Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ICE MAKER
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure pertains to an ice maker of the type that
includes
a distributor that directs water to flow along a freeze plate, which freezes
the water into
ice.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Ice makers are well-known and in extensive commercial and residential
use. One type of ice maker includes an evaporator assembly that comprises a
freeze
plate which defines a plurality of ice molds in a two-dimensional vertical
grid.
Refrigerant tubing extends along the back of the freeze plate and forms an
evaporator
configured to cool the freeze plate. A water distributor is positioned above
the freeze
plate to direct water onto the freeze plate that freezes into ice in the
molds.
SUMMARY
[0003] In one aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining a
plurality of
molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. The freeze plate has a
front
defining open front ends of the molds, a back defining enclosed rear ends of
the molds, a
top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height, and a first side
portion
and a second side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor adjacent
the top
portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct water imparted through the
distributor
to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate along the width of the
freeze plate.
The distributor comprises a first end portion and a second end portion spaced
apart
along a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise from the
first end
portion to the second end portion and extends generally forward from an
upstream end
portion to a downstream end portion. The distributor is configured to direct
the water
imparted therethrough to flow in a generally forward direction from the
upstream end
portion to the downstream end portion. A weir extends upward from the bottom
wall at
a location spaced apart between the upstream end portion and the downstream
end
portion. The weir is configured so that the water flows across the weir as it
flows along
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the bottom wall from the upstream end portion to the downstream end portion.
The
bottom wall comprises a ramp surface, immediately upstream of the weir,
sloping
upward in the generally forward direction.
[0004] In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining a
plurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. The
freeze plate has a
front defining open front ends of the molds, a back defining enclosed rear
ends of the
molds, a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height, and a
first side
portion and a second side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor
adjacent the
top portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct water imparted through
the
distributor to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate along the
width of the
freeze plate. The distributor comprises a first end portion and a second end
portion
spaced apart along a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise
from the
first end portion to the second end portion and extends generally forward from
an
upstream end portion to a downstream end portion. The distributor is
configured to
direct the water imparted therethrough to flow in a generally forward
direction from the
upstream end portion to the downstream end portion. The downstream end portion
of
the bottom wall defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve. The
downwardly
curving surface tension curve is configured so that surface tension causes the
water
imparted through the distributor to adhere to the curve and be directed
downward by
the curve toward the top end portion of the freeze plate.
[0005] In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining a
plurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. The
freeze plate has a
front defining open front ends of the molds, a back defining enclosed rear
ends of the
molds, a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height, and a
first side
portion and a second side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor
adjacent the
top portion of the freeze plate is configured to direct water imparted through
the
distributor to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate along the
width of the
freeze plate. The distributor comprises a first end portion and a second end
portion
spaced apart along a width of the distributor. A bottom wall extends widthwise
from the
first end portion to the second end portion and extends generally forward from
an
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upstream end portion to a downstream end portion. The distributor is
configured to
direct the water imparted therethrough to flow in a generally forward
direction from the
upstream end portion to the downstream end portion. An overhanging front wall
has a
bottom edge margin spaced apart above the bottom wall adjacent the downstream
end
portion thereof such that a flow restriction is defined between the bottom
wall and the
overhanging front wall. The flow restriction comprises a gap extending
widthwise
between the first end portion and the second end portion of the distributor
and is
configured to restrict a rate at which water flows through the flow
restriction to the
downstream end portion of the bottom wall.
[0006] In yet another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining a
plurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. The
freeze plate has a
top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height and a first side
portion
and a second side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor extends
along the
width of the freeze plate adjacent the top portion of the freeze plate. The
distributor is
configured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow from the
top portion
of the freeze plate to the bottom portion along the width of the freeze plate.
The
distributor comprises a first distributor piece and a second distributor
piece. The second
distributor piece is configured to be releasably coupled to the first
distributor piece
without separate fasteners to form the distributor.
[0007] In another aspect, an ice maker comprises a freeze plate defining a
plurality of molds in which the ice maker is configured to form ice. The
freeze plate has a
top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height and a first side
portion
and a second side portion spaced apart along a width. A distributor adjacent
the top
portion of the freeze plate has a width extending along the width of the
freeze plate. The
distributor has an inlet and an outlet and defining a distributor flow path
extending
from the inlet to the outlet. The distributor is configured to direct water
imparted
through the distributor along the distributor flow path and discharge the
water from the
outlet such that the water flows from the top portion of the freeze plate to
the bottom
portion along the width of the freeze plate. The distributor comprises a first
distributor
piece and a second distributor piece. The second distributor piece is
releasably coupled
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to the first distributor piece to form the distributor. The first distributor
piece comprises
a bottom wall defining a groove extending widthwise and the second distributor
piece
comprising a generally vertical weir defining a plurality of openings spaced
apart along
the width of the distributor. The weir has a free bottom edge margin received
in the
groove such that water flowing along the distributor flow path is inhibited
from flowing
through an interface between the bottom edge margin of the weir and the bottom
wall
and is directed to flow across the weir through the plurality of openings.
[0008] In another aspect, an ice maker comprises an evaporator assembly
comprising a freeze plate defining a plurality of molds in which the
evaporator assembly
is configured to form pieces of ice. The freeze plate has a front defining
open front ends
of the molds and a back extending along closed rear ends of the molds. An
evaporator
housing has a back and defines an enclosed space between the back of the
freeze plate
and the back of the evaporator housing. Refrigerant tubing is received in the
enclosed
space. Insulation substantially fills the enclosed space around the
refrigerant tubing. A
water system is configured to supply water to the freeze plate such that the
water forms
into ice in the molds. The evaporator housing includes a distributor piece
formed from a
single piece of monolithic material. The distributor piece is in direct
contact with the
insulation and has a bottom wall. The water system is configured direct the
water to flow
along the bottom wall as the water is supplied to the freeze plate.
[0009] In still another aspect, an ice maker comprises an evaporator assembly
comprising a freeze plate defining a plurality of molds in which the
evaporator assembly
is configured to form pieces of ice. The freeze plate has a front defining
open front ends
of the molds, a back extending along closed rear ends of the molds, a top wall
formed
from a single piece of monolithic material and defining a top end of at least
one of the
molds, and at least one stud joined to the top wall and extending upward
therefrom. A
distributor is configured to distribute water imparted through the distributor
over the
freeze plate so that the water forms into ice in the molds. The distributor
comprises a
distributor piece formed from a single piece of monolithic material. The
distributor
piece comprises a bottom wall defining a portion of a flow path along which
the
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distributor directs water to flow through the distributor. A nut is tightened
onto each
stud against the distributor piece to directly mount the distributor on the
freeze plate.
[0010] In another aspect, a distributor for receiving water imparted through
the
distributor and directing the water to flow along a freeze plate of an ice
maker so that
the water forms into ice on the freeze plate comprises a rear wall adjacent an
upstream
end of the distributor, a bottom wall extending forward from the rear wall to
a front end
portion adjacent a downstream end of the distributor, and a tube protruding
rearward
from the rear wall. The rear wall has an opening immediately above the bottom
wall
through which the tube fluidly communicates with the distributor. The bottom
wall
comprises a rear section that slopes downward to the rear wall and a front
section that
slopes downward to the front end portion.
[0011] In another aspect, an ice maker comprises an enclosure. A freeze plate
is
received in the enclosure. The freeze plate comprises a back wall and a front
opposite
the back wall. The freeze plate further comprises a perimeter wall extending
forward
from the back wall. The perimeter wall comprises a top wall portion, a bottom
wall
portion, a first side wall portion, and a second side wall portion. The first
side wall
portion and the second side wall portion define a width of the freeze plate.
The freeze
plate further comprises a plurality of heightwise divider plates extending
from lower
ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upper ends connected to the top
wall
portion and a plurality of widthwise divider plates extending from first ends
connected
to the first side wall portion to second ends connected to the second side
wall portion.
The heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates are
interconnected to
define a plurality of ice molds inboard of the perimeter wall. Each widthwise
divider
plate defines a plurality of molds immediately above the divider plate and a
plurality of
molds immediately below the divider plate. Each widthwise divider plate slopes
downward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate such that
included
angle between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back
wall is
greater than 9430 and less than 180 . A distributor is configured to direct
water imparted
through the distributor to flow downward along the freeze plate along the
width of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
freeze plate. The freeze plate is supported in the enclosure so that the back
wall of the
freeze plate slants forward.
