Ice Maker Appliance with Pod-Based Additive Infusion for Flavored Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice maker appliances produce bland ice from water without flavor or nutrients, lacking variety and nutritional value.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker appliance with a pod receiver and mixing chamber configuration that infuses liquid water with additives such as flavorants before forming ice, using a pod receiver to hold an additive-containing pod and a mixing chamber to mix the water and additive before freezing in a mold cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ice maker appliances produce ice solely from water, then the ice making process is simple, but the resulting ice is bland and lacks flavor or nutrients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds a pod containing additive material inside the ice maker assembly, with the pod nested within the mold body structure. The pod is positioned to release additive material directly into the mold cavity during the ice making process, allowing flavor or nutrient infusion without requiring external mixing equipment or complex delivery systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pod as an intermediary carrier that holds additive material (flavorants, nutrients, etc.) and delivers it to the water in the mold cavity. The pod acts as a mediator between the additive material and the water, controlling the release and mixing process while keeping the additive material contained until the appropriate time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additives are mixed with water before freezing, then infused ice with flavor and nutrients is produced, but additional components (pod receiver, mixing chamber) are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pod receiver, mixing chamber, and mold body into a single integrated ice maker assembly. The pod receiver is positioned to hold the pod, the mixing chamber is formed within the mold body structure, and the additive release mechanism is integrated with the water delivery system, allowing all functions to be performed by one unified device rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold body structure serves multiple functions: it acts as the freezing chamber, contains the mixing chamber for combining water and additive, provides the pod receiver for holding the additive pod, and facilitates the mixing process. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
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
Produces infused ice with flavor and nutrients, enhancing the taste and nutritional profile of ice cubes.
Implementation Method 1
a working fluid is used to directly cool the mold body, e.g., by conductive heat transfer
Implementation Method 2
the air around the mold body may be cooled such that the mold body is indirectly cooled via the air
Implementation Method 3
the additive mixes with the amount of water in the mixing chamber upstream of the mold cavity to form the volume of liquid
Implementation Method 4
flowing an amount of water through the pod receiver into the mixing chamber and flowing the additive into the mixing chamber
Implementation Method 5
the mold cavity is configured for receiving a volume of liquid therein and retaining the volume of liquid to form an ice piece in the mold cavity
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker appliance includes a mold body, a pod receiver slot upstream of the mold body, and a mixing chamber downstream of the pod receiver slot and upstream of the mold body. The mixing chamber is configured to retain an amount of water and an additive, whereby the additive mixes with the amount of water in the mixing chamber upstream of the mold cavity to form a volume of liquid. Thus, the volume of liquid which comprises the additive and the amount of water may be received by a mold cavity in the mold body, and an ice piece may be formed in the mold cavity, the ice piece containing the amount of water and the additive.