Refrigerator appliance with a clear icemaker

• US 10,605,493 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2017
• 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: Singh, Anoop, Kulkarni, Ashutosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruppert, Eric S
• Application Number:
  US15/415,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20180209711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2341/062 Capillary expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/37 Capillary tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/39 Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/02 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/12 by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/18 of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2500/02 Geometry problems
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/065 with compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/061 through special compartments

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a sealed system with a first evaporator connected in series with a first capillary tube and a second evaporator connected in series with second and third capillary tubes such that the second evaporator is between the second and third capillary tubes. The first capillary tube is sized such that the chilled air at the first evaporator is a first temperature during operation of the sealed system. The second capillary tube is sized such that the chilled air at the second evaporator is a second, different temperature during operation of the sealed system.

Claims

1. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:

a cabinet defining a chilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage, the cabinet having a door and defining a duct;

an icemaker comprising a mold body defining an ice cavity and a manifold positioned over the ice cavity of the mold body such that water from the manifold is flowable through the ice cavity, the ice maker further comprising a water funnel and a pump, the water funnel positioned below the mold body, the water funnel tapered towards a sump of the water funnel, the pump connected to the sump of the water funnel and the manifold such that the pump is operable to flow water from the sump of the water funnel to the manifold, the ice maker further comprising an ice-collector, the ice collector positioned below the mold body to receive ice from the ice cavity, the ice collector having a bottom wall sloped towards a collection volume of the ice-collector, an ice inlet of the ice-collector offset from a water inlet of the water funnel in a plane that is perpendicular to a vertical direction; and

a sealed system positioned within the cabinet, the sealed system comprising

a compressor operable to generate compressed refrigerant;

a first capillary tube connected to receive condensed refrigerant;

a first evaporator positioned proximate the chilled chamber of the cabinet, the first evaporator connected in series with the first capillary tube;

a second capillary tube connected to receive condensed refrigerant;

a third capillary tube; and

a second evaporator positioned proximate an inlet of the duct, the second and third capillary tubes connected in series with the second evaporator such that the second evaporator is between the second and third capillary tubes,

wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the first capillary tube is selected such that the chilled air at the first evaporator is a first temperature during operation of the sealed system, and

wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the second capillary tube is selected such that the chilled air at the second evaporator is a second temperature during operation of the sealed system, the first temperature being less than the second temperature.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the icemaker is positioned on the door of the cabinet, chilled air from the second evaporator flowable through the duct towards the icemaker to cool the icemaker and chilled air from the first evaporator flowable to the chilled chamber of the cabinet.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is no less than negative six degrees Celsius and no greater than zero degrees Celsius, the second temperature is no less than negative twenty-seven degrees Celsius and no greater than negative twenty degrees Celsius.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein an outlet of the third capillary tube and an outlet of the first evaporator are connected to an inlet of the compressor.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 4, wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the third capillary tube is selected such that a temperature and pressure of refrigerant at the outlet of the first evaporator is equal to a temperature and pressure of refrigerant at the outlet of the third capillary tube during operation of the sealed system.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the first capillary tube and the first evaporator are connected in parallel with the second and third capillary tubes and the second evaporator in the sealed system.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein the sealed system further comprises a condenser positioned downstream of the compressor and upstream of the first and second capillary tubes.

8. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:

a cabinet defining a chilled chamber for receipt of food items for storage, the cabinet having a door and defining a duct;

an icemaker positioned on the door of the cabinet, the icemaker comprising a mold body defining an ice cavity and a manifold positioned over the ice cavity of the mold body such that water from the manifold is flowable through the ice cavity, the ice maker further comprising a water funnel and a pump, the water funnel positioned below the mold body, the water funnel tapered towards a sump of the water funnel, the pump connected to the sump of the water funnel and the manifold such that the pump is operable to flow water from the sump of the water funnel to the manifold, the ice maker further comprising an ice-collector, the ice collector positioned below the mold body to receive ice from the ice cavity, the ice collector having a bottom wall sloped towards a collection volume of the ice-collector, an ice inlet of the ice-collector offset from a water inlet of the water funnel in a plane that is perpendicular to a vertical direction; and

a sealed system positioned within the cabinet, the sealed system comprising

a compressor operable to generate compressed refrigerant;

a first capillary tube having an inlet that is connected to an outlet of the compressor to receive condensed refrigerant from the compressor;

a first evaporator positioned proximate the chilled chamber of the cabinet, the first evaporator connected in series with the first capillary tube;

a second capillary tube having an inlet that is connected to the outlet of the compressor to receive condensed refrigerant from the compressor;

a third capillary tube having an outlet that is connected to an inlet of the compressor; and

a second evaporator positioned proximate an inlet of the duct, the second and third capillary tubes connected in series with the second evaporator such that the second evaporator is between the second and third capillary tubes,

wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the first capillary tube is selected such that chilled air at the first evaporator is a first temperature during operation of the sealed system, and

wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the second capillary tube is selected such that chilled air at the second evaporator is a second temperature during operation of the sealed system, the first temperature being less than the second temperature.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein chilled air from the second evaporator is flowable through the duct towards the icemaker to cool the icemaker and chilled air from the first evaporator is flowable to the chilled chamber of the cabinet.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the first temperature is no less than negative six degrees Celsius and no greater than zero degrees Celsius and the second temperature is no less than negative twenty-seven degrees Celsius and no greater than negative twenty degrees Celsius.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein one or both of a length and an inner diameter of the third capillary tube is selected such that a temperature and pressure of refrigerant at the outlet of the first evaporator is equal to a temperature and pressure of refrigerant at the outlet of the third capillary tube during operation of the sealed system.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the first capillary tube and the first evaporator are connected in parallel with the second and third capillary tubes and the second evaporator in the sealed system.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the sealed system further comprises a condenser, the inlet of the first capillary tube and the inlet of the second capillary tube connected to the outlet of the compressor through the condenser.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the ice maker further comprises a water funnel and a pump, the water funnel positioned below the mold body, the water funnel tapered towards a sump of the water funnel, the pump connected to the sump of the water funnel and the manifold such that the pump is operable to flow water from the sump of the water funnel to the manifold.