Infused ice maker appliance with automatic harvesting
An ice maker appliance includes a mold body comprising a mold cavity. The mold cavity is configured for receiving a volume of liquid water therein and retaining the volume of liquid water to form an ice piece in the mold cavity. The ice maker appliance also includes a pod receiver upstream of the mold cavity along a flow path of the volume of liquid water. The pod receiver is configured to hold a pod containing an additive. The additive mixes with the volume of liquid water upstream of the mold cavity and the formed ice piece comprises water and the additive.
1 . An ice maker appliance, comprising:
a first mount unit comprising a rotor;
a second mount unit;
a twist tray releasably coupled to the first mount unit by a first tab and a first socket and releasably coupled to the second mount unit by a second tab and a second socket, the twist tray comprising a mold body comprising a mold cavity, the mold cavity configured for receiving a volume of liquid water therein and retaining the volume of liquid water to form an ice piece in the mold cavity; and
a pod receiver integrally joined to the twist tray upstream of the mold cavity along a flow path of the volume of liquid water, the pod receiver configured to hold a pod containing an additive, whereby the additive mixes with the volume of liquid water upstream of the mold cavity and the formed ice piece comprises water and the additive, wherein the ice maker appliance is configured for automatically harvesting the ice piece from the mold body after forming the ice piece,
wherein the rotor is configured to twist the twist tray, whereby the twist tray releases the ice piece when the twist tray is twisted by the rotor, and
wherein at least one of the first mount unit or the second mount unit is slidable via a slide and lock mechanism between a connected position to engage the twist tray and a retracted position to disengage the twist tray.
2 . The ice maker appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an ice storage bin positioned below the mold body, the ice storage bin configured to receive the ice piece from the mold body.
3 . The ice maker appliance of claim 1 , wherein the mold body is removable from the ice maker appliance.
4 . The ice maker of claim 1 , wherein the pod receiver is in direct fluid communication with a water supply line, whereby the pod receiver receives a pressurized flow of water from the water supply line.
5 . The ice maker appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a slot in the pod receiver, the pod receiver configured to hold the pod containing the additive in the slot in the pod receiver, further comprising a manifold upstream of the slot in the pod receiver along the flow path of the volume of liquid water, whereby liquid water flows from the manifold to the slot in the pod receiver by gravity.
6 . The ice maker appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a door rotatably mounted to the pod receiver, the door movable between a closed position wherein a slot in the pod receiver is enclosed within the pod receiver and an open position which permits access to the slot in the pod receiver.
7 . The ice maker appliance of claim 6 , wherein the door is positioned on an exposed surface of the pod receiver, whereby the door is accessible within the ice maker appliance.
8 . A method of operating an ice maker appliance, the ice maker appliance comprising a first mount unit comprising a rotor, a second mount unit, a twist tray releasably coupled to the first mount unit by a first tab and a first socket and releasably coupled to the second mount unit by a second tab and a second socket, the twist tray comprising a mold body comprising a mold cavity, the mold cavity configured for receiving a volume of liquid water therein and retaining the volume of liquid water to form an ice piece in the mold cavity, and a pod receiver integrally joined to the twist tray upstream of the mold cavity along a flow path of the volume of liquid water, the pod receiver configured to hold a pod containing an additive, the method comprising:
flowing the volume of liquid water into the pod receiver via a water inlet port formed in the pod receiver and through the pod in the pod receiver, whereby the additive mixes with the volume of liquid water;
flowing the additive and the volume of liquid water into the mold cavity;
retaining the additive and the volume of liquid water in the mold cavity to form an ice piece from the additive and the volume of liquid water; and
automatically harvesting the ice piece from the mold body after forming the ice piece by twisting the twist tray by the rotor to remove the ice piece from the mold body
wherein at least one of the first mount unit or the second mount unit is slidable via a slide and lock mechanism between a connected position to engage the twist tray and a retracted position to disengage the twist tray.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the ice maker appliance comprises an ice storage bin positioned below the mold body, further comprising receiving the ice piece in the ice storage bin when the ice piece is automatically harvested from the mold body.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the pod receiver is in direct fluid communication with a water supply line, wherein flowing the volume of liquid water through the pod in the pod receiver whereby the additive mixes with the volume of liquid water comprises flowing a pressurized flow of water from the water supply line to the pod receiver.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the ice maker appliance further comprises a slot in the pod receiver, the pod receiver configured to hold the pod containing the additive in the slot in the pod receiver, and a manifold upstream of the slot in the pod receiver along the flow path of the volume of liquid water, wherein flowing the volume of liquid water through the pod in the pod receiver whereby the additive mixes with the volume of liquid water comprises flowing the volume of water by gravity from the manifold to the slot in the pod receiver.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the ice maker appliance comprises a hollow needle in the pod receiver, further comprising puncturing the pod with the hollow needle, wherein flowing the volume of liquid water through the pod in the pod receiver whereby the additive mixes with the volume of liquid water comprises flowing the volume of liquid water through the hollow needle.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the ice piece is automatically harvested from the mold body while the mold body is within the ice maker appliance.
14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the pod in the pod receiver and verifying the pod in the pod receiver using a sensor prior to flowing the volume of liquid water through the pod in the pod receiver.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ice maker appliance further comprises a door rotatably mounted to the pod receiver, the door movable between a closed position wherein a slot in the pod receiver is enclosed within the pod receiver and an open position which permits access to the slot in the pod receiver, wherein the pod is received in the pod receiver while the door is in the open position.