Whirlpool Corporation

Maytag Corporation

Ryan D Schuchart

Thomas Carl Anell

Robert L Wetekamp

Alvin V Miller

Kyle B Van Meter

Tim L Coulter

Mauro M Oliveira

Nelson J Ferragut, Ii

Carl J Franken

Alan G Tarrant

Brent A Koppenhaver

Greg Berardi

Marcus Roland Fischer

Christopher R McElvain

Robert B Becker

James H Jenkins

Bruce A Kopf

Xiaoyong Fu

Dennis E Winders

Troy Michael Anderson

Ronald Kenneth Anderson

Andrew G Strohm

Scott Robert Voll

Lester J Ott

Christopher R Mcelvain

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an interior volume and a door for accessing the interior volume. An ice maker is disposed within the interior volume harvesting ice. The ice maker includes a frame and a motor. An ice tray includes a first end engaged with the motor, a second end engaged to the frame and a plurality ice wells defined by a plurality of weirs including first and second sets of weirs positioned proximate the first and second ends respectively, and interior weirs positioned therebetween. Each of the first and second sets of weirs and the internal weirs include a passage bifurcating each weir into first and second weir portions. Each of the passages defined by the first and second sets of weirs have a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of any one of the passages defined by the internal weirs.

Method and apparatus for increasing rate of ice production in an automatic ice maker

An ice maker assembly includes an ice maker that has a mounting plate that includes an engagement feature with an engagement surface. An ice storage bin is configured for insertion into an ice maker receiving space of the ice maker. The ice storage bin includes a retention surface configured to engage with the mounting plate when the ice storage bin is inserted into the ice maker receiving space and an ice bin base that defines a track system configured to move the ice storage bin both vertically and horizontally. The track system includes an elongate portion configured to move the ice storage bin horizontally and a widened portion configured to facilitate vertical movement of the ice storage bin.

In door ice bin for an automatic ice maker

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including by monitoring state of an ice maker associated with the ice compartment and controlling temperature within compartments of the refrigerator based on the ice maker state. A damper controls air flow between the fresh food and freezer compartments. The control system can direct heat to the damper if the damper becomes frozen.

Insulated ice compartment for bottom mount refrigerator with controlled damper

An ice maker assembly is provided that includes an ice maker. A mounting plate is positioned within an ice maker receiving space. The mounting plate defines a plurality of engagement features extending into the ice maker receiving space. A rail system is disposed on opposite sides of the ice maker receiving space. An ice storage bin is removably positioned within the ice maker receiving space. The ice storage bin comprises an ice bin wall positioned on an ice bin base. An auger assembly is disposed through the ice bin base. A latch is slidably disposed along a bottom surface of the ice bin base. The latch includes a plurality of retention features that cooperate with the engagement features. Horizontal movement of the latch causes vertical motion of the ice storage bin.

A refrigerator is provided that includes a cabinet defining an interior volume and at least one door for providing access to the interior volume. An automatic ice maker assembly is disposed within the interior volume and configured to harvest a plurality of ice cubes. The automatic ice maker assembly has an automatic ice maker, a mounting plate and an ice maker receiving space. The mounting plate defines a plurality of engagement features extending into the ice maker receiving space. A rail system is disposed on opposite sides of the ice maker receiving space and an ice storage bin is removably positioned within the ice maker receiving space. The ice storage bin has an ice bin wall positioned on an ice bin base, and a latch slidably disposed along a bottom surface of the ice bin base. The latch has a plurality of retention features, configured to engage the engagement features.

An appliance door includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner that defines an ice making receptacle. An ice maker is disposed proximate a top portion of the ice making receptacle. A sliding assembly is defined within an inward-facing surface of the ice making receptacle. An ice bin is operable between an engaged state, wherein the ice bin is fully inserted into the ice making receptacle, a disengaged state, wherein the ice bin is removed from the ice making receptacle, and a lateral sliding state, wherein the ice bin is operated laterally and free of rotation between the engaged and disengaged states. The ice bin and the ice making receptacle cooperatively define an ice delivery mechanism that selectively delivers ice pieces from an inner volume of the ice bin to an ice delivery zone proximate the outer wrapper.

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including adjusting cut-in and cut-out temperatures of the cooling system to control.

Method and apparatus for controlling temperature in a refrigerator

Insulated ice compartment for bottom mount refrigerator with temperature control system

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including by monitoring state of an ice maker associated with the ice compartment and controlling temperature within compartments of the refrigerator based on the ice maker state. The control system can also use correlations in determining appropriate temperatures for different compartments within the refrigerator.

Electronic control system for insulated ice compartment for bottom mount refrigerator

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including by monitoring state of an ice maker associated with the ice compartment and controlling temperature within compartments of the refrigerator based on the ice maker state. A heater is controlled by the control system to increase energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Ryan D Schuchart