refrigerator

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing refrigerator designs face challenges in easily assembling the ice maker into an ice making chamber formed in a front surface of a door and require additional supporter members, leading to issues like falling noise and ice breakage when ice falls into the ice bucket.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a guide rib formed with the ice making chamber wall, an ice making tray with a guide flange supported on the rib, and a fastening member that inclines upward to secure the motor box, allowing direct assembly without additional supporter members and incorporating an ice falling guide to reduce noise and breakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separate supporter member is used to assemble the ice maker to the ice making chamber wall, then the ice maker can be securely fixed, but the assembly process becomes more complex and requires additional parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixing reliabilityVSAvoidassembly structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The ice maker body is directly coupled to the ice making chamber wall without requiring a separate supporter member. The coupling structure integrates the mounting function into the ice maker body itself, eliminating the need for additional supporter components while maintaining secure fixation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The ice maker body serves multiple functions: it acts as both the functional ice-making component and the mounting structure for attachment to the ice making chamber wall. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated supporter members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If the ice maker is directly assembled without additional supporter members, then the assembly process is simplified, but the structure may lack stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly structure complexityVSAvoidice maker stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling structure is integrated directly into the ice maker body, combining the mounting function with the ice maker structure itself. This integration maintains stability while simplifying the overall assembly by eliminating separate supporter members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If ice falls directly into the ice bucket without guidance, then the structure is simpler, but falling noise and ice breakage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguide structure complexityVSAvoidfalling noise and ice breakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

An ice falling guide structure acts as an intermediary component between the ice maker and the ice bucket. This guide structure controls the ice falling path, reducing impact velocity and directing ice gently into the bucket, thereby minimizing noise and breakage while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3667205B1refrigerator
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3667205B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3667205B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3667205B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator including a main body, a door rotatably coupled to the main body, and an ice making chamber provided in the door and into which the ice maker is assembled. The ice making chamber includes an ice making chamber wall and an ice making space having an open front surface, and the ice making chamber wall includes a guide rib protruding toward the ice making space. The ice maker includes an ice making tray having an ice making cell for storing water, an ejector rotatable to separate ice from the ice making cell, and a motor box coupled to one side of the ice making tray in a longitudinal direction to accommodate an ice separation motor for rotating the ejector. The ice making tray is supported on the guide rib, and the motor box and the ice making chamber wall is fastened through a fastening member, thereby assembling the ice maker.