Clear ice maker and method for forming clear ice
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25C-001/10
F25C-001/20
F25B-021/04
출원번호
US-0713218
(2012-12-13)
등록번호
US-9476629
(2016-10-25)
발명자
/ 주소
Boarman, Patrick J.
출원인 / 주소
Whirlpool Corporation
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
48
초록▼
A clear ice maker having an ice tray with a thermally conductive cold plate, where the cold plate has a top surface and a bottom surface, with a thermoelectric cooling device thermally coupled to the bottom surface. Water is dispensed onto the top surface, and the bottom surface is cooled such that
A clear ice maker having an ice tray with a thermally conductive cold plate, where the cold plate has a top surface and a bottom surface, with a thermoelectric cooling device thermally coupled to the bottom surface. Water is dispensed onto the top surface, and the bottom surface is cooled such that a portion of the water adjacent the top surface is frozen, to form a layer of ice. Then the ice tray is oscillated about a transverse axis of the ice tray, such that the water freezes in successive layers from the top surface of the cold plate upwards.
대표청구항▼
1. An ice maker assembly comprising: an ice tray, having a transverse axis, and at least one pivot axle aligned with said transverse axis and having a single ice forming plate with a top surface, a bottom surface and upstanding edges around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate;a containment
1. An ice maker assembly comprising: an ice tray, having a transverse axis, and at least one pivot axle aligned with said transverse axis and having a single ice forming plate with a top surface, a bottom surface and upstanding edges around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate;a containment wall extending upwardly around the perimeter of the ice forming plate; the containment wall having a slot extending along a lower portion of the containment wall; wherein the slot receives the upstanding edges of the single ice forming plate to form the ice tray;a fluid line, which dispenses incoming water onto the top surface of the ice forming plate;a cooling source thermally engaged to the bottom surface of the ice forming plate and freezing the water coming into contact with the top surface of the ice forming plate to produce ice starting at a top surface of the ice forming plate; anda microprocessor controlled mechanical oscillating mechanism coupled to the ice tray, wherein the microprocessor controlled mechanical oscillating mechanism is not actuated until ice has started to form along the top surface of the ice forming plate, and wherein after ice has begun to form on the top surface of the ice forming plate, the microprocessor controlled mechanical oscillating mechanism is actuated by the microprocessor and begins to rotate the tray in a rocking cycle about the transverse axis. 2. The ice maker assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a median wall orthogonally extending from the top surface of the ice forming plate dividing the ice tray along the transverse axis into a first reservoir defined between the median wall and a first sidewall of the containment wall and a second reservoir defined between the median wall and a second sidewall of the containment wall;wherein the rocking cycle oscillates the ice tray in a first direction to move water against the first sidewall and in a second direction to move water against the second sidewall, and wherein the rocking cycle is configured to expose a top layer of an ice piece in the second reservoir to air when the rocking cycle changes from the first direction to the second direction; andwherein the air is above freezing. 3. The ice maker assembly of claim 2, wherein the containment wall comprises a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the ice forming plate. 4. The ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the ice tray is rotated by the oscillating mechanism to at least partially invert the ice tray to allow ice pieces formed therein to be discharged from the ice tray. 5. The ice maker assembly of claim 4, wherein the oscillating mechanism rotates at least a portion of the ice tray to flex at least a portion of the ice tray to discharge clear ice pieces from the tray. 6. A method of forming ice in an ice maker, comprising the steps of; dispensing water onto a top surface of a single ice forming plate of an ice tray which has a top surface, a bottom surface and upstanding edges around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate;providing a containment wall extending upwardly around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate; the containment wall having a slot extending along a lower portion of the containment wall; wherein the slot receives the upstanding edges of the single ice forming plate to form the ice tray; the ice tray having a transverse axis and at least one pivot axle aligned with the transverse axis;cooling a bottom surface of the ice forming plate until the water on the top surface of the ice forming plate forms a layer of ice on the top surface of the ice forming plate; andafter the layer of ice has formed on the top surface of the ice forming plate, actuating a microprocessor controlled mechanical oscillator and begin rotating the ice forming plate of the ice tray in a rocking cycle about the transverse axis, wherein the ice tray is stationary until a layer of ice begins to form on the top surface of the ice forming plate of the ice tray. 7. The method of forming ice of claim 6, wherein a mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the ice tray to rotate the tray in the rocking cycle. 8. The method of forming ice of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: providing at least one median wall extending orthogonally from the top surface of the ice forming plate and subdividing the area above the ice forming plate into at least a first compartment and a second compartment; andwherein the rocking cycle causes the water to flow back and forth from the first compartment to the second compartment until the water is frozen. 9. The method of forming ice of claim 8, further comprising the step of: harvesting the ice from each of the first compartment and the second compartment. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ice is harvested by at least partially inverting the ice tray and flexing the ice tray. 11. A method of forming ice in an ice maker, comprising the steps of: dispensing water onto a top surface of a single ice forming plate; which has a top surface, a bottom surface and upstanding edges around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate;providing a containment wall extending upwardly around the perimeter of the single ice forming plate; the containment wall having a slot extending along a lower portion of the containment wall; wherein the slot receives the upstanding edges of the single ice forming plate to form an ice tray; the ice tray having a transverse axis and at least one pivot axle aligned with the transverse axis;cooling a bottom surface of the ice forming plate until the water on the top surface of the ice forming plate forms a layer of ice on the top surface of the ice forming plate; andafter the layer of ice has formed, actuating a microprocessor controlled mechanical oscillation mechanism and begin rotating the tray in a rocking cycle about the transverse axis until substantially all of the water dispensed onto the top surface of the ice forming plate has frozen. 12. The method of forming ice of claim 11, wherein a flexible grid is positioned on the top surface of the ice forming plate, wherein the flexible grid defines an array of individual ice cube compartments, and wherein the bottom surface of the ice forming plate is cooled by a thermoelectric plate positioned in thermal contact with the ice forming plate. 13. The method of forming ice of claim 12, further comprising the step of harvesting the ice from each of the individual ice cube compartments. 14. The method of forming ice of claim 13, wherein the ice is harvested by at least partially inverting the flexible grid and then flexing the flexible grid. 15. The method of forming ice of claim 11, wherein the bottom surface of the ice forming plate is cooled until substantially all of the water dispensed onto the top surface of the ice forming plate has frozen. 16. The method of forming ice of claim 15, wherein the bottom surface of the ice forming plate is cooled by a thermoelectric device. 17. The method of forming ice of claim 16, further comprising the step of: harvesting the ice by at least partially inverting the ice tray and then flexing at least a portion of the ice tray. 18. The method of forming ice of claim 17, further comprising the step of: heating the bottom surface of the ice forming plate with the thermoelectric device after substantially all of the water dispensed onto the top surface of the ice forming plate has frozen to aid in the harvesting of the ice.
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