Ice Bin Time-of-Flight Sensing for Accurate Ice Level Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers face challenges in efficiently distributing water across the freeze plate for uniform ice formation and accurately determining the amount of ice in the bin, leading to suboptimal ice production and storage management.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker incorporates a water distributor with a unique configuration, including a bottom wall with a sensor opening and a time-of-flight sensor to determine ice levels, ensuring uniform water distribution and precise ice bin monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional water distributor is used, then water distribution structure is simple, but water distribution uniformity is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor bottom wall incorporates localized structural features including a ramp surface in the forward direction, a weir structure, and a downwardly curving surface tension curve. These localized quality variations create controlled flow patterns that improve water distribution uniformity across the freeze plate without requiring complete redesign of the entire distributor structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom wall includes a downwardly curving surface tension curve that utilizes curved geometry to control water flow. The curvature creates surface tension effects that direct water uniformly across the distributor width, improving distribution uniformity while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Measurement precision
If conventional ice level detection is used, then device complexity is low, but measurement precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical ice level detection mechanisms with a time-of-flight optical sensor system. This substitution provides superior measurement precision for ice level detection while the sensor is integrated into the distributor bottom wall, minimizing additional complexity through unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributor bottom wall serves multiple functions: it distributes water across the freeze plate, provides structural support, and houses the ice level detection sensor. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by combining several functions into a single integrated component.
3Ease of repair
If the distributor is fixed as one piece, then manufacturing is simple, but maintenance accessibility is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor is divided into separable components including the bottom wall with integrated sensor, the weir structure, and the ramp surface. This segmentation allows individual components to be accessed, inspected, and maintained independently, improving maintenance accessibility while maintaining relatively simple individual component structures.
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 enhances ice making uniformity, efficiency, and accessibility for maintenance, while accurately monitoring ice levels in the bin for improved operational performance.
Implementation Method 1
A time-of-flight sensor is configured to: emit, at a first time, an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin; detect, at a second time, a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin, and determine a duration between the first time and the second time
Implementation Method 2
The downstream end portion of the bottom wall defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve. The downwardly curving surface tension curve is configured so that surface tension causes the water imparted through the distributor to adhere to the curve and be directed downward by the curve toward the top end portion of the freeze plate
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice maker has a bottom wall with a sensor opening. A time-of-flight sensor is supported in relation to the bottom wall such that the time-of-flight sensor can an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin and subsequently detect a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin. The time of flight sensor is configured to determine a duration between the emission of the optical pulse and the detection of the reflected photon(s). Based on the determined duration, the time-of-flight sensor or another processor can determine an amount of ice in the ice bin. The ice maker can be configured so that the time-of-flight sensor is removable, allowing a window pane of the time-of-flight sensor to be periodically cleaned.