Slim Refrigerator Door Ice Bin With Top-Down Ice Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators have a bulky ice bin design that increases the thickness of the refrigerator door, limiting space and efficiency in ice storage and dispensing.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a slim ice bin structure with inclined guide surfaces and a rotation blade mechanism that allows ice cubes to self-weight guide and discharge efficiently, reducing the door's thickness by moving ice cubes from top to bottom and eliminating the need for additional transfer units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional ice bin design is used, then ice storage function is provided, but the refrigerator door thickness increases and storage space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ice bin is repositioned from a horizontal arrangement within the door to a vertical arrangement utilizing the freezer compartment space. Ice cubes are discharged from the top of the ice bin to the bottom, effectively using the vertical dimension to reduce door thickness while maintaining adequate ice storage volume.
2Length of stationary object
If a slim ice bin structure is used, then door thickness is reduced, but ice cube discharge efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Inclined guide surfaces are provided inside the ice bin to create a gravity-assisted discharge system. The inclined surfaces guide ice cubes from the top to the bottom of the ice bin, utilizing gravitational force to ensure efficient ice cube discharge without requiring additional mechanical components or increasing door thickness.
3Productivity
If additional ice transfer units are added, then ice dispensing efficiency is improved, but device complexity and door thickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ice bin is designed with inclined guide surfaces that enable ice cubes to discharge automatically using gravity. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for additional motorized ice transfer units, reducing device complexity while maintaining efficient ice dispensing capability.
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 reduces the refrigerator door's thickness, increases storage capacity, and enhances ice dispensing efficiency by minimizing the ice bin's volume and optimizing the ice cube movement within the bin.
Implementation Method 1
allows ice cubes to self-weight guide and discharge efficiently, reducing the door's thickness by moving ice cubes from top to bottom
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator including a slim refrigerator door (11). The refrigerator includes a storage compartment; a refrigerator door (11) opening and closing the storage compartment; an ice maker (210) configured to generate ice cubes; an ice bin (300) provided at the refrigerator door to receive the ice cubes generated in the ice maker and having a discharge opening (510) through which the ice cubes are discharged; a motor provided at the refrigerator door; and at least one blade (410) within the ice bin, the at least one blade being operably connected to the motor, wherein at least one ice cube generated in the ice maker directly drop onto the at least one blade, and the at least one blade moves at least one ice cube stored in the ice bin to the discharge opening to discharge the at least one ice cube from the ice bin by an operation of the motor.