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US 8,539,780 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for harvesting ice in an ice maker system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCarlos A. Herrera, Russell James Fallon, Ronald Gary Foster, William Newton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for ice maker systems are disclosed. One exemplary method comprises the steps of: heating an ice mold body to separate ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body; releasing the separated ice from the ice mold body; and contacting at least a portion of the ice mold body with a heat transfer fluid to cool the ice mold body.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- heating an ice mold body to separate ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body;
- releasing the separated ice from the ice mold body;
- and
- contacting at least a portion of the ice mold body with a given amount of a heat transfer fluid inescapably confined within a heat transfer reservoir sealed to the ice mold body to cool the ice mold body, the heat transfer fluid being other than a cooling medium used to freeze water in the ice mold to make ice.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- heating an ice mold body to separate ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body;
- releasing the separated ice from the ice mold body;
- and
- contacting at least a portion of the ice mold body with a heat transfer fluid to cool the ice mold body, the heat transfer fluid being other than a cooling medium used to freeze water in the ice mold to make ice;
- wherein the step of releasing the separated ice from the ice mold body further comprises rotating the ice mold body such that the separated ice is released from the ice mold body;
- wherein the step of contacting at least a portion of the ice mold body with the heat transfer fluid to cool the ice mold body further comprises progressively contacting the ice mold body with the heat transfer fluid as the ice mold body rotates;
- and
- further comprising the step of returning the ice mold body to an ice formation position such that the heat transfer fluid no longer contacts the ice mold body.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an ice mold body for forming ice therein;
- a heating element proximate to the ice mold body for heating the ice mold body to separate the ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body such that the separated ice is releasable from the ice mold body;
- and
- a heat transfer fluid reservoir sealed to the ice mold body for permitting a given amount of a heat transfer fluid inescapably confined within the reservoir to contact at least a portion of the ice mold body to cool the ice mold body.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- an ice mold assembly comprising an ice mold body for forming ice therein, and a heat transfer fluid reservoir sealed to the ice mold body inescapably confining therein a given amount of a heat transfer fluid;
- a heating element assembly proximate to the ice mold assembly;
- and
- an ice mold rotator assembly for rotating the ice mold assembly;
- wherein, during an ice harvesting cycle, the heating element heats the ice mold body to separate the ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body, and the ice mold rotator assembly rotates the ice mold assembly such that the separated ice is released from the ice mold body and the heat transfer fluid progressively contacts the ice mold body as the ice mold assembly rotates.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.