Refrigerator appliance having a clear ice making assembly

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a liner, a sealed system, a conductive ice mold, a thermoelectric heat exchanger, and a water dispenser. The liner may be attached to the cabinet and define an icebox (TB) compartment. The sealed system may include a compressor to motivate refrigerant through the sealed system, and an evaporator disposed along an air path in fluid communication with the compressor to exchange refrigerant therewith. The conductive ice mold may be mounted within the IB compartment. The conductive ice mold may define a mold cavity along the air path to receive a chilled airflow from the evaporator. The thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) may be disposed on the conductive ice mold to draw heat therefrom. The water dispenser may be positioned below the ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water to the mold cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a liner attached to the cabinet, the liner defining an icebox (TB) compartment;   a sealed system mounted to the cabinet to selectively cool the IB compartment, the sealed system comprising
 a compressor to motivate refrigerant through the sealed system, and 
 an evaporator disposed along an air path in fluid communication with the compressor to exchange refrigerant therewith; 
   a conductive ice mold mounted within the IB compartment, the conductive ice mold defining a mold cavity along the air path to receive a chilled airflow from the evaporator;   a thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) disposed on the conductive ice mold to draw heat therefrom; and   a water dispenser positioned below the ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water to the mold cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the TEHE is disposed above the mold cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the TEHE is in direct contact with a top wall of the conductive ice mold. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a finned heat sink disposed along the air path in conductive thermal communication with the TEHE. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 4 , further comprising a conductive recess plate housing the TEHE between the conductive ice mold and the finned heat sink. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising an insulator plate disposed between the conductive recess plate and the finned heat sink about the TEHE. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the water dispenser comprises
 a guide ramp extending at a non-vertical angle from an upper edge to a lower edge, and   a cup wall defining a nozzle recess below the guide ramp, and   a spray cap defining an outlet aperture received within the nozzle recess.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the ice mold defines a maximum horizontal mold width, and wherein the nozzle recess defines a maximum horizontal recess width, the maximum horizontal mold width being larger than the maximum horizontal recess width. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the water dispenser is positioned directly below the ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water upward into the mold cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 an IB fan mounting along the airflow path to motivate the chilled airflow from the IB evaporator to the IB compartment; and   a controller in operable communication with the water dispenser, the IB fan, and the TEHE, the controller being configured to initiate an ice making operation comprising   directing the ice-building spray to the mold cavity,   motivating the chilled airflow during directing the ice-building the ice-building spray, and   activating the TEHE from an inactive state following the ice-building spray to draw heat from the ice mold cavity.   
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator appliance comprising:
 a cabinet;   a liner attached to the cabinet, the liner defining an icebox (TB) compartment;   a sealed system mounted to the cabinet to selectively cool the IB compartment, the sealed system comprising
 a compressor to motivate refrigerant through the sealed system, and 
 an evaporator disposed along an air path in fluid communication with the compressor to exchange refrigerant therewith; 
   a conductive ice mold mounted within the IB compartment, the conductive ice mold defining a mold cavity along the air path to receive a chilled airflow from the evaporator;   a thermoelectric heat exchanger (TEHE) disposed above the mold cavity to draw heat therefrom;   a finned heat sink disposed along the air path in conductive thermal communication with the TEHE; and   a water dispenser positioned below the ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water to the mold cavity.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the TEHE is in direct contact with a top wall of the conductive ice mold. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising a conductive recess plate housing the TEHE between the conductive ice mold and the finned heat sink. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising an insulator plate disposed between the conductive recess plate and the finned heat sink about the TEHE. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the water dispenser comprises
 a guide ramp extending at a non-vertical angle from an upper edge to a lower edge, and   a cup wall defining a nozzle recess below the guide ramp, and   a spray cap defining an outlet aperture received within the nozzle recess.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the ice mold defines a maximum horizontal mold width, and wherein the nozzle recess defines a maximum horizontal recess width, the maximum horizontal mold width being larger than the maximum horizontal recess width. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the water dispenser is positioned directly below the ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water upward into the mold cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , further comprising;
 an IB fan mounting along the airflow path to motivate the chilled airflow from the IB evaporator to the IB compartment; and   a controller in operable communication with the water dispenser, the IB fan, and the TEHE, the controller being configured to initiate an ice making operation comprising   directing the ice-building spray to the mold cavity,   motivating the chilled airflow during directing the ice-building the ice-building spray, and   activating the TEHE from an inactive state following the ice-building spray to draw heat from the ice mold cavity.