[0012] Other aspects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an ice maker;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective of the ice maker supported on an ice bin;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective of a subassembly of the ice maker including a
support, an evaporator assembly, a sump, a mounting plate, and a sensor
fitting;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the subassembly of FIG. 3;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the subassembly of FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective of a freeze plate of the ice maker;
[0019] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective of the freeze plate;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section of the freeze plate;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the evaporator assembly;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the evaporator assembly;
[0024] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective of the evaporator assembly;
[0025] FIG. 13 is a rear elevation of the evaporator assembly with back wall
removed to reveal serpentine evaporator tubing;
[0026] FIG. 14 is a cross section of the evaporator assembly taken in the
plane of
line 14-14 of FIG. 11;
[0027] FIG. 15 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly with a top
distributor
piece removed and showing a bottom distributor piece/top evaporator housing
piece
and components associated therewith exploded away from the remainder of the
evaporator assembly;
[0028] FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the components of the
evaporator assembly shown in FIG. 15 taken in a plane that passes through a
stud of the
freeze plate;
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[0029] FIG. 17 is vertical cross section of the evaporator assembly mounted on
the support;
[0030] FIG. 18 is a perspective of a distributor of the evaporator assembly;
[0031] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective of the distributor;
[0032] FIG. 20 is a vertical cross section of the distributor;
[0033] FIG. 20A is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 20;
[0034] FIG. 21 is a top perspective of the bottom distributor piece;
[0035] FIG. 22 is a bottom perspective of the bottom distributor piece;
[0036] FIG. 23 is a vertical cross section similar to FIG. 15 except that the
plane
of the cross section passes through the center of an inlet tube of the bottom
distributor
piece;
[0037] FIG. 24 is an enlarged perspective of an end portion of the bottom
distributor piece;
[0038] FIG. 25 is a perspective of the top distributor piece;
[0039] FIG. 26 is a bottom plan view of the top distributor piece;
[0040] FIG. 27i5 a rear elevation of the top distributor piece;
[0041] FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective of an end portion of the top
distributor piece;
[0042] FIG. 29 is a perspective of the evaporator assembly with the top
distributor piece spaced apart in front of the bottom distributor piece;
[0043] FIG. 30 is a vertical cross section of the subassembly of FIG. 3
received
in a schematically illustrated ice maker enclosure, wherein the plane of the
cross section
is immediately inboard of a right side wall portion of a vertical side wall of
the support
as shown in FIG. 3 and wherein the top distributor piece is shown in a removed
position
outside of the enclosure;
[0044] FIG. 31 is an enlarged horizontal cross section of an end portion of
the
distributor looking downward on a plane that passes through an elongate tongue
of the
bottom distributor piece received in an elongate groove of the bottom
distributor piece;
and
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[0045] FIG. 32 is a vertical cross section of the distributor taken in a plane
that
passes through a segmented weir.
[0046] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts
throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of an ice maker is generally
indicated
at reference number 10. This disclosure details exemplary features of the ice
maker 10
that can be used individually or in combination to enhance ice making
uniformity, ice
harvesting performance, energy efficiency, assembly precision, and/or
accessibility for
repair or maintenance. One aspect of the present disclosure pertains to an
evaporator
assembly that includes an evaporator, a freeze plate, and a water distributor.
As will be
explained in further detail below, in one or more embodiments, the parts of
the
evaporator assembly are integrated together into a single unit. In certain
embodiments,
the water distributor includes a configuration of water distribution features
that
provides uniform water flow along the width of the freeze plate. In an
exemplary
embodiment, the water distributor is configured to provide ready access to the
interior
of the distributor for repair or maintenance. In one or more embodiments, the
evaporator assembly is configured to mount the freeze plate within the ice
maker in an
orientation that reduces the time it takes to passively harvest ice using
gravity and heat.
Other aspects and features of the ice maker 10 will also be described
hereinafter.
Though this disclosure describes an ice maker that combines a number of
different
features, it will be understood that other ice makers can use any one or more
of the
features disclosed herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0048] The disclosure begins with an overview of the ice maker 10, before
providing a detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of an evaporator
assembly.
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I. Refrigeration System
[0049] Referring FIG. 1, a refrigeration system of the ice maker 143 includes
a
compressor 12, a heat rejecting heat exchanger 14, a refrigerant expansion
device 18 for
lowering the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant, an evaporator
assembly 20
(broadly, an ice formation device), and a hot gas valve 24. As shown, the heat
rejecting
heat exchanger 14 may comprise a condenser for condensing compressed
refrigerant
vapor discharged from the compressor 12. In other embodiments, for example, in
refrigeration systems that utilize carbon dioxide refrigerants where the heat
of rejection
is trans-critical, the heat rejecting heat exchanger is able to reject heat
from the
refrigerant without condensing the refrigerant. The illustrated evaporator
assembly 20
integrates an evaporator 21 (e.g., serpentine refrigerant tubing), a freeze
plate 22, and a
water distributor 25 into one unit, as will be described in further detail
below. Hot gas
valve 24 is used, in one or more embodiments, to direct warm refrigerant from
the
compressor 15 directly to the evaporator 21 to remove or harvest ice cubes
from the
freeze plate 22 when the ice has reached the desired thickness.
[0050]The refrigerant expansion device 18 can be of any suitable type,
including
a capillary tube, a thermostatic expansion valve or an electronic expansion
valve. In
certain embodiments, where the refrigerant expansion device 18 is a
thermostatic
expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve, the ice maker 143 may also
include a
temperature sensor 26 placed at the outlet of the evaporator tubing 21 to
control the
refrigerant expansion device 18. In other embodiments, where the refrigerant
expansion
device 18 is an electronic expansion valve, the ice maker 143 may also include
a pressure
sensor (not shown) placed at the outlet of the evaporator tubing 21 to control
the
refrigerant expansion device 19 as is known in the art. In certain embodiments
that
utilize a gaseous cooling medium (e.g., air) to provide condenser cooling, a
condenser
fan 15 may be positioned to blow the gaseous cooling medium across the
condenser 14.
A form of refrigerant cycles through these components via refrigerant lines
28a, 28b,
28c, 28d.
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II. Water System
[0051] Referring still to FIG. 1, a water system of the illustrated ice maker
10
includes a sump assembly 6o that comprises a water reservoir or sump 70, a
water
pump 62, a water line 63, and a water level sensor 64. The water system of the
ice maker
further includes a water supply line (not shown) and a water inlet valve (not
shown)
for filling sump 70 with water from a water source (not shown). The
illustrated water
system further includes a discharge line 78 and a discharge valve 79 (e.g.,
purge valve,
drain valve) disposed thereon for draining water from the sump 70. The sump 70
may
be positioned below the freeze plate 22 to catch water coming off of the
freeze plate such
that the water may be recirculated by the water pump 62. The water line 63
fluidly
connects the water pump 62 to the water distributor 25. During an ice making
cycle, the
pump 62 is configured to pump water through the water line 63 and through the
distributor 25. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the distributor
25 includes
water distribution features that distribute the water imparted through the
distributor
evenly across the front of the freeze plate 22. In an exemplary embodiment,
the water
line 63 is arranged in such a way that at least some of the water can drain
from the
distributor through the water line and into the sump when ice is not being
made.
[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the water level sensor 64 comprises a
remote air pressure sensor 66. It will be understood, however that any type of
water
level sensor may be used in the ice maker 10 including, but not limited to, a
float sensor,
an acoustic sensor, or an electrical continuity sensor. The illustrated water
level sensor
64 includes a fitting 68 that is configured to couple the sensor to the sump
70 (see also
FIG. 4). The fitting 68 is fluidly connected to a pneumatic tube 69. The
pneumatic tube
69 provides fluid communication between the fitting 68 and the air pressure
sensor 66.
Water in the sump 70 traps air in the fitting 68 and compresses the air by an
amount
that varies with the level of the water in the sump. Thus, the water level in
the sump 70
can be determined using the pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 66.
Additional
details of exemplary embodiments of a water level sensor comprising a remote
air
pressure sensor are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2016/0054043, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, the sump assembly 6o further comprises a
mounting plate 72 that is configured to operatively support both the water
pump 62 and
the water level sensor fitting 68 on the sump 70. An exemplary embodiment of a
mounting plate 72 is shown in FIG. 4. As described in co-pending U.S. Patent
Application No. ###, entitled ICE MAKER, which is hereby incorporated by
reference in
its entirety, the mounting plate 72 may define an integral sensor mount 74 for
operatively mounting sensor fitting 68 on the sump 70 at a sensing position at
which the
water level sensor 64 is operative to detect the amount of water in the sump.
