# US 2017/0254577 A1 · Ice maker for dispensing soft ice and related refrigeration appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254577 A1 - Document ID: US20170254577A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/599,554 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-17 - Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell; Andrew Reinhard Krause - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254577A1 ## CPC - F25C 5/182: Ice bins therefor - F25D 23/126: {Water cooler} - F25C 2400/08: for different type of ice - F25C 2400/10: Refrigerator units - F25C 2400/14: Water supply - F25C 2700/04: Level of water - 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 An ice-making assembly for a refrigeration appliance includes an ice maker for making ice cubes. An ice cube storage bin receives ice cubes from the ice maker. The ice cube storage bin is maintained at a temperature above the freezing temperature of water. A drain in communication with the ice cube storage bin for receives water melted from ice cubes located in the storage bin. A related refrigeration appliance is disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ice-making assembly for a refrigeration appliance, comprising: a sealed system operable to generate cooled air at one or more evaporators of the sealed system; one or more fans operable to circulate the cooled air; an ice maker operable to make ice cubes, the ice maker chillable by the cooled air during operation of the sealed system such that liquid water within the ice maker is chilled to a temperature less than a freezing temperature of water; an ice cube storage bin positioned for receiving the ice cubes from the ice maker, the ice cube storage bin and the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin exposed to the cooled air such that the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin are maintained at a temperature greater than the freezing temperature of water by the cooled air and the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin melt while stored within the ice cube storage bin; and a pump operable to flow the liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ice making assembly of claim 1, wherein the ice maker is located within an ice-making chamber of the refrigeration appliance which is maintained at a temperature sufficient to form ice. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ice making assembly of claim 1, wherein the ice maker is located within an ice-making compartment defined within a door of the refrigeration appliance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ice making assembly of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir and a recirculation conduit, the reservoir positioned for receiving the liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin, the recirculation conduit extending between the reservoir and the ice maker, the pump operable to flow the liquid water in the reservoir to the ice maker through the recirculation conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ice-making assembly of claim 4, further comprising a liquid water dispenser, the liquid water dispenser configured for dispensing liquid water held in the reservoir. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ice-making assembly of claim 5, further comprising a dispensing conduit that extends between the reservoir and the liquid water dispenser, the pump operable to flow the liquid water in the reservoir to the liquid water dispenser through the dispensing conduit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The ice-making assembly of claim 5, further comprising a valve coupled to the recirculation conduit and the dispensing conduit, the valve operable to allow the liquid water in the reservoir to flow to either the ice maker through the recirculation conduit or the liquid water dispenser through the dispensing conduit during operation of the pump. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The ice-making assembly of claim 4, further comprising an inlet conduit, the inlet conduit connectable to a liquid water supply and the reservoir such that the liquid water supply selectively supplies liquid water to the reservoir. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The ice-making assembly of claim 7, further including a sensor in the reservoir for sensing a level of liquid water, the water supply supplying liquid water to the reservoir depending on the level of liquid water sensed by the sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The ice-making assembly of claim 4, further comprising a drain line and an evaporation pan, the drain line extending between the reservoir and the evaporation pan in order to place the evaporation pan in communication with the reservoir such that the drain line directs excess liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin to the evaporation pan, the evaporation pan configured for facilitating evaporation of the excess liquid water melted from the ice cubes within the evaporation pan. ### Claim 11 A refrigeration appliance, comprising: a cabinet having a fresh food portion and a freezer portion; a sealed system operable to generate cooled air at one or more evaporators of the sealed system; one or more fans operable to circulate the cooled air within the cabinet; an ice maker positioned within the cabinet, the ice maker operable to make ice cubes, the ice maker chillable by the cooled air during operation of the sealed system such that liquid water within the ice maker is chilled to a temperature less than a freezing temperature of water; an ice cube storage bin positioned below the ice maker within the cabinet such that the ice cube storage bin receives the ice cubes from the ice maker, the ice cube storage bin and the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin exposed to the cooled air such that the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin are maintained at a temperature greater than the freezing temperature of water by the cooled air and the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin melt while stored within the ice cube storage bin; and a pump operable to flow the liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The refrigeration appliance of claim 11, further comprising a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet, the door selectively adjustable between an open position and a closed position in order to permit selective access to the fresh food portion of the refrigeration cabinet, the ice maker positioned within an ice-making compartment defined by the door, the cooled air within the ice-making compartment having a temperature less than the freezing temperature of water during operation of the sealed system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The refrigeration appliance of claim 11, a reservoir and a recirculation conduit, the reservoir positioned for receiving the liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin, the recirculation conduit extending between the reservoir and the ice maker, the pump operable to flow the liquid water in the reservoir to the ice maker through the recirculation conduit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, further comprising a liquid water dispenser positioned on the door, the liquid water dispenser configured for dispensing liquid water held in the reservoir. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The refrigeration appliance of claim 14, further comprising a dispensing conduit that extends between the reservoir and the liquid water dispenser, the pump operable to flow the liquid water in the reservoir to the liquid water dispenser through the dispensing conduit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The refrigeration appliance of claim 15, further comprising a valve coupled to the recirculation conduit and the dispensing conduit, the valve operable to allow the liquid water in the reservoir to flow to either the ice maker through the recirculation conduit or the liquid water dispenser through the dispensing conduit during operation of the pump. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, further comprising an inlet conduit, the inlet conduit connectable to a liquid water supply and the reservoir such that the liquid water supply selectively supplies liquid water to the reservoir. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The refrigeration appliance of claim 15, further including a sensor in the reservoir for sensing a level of liquid water, the water supply supplying liquid water to the reservoir depending on the level of liquid water sensed by the sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The refrigeration appliance of claim 13, further comprising a drain line and an evaporation pan positioned within the cabinet, the drain line extending between the reservoir and the evaporation pan in order to place the evaporation pan in communication with the reservoir such that the drain line directs excess liquid water melted from the ice cubes located in the ice cube storage bin to the evaporation pan, the evaporation pan configured for facilitating evaporation of the excess liquid water melted from the ice cubes within the evaporation pan. ### Claim 20 A method for operating a refrigerator appliance having a cabinet that defines a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, comprising: forming ice cubes with an ice maker of the refrigerator appliance; depositing the ice cubes within an ice cube storage bin of the refrigerator appliance; maintaining the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin at a select temperature, the select temperature being greater than a freezing temperature of water such that the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin melt during said step of maintaining; and pumping liquid water from the ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin to another location within a cabinet of the refrigerator appliance.