Refrigerator appliance and method for operating a twist ice tray

Abstract

An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance including a freezer compartment includes a frame; a mold tray selectively supported by the frame; a motor coupled to the frame and operably coupled with the mold tray to selectively rotate the mold tray with respect to the frame in each of a first direction and a second direction; and a controller operably coupled with the motor, the controller configured to perform an operation. The operation includes determining a schedule for performing a reverse rotation of the mold tray during an ice making cycle; executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray at a designated trigger time based on the determined schedule; and resetting the mold tray to a neutral position after performing the reverse rotation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance comprising a freezer compartment in which the ice maker is provided, the ice maker defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the ice maker comprising:
 a frame;   a mold tray selectively supported by the frame, the mold tray comprising one or more ice forming shapes defined therein;   a motor coupled to the frame and operably coupled with the mold tray to selectively rotate the mold tray with respect to the frame in each of a first direction and a second direction; and   a controller operably coupled with the motor, the controller configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising:
 determining a schedule for performing a reverse rotation of the mold tray during an ice making cycle, the reverse rotation comprising rotating the mold tray in the second direction; 
 executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray at a designated trigger time based on the determined schedule; and 
 resetting the mold tray to a neutral position after performing the reverse rotation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stopper attached to the frame adjacent to the mold tray, the stopper being offset from a rotation axis of the mold tray.   
     
     
         3 . The ice maker of  claim 2 , wherein the stopper is in physical contact with the mold tray when the mold tray is in the neutral position such that the mold tray is torqued when executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray comprises:
 directing the motor to rotate in the second direction over a predetermined rotation angle.   
     
     
         5 . The ice maker of  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined rotation angle is between 5 degrees and 20 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein the operation further comprises:
 determining that the ice making cycle is complete;   initiating a rotation of the mold tray in the second direction in response to determining that the ice making cycle is complete; and   initiating a rotation of the mold tray in the first direction after rotating the mold tray in the second direction.   
     
     
         7 . The ice maker of  claim 1 , wherein determining the schedule for performing the reverse rotation of the mold tray comprises:
 determining an operating temperature of the freezer compartment; and   determining a plurality of designated trigger times for performing the reverse rotation.   
     
     
         8 . The ice maker of  claim 7 , wherein determining the plurality of designated trigger times comprises:
 determining a time interval ratio between each of the plurality of designated trigger times.   
     
     
         9 . The ice maker of  claim 8 , wherein the operation further comprises:
 determining that a door of the refrigerator appliance has been open for a predetermined length of time; and   adjusting the time interval ratio after determining that the door of the refrigerator appliance has been open for the predetermined length of time.   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker of  claim 7 , wherein determining the plurality of designated trigger times comprises:
 detecting a temperature at the mold tray after a predetermined amount of time;   determining that the temperature at the mold tray is below a predetermined temperature threshold after the predetermined amount of time; and   initiating a rotation of the motor in the second direction after determining that the temperature at the mold tray is below the predetermined temperature threshold.   
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an ice maker, the ice maker comprising a frame, a mold tray selectively supported by the frame, and a motor coupled to the frame and operably coupled with the mold tray to selectively rotate the mold tray with respect to the frame in each of a first direction and a second direction, the method comprising:
 determining a schedule for performing a reverse rotation of the mold tray during an ice making cycle, the reverse rotation comprising rotating the mold tray in the second direction;   executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray at a designated trigger time based on the determined schedule; and   resetting the mold tray to a neutral position after performing the reverse rotation.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the ice maker further comprises:
 a stopper attached to the frame adjacent to the mold tray, the stopper being offset from a rotation axis of the mold tray.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stopper is in physical contact with the mold tray when the mold tray is in the neutral position such that the mold tray is torqued when executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein executing the reverse rotation of the mold tray comprises:
 directing the motor to rotate in the second direction over a predetermined rotation angle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined rotation angle is between 5 degrees and 20 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining that the ice making cycle is complete;   initiating a rotation of the mold tray in the second direction in response to determining that the ice making cycle is complete; and   initiating a rotation of the mold tray in the first direction after rotating the mold tray in the second direction.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the schedule for performing the reverse rotation of the mold tray comprises:
 determining an operating temperature of a freezer compartment in which the ice maker is positioned; and   determining a plurality of designated trigger times for performing the reverse rotation.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining the plurality of designated trigger times comprises:
 determining a time interval ratio between each of the plurality of designated trigger times.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the freezer compartment comprises a door providing selective access thereto, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining that the door of the freezer compartment has been open for a predetermined length of time; and   adjusting the time interval ratio after determining that the door of the freezer compartment has been open for the predetermined length of time.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining the plurality of designated trigger times comprises:
 detecting a temperature at the mold tray after a predetermined amount of time;   determining that the temperature at the mold tray is below a predetermined temperature threshold after the predetermined amount of time; and   initiating a rotation of the motor in the second direction after determining that the temperature at the mold tray is below the predetermined temperature threshold.