Whirlpool Corporation

David A Diekmann

Steven John Kuehl

John Richard Wisnoski

Dennis G Schenk

A refrigeration appliance is provided having a first compartment to be cooled, at least one evaporator in heat transfer association with the first compartment, a defrost heater associated with the evaporator, a temperature sensor associated with the evaporator, and a control circuit. The control circuit is arranged to selectively energize the defrost heater during a defrost cycle, selectively deenergize the defrost heater during the defrost cycle, generate a timing signal while the defrost heater is deenergized during the defrost cycle, and the control circuit is arranged to receive an input from the temperature sensor, and an accumulation of time from the timing signal. A method of operating such a refrigeration appliance includes operating the evaporator to cool the first compartment, initiating the defrost cycle to defrost the evaporator, repeatedly energizing the defrost heater for a first time period and deenergizing the defrost heater for a second time period during the defrost cycle, and terminating the defrost cycle after said evaporator has reached a predetermined optimum temperature.

Refrigeration appliance with pulsed defrost heater

A method of maximizing ice production in a refrigeration. The method includes monitoring a fill level of an ice storage bin and when the fill level is below a predetermined full level, energizing a water valve to dispense water into a mold, an alternate cooling routine is initiated comprising energizing an evaporator fan for a predetermined time period being equal to a time period necessary to freeze the water in the mold, controlling a temperature in a fresh food compartment by opening and closing an air door positioned in the air flow between the evaporator and the fresh food compartment, dispensing the ice from the mold to the storage bin upon a completion of the predetermined time period, and determining whether the storage bin is filled and if so, terminating the alternate cooling routine and if not, reenergizing the water valve and continuing the alternate cooling routine.

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Evansville, IN, United States of America

David A Diekmann