Ice Making Assembly and Mounting System
An ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance is provided. The refrigerator appliance includes an icebox compartment which receives cooling air from a sealed system through a supply duct and a return duct. The ice making assembly has an inlet duct and an outlet duct that are connected with these cooling air ducts to receive cooling air to assist in the formation of ice. Each of the inlet duct and outlet duct may include a flange that may be received by a corresponding flange on the icebox compartment. The resulting ice making assembly requires fewer parts and space, and installation and removal is simplified.
1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet including a liner;
a sealed cooling system for circulating cooling air within the refrigerator appliance;
an icebox compartment defined at least in part by the liner, the icebox compartment comprising:
a cooling air supply duct; and
a cooling air return duct;
a supply duct flange mounted to the liner proximate to the cooling air supply duct;
a return duct flange mounted to the liner proximate to the cooling air return duct; and
an ice making assembly comprising:
an inlet duct flange defining an inlet duct for receiving cooling air from the sealed cooling system through the cooling air supply duct, the inlet duct flange being configured for receipt in the supply duct flange; and
an outlet duct flange defining an outlet duct for returning cooling air to the sealed cooling system through the cooling air return duct, the outlet duct flange being configured for receipt in the return duct flange,
wherein the ice making assembly is mounted to the icebox compartment by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the supply duct flange and the return duct flange, respectively.
2 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ice making assembly further comprises an inlet gasket disposed on an end of the inlet duct flange and an outlet gasket disposed on an end of the outlet duct flange, the inlet gasket and the outlet gasket configured to form a seal between the inlet and outlet duct flanges and the supply and return ducts, respectively, when the ice making assembly is mounted in the icebox compartment.
3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the ice making assembly and the icebox compartment are assembled by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the supply duct flange and the return duct flange, respectively, such that friction resists disassembly.
4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , wherein the supply duct flange and the return duct flange are tapered such that the inlet gasket and the outlet gasket are compressed as the ice making assembly slides into an installed position.
5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ice making assembly is secured within the icebox compartment by installing at least one mechanical fastener through one of the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange after the ice making assembly has been mounted in the icebox compartment.
6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ice making assembly is secured within the icebox compartment by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the supply duct flange and the return duct flange, respectively, past a tab or clip configured to prevent the ice making assembly from sliding in an opposite direction.
7 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the ice making assembly comprises a housing, wherein the inlet duct flange, the outlet duct flange, and the housing are integrally formed from a single, continuous piece of material.
8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the icebox compartment comprises a back wall and a plurality of sidewalls, the cooling air supply duct and the cooling air return duct being disposed on one of the plurality of sidewalls.
9 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 8 , wherein the cooling air supply duct is positioned above and in the same vertical plane as the cooling air return duct.
10 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the supply duct flange and the return duct flange are attached to the icebox compartment using one or more mechanical fasteners.
11 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the supply duct flange, the return duct flange, and the icebox compartment are injection molded as a single, integral piece.
12 . An ice making assembly for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising an icebox compartment defining a supply duct, a return duct, and a flange assembly positioned over the supply duct and the return duct, the ice making assembly comprising:
an inlet duct flange defining an inlet duct for receiving cooling air from a sealed cooling system through the supply duct; and
an outlet duct flange defining an outlet duct for returning cooling air to the sealed cooling system through the return duct,
wherein the ice making assembly is mounted to the icebox compartment by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the flange assembly.
13 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the ice making assembly further comprises an inlet gasket disposed on an end of the inlet duct flange and an outlet gasket disposed on an end of the outlet duct flange, the inlet gasket and the outlet gasket configured to form a seal between the inlet and outlet duct flanges and the supply and return ducts, respectively, when the ice making assembly is mounted in the icebox compartment.
14 . The ice making assembly of claim 13 , wherein the ice making assembly and the icebox compartment are assembled by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the flange assembly such that friction resists disassembly.
15 . The ice making assembly of claim 14 , wherein the flange assembly tapered such that the inlet gasket and the outlet gasket are compressed as the ice making assembly slides into an installed position.
16 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the ice making assembly is secured within the icebox compartment by installing at least one mechanical fastener through one of the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange after the ice making assembly has been mounted in the icebox compartment.
17 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the ice making assembly is secured within the icebox compartment by sliding the inlet duct flange and the outlet duct flange into the flange assembly past a tab or clip configured to prevent the ice making assembly from sliding in an opposite direction.
18 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the ice making assembly comprises a housing, wherein the inlet duct flange, the outlet duct flange, and the housing are integrally formed from a single, continuous piece of material.
19 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the flange assembly is attached to the icebox compartment using one or more mechanical fasteners.
20 . The ice making assembly of claim 12 , wherein the flange assembly and the icebox compartment are injection molded as a single, integral piece.