Ice Maker Drive Unit Mounting Structure Against Disengagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ice making devices face issues with the drive unit coming off from the frame due to resilient bending of the arm part, leading to disengagement of the connecting parts from the fitted parts, especially when a force is applied in a specific direction.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first coming-off prevention part with a protruded restriction part that abuts with the drive unit from a direction intersecting the moving direction, preventing disengagement by ensuring the connecting part is securely fitted to the frame, and additional structural features like inclined plate parts and pawls enhance the secure fitting mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the abutting part is extended from the other side to one side and abuts with the drive unit from the other side, then the drive unit can be held in position, but the arm part is easily resiliently bent when force is applied, causing the connecting part to come off
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the abutting direction by providing two coming-off prevention parts that abut with the drive unit from one side (the side where the connecting part is fitted), instead of the conventional design that abuts from the other side. This inversion allows the arm parts to resist resilient bending more effectively while maintaining the holding position function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different functional qualities to different parts of the coming-off prevention mechanism. The arm parts are designed with specific flexibility to allow mounting while the restriction parts provide rigid abutting surfaces that resist resilient bending when force is applied to the drive unit.
2Ease of manufacture
If the arm part is made resilient to allow mounting, then the drive unit can be easily installed, but the arm part bends under applied force, leading to disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the abutting direction to achieve both ease of mounting and reliability. By having the restriction parts abut with the drive unit from one side, the arm parts can flex during mounting while the inverted abutting geometry prevents excessive bending that would cause disengagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The coming-off prevention parts are designed to preemptively counteract the disengagement force. The restriction parts are positioned and oriented to abut with the drive unit in a direction that prevents the arm part from bending excessively, thereby preventing disengagement before it can occur.
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 solution effectively prevents the connecting part from disengaging from the fitted part, even under applied forces, ensuring the drive unit remains securely mounted and functional during operations like twisting and reversing.
Implementation Method 1
the first arm part is hard to be resiliently bent in a direction that the first restriction part is disengaged from the drive unit
Data Source
AI summary
An ice making device includes an ice tray, a drive unit structured to make the ice tray perform a reversing operation and a twisting operation interlocked with the reversing operation, and a frame on which the drive unit is mounted. The frame comprises, in a mounting part for the drive unit, a fitted part to which a connecting part of the drive unit is fitted when the drive unit has been moved from one side in to the other side, and a first coming-off prevention part structured to prevent coming-off of the connecting part from the fitted part. The first coming-off prevention part comprises a first arm part which is extended from the one side to the other side, and a first restriction part which is protruded from a tip end side of the first arm part and is capable of abutting with the drive unit from the one side.