The
mounting plate 72 may also define a pump mount 76 for mounting the water pump
62
on the sump 70 for pumping water from the sump through the water line 63 and
the
distributor 25. Each of the sensor mount 74 and the pump mount 76 may include
locking features that facilitate releasably connecting the respective one of
the water level
sensor 64 and the water pump 62 to the sump 70.
III. Controller
[0054] Referring again to FIG. 1, the ice maker 10 may also include a
controller
80. The controller 80 may be located remote from the ice making device 20 and
the
sump 70 or may comprise one or more onboard processors, in one or more
embodiments. The controller 80 may include a processor 82 for controlling the
operation of the ice maker 10 including the various components of the
refrigeration
system and the water system. The processor 82 of the controller 80 may include
a non-
transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to
cause
the processor to perform a process. The processor 82 maybe, for example, a
commercially available microprocessor, an application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC)
or a combination of ASICs, which are designed to achieve one or more specific
functions, or enable one or more specific devices or applications. In certain
embodiments, the controller 8o may be an analog or digital circuit, or a
combination of
multiple circuits. The controller 8o may also include one or more memory
components
(not shown) for storing data in a form retrievable by the controller. The
controller 8o
can store data in or retrieve data from the one or more memory components.
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[0055] In various embodiments, the controller 80 may also comprise
input/output (I/O) components (not shown) to communicate with and/or control
the
various components of ice maker 10. In certain embodiments, for example, the
controller 80 may receive inputs such as, for example, one or more
indications, signals,
messages, commands, data, and/or any other information, from the water level
sensor
64, a harvest sensor for determining when ice has been harvested (not shown),
an
electrical power source (not shown), an ice level sensor (not shown), and/or a
variety of
sensors and/or switches including, but not limited to, pressure transducers,
temperature sensors, acoustic sensors, etc. In various embodiments, based on
those
inputs for example, the controller 80 may be able to control the compressor
12, the
condenser fan 15, the refrigerant expansion device 18, the hot gas valve 24,
the water
inlet valve (not shown), the discharge valve 79, and/or the water pump 62, for
example,
by sending, one or more indications, signals, messages, commands, data, and/or
any
other information to such components.
IV. Enclosure/Ice Bin
[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, one or more components of the ice maker 10 may be
stored inside of an enclosure 29 of the ice maker 10 that defines an interior
space. For
example, portions or all of the refrigeration system and water system of the
ice maker 10
described above can be received in the interior space of the enclosure 29. In
the
illustrated embodiment, the enclosure 29 is mounted on top of an ice storage
bin
assembly 30. The ice storage bin assembly 30 includes an ice storage bin 31
having an
ice hole (not shown) through which ice produced by the ice maker 10 falls. The
ice is
then stored in a cavity 36 until retrieved. The ice storage bin 31 further
includes an
opening 38 which provides access to the cavity 36 and the ice stored therein.
The cavity
36, ice hole (not shown), and opening 38 are formed by a left wall 33a, a
right wall 33h,
a front wall 34, a back wall 35 and a bottom wall (not shown). The walls of
the ice
storage bin 31 may be thermally insulated with various insulating materials
including,
but not limited to, fiberglass insulation or open- or closed-cell foam
comprised, for
example, of polystyrene or polyurethane, etc. in order to retard the melting
of the ice
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
stored in the ice storage bin 31. A door 40 can be opened to provide access to
the cavity
36.
[0057] The illustrated enclosure 29 is comprised of a cabinet 50 (broadly, a
stationary enclosure portion) and a door 52 (broadly, a movable or removable
enclosure
portion). In FIG. 2, the door 40 of the ice storage bin assembly 30 is raised
so that it
partially obscures the ice maker door 52. The door 52 is movable with respect
to the
cabinet 50 (e.g., on a hinge) to selectively provide access to the interior
space of the ice
maker 10. Thus, a technician may open the door 52 to access the internal
components of
the ice maker 10 through a doorway (not shown; broadly, an access opening) as
required
for repair or maintenance. In one or more other embodiments, the door may be
opened
in other ways, such as by removing the door assembly from the cabinet.
V. Internal Support
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the illustrated ice maker 10 comprises a one-
piece
support no that is configured to support several components of the ice maker
inside the
enclosure 29. For example, the illustrated support llo is configured to
support the sump
70, the mounting plate 72, and the evaporator assembly 20 at very precise
positions to
limit the possibility of misplacement of these components. The inventors have
recognized that ice maker control schemes that use water level as a control
input require
accurate placement of the water level sensor in the sump. If the position of
the water
level sensor deviates from the specified position by even a small amount
(e.g.,
millimeters or less), the control scheme can be disrupted. The inventors have
further
recognized that the aggregated dimensional tolerances of the parts of
conventional
assemblies for mounting internal ice maker components can lead to
misplacement. Still
further, the inventors have recognized that precisely positioning an
evaporator assembly
in an ice maker can enhance gravity-driven ice making and ice-harvesting
performance.
[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the support llo includes a base 112 and
a
vertical support wall 114. The illustrated vertical support wall comprises a
first side wall
portion 116, a second side wall portion 118, and a back wall portion 120
extending
widthwise between the first and second side wall portions. A large opening 122
extends
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
widthwise between the front end margins of the side wall portions 116,118.
When the ice
maker 10 is fully assembled, this opening 122 is located adjacent a front
doorway 268
(FIG. 30) of the enclosure 29 such that a technician can access the components
supported on the vertical wall through the opening when the door 52 is open.
[0060] Each side wall portion 116,118 includes an integral evaporator mount
124
(broadly, a freeze plate mount). The evaporator mounts 124 are configured to
support
the evaporator assembly 20 at an operative position in the ice maker 10. Each
side wall
portion 116,118 further comprises an integral mounting plate mount 126 that is
spaced
apart below the evaporator mount 124. The mounting plate mount 126 is
configured to
support the mounting plate 72 so that the mounting plate can mount the water
level
sensor fitting 68 and the pump 62 at operative positions in the ice maker 10.
An integral
sump mount 128 for attaching the sump 70 to the ice maker is spaced apart
below the
mounting plate mount 126 of each side wall portion 116,118. In FIGS. 3-5, only
the
mounts 124,126,128 defined by the right side wall portion 116 are shown, but
it will be
understood that the left side wall portion 118 has substantially identical,
mirror-image
mounts in the illustrated embodiment.
[0061]At least one of the side wall portions 116,118 that defines the mounts
124,
126,128 is formed from a single piece of monolithic material. For example, in
one or
more embodiments, the entire vertical support wall 114 is formed from a single
monolithic piece of material. In the illustrated embodiment, the entire
support no,
including the base 112 and the vertical support wall 114, is formed from a
single piece of
monolithic material. In one or more embodiments, the support no is a single
molded
piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the monolithic support no is formed by
compression molding. Forming the support no from a single piece eliminates the
stacking of tolerances that occurs in a multi-part support assembly and
thereby
increases the accuracy of the placement of the parts that are mounted on the
support.
[0062]The evaporator mounts 124 are configured to mount the evaporator
assembly 20 on the vertical support wall 114 in the enclosure 29 such that the
freeze
plate 22 slants forward. To accomplish this, each evaporator mount 124 in the
illustrated embodiment comprises a lower connection point 130 and an upper
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
connection point 132 forwardly spaced from the lower connection point. As
shown in
FIG. 5, the connection points 130, 132 are spaced apart along an imaginary
line IIA that
is oriented at a forwardly slanted angle a with respect to a plane BP the back
wall
portion 120 of the vertical support wall 114. In use, the ice maker 10 is
positioned so that
the plane BP of the back wall portion 120 is substantially parallel to a plumb
vertical axis
VA. As such, the imaginary line IIA slants forward with respect to the plumb
vertical
axis VA at the angle a.
[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the upper and lower connection
points 130, 132 comprises a screw hole. In use, the evaporator 20 is
positioned between
the side wall portions 116, 118, and a screw (not shown) is placed through
each screw
hole into a corresponding pre-formed screw hole associated with the evaporator
assembly 20. As explained below, the pre-formed evaporator screw-holes are
arranged
so that, when they are aligned with the evaporator mount screw holes 130, 132,
the
freeze plate 22 slants forward. It will be appreciated that an integral
evaporator mount
can include other types of connection points besides screw holes in one or
more
embodiments. For example, it is expressly contemplated that one or both of the
screw
holes 130, 132 could be replaced by an integrally formed stud or other
structure that can
be used to register and attach a freeze plate to the support at the proper
position.
