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: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a pump fluidly connected to the ice maker and configured for pumping cooling media to the ice maker, and a motor operatively connected to the ice maker and configured to provide oscillating movement to the ice maker. The pump is operatively connected to the motor such that driving of the motor results in the pumping of the cooling media with the pump.

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: An ice making tray has an array of individual ice cube compartments. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the tray and rotates the tray from a horizontal plane in opposite directions along an axis through an angle ? of about 20° to 40°, such that water in the tray moves between ice cube compartments. The frequency of oscillation (?) is harmonically related to the frequency of movement of water in the tray and is about equal to or about twice the frequency of movement of water in the tray. In a preferred embodiment, the floor of the tray is a thermally conductive material in contact with a thermoelectric plate used to freeze the water as well as being subsequently heated to release the formed ice cubes.

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: 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 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: 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: A unitary clear ice sheet is formed from a plurality of individual clear ice sheets which are fused together to give the unitary ice sheet a predetermined thickness. The fused unitary ice sheet is a clear unitary ice sheet due to the formation of the plurality of individual clear ice sheets by running water over a cold plate apparatus or evaporator mechanism to form the ice sheets in a gradual layer-by-layer process. The fused unitary clear ice sheet is used to mold or shape clear ice structure therefrom, such as clear ice spheres in a mold apparatus.

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.

Abstract: A system comprising a gear having at least one slot, wherein the gear is connected to an icetray and a motor so that when the motor rotates the gear, the icetray twists, and an optical sensor that detects when the gear has rotated the slot over the optical sensor. The icetray twists while the gear is rotated in a first direction away from a home position to a reverse twist position. The rotation of gear then reverses to twist the icetray to a harvest position in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction until ice in the icetray is dislodged.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system configured to produce and provide on-demand, immediate sequential dispensing of varying levels of carbonated water, such as carbonated water having a level of carbonation selected by an end-user, is disclosed. In one aspect, immediate sequential dispensing of varying levels of carbonated water is provided by varying the rate of agitation during a fixed agitation interval. The carbonating unit has a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water. An agitator is housed within the volume of the carbonating unit and is operated by a variable speed actuator.

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: 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 method of making an ice structure comprising the steps of: providing a mold with at least two mold portions where the at least two mold portions come together to form a cavity that defines a shape of an ice structure; placing the at least two mold portions in thermal communication with at least one cooling source; chilling the at least two mold portions using the at least one cooling source; orienting the at least two mold portions in spaced apart relation; delivering a flow of water such that the flow of water passes along the surface of the at least two mold portions with the mold segments such that water flows (by capillary/wicking action) over the mold segment and forms an ice structure segment; ceasing the flow of water when the ice structure segments are formed; and fusing the ice structure segments together to form the ice structure.

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: An ice maker having a housing defining an interior volume, with an ice tray rotatably coupled with the housing and horizontally suspended across the interior volume thereof. The ice tray has ice wells, defined along the bottom by a bottom surface and the sides by an interior surface of at least one containment wall, wherein the containment wall has an upper portion, including a top surface of the containment wall and the interior surface adjacent the top surface. The upper portion of the containment wall has an insulating layer applied thereto. A tray for use in the ice maker and method of manufacturing the tray are also provided.

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.