Filters for Non-Plumbed Appliances

1 . A non-plumbed appliance, comprising:

a water tank defining a storage volume;

a pump in fluid communication with the storage volume for actively flowing water from the water tank; and

a filter disposed within the storage volume such that water is flowable from the storage volume through the filter to the pump, the filter comprising:

a body comprising a sidewall extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end wall and a second end wall, the body defining a body interior;

an inlet defined in the body;

an outlet defined in the body proximate the second end wall relative to the first end wall along the longitudinal axis; and

a filter medium disposed within the body interior, the filter medium operable to remove contaminants from water flowing through the filter medium, the filter medium defining an interior passage, wherein a flow path is defined for water through the inlet into the interior passage and from the interior passage through the filter medium to the outlet.

2 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 1 , wherein the inlet is defined in the sidewall and contiguous with the first end wall.

3 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 1 , wherein a nozzle protrudes from the second end wall along the longitudinal axis and defines the outlet.

4 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle is offset along an outer surface of the second end wall from a centroid of the outer surface.

5 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 3 , wherein the nozzle extends into a female fitting of the water tank.

6 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 3 , further comprising a protrusion extending from the second end wall along the longitudinal axis, the protrusion contacting a sidewall of the water tank.

7 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter medium has a hollow cylindrical shape.

8 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter further comprises a seal ring, and wherein the flow path is defined for water through the inlet and seal ring into the interior passage and from the interior passage through the filter medium to the outlet.

9 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a tab and the water tank comprises a mating coupler configured on a sidewall of the water tank, the tab and the mating coupler in contact to secure the filter within the storage volume.

10 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 9 , wherein the tab extends from the body along the longitudinal axis.

11 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 10 , wherein the tab extends about only a portion of a periphery of the body.

12 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 9 , wherein the filter comprises a lever extending from the body, and wherein the tab extends from the lever.

13 . The non-plumbed appliance of claim 9 , wherein the mating coupler is a mating projection extending from the sidewall of the water tank into the storage volume.

14 . A stand-alone ice making appliance, comprising:

a container defining a first storage volume for receipt of ice;

a water tank, the water tank defining a second storage volume for receipt of water;

a pump in fluid communication with the second storage volume for actively flowing water from the water tank;

a reservoir defining a third storage volume, the third storage volume in fluid communication with the pump for receiving water that is actively flowed from the water tank;

an ice maker, the ice maker in fluid communication with the third storage volume for receiving water from the reservoir; and

a filter disposed within the second storage volume such that water is flowable from the second storage volume through the filter to the pump, the filter comprising:

a body comprising a sidewall extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end wall and a second end wall, the body defining a body interior;

an inlet defined in the body;

an outlet defined in the body proximate the second end wall relative to the first end wall along the longitudinal axis; and

a filter medium disposed within the body interior, the filter medium operable to remove contaminants from water flowing through the filter medium, the filter medium defining an interior passage, wherein a flow path is defined for water through the inlet into the interior passage and from the interior passage through the filter medium to the outlet.

15 . The stand-alone ice making appliance of claim 14 , wherein a nozzle protrudes from the second end wall along the longitudinal axis and defines the outlet.

16 . The stand-alone ice making appliance of claim 15 , further comprising a protrusion extending from the second end wall along the longitudinal axis, the protrusion contacting a sidewall of the water tank.

17 . The stand-alone ice making appliance of claim 14 , wherein the filter comprises a tab and the water tank comprises a mating coupler configured on a sidewall of the water tank, the tab and the mating coupler in contact to secure the filter within the storage volume.

18 . The stand-alone ice making appliance of claim 17 , wherein the tab extends from the body along the longitudinal axis.

19 . The stand-alone ice making appliance of claim 17 , wherein the filter comprises a lever extending from the body, and wherein the tab extends from the lever.

20 . A filter, the filter comprising:

a body comprising a sidewall extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end wall and a second end wall, the body defining a body interior;

an inlet defined in the body;

a nozzle protruding from the second end wall along the longitudinal axis and defining an outlet, the nozzle offset along an outer surface of the second end wall from a centroid of the outer surface;

a tab configured on the body; and

a filter medium disposed within the body interior, the filter medium operable to remove contaminants from water flowing through the filter medium, the filter medium defining an interior passage, wherein a flow path is defined for water through the inlet into the interior passage and from the interior passage through the filter medium to the outlet.