An ice vending machine automatically provides ice to a customer based upon a request from the consumer for the ice. In some embodiments, the ice vending machine includes a transfer box to transfer ice from a horizontal auger to an inclined auger. In some embodiments, the inclined auger motor is mounted at the top of the inclined auger. The inclined auger motor may drive the inclined auger by way of a chain and sprockets or directly drive the inclined auger without a chain or sprockets. In some embodiments, a lip shelf is located at an edge of the holding vessel floor. In some embodiments, a rear wall is removable from the holding vessel. In some embodiments, the ice machine includes an awning, a top hat, or an ice maker canopy. In some embodiments, the ice vending machine includes an improved motor and chain layout.

A refrigerator appliance is generally provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a secondary liner, and a circulation duct. The cabinet may include an internal liner defining a freezer chamber and a fresh food chamber. The secondary liner may be positioned at the fresh food chamber. The secondary liner may define a sub-compartment in fluid isolation from the freezer chamber and the fresh food chamber. The circulation duct may extend within the sub-compartment in fluidly-isolated thermal communication with the sub-compartment. The circulation duct may define an air passage in fluid communication with the freezer chamber.

A refrigerator appliance having a dispensing assembly is provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet, and the dispensing assembly. The dispensing assembly may include a dispenser recess and an outlet conduit. The dispenser recess may be defined along an outer surface of the door and extend in a lateral direction from a first side portion to a second side portion of the door. The outlet conduit may be in selective fluid communication with the dispenser recess to direct a fluid thereto.

A refrigerator appliance is generally provided herein. The refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet extending along a vertical direction from an upper portion to a lower portion. The cabinet may also extend along a transverse direction from a rear portion to a front portion. The cabinet may define a plurality of operably-independent chilled chambers and, optionally, a modular ice making assembly.

An aseptic ice making system includes an ice making system to receive water from a water supply. The ice making system includes an ice producing subsystem to produce ice and a positive air pressure subsystem to maintain a positive air pressure environment within the ice making system.

A household cooling appliance has a dispenser unit for dispensing liquid and/or ice. The dispenser unit is an actuation element for starting the dispensing of liquid and/or ice. A communication unit is configured for input and recognition of speech signals. A control unit is configured for performing at least one operating function of the dispenser unit depending on the recognized speech signal, and a starting signal for starting a speech signal input mode of the communication unit. There is also described a method for operating a household cooling appliance.

A household cooling appliance includes an ice maker unit for making ice, wherein the ice maker unit has a container, in which the ice is stored, a weight detection unit for determining the weight of the container, and an evaluation unit, which is configured for determining a filling level of the container with ice depending on the weight.

A refrigerator including a refrigerator compartment; a freezer compartment; an ice compartment disposed in the refrigerator compartment; an ice maker assembly disposed in the ice compartment, the ice maker assembly including an ice maker tray/evaporator having an evaporator cooling tube which is in direct contact with the ice maker tray portion; an ice bucket for storing ice disposed in the ice compartment; and an air handler/auger motor assembly disposed at a rear portion of the ice compartment behind the ice bucket. The air handler/auger motor assembly includes an air passage having a fan disposed therein. An inlet of the fan communicates with an airflow passage under the ice maker tray/evaporator, such that the fan creates a suction and draws cool air from the ice maker tray/evaporator and discharges the cool air through the air passage and to the ice bucket to prevent any ice in the ice bucket from melting.

A refrigerator and method utilize a pair of tandem evaporators to provide cooling for both a compartment and an ice making system of a refrigerator. An upstream evaporator in the pair of tandem evaporators provides cooling for a compartment such as a freezer, fresh food, flexible cooling, or quick cooling compartment, while a downstream evaporator is in fluid communication with the upstream evaporator to receive a portion of the air cooled by the upstream evaporator and further cool the received portion for use in cooling one or more components of the ice making system.

A refrigerator includes a main body having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, a door for opening or closing the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment, a filter unit disposed within the refrigerating compartment for purifying water supplied from a water supply source outside the main body, water tank for receiving the purified water from the filter unit and to cool the received water by using cool air within the refrigerating compartment, and a dispenser disposed in the door to dispense the cooled water stored in the tube tank assembly. The tube tank assembly includes a tube defining a cold water passage that can allow the cooled water to flow therethrough, and a tube support around which the tube is wound multiple times.