Refrigerator with multi-zone ice maker

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet with one or more food compartments and one or more doors closing the food compartments and an ice maker located in the cabinet to produce ice. The ice maker includes a mold body for forming ice, the mold body having multiple cups, where each cup has an opening for receiving water to be frozen within the cup. The mold body is divided into at least a first zone and a second zone and the ice maker including at least a first heater and a second heater configured to provide heat to the first and second zones of the mold body, respectively, and a controller configured to harvest ice from the first zone independently of the second zone by actuating the first heater to provide heat to the first zone of the mold body to facilitate a release of ice from the first zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet including one or more food compartments and one or more doors closing the one or more food compartments;   an ice maker disposed in the cabinet to produce ice, the ice maker including:
 a mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone; 
 a plurality of cups disposed within the mold body, wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes:
 a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitate a release of ice from the cup; and 
 an opening for receiving water to be frozen within the cup; 
 
 at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; and 
   a controller coupled to the ice maker and configured to:
 independently control, based on a signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups; 
 determine, based on the signal from the first or second temperature signal, if ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and 
 harvest ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is removable from the mold body and constructed of metal, and wherein the mold body is constructed of plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is constructed on a plastic material with a metallic coating. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups has a non-uniform thickness and a thickest portion of the cup is proximate the heater. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to stagger the release of ice, wherein only the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body is harvested, while the other of the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body remains unharvested. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the ice maker further comprises:
 a reversible motor to harvest ice;   a plurality of rake fingers, wherein a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotate in a clockwise direction and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotate in a counter-clockwise direction; and   wherein the reversible motor drives the clockwise rotation of the first portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the first zone of the mold body; and   wherein the reversible motor drives the counter-clockwise rotation of the second portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the second zone of the mold body.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is individually removable from the mold body. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the ice maker further comprises:
 a motor to harvest ice;   a plurality of rake fingers, including:   a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the first zone and in a first position; and   a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the second zone and in a second, differing position.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the first position and the second position are directly opposed to each other. 
     
     
         10 . An ice maker to produce ice, the ice maker including:
 a mold body divided into at least a first zone and a second zone;   a plurality of cups disposed within the mold body, wherein each cup of the plurality of cups further includes:
 a heater disposed proximate the cup and thereby facilitate a release of ice from the cup; and 
 an opening for receiving water to be frozen within the cup; 
   at least a first temperature sensor disposed in the first zone of the mold body and a second temperature sensor disposed in the second zone of the mold body; and   a controller coupled to the ice maker and configured to:   independently control, based on a signal from the first or second temperature sensor, the heater of each cup of the plurality of cups;   determine, based on the signal from the first or second temperature signal, if ice is ready to be harvested from the first or second zone of the mold body; and   harvest ice from the first or the second zone of the mold body.   
     
     
         11 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is removable from the mold body and constructed of metal, and wherein the mold body is constructed of plastic. 
     
     
         12 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is constructed on a plastic material with a metallic coating. 
     
     
         13 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups has a non-uniform thickness and a thickest portion of the cup is proximate the heater. 
     
     
         14 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to stagger the release of ice, wherein only the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body is harvested, while the other of the first zone of the mold body or the second zone of the mold body remains unharvested. 
     
     
         15 . The ice maker of  claim 14 , wherein the ice maker further comprises:
 a reversible motor to harvest ice;   a plurality of rake fingers, wherein a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotate in a clockwise direction and a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers rotate in a counter-clockwise direction; and   wherein the reversible motor drives the clockwise rotation of the first portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the first zone of the mold body; and   wherein the reversible motor drives the counter-clockwise rotation of the second portion of the plurality of rake fingers to harvest the second zone of the mold body.   
     
     
         16 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein each cup of the plurality of cups is individually removable from the mold body. 
     
     
         17 . The ice maker of  claim 10 , wherein the ice maker further comprises:
 a motor to harvest ice;   a plurality of rake fingers, including:
 a first portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the first zone and in a first position; and 
 a second portion of the plurality of rake fingers disposed in the second zone and in a second, differing position. 
   
     
     
         18 . The ice maker of  claim 17 , wherein the first position and the second position are directly opposed to each other.