[0064] Each mounting plate mount 126 comprises a pair of generally
horizontally
spaced tapered screw holes 134 (broadly, connection points). Similarly, each
sump
mount 128 comprises a pair of generally horizontally spaced mounting holes 136
(broadly, connection points). Again, the holes 134, 136 of the mounting plate
mount 126
and the sump mount 128 could be replaced with other types of integral
connection
points in one or more embodiments.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 4, in one or more embodiments, the sump 70 is
generally
sized and arranged for being received in the space between the side wall
portions 116,
118 of the vertical support wall 114. Each of a first end portion and a second
end portion
of the sump 70 that are spaced apart widthwise includes a pair of projections
138 at
spaced apart locations. The projections 138 on each end portion of the sump 70
are
configured to be received in the pair of mounting holes 136 defined by a
respective one
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
of the sump mounts 128. The projections 138, by being received in the mounting
holes
136, position the sump 70 at a precisely specified position along the height
of the
support 110. In addition, a screw (not shown) is inserted through each
mounting hole
136 and threaded into each projection 138 to fasten the sump 70 onto the
support 110 at
the specified position.
[0066] Like the sump 70, the illustrated mounting plate 72 comprises a first
end
portion and a second end portion that are spaced apart widthwise. Each end
portion of
the mounting plate 114 defines a pair pre-formed screw holes that are
configured to be
aligned with the screw holes 134 of the corresponding mount 126 of the support
110.
Screws (broadly, mechanical fasteners; not shown) pass through the screw holes
134
and thread into the holes that are pre-formed in the mounting plate 72 to
connect the
mounting plate to the support no at a precisely specified position along the
height of
the support. In one or more embodiments, countersunk screws (e.g., screws with
tapered heads) are used to connect the mounting plate 72 to the support 110.
The
countersunk screws self-center in the tapered screw holes 134.
[0067] It can be seen that the one-piece support 110 with integral mounts 124,
126, 128 can be used to ensure that the evaporator assembly 20, the mounting
plate 72,
and the sump 70 are supported in the ice maker 10 at the specified position.
The support
no can thereby position the freeze plate 22 to optimally balance desired
performance
characteristics, such as water distribution during ice making and ease/speed
of ice-
harvesting. Further, the support 110 can position the mounting plate 72 with
respect to
the sump 70 so that the pressure sensor fitting 68 mounted in the sensor mount
74 is
precisely positioned with respect to the sump for accurately detecting the
water level
using the sensor 64. Likewise, the support 110 positions the mounting plate 72
with
respect to the sump 70 so that the pump 62 is precisely positioned for pumping
water
from the sump 70 through the ice maker 10 when the pump is mounted on the pump
mount 76.
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
VI. Freeze Plate
[0068] Referring to FIGS. 6-8, an exemplary embodiment of the freeze plate 22
will now be described, before turning to other components of the evaporator
assembly
20 that attach the freeze plate to the support llo. The freeze plate 22
defines a plurality
of molds 150 in which the ice maker 10 is configured to form ice. The freeze
plate 22 has
a front defining open front ends of the molds 150, a back defining enclosed
rear ends of
the molds, a top portion and a bottom portion spaced apart along a height HF,
and a
right side portion (broadly, a first side portion) and a left side portion
(broadly, a second
side portion) spaced apart along a width WF.
[0069] Throughout this disclosure, when the terms "front," "back," "rear,"
"forward," "rearward," and the like are used in reference to any part of the
evaporator
assembly 20, the relative positions of the open front ends and enclosed rear
ends of the
freeze plate molds 150 provide a spatial frame of reference. For instance, the
front of the
freeze plate 22 that defines the open front ends of the molds 150 is spaced
apart from
the rear of the freeze plate in a forward direction FD (FIG. 8), and the back
of the freeze
plate that extends along the enclosed rear ends of the molds is spaced apart
from the
front of the freeze plate in a rearward direction RD.
[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the freeze plate 22 comprises a pan 152
having a back wall 154 that defines the back of the freeze plate. Suitably,
the pan 152 is
formed from thermally conductive material such as copper, optionally having
one or
more surfaces coated with a food-safe material. As is known in the art, the
evaporator
tubing 21 is thermally coupled to the back wall 154 of the freeze plate 22 for
cooling the
freeze plate during ice making cycles and warming the freeze plate during
harvest cycles.
[0071] The pan 152 further comprises a perimeter wall 156 that extends forward
from the back wall 154. The perimeter wall 156 includes a top wall portion, a
bottom
wall portion, a right side wall portion (broadly, a first side wall portion),
and a left side
wall portion (broadly, a second side wall portion). The side wall portions of
the
perimeter wall 156 define the opposite sides of the freeze plate 22, and the
top and
bottom wall portions of the perimeter wall define the top and bottom ends of
the freeze
plate. The perimeter wall 156 could be formed from one or more discrete pieces
that are
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
joined to the back wall 154 or the pan 152, or the entire pan could be formed
from a
single monolithic piece of material in one or more embodiments. Suitably, the
perimeter
wall 156 is sealed to the back wall 154 so that water flowing down the freeze
plate 22
does not leak through the back of the freeze plate.
[0072] A plurality of heightwise and widthwise divider plates 160, 162 are
secured
to the pan to form a lattice of the ice cube molds 150. In an exemplary
embodiment,
each heightwise divider plate 160 and each widthwise divider plate 162 is
formed from a
single piece of monolithic material. Each heightwise divider plate 160 has a
right lateral
side surface (broadly, a first lateral side surface) and a left lateral side
surface (broadly a
second lateral side surface) oriented parallel to the right lateral side
surface. Each
widthwise divider plate 162 has a bottom surface and a top surface oriented
parallel to
the bottom surface. The heightwise divider plates 162 extend from lower ends
that are
sealingly connected to the bottom wall portion of the perimeter wall 156 to
upper ends
that are sealingly connected to the top wall portion of the perimeter wall.
The plurality
of widthwise divider plates 160 similarly extend from first ends sealingly
connected to
the right side wall portion of the perimeter wall 156 to second ends sealingly
connected
to the left side wall portion of the perimeter wall.
[0073] Generally, the heightwise divider plates 160 and the widthwise divider
plates 162 are interconnected in such a way as to define a plurality of ice
molds 150
within the perimeter wall 156. For example, in the illustrated embodiment,
each of the
heightwise divider plates 160 has a plurality of vertically-spaced, forwardly-
opening
slots 164; each of the widthwise diver plates has a plurality of horizontally-
spaced,
rearwardly-opening slots 166; and the heightwise and widthwise divider plates
are
interlocked at the slots 164, 166 to form the lattice. Suitably, each
widthwise divider
plate 162 defines a plurality of the molds 150 (e.g., at least three molds)
immediately
above the divider plate and a plurality of the molds (e.g., at least three
molds)
immediately below the divider plate. Each heightwise divider plate 160
likewise defines
a plurality of the molds 150 (e.g., at least three molds) immediately to one
lateral side of
the divider plate and a plurality of the molds (e.g., at least three molds)
immediately to
the opposite lateral side of the divider plate.
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[0074] Each of the divider plates 160, 162 has a front edge and a back edge.
The
back edges may suitably be sealingly joined to the back wall 154 of the freeze
plate pan
152. When the freeze plate 22 is assembled, the front edges of some or all of
the divider
plates 160, 162 (e.g., at least the widthwise divider plates) lie
substantially on a front
plane FP (FIG. 8) of the freeze plate 22. In one or more embodiments, the
front plane
FP is parallel to the back wall 154.
[0075] A plurality of the ice molds 150 formed in the freeze plate 22 are
interior
ice molds having perimeters defined substantially entirely by the heightwise
and
widthwise divider plates 160, 162. Others of the molds 150 are perimeter molds
having
portions of their perimeters formed by the perimeter wall 156 of the freeze
plate pan
152. Each interior ice mold 150 has an upper end defined substantially
entirely by the
bottom surface of one of the widthwise divider plates 162 and a lower end
defined
substantially entirely by the top surface of an adjacent one of the widthwise
divider
plates. In addition, each interior mold 150 has a left lateral side defined
substantially
entirely by a right lateral side surface of a heightwise divider plate 162 and
a right lateral
side defined substantially entirely by a left lateral side surface of the
adjacent heightwise
divider plate.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 8, each widthwise divider plate 162 slopes downward
and forward from the back wall 154 of the freeze plate 22 such that an
included angle 13
between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall is
greater
than 90 . In one or more embodiments, the included angle 13 is at least loo
and less
than 180 . It can be seen that the included angle between the top surface of
each
widthwise divider plate 16 and the front plane FP is substantially equal to
the included
angle 13. Further, it can be seen that the included angle between the bottom
surface of
each horizontal divider plate 162 and the back wall 154 (and also the included
angle
between the bottom surface of each horizontal divider plate 162 and the front
plane FP)
is substantially equal to 18o minus 13. The top and bottom portions of the
perimeter
wall 156 of the pan are oriented substantially parallel to the widthwise
divider plates 162
in one or more embodiments.
