초록 ▼

An ice making assembly and method utilizes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a plurality of distinct, substantially vertical fluid channels, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Ice forming members extend from an ice forming evaporator into respective

An ice making assembly and method utilizes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a plurality of distinct, substantially vertical fluid channels, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Ice forming members extend from an ice forming evaporator into respective fluid channels. During an ice making event, fluid continuously supplied to the upper fluid chamber flows into each of the fluid channels and out through at least one drain aperture into a fluid reservoir below. The ice forming members are cooled such that fluid flowing across the fluid channels freezes on the ice forming members over time, forming clear ice pieces. The ice pieces are subsequently released from the ice forming members and transferred for storage and/or dispensing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An icemaking appliance comprising: a cooling system comprising a refrigerant line;a clear ice making assembly comprising: first and second fluid channeling portions comprising a plurality of vertical fluid channels separated by walls, the vertical fluid channels each comprising a water inlet aper

1. An icemaking appliance comprising: a cooling system comprising a refrigerant line;a clear ice making assembly comprising: first and second fluid channeling portions comprising a plurality of vertical fluid channels separated by walls, the vertical fluid channels each comprising a water inlet aperture;a top cover comprising a water reservoir in fluid communication with the first channeling portion;a bottom fluid recycling portion;an evaporator member in fluid communication with the refrigerant line; anda plurality of ice forming members within and having a width less than a full width of a respective one of the vertical fluid channels and disposed below a respective one of the water inlet apertures, the plurality of ice forming members in thermal communication with the evaporator member; wherein each of the plurality of ice forming members is spaced from an adjacent one of the plurality of ice forming members by more than a respective one of the plurality of walls of the vertical fluid channels;at least one drain aperture disposed below the ice forming members and above the bottom fluid recycling portion;wherein the plurality of ice forming members are configured to be cooled by the evaporator member when the icemaking appliance is in an icemaking state, and wherein the plurality of ice forming members are configured to be heated by the evaporator member when the icemaking appliance is in an ice harvesting state. 2. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, wherein the fluid channels are constructed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than a material of the plurality of ice forming members. 3. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, wherein the bottom fluid recycling portion is in fluid communication with the top cover through a fluid recirculation line; and the clear ice making assembly further comprises at least one pump adapted to transfer fluid between the bottom fluid recycling portion and the top cover. 4. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, wherein the clear ice making assembly further comprises a drain line adapted to drain fluid from the top cover. 5. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ice forming members has a curved shape. 6. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, further comprising: an ice storage bucket disposed below the clear ice making assembly; andan ice transfer chute located beneath the plurality of fluid channels, wherein the ice transfer chute is adapted to transfer clear ice pieces dispensed from the ice making assembly to the ice storage bucket. 7. The icemaking appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one drain aperture is formed in a front face portion of the second fluid channeling portion which is sloped such that clear ice pieces released from each of the plurality of ice forming members are guided by the plurality of walls and the front face portion for storage within the icemaking appliance. 8. A clear ice making assembly comprising: an upper water chamber;a water inlet adapted to supply water to the upper water chamber;a plurality of walls that define a plurality of spaced, substantially vertical water channels there between, with each of the plurality of water channels including a water inlet aperture in communication with the upper water chamber;a water reservoir;at least one drain aperture located below the plurality of water channels and in fluid communication with the water reservoir; anda plurality of ice forming members configured to be cooled by a cooling system, wherein each of the plurality of ice forming members extends into and spans less than a full width of a respective one of the plurality of water channels such that water flowing through the water inlet aperture of each of the plurality of water channels is directed over the plurality of ice forming members before draining into the water reservoir through the at least one drain aperture, wherein each of the plurality of ice forming members is spaced from an adjacent one of the plurality of ice forming members by more than a respective one of the plurality of walls. 9. The clear ice making assembly of claim 8, wherein the water channels are constructed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than a material of the ice forming members. 10. The clear ice making assembly of claim 8, wherein the water reservoir is in fluid communication with the upper water chamber through a water recirculation line; and the ice making assembly further comprises at least one pump controlling the transfer of water between the water reservoir and the upper water chamber. 11. The clear ice making assembly of claim 8, wherein the ice making assembly further comprises a drain line adapted to drain water from the water reservoir. 12. The clear ice making assembly of claim 8, further comprising first and second water channeling portions that fit together about the plurality of ice forming members to form a housing, wherein the housing defines the upper water chamber, the plurality of water channels, each water inlet aperture and the at least one drain aperture. 13. The clear ice making assembly of claim 8, further comprising: an ice transfer chute located beneath the plurality of water channels, and adapted to transfer clear ice pieces dispensed from the ice making assembly to an ice bucket. 14. The ice making assembly of claim 8, wherein the at least one drain aperture is located in front face portion which is sloped such that clear ice pieces released from each of the plurality of ice forming members are guided by the plurality of walls and the front face portion toward an ice transfer chute located below the plurality of water channels. 15. A method of forming ice with a clear ice making assembly including a housing having an upper water chamber, a plurality of walls that define a plurality of substantially vertical water channels there between, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a water reservoir, the ice making assembly also including a plurality of ice forming members extending into a respective one of the plurality of water channels, with each of the plurality of ice forming members being spaced from an adjacent one of the plurality of ice forming members by more than a respective one of the plurality of walls, the method comprising: continuously supplying water to the upper water chamber such that water flows from the upper water chamber, through a plurality of water inlet apertures, into respective ones of the plurality of water channels, across each of the plurality of ice forming members and out through at least one drain aperture of the housing; andcooling the plurality of ice forming members such that clear ice pieces form on the plurality of ice forming members over a period of time. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of continuously supplying water to the upper water chamber includes pumping water from the water reservoir through a water recirculation line to the upper water chamber. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: draining water from the water reservoir. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the flow into the plurality of water channels is laminar. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: initiating an ice harvesting cycle to release the clear ice pieces from the plurality of ice forming members, wherein the ice harvesting cycle includes transferring the clear ice pieces released from the plurality of ice forming members to an ice storage bucket through an ice transfer chute. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the housing and the plurality of ice forming members are located within a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator and the ice storage bucket is located in a freezer compartment of the refrigerator, and the ice transfer chute transfers the ice pieces released from the plurality of ice forming members through a wall separating the fresh food and freezer compartments to the ice storage bucket.