Patent ID: 9273894
Filing Date: 2016-03-01
CPC Classification: F25C,F25D

Claim Text:
1. An auxiliary water reservoir system for coupling with an ice making apparatus, the ice making apparatus including a housing containing a main reservoir and an ice making assembly, a water supply conduit supplying water to the main reservoir, a primary water pump and pump conduit positioning the water between the main reservoir and the ice making assembly, the ice making assembly freezing a portion of the water for creating ice and excess water, an ice cube chute dispensing the ice, an excess water trough collecting the excess water, an excess water return conduit positioning the excess water from the excess water trough to the main reservoir, a wastewater discharge conduit extending from the main reservoir to a discharge aperture external to the housing, the primary water pump propelling the water through the wastewater discharge conduit upon a high water level within the main reservoir for positioning a portion of the excess water from the main reservoir and through the discharge aperture, the auxiliary water reservoir system comprising: an auxiliary water reservoir positioning external to the housing; an auxiliary water supply conduit supplying water to said auxiliary water reservoir; a return conduit coupling with the wastewater discharge conduit and positioning the excess water within said auxiliary water reservoir; an auxiliary water pump and an auxiliary pump conduit positioning the water and the excess water from said auxiliary water reservoir to the water supply conduit; a water inlet regulator coupled to said auxiliary water supply conduit for regulating the flow of the water through said auxiliary water supply conduit; a water level sensor within said auxiliary water reservoir for sensing the level of the water and the excess water within said auxiliary water reservoir; an auxiliary system controller electronically coupled to said water inlet regulator and said water level sensor for opening said water inlet regulator upon said water level sensor indicating a low water level within said auxiliary water reservoir and closing said water inlet regulator upon said water level sensor indicating a high water level within said auxiliary water reservoir; said auxiliary water pump propelling the water through said auxiliary pump conduit and the water supply conduit upon a low water level within the main reservoir for utilizing the water and the excess water through the ice making assembly and said auxiliary water pump terminating the propelling of the water and the excess water through said auxiliary pump conduit and the water supply conduit upon a high water level within the main reservoir; an exterior housing containing said auxiliary water reservoir, said auxiliary water pump, said water inlet regulator, said water level sensor and said auxiliary system controller; said exterior housing positioned exterior to the ice making apparatus; and said exterior housing recovering and reusing the excess water to produce ice and resulting in a reduction in the overall water usage of the ice making apparatus.