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[0077]A series of threaded studs 168 extend outward from the perimeter wall
156
at spaced apart locations around the perimeter of the freeze plate 22. As will
be
explained in further detail below, the threaded studs 168 are used to secure
the freeze
plate 22 to an evaporator housing 170 that attaches the evaporator assembly 20
to the
support no. The studs 168 are suitably shaped and arranged to connect the
freeze plate
22 to the evaporator housing 170, and further to the support no, such that the
back wall
154 and front plane FP of the freeze plate slants forward when the freeze
plate is
installed in the ice maker 10.
VII. Evaporator Housing
[0078] Referring to FIGS. 9-14, the evaporator housing 170 will now be
described
in greater detail. In general, the evaporator housing 170 is configured to
support the
evaporator tubing 21 and the freeze plate 22. As will be explained in further
detail below,
the water distributor 25 is integrated directly into (i.e., forms a part of)
the evaporator
housing 170. The evaporator housing 170 comprises a frame including a bottom
piece
172, a top piece 174, and first and second side pieces 176 that together
extend around the
perimeter of the freeze plate 22. Each of the bottom piece 172, the top piece
174, and the
opposite side pieces 176 is formed from a single, monolithic piece of material
(e.g.,
molded plastic), in one or more embodiments. The inner surfaces of the bottom
piece
172, the top piece 174, and the opposite side pieces 176 may include a gasket
(not shown)
to aid in watertight sealing of the evaporator housing. The top piece 174 of
the
evaporator housing 170 forms a bottom piece (broadly, a first piece) of the
two-piece
distributor 25 in the illustrated embodiment.
[0079]A back wall 178 is supported on the assembled frame pieces 172, 174,
176,
178 in spaced apart relationship with the back wall 154 of the freeze plate
22. As shown
in FIG. 14, the evaporator housing 170 defines an enclosed space 180 between
the back
wall 154 of the freeze plate 22 and the back wall 178 of the housing. As
explained in U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0142932, which is hereby incorporated
by
reference in its entirety, in one or more embodiments, two discrete layers
182, 184 of
insulation fills enclosed space 176 and thoroughly insulates the evaporator
tubing 21.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[0080] The bottom piece 172, the top piece 174, the opposite side pieces 176,
and/or the back wall 178 may have features that facilitate assembling them
together to
form the evaporator housing 170 in a variety of ways, including snap-fit
features, boils
and nuts, etc. For example, each of the frame pieces 172, 174, 176 comprises
stud
openings 186 that are arranged to receive the studs 168 on the corresponding
wall
portion of the perimeter wall 156 of the freeze plate 22. Some of the stud
holes 186 are
visible in FIG. 12. In one or more embodiments, the back wall 178 is joined to
the
assembled frame pieces 172, 174, 176 by ultrasonic welding.
[0081] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, one example of how the housing pieces
172,
174, 176 attach to the freeze plate 72 is shown in greater detail.
Specifically, the top
housing piece 174 is shown, but it will be understood that the other housing
pieces may
attach to the freeze plate in a like manner. The top piece 174 includes a
front section that
defines the stud openings 186. In the illustrated embodiment, each stud
opening 186
comprises a countersunk screw recess that includes an annular shoulder 192.
The top
piece 174 is positioned atop the freeze plate 22 such that one stud 168 is
received in each
of the openings 186. In the illustrated embodiment, a gasket 194 is located
between the
top of the freeze plate 22 and the bottom of the top piece 174 to seal the
interface
between the two parts. Nuts 196 are tightened onto each of the studs 168 to
attach the
top piece 174 to the freeze plate 22. Further, because the housing top piece
174 forms the
bottom piece of the distributor 25, tightening the nuts 196 onto the studs
also attaches
the distributor directly to the freeze plate in the illustrated embodiment.
Each nut 196 is
tightened against the shoulder 192 of a respective countersunk recesses 186
(broadly,
the nuts are tightened directly against the top housing piece 170 or bottom
distributor
piece). In the illustrated embodiment, caps 198 are placed over the tops of
the
countersunk recesses 186. Suitably, the tops of the caps 198 are substantially
flush with
the surface of the piece 174 to present a smooth surface to water flowing
through the
distributor 25.
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
VIII. Mounting of Evaporator Assembly so that Freeze Plate Slants Forward
[0082] Referring again to FIGS. 9 and 10, each of the side pieces 176 of the
evaporator housing 170 include pre-formed lower and upper screw openings 200,
202 at
vertically spaced apart locations. The upper and lower screw openings 200, 202
are
configured to be positioned in registration with the screw openings 130, 132
of a
respective side wall portion 116, 118 of the support 110. When each side piece
176 is
secured to the freeze plate 22 via the studs 168, the screw openings 200, 202
are spaced
apart along an imaginary line IL2 oriented substantially parallel to the back
wall 154 and
the front plane FP of the freeze plate 22. Referring to FIG. 17, when screws
(not shown)
secure the evaporator assembly 20 to the support 110 via the aligned lower
screw
openings 130, 200 and the aligned upper screw openings 132, 202, the imaginary
line
IL2 of the evaporator housing 170 is aligned with the forwardly slanted
imaginary line
ILi of the support.
[0083] Thus, the screw openings 130, 132, 200, 202 position the freeze plate
22
on the support 110 so that the back wall 154 and front plane FP are oriented
at the
forwardly slanted angle a with respect to both the plumb vertical axis VA and
the back
plane BP of the support 110. In one or more embodiments, the included angle a
between
the back wall 154/front plane FP and the plumb vertical axis VA/back plane BP
is at
least about 1.5 . For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the included angle
a is
about 2.0 . Accordingly, the illustrated ice maker 10 is configured to mount
the freeze
plate 22 in the enclosure 29 so that the back wall 154 slants forward. It will
be
appreciated that, though the one-piece support 110 and the side pieces 176 of
the
evaporator housing 170 are used to mount the freeze plate 22 in the slanted
orientation
in the illustrated embodiment, other ways of mounting a freeze plate may be
used in
other embodiments.
[0084] It is believed that conventional wisdom in the field of ice makers held
that
orienting a freeze plate with grid-type divider plates so that the back wall
of the freeze
plate slants forward would adversely affect the water distribution performance
of the ice
maker. However, because of the high-quality flow distribution produced by the
water
distributor 25¨achieved, for example, using one or more of the water
distribution
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
features described below¨water is effectively distributed to the molds 150
even though
the freeze plate 22 is mounted with the back wall 154 slanted forward.
Further, the
slanted freeze plate 22 enables the ice maker 10 to harvest ice quickly, using
gravitational forces. In one or more embodiments, the ice maker 10 is
configured to
execute a harvest cycle by which ice is released from the molds 150 of the
freeze plate 22,
wherein substantially the only forces imparted on the ice during the harvest
cycle are
gravitational forces. For example, the harvest cycle is executed by actuating
the hot gas
valve 24 to redirect hot refrigerant gas back to the evaporator tubing 21,
thereby
warming the freeze plate 22. The ice in the molds 150 begins to melt and
slides forward
down the sloping widthwise divider plates 162, off the freeze plate, and into
the ice bin
30. In a harvest cycle in which substantially the only forces imparted on the
ice are
gravitational forces, no mechanical actuators, pressurized air jets, or the
like are used to
forcibly push the ice off of the freeze plate 22. Rather, the slightly melted
ice falls by
gravity off of the freeze plate 22.
IX. Water Distributor
[0085] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 18-19, an exemplary embodiment of the
distributor 25 will now be described. As explained above, the distributor
comprises a
bottom piece 174 that forms a top piece of the evaporator housing 170. The
distributor
25 further comprises a top piece 210 that releasably attaches to the bottom
piece 174 to
form the distributor. While the illustrated distributor 25 comprises a two-
piece
distributor that is integrated directly into the evaporator housing 170, it
will be
understood that distributors can be formed from other numbers of pieces and
attach to
the ice maker in other ways in other embodiments. As shown in FIG. 9, the
distributor
25 is mounted on the evaporator assembly 20 adjacent the top of the freeze
plate 22 and
has a width WD that extends generally along the width WF of the freeze plate
22. The
distributor 25 extends widthwise from a right end portion (broadly, first end
portion)
adjacent the right side of the freeze plate 22 to a left end portion (broadly,
a second end
portion) adjacent the left side of the freeze plate.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[0086] The distributor 25 has a rear, upstream end portion defining an inlet
212
and a front, downstream end portion defining an outlet 214. The downstream end
portion extends widthwise adjacent the top-front corner of the freeze plate
22, and the
upstream end portion extends widthwise at location spaced apart rearward from
the
downstream end portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet 212 formed by
an
opening at the upstream end portion of the distributor, and the outlet 214 is
defined by
an exposed lower front edge of the distributor 25. In use, this edge is
arranged so that
water flows off of the edge onto the top portion of the freeze plate 22. It is
contemplated
that the inlet and/or outlet could have other configurations in other
embodiments.
