US 8,756,951 B2Granted

Vertical ice maker producing clear ice pieces

AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation

InventorsAnderson Bortoletto, Nihat Cur, Douglas D. Leclear, Andrew M. Tenbarge, Ronald L. Voglewede

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An ice making assembly and method utilizes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a plurality of distinct, substantially vertical fluid channels, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Ice forming members extend from an ice forming evaporator into respective fluid channels. During an ice making event, fluid continuously supplied to the upper fluid chamber flows into each of the fluid channels and out through at least one drain aperture into a fluid reservoir below. The ice forming members are cooled such that fluid flowing across the fluid channels freezes on the ice forming members over time, forming clear ice pieces. The ice pieces are subsequently released from the ice forming members and transferred for storage and/or dispensing.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment;
a cooling system;
and
a clear ice making assembly comprising:
a housing defining an upper fluid chamber;
a fluid inlet adapted to supply fluid to the upper fluid chamber;
a plurality of walls that define a plurality of spaced, substantially vertical fluid channels there between, with each of the plurality of fluid channels including a fluid inlet aperture in communication with the upper fluid chamber;
a fluid reservoir;
at least one drain aperture formed below the plurality of fluid channels and in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir;
and
a plurality of ice forming members configured to be cooled by the cooling system, wherein each of the plurality of ice forming members extends into and spans less than a full width of a respective one of the plurality of fluid channels such that fluid flowing through the fluid inlet aperture of each of the plurality of fluid channels is directed over the plurality of ice forming members before draining into the fluid reservoir through the at least one drain aperture.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.