Ice Maker Ejector and Protrusion Design for Reliable Ice Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers in refrigerators face challenges in efficiently producing and separating ice, leading to increased energy consumption and inconvenience in ice retrieval, as well as inefficient use of cool air, which affects ice production and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker with an ice tray featuring partition ribs and an ejector mechanism that rotates ice pieces, combined with a motor-driven system and protrusion pins to facilitate easy ice discharge, along with a sensor unit to manage the heating process and optimize energy use, enhances ice separation and production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ice pieces are frozen firmly in the ice tray to ensure ice making reliability, then ice production reliability is improved, but ice separation becomes difficult and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ice tray bottom is divided into multiple protrusion portions corresponding to different cells, creating localized separation points. Each protrusion portion facilitates independent ice piece release from its corresponding cell, enabling segmented ice separation without requiring complete tray heating or manual removal
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions create localized structural variations on the ice tray bottom surface. These protrusions concentrate thermal energy at specific contact points between ice and tray, enabling targeted ice release in specific cells while maintaining firm freezing in other areas, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable ice making and easy separation
2Ease of operation
If the ejector rotates ice pieces to facilitate discharge, then ice separation ease is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ejector mechanism transforms the static ice tray into a dynamic system where ice pieces can be rotated and discharged on demand. The rotation mechanism provides controlled movement to dislodge ice pieces that are firmly frozen, enabling easy discharge without requiring complex heating systems or manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating ejector enables the ice tray system to perform its own ice discharge function without external intervention. By rotating the ice pieces, the system automatically facilitates their separation and discharge, reducing the need for manual tray removal or complex heating mechanisms
3Productivity
If cool air is supplied to the lower portion of the ice tray to improve ice making efficiency, then ice production efficiency is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to excessive cooling
Solution Approach 1:
Cool air is directed to the lower portion of the ice tray where the protrusion portions are located, creating localized cooling zones. This concentrates cooling energy at the critical ice formation areas near the protrusions, improving ice making efficiency while reducing overall energy consumption by avoiding excessive cooling of the entire tray and surrounding areas
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 reduces energy consumption during ice making and separation, improves ice production efficiency, and ensures reliable ice discharge, thereby enhancing the overall energy efficiency of the ice maker and refrigerator.
Implementation Method 1
a protrusion pin that protrudes radially outward from the rotary shaft toward the ice tray and that is configured to contact the ice piece in the ice tray
Implementation Method 2
a heater configured to selectively supply heat to the ice tray
Implementation Method 3
a first sensor unit configured to detect a rotation angle of the protrusion pin about the axis of the rotary shaft
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker includes an ice tray configured to receive water, where the ice tray includes a plurality of partition ribs that partition an inner space of the ice tray into a plurality of cells, an ejector that is configured to rotate relative to the ice tray, that is configured to cause rotation of ice pieces in a rotation direction relative to the ice tray, and that is configured to discharge the ice pieces from the ice tray, and a motor configured to drive the ejector to rotate in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The ice tray further includes a protrusion portion that is located at each cell, that protrudes from a lower surface of each cell, and that extends along the lower surface of each cell in a direction corresponding to the rotation direction of the ice pieces relative to the ice tray.