A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, and an ice maker assembly provided in the storage space. The ice maker assembly includes an ice maker provided forward of a cold air discharge port that is provided at a rear portion of the storage space, where the cold air discharge port is configured to deliver cold air, a front cover that covers a front side of the ice maker and that is configured to be exposed to an outside of the cabinet based on the door being opened, and a heat insulating material provided at a rear surface of the front cover and configured to at least partially block the cold air passing through the ice maker from being delivered past a front surface of the front cover.

A refrigerator utilizes in some instances an icemaker having a tandem arrangement of storage bins. A first storage bin receives ice produced by an icemaker and includes a reversible ice mover that when operated in a first direction feeds an ice dispenser, and when operated in a second direction feeds a second storage bin disposed below the first storage bin. A refrigerator may also in another aspect include an externally-accessible ice dispenser having a dispenser recess portion that is removable from the refrigerator when the doors of the refrigerator are closed, e.g., for the purpose of accessing an ice storage bin.

Provided herein are refrigerator systems integrated with an atmospheric water harvesting unit, as well as methods using such systems. The atmospheric water harvesting unit serves as a water supply for the refrigerator system by capturing water from surrounding air. For example, the water capture materials may be metal organic frameworks. The systems and methods desorb this water in the form of water vapor, and the water vapor is condensed into liquid water and collected. The liquid water is suitable for use as drinking water.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, and an ice maker located at the freezing compartment and configured to generate carbonated ice. The ice maker includes a reservoir configured to store carbonated water that includes dissolved gas, a water line connected to the reservoir and configured to supply non-carbonated water to the reservoir, a gas line connected to the reservoir and configured to, based on the reservoir receiving the non-carbonated water, supply pressurized gas to the reservoir to thereby produce the carbonated water that is stored in the reservoir, a heating element configured to heat the reservoir to a temperature above freezing, and an ice tray configured to receive the carbonated water from the reservoir and to generate the carbonated ice.

A variable ice dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of ice dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control includes a variable control actuator that is movable between a range of positions including a home position, and movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense cubed ice while movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense crushed ice. Further, in some instances, the variable control may also selectively activate the ice dispenser such that the variable control actuator controls the ice dispensing rate while the variable ice dispenser is activated. In addition, in some instances, a variable control may also include a secondary control that switches between ice and water dispensing modes.

An ice maker for mounting into a household cooling appliance includes a storage container for ice that is formed with an opening which is accessible from the top. A fan generates an air stream in the ice maker. An air guiding duct above the storage container is bounded by a first lateral duct wall, which is oriented in the depth direction of the ice maker and extends in the height direction, and is bounded by a second duct wall, which is a roof wall. The air guiding duct has a first opening towards the bottom so that an air stream escapes towards the bottom. The first opening of the air guiding duct is arranged offset viewed in the width direction of the ice maker so that the air stream exiting from the first opening of the air guiding duct flows along an outer side of the storage container.

An ice machine includes a housing including a front panel, a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, and an opening. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend away from the front panel. The ice machine also includes a guide at or adjacent to an inner surface of the first sidewall, an inner surface of the second sidewall, or an inner surface of the front panel. The ice machine includes a door movably coupled to the guide. From a first position of the door, the door is pivotable away from the opening and translatable along the guide down into a second position.

A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above 0° C., a freezer compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below 0° C., a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, and an ice maker disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. The ice maker includes an ice mold with an upper surface comprising a plurality of cavities formed therein for the ice pieces, a heater disposed on the ice mold and an ice maker refrigerant tube abutting at least one lateral side surface of the ice mold and cooling the ice mold to a temperature below 0° C. via thermal conduction.

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet including a freezing chamber; an evaporator located at one side of the freezing chamber; a freezing chamber fan configured to supply cool air to the freezing chamber; an ice maker located in the freezing chamber and configured to perform ice-making; an ice bin located below the ice maker and separates and stores ice made in the ice maker; an ice detection device which detects whether or not the ice stored in the ice bin is full; and a control unit configured to control the freezing chamber fan according to a detection signal of the ice detection device. The control unit is configured to turn off the freezing chamber fan when ice-fullness is detected by the ice detection device and turn on the freezing chamber fan when the ice-fullness is not detected by the ice detection device.

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.