Method for operating a fan of a nugget ice maker

• US 9,869,502 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Gardner, William Everette, Mitchell, Alan Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradford, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/987,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20170191723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/147 by using augers
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/08 Sticking or clogging of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/02 Level of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/10 Rotating speed of the auger motor of an auger type ice making machine
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/12 Temperature of ice trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/14 Temperature of water
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/142 extrusion of ice crystals
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/182 Ice bins therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/24 for storing bins ice bins F25C5/182
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/02 with cooling compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/065 with compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/025 Secondary closures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/061 through special compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/04 Controlling heat transfer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2600/06 Controlling according to a predetermined profile
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/122 of freezer compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 : Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A method for operating a fan of a nugget ice maker is provided. The method includes monitoring a speed of an auger of the nugget ice maker while a motor of the nugget ice maker rotates the auger and the fan of the nugget ice maker runs at a stored speed. A speed of the fan is increased when the speed of the auger stabilizes.

Claims

1. A method for operating a fan of a nugget ice maker, comprising:

running the fan at a stored speed;

activating a motor of the nugget ice maker such that the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates an auger of the nugget ice maker;

monitoring a speed of the auger while the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates the auger of the nugget ice maker and the fan runs at the stored speed; and

increasing a speed of the fan in response to the speed of the auger stabilizing during said step of monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the fan if the speed of the auger drops below a threshold speed during said step of monitoring.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of increasing the speed of the fan comprises increasing the speed of the fan when the speed of the auger stabilizes during said step of monitoring and when the speed of the auger does not drop below the threshold speed during said step of monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of increasing the speed of the fan comprises increasing the speed of the fan by a predetermined speed when the speed of the auger stabilizes during said step of monitoring.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising repeating said step of monitoring and said step of increasing the speed of the fan until the speed of the auger does not stabilize during said step of monitoring.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reducing the speed of the fan by the predetermined speed after the speed of the auger does not stabilize during said step of monitoring.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the stored speed with the speed of the fan after said step of reducing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an ice bucket of the nugget ice maker is no greater than half full at said step of monitoring the speed of the auger while the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates the auger of the nugget ice maker and the fan runs at the stored speed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of increasing the speed of the fan comprises increasing the speed of the fan when the speed of the auger stabilizes above a threshold speed of the auger during said step of monitoring.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fan is configured for drawing chilled air generated by a sealed system to the nugget ice maker.

11. A method for operating a fan of a nugget ice maker, comprising:

operating the fan at a first speed;

activating a motor of the nugget ice maker such that the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates an auger of the nugget ice maker;

monitoring a speed of the auger while the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates the auger of the nugget ice maker; and

operating the fan at a second speed in response to the speed of the auger being substantially constant for a predetermined period of time during said step of monitoring, the second speed being greater than the first speed.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising deactivating the fan if the speed of the auger drops below a threshold speed during said step of monitoring.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of operating the fan at the second speed comprises operating the fan at the second speed when the speed of the auger is substantially constant during said step of monitoring and when the speed of the auger does not drop below the threshold speed during said step of monitoring.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising

repeating said step of monitoring while the fan operates at the second speed;

and

operating the fan at a third speed when the speed of the auger is substantially constant for the predetermined period of time during said step of monitoring while the fan operates at the second speed, the third speed being greater than the second speed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repeating said step of monitoring while the fan operates at the third speed; and

reducing the speed of the fan to the second speed when the speed of the auger is not substantially constant for the predetermined period of time during said step of monitoring while the fan operates at the third speed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising saving the second speed in a memory of the nugget ice maker such that the first speed is updated to the second speed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein an ice bucket of the nugget ice maker is no greater than half full at said step of monitoring the speed of the auger while the motor of the nugget ice maker rotates the auger of the nugget ice maker and the fan runs at the stored speed.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of operating the fan at the second speed comprises operating the fan at a second speed when the speed of the auger is substantially constant above a threshold speed of the auger for a predetermined period of time during said step of monitoring.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the fan is configured for drawing chilled air generated by a sealed system to the nugget ice maker.