Flower mold & harvesting mechanism for spherical ice
AssigneesWhirlpool Corporation, emz-Hanauer GmbH & Co. KGaA
InventorsThomas BAIERL, Rodolfo DA SILVA ESPINDOLA, Sophia GRIMM, Arthur MARCON, Alison PEREIRA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice-making appliance comprising a flexible mold having a plurality of interconnected ice-forming cavities, a single-fill cavity configuration configured to distribute water uniformly across the interconnected ice-forming cavities, a drive motor configured to rotate the flexible mold between an ice-making position and an ice-harvesting position, an ejection mechanism comprising at least one extraction pin positioned adjacent to the flexible mold, and a storage bin configured to collect ejected ice pieces.
Claims20
An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a flexible mold defining ice-making cavities that are interconnected to distribute water uniformly within the ice-making cavities;
- a drive configured to move the flexible mold between an ice-making position and an ice-harvesting position;
- ejectors positioned adjacent to the flexible mold and configured to engage the flexible mold to eject ice from the ice-making cavities;
- and
- a storage bin configured to receive the ice when ejected from the ice-making cavities.
An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a flexible mold defining a plurality of ice-making cavities;
- a water inlet configured to direct water simultaneously into each of the ice-making cavities;
- a drive configured to move the flexible mold between an ice-making position and an ice-ejection position;
- ejectors configured to push ice from the flexible mold upon completion of a freezing process and in response to the flexible mold transitioning to the ice-ejection position;
- and
- a storage bin configured to receive and organize the ice when ejected from the ice-making cavities.
An ice maker comprising:
- a flexible mold defining ice-making cavities, operable to deform and open to eject ice from the ice-making cavities, and operable to return to a non-deformed position in response to ejecting the ice from the ice-making cavities;
- and
- a water delivery system that is configured to direct water simultaneously into each of the ice-making cavities and evenly distribute the water within the ice-making cavities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.