An ice maker includes a plurality of thermal insulation covers that contain a top mold and a bottom mold in a stacked arrangement for making ice. A fluid path is formed from a top thermal insulation cover through the top mold and into the bottom mold. The top mold includes a water inlet that extends through a top thermal insulation cover. The top mold also includes openings formed at its top and bottom that allow remaining liquid to flow into the bottom mold. During use, the ice maker forms decorative ice shapes in the top mold, where the ice is substantially transparent. Ice cubes can be formed in the bottom mold.

A commercial ice maker purges water from a sump via a passive drain valve instead of an active drain pump. The ice maker uses a large freeze plate, but still can accommodate the passive drain valve within a standard enclosure footprint. A bottom wall of the ice maker has a drain passaging groove formed in an upper surface. The drain valve is supported above the bottom wall and drain tube is at least partially received in the drain passaging groove. The drain valve can include a valve body that has a valve seat and a movable valve member that opens and closes a valve passage through the valve seat. The valve member radially overlaps the valve seat along a longitudinal axis when the valve member is closed.

A device for producing an elongate ingot of clear ice comprises a housing comprising at least one flume surface wall that defines at least one elongate trough; at least one fluid intake disposed to provide a flow of liquid into the at least one elongate trough; at least one drain disposed to drain liquid from at least one elongate trough; wherein the at least a portion of the at least one flume surface wall is in thermal communication with a cooling source; and wherein the at least one fluid intake and the at least one drain are adapted to provide a substantially constant flow of fluid to the at least one elongate trough during a freezing operation of the device. The cooling source can be an internal cooling cavity.

A refrigerator has an ice maker. The ice maker has a longitudinal axis; a rotatable, stretchable ice cube tray having an upper face defining a plane offset from the longitudinal axis with openings for ice cubes and a bottom surface, and the upper face and the bottom surface being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the offset being at least a depth of an ice cube; and an axially mounted, rotatable cam with a convex surface, the cam is coaxial with the longitudinal axis and positioned between the longitudinal axis and the bottom surface of the tray, so that the convex surface is engageable with the bottom surface of the tray. Ice cubes are released by rotation of the cam as the convex surface outwardly flexes the tray.

A refrigerator has an ice maker. The ice maker has: a longitudinal axis; and a rotatable, stretchable ice cube tray with an upper face defining a plane offset from the longitudinal axis with openings for ice cubes, a fixed lateral end, and a rotatable lateral end, the upper face being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the offset being at least a depth of an ice cube. Ice cubes are released when a torsional force exerted on the rotatable lateral end twists the stretchable tray.

A method for preparing clear ice includes supporting an ice tray via a rotating assembly within a housing and separating an interior volume of the housing into a first air chamber and a second air chamber. The first air chamber is below the ice tray and the second air chamber is above the ice tray. Water is supplied into the ice tray and the ice tray is cooled with a cooling device thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling device is exposed to chilled air from within the appliance in the first air chamber. Ambient air is supplied from outside the appliance into the second air chamber within the interior volume of the housing. The surface of the water in the ice tray is exposed to the ambient air.

An ice making device provides an ice tray and a frame to hold the ice tray. The frame has a proximal end with a motor and a distal end with a circular opening. An insert positioned in the circular opening with a projection provides a vibrating motion to dislodge ice cubes from the ice tray. An ice tray includes an integrated heating circuit for sensing capacitance and releasing frozen ice cubes. An ice tray also includes a raised flange to prevent water from splashing out of the ice tray.

A refrigerator including an ice maker that includes a pressurizing member, a first tray including a first main ice-making cell and a first auxiliary ice-making cell. The ice maker includes a second tray coupleable to the first tray to form a spherical ice chamber, the second tray includes a second main ice-making cell coupleable to the first main ice-making cell to form a spherical ice chamber and a second auxiliary ice-making cell formed to extend upward from the second main ice-making cell and having a portion that contacts the first auxiliary ice-making cell, where, as the second tray is moved to separate the second main ice-making cell of the second tray coupled to the first main ice-making cell of the first tray that form the spherical ice chamber, the pressurizing member applies pressure to the second auxiliary ice-making cell of the second tray.

A refrigerator with an ice-making apparatus, the ice-making apparatus including: an ice tray in which ice is made; a water supply device which supplies water to the ice tray from an upper side of the ice tray; a drive unit which is coupled with the ice tray and rotates the ice tray so as to separate ice made in the ice tray; and an ice-fullness detecting lever which is coupled with the drive unit below the ice tray and is rotated in the same direction as that of the ice tray to detect ice-fullness of the ice bank, in which a tray rotation shaft for rotation of the ice tray and a lever rotation shaft for rotation of the ice-fullness detecting lever are provided in the same surface of the drive unit, and in which the lever rotation shaft is positioned below the tray rotation shaft.

The refrigerator includes an ice maker; an ice bucket; a transfer member configured to transfer ice stored in the ice bucket; a drive motor unit configured to generate a driving force for driving the transfer member; a first coupler connected to the transfer member; and a second coupler separably coupled to the first coupler and coupled to the drive motor unit. The first coupler includes an insertion portion insertable into the second coupler, and a first inclined portion to guide the insertion portion to be inserted into the second coupler. The second coupler includes a seating portion to receive the first coupler, and a second inclined portion to guide the first coupler to the seating portion.