Refrigerator appliance
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJianwu Li, Stephanos Kyriacou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator appliance includes an ice maker having a mold body. A temperature sensor is positioned adjacent the mold body of the ice maker. Utilizing measurements from the temperature sensor, a temperature of air within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance and a temperature of the mold body can both be determined, and the use of multiple temperature sensors within the chilled chamber can thereby be eliminated.
Claims20
A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage;
- an ice maker mounted to said cabinet within the chilled chamber of said cabinet, said ice maker having a mold body for receipt of water for freezing;
- a temperature sensor positioned adjacent the mold body of said ice maker;
- and
- a controller in communication with said temperature sensor, said controller configured for:
- receiving a first signal and a second signal from said temperature sensor;
- determining a temperature of said mold body based upon the first signal;
- and
- establishing a temperature of air within the chilled chamber of said cabinet based upon the second signal.
A method for measuring temperatures within a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance having an ice maker disposed within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance, the ice maker having a mold body and a temperature sensor positioned adjacent the mold body, the method comprising:
- initiating a flow of liquid water into the mold body of the ice maker;
- setting a condition of the ice maker to an ice making condition, a temperature measurement of the temperature sensor corresponding to a temperature of the mold body in the ice making condition;
- measuring a temperature with the temperature sensor;
- determining whether the water within the mold body has frozen based at least in part upon the temperature of said step of measuring;
- and
- changing the condition of the ice maker to a frozen ice condition if water within the mold body has frozen at said step of determining, the temperature measurement of the temperature sensor corresponding to a temperature of the chilled chamber in the frozen ice condition.
A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber;
- an ice maker positioned within the chilled chamber of said cabinet, said ice maker having a mold body for receipt of water for freezing;
- and
- means for measuring a temperature of the mold body of said ice maker and a temperature of air within the chilled chamber of said cabinet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.