Refrigerator Door Ice Chute Assembly for Stable Ice Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with ice makers in the fresh food compartment face challenges due to temperature fluctuations and the need for complex assembly, as the fresh food compartment is maintained above freezing temperatures, leading to partial melting of ice and labor-intensive installation processes, especially in bottom-mount refrigerators where the ice maker is impractical in the freezer compartment.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration appliance design with a fresh food compartment maintained above zero degrees Celsius and a vertically positioned freezer compartment, featuring a mullion heater to minimize condensation, a refrigeration system with a compressor and evaporator, and an ice maker with an ice chute and dispenser integrated into the fresh food compartment door, allowing for efficient ice production and storage while preventing exposure to ambient temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the ice maker is placed in the fresh food compartment of a bottom-mount refrigerator, then ice production is enabled in compartments without sub-freezing temperatures, but ice quality deteriorates due to temperature fluctuations and partial melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the door assembly into multiple functional zones: an insulated door storage bin compartment for ice storage, a door liner with ice dispensing aperture, and a mullion structure with heating elements. This segmentation allows the ice maker to operate in the fresh food compartment while creating a controlled sub-freezing environment within the door assembly itself, thus maintaining ice quality despite the warmer ambient temperature of the fresh food compartment.
2Reliability
If the ice maker is placed in the freezer compartment of a bottom-mount refrigerator, then ice quality is maintained through sub-freezing temperatures, but the design becomes impractical due to floor-level retrieval requirements and the need for elaborate conveyor systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ice storage function with the door assembly structure itself. The door storage bin is integrated into the door, and the ice chute extends through the door liner to provide dispensing. This combination eliminates the need for separate freezer compartment ice storage and conveyor systems, allowing ice to be produced in the fresh food compartment and dispensed conveniently at door level.
3Loss of energy
If the mullion surface temperature is allowed to drop below dew point, then heat loss is minimized, but condensation forms on the externally-exposed surface causing aesthetic and functional problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heating element as an intermediary between the cold interior environment and the warm exterior environment of the mullion. The heating element, positioned within the mullion structure, actively heats the externally-exposed surface to maintain it above the dew point temperature, preventing condensation while allowing the interior mullion surfaces to remain cold for efficient heat transfer control.
4Ease of manufacture
If the ice chute is not secured during insulating material installation, then assembly is simpler, but the ice chute position shifts causing improper ice dispensing alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a fastener that pre-secures the ice chute to the door liner before the insulating material installation process begins. This preliminary action establishes the correct ice chute position and maintains it throughout subsequent assembly steps, ensuring proper alignment with the ice dispensing aperture even as other components are installed.
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
The solution effectively maintains ice quality by controlling temperature and condensation, simplifying assembly, and providing convenient ice access without the need for elaborate conveyor systems, addressing the impracticality of ice makers in bottom-mount refrigerators.
Implementation Method 1
A mullion heater is disposed adjacent to the mullion and adapted to transfer heat from the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the mullion for elevating a temperature of the externally-exposed surface of the mullion
Implementation Method 2
A refrigeration system is operable to provide a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. The refrigeration system includes a compressor in fluid communication with a mullion heater to supply refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is refrigeration appliance that includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment. The refrigeration appliance also includes at least one door restricting access into at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A heated mullion including a substantially-planar, externally-exposed surface is provided to cooperate with a seal provided to the door. An ice chute extends at least partially through the door for dispensing ice through the door. The ice chute includes a fastener for coupling the ice chute to a door liner and maintain the position of the ice chute relative to the door liner during installation of an insulating material in the door.