This invention relates to a novel kit, transportable apparatus and method for generating in-situ CO2 snow block within the apparatus. An item such as a biological sample can be stored and transported within the same apparatus that is employed for creating the CO2 snow block. The apparatus is capable of preserving the sample during transport. The invention also includes a specially designed CO2 snow charger system including a charger and meshed conduit. The charger system is operated in accordance with the methods of the present invention to create the in-situ CO2 snow block within a container that can be also used for transport.

Provided is a refrigerator including a cabinet having a freezing compartment defined therein, an ice-maker mounted in the freezing compartment, wherein the ice-maker makes spherical ice and removes the made spherical ice downwards, an ice bin disposed below the ice-maker, and retractable and extendable in a front and rear direction, wherein the removed ice is stored in the ice bin, and a cover plate extending downward from a rear face of the ice-maker, wherein the cover plate shields a space between the ice bin and the ice-maker.

Provided is a refrigerator including a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment defined therein and an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment. The ice maker includes a cold-air hole for receiving cold air, an upper tray made of an elastic material, wherein the upper tray is positioned to be exposed to the cold-air flowing from the cold-air hole, a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein the lower tray is coupled to the upper tray to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers therebetween, a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open the spherical ice chambers, at least one thermally-insulating portion formed at a top face of the upper tray and corresponding to at least one of the ice chambers respectively, wherein the at least one thermally-insulating portion is constructed to prevent the cold-air from invading the at least one corresponding ice chamber.

A method of making clear ice includes circulating a refrigerant through a refrigerant loop. A portion of the refrigerant loop is in contact with a mold body. Thus, the refrigerant chills the mold body. The method also includes spraying a first volume of liquid water into a mold cavity of the mold body. As a result, a first volume of ice is formed in the mold cavity. The method also includes spraying a second volume of liquid water into the mold cavity after the first volume of ice has formed. Thus, a portion of the first volume of ice is melted and a second volume of ice is formed in mold cavity. The clear ice includes an unmelted portion of the first volume of ice and the second volume of ice.

An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

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 maker has a bottom wall with a sensor opening. A time-of-flight sensor is supported in relation to the bottom wall such that the time-of-flight sensor can an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin and subsequently detect a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin. The time of flight sensor is configured to determine a duration between the emission of the optical pulse and the detection of the reflected photon(s). Based on the determined duration, the time-of-flight sensor or another processor can determine an amount of ice in the ice bin. The ice maker can be configured so that the time-of-flight sensor is removable, allowing a window pane of the time-of-flight sensor to be periodically cleaned.

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.

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, an ice maker configured to make spherical ice, and an ice bin for storing the ice. The ice maker includes an upper assembly including a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers, a lower assembly disposed below and pivotably coupled to the upper assembly, wherein the lower assembly includes a plurality of hemispherical lower chambers that are configured to come in contact with the plurality of hemispherical upper chambers to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, a driver configured to pivot the lower assembly, and an ice-full state detection lever that is coupled to and configured to be pivoted by the driver, wherein the ice-full state detection lever is configured to pivot in the same direction as the lower assembly to detect whether the ice bin is in an ice-full state.

A method for controlling a refrigerator according to the present embodiment is a method for controlling a refrigerator comprising a first tray forming a part of an ice chamber, a second tray forming another part of the ice chamber, a driving unit for moving the second tray, an ice bin for storing ice produced in the ice chamber, and an ice-fullness detection means for detecting whether or not the ice bin is full of ice, the method comprising the steps of: supplying water to the ice chamber in a state in which the second tray has moved to a water-supply position; making ice after the second tray has moved from the water-supply position to an ice-making position in the inverse direction after the water supply has been completed; determining whether or not the ice bin is full of ice after the ice making is completed; moving the second tray to an ice-separating position and then rotating same in the inverse direction if it is not determined in the step of determining whether or not the ice bin is full of ice that the ice bin is full of ice; and determining again whether or not the ice bin is full of ice after ice separation is completed.