Ice-Making Compartment Air Duct Layout for Uniform Tray Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airflow within an ice-making compartment of a refrigerator is not uniform over the ice tray due to its location relative to the inlet, leading to inefficient ice formation.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring an inlet duct with multiple branches and channels that direct air to both surfaces of the ice tray, and a stepped top wall that aligns with the channels to improve airflow distribution, ensuring even air delivery across the ice tray.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air enters the ice-making compartment via a single inlet, then the structure is simple, but the airflow is not uniform over the ice tray
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet duct is divided into multiple branches (first branch and second branch) with multiple channels that direct air to different locations on the ice tray. This segmentation allows air to be distributed uniformly across both surfaces of the ice tray, resolving the airflow uniformity issue while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different branches and channels of the inlet duct are configured to deliver air to specific locations on the ice tray surfaces. The first branch directs air to a first surface while the second branch directs air to a second surface, creating locally optimized airflow patterns that result in overall uniformity across the entire ice tray.
2Volume of moving object
If the ice tray is positioned in the upper portion of the housing, then space is optimized, but airflow distribution becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet duct system extends air delivery in multiple spatial dimensions by creating branches that reach both the upper and lower surfaces of the ice tray. This multi-dimensional air distribution approach allows the ice tray to be positioned in the upper portion of the housing for space optimization while still achieving uniform airflow distribution across all surfaces.
3Productivity
If air is directed to multiple locations on the ice tray, then ice formation efficiency improves, but the duct structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet duct is segmented into multiple branches and channels that efficiently deliver air to multiple locations on the ice tray. This segmentation enables enhanced ice formation efficiency by ensuring all surfaces receive adequate airflow, while the modular branch structure keeps the overall design manageable and not excessively complex.
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 enhances airflow uniformity and ice formation efficiency by directing air to multiple locations on both surfaces of the ice tray, resulting in improved ice production rates.
Implementation Method 1
An inlet duct is in fluid communication with the inlet aperture and is configured to direct air into the housing from the evaporator
Implementation Method 2
the steps of the stepped top wall align with the channels of the inlet duct, and wherein the space between the stepped top wall and the ice tray decreases along the direction of the incoming air with each step
Implementation Method 3
a refrigeration system having an evaporator
Implementation Method 4
Airflow within an ice-making compartment of a refrigerator may be utilized for freezing water within an ice tray
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A refrigerator (10) includes a cabinet (54) and a refrigeration system (74). An ice-making compartment (14) includes a housing (18) defining an inlet aperture (22) and an outlet aperture (26). An ice storage bin (102) is positioned in the housing (18). An ice tray (46) is positioned in a top portion (114) of the housing (18) and over the ice storage bin (102). An inlet duct (30) is in fluid communication with the inlet aperture (22) and is configured to direct air into the housing (18) from an evaporator (82). The inlet duct (30) includes a first branch (126) to direct air to multiple locations on a first surface (134) of the ice tray (46). A second branch (158) of the inlet duct (30) directs air to a second surface (170) of the ice tray (46). An outlet duct (38) is in fluid communication with the outlet aperture (26).