Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet forming a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the cabinet including a water inlet; a first ice maker configured to produce a first style of ice; a second ice maker configured to produce a second style of ice different from the first style of ice; and a water tank in fluid communication with each of the first ice maker and the second ice maker, the water tank being configured to store a quantity of water, wherein the first ice maker is upstream from the water tank and the water tank is upstream from the second ice maker, and wherein water from the first ice maker is selectively supplied to the water tank after a harvesting operation is performed within the first ice maker.

Abstract: An ice making assembly mounted on a door of a refrigerator appliance includes an icebox mounted on the door and defining an ice making chamber and an icebox opening to the ice making chamber, an ice storage bin positioned below the icebox for storing ice, wherein an intake slot is defined between the icebox and the ice storage bin, a damper mounted over the icebox opening and being movable between an open position to permit a flow of air through the icebox opening and a closed position to prevent the flow of air through the icebox opening, a drive motor operably coupled to the damper, and a controller in operative communication with the drive motor for selectively pivoting the damper between the open position and the closed position.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet, a door, an interior liner, an icemaker, a guide plate, and an electric heating element. The cabinet defines a chilled chamber. The door is movably mounted to the cabinet. The interior liner defines an icebox within the chilled chamber. The icemaker is mounted within the icebox. The guide plate is horizontally offset from the icemaker within the icebox. The guide plate defines a convection channel extending generally along a vertical direction from a channel inlet to a channel outlet disposed above the channel inlet. The electric heating element is disposed along the convection channel to heat air therein.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet forming a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, the cabinet including a water inlet; a first ice maker configured to produce a first style of ice; a second ice maker configured to produce a second style of ice different from the first style of ice; and a water tank in fluid communication with each of the first ice maker and the second ice maker, the water tank being configured to store a quantity of water, wherein the first ice maker is upstream from the water tank and the water tank is upstream from the second ice maker, and wherein water from the first ice maker is selectively supplied to the water tank after a harvesting operation is performed within the first ice maker.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a controller disposed in a cabinet, and the controller is in operable communication with a freezer damper assembly. The controller is configured to operate the compressor in order to simultaneously cool down both of the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment, as well as calculate a new open area of the freezer damper assembly based on a target temperature state. The target temperature state includes a refrigerator target temperature of the refrigerating compartment and a freezer target temperature of the freezer compartment. The controller is further configured to adjust a position of the freezer damper assembly to provide the calculated new open area.

Abstract: A method for operating an ice maker appliance includes a step of directing a fill of liquid water to compartments of an ice tray. The method also includes a step of operating a harvest mechanism to harvest ice pieces formed within the compartments of the ice tray. The method may further include a step of sensing, with a sensor assembly, conditions of an ice storage bin. The method may also include a step of determining, based on the sensed conditions of the ice storage bin, an amount of ice pieces harvested from the ice tray. The method may further include a step of detecting, based on the determined amount of ice pieces harvested, a failure mode of the ice tray.

Abstract: An ice making assembly mounted on a door of a refrigerator appliance includes an icebox mounted on the door and defining an ice making chamber and an icebox opening to the ice making chamber, an ice storage bin positioned below the icebox for storing ice, wherein an intake slot is defined between the icebox and the ice storage bin, a damper mounted over the icebox opening and being movable between an open position to permit a flow of air through the icebox opening and a closed position to prevent the flow of air through the icebox opening, a drive motor operably coupled to the damper, and a controller in operative communication with the drive motor for selectively pivoting the damper between the open position and the closed position.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet and rotatable between a closed position enclosing the chilled chamber and an open position providing access to the chilled chamber, an icemaker mounted to the door, and an ice storage system for storing ice produced by the icemaker. The ice storage system includes a door-mounted ice bucket positioned below the icemaker for storing the ice formed by the icemaker; an ice storage drawer positioned within the chilled chamber, and a damper mounted at a bottom end of the door-mounted ice bucket, the damper being movable between a closed position to retain the ice within the door-mounted ice bucket and an open position to direct the ice into the ice storage drawer.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door at least partially defining an icebox and comprising an outer door panel and an inner door panel spaced apart along the transverse direction to define a door gap that is filled with insulation, wherein a nominal door gap thickness is defined away from the icebox and an icebox door gap thickness is defined adjacent the icebox, the icebox door gap thickness being less than the nominal door gap thickness. An insulated cover is mounted to the door to at least partially define and thermally isolate the icebox from the chilled chamber.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a controller disposed in a cabinet, and the controller is in operable communication with a freezer damper assembly. The controller is configured to operate the compressor in order to simultaneously cool down both of the refrigerating compartment and the freezer compartment, as well as calculate a new open area of the freezer damper assembly based on a target temperature state. The target temperature state includes a refrigerator target temperature of the refrigerating compartment and a freezer target temperature of the freezer compartment. The controller is further configured to adjust a position of the freezer damper assembly to provide the calculated new open area.

