초록 ▼

An ice maker module is built on an integrally formed plastic base. One or more ice making modules are stacked on top of an ice bin. Integrally formed within the plastic base is “wet”compartment within which are disposed multiple numbers of evaporators on which water is frozen into ice cubes. The pla

An ice maker module is built on an integrally formed plastic base. One or more ice making modules are stacked on top of an ice bin. Integrally formed within the plastic base is “wet”compartment within which are disposed multiple numbers of evaporators on which water is frozen into ice cubes. The plastic base also separates the wet compartment from a dry compartment in which is mounted refrigeration components and control circuitry. The evaporators are constructed of two plates of stainless steel. Icing sites are located on the flattened sides of a serpentine refrigeration channel formed between depressions in the stainless steel plates. A microcontroller operates the ice making process. Harvesting of the ice cubes is initiated after the ice maker has used an amount of water necessary to make the ice. An ultrasonic range finder monitors the amount of ice in the bin.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for manufacturing an evaporator on which to freeze water into ice comprising the steps of: forming a depression in a first plate, the depression having a serpentine pattern with parallel sections traversing the first plate and bend sections connecting the parallel sections to form a continu

A method for manufacturing an evaporator on which to freeze water into ice comprising the steps of: forming a depression in a first plate, the depression having a serpentine pattern with parallel sections traversing the first plate and bend sections connecting the parallel sections to form a continuous depression; mating the first metal plate to a second plate, the depression extending outwardly away from the second plate, thereby forming a continuous serpentine refrigerant channel between the first and the second plate; forming an array of freezing sites on outside surfaces of the parallel sections on which to freeze water flowing across sites including the step of placing dividing means on the outside surface of the first plate in a direction perpendicular to the parallel sections of the depression for separating adjacent freezing sites.