Refrigerator Door Ice Maker with Separate Evaporator Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In bottom freezer refrigerators, the existing ice production system is inefficient due to limited cooling capacity, as the same evaporator that cools the freezer and fresh food compartments also cools the air used to freeze water for ice production, reducing the available cooling capacity for these compartments.
Innovation Solution
A separate evaporator is used in the door of the fresh food compartment to efficiently cool and freeze water into ice, with a cold air flow channel and fan to distribute air quickly and evenly, allowing independent cooling for ice production without reducing the cooling capacity for the freezer and fresh food compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same evaporator is used to cool both the freezer/fresh food compartments and to produce ice, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ice production rate decreases due to limited cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent evaporators: one evaporator dedicated to cooling the freezer and fresh food compartments, and another evaporator dedicated to producing ice in the door compartment. This segmentation allows each evaporator to operate independently without competing for cooling capacity, thereby increasing ice production rate while maintaining food compartment temperatures.
2Ease of operation
If cold air is pumped from the evaporator in the freezer to the ice maker in the fresh food compartment, then the ice maker can be positioned conveniently, but the cooling capacity available to cool the freezer and fresh food compartments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-making cooling function is extracted from the main cooling system and assigned to a separate evaporator located in the door compartment. This allows the ice maker to have dedicated cooling capacity while the main evaporator focuses on cooling the freezer and fresh food compartments, ensuring both functions operate at optimal capacity.
3Productivity
If a separate evaporator is added in the door for ice production, then the ice production rate increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent segments: a main cooling system with one evaporator for food compartments, and an ice-making system with a separate evaporator in the door. This segmentation resolves the capacity conflict while the modular design keeps each segment relatively simple and manageable.
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 increases ice production rate and maintains optimal temperatures in both the freezer and fresh food compartments, reducing dehydration of stored items and minimizing temperature fluctuations in the ice compartment.
Implementation Method 1
the evaporator cools the air in a volume adjacent the evaporator by absorption of energy from the air
Implementation Method 2
A fan is disposed in the third interior volume
Implementation Method 3
A mold is disposed in the third interior volume and is configured to receive water and to retain the water during cooling of the water
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming ice in a refrigerator is disclosed. The method includes cooling a first storage compartment to a first temperature, cooling a second storage compartment to a second temperature, cooling an interior volume defined in a door to a third temperature, wherein the door permits and impedes access to the second storage compartment, operating a fan disposed in the interior volume to circulate cool air through the interior volume, and cooling water to form ice in the interior volume.