Retaining features for a mold of an appliance ice making assembly

Abstract

An ice making assembly for an ice maker appliance may include a frame. The frame may be rotatable between a first position and a second position. The ice making assembly may include a mold received in the frame. The mold may include a mold body. The mold body may define a mold cavity for formation of an ice piece. The mold may be rotatable with the frame between the first position and the second position. The ice making assembly may include a mold retainer disposed at a bottom side of the mold. The mold retainer may include a retaining wall. The retaining wall may be positioned around the mold body. The retaining wall may define a slot through the retaining wall. The ice making assembly may include a retaining rib. The retaining rib may extend outward from the mold body. The retaining rib may be disposed within the slot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice making assembly for an ice maker appliance, the ice making assembly comprising:
 a frame being rotatable between a first position and a second position;   a mold received in the frame, the mold comprising a mold body defining a mold cavity for formation of an ice piece, the mold being rotatable with the frame between the first position and the second position; and   a retaining rib extending outward from the mold body for bracing the mold body.   
     
     
         2 . The ice making assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mold body comprises an outer surface,
 wherein the outer surface defines an upper portion and a lower portion positioned below the upper portion, and   wherein the retaining rib is extended outward from the upper portion of the outer surface.   
     
     
         3 . The ice making assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the mold comprises a top surface and an outer wall extended downward from the top surface, and
 wherein the retaining rib is extended between the outer surface and the outer wall.   
     
     
         4 . The ice making assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the mold comprises a support brace extending from the outer surface of the mold, and
 wherein the retaining rib and the support brace are disposed perpendicular.   
     
     
         5 . The ice making assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ejector positioned adjacent to the mold and rotatable with the frame between the first position and the second position, the ejector configured to push the ice piece out of the mold cavity as the frame rotates between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         6 . The ice making assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a cam in mechanical communication with the ejector, the cam defining a compound arcuate path that is followed by one end of the ejector as it rotates between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         7 . The ice making assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the ejector comprises a cam follower rotatably mounted to a terminal end of the ejector, and
 wherein the cam follower rides along the compound arcuate path as the ejector rotates between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         8 . The ice making assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a carriage being rotatable between the first position and the second position; and   a cartridge comprising the frame, the mold, and the ejector, the cartridge releasably receive in the carriage,   whereby the cartridge is rotatable with the carriage between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         9 . The ice making assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a motor for rotating the carriage from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         10 . The ice making assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the mold comprises a flexible material,
 wherein the flexible material of the mold is deformed when the ejector pushes the ice piece out of the cavity.   
     
     
         11 . An ice maker appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door being rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;   an icebox mounted to the door and defining an ice making chamber;   
       an ice making assembly positioned within the ice making chamber, the ice making assembly comprising:
 a frame being rotatable between a first position and a second position, 
 a mold received in the frame, the mold comprising a mold body defining a mold cavity for formation of an ice piece, the mold being rotatable with the frame between the first position and the second position, 
 an ejector positioned adjacent to the mold and rotatable with the frame between the first position and the second position, the ejector configured to push the ice piece out of the mold cavity as the frame rotates between the first position and the second position, 
 a mold retainer disposed at a bottom side of the mold, the mold retainer comprising a retaining wall, the retaining wall positioned around the mold body, the retaining wall defining a slot through the retaining wall, and 
 a retaining rib extending outward from the mold body, the retaining rib disposed within the slot. 
 
     
     
         12 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the mold body comprises an outer surface,
 wherein the outer surface defines an upper portion and a lower portion positioned below the upper portion, and   wherein the retaining rib is extended outward from the upper portion of the outer surface.   
     
     
         13 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the retaining rib comprises a first segment and a second segment,
 wherein the first segment is extended between a proximal end and a distal end,   wherein the proximal end is fixed to the mold body,   wherein the second segment is extended from the distal end of the first segment, and   wherein the second segment is approximately perpendicular to the first segment.   
     
     
         14 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the first segment is positioned within the slot, and
 wherein the second segment is interfaced with an outer surface of the retaining wall.   
     
     
         15 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the ice making assembly further comprises,
 a cam in mechanical communication with the ejector, the cam defining a compound arcuate path that is followed by one end of the ejector as it rotates between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         16 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the ejector comprises a cam follower rotatably mounted to a terminal end of the ejector, and
 wherein the cam follower rides along the compound arcuate path as the ejector rotates between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         17 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the ice making assembly further comprises,
 a carriage being rotatable between the first position and the second position; and   a cartridge comprising the frame, the mold, and the ejector, the cartridge releasably receive in the carriage,   whereby the cartridge is rotatable with the carriage between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         18 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the ice making assembly further comprises,
 a motor for rotating the carriage from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         19 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 11  wherein the mold comprises a flexible material,
 wherein the flexible material of the mold is deformed when the ejector pushes the ice piece out of the cavity. 
 
     
     
         20 . An ice making assembly for an ice maker appliance, the ice making assembly comprising:
 a carriage rotatable between a first position and a second position;   a frame mounted in the carriage;   a mold removably received within the frame, the mold comprising a plurality of mold bodies, each mold body of the plurality of mold bodies defining a mold cavity for formation of an ice piece, the mold being rotatable between the first position and the second position;   a mold retainer disposed at a bottom side of the mold, the mold retainer comprising a plurality of retaining walls, each retaining wall of the plurality of retaining walls positioned around a mold body of the plurality of mold bodies, each retaining wall of the plurality of retaining walls defining a plurality of slot therethrough; and   a plurality of retaining ribs, each retaining rib of the plurality of retaining ribs extending outward from a corresponding mold body of the plurality of mold bodies, each retaining rib of the plurality of retaining ribs being disposed within a slot of the plurality of slots;   an ejector positioned adjacent to the mold and rotatable with the carriage between the first position and the second position, the ejector configured to push ice pieces out of the mold cavity of each mold body of the plurality of mold bodies as the carriage rotates between the first position and the second position; and   a motor for rotating the carriage from the first position to the second position.