An ice making appliance includes an ice maker for producing ice, an ice bin defining a bottom trough that extends between a rear end and a dispensing chute, wherein the ice is supplied at the rear end and is collected in the ice bin, an auger rotatably mounted within the bottom trough of the ice bin, and a motor assembly mechanically coupled to the auger for selectively rotating the auger. A controller is configured to rotate the auger in an advancing direction to urge the ice toward the dispensing chute and periodically rotate the auger in a reverse direction to redistribute the ice proximate the rear end of the ice bin.

An ice maker for a refrigeration appliance, the ice maker including an ice maker frame and an ice tray housed within the ice maker frame and configured to form ice pieces therein. An air handler is disposed adjacent the ice maker frame and an ice maker fan is disposed within the air handler and is configured to direct cooled airflow out of the air handler and into the ice maker frame. A controller is configured to operatively control the ice maker during an ice making cycle. The ice maker is operable in a first mode and a second mode. When the ice maker is operated in the second mode, the ice maker fan is cycled on and off during predetermined time intervals in order to produce clear ice pieces.

Ice making appliances and methods for making ice using a machine-readable ice cube mold are provided herein. The ice making appliances and methods of making ice may include obtaining ice mold identifier data from the ice mold. Ice mold identifier may be used to acquire operating parameters of the ice making appliance specific to that ice mold from an external communication network. The operating parameters may be used to adjust operation of the appliance, such as the volume of water to dispense for that particular mold.

A domestic refrigeration appliance includes a refrigerator compartment set to a first target temperature by a regulation or control unit, an ice maker compartment being separated from the refrigerator compartment by an inner insulation layer and set to a second target temperature by the regulation or control unit and an ice maker in the ice maker compartment. The regulation or control unit can switch between a normal ice making mode and a reduced-power ice making mode in which the target temperature in the ice maker compartment lies between the target temperature in the refrigerator compartment and the target temperature in the ice maker compartment in the normal ice making mode.

In a method for controlling an ice maker, a motor rotates an ejector finger relative to an ice tray in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction to discharge ice from the ice tray. When an error condition occurs, the ice maker enters a first error mode, during which an ice maker heater is turned on until the temperature of the ice tray reaches a predetermined temperature or until an ice maker heater error correction time elapses. When the ejector finger is at a home position, the motor rotates in the second direction until the ejector finger is not at the home position or for a first predetermined number of steps, whichever occurs first, and then rotates in the first direction until the ejector finger is at the home position.

A refrigerator appliance or ice maker may include an assembly frame, a rotating body, a thermistor wire, and a biasing spring. The rotating body may be rotatably attached to the assembly frame to rotate about an axial direction. The thermistor wire may extend between a static end and a movable end fixed to the rotating body to move therewith. The biasing spring may be fixed to the thermistor wire between the static end and the movable end. The biasing spring may be in biased engagement with the thermistor wire to motivate the movable end toward the static end.

An ice making appliance includes an ice maker for producing ice, an ice bin defining a bottom trough that extends between a rear end and a dispensing chute, wherein the ice is supplied at the rear end and is collected in the ice bin, an auger rotatably mounted within the bottom trough of the ice bin, and a motor assembly mechanically coupled to the auger for selectively rotating the auger. A controller is configured to rotate the auger in an advancing direction to urge the ice toward the dispensing chute and periodically rotate the auger in a reverse direction to redistribute the ice proximate the rear end of the ice bin.

Ice making appliances and methods for making ice using a machine-readable ice cube mold are provided herein. The ice making appliances and methods of making ice may include obtaining ice mold identifier data from the ice mold. Ice mold identifier may be used to acquire operating parameters of the ice making appliance specific to that ice mold from an external communication network. The operating parameters may be used to adjust operation of the appliance, such as the volume of water to dispense for that particular mold.

In a method for controlling an ice maker, a motor rotates an ejector finger relative to an ice tray in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction to discharge ice from the ice tray. When an error condition occurs, the ice maker enters a first error mode, during which an ice maker heater is turned on until the temperature of the ice tray reaches a predetermined temperature or until an ice maker heater error correction time elapses. When the ejector finger is at a home position, the motor rotates in the second direction until the ejector finger is not at the home position or for a first predetermined number of steps, whichever occurs first, and then rotates in the first direction until the ejector finger is at the home position.

A machine to continuously produce and hold ice is provided. The machine includes a compressor, an evaporator, and an auger that rotates across an outer surface of the evaporator to scrape ice forming thereon. Ice slices travel with auger rotation and neighboring ice slices coalesce together to form larger pieces of ice. A user input allows adjustment of the density of the ice produced. The controller alters compressor speed, such that a decrease in compressor speed results in an increase in the surface temperature of the evaporator and therefore slows down ice formation thereon, and an increase in compressor speed results in a decrease in the surface temperature of the evaporator and therefore speeds up the ice formation thereon. A change in ice formation speed results in a corresponding change in the rate of ice slice production and a corresponding change in density of ice produced by the machine.