Refrigerator Door Ice Generator With Direct Refrigerant Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with an ice dispenser in the refrigerating compartment door suffer from reduced internal capacity, complex piping structures, and inefficient energy use due to the need for a separate ice-making duct and indirect ice production methods.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design where the ice generator is integrated into the door, using a direct cooling method with a refrigerant pipe line connected by lock rings, allowing for efficient ice production regardless of the door's open or closed state, and eliminating the need for a separate duct.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate ice-making duct is installed in the sidewall to connect the freezing compartment with the ice machine, then cold air can be transferred for ice production, but the internal capacity of the refrigerator is reduced and the piping structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ice-making duct function with the existing refrigerating compartment structure by installing the duct in the door body rather than requiring a separate sidewall installation. The duct is integrated into the door's internal structure, combining the door's structural role with the cold air transfer function, thereby eliminating the need for additional separate piping structures while maintaining the same cold air transfer capability.
2Reliability
If a separate ice-making duct is installed in the sidewall, then cold air transfer is enabled, but the internal capacity of the refrigerator is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the ice-making duct from a sidewall installation (horizontal dimension) to a door body installation (vertical dimension). By utilizing the door's thickness and internal space in the vertical dimension, the duct can be routed through the door structure without occupying additional horizontal space that would reduce the refrigerator's internal capacity. This dimensional shift allows the same functional capability to be achieved without sacrificing storage volume.
3Ease of operation
If the door opens, cold air that passes through the ice-making duct is discharged out of the refrigerator, but energy efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing an insulation layer on the ice-making duct before cold air enters it. This insulation layer prevents heat exchange between the duct and the external environment when the door is open, counteracting the potential energy loss from cold air discharge. By pre-insulating the duct, the system prepares for the door-opening condition in advance, minimizing energy loss without restricting door accessibility.
4Reliability
If ice is produced by an indirect cooling method using cold air supplied from the ice-making duct, then ice production is enabled, but the time required to produce ice is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant pipe line directly into the ice-making duct, removing the intermediate step of using cold air as the cooling medium. Instead of relying on indirect cooling through air convection, the refrigerant pipe line is positioned to enable direct thermal contact with the ice tray, extracting the unnecessary air cooling step and significantly reducing ice production time while maintaining reliable ice production 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 design simplifies the piping structure, increases internal capacity, enhances energy efficiency, and reduces the time required to produce ice by using direct cooling between the refrigerant pipe line and the tray.
Implementation Method 1
a direct cooling method with a refrigerant pipe line connected by lock rings, allowing for efficient ice production regardless of the door's open or closed state
Implementation Method 2
Cold air is continuously generated by heat exchange of refrigerant through a cooling cycle including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation
Implementation Method 3
Cold air supplied into the refrigerator is uniformly applied to the internal space of the refrigerator by convection, whereby food in the refrigerator can be stored at a desired temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a main body having a food storage space therein, a door installed on the main body and configured to have an ice compartment therein and to close the food storage space, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve that are installed in the door, and an ice generator installed in the ice compartment. The ice generator includes a tray configured to receive and contain water therein, a refrigerant pipe line configured to connect the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve to each other and cool the tray by conduction, and one or more lock rings configured to connect in an airtight fashion the refrigerant pipe line to the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve.