Method for operating a refrigerator appliance ice maker
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMartin Christopher Severance, Jeffrey Martin Wood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same are provided. The refrigerator appliance includes an ice maker for producing ice. The ice maker is deactivated for a predetermined period of time after the ice maker has been filled with liquid water. After the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the ice maker can harvest ice if a demand side management (DSM) status is off-peak, or the ice maker can remain deactivated if the DSM status is on-peak. By operating in such a manner, operating costs of the refrigerator appliance can be reduced.
Claims19
A method for operating an ice maker of a refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- filling the ice maker with liquid water;
- deactivating the ice maker for a predetermined period of time after said step of filling;
- and
- determining whether a demand side management (DSM) status is on-peak or off-peak after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
A method for operating an ice maker of a refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- initiating a flow of liquid water into the ice maker;
- maintaining the flow of liquid water into the ice maker until the ice maker has filled with liquid water;
- terminating the flow of water into the ice maker;
- deactivating the ice maker for a predetermined period of time after said step terminating;
- and
- harvesting ice from the ice maker if a demand side management (DSM) status is off-peak after said step of deactivating or keeping the ice maker deactivated if the DSM status is on-peak after said step of deactivating.
A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage;
- an ice maker positioned within the chilled chamber of said cabinet, said ice maker having a mold body for receipt of liquid water for freezing;
- a water supply configured for supplying liquid water to the mold body of said ice maker;
- and
- a controller being in operative communication with said water supply and said ice maker, said controller configured for:
- operating said water supply to initiate a flow of liquid water into the mold body of said ice maker;
- terminating the flow of water into the mold body of said ice maker after the mold body of said ice maker has filled with liquid water;
- deactivating said ice maker for a preselected period of time after said step terminating;
- and
- determining whether a demand side management (DSM) status is on-peak or off-peak after the preselected period of time has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.