Freezer Ice Maker Cover Structure to Prevent Drawer Collisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with ice-making devices face damage due to articles stored in sliding storage containers colliding with the ice maker when the containers slide in and out of the storage compartment.
Innovation Solution
The ice-making tray is formed as a resin injection molding structure, and an accommodation basket with cutting parts is used to prevent collisions by guiding ice and articles away from the ice maker, with a protection cover ensuring safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sliding storage container is used to accommodate articles in the freezer compartment, then ease of operation and accessibility are improved, but the risk of collision with the ice maker increases causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
A protection cover is introduced as an intermediary component between the sliding storage container and the ice maker. The cover includes a guiding part that directs the storage container during sliding operations, preventing direct contact between the container and ice maker components. This mediator structure maintains the sliding functionality while eliminating the harmful collision effect.
2Ease of operation
If the storage container is allowed to slide freely for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but collision with ice maker components occurs causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The protection cover with its guiding part creates a preliminary constraint on the sliding motion of the storage container. By pre-establishing a guided path that prevents deviation toward the ice maker, the system proactively eliminates the possibility of collision before it can occur, while still allowing smooth sliding operation.
3Reliability
If protection structures are added to prevent collision, then ice maker safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protection cover serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a protective barrier against collision, provides guiding functionality to direct the storage container, and maintains the aesthetic appearance of the freezer compartment. By combining these functions into a single component, the design achieves comprehensive protection without proportionally increasing complexity.
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
Prevents damage to the ice maker by ensuring that ice and articles do not collide with its components during sliding operations, maintaining the ice maker's functionality and safety.
Implementation Method 1
ice generated in the ice-making tray may be separated by twisting due to a rotational force of the driving motor
Implementation Method 2
The ice-making tray may be formed as a resin injection molding structure
Implementation Method 3
Cutting parts having sizes corresponding to the ice maker may be formed at rear walls of the accommodation basket and the ice bank so as to prevent collision with the ice maker when the accommodation basket slides
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator including: a freezer compartment; a drawer door to open/close the freezer compartment and has a storage box; and an ice maker installed at an upper side of the freezer compartment, the ice maker includes: an ice maker supporter combined with an upper wall of the freezer compartment; an electronic device case supported by the ice maker supporter and in which a driving motor is embedded; an ice-making tray supported by the electronic device case and; a temperature sensor installed adjacent to the ice-making tray to detect temperature; and a protection cover combined with the ice maker supporter to cover at least portions of a lower part of the ice-making tray and prevents an article stacked in the lower part of the ice-making tray from interfering with at least one of the ice-making tray, the temperature sensor, and the electronic device case when the drawer door slides.