[0087]As shown in FIG. 20, the distributor 25 defines a distributor flow path
FP
extending generally forward from the inlet 212 to the outlet 214. The
distributor 25 is
generally configured to direct water imparted through the distributor along
the
distributor flow path FP to discharge the water from the outlet 214 such that
the water
flows from the top portion of the freeze plate 22 to the bottom portion
generally
uniformly along the width WF of the freeze plate. As will be explained in
further detail
below, the distributor 25 includes a number of water distribution features
that direct the
water flowing along the flow path FP to be distributed generally uniformly
along
substantially the entire width of the distributor.
[0088] Each of the bottom and top pieces 174, 210 will now be described in
detail
before describing how the distributor 25 is assembled and used to distribute
water over
the freeze plate 22.
IX.A. Distributor Bottom Piece
[0089] Referring to FIGS. 21-22, the bottom distributor piece 174 has a right
end
wall 216 (broadly, a first end wall) at the right end portion of the
distributor 25, a left
end wall 218 (broadly, a second end wall) at the left end portion of the
distributor, and a
bottom wall 220 extending widthwise from the right end wall to the left end
wall.
Referring to FIG. 23, as explained above, the bottom distributor piece 174 is
directly
attached to the freeze plate 22. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the
bottom
distributor piece 174 is in direct contact with the insulation 184 that fills
the enclosed
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
space 180 between the back wall 154 of the freeze plate and the back wall 178
of the
evaporator housing 170. A front section 222 of the bottom wall 220 is located
generally
above the freeze plate 22 to mount the distributor piece 174 on the freeze
plate as
described above, and a rear section 224 of the bottom wall is located
generally above the
enclosed space 180 to directly contact the insulation 184.
[0090] In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 224 includes a rear leg
226
extending downward at a rear end portion of the bottom wall and a front leg
228
extending downward at a location forwardly spaced from the rear leg. Each of
the front
and rear legs 226, 224 extends widthwise between the right and left end walls
216, 218
of the bottom distributor piece 174. The rear leg 226 is sealingly engaged
with the back
wall 178 of the evaporator housing 170 (e.g., the rear leg is ultrasonically
welded to the
back wall). The bottom wall 220 defines a lower recess 230 located between the
front
and rear legs 226, 228. The lower recess 230 extends widthwise between the
right and
left end walls 216, 218 and forms the top of the enclosed space 180. Thus a
portion of the
insulation 184 is received in the recess 230 and directly contacts the bottom
distributor
piece along three sides defining the recess. This is thought to thermal losses
between the
distributor and evaporator.
[0091] Referring to FIG. 24, each end wall 216, 218 in the illustrated
embodiment
comprises an elongate tongue 232 formed along an inner surface. Only the left
end wall
218 is shown in FIG. 24, but it will be understood that the right end wall 216
has a
substantially identical, mirror image tongue 232. The elongate tongues 232
extend
longitudinally in parallel, generally front-to-back directions. The elongate
tongues 232
are generally configured to form male fittings that releasably couple the
bottom
distributor piece 174 to the top distributor piece 210 without the use of
separate
fasteners. Each elongate tongue 232 has a front end portion and a rear end
portion
spaced apart longitudinally from the front end portion. Between the front end
portion
and the rear end portion, each tongue comprises a slight depression 234.
[0092] Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the bottom wall 220 extends generally
forward from a rear, upstream end portion to a front, downstream end portion.
A rear
wall 236 extends upward from the upstream end portion of the bottom wall 220.
The
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
inlet opening 212 is formed in the rear wall 236. In the illustrated
embodiment, the inlet
opening 236 is generally centered on the rear wall 236 at a spaced apart
location
between the end walls 216, 218. Thus, broadly speaking, the inlet opening 212
through
which water is directed into the interior of the distributor 25 is spaced
apart widthwise
between the first end portion and the second end portion of the distributor.
During use,
the distributor 25 is configured to direct the water to flow from the inlet
opening 212
along the bottom wall 220 in a generally forward direction FD from the
upstream end
portion of the bottom wall to the downstream end portion.
[0093] An integral inlet tube 238 protrudes rearward from the rear wall 236
and
fluidly communicates through the rear wall via the inlet opening 212. The tube
238
slopes downward and rearward as it extends away from the rear wall 236. The
inlet tube
238 is configured to be coupled to the ice maker's water line 63 (FIG. 1).
Accordingly,
when ice is being made, the pump 62 pumps water from the sump 70 through the
water
line 63 and into the distributor 25 via the integral inlet tube 238. When ice
is not being
made, residual water in the distributor 25 can drain through the inlet tube
238, down
the water line 63, and into the sump 70.
[0094] In the illustrated embodiment, the rear section 224 of the bottom wall
220
slopes downward and rearward along substantially the entire width of the
bottom wall.
Conversely, the front section 222 of the bottom wall 220 slopes downward and
forward
along substantially the entire width. The front section 222 thus forms a
runoff section
along which water flows forward and downward toward the downstream end portion
of
the bottom wall 220. Between the sloping rear section 224 and the sloping
front section
222 the bottom wall comprises a middle section that includes a widthwise
groove 240.
The widthwise groove is configured to sealingly receive a portion of the top
distributor
piece 210 when the top distributor piece is coupled to the bottom distributor
piece 174.
In one or more embodiments, the groove 240 is convex in the widthwise
direction (see
FIG. 33). An apex of the bottom wall 220 is located immediately upstream of
the
widthwise groove 240. The rear section 224 of the bottom wall slopes downward
from
the apex to the rear wall 236. As shown in FIG. 23, the rear section 224 of
the bottom
wall 220 includes a ramp surface 242 that defines the apex and a rearmost (or
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
upstream-most) surface portion 244 (broadly, an upstream segment). The ramp
surface
242 and the rearmost surface portion 244 extend widthwise from the right end
wall 216
to the left end wall 218.The ramp surface 242 slopes upward in the generally
forward
direction and downward in the generally rearward direction. The rearmost
surface
portion 244 slopes upward in the generally forward direction more gradually
than the
ramp surface 242. The rearmost surface portion 244 is oriented at an angle of
less than
1800 with respect to the ramp surface 242 such that the rearmost surface
portion slopes
downward in the generally rearward direction at a more gradual angle than the
ramp
surface in the illustrated embodiment.
[0095] The bottom wall 220 is configured to passively drain water from the
distributor 25 when the ice maker 10 stops making ice. Whenever the ice maker
10 stops
making ice, residual water in the front portion of the distributor 25 flows
forward along
the sloping front section 222 (runoff section) of the bottom wall 220 and
drains off of
the outlet 214 onto the freeze plate 22. Similarly, residual water in the rear
portion of
the distributor 25 flows rearward along the sloping rear section 224 and
drains through
the inlet opening 212 into the inlet tube 238. The water directed forward
flows
downward along freeze plate 22 and then flows off the freeze plate into the
sump 70.
The water directed rearward flows downward through the water line 63 into the
sump
70. Thus, the distributor 25 is configured to direct substantially all
residual water into
the sump 70 when the ice maker 10 is not making ice. Further, in one or more
embodiments, the sump 70 is configured to drain substantially all of the water
received
therein through the discharge line 78 when the ice maker 10 is not in use. As
can be
seen, the shape of the bottom wall 220 of the distributor 25 facilitates total
passive
draining of the ice maker 10 when ice is not being made.
[0096] Referring to FIG. 21, a lateral diverter wall 246 extends upward from
the
bottom wall 220 along the rearmost surface portion 244. The lateral diverter
wall 246 is
spaced apart between the rear wall 236 and the ramp surface 242. The lateral
diverter
wall 246 extends upward from the bottom wall 220 to a top edge that is spaced
apart
below the top of the assembled distributor 25 (see FIG. 20). The diverter wall
246
extends widthwise from a right end portion (broadly, a first end portion)
spaced apart
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
from the right end wall 216 to a left end portion (broadly, a second end
portion) spaced
apart from the left end wall 216. The lateral diverter wall 246 is positioned
in front of the
inlet opening 214. As water flows into the distributor 25 through the inlet
opening, the
lateral diverter wall 246 is configured to divert at least some of the water
laterally
outward, forcing the water to flow around the left and right ends of the
lateral diverter
wall.
