Control logic for compact ice making system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator ice compartments are bulky, consuming excessive volume in the fresh food compartment and limiting design flexibility, especially when taller doors or ergonomic ice and water dispensers are not feasible.
Innovation Solution
A slimline ice compartment design that integrates an ice tray and evaporator into a single, over-molded metallic tray portion, eliminating the need for additional evaporators and optimizing ice production by direct contact between the evaporator cooling tube and ice maker tray, with control logic for ice making, harvesting, and maintenance using a tray temperature sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the ice compartment is made larger to accommodate traditional over-under ice maker and bucket arrangement, then ice production capacity is improved, but the volume occupied in the fresh food compartment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ice maker tray and evaporator into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate evaporators. The metallic tray portion serves dual functions as both ice mold and evaporator surface, reducing the number of parts and overall compartment volume required while maintaining ice production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a vertical stacking arrangement (over-under configuration requiring significant height) to a horizontal side-by-side arrangement. This dimensional reorganization allows the ice compartment to fit within the fresh food compartment with reduced vertical clearance requirements, optimizing space utilization
2Productivity
If the ice compartment is made taller to accommodate traditional ice maker arrangement, then ice production capacity is improved, but the adaptability to different door configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reconfigures the ice maker and bucket from a vertical stacking arrangement to a horizontal side-by-side layout. This dimensional change reduces the vertical height requirement from approximately 18-24 inches to just 6-8 inches, enabling installation in various door configurations including French door, side-by-side, and top-mount refrigerators regardless of door height
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated tray/evaporator design creates a universal ice making system that can be adapted to multiple refrigerator configurations. The compact horizontal footprint and standardized mounting requirements allow the same ice compartment design to be used across different door styles and sizes, enhancing versatility
3Productivity
If the ice compartment is made taller to accommodate traditional arrangement, then ice production capacity is improved, but the ergonomic positioning of ice and water dispenser is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By reorganizing the ice compartment from vertical to horizontal layout, the dispenser can be positioned at optimal ergonomic heights on the door. The reduced vertical footprint of the ice compartment allows the dispenser mechanism to be located in the upper portion of the door within easy reach, eliminating the need for low-positioned dispensers that result from tall ice compartment designs
4Temperature
If separate evaporators are used for ice compartment cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the evaporator function directly into the ice maker tray, creating a single component that performs both ice molding and cooling functions. This eliminates the need for separate evaporators dedicated to ice compartment cooling, reducing part count and system complexity while maintaining effective cooling through the metallic tray's thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic tray portion serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the ice mold cavity structure, the evaporator surface for heat exchange with refrigerant, and the cooling distribution medium. This multi-functional design consolidates what would traditionally require separate components, simplifying the overall system architecture
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 reduces the internal volume taken up by the ice compartment, enhances ice production speed, and allows for a more compact, versatile installation in various refrigerator configurations, including French door-bottom mount styles, while maintaining ergonomic dispenser positioning.
Implementation Method 1
the evaporator cooling tube is in direct contact with the ice maker tray portion; the ice maker tray portion temperature runs as cold as the refrigerant is evaporated
Implementation Method 2
the refrigerant is evaporated
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker assembly is disposed in the ice compartment of a refrigerator, the ice maker assembly including an ice maker tray/evaporator having an evaporator cooling tube which is in direct contact with an ice maker tray portion, and a tray temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the ice maker tray portion. A controller is configured to control ice making, ice harvesting, and ice maintenance based on the temperature sensed by the tray temperature sensor. The tray temperature sensor is the only temperature sensor used to control ice making, ice harvesting, and ice maintenance. Alternatively, an additional temperature sensor can be disposed inside an ice maker assembly gear box for sensing a temperature of a housing of the gear box. In that case, the tray temperature sensor and the additional temperature sensor are the only temperature sensors used to control ice making, ice harvesting, and ice maintenance.