Use of thermoelectric elements for clear ice making, ice harvesting, and creating a temperature condition for clear ice making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915459-B2
Application number	US-201514673979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

An ice making apparatus for an appliance includes a housing that has an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended across the interior volume that is configured to retain water. The ice making apparatus also includes a heat pump thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice tray. The heat pump is configured to freeze water in the ice tray and expel heat. A heat transfer device is configured to move heat expelled by the heat pump to an upper portion of the interior volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice making apparatus for an appliance, comprising:
an ice maker housing configured to be attached to a door of a refrigerator, the housing surrounding an interior volume;
an icemaker within the ice maker housing comprising a stationary member disposed at a first end of the icemaker;
a motor disposed at a second end of the icemaker;
an ice tray horizontally suspended from the first end to the second end and configured to retain water;
the ice tray rotatable by the motor about an axis; and
a thermoelectric device coupled to and rotatable with the ice tray, the thermoelectric device having a cold side and a hot side, the cold side thermally coupled to a bottom portion of the ice tray, and the hot side thermally coupled to a heat sink;
a heat transfer device within the housing and thermally coupled to the heat sink;
an air movement device located within the ice maker housing;
the air movement device being located adjacent to the ice tray and the thermoelectric device;
the air movement device circulating air parallel to the axis of the ice tray and the thermoelectric device and directly toward the thermoelectric device; and
the air movement device being configured to circulate air within the interior volume, such that the air transfers heat from the hot side of the thermoelectric device to an upper portion of the ice tray.

2. The ice making apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is at least partially disposed both below and above the ice tray.

3. The ice making apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat transfer device extends below, above, and along a side of the icemaker.

4. The ice making apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermal storage element disposed within the interior volume of the housing for stabilizing the air temperature within the housing.

5. The ice making apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the thermal storage element is disposed above the ice tray.

6. The ice making apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the thermal storage element comprises a material that undergoes a phase transition at a temperature above 0° Celsius.

7. The ice making apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the thermal storage element is configured to absorb and expel heat such that the air temperature within the housing is stabilized above 0° Celsius.

8. An ice making apparatus for an appliance, comprising:
an ice maker housing for attachment to a door of a refrigerator, the housing having an interior volume;
an icemaker having a motor and an ice tray rotationally coupled to the motor contained within the interior volume and configured to retain water;
the ice tray having a horizontal axis;
a heat pump attached to and rotatable with the ice tray, the heat pump thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice tray, the heat pump configured to expel heat away from the bottom surface and freeze water in the ice tray; and
a heat transfer device disposed within the housing and thermally coupled to the heat pump, the heat transfer device configured to move heat expelled by the heat pump to an upper portion of the interior volume for forming at least one substantially clear ice piece within the ice tray;
an air movement device located within the ice maker housing; the air movement device being located adjacent to the ice tray and the heat pump;
the heat transfer device being thermally coupled to the heat pump, wherein the heat transfer device is at least partially disposed both below and above the ice tray.

9. The ice making apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a thermal storage element disposed within the internal volume of the housing.

10. The ice making apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the thermal storage element comprises a material that undergoes a phase transition at a temperature above 0° Celsius.

11. The ice making apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the material of the thermal storage element comprises at least one of a wax, a metal, and a refrigerant.

12. The ice making apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer device extends at least partially above, below and along a side of the ice tray.

13. The ice making apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer device at least partially encircles the ice tray.

14. The ice making apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the air movement device circulates air within the internal volume.

15. A method comprising:
providing an appliance with an ice maker housing on a door of the appliance, the housing having an interior volume;
providing an ice tray having a horizontal axis suspended within the interior volume of the ice maker housing, the ice tray having reservoirs containing-water and a bottom surface thermally coupled to a thermoelectric device;
transferring heat from the bottom surface of the ice tray across the thermoelectric device to a heat transfer device within the housing and below the ice tray;
transferring heat from the heat transfer device to the air below the ice tray within the interior volume of the ice maker housing;
circulating the air from an air movement device located adjacent the ice maker and the thermoelectric device within the ice maker housing and circulating air parallel to the ice maker axis and the thermoelectric device, such that heat from the bottom surface of the ice tray is transferred to a top surface of the water;
forming substantially clear ice pieces in the ice tray;
harvesting the clear ice pieces by rotating the ice tray and thermoelectric device such that the clear ice pieces fall out of the ice tray by gravity.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transferring heat from the circulating air across the thermoelectric device to the bottom surface of the ice tray for releasing the substantially clear ice pieces from the tray; and
providing a thermal storage element within the interior volume for stabilizing air temperature in an upper portion of the interior volume.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Wu Guolian

Classifications

• F25B21/04

  reversible · CPC title

• Y02P60/855

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F25C1/18 Primary

  of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air · CPC title

• F25B2321/0251

  by a gas · CPC title

• Y02P60/85

  Food storage or conservation, e.g. cooling or drying · CPC title