Dual-Tray Refrigerator Ice Maker for Complete Spherical Ice
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers in refrigerators often form extra ice due to oversupply of water, leading to incomplete ice shapes and hygiene issues.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerator features a dual-tray ice maker with a pressurizing member that separates ice by applying pressure to auxiliary ice-making cells, incorporating drain grooves and angled drainages to remove excess water, and a water supply guide to manage water distribution efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is supplied to the ice-making tray, then ice is formed, but when too much water is supplied, extra ice is formed in addition to the intended ice shape
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-making tray is divided into multiple independent cells (first main ice-making cell, first auxiliary ice-making cell, second main ice-making cell, second auxiliary ice-making cell). Each cell is separately defined with specific water supply channels, allowing precise control of water distribution to each section. This segmentation prevents water overflow from one cell to another, ensuring each cell forms ice only in its designated area without creating extra ice.
2Manufacturing precision
If ice of the extra part remains on the ice-making tray, then ice formation is complete, but difficulties in hygiene management occur and overall functions of the ice maker are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces separate auxiliary ice-making cells (first auxiliary ice-making cell, second auxiliary ice-making cell) that are spatially separated from the main ice-making cells. These auxiliary cells are designed to receive and contain any excess water that overflows from the main cells. By extracting the excess water containment function into dedicated auxiliary cells, the main ice-making area remains clean and free from extra ice formation, thus maintaining hygiene without compromising ice formation completeness.
3Manufacturing precision
If a dual-tray ice maker with pressurizing member is used, then unnecessary ice is removed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the auxiliary ice-making cells serve both as water containment structures and as ice formation areas; the pressurizing member is integrated with the tray separation mechanism to simultaneously remove both trays and auxiliary ice in one action; drainage channels are built into the tray structure itself rather than being separate components. These mergers reduce the number of separate parts needed while maintaining the ability to remove unnecessary ice effectively.
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 ensures complete ice formation without excess, improving aesthetics and hygiene by preventing ice residue on the tray.
Implementation Method 1
the pressurizing member applies pressure to the second auxiliary ice-making cell of the second tray
Implementation Method 2
a drain groove formed in the projection so that oversupplied water flows out of the second auxiliary ice-making cell
Implementation Method 3
a water supply guide member mountable on the support frame and formed to extend between the first tray and the second tray to guide water supplied from a water supplier
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a refrigerator includes a storage chamber and an ice maker arranged in the storage chamber, and the ice chamber includes a support frame, a pressurizing member arranged on an inner side of the support frame, a first tray coupleable to the support frame and including a first main ice-making cell and a first auxiliary ice-making cell formed to extend upward from the first main ice-making cell, and a second tray coupleable to the first tray to form a spherical ice chamber, the second tray that is movable includes a second main ice-making cell coupleable to the first main ice-making cell to form a spherical ice chamber and a second auxiliary ice-making cell formed to extend upward from the second main ice-making cell and having a portion that contacts the first auxiliary ice-making cell, wherein, as the second tray is moved to separate the second main ice-making cell of the second tray coupled to the first main ice-making cell of the first tray that form the spherical ice chamber, the pressurizing member applies pressure to the second auxiliary ice-making cell of the second tray.