Ice maker appliance scale cartridge
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsGregory Sergeevich Chernov, Samuel Vincent DePlessis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice maker appliance includes a casing. An ice maker and a pump are disposed within the casing. The pump is operable to flow water from a water supply to the ice maker. Additionally, the appliance includes a thermal scale precipitator cartridge. A volume of the cartridge is in fluid communication with the water supply and the ice maker. The cartridge includes a nucleation surface that is contacted by water that flows within and through the volume of the TSP cartridge. The nucleation surface is a surface upon which minerals within the water are deposited for restraining the minerals within the cartridge.
Claims18
An ice maker appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the ice maker appliance comprising:
- a casing;
- an ice maker disposed within the casing;
- a pump disposed within the casing, the pump operable to flow water from a water supply to the ice maker;
- a thermal scale precipitator (TSP) cartridge, a volume of the TSP cartridge in fluid communication with the water supply and the ice maker, the TSP cartridge positioned between the water supply and the ice maker such that the water from the water supply flows within and through the volume of the TSP cartridge prior to flowing to the ice maker, the TSP cartridge comprising a nucleation surface contacted by the water, wherein the nucleation surface is a surface upon which minerals within the water are deposited thereon for restraining the minerals within the TSP cartridge;
- and
- a heating element in thermal communication with the TSP cartridge, the heating element activatable to heat the nucleation surface to facilitate deposition of the minerals on the nucleation surface.
An ice maker appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the ice maker appliance comprising:
- a casing;
- an ice maker disposed within the casing;
- a pump disposed within the casing, the pump operable to flow water from a water supply to the ice maker;
- and
- a thermal scale precipitator (TSP) cartridge, a volume of the TSP cartridge in fluid communication with the water supply and the ice maker, the TSP cartridge comprising a nucleation surface contacted by water that flows within and through the volume of the TSP cartridge, wherein the nucleation surface is a surface upon which minerals within the water are deposited thereon for restraining the minerals within the TSP cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.