Ice Compartment Nickel-Phosphorus Coating Against Rust Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic ice makers face issues with corrosion resistance, particularly in environments containing oxidizing substances, leading to rust formation and contamination of ice blocks, and existing surface treatments like molten tin plating are not effective against disinfectants, compromising food sanitation and durability.
Innovation Solution
Applying an electroless nickel-phosphorus plated coating with a 10% to 15% phosphorus component and a thickness of 15 μm or more on the outermost layer of the ice compartment, enhancing corrosion resistance and durability while allowing for maintenance with disinfectants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If molten tin plated coating is applied to the ice compartment, then corrosion resistance is improved, but the coating is not effective against disinfectants and corrosion products can peel off contaminating ice blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies an electroless nickel-phosphorus plated coating instead of molten tin plating. This coating comprises a nickel base layer and a phosphorus-containing corrosion-resistant layer, forming a composite structure that provides superior resistance to both corrosion and disinfectants while preventing peeling and contamination of ice blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameters for the electroless nickel-phosphorus coating: phosphorus content of 7-15% and coating thickness of 15 μm or more. These parameter optimizations ensure the coating achieves maximum corrosion resistance and disinfectant resistance while maintaining adhesion and preventing peeling.
2Reliability
If multiple surface treatment layers are applied to ensure corrosion resistance, then protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for multi-layer coatings by using a single electroless nickel-phosphorus plated coating with optimized phosphorus content (7-15%). This single-layer solution provides comprehensive corrosion resistance, disinfectant resistance, and peeling prevention, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining protection effectiveness.
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
The electroless nickel-phosphorus coating significantly improves corrosion resistance, preventing rust from mixing with ice and ensuring enhanced food sanitation and reliability, even in challenging environments, and reduces the need for multi-layer coatings, thus improving manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an electroless nickel-phosphorus plated coating containing a 10% to 15% phosphorus component is formed in a thickness of 15 μm or more on an outermost layer of the ice compartment
Implementation Method 2
The electroless nickel-phosphorus coating significantly improves corrosion resistance, preventing rust from mixing with ice
Data Source
AI summary
[Task] To provide an automatic ice maker with improved corrosion resistance to prevent ice-making water and ice from being contaminated by a corrosion product such as rust, thereby enhancing the reliability of food sanitation. [Means for solution] The automatic ice maker produces ice having a required shape by supplying ice-making water in circulation to an ice compartment 10 that is cooled by a cooling pipe 48. The automatic ice maker has an electroless nickel-phosphorus plated coating 23 formed in a thickness of 15 .mu.m or more on an outermost layer of the ice compartment 10, which coating 23 contains a 10% to 15% phosphorus component.