Removable Ice Bin Drive Bar Retention Without Latches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigeration appliances require complex latch arrangements to retain the ice storage bin during ice dispensing, which can be cumbersome and prone to misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration appliance design featuring a rotatable auger within a removable ice bin, coupled with a drive bar that applies a resisting force to counteract the auger's driving force, eliminating the need for latches by using a U-shaped body with recessed and chamfered legs for engagement with the auger, and a cam mechanism to secure the bin in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex latch arrangement is used to retain the storage bin during ice dispensing, then the storage bin can be securely retained, but the device complexity increases and the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the retention function from a complex multi-component latch system and concentrates it into a single drive bar element. The drive bar is removed from its engaged position to allow bin removal, and is re-engaged by rotating the auger motor to retain the bin during operation, eliminating the need for separate latch mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive bar serves multiple functions: it acts as both the retention mechanism during ice dispensing and the release mechanism when removed from engagement. The auger motor also serves dual purposes of conveying ice and controlling the drive bar position to engage or disengage retention, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.
2Reliability
If a complex latch arrangement is used to retain the storage bin, then the storage bin can be securely retained, but the ease of manufacture and alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies manufacturing by extracting the retention function from multiple precisely-aligned latch components and implementing it through a single drive bar element. This eliminates the need for complex alignment procedures between multiple latch parts and the storage bin, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliable retention.
3Reliability
If additional user interaction such as buttons or levers is added for bin removal, then the bin can be securely retained during operation, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages bin retention and release through the auger motor's operational states. When the motor operates, the drive bar engages to retain the bin; when the motor is off and the drive bar is rotated, the bin is released. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for separate user-actuated buttons or levers, maintaining secure retention while simplifying operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment. An ice maker is disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. The ice maker includes a removable ice bin for storing the ice pieces produced by the ice maker. A rotatable auger is positioned within the removable ice bin and configured to drive the ice pieces out of the removable ice bin via a driving force applied in a first direction. A motor is configured to rotate the auger. A drive bar is coupled to the motor and is configured to apply a resisting force to the removable ice bin along a second direction generally opposed to the first direction sufficient to counteract the driving force, wherein the resisting force is less than a removal force applied by a user to remove the removable ice bin from the ice maker.