Integrated ice maker pump
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsPatrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory Gene Hortin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a pump fluidly connected to the ice maker and configured for pumping cooling media to the ice maker, and a motor operatively connected to the ice maker and configured to provide oscillating movement to the ice maker. The pump is operatively connected to the motor such that driving of the motor results in the pumping of the cooling media with the pump.
Claims18
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a refrigerator cabinet;
- an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;
- a pump fluidly connected to the ice maker and configured for pumping cooling media to the ice maker;
- a motor operatively connected to the ice maker and configured to provide oscillating movement to the ice maker;
- wherein the pump is operatively connected to the motor such that driving of the motor results in the pumping of the cooling media with the pump;
- and
- wherein the pump is an oscillation pump comprising a bladder, a first check valve and a second one way check valve and positioned such that oscillation of the icemaker compresses and relieves the bladder in a cyclical manner.
A refrigerator, comprising:
- a refrigerator cabinet;
- an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet;
- an oscillation pump comprising a bladder in contact with the ice maker;
- one way check valves associated with the bladder;
- a cooling media reservoir fluidly connected to the bladder;
- wherein the ice maker is configured to oscillate thereby compressing and relieving the bladder in a cyclical manner;
- wherein the movement of the ice maker creates a circular flow of fluid in the bladder and moves fluid from the bladder to and from the cooling media reservoir.
A method of using motion of an ice maker of a refrigerator to power flow of cooling media, the method comprising:
- providing a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and an oscillation pump comprising a bladder, a first check valve and a second one way check valve and positioned such that oscillation of the icemaker compresses and relieves the bladder in a cyclical manner;
- using oscillation of the icemaker to power the flow of the cooling media by compressing and relieving the bladder to create a circular flow of the cooling media within the bladder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.