Ice Maker Non-Contact Sensing to Prevent Mold Cavity Buildup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice maker appliances face issues with liquid water being directed onto ice pieces that remain in the mold cavities, leading to ice buildup due to freezing, which causes harvesting difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A method and appliance design utilizing a non-contact-based sensing device to detect the presence of ice within the mold cavity, enabling a controller to initiate appropriate control actions such as restricting water flow or performing an ice harvesting operation to address the presence of ice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liquid water is continuously directed into the mold cavity, then ice production continues, but ice pieces that remain in the mold cavity cause buildup and harvesting difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of ice presence in the mold cavity before directing liquid water. The controller uses sensing device data to determine whether ice pieces remain, and only allows water filling when the cavity is clear, preventing ice buildup before it occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The controller receives continuous feedback from sensing devices about ice presence in the mold cavity. This feedback loop enables the controller to adjust water filling operations dynamically - stopping water flow when ice is detected and resuming when the cavity is clear, thereby maintaining both continuous production and harvesting reliability
2Reliability
If ice pieces remain in the mold cavity after harvesting, then water freezing creates ice buildup, but detecting and removing ice pieces requires additional sensing and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical sensing mechanisms with non-contact-based sensing devices that detect ice presence through electromagnetic or optical fields. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining reliable detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing devices and controller work autonomously to detect ice presence and control water filling without manual intervention. The system self-regulates the ice making process by automatically responding to ice buildup conditions, reducing the need for complex external control mechanisms
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
Effectively prevents ice buildup by ensuring accurate detection and removal of ice pieces, enhancing the efficiency of the ice harvesting process and reducing maintenance needs.
Implementation Method 1
receiving, with the controller, non-contact-based sensing device data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker appliance includes a mold body with a mold cavity defined within. The mold cavity is configured to receive a fill of liquid water and form an ice piece within. The mold body is configured to release the ice piece after it has been formed. Additionally, the ice maker appliance includes a non-contact-based sensing device configured to generate data indicative of a temperature within the mold cavity. Furthermore, the ice maker appliance includes a controller operatively coupled to the non-contact-based sensing device. The controller is configured to detect a presence of the ice piece within the mold cavity based on the data generated by the non-contact-based sensing device.