Ice Maker Assembly with Rotatable Mold for Uniform Water Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automatic ice maker assemblies produce non-uniform ice due to uneven water distribution in the ice mold, leading to reduced ice quality and potential damage from large ice chunks or stuck small ice pieces.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker assembly with a rotatable ice mold and an agitation mechanism that tilts and rotates the mold to distribute water evenly among cavities, using supports with wedge-shaped recesses and hydrophobic-coated crevices to ensure uniform ice formation and prevent water accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water is delivered into the ice mold without distribution mechanism, then the ice making process is simple, but the water accumulates in one part of the ice mold close to the water supply causing non-uniform ice pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The ice mold is made rotatable on the ice maker assembly, allowing it to change position dynamically. The agitation means rotates the ice mold to redistribute water evenly across all cavities during the freezing process, transforming a static water accumulation problem into a dynamic distribution solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The agitation means acts as an intermediary mechanism between the water supply and the ice mold cavities. By rotating the ice mold, it mediates the water distribution process, ensuring water reaches all cavities uniformly rather than accumulating near the supply point.
2Reliability
If water accumulates in a section of the ice mold, then the ice piece formed is much bigger than required, but this large ice may damage the operational parts of the ice maker assembly as the ice mold rotates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable ice mold design allows continuous movement during water distribution, preventing localized accumulation that would create oversized ice pieces. The dynamic rotation ensures water is evenly spread before freezing, eliminating the risk of large ice chunks damaging operational parts.
3Manufacturing precision
If an ice piece formed inside the ice mold is much smaller than the required size, then it tends to remain inside the ice mold even if the ice mold is rotated, but this causes accumulation of ice over time which may cause the formation of one big ice chunk completely covering the upper surface of the ice mold
Solution Approach 1:
The agitation means provides dynamic rotation of the ice mold during water distribution, ensuring all cavities receive appropriate water amounts. This prevents formation of consistently small ice pieces that would stick and accumulate, maintaining both size consistency and production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice mold rotation is activated at specific periodic intervals - after water filling and during the freezing process. This periodic agitation ensures uniform water distribution and prevents ice accumulation issues while maintaining efficient production cycles.
4Ease of operation
If the ice mold is rotatably placed onto the ice maker assembly, then the ice mold can rotate to release ice pieces, but the water distribution remains uneven without additional mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two functions into one system: the rotatable ice mold structure that enables automatic ice release, and the agitation means that provides water distribution. The rotation mechanism serves dual purposes - both distributing water evenly during filling and releasing ice pieces during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice mold rotation mechanism serves multiple functions: it distributes water evenly across cavities during the filling phase, maintains uniform freezing conditions during the freezing phase, and releases ice pieces during the discharge phase. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing precision.
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 pieces of consistent volume, maximizes ice production, and prevents water overflow and damage by evenly distributing water and facilitating efficient ice release.
Implementation Method 1
The agitation means rotates the ice mold towards a first direction and then to a second direction opposite to the first direction. By means of this, water is distributed equally among the cavities.
Implementation Method 2
An agitation means is provided on the ice maker assembly and is configured to force the ice mold to rotate upon being activated.
Implementation Method 3
the control unit activates a water pump to direct a certain amount of water into the ice mold
Implementation Method 4
the water to be frozen is filled into a number of cavities of the ice mold
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A cooling appliance comprising; an ice maker assembly (1); the ice maker assembly (1) comprising; an ice mold (2) placed into the ice maker assembly (1) comprising a plurality of cavities (3) into where the water to be frozen is filled, wherein the ice mold (2) is configured to be rotated around an axis (I) extending along the length ice mold (2), an agitation means (4) configured to rotate the ice mold (2) upon activation, a control unit configured to activate a water pump to direct the water into the cavities (3).