Ice Maker Lower Heater Control for Transparent Ice Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers produce opaque ice due to bubbles not being completely discharged during the ice-making process, resulting in uneven transparency across the ice.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker design featuring an upper tray and a lower tray with a control unit that variably controls the output of a lower heater to gather bubbles in the lowermost section of the ice chamber during the ice-making process, ensuring uniform transparency of the ice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If bubbles are not completely discharged during ice-making, then ice production efficiency is maintained, but ice transparency deteriorates (opaque ice is produced)
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is activated during the ice-making process to proactively gather bubbles in the lowermost section before they become trapped in the freezing water. This preliminary action of bubble gathering prevents the formation of opaque ice while maintaining continuous ice production, resolving the contradiction between transparency and productivity
2Manufacturing precision
If a heater is used to gather bubbles, then ice transparency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of heating the entire ice chamber, the heater is positioned specifically at the lowermost section where bubbles naturally accumulate. This localized heating approach gathers bubbles efficiently while minimizing energy consumption, resolving the contradiction between transparency improvement and energy usage
3Manufacturing precision
If bubbles are gathered in the lowermost section, then uniform transparency across ice height is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the natural tendency of bubbles to rise and accumulate at specific locations during freezing. By positioning the heater at the lowermost section where bubbles naturally gather, the system achieves uniform transparency without requiring complex control mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between uniformity and device complexity
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 effectively produces transparent ice with uniform transparency across each height of the ice, enhancing the aesthetic and functional qualities of the ice produced.
Implementation Method 1
a lower heater mounted on the lower support, and a control unit configured to operate the lower heater in an ice making process
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker of the present invention comprises: an upper tray defining an upper chamber that is a portion of an ice chamber, wherein an upper opening is provided in an upper side of the upper tray; a lower tray defining a lower chamber that is another portion of the ice chamber; a lower support supporting the lower tray and provided with a lower heater; and a control unit configured to operate the lower heater in an ice making process, wherein the control unit variably controls an output of the lower heater so that bubbles included in water in the ice chamber are gathered in a lowermost section in the ice making process.