Abstract: An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

Abstract: An automatic descale and sanitize process for an ice maker which requires less user intervention and time. During descaling, a main water reservoir of an ice maker sump is filled with water to a descale water level and mixes with a cleaner placed in the main water reservoir. The water/cleaner mixture is pumped through the ice maker to descale the water system and freeze plate. During sanitizing, the sump is filled with water to a sanitize water level, above the descale water level, and mixes with sanitizer placed in a sanitizer reservoir of the sump. The water/sanitizer mixture is pumped through the ice maker to sanitize the water system and freeze plate. During descaling, the sanitizer placed in the sanitizer reservoir does not come into contact with the water in the main water reservoir. After the descale and sanitize process, the ice maker can return to making ice.

Abstract: An ice maker having a refrigeration system, a water system and a control system. The refrigeration system includes an ice formation device. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device, and includes a water reservoir (e.g., a sump or float chamber) for holding water to be formed into ice and a discharge valve in fluid communication with the water reservoir. The control system includes an ice level sensor adapted to sense the ice level in an ice storage bin, and a controller adapted to cause water to drain from the water reservoir when the ice storage bin is full. Substantially or all of the water remaining in the water reservoir is drained such that while the ice maker is not making ice the water reservoir is empty of water. This reduces or prevents the growth of harmful bacteria, parasites, organisms, and/or other biological material in the water reservoir.

Abstract: A method of interacting with a refrigeration appliance using a portable electronic device, wherein the refrigeration appliance comprises a refrigeration system comprising one or more refrigeration components and a controller adapted to control the one or more refrigeration components and wherein the portable electronic device comprises an application for interacting with the controller of the refrigeration appliance. The method comprising the steps of positioning the portable electronic device in proximity to the refrigeration appliance, establishing a wireless communication connection between the refrigeration appliance and the portable electronic device, and displaying information on the portable electronic device corresponding to the refrigeration appliance to which the portable electronic device is connected.

Abstract: An ice maker for forming ice using a refrigerant capable of transitioning between liquid and gaseous states, the ice maker comprising a compressor, a condenser, a thermal expansion device, an evaporator assembly, a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly, a sump located below the freeze plate, and a guide which permits the sump to move from a first position to a second position. The ice maker may be disposed on top of an ice storage bin having a hole through which ice produced by the ice maker may fall and when the sump is in the first position, water can be recirculated from the sump to the freeze plate by a water pump, and when the sump is in the second position, the sump is adapted to cover the hole of the ice storage bin.

Abstract: An ice maker comprising a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The control system includes an air fitting disposed in the sump of the water system, a pneumatic tube, and a controller comprising a processor and an air pressure sensor. The air fitting defines a chamber in which air may be trapped and includes openings through which water in the sump is in fluid communication with the air in the chamber. The pneumatic tube is in fluid communication with the air pressure sensor and the air fitting. The air pressure sensor is adapted to sense a pressure corresponding to a sump water level. The controller is adapted to control the operation of the refrigeration system and the operation of the water system based upon the sump water level and to detect one or more failure modes of the water system based upon the sump water level.

Abstract: A water distributor for an ice maker having a first reservoir comprising a bottom and an inlet passageway, a central wall comprising a first central wall portion and a second central wall portion, and a second reservoir separated from the first reservoir by the central wall, the second reservoir comprising a bottom. A population of teeth separated by a population of gaps are disposed along the central wall. Water flows from the first reservoir to the second reservoir through the population of gaps. A population of outlet passageways are disposed in the second central wall portion proximate the bottom of the second reservoir. Water exits the second reservoir substantially horizontally through the population of outlet passageways.

Abstract: An undercounter ice maker assembly comprising an ice maker chassis having a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a right panel, and a back panel. The back panel comprises a bottom portion and a top portion and the bottom panel includes one or more openings. The bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel, and the bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration system compartment having a reduced height. The undercounter ice maker assembly further includes an ice maker disposed in the ice maker chassis, wherein the ice maker comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and one or more condenser fans. The one or more condenser fans each have an axis of rotation which are disposed at an angle ? with respect to the bottom panel and air can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more openings of the bottom panel.

Abstract: An ice storage bin assembly including an ice storage bin having a cavity for the storage of ice and an opening which provides access to the cavity for retrieval of ice stored therein. The ice storage bin assembly further includes a door rotatably connected to the ice storage bin by one or more hinges which permit the door to swing down from a closed position to an open position. When the door is in the closed position, the door closes the opening and when the door is in the open position, the cavity of the ice storage bin is accessible. Optionally, one or more hooks may be disposed on the back side of the door, such that the one or more hooks are adapted to temporarily retain a bucket when the door is in the open position.

