Clear ice maker with warm air flow
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsPatrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice-making apparatus for an appliance having a housing with an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended in the interior volume. The ice tray has a cold plate with a top surface and a bottom surface and a containment wall surrounding an edge portion of the cold plate to retain water. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the cold plate. An intake conduit extends into the interior volume over the ice tray and is configured to draw ambient air into the interior volume over the ice tray, and the ambient air is above freezing.
Claims20
An ice making apparatus for an appliance, comprising:
- a housing having an interior volume;
- an ice tray comprising an open top and an enclosed bottom configured to retain water, wherein the ice tray is suspended across the interior volume and comprises an ice forming plate in connection with a portion of the ice tray;
- a shroud enclosing a bottom surface of the ice forming plate;
- a barrier member within the housing and extending outwardly from the shroud, wherein the barrier member forms a portion of a wall enclosing a first portion of the interior volume into a first air chamber above the barrier member and the ice tray divides the interior volume into the second air chamber formed by the shroud below the ice tray;
- and
- an intake duct extending into the second air chamber directing a cold air flow from a cold air source below the ice forming plate thereby generating a temperature gradient between the first air chamber and the second air chamber.
An ice making apparatus for an appliance, comprising:
- a housing having an interior volume;
- an ice tray comprising an open top forming a perimeter and an enclosed bottom configured to retain water, wherein the ice tray is suspended across the interior volume along a transverse axis and comprises an ice forming plate in connection with a portion of the ice tray;
- a shroud mounted in connection with the perimeter of the ice tray and enclosing a bottom surface of the ice forming plate;
- a barrier member within the housing and extending outwardly from the shroud, wherein the barrier member forms a portion of a wall enclosing a first portion of the interior volume into a first air chamber above the barrier member and the ice tray divides the interior volume into a second air chamber formed by the shroud below the ice tray;
- and
- a rotational assembly configured to rotate the ice tray in connection with the shroud about the transverse axis.
An ice making apparatus for an appliance, comprising:
- a housing having an interior volume;
- an ice tray comprising an open top and an enclosed bottom configured to retain water, wherein the ice tray is suspended across the interior volume and comprising an ice forming plate in connection with a portion of the ice tray;
- a thermoelectric device in connection with a bottom surface of the ice forming plate;
- a shroud mounted in the housing, the shroud and enclosing the bottom surface of the ice forming plate and the thermoelectric device;
- a barrier member within the housing and extending outwardly from the shroud, wherein the barrier member forms a portion of a wall enclosing a first portion of the interior volume into a first air chamber above the barrier member and the ice tray divides the interior volume into a second air chamber formed by the shroud below the ice tray;
- and
- an intake duct extending into the second air chamber directing a cold air flow from a cold air source below the ice forming plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.