Ice Maker Ejector Rotation Sensing for Heater Shutoff Control
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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 inefficiencies in cooling and ice discharge.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker with a rotating ejector mechanism and a specially designed ice tray featuring protrusion pins and guide ribs, which facilitates easy ice separation and discharge by enhancing contact area with cool air and optimizing the rotation path of ice pieces, thereby improving energy efficiency and ice production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional ice tray is used without special structural features, then the ice tray structure is simple, but ice separation becomes difficult and requires user intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The ice tray is divided into multiple cells with partition ribs, and each cell contains protrusion portions that segment the ice formation space. This segmentation allows ice pieces to be easily separated along the partition lines and protrusion features without requiring manual force or complex ejection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Protrusion portions are introduced as intermediary elements between the ice pieces and the tray bottom. These protrusions create natural separation points and leverage points that facilitate ice removal, acting as a mediator that enables easy separation without direct user intervention on the frozen ice itself.
2Ease of operation
If the freezing compartment door is opened frequently for ice retrieval, then ice can be accessed, but cool air discharges and temperature increases leading to higher energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker system performs self-service by automatically ejecting ice pieces from the tray using the motor-driven ejector mechanism. This automation eliminates the need for users to open the freezing compartment door manually, allowing the door to remain closed and maintaining stable temperature conditions that reduce compressor operation and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of opening the door and removing ice is replaced by an automated motor-driven ejector system. This substitution enables ice retrieval without door opening, preserving the thermal insulation integrity and reducing the energy penalty associated with frequent door openings.
3Extent of automation
If an automatic ice maker with dispenser is installed, then ice can be dispensed automatically, but the system consumes additional energy
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker operates on a periodic cycle, producing batches of ice that are automatically stored in an ice storage compartment. The motor-driven ejector activates periodically to transfer ice from the tray to the storage area, enabling automated dispensing without continuous energy consumption. This periodic operation reduces overall energy usage compared to continuously running dispensing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Ice pieces are preliminarily separated and stored in the ice storage compartment before dispensing is needed. The ejector mechanism performs preliminary action by transferring ice from the formation tray to the storage area, allowing the dispenser to access pre-positioned ice without requiring energy-intensive real-time ice making or ejection during dispensing operations.
4Productivity
If cool air is not efficiently transferred to ice pieces during generation, then ice making speed is slow, but increasing cool air flow may cause uneven freezing
Solution Approach 1:
The ice tray structure incorporates local quality variations through protrusion portions and partition ribs that create different cooling zones within each cell. These localized structural features guide cool air flow patterns, ensuring that each region of the ice tray receives appropriate cooling intensity. This local optimization enables increased overall productivity while maintaining uniform ice quality across different locations in the tray.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions extend in the rotation direction of ice pieces, creating a three-dimensional cooling pathway that enhances cool air circulation. This dimensional addition to the tray structure allows cool air to access ice pieces from multiple angles and depths, improving heat transfer efficiency and ice production rate while maintaining uniform freezing through enhanced air distribution patterns.
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, enhances ice production efficiency, and improves the reliability of ice discharge by ensuring ice pieces are easily moved from the tray, resulting in improved energy efficiency and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
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
Implementation Method 2
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
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker includes an ice tray, a motor configured to rotate with respect to the ice tray, an ejector configured to cause rotation of an ice piece, the ejector including a rotary shaft and a protrusion pin, a heater configured to selectively supply heat to the ice tray, and a first sensor unit configured to detect a rotation angle of the protrusion pin about an axis of the rotary shaft. The first sensor unit is further configured to, before discharge of the ice piece from the ice tray, detect whether the protrusion pin has rotated by a predetermined angle about the axis of the rotary shaft, and the heater is further configured to be turned off based on the first sensor unit detecting that the protrusion pin has rotated by the predetermined angle.