Refrigerator Ice Dosaging Unit for One-By-One Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with icemakers often result in uncontrollable dispensing of ice pieces, leading to excess ice or drops outside the container during transfer, causing user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A dosaging unit within the refrigerator, comprising an upper and lower plate coordinated by a connection part, actuated by a motor, ensures ice pieces are delivered one by one through a controlled pathway, preventing sticking and excess dispensing by using breakers and a movement mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ice pieces are transferred from icemaker to container without control mechanism, then transfer process is simple, but ice pieces fall uncontrollably causing excess ice or drops outside container
Solution Approach 1:
The dosaging unit is divided into multiple functional components: upper plate with inlet, lower plate with outlet, connection part for coordinated movement, and breaker mechanism. Each component performs a specific function in the ice dosing process, allowing precise control while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The upper and lower plates are designed to move dynamically in coordination through the connection part, which rotates around a shaft. This dynamic mechanism allows the plates to open and close the inlet/outlet passages at appropriate times during the dosing cycle, providing controlled ice delivery without requiring complex electronic controls
2Manufacturing precision
If ice pieces are delivered automatically one by one through dosaging unit, then precise dosing control is achieved, but device complexity increases with multiple moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The connection part merges the movement control of the upper plate and lower plate into a single rotational mechanism. When the connection part rotates around its shaft, it simultaneously controls the opening and closing of both plates' passages, ensuring coordinated action and precise dosing control while reducing the number of independent actuators needed
Solution Approach 2:
The connection part acts as an intermediary mechanism between the motor and the upper/lower plates. It translates rotational motion into the coordinated linear movement of both plates, enabling precise control of ice flow through the system without requiring direct mechanical linkage to each plate
3Reliability
If breaker mechanism is added to separate stuck ice pieces, then ice flow control is improved, but device complexity and motor energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The breaker mechanism operates periodically as the connection part rotates, engaging to separate stuck ice pieces only when needed during the dosing cycle. This periodic action rather than continuous operation minimizes energy consumption while ensuring reliable ice piece separation when required
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) comprising a dosaging unit (7) that provides the ice pieces (B) delivered from the icemaker (4) to be served to the users by being dosaged one by one.