Ice maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers face inefficiencies in ice distribution and harvesting due to suboptimal water flow and ice bin sensing mechanisms, leading to uneven ice formation and inaccurate ice level detection.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker incorporates a novel water distributor design with a two-piece configuration, featuring a bottom and top distributor piece that directs water uniformly across the freeze plate, and a time-of-flight sensor for precise ice level detection, allowing for enhanced ice formation uniformity and accurate bin monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water is directed to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate, then ice formation uniformity is improved, but water flow control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall incorporates a downwardly curving surface tension curve that utilizes surface tension forces to control water flow direction. This curved geometry naturally guides water downward along the freeze plate without requiring complex mechanical control mechanisms, thereby achieving uniform ice formation while maintaining device simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the flow parameters by creating a flow restriction between the bottom wall and overhanging front wall. This restriction controls the rate at which water flows to the downstream end portion, optimizing water distribution for uniform ice formation through parameter adjustment rather than complex control systems
2Manufacturing precision
If a weir is added to direct water flow across the bottom wall, then water distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The weir incorporates a downwardly curving surface tension curve that leverages surface tension to direct water flow. This curved geometry achieves uniform water distribution across the freeze plate while avoiding the need for complex mechanical flow control structures
Solution Approach 2:
The weir acts as an intermediary structure between the bottom wall and the freeze plate, mediating water flow distribution. It controls water flow rate and direction, ensuring uniform distribution without requiring complex control mechanisms in the main distributor structure
3Productivity
If the distributor is configured with flow restriction between bottom wall and overhanging front wall, then water flow rate control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction utilizes the downwardly curving surface tension curve geometry to control water flow rate. The curved surface naturally restricts flow while maintaining structural simplicity, achieving flow rate control without complex manufacturing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The flow restriction design allows the water flow itself to interact with the curved surface geometry to achieve rate control. The system uses the physical properties of water flow and surface tension rather than requiring active control mechanisms, simplifying manufacturing
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 ensures uniform ice formation and efficient harvesting by optimizing water distribution and provides accurate ice level sensing, improving the overall performance and maintenance accessibility of the ice maker.
Implementation Method 1
The downstream end portion of the bottom wall defines a downwardly curving surface tension curve. The downwardly curving surface tension curve is configured so that surface tension causes the water imparted through the distributor to adhere to the curve and be directed downward by the curve toward the top end portion of the freeze plate.
Implementation Method 2
A time-of-flight sensor is configured to: emit, at a first time, an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin; detect, at a second time, a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin, and determine a duration between the first time and the second time
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker has a bottom wall with a sensor opening. A time-of-flight sensor is supported in relation to the bottom wall such that the time-of-flight sensor can an optical pulse signal through the sensor opening toward the ice bin and subsequently detect a photon of the optical pulse signal that returns to the time-of-flight sensor through the sensor opening after reflecting off of one of a floor of the ice bin and ice in the ice bin. The time of flight sensor is configured to determine a duration between the emission of the optical pulse and the detection of the reflected photon(s). Based on the determined duration, the time-of-flight sensor or another processor can determine an amount of ice in the ice bin. The ice maker can be configured so that the time-of-flight sensor is removable, allowing a window pane of the time-of-flight sensor to be periodically cleaned.