# US 2014/0190188 A1 · Refrigerator appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190188 A1 - Document ID: US20140190188A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,274 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Jianwu Li; Stephanos Kyriacou - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190188A1 ## CPC - F25C 1/00: Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence) - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - F25B 5/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity (with cascade operation F25B7/00) - F25C 2600/04: Control means - F25D 2700/122: of freezer compartments - 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) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving the first signal from said temperature sensor when said ice maker is producing ice. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, wherein said step of receiving comprises receiving the second signal from said temperature sensor when said ice maker is not producing ice. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor comprises a thermistor or thermocouple. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor is mounted to said ice maker at the mold body of said ice maker. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The refrigerator appliance of claim 5, wherein said temperature sensor is mounted to the mold body of said ice maker. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned within the mold body of said ice maker. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising keeping the condition of the ice maker in the ice making condition if water within the mold body has not frozen at said step of determining. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining the condition of the ice maker in the ice making condition until water within the mold body has frozen. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising harvesting ice from the ice maker if water within the mold body has frozen at said step of determining. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising gauging a temperature with the temperature sensor after said step of changing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a refrigeration system of the refrigerator appliance based at least in part upon the temperature of said step of gauging. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor or thermocouple. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the temperature sensor is mounted to the mold body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the temperature sensor is positioned within the mold body. ### Claim 17 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The refrigerator appliance of claim 17, wherein said cabinet includes a rotatable door for permitting selective access to the chilled chamber of said cabinet, said ice maker mounted to the door of said cabinet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The refrigerator appliance of claim 18, wherein said door defines the chilled chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The refrigerator appliance of claim 17, wherein the chilled chamber of said cabinet comprises a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber, said ice maker positioned within the freezer chamber, said means for measuring configured for measuring the temperature of the mold body of said ice maker and a temperature of air within the freezer chamber.