Ice Cube Container with Side-Mounted Handle for Single-Handed Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ice cube makers require both hands to remove ice cubes due to the placement of handles, making it cumbersome and inefficient to handle and pour ice cubes.

Innovation Solution

The ice cube container is designed with a removal handle on one of the long side walls, allowing for easier access to the center of gravity, enabling single-handed removal and pouring of ice cubes with reduced effort, and featuring a recessed grip for ergonomic handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the handle is placed on the front end wall, then the container structure is simple, but the user cannot precisely control the pouring of ice cubes due to poor leverage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer structureVSAvoidprecision of ice cube serving
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

By relocating the handle to the long side wall section, the user gains lateral access that provides better leverage and control points. This dimensional change in handle placement enables more precise control during the pouring action, allowing the user to better regulate the flow of ice cubes into the glass while only minimally increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2376849B1Ice cube container of an ice maker for household purposes, and refrigeration appliance comprising such an ice cube container
Publication Date: 2019.05.08 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP2376849B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2376849B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2376849B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An ice cube container of an ice maker for household purposes includes a bottom, front and rear wall sections arranged on opposite ends of the bottom, and two sidewall sections interconnecting the end wall sections. The front and rear wall sections have each a length which is shorter than a length of the side wall sections. Arranged on one of the sidewall sections is a removal handle to allow easy removal of ice cubes. The ice cube container is removably received in a receptacle of a freezer compartment drawer of a refrigeration appliance in only one way in which the removal handle of the ice cube container faces the center of the freezer compartment drawer when the ice cube container is inserted in the receptacle.