Abstract: A refrigerator having a cooling application, a heating application, and a thermoelectric device having a warm side and a cold side is disclosed. The refrigerator has a first fluid supply pathway in communication between the cold side and the cooling application, and a second fluid supply pathway in communication between the warm side and the heating application. The refrigerator has a first fan positioned to move air through the first fluid supply pathway to the cooling application, a flow pathway in communication between the thermoelectric device and the freezer compartment, and an air return pathway in communication between the fresh food compartment and at least one of the cooling application and the heating application for exhausting air to the fresh food compartment.

Abstract: An ice making tray has a water basin with a thermally conductive floor and a flexible grid positioned therein to define a plurality of ice making compartments. A motor is coupled to the basin to rotate the basin and grid to an inverted position, and a link is coupled between the motor and drive such that the grid is rotatable out of the basin and is flexed to release ice cubes formed therein.

Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice forming plate and a cooling source thermally engaged to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling source is configured to freeze water coming into contact with a top surface of the ice forming plate. A containment wall surrounds the top surface of the ice forming plate to define an ice tray that is configured to retain water. An electrical drive body is rotatably coupled to the ice tray and is configured to oscillate the ice-forming plate in a rocking cycle about a transverse axis of the ice tray. A median wall divides the ice tray along the transverse axis into a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The rocking cycle causes water to repeatedly move over the median wall to form layers of an ice piece within each reservoir of the ice tray.

Abstract: A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment is disclosed. An icemaker is mounted remotely from the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A flow pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. A fan is operatively positioned to move air from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device. A pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold air, such as from the refrigerator compartment, is used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.

Abstract: A bottom mount refrigerator is provided including a thermal battery or phase change material positioned within the refrigerator or freezer in order to increase energy efficiency and compartment sizes of the refrigerator. The thermal battery can be used with an ice maker to aid in removing heat from the water in the ice maker to produce ice. Furthermore, the phase change material or thermal battery may be used with a thermoelectric cooler to aid in ice production. The phase change material may be tuned to various temperatures according to the desired use of the phase change material, as well as the location of the thermal battery or phase change material. Other embodiments include positioning the phase change material in the liner of the compartments or in thermal storage units in order to further increase the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet below the fresh food compartment, and first and second French doors operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide access to the fresh food compartment. There is also a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, an air inlet and an air outlet proximate a bottom of the first French door, and an air outlet and an air inlet on a front face of the mullion. When the first French door is in a closed position, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air outlet on the front face of the mullion and the air outlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air inlet on the front face of the mullion.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler.

Abstract: An ice maker is provided herein that includes an evaporator plate. A first side of the evaporator plate is adapted to form a first clear ice sheet and a second side of the evaporator plate is adapted to form a second clear ice sheet. A staging area is arranged downstream from the evaporator plate and adapted to receive the first and second clear ice sheets after formation. The first and second clear ice sheets are fused in the staging area to form a unitary ice sheet. A first mold assembly having a first mold form and a second mold assembly having a second mold form are positioned within the staging area on opposite sides of the unitary ice sheet when the unitary ice sheet is received in the staging area. A mold cavity is adapted to shape the unitary clear ice sheet to form one or more clear ice structures.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler.

Abstract: Provided is a method of making an ice structure including the steps of: providing a mold having at least two mold portions; extending two supporting rods between the at least two mold portions; extending a drive rod from each of the at least to mold portions; chilling the at least two mold portions using at least one cooling source; delivering a flow of water such that water flows over the at least two mold portions; forming ice structure segments within the at least two mold portions; and contacting the ice structure segments to fuse them together to form the ice structure.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy refrigerator heat source. The refrigerator includes a heat source positioned at a source of latent heat. The heat source harvested heat from the source of latent heat and stores said heat in a fluid within that heat reservoir or heat exchanger. The warmed fluid is then supplied via a fluid pathway to an application requiring a heat output. Thus, the heat reservoir provides heat to the application without use of an energy-consuming device, which reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and an ice mold in the ice maker. The ice maker is configured to provide cooling air from a cool air source along a bottom side of the ice mold during freezing of water to make ice. The ice maker is further configured to provide warm air from a warm air source along the bottom side of the ice mold to facilitate harvesting of the ice. The warm air source may be a refrigeration compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet. The ice maker may be disposed within the refrigeration compartment or the freezer compartment. The ice maker may be configured to make clear ice. The ice mold may be fixed in place during the harvesting of the ice.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy defrost system and method for melting frost formed on an evaporator of a cooling system for the refrigerator. The low energy defrost system includes using air from the refrigerator compartment or external air adjacent the refrigerator to be directed to the evaporator and passed adjacent the evaporator coils to melt any frost formed thereon. As the air is above freezing temperature, it will melt any frost formed on the coils without the need of use an electrical heater. Re-cooled air from the melted frost may then be directed back into the refrigerator compartment to be used to aid in cooling the refrigerator compartment or keeping the refrigerator compartment at the programmed or predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice tray having an ice forming plate with a top surface, a bottom surface and upstanding edges around a perimeter of the ice forming plate. A containment wall extends upwardly around the perimeter of the ice forming plate. The containment wall has a slot extending along a lower portion of the containment wall. The slot receives the upstanding edges of the ice forming plate to form the ice tray. A fluid line is configured to dispense water onto the top surface of the ice forming plate. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the ice tray. The oscillating mechanism begins to rotate the tray in a rocking cycle about a transverse axis of the ice forming plate after ice has started to form along the top surface.

Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy refrigerator heat source. The refrigerator includes a heat source positioned at a source of latent heat. The heat source harvested heat from the source of latent heat and stores said heat in a fluid within that heat reservoir or heat exchanger. The warmed fluid is then supplied via a fluid pathway to an application requiring a heat output. Thus, the heat reservoir provides heat to the application without use of an energy-consuming device, which reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

Abstract: An icemaker is mounted remotely from a freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A flow pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. In one aspect, a fan is operatively positioned to move air from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device and a pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold air, such as from a refrigerator compartment, may be used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and an ice mold in the ice maker. The ice maker is configured to provide cooling air from a cool air source along a bottom side of the ice mold during freezing of water to make ice. The ice maker is further configured to provide warm air from a warm air source along the bottom side of the ice mold to facilitate harvesting of the ice. The warm air source may be a refrigeration compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet. The ice maker may be disposed within the refrigeration compartment or the freezer compartment. The ice maker may be configured to make clear ice. The ice mold may be fixed in place during the harvesting of the ice.

Abstract: A refrigerator is provided that includes a low energy defrost system and method for melting frost formed on an evaporator of a cooling system for the refrigerator. The low energy defrost system includes using air from the refrigerator compartment or external air adjacent the refrigerator to be directed to the evaporator and passed adjacent the evaporator coils to melt any frost formed thereon. As the air is above freezing temperature, it will melt any frost formed on the coils without the need of use an electrical heater. Re-cooled air from the melted frost may then be directed back into the refrigerator compartment to be used to aid in cooling the refrigerator compartment or keeping the refrigerator compartment at the programmed or predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17° to about 25° degrees.