An ice making assembly includes an ice mold defining a mold cavity and a refrigeration loop having an evaporator in thermal communication with the ice mold. A compressor is operably coupled to the refrigeration loop for circulating a flow of refrigerant through the refrigerant loop to cool the evaporator and the ice mold. After ice is formed, a flow regulating device may divert a portion of the flow of refrigerant around the condenser through a bypass conduit to slowly increase a temperature of the refrigerant within the evaporator to release formed ice from the ice mold while preventing thermal shock and cracking.

An icemaker for making clear ice shapes using a process that removes and replenishes a freezable liquid, such as water, from and to one or more ice-mold cavities during freezing of the freezable liquid in the ice-mold cavity(ies). This process removes air bubbles from the freezable liquid during freezing that would otherwise result in cloudy ice. In some embodiments, the icemaker includes a suction system to draw freezable liquid from the cavity(ies) and a replenishment system to replenish the cavity(ies) with freezable liquid to replace the freezable liquid that the suction system draws out of the cavity(ies). In some embodiments, the replenishment includes a reservoir containing freezable liquid and the suction system includes a pump that draws the freezable liquid from the cavity(ies) and discharges it to the reservoir. Methods of making clear ice and other systems for making clear ice are also disclosed.

To provide an ice making device including an ice making tray, a drive unit configured to turn over the ice making tray, a frame including a frame body, the frame configured to support the ice making tray, and a fan motor configured to send wind to the ice making tray. The frame includes a block unit configured to contact a part of the ice making tray turning over to partially disturb the turning over of the ice making tray, and the fan motor is fixed only to a first frame part including one of a plurality of frame parts constituting sides surrounding a periphery of the ice making tray in a plan view of the frame.

An environmentally friendly system for delivering a potable liquid to a user, comprising a delivery tube having a cylindrical wall that defines a cylindrical annulus through which a potable liquid can flow. The cylindrical wall consists essentially of a solid potable material that is liquid at room temperature, wherein the wall is formed at a temperature below the freezing point of the potable material.

Provided is an ice-making machine, and more particularly, an ice-making machine capable of preventing slush from being formed. The ice-making machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an ice-making water storage for storing ice-making water therein; an evaporator for making the ice-making water into ice by receiving the ice-making water stored in the ice-making water storage; a pump for moving the ice-making water stored in the ice-making water storage to the evaporator; a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water storage; and a control unit for controlling water to be supplied into the ice-making water storage at a predetermined time point after the pump is operated, wherein the predetermined time point is any one of a time point at which the temperature sensor reaches a second temperature when the temperature sensor reaches the second temperature, which is lower than a first temperature, within a first time after reaching the first temperature, a time point at which the temperature sensor reaches the first temperature and the first time passes when the temperature sensor does not reach the second temperature within the first time after reaching the first temperature, and a time point at which a second time passes after the pump is operated when the temperature sensor does not reach the first temperature within the second time, which is longer than the first time, after the pump is operated.

There is provided a method that includes (a) controlling a vibrator to produce an acoustic wave in accordance with a signal that includes (i) an on-time during which a packet of pulses is generated, followed by (ii) an off-time during which no pulses are generated, and thus includes (iii) a frequency component, (b) receiving an electrical representation of the acoustic wave that has been detected from a body of water that is being frozen on a structure, (c) extracting, from the electrical representation, (i) the frequency component, and (ii) a magnitude of the frequency component, (d) recognizing that the magnitude of the frequency component exceeds a threshold value, thus yielding a recognition, and (e) issuing a command to remove the body of water from the structure, in response to the recognition. There is also provided a system that employs the method, and a storage device containing instructions for the method.

There is provided a method that includes (a) controlling a vibrator to produce an acoustic wave in accordance with a signal that includes (i) an on-time during which a packet of pulses is generated, followed by (ii) an off-time during which no pulses are generated, and thus includes (iii) a frequency component, (b) receiving an electrical representation of the acoustic wave that has been detected from a body of water that is being frozen on a structure, (c) extracting, from the electrical representation, (i) the frequency component, and (ii) a magnitude of the frequency component, (d) recognizing that the magnitude of the frequency component exceeds a threshold value, thus yielding a recognition, and (e) issuing a command to remove the body of water from the structure, in response to the recognition. There is also provided a system that employs the method, and a storage device containing instructions for the method.

A method of and apparatus for accelerating the cooling of a beverage can and/or ice tray utilizing at least one body that presents a density and thermal conductivity, defines a standard beverage can and/or ice tray receiving receptacle configured to form a minimum contact surface area of engagement with at least one can and/or tray, and preferably further defines a series of thru-holes, so as to promote accelerated cooling through conduction, convection within a compartment.

Described herein are methods for making clear ice. In one embodiment, a method for making clear ice includes providing a mold of any of the embodiments described herein, optionally inserting a skewer through the mold, the skewer being coupled to an item; circulating, using fluid inlet and outlet valves, a fluid in a mold cavity defined by the mold; varying overtime one or both of: a temperature of the cooling apparatus or a fluid flow rate, through the fluid inlet valve, as a percentage of max flow; and optionally retracting the skewer when the ice formation encases at least a portion of the item. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes a period of flow reversal, such that the fluid inlet valve becomes the fluid outlet valve and the fluid outlet valve becomes the fluid inlet valve. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes releasing the ice from the mold.

Described herein are methods for making clear ice. In one embodiment, a method for making clear ice includes providing a mold of any of the embodiments described herein, optionally inserting a skewer through the mold, the skewer being coupled to an item; circulating, using fluid inlet and outlet valves, a fluid in a mold cavity defined by the mold; varying overtime one or both of: a temperature of the cooling apparatus or a fluid flow rate, through the fluid inlet valve, as a percentage of max flow; and optionally retracting the skewer when the ice formation encases at least a portion of the item. The method optionally includes a period of flow reversal, such that the fluid inlet valve becomes the fluid outlet valve and the fluid outlet valve becomes the fluid inlet valve. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes releasing the ice from the mold.