Method for operating an ice maker appliance

Abstract

An ice maker appliance includes a mold body with a mold cavity defined within. The mold cavity is configured to receive a fill of liquid water and form an ice piece within. The mold body is configured to release the ice piece after it has been formed. Additionally, the ice maker appliance includes a non-contact-based sensing device configured to generate data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity. Furthermore, the ice maker appliance includes a controller operatively coupled to the non-contact-based sensing device. The controller is configured to detect a presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity based on the data generated by the non-contact-based sensing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating an ice maker appliance, the method comprising:
 directing, with a controller, liquid water into a mold cavity of a mold body of the ice maker appliance;   receiving, with the controller, non-contact-based sensing device data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity;   detecting, with the controller, a presence of an ice piece within the mold cavity based on the received non-contact-based sensing device data; and   initiating, with the controller, a control action associated with the ice maker appliance in response to the detection of the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity comprises:
 determining, with the controller, the temperature within the mold cavity based on the received non-contact-based sensing device data; and   detecting, with the controller, the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity based on the determined temperature within the mold cavity.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein detecting the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity comprises:
 comparing, with the controller, the determined temperature within the mold cavity to a temperature threshold; and   detecting, with the controller, the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity in response to the determined temperature within the mold cavity being approximately equal to the temperature threshold.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature threshold corresponds to an ambient temperature within the ice maker appliance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the control action comprises:
 initiating, with the controller, a notification to an operator of the ice maker appliance of an unsuccessful ice harvesting operation when the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity is detected.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein initiating the notification to the operator comprises:
 displaying a notification to an operator of the ice maker appliance of an unsuccessful ice harvesting operation when the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity is detected.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the control action comprises:
 performing, with the controller, an ice harvesting operation in response to the detection of the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the control action comprises:
 operating, with the controller, a valve of the ice maker appliance to restrict the flow of liquid water to the mold cavity in response to the detection of the presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity.   
     
     
         9 . An ice maker appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
 a mold body with a mold cavity defined therein, the mold cavity configured to receive a fill of liquid water and form an ice piece therein, the mold body configured to release the ice piece therefrom after the ice piece has been formed;   a non-contact-based sensing device configured to generate data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity; and   a controller operatively coupled to the non-contact-based sensing device, the controller configured to:
 detect a presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity based on the data generated by the non-contact-based sensing device. 
   
     
     
         10 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the mold cavity comprises an open end, the open end oriented upwards. 
     
     
         11 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the non-contact-based sensing device is positioned over the open end of the mold cavity so that the non-contact-based sensing device has a temperature detection range within the mold cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the non-contact-based sensing device is configured as an infrared-based sensing device. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door rotatably mounted to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;   an ice maker positioned within the chilled chamber, the ice maker including a mold body with a mold cavity defined therein, the mold cavity configured to receive a fill of liquid water and form an ice piece therein, the mold body configured to release the ice piece therefrom after the ice piece has been formed;   a non-contact-based sensing device configured to generate data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity; and   a controller operatively coupled to the non-contact-based sensing device, the controller configured to:
 detect a presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity based on the data generated by the non-contact-based sensing device. 
   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the mold cavity comprises an open end, the open end oriented upwards. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the non-contact-based sensing device is positioned over the open end of the mold cavity so that the non-contact-based sensing device has a temperature detection range within the mold cavity. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the non-contact-based sensing device is configured as an infrared-based sensing device.