Patent ID: 11879680
Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. An appliance ice-making compartment, comprising:
a housing including a first wall defining an inlet aperture in an upper portion of the first wall and an outlet aperture in a lower portion of the first wall, the housing including a second wall opposing the first wall;
a storage bin disposed in the housing;
a first ice tray disposed at a first height within the housing;
a second ice tray disposed at a second height within the housing, wherein the first height is closer to an upper wall of the housing compared to the second height, and wherein the second ice tray is horizontally staggered and closer to the inlet aperture compared to the first ice tray; and
an inlet duct in fluid communication with the inlet aperture, wherein the inlet duct includes at least one dividing wall within an interior of the inlet duct to form branches configured to direct air along multiple airflow paths including across a top surface of the first ice tray, across a bottom surface of the first ice tray and a top surface of the second ice tray, and across a bottom surface of the second ice tray, respectively, and wherein the inlet duct includes a deflector portion extending into the housing between the first ice tray and the upper wall of the housing and toward the second wall, along the second wall, and extending to a top of the storage bin at an angle away from the second wall to direct the air around the first ice tray and second ice tray, between the second wall and the first and second ice trays, through the storage bin, and to the outlet aperture.