An ice maker includes a prefabricated cabinet with a base that defines a bottom of an ice maker housing. An access side of the cabinet defines a doorway for accessing an ice making device in the housing. A prefabricated door for opening and closing the doorway has a bottom spaced apart above the bottom of the housing. The ice maker can be mounted on a prefabricated receptacle so that the bottom of the housing is flush with a top of the receptacle and the door can clear a protruding dispenser unit as it swings on its hinge. The prefabricated cabinet may include a door mount that couples the door to the cabinet so that the bottom of the door is spaced above the bottom of the ice maker.

An ice bucket for a refrigerator appliance, includes a bucket body; an auger provided inside the bucket and including an auger shaft rotatable about a first shaft axis and a collet at a first end of the auger shaft and including an axially beveled surface formed circumferentially around the auger shaft; and an agitator provided in the bucket in mechanical communication with the auger, the agitator including an agitator shaft rotatable about a second shaft axis non-parallel to the first shaft axis, a plurality of first tines extending radially from the agitator shaft within the bucket body to engage ice therein, and a projection that extends perpendicularly from the agitator shaft opposite the plurality of tines. The projection engages with the axially beveled surface to oscillate the agitator.

A refrigerator including a water supplier; an ice-making housing in a storage compartment; a first tray in the ice-making housing and including a first ice-making cell, and a first sealing portion formed along an edge of the first ice-making cell; and a second tray including a second ice-making cell, and a second sealing portion formed along an edge of the second ice-making cell, wherein the second tray is movable horizontally to engage with the first tray and couple the first and second ice-making cell, and while the second tray is engaged with the first tray, the second sealing portion overlaps the first sealing portion to prevent leakage from the first and second ice-making cells, the first ice-making cell forms a first portion of ice with water from the water supplier, and the second ice-making cell forms a second portion of the ice with water from the water supplier.

An ice maker includes a carriage, an ice mold defining a plurality of cavities that is movably coupled to the carriage such that the ice mold is movable relative to the carriage between a home position and a harvest position, and a detection lever movably coupled to the carriage such that the detection lever is movable between a retracted position and an extended position, the detection member being biased toward the extended position. The ice maker further includes a retention mechanism configured to retain the detection lever in the retracted position when the ice mold is in the harvest position.

An ice bin and scoop and related methods are disclosed. The ice bin includes a liner in an outer shell. A support plate is fitted in a space between the liner and the outer shell. The support plate has either ferromagnetic or magnetic material. The scoop has either magnetic or ferromagnetic material. The support plate is positioned so that the scoop can be supported inside the ice bin on the perimeter wall of the ice bin by a force of magnetic attraction between the support plate and the scoop. The support plate is positioned so that the scoop may be held out of contact with ice deposited in the bin and out of the path of falling ice. Molded-in-place insulation may support the support plate in the space between the liner and outer shell.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a refrigerator, the refrigerator including an ice mater including a first tray and a second try provided in a storage space and coupled to each other to define a ice chamber and a driving part that rotates the second tray, a first heater provided in the first tray to heat the first tray, a second heater provided in the second tray to heat the second tray, and an ejector provided below the second tray to press an external portion of the second tray to separate ice from the second tray when the second tray is rotated for ice separation, and a controller that controls operation of the ice maker, the method including starting ice making by supplying water to the ice chamber; heating the second tray by turning on the second heater during ice making; heating the first tray by turning on the first heater for ice separation after completion of ice making; and heating the second tray by turning on the second heater for ice separation.

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.

An ice making assembly within an appliance with a housing having an inlet and an outlet, and a lower portion and an upper portion. The assembly includes a rotatable shroud within the housing with a first slot in air communication with the inlet, and a second slot in air communication with the outlet. A thermoelectric device with a top side and a bottom side, and having a heat sink on the bottom side between the first slot and the second slot. An ice tray disposed above and thermally connected with the top side, a barrier wall within the housing and in contact with the shroud between the lower portion and the upper portion.

An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance includes an ice making assembly defining a receiving chamber in fluid communication with an air duct and a mold assembly removably mounted to the ice making assembly. The mold assembly includes a frame configured for receipt within the receiving chamber of the ice making assembly, a heat exchanger mounted to the frame and defining a mold support surface, and a flexible mold positioned on the mold support surface that is supported by the heat exchanger such that the flexible mold is in thermal communication with the heat exchanger and defines a mold cavity configured to receive a liquid. The mold assembly is replaceable with alternate mold assemblies.

An electric ice press is provided herein and may be utilized to reshape an initial ice billet into a sculpted ice nugget. The electric ice press may include a mold body having a first mold segment and a second mold segment movable relative to each other. Each mold segment may define a heater cavity that is configured for receiving a ceramic annular heater for heating the mold body to form the sculpted ice nugget.