Refrigerator appliance having an ice making assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10760846-B2
Application number	US-201916245308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2019
Priority date	Jan 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance having an ice making assembly is provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, an icemaker attached to the cabinet, an ice bin, a support tray, a fluid filter, a liquid storage volume, and a fluid pump. The ice bin may define a bin outlet at a bottom end. The support tray may be positioned below the bin outlet to receive water therefrom. The support tray may define an inclined groove extending downward toward a tray outlet. The fluid filter may be positioned below the support tray. A filter inlet may be positioned downstream from the tray outlet. A filter outlet may be positioned below the filter inlet along the vertical direction. The liquid storage volume may be positioned below the filter outlet and downstream therefrom. The fluid pump may be positioned in fluid communication between the liquid storage volume and the icemaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an icemaker attached to the cabinet;
an ice bin positioned adjacent to the icemaker to receive ice therefrom, the ice bin extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the ice bin defining a bin outlet at the bottom end;
a support tray positioned below the bin outlet to receive water therefrom, the support tray defining an inclined groove extending downward toward a tray outlet;
a fluid filter positioned below the support tray, the fluid filter defining a filter inlet and a filter outlet downstream therefrom, the filter inlet being positioned downstream from the tray outlet, the filter outlet being positioned below the filter inlet along the vertical direction;
a liquid storage volume positioned below the filter outlet and downstream therefrom; and
a fluid pump positioned in fluid communication between the liquid storage volume and the icemaker.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an upper reservoir defining a second storage volume positioned above the fluid filter.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a level sensor disposed in the liquid storage volume to detect water therein.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , wherein the liquid storage volume is a first storage volume, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises an upper reservoir defining a second storage volume positioned above the fluid filter and the first storage volume.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the level sensor is a first level sensor, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises a second level sensor disposed in the second storage volume to detect water therein.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 5 , further comprising:
a supply valve positioned in fluid communication between the second storage volume and a water supply line; and
a controller operably coupled to the first level sensor, the second level sensor, and the supply valve, the controller being configured to initiate a fill operation, the fill operation comprising
receiving a demand signal from the second level sensor,
receiving a level signal from the first level sensor, and
initiating a flow of water to the first storage volume based on the received demand signal from the first level sensor and the received level signal from the second level sensor.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid pump in fluid communication between the liquid storage volume and the icemaker;
a fluid flow path defined between the fluid pump and the icemaker; and
a water supply line defining a water inlet positioned along the fluid flow path in fluid communication therewith between the fluid pump and the icemaker.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , further comprising a water filter attached to the cabinet along the water supply line upstream from the water inlet.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 7 , further comprising a check valve positioned along the fluid flow path in fluid communication therewith between the fluid pump and the water inlet.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the icemaker is a nugget icemaker.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the fluid filter comprises a mixed resin filter.

12. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
an icemaker attached to the cabinet;
an ice bin positioned adjacent to the icemaker to receive ice therefrom, the ice bin extending along the vertical direction between a top end and a bottom end, the ice bin defining a bin outlet at the bottom end;
a support tray positioned below the bin outlet to receive water therefrom, the support tray defining a tray outlet;
a fluid filter positioned below the support tray, the fluid filter defining a filter inlet and a filter outlet downstream therefrom, the filter inlet being positioned downstream from the tray outlet, the filter outlet being positioned below the filter inlet along the vertical direction;
a liquid storage volume positioned below the filter outlet and downstream therefrom;
a fluid pump positioned in fluid communication between the liquid storage volume and the icemaker;
a fluid flow path defined between the fluid pump and the icemaker; and
a water supply line defining a water inlet positioned along the fluid flow path in fluid communication therewith between the fluid pump and the icemaker.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a level sensor disposed in the liquid storage volume to detect water therein.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 13 , wherein the liquid storage volume is a first storage volume, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises an upper reservoir defining a second storage volume positioned above the fluid filter and the first storage volume.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 14 , wherein the level sensor is a first level sensor, and wherein the refrigerator appliance further comprises a second level sensor disposed in the second storage volume to detect water therein.

16. The refrigerator appliance of claim 14 , further comprising:
a supply valve positioned in fluid communication between the second storage volume and the water supply line; and
a controller operably coupled to the first level sensor, the second level sensor, and the supply valve, the controller being configured to initiate a fill operation, the fill operation comprising
receiving a demand signal from the second level sensor,
receiving a level signal from the first level sensor, and
initiating a flow of water to the first storage volume based on the received demand signal from the first level sensor and the received level signal from the second level sensor.

17. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a water filter attached to the cabinet along the water supply line upstream from the water inlet.

18. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , further comprising a check valve positioned along the fluid flow path in fluid communication therewith between the fluid pump and the water inlet.

19. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the icemaker is a nugget icemaker.

20. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the fluid filter comprises a mixed resin filter.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Kandi Santhosh
• Miller Charles Benjamin
• Gilkey Bradley Nicholas
• Chernov Gregory Sergeevich

Classifications

• F25C2400/12

  Means for sanitation · CPC title

• F25C1/147

  by using augers · CPC title

• F25C2400/10

  Refrigerator units · CPC title

• F25C5/187

  with ice level sensing means · CPC title

• F25D2323/121

  the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser · CPC title