An ice maker is provided that varies an amount of heat transferred between an ice making member connected to a cooling unit and water being in direct or indirect contact with the ice making member according to portions of the ice making member, and producing ice in various forms including rounded ice without edges, especially spherical ice, on the ice making member, the ice maker including a cooling unit performing cooling; at least one ice making member connected to the cooling unit and being in direct or indirect contact with water to allow ice to be produced thereon; with an amount of heat transferred between the ice making member and the water being in direct or indirect contact with the ice making member varies according to portions of the ice making member, such that ice is produced in various forms on the ice making member.

An ice maker is provided that varies an amount of heat transferred between an ice making member connected to a cooling unit and water being in direct or indirect contact with the ice making member according to portions of the ice making member, and producing ice in various forms including rounded ice without edges, especially spherical ice, on the ice making member, the ice maker including a cooling unit performing cooling; at least one ice making member connected to the cooling unit and being in direct or indirect contact with water to allow ice to be produced thereon; with an amount of heat transferred between the ice making member and the water being in direct or indirect contact with the ice making member varies according to portions of the ice making member, such that ice is produced in various forms on the ice making member.

A portable ice maker configured to deliver ice on demand. The ice maker includes a housing, a reservoir disposed in the housing and adapted to receive water, a freezing chamber disposed in the housing and adapted to be filled with liquid coolant, a reconditioning unit configured to maintain the coolant in liquid form, one or more receptacles disposed in the freezing chamber such that at least a portion of each of the receptacles is surrounded by and in thermal contact with the liquid coolant, a pump disposed in the housing and configured to drive the water from the reservoir to the receptacles, and a control panel disposed on the housing and including a button. The liquid coolant is configured to convert the water in the receptacles into ice, and responsive to actuation of the button, the ice is delivered to an ice dispensing area in the housing.

The present disclosure provides an ice making evaporator that combines the cubic shape of pan and partition evaporators with the central ice making of a pin evaporator to achieve an ice shape that is mostly cubic. Separation of the cooling ability of these two evaporator portions allows cube shaping during ice making cycle based on time, temperature, pressure, or other variables.

The invention provides, in some aspects, a thermal energy storage and retrieval system with a cavity containing a working fluid and a heat transfer surface disposed in the cavity transverse to a gravity field and in thermal coupling with an ice that is formed from and floating in the working fluid. The heat transfer surface transfers to that ice heat from a heat transfer medium that is thermally coupled to the heat transfer surface. According to aspects of the invention in which the ice is less dense than the working fluid, the heat transfer surface is disposed above (with respect to the gravity field) a region of the cavity where that ice is formed or inlet. According to aspects of the invention in which the ice is more dense than the working fluid, the heat transfer surface is disposed below that region.

A system and method for making degradable drinking straws made of ice (or other frozen liquid(s)). The system may comprise one or more tubes configured to extend into a reservoir. The tubes may each be in fluid communication with a connecting bar, wherein fluid (e.g., a liquid and/or a gas) within the connecting bar may be directed into the tubes. The system may comprise a source of cold fluid and a source of hot fluid in fluid communication with the connecting bar. The degradable straw may comprise a wall (or thickness) made of ice with a hollow, cavity, and/or void space through the straw. The degradable straw may serve to cool the drink (as any other piece of ice within the drinking liquid) via placement in a drink and/or via the drink passing through the void space into a user's mouth.

The present disclosure provides an ice making evaporator that combines the cubic shape of pan and partition evaporators with the central ice making of a pin evaporator to achieve an ice shape that is mostly cubic. Separation of the cooling ability of these two evaporator portions allows cube shaping during ice making cycle based on time, temperature, pressure, or other variables.

An ice-making appliance, as provided herein, may include a sink, an upper dispenser, a lower tank, and a heat exchanger. The upper dispenser may be disposed above the sink. The lower tank may be disposed below the upper dispenser to hold an initial volume of liquid water. The heat exchanger may include a mold finger may be disposed within the lower tank and to freeze a portion of the initial volume of liquid water as an ice nugget. The lower tank may define a vertical passage permitting the ice nugget to float therethrough with a remaining volume of liquid water. The upper dispenser may include an ice door. The ice door may be movable between a closed position and an open position. The open position may permit the ice nugget from the upper dispenser to the sink. Methods of operating the ice-making appliance are also provided herein.

An ice-making appliance, as provided herein, may include a sink, an upper dispenser, a lower tank, and a heat exchanger. The upper dispenser may be disposed above the sink. The lower tank may be disposed below the upper dispenser to hold an initial volume of liquid water. The heat exchanger may include a mold finger may be disposed within the lower tank and to freeze a portion of the initial volume of liquid water as an ice nugget. The lower tank may define a vertical passage permitting the ice nugget to float therethrough with a remaining volume of liquid water. The upper dispenser may include an ice door. The ice door may be movable between a closed position and an open position. The open position may permit the ice nugget from the upper dispenser to the sink. Methods of operating the ice-making appliance are also provided herein.

Disclosed is an ice making device that is able to selectively make ices having different transparencies from each other. The ice making device includes: an ice making chamber including an ice making container to accommodate ice making water therein; a cooler configured to supply cool air to the ice making chamber to cool the ice making water; an ice making fan configured to circulate the supplied cool air; an ice making heater configured to supply heat to the ice making water when the ice making water is cooled; and a controller configured to control at least one of the cooling unit, the ice making fan and the ice making heater to adjust a rate of change of temperature of the ice making container to generate one of two types of ice having different transparency.