Provided is an ice maker including an upper tray and a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein a plurality of upper chambers defined in the upper tray and a plurality of lower chambers defined in the lower tray are in contact with each other to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, respectively, each ejector-receiving opening opened to each of the plurality of upper chambers, each opening-defining wall extending upward along a circumference of each ejector-receiving opening, an upper ejector configured to pass through the ejector-defining wall and vertically move to remove each ice from each ice chamber, and a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open and close the upper tray and the lower tray, wherein the upper tray includes a horizontal extension forming a top face of the upper tray, wherein the upper chamber is positioned below the horizontal extension such that the opening-defining wall is formed at a vertical level equal to or lower than a vertical level of the opening-defining wall.

A refrigeration appliance has an enclosure that defines an electronics module recess and a detachable electronics module that can be releasably retained in the recess. Tabs and tab receivers can be integrated with the electronics module and enclosure to releasably retain the electronics module in the recess. A trim piece can releasably attach to a display bezel of the electronics module by a snap-fit connection to retain the electronics module in the electronics module recess. In use, the electronics module can be selectively removed and a data acquisition device can be connected to the appliance using a data connector that is exposed by removing the electronics module.

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.

An icemaking appliance includes an ice storage chamber and a water jacket at least partially surrounding the ice storage chamber. A sensor assembly includes a sleeve, a conductive plug inserted into a first portion of the sleeve, and a temperature sensor inserted into a second portion of the sleeve. The first portion of the sleeve and the conductive plug are at least partially disposed within the ice storage chamber.

A refrigerator appliance, as disclosed herein, may include a cabinet, a door, a dispensing assembly, an ice-making assembly, and an ice storage bin. The door may define a dispenser recess having a transverse opening extending vertically from a top recess end to a bottom recess end and laterally from a first recess side to a second recess side. The dispensing assembly may be positioned within the dispenser recess and define an ice delivery passage. The ice-making assembly may be attached to the cabinet. The ice storage bin may include a bin body defining a storage cavity. The bin body may be selectively mounted to the door within the dispenser recess to receive ice from the dispensing assembly. The bin body may extend vertically from the top recess end to the bottom recess end and laterally from the first recess side to the second recess side.

A refrigerator includes an ice tray, a motor, an ejector including a rotary shaft and a protrusion pin, and a heater for selectively supplying heat to the ice tray. A control method of the refrigerator includes a first step of sensing whether the ejector is rotated to reach a first setup position; a second step of driving the heater and stopping driving of an ice making compartment fan if the first step is satisfied; a third step of determining whether the ejector is rotated to reach a second setup position; and a fourth step of stopping driving of the heater if the third step is satisfied, and wherein the ejector continues to be rotated while the second to fourth steps are implemented.

An ice maker of a refrigerator includes a tray assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers. Each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to receive water and generate an ice piece. The tray assembly also includes a lower tray that is located vertically below the upper tray, that is configured to rotate relative to the upper tray, and that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers, wherein at least one of the upper tray or the lower tray comprises a flexible tray made of a flexible material. Additionally, a case is configured to accommodate the flexible tray to restrict a deformation of the flexible tray. A heater that is located between the case and the flexible tray is configured to supply heat to the plurality of ice making chambers through the flexible tray.

A method of detecting ice within an automatic ice maker includes capturing an image of an ice mold within the ice maker, analyzing the image using a machine learning image recognition process, determining one or more characteristics of the ice maker, and implementing a responsive action to control the ice maker accordingly.

An ice maker of the present invention comprises: an upper tray defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber, wherein an upper opening is provided in an upper side of the upper tray; a lower tray defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber; a lower support supporting the lower tray and provided with a lower heater; and a control unit configured to operate the lower heater in an ice making process, wherein the control unit variably controls an output of the lower heater so that bubbles included in water in the ice chamber are gathered in a lowermost section in the ice making process.

In an ice making device, a frame supporting an ice tray and a drive unit has a first wall at a side of an ice detection member. Supported on the first wall is a regulation member rotatable between a first rotation position not to regulate coming down of the ice detection member and a second rotation position to regulate coming down of the ice detection member. By moving the regulation member to the second rotation position, later ice making is stopped even if ice accumulating below is not much. The regulation member includes a regulator in a circular arc form and is supported rotatably around a shaft. The regulation member as a rotary member is less liable to unexpectedly move from either of the first rotation position and the second rotation position, so that movement of the regulation member to a position not intended is suppressed.