Air flow diverter for equalizing air flow within an ice making appliance

An ice maker for a refrigerating appliance, the ice maker comprising:

• an ice tray having a plurality of ice-forming compartments, each of the ice-forming compartments including sidewalls and a base that defines an internal freezing chamber;
• and
• an air flow diverter having an air intake for receiving intake air from an air handler, a distribution region and an exhaust portion, wherein the distribution region and the exhaust portion cooperate to direct a plurality of dedicated streams of cooling air toward respective ice-forming compartments of the plurality of ice-forming compartments;
• and
• a plurality of internal diverting fins disposed within the distribution region and spaced at a predetermined spacing pattern to evenly distribute the intake air into the dedicated streams of cooling air, wherein each of the dedicated streams of cooling air include substantially equal air flow rates to each of the plurality of ice-forming compartments, wherein each of the plurality of internal diverting fins defines a plurality of tuned duct flutes, and wherein the exhaust portion of the air flow diverter includes respective exhaust apertures positioned at ends of each of the plurality of tuned duct flutes, wherein the plurality of streams of cooling air are exhausted from the respective plurality of tuned duct flutes through the exhaust apertures, wherein each of the exhaust apertures are substantially similar in size.

A method of forming an ice making apparatus for a refrigerating appliance, the method including steps of:

• providing a refrigerating appliance having a water distribution system and an air distribution system that can each be connected to an ice making apparatus;
• providing an ice maker that can be installed within a portion of the refrigerating appliance, wherein the ice maker can be installed within at least one of a door of the refrigerating appliance, a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment, and a mullion;
• providing an ice tray for the ice maker, wherein the ice tray includes a plurality of ice-forming compartments, each of the ice-forming compartments including sidewalls and a base that defines an internal freezing chamber;
• determining a predetermined spacing pattern for a plurality of internal diverting fins disposed within an air flow diverter, wherein the predetermined spacing pattern is configured to evenly distribute intake air from the air distribution system into dedicated streams of cooling air that are separately manipulated by individual tuned duct flutes defined between adjacent internal diverting fins of the plurality of internal diverting fins, and wherein each of the dedicated streams of cooling air include substantially equal air flow rates;
• forming the air flow diverter having an air intake configured to be coupled to the air distribution system, a distribution region and an exhaust portion, and wherein the plurality of internal diverting fins are positioned in the predetermined spacing pattern within the distribution region to form the individual tuned duct flutes;
• installing the air flow diverter in the ice maker such that each of the individual tuned duct flutes is configured to direct a dedicated stream of cooling air toward a respective ice-forming compartment;
• and
• installing the ice maker within the refrigerating appliance and connecting the air intake to the air distribution system and placing the water distribution system in communication with the internal freezing chambers, wherein the predetermined spacing pattern defines a plurality of intake apertures positioned proximate a transition area between the air intake and the distribution region, wherein each of the plurality of intake apertures is individually sized to have a width that is inversely related to a duct length of the respective tuned duct flute.