Appliance ice making assembly

Abstract

A method of operating an ice maker appliance includes determining, with a home position sensor, that a portion of an ice making assembly of the ice maker appliance is in a home position and rotating the portion of the ice making assembly from the home position towards a harvest position. The method also includes determining, with a harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position. In response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position, the method includes directing a flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly, which causes ice in the portion of the ice making assembly to be vaporized.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an ice maker appliance, the method comprising:
 determining, with a home position sensor, that a portion of an ice making assembly of the ice maker appliance is in a home position;   rotating the portion of the ice making assembly from the home position towards a harvest position;   determining, with a harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position; and   directing a flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position, whereby ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the ice making assembly comprises a carriage. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising suspending an ice making operation in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating the portion of the ice making assembly to the home position after determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position and before directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly comprises directing the flow of air from an evaporator of a sealed system of the ice maker appliance. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly further comprises operating a fan of the ice maker appliance at a maximum speed and operating the sealed system at one hundred percent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position a second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining, with the harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly, and directing a flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly, whereby ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining, with the harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly reached the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly; rotating the portion of the ice making assembly to the home position from the harvest position; and initiating an ice making cycle in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly reached the harvest position. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized without activating a heater in the ice making assembly. 
     
     
         11 . An ice maker appliance, comprising:
 an ice making assembly; and   a controller, the controller configured for:
 determining, with a home position sensor, that a portion of the ice making assembly is in a home position; 
 rotating the portion of the ice making assembly from the home position towards a harvest position; 
 determining, with a harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position; and 
 directing a flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position, whereby ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized. 
   
     
     
         12 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the portion of the ice making assembly comprises a carriage. 
     
     
         13 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for suspending an ice making operation in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position. 
     
     
         14 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for rotating the portion of the ice making assembly to the home position after determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position and before directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly comprises directing the flow of air from an evaporator of a sealed system of the ice maker appliance. 
     
     
         16 . The ice making assembly of  claim 15 , wherein directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly further comprises operating a fan of the ice maker appliance at a maximum speed and operating the sealed system at one hundred percent. 
     
     
         17 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured for rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position a second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The ice making assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured for determining, with the harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly, and directing a flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly did not reach the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly, whereby ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized. 
     
     
         19 . The ice making assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured for determining, with the harvest position sensor, that the portion of the ice making assembly reached the harvest position when rotating the portion of the ice making assembly towards the harvest position the second time after directing the flow of air to the portion of the ice making assembly; rotating the portion of the ice making assembly to the home position from the harvest position; and initiating an ice making cycle in response to determining that the portion of the ice making assembly reached the harvest position. 
     
     
         20 . The ice making assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the ice in the portion of the ice making assembly is vaporized without activating a heater in the ice making assembly.