Refrigerator Ice Maker Water Level Control to Prevent Overflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice making assemblies for refrigerators face challenges in producing transparent ice, maintaining consistent water levels, preventing overflow, and detecting water supply errors, leading to inefficiencies and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
An ice making assembly with a tray, fins, rods, and a capacitive water level sensor that automatically adjusts water supply based on detected water levels, preventing overflow and immediately detecting water supply issues, while maintaining consistent water levels and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water supply is increased to fill ice recesses quickly, then ice making speed is improved, but water overflow occurs when pressure is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a water level sensor that provides real-time feedback on the water level in the ice recess. When the sensor detects that water has reached a predetermined level, it automatically interrupts the water supply. This feedback mechanism enables quick water supply to improve ice making speed while preventing water overflow through automatic level-based interruption.
2Manufacturing precision
If water supply is interrupted early to prevent overflow, then water level control is improved, but ice making completeness may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor provides continuous feedback during the ice making process, allowing the system to maintain precise water level control while ensuring complete ice formation. The sensor monitors water levels throughout the freezing cycle and adjusts supply accordingly, preventing both overflow and incomplete ice making.
3Quantity of substance
If additional water tanks and tubes are added to supply water to ice making tray, then water supply capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water level detection function from complex mechanical water supply systems and implements it through a simple capacitive sensor integrated into the ice recess. This approach maintains water supply capability while significantly reducing structural complexity by eliminating the need for additional tanks and complex tube arrangements.
4Device complexity
If water supply valve malfunction is not detected, then system simplicity is maintained, but power consumption increases due to unnecessary operation
Solution Approach 1:
The water level sensor provides continuous feedback on water supply status and ice making progress. When the sensor detects that water has been supplied or that the ice making cycle is complete, it signals the control system to stop operation, preventing unnecessary power consumption. This feedback mechanism enables simple detection of valve malfunctions and automatic shutdown.
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 enables easy production of transparent ice, prevents water overflow, maintains consistent water supply, and reduces unnecessary power consumption by detecting water level variations and supply errors, all without requiring additional devices.
Implementation Method 1
detecting a level of the water by detecting a capacitance variation between the earth electrode and the at least one electrode
Data Source
AI summary
An ice making assembly for a refrigerator and a method for controlling the ice making assembly are provided. The ice making assembly and the method of controlling the ice making assembly provides a constant amount of water supply for each ice making cycle regardless of environmental conditions such as the varying water supply pressure of different installation locations. Furthermore, overflowing can be prevented during water supply with the use of a capacitance water level sensor.