Air-Cooled Clear Ice Making Assembly for Refrigerator Appliances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator appliances struggle to efficiently produce clear ice billets without trapping impurities and gases, and often require bulky systems that are unsuitable for commercial use, risking flavor contamination and inefficient operation.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator appliance design featuring a thermodynamic assembly with a conductive ice mold and heat exchange sleeve, along with a water dispenser, which circulates chilled air and directs an ice-building spray of water to form clear ice billets outside the food storage chamber, using a conductive ice mold and heat exchange sleeve to facilitate efficient ice formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated appliance is used to produce large clear ice billets, then ice clarity and purity are improved, but device size and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ice making assembly with the refrigerator appliance by integrating the mold assembly into the evaporator assembly. The mold assembly is positioned within the evaporator housing and uses the evaporator's cooling mechanism, merging two functions (refrigeration and ice making) into a single integrated system. This eliminates the need for a separate dedicated ice making appliance while maintaining the capability to produce clear ice billets.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator assembly serves dual purposes: it functions as both the refrigeration cooling mechanism for the refrigerator and as the ice making mold assembly. The mold cavities are formed within the evaporator structure, allowing the same component to perform both food refrigeration and clear ice production, thereby reducing overall device complexity and space requirements.
2Device complexity
If ice is formed within the food storage chamber, then device size is reduced, but flavor contamination and temperature instability occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refrigerator into distinct functional zones: the evaporator assembly with mold cavities is separated from the main food storage chamber. The evaporator assembly acts as a dedicated ice making compartment that is thermally coupled to but physically distinct from the food storage area. This segmentation allows ice to be formed in a controlled environment away from food items, preventing flavor contamination while maintaining a compact overall design.
3Productivity
If rapid freezing is used to form ice quickly, then productivity is improved, but ice clarity deteriorates due to trapped impurities and gases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic freezing and thawing cycles within the mold cavities. During the freezing cycle, water is gradually frozen to form ice, and during the thawing cycle, trapped impurities and gases are expelled. This periodic action allows for both reasonable productivity and high ice clarity, as the cyclic process systematically removes contaminants while maintaining efficient ice production.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold cavities are pre-cooled before water is introduced for freezing. This preliminary cooling action ensures that the mold surfaces are at the optimal temperature for controlled freezing, which helps prevent rapid trapping of impurities and gases. The pre-cooled surfaces promote steady-state freezing that maintains ice clarity while achieving efficient production.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables the reliable and efficient production of clear ice billets, reducing impurities and gas entrapment, while maintaining efficient operation and preventing flavor contamination, making it suitable for commercial use.
Implementation Method 1
The HE sleeve may include a conductive panel extending across the conduit path to release heat to air within the conduit path. The conductive ice mold may be mounted to the HE sleeve within the IB compartment to conduct heat to the HE sleeve.
Implementation Method 2
The chilled air supply duct and the chilled air return duct may be in fluid communication with the air conduit to circulate air along the conduit path.
Implementation Method 3
The conductive ice mold may define a mold cavity outside of the air conduit. The water dispenser may be positioned below the conductive ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water to the mold cavity.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet, a liner, a thermodynamic assembly, an air conduit, a heat exchange (HE) sleeve, a conductive ice mold, and a water dispenser. The liner defines an icebox (IB) compartment. The air conduit disposed within the IB compartment to define a conduit path between a conduit inlet and a conduit outlet downstream from the conduit inlet. The heat exchange (HE) sleeve is disposed along the air conduit between the conduit inlet and the conduit outlet. The HE sleeve includes a conductive panel extending across the conduit path. The conductive ice mold is mounted to the HE sleeve within the IB compartment. The conductive ice mold defines a mold cavity outside of the air conduit. The water dispenser is positioned below the conductive ice mold to direct an ice-building spray of water to the mold cavity.