An ice maker and a refrigerator including an ice maker are provided. The ice maker may include a tray including at least one projection that extends and protrudes from an inner surface of the tray, an ejector that rotates to separate the ice from the tray, and an ice separation motor connected to a side of the ejector to provide power to rotate the ejector so that the ice maker may effectively discharge ice out of the tray and the ice maker.

A refrigerator including a water intake container, in which carbonated water is produced by mixture of carbon dioxide and clean water, a first dispenser assembly, which the water intake container is attached to or detached from, and which supplies carbon dioxide and clean water to the water intake container when the water intake container is attached to the first dispenser, a dispenser lever and a second dispenser assembly which discharges clean water or ice according to manipulation of the dispenser lever, but stops the discharging of clean water or ice if the water intake container is attached to the first dispenser assembly. The refrigerator may include a dispenser lever and a processor to control an ice maker to stop operation if a command is entered through a user interface and to control the ice maker to start operation if the dispenser lever is manipulated while the ice maker stops operation.

A domestic refrigeration appliance having a housing in which a cooling compartment is provided, and is closable by a first door which is movably arranged on the housing. The appliance further having a dispensing unit having an output unit and an ice maker. The dispensing unit is configured for the output of liquid and/or molded ice elements and is arranged on the first door. A rear side of the first door facing toward the cooling compartment has a receptacle protruding toward the cooling compartment, in which receptacle the dispensing unit is arranged. The first door is pivotably arranged with at least one multiple-joint hinge on the housing. The multiple-joint hinge has a mechanism with which, during the pivoting movement of the first door, the first door is also displaced in the width direction.

A low profile ice maker/dispenser and water dispenser having a high ice making capacity, for ice nugget manufacture is provided, wherein ice nuggets are metered out of a storage bin via a nugget dispenser outlet, and whereby water is dispensed via a water dispenser outlet. A refrigeration cycle is used, wherein an auger compresses ice on a wall of an evaporator and delivers the ice to the ice bin, breaking it into nuggets along the way. An outer wall of the evaporator is comprised of part of the water reservoir. A baffle in the ice bin facilitates metering of the amount of ice discharged. The system comprises a closed system that enables efficient cleaning of the system.

A refrigerator includes a main body including a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a door, and an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment. The refrigerator also includes an ice bank disposed on the door, an ice transfer device configured to transfer ice made in the ice maker to the ice bank, and an ice chute that connects the ice transfer device to the ice bank. The ice transfer device includes a housing in which ice separated from the ice maker drops and a transfer member accommodated within the housing and configured to transfer ice from the housing into the ice chute. The ice transfer device also includes an ice unit configured to reduce ice jamming or damage caused by interference with the transfer member.

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including by monitoring state of an ice maker associated with the ice compartment and controlling temperature within compartments of the refrigerator based on the ice maker state. A damper controls air flow between the fresh food and freezer compartments. The control system can direct heat to the damper if the damper becomes frozen.

Ice making system and method for a refrigerator is disclosed. The ice making system includes an ice making unit that makes ice cubes, a cold air generator that cools air inside a cooling duct so as to produce cold air, a cold air circulation unit that supplies the cold air from the cold air generator to the ice making unit, and discharges the cold air from the ice making unit to the cold air generator, and a cold air guiding unit that circulates the cold air inside the ice making unit.

Vertical beverage dispensers including a vertical dispensing manifold for dispensing a beverage. The vertical dispensing manifold may include an input port coupled to one end of a vertical shaft and a dispensing nozzle coupled to the other end of the vertical shaft. The vertical shaft may include a hollow interior and a plurality of orifices for introducing ingredients into the hollow interior formed in the sidewall of the vertical shaft. The vertical shaft may define a vertical flow path for the flow of a base liquid from the input port, through the vertical shaft to combine with one or more ingredients, and to the dispensing nozzle. The flow of base liquid and ingredients within the vertical shaft may be uniform.

The valve device (1) comprises a bearing structure (2), stationary in operation, wherein there is defined a passage (3) intended to be coupled with an ice cube dispensing conduit in a refrigerator; an obturator (12) mounted rotatable in the bearing structure (2), between a closed position and an opened position, wherein it substantially shuts and, respectively, opens the passage (3), and an electrically-controlled motor means (W; 22, 28, 30), connected with the bearing structure (2) and coupled with the obturator (12) and adapted to cause a rotation of the obturator (12) between the closed position and the opened position.

The valve device comprises a wire (W) of a shape-memory material, capable of shrinking when an electric current flows therethrough, and having one end (25) anchored to the bearing structure (2) and the other end (21) coupled with the obturator (12) through a transmission mechanism (22, 29, 30, 10, 11), such that a flow of an electric current in said shape-memory wire (W) adapted to cause a shrinking thereof and a consequent rotation of the obturator (12) towards the opened position, and an interruption of such current allows the shape-memory wire (W) to re-expand and the obturator (12) to return towards its closed position.

A method of producing ice cubes in a mold and pan in cool ambient air wherein the steps of removing the mold from the pan and removing the ice cubes from the mold are carried out without any heating or thawing to obtain individual ice cubes with a substantially dry outer surface. A method of producing a block of ice cubes in cool ambient air is also provided wherein the steps above are repeated so that the ice cubes drop row above row to produce a block of ice cubes. A method of packaging ice cubes is also provided comprising obtaining a plurality of ice cubes with a substantially dry outer surface and of a stackable shape. The ice cubes are arranged adjacently into a block, and the block is encapsulated in a suitable packaging material.