Abstract: An ice storage bin assembly comprising an ice storage bin having a cavity for the storage of ice and an opening for access to the cavity. An ice dispensing chute is disposed internal to the ice storage bin and comprises an inlet and an outlet. Ice can be directed into the inlet where it is carried by gravity down to the outlet and deposited in a bucket disposed below the outlet. An ice dispensing chute closure means closes the inlet of the ice dispensing chute. The closure means can comprise a scoop adapted to be received in and seal the inlet of the ice dispensing chute or a raised portion disposed on the back side of a door which is adapted to seal the inlet of the ice dispensing chute when the door is closed.

Abstract: A sump for use in an ice maker, the sump adapted to hold a mass of water, wherein the ice maker freezes some or all of the mass of water into ice. The sump includes a recirculation area and one or more additional areas separated from the recirculation area. The recirculation area and the one or more additional areas are in fluid communication via one or more passageways. The recirculation area is adapted to hold and receive a first portion of the mass of water having a first mass. The one or more additional areas are adapted to hold a second portion of the mass of water having a second mass. Thus, if the first portion of water forms into slush, the second portion of water can be recirculated to melt the slush.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an ice-making system having a control system. The control system selectively places the ice-making machine in a freeze cycle and a harvest cycle, based upon inputs from sensors that determine a flow rate of fluid out of an evaporator, and a level of fluid in a sump. The control system can further prevent a slushing condition in the ice-making machine by monitoring the temperature of the fluid in the sump. The control system can also monitor the sensors to ensure that they are providing correct signals.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flow splitter for dividing a flow of a fluid into a first outlet and a second outlet. The flow splitter comprises a pivot having a flapper portion, which can ensure that water will continue to flow to an outlet, even if the outlet is partially or completely obstructed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an ice-making system having a control system. The control system selectively places the ice-making machine in a freeze cycle and a harvest cycle, based upon inputs from sensors that determine a flow rate of fluid out of an evaporator, and a level of fluid in a sump. The control system can further prevent a slushing condition in the ice-making machine by monitoring the temperature of the fluid in the sump. The control system can also monitor the sensors to ensure that they are providing correct signals.

Abstract: Ice making machine that uses PETD harvest technology, evaporators, ice molds and cooling system. One evaporator makes thin layers of ice that are laminated to form a larger ice piece. Other evaporators include an ice forming surface on a material that has good thermal conductivity for forming ice in a freeze mode and good electrical conductivity to serve as a resistive heater during a harvest mode. One evaporator has a plate and an array of freezing sites that extend above a surface thereof. Another evaporator has a plate that is divided into strips of good and poor thermal conductivity by. Another evaporator has a refrigerant tube that is sandwiched between a pair of corrugated sheets that have ice forming surfaces. Another evaporator has a waffle style pan that is constructed of a dielectric layer sandwiched between a pair of copper layers. Another evaporator forms an ice slab on an inclined flat surface, which after harvest is diced into cubes with a wire grid.

Abstract: An evaporator for use in an ice-making machine that has at least one water passage and at least one refrigerant passage. Water passing through the water passage is frozen by the conductive effects of a refrigerant passing through the refrigerant passages. The evaporator is wound in a flat, spiral, space-saving design. A flow-splitter for use in evaporators with two water passages is also provided.

Abstract: An ice-making machine that includes an evaporator and a simple control system, with a single switch, that initiates a harvest cycle by determining a flow rate of water out of the evaporator. The evaporator is a coiled in a flat, space-saving spiral.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming ice inside a helical refrigerated tube and harvesting the ice by warming the tube is provided. The device uses water pressure to push the ice out of the evaporator. At least a portion of the body of the evaporator is formed by extrusion. The evaporator can be made from aluminum.

Abstract: A commercial ice making machine having an electronic monitoring device which captures the operating status and production history of the ice machine. The ice production history of the machine is communicated via telephony and/or the Internet on a regular recurring basis to a remote computer. The production history is used to generate invoices to the user of the ice machine, so that the user is charged based on his or her actual ice consumption. Failure of the ice machine is detected by the monitoring device and communicated immediately to a service company so that the ice machine can be repaired before the end user realizes the machine has failed.

Abstract: A commercial ice making machine having an electronic monitoring device which captures the operating status and production history of the ice machine. The ice production history of the machine is communicated via telephony and/or the Internet on a regular recurring basis to a remote computer. The production history is used to generate invoices to the user of the ice machine, so that the user is charged based on his or her actual ice consumption. Failure of the ice machine is detected by the monitoring device and communicated immediately to a service company so that the ice machine can be repaired before the end user realizes the machine has failed.