| CPC F25C 1/045 (2013.01) [F25C 1/246 (2013.01); F25C 1/25 (2018.01); F25C 5/20 (2018.01); F25C 2400/06 (2013.01); F25C 2400/14 (2013.01)] | 28 Claims |
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1. An ice maker comprising:
an enclosure;
a freeze plate received in the enclosure, the freeze plate comprising a back wall and a front opposite the back wall, the freeze plate further comprising a perimeter wall extending forward from the back wall, the perimeter wall comprising a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first side wall portion, and a second side wall portion, the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion defining a width of the freeze plate, the freeze plate further comprising a plurality of heightwise divider plates extending from lower ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upper ends connected to the top wall portion and a plurality of widthwise divider plates extending from first ends connected to the first side wall portion to second ends connected to the second side wall portion, the heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates being interconnected to define a plurality of ice molds inboard of the perimeter wall, each widthwise divider plate defining a plurality of molds immediately above the divider plate and a plurality of molds immediately below the divider plate, each widthwise divider plate sloping downward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate such that an included angle between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall is greater than 90° and less than 180°;
a refrigeration system including serpentine evaporator tubing disposed along the back wall of the freeze plate, the serpentine evaporator tubing having a single inlet, a single outlet and a continuous length extending sinuously from the single inlet to the single outlet; and
a distributor located above the freeze plate and configured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate along the width of the freeze plate for filling the plurality of ice molds;
wherein the freeze plate is supported in the enclosure so that the back wall of the freeze plate slants forward;
wherein the top wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate has a bottom surface configured to define a top row of the plurality of ice molds, wherein the heightwise divider plates are entirely below the bottom surface of the top wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate, and wherein an included angle between the bottom surface of the top wall portion and the back wall of the freeze plate is less than 90°;
wherein the ice maker is configured to execute a harvest cycle for releasing ice from the molds solely by redirecting hot refrigerant gas from the refrigeration system to flow through the serpentine evaporator tubing from the single inlet along the sinuous length to the single outlet, thereby warming the freeze plate so that the ice melts and slides forward down the sloping widthwise divider plates.
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