Door-Mounted Ice Maker to Preserve Freezer Storage and Prevent Odor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice-making devices in refrigerators reduce storage capacity and allow food odors to permeate ice due to their installation within the freezing chamber, affecting storage efficiency and hygiene.
Innovation Solution
An ice-making device is installed on the backside of the refrigerator door, utilizing a cold air duct system that efficiently directs cold air to the ice maker while minimizing odor transfer, with an ice bank also located on the door for transferring ice to a dispenser, maintaining storage capacity and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the ice maker is installed on the rear side of the freezing chamber to extend from side to side, then the ice making function is achieved, but the storage capacity of the freezing chamber is reduced due to the volume occupied by the ice maker, motor casing, and ice bank
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is extracted from the freezing chamber and installed on the backside of the door instead. This removes the ice maker, motor casing, and ice bank from the freezing chamber volume, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving ice making function and maintaining storage capacity.
2Device complexity
If the ice maker is installed in the freezing chamber to make ice using circulating cold air, then the ice making process is simple, but the smell of other food stored in the freezing chamber permeates the ice
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is extracted from the freezing chamber environment and relocated to the door backside. This physical separation prevents food odors from permeating the ice while the system maintains simplicity by using cold air supplied through a dedicated duct from the freezing chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
A cold air duct is introduced as an intermediary component to supply cold air from the freezing chamber to the ice maker on the door backside. This mediator enables the ice making function while preventing direct contact between the ice maker and food odors in the freezing chamber.
3Ease of manufacture
If the motor casing and ice bank are provided in the freezing chamber to transfer ice to the dispenser, then the ice transfer function is achieved, but the storage capacity is further reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The motor casing and ice bank are extracted from the freezing chamber and relocated to the door backside. This removal eliminates the volume occupation of these components within the freezing chamber, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving ice transfer function and maintaining storage capacity.
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 configuration maximizes storage capacity and prevents food odors from contaminating ice, ensuring efficient and hygienic ice production.
Implementation Method 1
a cold air duct 141 which supplies the ice maker 161 with a portion of cold air supplied to the storage space 121
Implementation Method 2
The lower part of the heat exchange chamber 21 is provided with an evaporator (not shown) for generating cold air
Implementation Method 3
an ice maker 161 installed on a backside of a door 131 and making ice
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a refrigerator having an ice-making device, including: a main body (100) having a storage space; a door (131) selectively opening or closing the storage space, the door including a pair of support steps (135) and a seating step (136), the ice-making device comprising: an ice maker (161) installed on a backside of the door and making ice; and an ice bank (181) detachably installed on the backside of the door below the ice maker, the ice bank storing ice made in the ice maker and transferring it to a dispenser provided on the door; a seating member (151) installed in a space, which is defined by the backside of the door, side surfaces of the pair of support steps facing each other and the seating step, the support steps being formed to protrude rearward from both side ends of the backside of the door by a predetermined length and to extend vertically, the seating step being formed to extend from side to side in such a manner that a portion of the backside of the door between the support steps protrudes rearward by a predetermined length, the seating member being provided with an installation space (151S) in which the ice maker and the ice bank are installed; at least one catching recess (184) formed in an underside of the ice bank; at least one catching protrusion (157C) is provided on a bottom side of the installation space; the at least one catching protrusion (157C) is inserted in the catching recesses (114), when the ice bank is installed.