Ice Cube Container with Vacuum Insulation to Reduce Air Bubbles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ice cube containers made of plastic and foam are environmentally harmful, have poor thermal insulation, and produce ice cubes with numerous air bubbles.
Innovation Solution
An ice cube container with a vacuum layer in the insulation housing made of stainless steel, combined with a copper-plated inner wall, reduces heat dissipation and air bubble formation, enhancing thermal insulation and producing transparent ice cubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional plastic and foam materials are used for the insulation housing, then the container can be easily manufactured, but the thermal insulation performance is poor and environmental harm is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the insulation medium from solid (foam) to vacuum (gas phase removal), fundamentally altering the thermal insulation mechanism. By creating a vacuum layer between the inner and outer housings, heat transfer is minimized since vacuum eliminates conduction and convection, achieving superior thermal insulation performance while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through vacuum deposition or evacuation processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining stainless steel outer housing with vacuum insulation layer, and inner housing with copper plating. This multi-material composite approach integrates the mechanical strength of stainless steel with the thermal insulation properties of vacuum, and the heat radiation blocking properties of copper, creating a synergistic insulation system that outperforms traditional single-material foam solutions
2Device complexity
If traditional foam insulation is used, then the structure is simple, but air bubbles form in the ice cubes due to poor thermal insulation
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the insulation mechanism from solid foam conduction to vacuum isolation, the patent eliminates the thermal bridges that cause uneven freezing. The vacuum layer provides uniform thermal insulation across the entire ice cube mold surface, ensuring consistent freezing rates and preventing air bubble formation, thereby improving ice cube manufacturing precision without significantly increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum layer acts as an intermediary thermal barrier between the external environment and the ice cube mold. This intermediate vacuum space blocks heat transfer pathways, creating a controlled thermal environment that prevents premature or uneven freezing of water, thus eliminating air bubble formation while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure
3Loss of energy
If vacuum layer is introduced for thermal insulation, then heat dissipation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the insulation housing into distinct segments: an outer housing, a vacuum layer, and an inner housing containing the ice cube mold. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the outer housing provides structural support, the vacuum layer provides thermal insulation, and the inner housing holds the mold - while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite vacuum insulation structure by combining stainless steel outer housing with vacuum evacuation, and inner housing with copper plating. This composite approach achieves superior heat dissipation reduction through the synergistic effects of vacuum isolation and copper's heat radiation blocking properties, while the modular composite structure remains manufacturable using standard vacuum deposition and assembly techniques
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 solution significantly reduces heat loss, minimizes air bubbles, and improves thermal insulation, using environmentally friendly materials that are recyclable and durable, thus enhancing the container's insulation performance and service life.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum layer is provided in the insulation housing for thermal insulation
Implementation Method 2
an inner wall of the wrapping layer is plated with a copper layer to reduce an efficiency of heat radiation and enhance an insulation performance of a vacuum insulated cup
Implementation Method 3
by setting the vacuum layer in the insulation housing and then utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice cube container is disclosed, including an ice cube mold for making ice cubes and an insulation housing for insulating ice cubes in the ice cube mold, and a vacuum layer is provided in the insulation housing for thermal insulation. By utilizing property that vacuum does not generate convective heat transfer, the ice cube mold is placed into the insulation housing, which can significantly reduce heat loss of ice cubes in the ice cube mold, so that when the ice cubes are iced up, they will be iced up sequentially from top to bottom, and thus air in water will be slowly extruded downward, transparent ice cubes which are virtually free of the air bubbles can be obtained.