Refrigerator Ice Crusher Slope Layout to Prevent Ice Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice crushing devices in refrigerators face issues such as ice cubes falling out due to shaking, iron chips contaminating the ice, and crushed ice piling up, which affects the transmission of motive power and can cause the mechanism to get stuck.
Innovation Solution
The ice crushing device features a slope on the ice-discharging plate adjacent to the ice-discharging port to prevent ice cubes from falling out, a compact gear mechanism with bevel gears to reduce iron chip entry, and an ice agitating rod to prevent ice cubes from freezing together, ensuring stable operation and efficient ice crushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ice-discharging plate is made flat to facilitate ice discharge, then the ease of operation is improved, but ice cubes are prone to fall out due to shaking when the refrigerator door is opened or closed
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-discharging plate features a slope positioned specifically at the ice-discharging port area, while other regions remain flat. This localized inclination prevents ice cubes from falling out due to shaking when the refrigerator door is opened or closed, while maintaining ease of operation for ice discharge.
2Device complexity
If traditional gear mechanisms are used to drive the ice crushing device, then the device complexity is reduced, but iron chips fall off during long-term use and contaminate the ice cubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional gear mechanism with a magnetic drive system. A magnetic coupling mechanism transmits rotational force from the motor to the ice crushing blade without direct mechanical contact, eliminating iron chip generation and preventing ice cube contamination while maintaining driving functionality.
3Productivity
If a large amount of ice is crushed at one time or ice agitation is increased to prevent freezing together, then the productivity is improved, but the ice crushing mechanism might get stuck
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-discharging plate incorporates a slope that enables dynamic ice cube movement toward the discharge port. This gravitational assistance facilitates continuous ice flow during crushing operations, preventing mechanism jamming even when large amounts of ice are processed, thereby maintaining both productivity and operational reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses an ice crushing device and a refrigerator, the ice crushing device comprising: a housing assembly comprises a housing and an ice bucket supported in the housing; a driving mechanism for driving the ice bucket to rotate, at least a portion of the driving mechanism being mounted in the housing; an ice crushing mechanism disposed in the ice bucket; the housing assembly further comprises an ice-discharging plate provided at a bottom of the ice bucket, the ice-discharging plate is provided with an ice-discharging port communicated with the ice bucket, ice cubes prepared by an ice maker are discharged out of the ice-discharging port after being crushed in the ice bucket by the ice crushing mechanism, a slope is disposed on the ice-discharging plate at a position adjacent to the ice-discharging port and along a rotary ice discharge direction, and the slope is located on an ice discharge side of the ice-discharging plate and disposed uphill.