Ice maker with ice bin level control

a level control and ice maker technology, applied in the field of ice production, can solve the problems of melting the ice stored in the ice maker, ice cubes that cannot be sprayed, and ice to spill out of the ice maker
US20080092567A1Inactive Publication Date: 2008-04-24U LINE CORP A WI CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
U LINE CORP A WI CORP
Publication Date
2008-04-24
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A clear ice maker unit has a clear ice maker mechanism with a cascading water evaporator configured to make clear ice during ice making cycles. A controller uses fuzzy logic to control the clear ice maker and determine whether to initiate a next ice making cycle based on input signals from a thermistor in the ice storage bin. The controller will prevent initiation of an ice making cycle when the ice bin is at or below a threshold temperature. The controller will also prohibit ice making when the ice bin is at or below a second, slightly higher temperature for more than a prescribed period of time. In this way, the clear ice maker can recognize an uneven distribution of ice and maintain an optimal amount of ice in the bin.
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Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 862,340 filed on Oct. 20, 2006, and entitled “Ice Maker with Ice Bin Level Control,” hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to the manufacture of ice, and particularly to automated clear ice maker units.

[0004] A conventional ice maker forms ice cubes by depositing water in a mold attached to an evaporator and allowing the water to freeze in a sedentary state. Such an approach results in clouded ice cubes resulting from air and impurities present within the frozen water.

[0005] It is also known to form ice by flowing water over a freezing surface to allow the air and impurities to separate from the water before freezing layer-by-layer to form the ice cube. This eliminates the clouding associated with sede...

Claims

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