Ice maker and refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice-makers struggle to produce spherical ice of uniform size and shape due to deformation of the lower tray during ice-removal or ice-making operations, leading to interference between the upper and lower trays, which affects the quality and consistency of the ice produced.
Innovation Solution
An ice-maker design featuring an upper tray and a lower tray made of elastic material, with a side wall and chamber wall configuration that includes grooves to maintain ice pieces frozen along the perimeter, preventing them from penetrating into the lower tray and ensuring uniform ice production, while a coupling protrusion system securely fixes the lower tray to prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lower tray is made movable for ice removal, then ice can be easily removed from the ice maker, but the lower tray deforms during operation causing interference with the upper tray
Solution Approach 1:
The lower tray is made of elastic material that can flexibly deform during ice removal operation and then return to its original shape, preventing permanent deformation and interference with the upper tray
Solution Approach 2:
The lower tray is designed to be movable during ice removal operation, allowing it to dynamically change position for easy ice ejection, while the elastic material ensures it returns to its original position without deformation
2Shape
If the upper and lower trays are closed during ice making, then spherical ice can be formed, but a space occurs between the trays causing water to freeze improperly
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic lower tray can flexibly adapt to the upper tray during closing, eliminating gaps between the trays to prevent improper water freezing while maintaining spherical ice shape
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the upper tray flexible, the invention makes the lower tray elastic, allowing it to conform to the upper tray's shape and eliminate spaces from the bottom side
3Ease of operation
If ice around the upper tray is broken and introduced into the cell during ice removal, then ice can be removed from the ice maker, but the amount of water in the cell becomes larger than predefined amount
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic lower tray maintains proper sealing during ice removal, preventing ice fragments from entering the water cell and causing water amount imbalance
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 design ensures the production of uniform spherical ice by maintaining ice pieces attached to the upper tray, minimizing interference between trays, and preventing deformation, thus ensuring consistent ice quality and normal operation of the ice-making process.
Implementation Method 1
an upper tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material
Implementation Method 2
a groove is defined in an outer face of the chamber wall to maintain pieces of ice frozen along a perimeter of the chamber wall in an attached state
Data Source
AI summary
An ice-maker includes an upper tray made of an elastic material and having a plurality of upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material and having a plurality of lower chambers defined therein in contact with the plurality of upper chambers to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers, respectively, each ejector-receiving opening defined in the upper tray and opened to each of the plurality of upper chambers, an upper ejector disposed above the upper tray, where the upper ejector is configured to pass through the ejector-receiving opening and remove each ice from each ice chamber, a water supply for supplying water for ice-making through the ejector-receiving opening, and a driver for pivoting the lower tray.