Ice maker and refrigerator comprising same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers in refrigerators produce opaque ice due to uniform freezing in all directions, which collects air and results in high freezing rates, making transparent ice formation difficult.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design incorporating a first and second tray with a heater adjacent to one of the trays, where cold air is supplied to form ice, and the heater is used to control heat distribution to create transparent spherical or square ice shapes by varying heat generation based on ice making rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is frozen in all directions uniformly, then freezing rate is high and ice is produced quickly, but air is collected inside and opaque ice is made
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different thermal conditions in different regions of the ice making cell. A heater is positioned at the bottom of the cell to provide localized heating that prevents uniform freezing, allowing water to freeze from top to bottom in a controlled manner. This localized thermal intervention ensures transparent ice formation while maintaining efficient production rates.
2Manufacturing precision
If water is spilled or sprinkled to grow ice in one direction, then transparent ice can be made, but this method cannot be applied in refrigerator ice makers due to sub-zero temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical method of spilling or sprinkling water (which requires ambient temperature control) with a thermal field control system. By using a heater to control the temperature distribution within the ice making cell, the system achieves unidirectional freezing and transparent ice formation without requiring water to be spilled or sprinkled, making it adaptable to refrigerator environments.
3Productivity
If heater is used to control heat distribution for transparent ice, then ice making rate can be controlled, but risk of excessive melting and lumping increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using a sensor to detect the presence and state of ice in the ice making cell. The sensor information is fed back to the controller, which adjusts the heater operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism prevents excessive heating that could cause ice melting and lumping, while still maintaining controlled ice making rates for transparent ice production.
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 allows for the production of transparent ice with controlled ice making rates, ensuring consistent production and reliable separation while preventing excessive melting and lumping, with full ice detection and guided accumulation in the ice bin.
Implementation Method 1
the heater may be driven to supply heat to one or more trays of the first tray and the second tray
Implementation Method 2
While cold air is supplied to the first tray and the second tray to make ice
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker includes a first tray forming part of an ice-making cell; a second tray forming another part of the ice-making cell; and a heater which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the first or the second tray, wherein the heater operates during a period when cold air is supplied to the first tray and the second tray and ice making takes place, and supplies heat to the first tray and/or the second tray.