Layered ice maker appliance

Abstract

An ice maker appliance includes a fill tube and a mold body. The fill tube is in fluid communication with a water supply. The mold body includes two or more mold cavities. The mold body is positioned downstream of the fill tube. The ice maker appliance may be operable for, or a method of operating the ice maker appliance may include, flowing a first volume of liquid into at least one of the mold cavities. The first volume of liquid may be retained in the mold body, such that a first layer of an ice piece forms. A second volume of liquid may be flowed into the at least one mold cavity after the first layer of ice forms and may be retained to form a second layer of the ice piece. The second layer of the ice piece is distinct from the first layer of the ice piece.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice maker appliance, comprising:
 a fill tube in fluid communication with a water supply;   a mold body comprising two or more mold cavities, the mold body positioned downstream of the fill tube; and   a controller, the controller configured for:   flowing a first volume of liquid into at least one of the mold cavities;   retaining the first volume of liquid in the at least one of the mold cavities for a first predetermined time after flowing the first volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities, whereby a first layer of an ice piece forms from the first volume of liquid in the mold cavity;   flowing a second volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities after the first layer of the ice piece forms; and   retaining the second volume of liquid in the at least one of the mold cavities for a second predetermined time to form a second layer of the ice piece, whereby the second layer of the ice piece is distinct from the first layer of the ice piece.   
     
     
         2 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising an additive cup configured to receive a volume of liquid additive and a dispensing tube extending between the additive cup and the mold body, wherein one of the first volume of liquid or the second volume of liquid comprises liquid additive from the additive cup via the dispensing tube. 
     
     
         3 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 2 , further comprising a fill cup between the fill tube and the mold body, the fill cup comprising two or more outlets, each outlet of the two or more outlets positioned and configured to direct a flow of liquid to only one of the two or more mold cavities, and each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities positioned and configured to receive the flow of liquid from only one of the two or more outlets. 
     
     
         4 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the dispensing tube extends to two or more outlets, each outlet of the two or more outlets in direct fluid communication with one corresponding mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities. 
     
     
         5 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the dispensing tube extends to an outlet upstream of the fill cup, whereby the fill cup is positioned and configured to receive a flow of liquid additive from the additive cup via the dispensing tube and to receive a flow of liquid water from the fill tube. 
     
     
         6 . The ice maker appliance of  claim 2 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the dispensing tube and the fill tube, the actuator operable to selectively move the dispensing tube and the fill tube between a first position and a second position, wherein the dispensing tube and the fill tube are positioned for directing a flow of at least one liquid from the dispensing tube and the fill tube to a first mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities in the first position and wherein the dispensing tube and the fill tube are positioned for directing a flow of at least one liquid from the dispensing tube and the fill tube to a second mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities in the second position. 
     
     
         7 . A method of operating an ice maker appliance, the ice maker appliance comprising a fill tube in fluid communication with a water supply and a mold body comprising two or more mold cavities, the mold body positioned downstream of the fill tube, the method comprising:
 flowing a first volume of liquid into at least one of the mold cavities;   retaining the first volume of liquid in the at least one of the mold cavities for a first predetermined time after flowing the first volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities, whereby a first layer of an ice piece forms from the first volume of liquid in the mold cavity;   flowing a second volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities after the first layer of the ice piece forms; and   retaining the second volume of liquid in the at least one of the mold cavities for a second predetermined time to form a second layer of the ice piece, whereby the second layer of the ice piece is distinct from the first layer of the ice piece.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first volume of liquid consists of water only, the second volume of liquid consists of water only, and wherein the second predetermined time differs from the first predetermined time whereby one of the first layer or the second layer is a layer of clear ice and the other of the first layer or the second layer is non-clear ice, whereby the second layer of the ice piece is visually distinct from the first layer of the ice piece. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein one of the first volume of liquid or the second volume of liquid comprises a liquid additive. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one of the first volume of liquid or the second volume of liquid consists of only the liquid additive. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one of the first volume of liquid or the second volume of liquid comprises liquid water and the liquid additive. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the other of the first volume of liquid or the second volume of liquid consists of only liquid water. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the first volume of liquid into at least one of the mold cavities comprises flowing the first volume of liquid simultaneously into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities, and wherein flowing the second volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities after the first layer of ice forms comprises flowing the second volume of liquid simultaneously into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ice maker appliance further comprises a fill cup between the fill tube and the mold body, the fill cup comprising two or more outlets, wherein flowing the first volume of liquid simultaneously into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities comprises flowing at least a portion of the first volume of liquid simultaneously through the two or more outlets of the fill cup into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities, and wherein flowing the second volume of liquid simultaneously into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities comprises flowing at least a portion of the second volume of liquid simultaneously through the two or more outlets of the fill cup into each mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein flowing the first volume of liquid into at least one of the mold cavities comprises flowing a first proportion of the first volume of liquid only into one first mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities, further comprising flowing a second proportion of the first volume of liquid only into one second mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities while retaining the first proportion of the first volume of liquid in the one first mold cavity, and wherein flowing the second volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities after the first layer of ice forms comprises flowing a first proportion of the second volume of liquid only into the one first mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities, further comprising flowing a second proportion of the second volume of liquid only into the one second mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities while retaining the first proportion of the second volume of liquid in the one first mold cavity. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first volume is of a first liquid, and wherein the second volume is of a second liquid different from the first liquid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the ice maker appliance further comprises an additive cup configured to receive a volume of liquid additive, a dispensing tube extending between the additive cup and the mold body, and an actuator coupled to the dispensing tube and the fill tube, further comprising moving, by the actuator, the dispensing tube and the fill tube from a first position to a second position after flowing the first proportion of the first volume of liquid only into the one first mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities and before flowing the second proportion of the first volume of liquid only into the one second mold cavity of the two or more mold cavities while retaining the first proportion of the first volume of liquid in the one first mold cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first volume of liquid is a different volume than the second volume of liquid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first volume of liquid is a generally equal volume to the second volume of liquid. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising flowing a third volume of liquid into the at least one of the mold cavities after the second layer of the ice piece forms, and retaining the third volume of liquid in the at least one of the mold cavities for a third predetermined time to form a third layer of the ice piece, whereby the third layer of the ice piece is distinct from at least one of the first layer and the second layer of the ice piece.