[0097] Referring to FIGS. 243A and 23, the downstream end portion of the
bottom
wall 220 defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve 247 that extends
widthwise from the right end wall 216 to the left end wall 218. The downwardly
curving
surface tension curve 247 is configured so that surface tension causes the
water flowing
along the bottom wall 220 to adhere to the curve and be directed downward by
the curve
toward the top end portion of the freeze plate 22. In one or more embodiments,
the
surface tension curve 270 is at least partially defined by a radius R of at
least 1 mm. In
certain embodiments, the surface tension curve 270 is defined by a radius of
less than 10
mm. In one or more embodiments, the surface tension curve 270 is defined by a
radius
in an inclusive range of from 1 mm to 3 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, the
surface
tension curve 270 is defined by a radius of 1.5 mm.
[0098] The bottom wall 220 further comprises a waterfall surface 249 extending
generally downward from the surface tension curve 274 to a bottom edge that
defines
the outlet 214 of the distributor 212. The waterfall surface 249 extends
widthwise from
the right end wall 216 to the left end wall 218. The waterfall surface 249
generally is
configured so that surface tension causes the water imparted through the
distributor 25
to adhere to the waterfall surface and flow downward along the waterfall
surface onto
the top end portion of the freeze plate 22. In one or more embodiments, the
waterfall
surface 249 slants forward in the ice maker 10 such that the waterfall surface
is oriented
generally parallel to the back wall 254 (and front plane FP) of the forwardly
slanting
freeze plate 22.
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
IX.B. Top Distributor Piece
[0099] Referring to FIGS. 25-27, the top distributor piece 210 has a right end
wall
250 (broadly, a first end wall) at the right end portion of the distributor 25
and a left end
wall 252 (broadly, a second end wall) at the left end portion of the
distributor. The width
of the top distributor piece 210 is slightly less than the width of the bottom
distributor
piece 174 such that the top distributor piece is configured to nest between
the end walls
216, 218 of the bottom distributor piece.
[00100] Referring to FIG. 28, each end wall 250, 252 in the illustrated
embodiment comprises an elongate groove 254 along an outer surface. Only the
left end
wall 252 is shown in FIG. 28, but it will be understood that the right end
wall 250 has a
substantially identical, mirror image groove 254. Generally, the elongate
grooves 254
are configured to form complementary female fittings that mate with the male
fittings
formed by the elongate tongues 232 to releasably couple the top distributor
piece 210 to
the bottom distributor piece 174 without the use of separate fasteners. The
elongate
grooves 254 are generally parallel, extending longitudinally in a generally
front-to back
direction. The rear end portion of each elongate groove 254 defines a flared
opening
through which a respective elongate tongue 174 can pass into the groove. Each
end wall
further defines a protuberance 256 that protrudes into the groove at a
location spaced
apart between the front and rear ends of the groove 254.
[00101] Referring again to FIGS. 25-27, the top distributor piece 210
comprises a
top wall 258 that extends widthwise from the right end wall 250 to the left
end wall 252.
The top wall 258 extends generally forward from a rear edge margin. A front
wall 260
extends generally downward from a front end portion of the top wall to a free
bottom
edge margin. Two handle portions 262 extend forward from the front wall 260 in
the
illustrated embodiment.
[00102] As shown in FIGS. 26-27, the top distributor piece 210 further
comprises a weir 264 that extends downward from the top wall 258 at a location
spaced
apart between the rear edge margin and the front wall 260. The weir 264
extends
widthwise from the right end wall 250 to the left end wall 252 and has a free
bottom
edge margin that is configured to be received in the widthwise groove 240 of
the bottom
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
distributor piece 174. As shown in FIG. 27, the bottom edge margin of the weir
264 is
convex in the widthwise direction. The weir 264 defines a plurality of
openings 266 at
spaced apart locations along the width WD of the distributor 25. A bottom
portion of the
weir 264 below the openings 266 is configured to hold back water until the
water level
reaches the bottom of the openings. The openings 266 are configured so that
water is
passable through the openings as it is imparted through the distributor 25.
Adjacent
openings are separated by portions of the weir 264, such that the weir is
configured to
form a segmented weir that allows water to cross at spaced apart segments
along the
width WD of the distributor 25 (through the openings).
IX.C. Assembly of Two-Piece Distributor
[00103] Referring to FIGS. 29-30, to assemble the distributor 25, the top
distributor piece 210 is aligned in the widthwise direction with the space
between the
end walls 216, 218 of the bottom distributor piece 174. Then the top piece 210
is moved
in the rearward direction RD into the space between the rear walls 216, 218,
such that
the elongate tongues 232 of the bottom piece are slidably received in the
elongate
grooves 254 of the top piece.
[00104] As seen in FIG. 30, the evaporator assembly 20 is suitably arranged in
the interior of the ice maker enclosure 29 so that the top piece 210 can be
installed/removed through an access opening 268 such as the doorway of the
cabinet
50. In the illustrated embodiment, the doorway 268 is spaced apart from the
front of the
evaporator assembly 20 in the forward direction FD. Further, the front opening
122 in
the support no is located between the front of the evaporator assembly 20 and
the
doorway 268. Thus, the top distributor piece 210 can be installed by moving
the piece
through the doorway 268 and the opening 122 in the rearward direction RD. The
top
distributor piece 210 is removed by moving the piece through the opening 122
and the
doorway 268 in the forward direction FD.
[00105] Each tongue 232 is configured to be slidably received in the
respective
groove 254 as the top distributor piece 210 moves toward the bottom
distributor piece
174 in the rearward direction RD. That is, the parallel longitudinal
orientations of the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
tongues 232 and grooves 254 facilitate coupling the top distributor piece 210
to the
bottom distributor piece 174 simply by moving the top distributor piece in the
rearward
direction RD. Thus, the complementary fittings formed by the tongues 232 and
grooves
254 are configured to be engaged by movement of the top distributor piece 210
inward
into the interior of the enclosure 29 from the doorway 268. Further, the
complementary
fittings 232, 254 are configured to be disengaged simply by urging the top
distributor
piece 210 away from the bottom distributor piece 174 in the forward direction
FD,
toward the doorway 268. When maintenance or repair of the distributor 25 is
required,
a technician merely opens the door 52 (FIG. 2), grips the handles 262, and
pulls the top
distributor piece 210 outward in the forward direction FD through the doorway
268. To
replace the top distributor piece 210, the technician inserts the piece
through the
doorway 268, aligns the open ends of the grooves 254 with the tongues 232, and
pushes
the top piece rearward. The tongues 232 are then slidably received in the
grooves 254,
and the complementary fittings thereby couple the top distributor piece 210 to
the
bottom distributor piece 174 without using any additional fasters such as
screws or
rivets.
[00106] Though the illustrated embodiment uses the bottom distributor piece's
elongate tongues 232 as male fittings and the top distributor piece's elongate
grooves
254 as complementary female fittings, other forms or arrangements of
complementary
integral fittings can be utilized to releasably couple one distributor piece
to another in
one or more embodiments. For example, it is expressly contemplated that in
certain
embodiments one or more male fittings could be formed on the top distributor
piece
and one or more complementary female fittings could be formed on the bottom
distributor piece. It is further contemplated that the fittings could be
formed at
alternative or additional locations other than the end portions of the
distributor.
[00107] Referring to FIG. 31, each pair of complementary fittings comprises a
detent configured to keep the respective tongue 232 at a coupling position
along the
respective groove 254. More specifically, the protuberances 256 formed in the
grooves
254 are configured to be received in the depressions 234 of the tongues 232 to
provide a
detent when the complementary fittings are at the coupling position. The
detent resists
31
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
inadvertent removal of the top distributor piece 210 from the bottom
distributor piece
174 and provides a tactile snap when the tongue 232 slides along the groove
254 to the
coupling position. It will be appreciated that the detent can be formed in
other ways in
one or more embodiments.
