Refrigerator Ice-Making Core and Cam Mechanism for Clean Ice Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice-making devices in refrigerators face challenges in efficiently separating ice from the ice tray due to complex structures and interference issues, leading to ineffective dispensing of ice.
Innovation Solution
The ice-making device employs a cam unit with curved guide grooves to transfer power to a freezing core, allowing it to move vertically and rotate, enabling ice to fall into an ice bank efficiently, thus simplifying the ice separation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heater is provided at a side of the ice tray to separate ice from the ice tray, then ice separation is achieved, but the structure directing ice to the ice bank becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is extracted from the ice tray structure and relocated to the ice bank. This allows ice separation to occur through the heater's thermal action on the ice bank rather than requiring complex mechanical directing structures within the ice tray assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of heating the ice tray to separate ice, the heater warms the ice bank to facilitate ice release. This inverted approach simplifies the ice tray structure while achieving the same separation effect through thermal action at a different location in the system.
2Productivity
If ice separated from the ice tray falls down to the ice bank, then ice is collected, but the ice may interfere with a part of the ice-making device and thus not be effectively dispensed
Solution Approach 1:
The heater acts as an intermediary element between the ice tray and ice bank. By warming the ice bank, it creates a controlled release mechanism that prevents ice from interfering with device components during the transfer process, ensuring smooth dispensing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter of the ice bank is changed through heater application. This thermal parameter change controls the ice release timing and position, preventing interference with device parts while maintaining effective ice collection and dispensing.
3Productivity
If a complex structure is used to direct ice separated from the ice tray to an ice bank, then ice transfer is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical ice directing structure is replaced with a thermal field approach. The heater creates thermal gradients that guide ice movement and release, substituting mechanical complexity with thermal control and reducing overall system power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using mechanical energy for complex directing structures, the system changes to thermal parameter control through the heater. This thermal approach achieves ice transfer with lower energy consumption compared to mechanical actuation of complex mechanisms.
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 solution allows for efficient and simple ice separation, reducing power consumption and preventing ice interference, ensuring effective dispensing into an ice bank.
Implementation Method 1
a cam unit transferring the driving force to effect movement of the freezing core; a plurality of shafts movably received in the cam unit and transferring the driving force to the freezing core, wherein the cam unit may include: a plurality of curved guide grooves guiding vertical and rotational movement of the shafts about a rotational center
Implementation Method 2
a driving motor to generate a driving force
Implementation Method 3
the freezing core is moved in a vertical direction relative to the ice tray and then rotated, thereby allowing the ice that is made to fall from the freezing core into an ice bank
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice-making device (100) designed to make and separate ice from an ice tray (146) through a simple process is provided. The ice-making device includes an ice tray defining an ice-making space, a freezing core that is partly received in the ice-making space to make ice at an end thereof, a driving unit moving and rotating the freezing core (143), and a power transmission unit for transferring power from the driving unit to the freezing core. The power transmission unit including a cam unit (152) rotatably connected to the driving unit and a moving member that moves in vertical and rotational direction by a driving force of a motor (151) transferred by the cam unit (152).