Abstract: A water supply system for supplying water to a first icemaker, a second icemaker, and a water dispenser mounted to a door of a refrigerator appliance includes a water source, a water dispenser supply line passing from the water source, through a hinge of the door, and to the water dispenser, an icemaker supply line passing from the from the water source, through the hinge, and to the first icemaker and the second icemaker, a first multi-way valve fluidly coupled to the icemaker supply line, the first multi-way valve comprising a plurality of outlets, a first supply line providing fluid communication between the first icemaker and a first outlet of the plurality of outlets, and a second supply line providing fluid communication between the second icemaker and a second outlet of the plurality of outlets.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a door being rotatably mounted to a cabinet using a hinge, a first icemaker mounted to the door, a second icemaker mounted to the door, a water source for providing water to the first icemaker and the second icemaker, and a water supply system for supplying the water from the water source to the first icemaker and the second icemaker. The water supply system includes a main supply line passing from the water source and through the hinge, a multi-way valve fluidly coupled to the main supply line, the multi-way valve comprising a plurality of outlets, a first supply line providing fluid communication between the first icemaker and a first outlet of the plurality of outlets, and a second supply line providing fluid communication between the second icemaker and a second outlet of the plurality of outlets.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, an interior liner, an icemaker, a guide plate, and an electric heating element. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be movably mounted to the cabinet. The interior liner may define an icebox within the chilled chamber. The icemaker may be mounted within the icebox. The guide plate may be horizontally offset from the icemaker within the icebox. The guide plate may define a convection channel extending generally along a vertical direction from a channel inlet to a channel outlet disposed above the channel inlet. The electric heating element may be disposed along the convection channel to heat air therein.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door defining an access opening passing through the door, and a drawer assembly mounted to the door. The drawer assembly includes a drawer frame slidably mounted to the door within the access opening and being movable between an open position and a closed position and a drawer front mounted to the drawer frame, the drawer front being configured to seal the access opening when the drawer frame is in the closed position.

Abstract: An ice making appliance includes a water tank and a mold body positioned beneath the water tank. The mold body is configured for receiving liquid water from the water tank and for forming ice within the mold body. The ice making appliance also includes a cover positioned between the water tank and the mold body.

Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, an ice making assembly comprising an ice mold, a mold temperature sensor, and a water supply spout, and a controller in operative communication with the mold temperature sensor. The controller is configured to fill the ice mold with water using the water supply spout, monitor an ice mold temperature using the mold temperature sensor, determine a mold cooling metric using the ice mold temperature, determine that the mold cooling metric falls below a predetermined threshold rate or is outside a target range, and implement a responsive action in response to determining that the mold cooling metric falls below the predetermined threshold rate or is outside the target range, e.g., by providing a user notification or changing a harvest count threshold for the ice making assembly.

Abstract: A method for operating an ice maker appliance includes a step of directing a fill of liquid water to compartments of an ice tray. The method also includes a step of operating a harvest mechanism to harvest ice pieces formed within the compartments of the ice tray. The method may further include a step of sensing, with a sensor assembly, conditions of an ice storage bin. The method may also include a step of determining, based on the sensed conditions of the ice storage bin, an amount of ice pieces harvested from the ice tray. The method may further include a step of detecting, based on the determined amount of ice pieces harvested, a failure mode of the ice tray.

Abstract: A fuel cell has a stack that includes a fuel electrode and air electrode on opposite sides of an electrolyte membrane. The fuel electrode includes first and second fuel ports communicative via a fuel flow path, and the air electrode includes first and second air ports communicative via an air flow path. The fuel cell also includes first and second fuel feeders communicative with the first and second fuel ports, and first and second air feeders communicative with the first and second air ports. The fuel cell also includes a fuel switching unit between the first and second fuel feeders that switches a fuel supply direction between the first and second fuel feeders. The fuel cell further includes an air switching unit between the first and second air feeders that switches an air supply direction between the first and second air feeders.

Abstract: A fuel reforming device includes a combustion part including a burner; an exhaust part configured to circulate an exhaust gas that is generated from the combustion part; and a reactor that is configured to generate hydrogen from a raw material by absorbing heat from the exhaust gas circulating in the exhaust part. The reactor includes a heat storage member that is configured to absorb the heat from the exhaust gas during operation of the combustion part, store the absorbed heat, and provide the absorbed heat to the reactor.

Abstract: An ejector and a refrigeration cycle apparatus having an ejector are provided. The ejector may include an ejector body having an accommodation space therein, a suction portion through which a high pressure refrigerant and a low pressure refrigerant may be suctioned into the accommodation space, and a mixing portion configured to mix the high pressure refrigerant with the low pressure refrigerant; a nozzle provided in the ejector body, having a nozzle neck and an expansion portion, and configured to inject the high pressure refrigerant into the mixing portion; a first needle moveably provided at the expansion portion, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the expansion portion; a second needle moveably provided at the nozzle neck, and configured to control a flow sectional area of the nozzle neck; a first needle drive configured to drive the first needle; and a second needle drive configured to drive the second needle.