[00108] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 32, as the top distributor piece 210 slides
in
the rearward direction RD to couple the distributor pieces together, the
bottom edge
margin of the weir 264 slides along the downstream (front) section 222 of the
bottom
wall 220. When the top distributor piece 210 reaches the coupling position,
the bottom
edge margin of the weir 264 is received in the groove 240. In one or more
embodiments,
placing the weir 264 in the groove 240 requires pushing the top piece 210
rearward past
a slight interference with the bottom piece 174. When the bottom edge margin
of the
weir 264 is received in the groove 240, the weir sealingly engages the bottom
wall 220
such that water flowing along the distributor flow path FP is inhibited from
flowing
through an interface between the bottom edge margin of the weir and the bottom
wall
and is instead directed to flow across the weir through the plurality of
openings 266.
[00109] The weir 264 extends widthwise along a middle section of the assembled
distributor 25, at a location spaced apart between the front wall 260 and the
rear wall
236. The only couplings between the top distributor piece 210 and the bottom
distributor piece 174 at this middle section of the distributor 25 are the
tongue-and-
groove connections at the left and right end portions of the distributor.
Thus, in the
illustrated embodiment, the middle section of the distributor 25 includes
couplings at
the first and second end portions of the distributor that restrain upward
movement of
the top distributor piece 210 with respect to the bottom distributor piece
174, but the
distributor is substantially free of restraints against upward movement of the
top
distributor piece relative the bottom distributor piece along the middle
section of the
distributor at locations between these couplings. However, because the bottom
edge
margin of the weir 264 is convex and the groove 240 is correspondingly concave
in the
widthwise direction (FIG. 32), even as the distributor pieces 174, 210 flex
and deform
during use, the seal between the weir and the bottom wall 220 is maintained
and water
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
is reliably directed to flow through of openings 266, instead of downward
through the
interface between the weir and the bottom wall.
IX.D. Water Flow through Distributor
[00110] Referring to FIG. 20, the distributor 25 is configured to direct water
to
flow from the inlet 212 to the outlet 214 such that the water flows along the
flow path FP
between the bottom and top walls 220, 258 and then is directed downward along
the
surface tension curve 247 and the water fall surface 249 onto the top portion
of the
freeze plate 22. Initially, the water flows generally in the forward direction
from the inlet
tube 238 through the inlet opening 212 in the rear wall 236. The water then
encounters
the lateral diverter wall 246. The lateral diverter wall 246 diverts at least
some of the
water laterally outward, such that the water continues forward through the
widthwise
gaps between the end portions of the lateral diverter wall and the end
portions of the
distributor 25.
[00111] After flowing past the lateral diverter wall 246, the water encounters
the
ramp surface 242 and the segmented weir 264. The ramp surface 242 is
immediately
upstream of the weir 264 such that the water flowing along the bottom wall 220
of the
distributor 25 must flow upward along the ramp surface before flowing across
the weir.
The weir 264 is configured so that the openings 266 are spaced apart above the
bottom
wall 220 (e.g., the bottom edges of the openings are spaced apart above the
apex of the
ramp surface 242). Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the water must flow
upward
along the ramp surface 242, and upward along a portion of the height of the
weir 264
before it can flow through the openings 266 across the weir. In one or more
embodiments, the weir 264 is configured so that the portion of the distributor
25
upstream of the weir backfills with water to a level that generally
corresponds with the
height of the bottom edges of the openings 266 before the water begins to
spill over the
weir through the openings. In certain embodiments, the ramp surface 242 can
direct at
least some of the water flowing in the forward direction FD along the ramp
surface to
flow through the openings 266 before the upstream portion of the distributor
25 fills
with water to a level that corresponds with the height of the bottom edges of
the
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
openings. After flowing across the weir 264, the water drops downward onto the
sloped
front runoff section 222 of the bottom wall 220 and then flows downward and
forward.
[00112] As can be seen, the upper rear edge of the front runoff section 222 is
spaced apart below the openings 266 by a substantially greater distance than
the apex of
the ramp surface 242. Thus, the water falls a relatively great distance from
the
segmented weir 264 onto the front runoff section 222, which may create
turbulence on
impact, enhancing the distribution of water in the distributor 25. In one or
more
embodiments, the vertical distance between the bottom edges of the openings
266 and
the upper rear edge of the front runoff section 222 is at least 5 mm; e.g., at
least 7 mm,
e.g., at least 10 mm; e.g., about 12 to 13 MM.
[00113] Referring to FIG. 20A, in the assembled distributor 25, the front wall
260 of the top distributor piece 210 forms an overhanging front wall that
overhangs the
bottom wall 220. The bottom edge margin of the front wall 260 is spaced apart
above
the forwardly/downwardly sloping front runoff section 222 of the bottom wall
220 such
that a flow restriction 270 is defined between the runoff section and the
overhanging
front wall. The flow restriction 270 comprises a gap (e.g., a continuous gap)
that extends
widthwise between the first end portion and the second end portion of the
distributor
25. In general, the flow restriction 270 is configured to restrict a rate at
which water
flows through the flow restriction toward the outlet 214. In one or more
embodiments,
the flow restriction 270 has a height extending vertically from the runoff
section 222 to
the bottom of the front wall 260 of less than 10 mm, e.g., less than 7 mm;
e.g., less than
mm; e.g., about 2 to 3 mm.
[00114] The water flowing forward along the front section 222 reaches the flow
restriction 270, and the flow restriction arrests or slows the flow of water.
In one or
more embodiments, the overhanging front wall 260 acts as a kind of inverted
weir. The
flow restriction 270 slows the flow of water to a point at which water begins
to slightly
backfill the front portion of the distributor 25. This creates a small
reservoir of water
behind the flow restriction 270. A metered amount of water flows continuously
from
this back-filled reservoir through the flow restriction 270 along
substantially the entire
width WD of the distributor 25.
34
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
[00115] The surface tension curve 247¨and more broadly the downstream end
portion of the bottom wall 220¨is forwardly proud of the overhanging front
wall 260
and the flow restriction 270. After the water flows (e.g., is metered) through
the flow
restriction 270, the water adheres to the downwardly curving surface tension
curve 247
as it flows generally forward. The surface tension curve 247 directs the water
downward
onto the waterfall surface 249. The water adheres to the waterfall surface 249
and flows
downward along it. Finally the water is discharged from the outlet edge 214 of
the
waterfall surface 249 onto the top end portion of the freeze plate 22.
[00116] Because of water distribution features such as one or more of the
lateral
diverter wall 246, the ramp surface 242, the segmented weir 264, the flow
restriction
270, the surface tension curve 247, and the waterfall surface 249, water is
discharged
from the outlet 214 at a substantially uniform flow rate along the width WD of
the
distributor 25. The distributor 25 thus directs water imparted through the
distributor to
flow downward along the front of the freeze plate 22 generally uniformly along
the
width WF of the freeze plate during an ice making cycle. Moreover, the
distributor 25
controls the dynamics of the flowing water so that the water generally adheres
to the
surfaces of the front of the freeze plate 22 as it flows downward. Thus, the
distributor 25
enables ice to form at a generally uniform rate along the height HF and width
WF of the
freeze plate 22.
X. Use
[00117] Referring again to FIG. 1, during use the ice maker 10 alternates
between
ice making cycles and harvest cycles. During each ice making cycle, the
refrigeration
system is operated to cool the freeze plate 22. At the same time, the pump 62
imparts
water from the sump 70 through the water line 63 and further through the
distributor
25. The distributor 25 distributes water along the top portion of the freeze
plate 22
which freezes into ice in the molds 150 at a generally uniform rate along the
height HF
and width WF of the freeze plate 22. When the ice reaches a thickness that is
suitable for
harvesting, the pump 62 is turned off and the hot gas valve 24 redirects hot
refrigerant
gas to the evaporator tubing 21. The hot gas warms the freeze plate 22,
causing the ice to
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
melt. The melting ice falls by gravity from the forwardly slanted freeze plate
22 into the
bin 30. When harvest is complete, the pump 62 can be reactivated to begin a
new ice
making cycle. But if additional ice is not required, the discharge valve 79 is
opened.
Residual water in the distributor 25 drains into the sump 70 as described
above, and the
water from the sump drains through the discharge line 78. The discharge valve
79 can be
closed when the water level sensor 64 detects that the sump 70 is empty. If
repair or
maintenance of the distributor 25 should ever be required, a technician can
simply open
the door 52 to the enclosure and pull out the top piece 210 as described
above. No
fasteners are used when removing and replacing the top distributor piece 210.
[00118] When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred
embodiment(s) thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and "said" are intended
to mean that
there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and
"having"
are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements
other than
the listed elements.
[00119] In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the
invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
[00120] As various changes could be made in the above products and methods
Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all
matter
contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and
not in a
limiting sense.
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-01-15
