Methods of operating an ice maker appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsRobert Alan Sellers, Alan Joseph Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating an ice maker appliance includes initially operating a motor of the ice maker appliance to rotate a mold body from an initial position, the initial position comprising one of a fill position or a complete harvest position of the mold body. Additionally, after initially operating the motor, the method includes detecting a rotational jam of the mold body. Furthermore, the method includes performing an operation associated with clearing the rotational jam of the mold body.
Claims17
A method of operating an ice maker appliance, the ice maker appliance comprising a mold body, a motor coupled to the mold body whereby the motor is operable to rotate the mold body between a fill position and a complete harvest position, and a controller in operative communication with the motor, wherein the mold body receives a fill of liquid water in the fill position and wherein an ice piece is released from the mold body in the complete harvest position, the method comprising:
- initially operating, with the controller, the motor of the ice maker appliance to rotate the mold body from an initial position, the initial position comprising one of the fill position or the complete harvest position;
- after initially operating the motor, determining, with the controller, a rotational status of the mold body based on whether a signal indicating rotation of the mold body was emitted by a sensing device of the ice maker appliance;
- selecting, with the controller, a length of time for which to operate the motor based on the determined rotational status of the mold body;
- and
- operating, with the controller, the motor for the selected length of time.
A method of operating an ice maker appliance, the ice maker appliance comprising a mold body, a motor coupled to the mold body whereby the motor is operable to rotate the mold body between a fill position and a complete harvest position, and a controller in operative communication with the motor, wherein the mold body receives a fill of liquid water in the fill position and wherein an ice piece is released from the mold body in the complete harvest position, the method comprising:
- initially operating, with the controller, the motor of the ice maker appliance to rotate the mold body from an initial position, the initial position comprising one of the fill position or the complete harvest position;
- after initially operating the motor, detecting, with the controller, a rotational jam of the mold body;
- and
- performing, with the controller, a first operation associated with clearing the rotational jam of the mold body.
An ice maker appliance, comprising:
- a mold body configured to receive a fill of liquid water thereby permitting an ice piece to be formed therein, the mold body rotatable between a fill position, in which the mold body receives the fill of liquid water, and a complete harvest position, in which the ice piece is released from the mold body;
- a motor operatively coupled to the mold body, the motor operable to rotate the mold body between the fill position and the complete harvest position;
- a sensing device configured to emit a signal indicative of rotation of the mold body;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the sensing device and the motor, the controller configured to:
- initially operate the motor to rotate the mold body;
- after initially operating the motor, determine a rotational status of the mold body based on whether the signal indicating the rotation of the mold body was emitted by the sensing device;
- select a length of time for which to continue operating the motor based on the determined rotational status of the mold body;
- and
- operate the motor for the selected length of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.