Ice maker appliance with additive concentration control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice maker appliances produce monolithic, homogenous ice pieces from water, lacking visual aesthetic appeal and user customization for additive intensity such as flavor, color, or electrolytes, which varies based on water source.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker appliance with a mold body, fill tube, and dosing pump to control the flow of liquid water and additive into a mold cavity, allowing for user-defined concentration of additives to form infused ice pieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ice maker appliances produce monolithic, homogenous ice pieces from water, then the ice production process is simple, but the visual aesthetic appeal and user customization for additive intensity are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is divided into separate functional modules: a mold body for ice formation, a fill tube for water delivery, and a dosing pump for additive delivery. Each component operates independently to allow customization of additive concentration while maintaining simple ice production functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A dosing pump is introduced as an intermediary device between the additive source and the mold cavity. This mediator controls the flow rate and concentration of additives (flavorants, electrolytes, vitamins) added to water, enabling user customization without complicating the overall ice making process.
2Ease of operation
If a dosing pump is added to control additive flow, then additive concentration customization is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing pump enables precise control of additive concentration by adjusting flow rate parameters. Users can customize the intensity of flavorants, electrolytes, or vitamins by changing the dosing rate, making the appliance easy to operate for different taste preferences while the pump handles the complexity of precise metering.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple additives are mixed with water in the mold cavity, then infused ice with enhanced visual appeal is produced, but the mixing precision and concentration control become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing pump delivers precise amounts of additives to the mold cavity before the freezing process begins. By pre-mixing the additives with water in controlled proportions, the system ensures uniform concentration throughout the ice piece without requiring complex mixing mechanisms during freezing.
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
Enables the production of customized infused ice pieces with varying concentrations of additives, enhancing visual appeal and user satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
a dosing pump operable to motivate a flow of additive to the mold cavity
Implementation Method 2
retaining a mixture comprising the volume of liquid water and the volume of additive proportional to the operating parameter of the dosing pump in the mold cavity to form at least a portion of an ice piece
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker appliance includes a mold body comprising a mold cavity, a fill tube, and a dosing pump. Methods of operating the ice maker appliance may include receiving a user input. A volume of liquid water and/or a volume of additive may be determined based on the user input. Methods may further include flowing the liquid water and the additive to the mold cavity. The liquid water and the additive form a mixture, and the mixture is retained in the mold cavity to form at least a portion of an ice piece.