Ice maker with adaptive fill

• US 20060242971A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Tremblay, Young, Tremblay, Dennis, Slocum, Laurence S., Cole, Ronald E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/66
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/04 by using stationary moulds
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2305/024 Rotating rake
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/04 Level of water
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/08 by heating bodies in contact with the ice

Abstract

An icemaker assembly includes an ice tray having an ice forming compartment, a water line configured to advance water from a water source to the ice tray, a valve operable to selectively block advancement of water through the water line while an actuation signal is generated, a control system operable to generate the actuation signal for a water advancement period, a water level detection system for determining if a level of water in the ice forming compartment is below a threshold value and generating a control signal in response thereto. The control system is further operable to alter a magnitude of the water advancement period in response to generation of the control signal. Water is initially advanced into the ice forming compartment for a first period of time during a first ice making cycle by opening the valve. If it is determined that the level of water in the ice forming compartment is below a threshold value during the first ice making cycle, a control signal is generated in response thereto and during a second ice making period the valve is opened for a second period of time in response to generation of the control signal so that water advances into the ice forming compartment of said ice tray through the valve during said second ice making cycle for a period of time that is greater than the first period of time.

Claims

1. A method of producing ice, comprising the steps of:

opening a valve for a first period of time during a first ice making cycle so that water advances from a fluid source into at least one ice forming compartment of an ice tray through said valve;

determining if a level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is below a threshold value during said first ice making cycle and generating a control signal in response thereto; and

opening said valve for a second period of time during a second ice making cycle in response to generation of said control signal so that water advances from a fluid source into said least one ice forming compartment of said ice tray through said valve during said second ice making cycle,

wherein said second period of time is greater than said first period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reducing temperature of water within said ice tray during said first ice making cycle after said determining step so as to cause said water located within said at least one ice forming compartment to become a first ice cube having a first size; and

reducing temperature of water within said ice tray during said second ice making cycle so as to cause said water located within said at least one ice forming compartment to become a second ice cube having a second size that is greater than said first size.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a member utilized to eject ice from said at least one ice forming compartment of said ice tray is utilized to determine the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the member is utilized to determine the level of the water in said at least one ice forming compartment after the water in said at least one ice forming compartment has frozen to form an ice cube and prior to said ice cube being ejected from said at least one ice forming compartment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the member is stalled on a surface of said ice cube and the level of the water is determined by comparing the actual position of member when it is stalled with a desired position for the member to stall when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the member is stalled on a first location on said surface of said ice cube and on a second location on said surface of said ice cube to determine the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the comparison of the actual position of member when it is stalled with a desired position for the member to stall when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level is utilized to generate the control signal.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the member is submerged in the water in said at least one compartment to displace water in said at least one compartment to raise the level of the water in the said at least one compartment toward a sensor to determine the level of the water in the said at least one compartment.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the level of the water is, determined by comparing the actual position of member when it displaces sufficient water to activate the sensor with a desired position for the member to displace sufficient water to activate the sensor when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the comparison of the actual position of member when it displaces sufficient water to activate the sensor with the desired position for the member to displace sufficient water to activate the sensor when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level is utilized to generate the control signal.

11. A method of producing ice, comprising the steps of:

(a) performing successive ice making cycles, each ice making cycle including

(i) advancing water into at least one ice forming compartment of an ice tray by opening a valve connected to a water source for a water advancement period;

(ii) reducing temperature of water within said ice tray after said water advancing step so as to cause said water located within said at least one ice forming compartment to become an ice member; and

(b) determining if a size characteristic of said ice member produced during a first ice making cycle is less than a threshold value and generating a control signal in response thereto; and

(c) altering a magnitude of said water advancement period for a subsequent ice making cycle in response to generation of said control signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining step includes the step of determining if a height of said ice member in said at least one ice forming compartment is below a threshold value and generating said control signal in response thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a member utilized to eject the ice member from said at least one ice forming compartment of said ice tray is utilized to determine the height of said ice member in said at least one ice forming compartment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the member is stalled on a surface of said ice member and the height of said ice member is determined by comparing the actual position of member when it is stalled with a desired position for the member to stall when the height of said ice member in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the member is stalled on a first location on said surface of said ice member and on a second location on said surface of said ice member to determine the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the comparison of the actual position of member when it is stalled with a desired position for the member to stall when the height of said ice member in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level is utilized to generate the control signal.

17. An icemaker assembly, comprising:

an ice tray having at least one ice forming compartment;

a water line configured to advance water from a water source to said ice tray;

a valve operable to selectively block advancement of water through said water line while an actuation signal is generated;

a control system operable to generate said actuation signal for a water advancement period;

a water level detection system for determining if a level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is below a threshold value and generating a control signal in response thereto,

wherein said control system is further operable to alter a magnitude of said water advancement period in response to generation of said control signal.

18. The icemaker assembly of claim 17, and further comprising an ejector configured to eject ice members formed in said ice forming compartment and wherein said water level detection system also comprises said ejector and said control system controls said ejector.

19. The ice maker assembly of claim 18, wherein said control system receives data regarding the position of said ejector and said ejector is utilized to determine the level of the water in said at least one ice forming compartment after the water in said at least one ice forming compartment has frozen to form an ice member and prior to said ice member being ejected from said at least one ice forming compartment.

20. The icemaker assembly of claim 19, wherein the control system drives the ejector to be stalled on a surface of said ice member and the level of the water is determined by comparing the actual position of ejector when it is stalled with a desired position for the ejector to stall when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level.

21. The icemaker assembly of claim 20, wherein the ejector is stalled on a first location on said surface of said ice member and on a second location on said surface of said ice member to determine the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment.

22. The icemaker assembly of claim 20, wherein the control system compares the actual position of ejector when it is stalled with a desired position for the ejector to stall when the level of water in said at least one ice forming compartment is at a desired level to generate the control signal.

23. An icemaker assembly, comprising:

an ice tray having at least one ice forming compartment;

a water line configured to advance water from a water source to said ice tray;

a valve operable to selectively block advancement of water through said water line while an actuation signal is generated;

a control system operable to generate said actuation signal for a water advancement period;

an ice size detection system for determining if a size characteristic of an ice member located in said at least one ice forming compartment is less than a threshold value and generating a control signal in response thereto,

wherein said control system is further operable to increase a magnitude of said water advancement period in response to generation of said control signal.

24. The icemaker assembly of claim 23, further comprising a temperature reduction system for reducing temperature of said water in said ice tray.