluid from cold side of the thermoelectric device to an ice storage bin for chilling the bin.