Ice Maker Cam Gear and Lever Support for Accurate Ice Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers face issues with ice detection arm collisions, assembly tolerance, and signal detection failures due to mechanical misalignment and force imbalances, leading to inaccurate ice detection and transfer.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker design enhances the cam gear's cam surface by increasing its thickness and adding protrusions towards the center, and integrates a shaft support for the magnet lever to reduce force transfer and prevent distortion, ensuring correct signal detection and smooth ice tray movement between water supply, ice making, and transfer positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ice detection arm is lowered to enter the ice storage container, then ice detection function is enabled, but the ice detection arm rubs against or collides with surrounding structures causing detection failure
Solution Approach 1:
A shaft support structure is introduced as an intermediary between the magnet lever and the case. This shaft support provides a dedicated, precisely positioned bearing surface that mediates the interaction between the rotating magnet lever and the fixed case structure, preventing direct collision and rubbing while enabling reliable rotational movement for ice detection
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft support is pre-installed and precisely positioned in the case before the magnet lever is assembled. This preliminary positioning ensures that the magnet lever's rotation path is pre-established and aligned, preventing collision with surrounding structures during operation
2Ease of operation
If force is transferred from the cam surface to the lever, then the lever moves along the cam path, but the lever shaft is distorted due to unbalanced force
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft support acts as a mediator between the lever shaft and the case, providing a stable, precisely positioned bearing surface. This intermediary structure absorbs and distributes the forces transmitted from the cam surface, preventing unbalanced forces from causing lever shaft distortion while still allowing the lever to move along the cam path
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft support provides pre-established structural support and force distribution capability before the lever begins moving along the cam path. This beforehand cushioning prevents force imbalances from causing distortion by providing a stable reference point and load distribution mechanism from the start of operation
3Ease of operation
If assembly tolerance occurs between the ice detection arm and the DC motor, then the ice detection arm rotates, but it rubs against or collides with surrounding structure
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft support serves as an intermediary bearing structure between the magnet lever (ice detection arm) and the case (DC motor housing). This intermediary provides a precisely fitted rotational interface that compensates for assembly tolerances, allowing the detection arm to rotate freely without rubbing against or colliding with surrounding structures
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft support provides pre-established clearance and alignment compensation for assembly tolerances before the ice detection arm begins rotation. This beforehand cushioning ensures that even with tolerance variations in assembly, the detection arm has adequate clearance and proper alignment to rotate without collision
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
This configuration prevents distortion and shaking of the magnet lever, enabling accurate signal detection by the Hall sensor and magnet, ensuring reliable ice detection and transfer operations.
Implementation Method 1
signal detection failures due to mechanical misalignment and force imbalances, leading to inaccurate ice detection and transfer
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice maker (100) comprising: a tray (250) provided in a storage compartment (3, 4) to form at least one ice chamber (111); and a driving device (400) configured to move the tray (250) to at least one of a water supply position, an ice making position and an ice transfer position, the driving device (400) is coupled with an ice detection lever (700) for detecting a filling state of an ice bin (102) receiving ice made and output by the ice maker (100), wherein the driving device (400) includes: a driving motor (422); a cam gear (430) configured to be rotated by the driving motor (422) and including a shaft (432), an edge portion (431b) forming a gear portion (435), a first lever cam (436) protruding at the edge portion (431b) in a circumferential direction and a second lever cam (437) surrounding the shaft (432); a magnet lever (460) provided to be movable in contact with the first lever cam (436) and provided with a magnet (468); and an operation lever (440) provided to be movable in contact with the second lever cam (437) to move the ice detection lever (700).