Refrigerator Door Ice Bank Transfer for Lower-Power Ice Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerator designs face inefficiencies in ice making and storage, leading to increased power consumption and reduced storage capacity due to the need for continuous cool air supply for ice production within the refrigerating compartment, which also complicates ice transfer and dispensing processes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a transfer device with a housing, rotatable transfer member, and ice chute to efficiently transfer ice from the freezing compartment to an ice bank within the refrigerating compartment door, utilizing a cool air duct for insulation and a blow fan for air circulation, along with a discharge unit to manage ice adherence and dispensing, optimizing ice production and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ice production is performed within the refrigerating compartment using continuous cool air supply, then ice making is enabled, but power consumption increases and storage capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is extracted from the refrigerating compartment and relocated to the freezing compartment. This separation allows ice production to occur in the already-cold freezing compartment without requiring additional cool air supply to the refrigerating compartment, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining ice making capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigerator system is segmented into distinct functional zones: ice production in the freezing compartment and ice storage/dispensing in the refrigerating compartment door. This segmentation allows each zone to operate independently with optimized cooling requirements, reducing overall energy consumption.
2Productivity
If ice production is performed within the refrigerating compartment, then ice making is enabled, but storage capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is extracted from the refrigerating compartment interior and relocated to the freezing compartment. This frees up valuable storage space within the refrigerating compartment while maintaining the ability to produce ice, as the ice bank is positioned in the door rather than occupying main storage volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice bank is positioned in the door structure rather than occupying horizontal storage space. This vertical/three-dimensional utilization of door space allows ice storage without reducing the effective storage capacity of the refrigerating compartment interior.
3Ease of operation
If ice is transferred from freezing compartment to refrigerating compartment door, then dispensing is improved, but ice adherence may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer device incorporates a vibration mechanism that vibrates during ice transfer. This vibration prevents ice pieces from adhering to the transfer chute or transfer member surfaces, ensuring smooth ice flow from the freezing compartment through the ice chute to the ice bank in the refrigerating compartment door.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the freezing compartment and refrigerating compartment door. It includes components such as a transfer member with impellers, a transfer chute, and vibration mechanisms that facilitate ice movement while preventing adherence through mechanical action.
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 solution enhances ice making efficiency, reduces power consumption by decoupling ice production from refrigerating compartment cooling, and improves storage capacity while ensuring convenient ice dispensing and reduced likelihood of ice adherence.
Implementation Method 1
an ice bank that is disposed at the refrigerating compartment door, that defines an insulation space for storing the ice pieces
Implementation Method 2
a blow fan for air circulation
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet including a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment door opening or closing the refrigerating compartment, a dispenser disposed in the refrigerating compartment door to dispense water or ice pieces, and an ice bank disposed in the refrigerating compartment door to define an insulation space for storing the ice pieces dispensed by the dispenser. The refrigerator also includes an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment to make the ice pieces, a transfer device disposed in the freezing compartment to transfer the ice pieces supplied from the ice maker into the ice bank, and an ice chute connecting the transfer device to the ice bank.