# US 9,752,813 B2 · Refrigerator with thermoelectric device control process for an icemaker > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,813 B2 - Document ID: US9752813B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/414,023 - Filed: 2017-01-24 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation - Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation - Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman; Gregory G. Hortin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752813B2 ## CPC - F25C 5/08: by heating bodies in contact with the ice - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25C 5/22: {particularly adapted for household refrigerators} - F25D 11/02: with cooling compartments at different temperatures - F25B 2321/021: Control thereof - F25B 2700/2107: of a Peltier element - F25C 2600/04: Control means - F25C 2700/12: Temperature of ice trays - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment is disclosed. An icemaker is mounted remotely from the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold with an icemaking cycle having a liquid to ice phase change. A thermoelectric device has a cold side and a warm side. A controller is in operable communication with an input to the thermoelectric device. A sensor is in operable communication with the input to the thermoelectric device and the controller. A feedback response from the input to the thermoelectric device monitors the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment, the refrigerator comprising: an icemaker mounted remotely from the freezer compartment, the icemaker including an ice mold with an icemaking cycle having a liquid to ice phase change; a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side; a controller in operable communication with an input to the thermoelectric device; a sensor in operable communication with the input to the thermoelectric device and the controller; a temperature feedback response from the input to the thermoelectric device for monitoring the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle; a substrate having high thermal conductivity in thermal contact with the cold side of the thermoelectric device; and a second substrate having a high thermal conductivity in thermal contact with the warm side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the input comprises a voltage provided to the thermoelectric device, wherein the feedback response From the voltage input determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the input comprises an amperage provided to the thermoelectric device, wherein the feedback response from the amperage input determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the input comprises a frequency of a pulse-width modulation (PWM) provided by the controller, wherein the, feedback response from the frequency of the PWM determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the input comprises a linear drive current for providing a variable (DC) level, wherein the feedback response from the linear drive current providing the variable DC level input determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a heat sink in thermal contact with the warm side of the thermoelectric device, the sensor in thermal communication with the heat sink for providing a temperature reading to the controller for determining the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising a substrate in thermal contact with the cold side of the thermoelectric device, the sensor in thermal communication with substrate for providing a temperature reading to the controller for determining the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The refrigerator of claim 6 wherein the controller correlates the temperature reading from the heat sink with the input to provide the feedback response to make a correction to the input based on the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 9 An icemaker comprising: an ice mold with an icemaking cycle having a liquid to ice phase change; a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side; an input to the thermoelectric device; a controller in operable communication with the thermoelectric device and the input; a sensor in operable communication with the thermoelectric device; a temperature feedback response from the thermoelectric device to the controller for monitoring the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle; a substrate in thermal contact with the cold side of the thermoelectric device; and a substrate in thermal contact with the warm side of the thermoelectric device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The icemaker of claim 9 wherein the input comprises a voltage provided to the thermoelectric device, wherein the feedback response from the voltage input determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The icemaker of claim 9 wherein the input comprises a amperage provided to the thermoelectric device, wherein the feedback response from the amperage input determines the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The icemaker of claim 9 in combination with a refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The icemaker of claim 12 wherein the icemaker further comprises an ice to liquid phase change monitored to determine an ice harvesting cycle or a fresh ice production cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The icemaker of claim 9 wherein the controller correlates a temperature reading from the ice mold with the input to provide the feedback response to make a correction to the input based on the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 15 A method for cooling in a refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment, the method comprising: providing an icemaker mounted remotely from the freezer compartment, the icemaker including an ice mold with an icemaking cycle having a liquid to ice phase change; locating a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a warm side, whereby a substrate is in thermal contact with the warm side of the thermoelectric device and a second substrate is in thermal contact with the cold side of the thermoelectric device; controlling an input to the thermodectric device using a controller in operable communication with the input and the thermoelectric device; monitoring a feedback response from the input to the thermoelectric device for determining the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle; and controlling a voltage input to the thermoelectric device and monitoring the feedback response from the voltage input to determine the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising controlling an amperage input to the thermoelectric device and monitoring the feedback response from the amperage input to determine the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising reading a temperature from a heat sink in thermal contact with the warm side of the thermoelectric device for determining the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising reading a temperature from the ice mold in thermal contact with the cold side of the thermoelectric device for determining the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising correlating the temperature reading from the ice mold with the input to provide the feedback response to make a correction to the input based on the liquid to ice phase change of the icemaking cycle.