Refrigerator Ice-Maker Cooling With Insulated Air Duct and Ice-Level Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerators with an ice maker located in the fresh food compartment, ice buildup on the fan and evaporator poses a challenge, leading to inefficiencies and requiring manual cleaning, and there is a need for a handle-operated door lock and ice level sensing mechanism.
Innovation Solution
An insulated air duct with a ramped portion is used to prevent ice migration to the fan, and a sensor assembly with an emitter and receiver is employed to detect ice levels in the ice bin, along with a handle-operated door locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the ice maker is disposed within the fresh food compartment, then the ice pieces can be stored at temperatures above freezing, but ice buildup on the fan and evaporator occurs leading to operational failures
Solution Approach 1:
The air handler assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: an evaporator section for cooling air, an insulated air duct for transporting cooled air, and a fan section for air circulation. This segmentation prevents ice formed at the evaporator from migrating to the fan while maintaining separate operational temperatures for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
An insulated air duct acts as an intermediary element between the evaporator and the fan. The insulation on the air duct prevents condensation and ice formation during air transport, serving as a protective barrier that eliminates the harmful effect of ice buildup on the fan while allowing continuous operation.
2Productivity
If the ice maker operates in high humidity environments, then ice production continues, but excessive ice buildup on the evaporator and fan occurs requiring manual cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation on the air duct, originally designed to maintain cooling efficiency, also serves to prevent ice migration and reduce maintenance requirements. The insulation converts the potential harm of cold air exposure into a beneficial protective effect, eliminating the need for manual cleaning even in high humidity environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The air temperature and humidity parameters are controlled differently in separate zones: the evaporator operates at lower temperatures to produce ice, while the insulated air duct maintains temperatures above freezing during transport, and the fan section operates in a warmer, drier environment. This parameter differentiation allows continuous ice production without excessive ice buildup.
3Productivity
If cooling air is circulated from the evaporator to the ice tray, then ice cubes are formed efficiently, but moisture collects and freezes on the evaporator and downstream components
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of ice buildup is extracted and isolated to the evaporator zone, where it can form without affecting other components. The insulated air duct acts as a barrier that prevents this extracted ice from migrating to the fan and other downstream components, allowing efficient ice cube formation while eliminating the harmful spread of ice buildup.
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 insulated air duct minimizes ice buildup on the fan, reducing downtime and maintenance, while the sensor assembly accurately determines ice levels for optimal operation, and the door locking mechanism ensures secure access.
Implementation Method 1
An insulated air duct is disposed between the evaporator and the fan for preventing the migration of ice from the evaporator to the fan
Implementation Method 2
An evaporator is provided for cooling air conveyed through the ice tray and the ice bin
Implementation Method 3
The air handler assembly includes a fan that conveys the cooled air
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration appliance includes an ice maker disposed in a fresh food compartment. An air handler assembly conveys cooling air through the ice maker. An insulated air duct is disposed between an evaporator and a fan for preventing the migration of ice from the evaporator to the fan. The insulated duct has an opening extending from an end adjacent the evaporator to an end adjacent the fan. A lower inner wall of the air duct has a first ramped portion on the end adjacent the evaporator. In another example, the icemaker includes a sensor assembly positioned to detect a level of ice in the ice bin. The sensor assembly includes an emitter for sending photons along a predetermined path, and a receiver for detecting the photons when the photons are reflected off an object disposed in the predetermined path.