Ice Maker Sensor-Based Failure Detection for Harvest and Leak Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ice pieces may not be properly harvested from the ice tray, leading to failure modes such as remaining stuck or not forming, and liquid water may leak from the tray, causing improper function of the ice maker.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker system with a sensor assembly and controller that senses conditions of the ice storage bin to detect failure modes by monitoring ice piece harvesting and weight/impact, adjusting operations to release stuck ice pieces and detect leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ice pieces are formed in the ice tray, then ice production is achieved, but ice pieces may not be properly harvested and remain stuck in the tray
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensors to detect whether ice pieces have been successfully harvested from the ice tray. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify when ice pieces remain stuck and triggers appropriate responses, such as attempting additional harvest cycles or notifying the user of a potential malfunction, thereby improving harvesting reliability without compromising ice production capability
2Productivity
If the ice maker operates continuously, then ice supply is maintained, but water may leak from the ice tray
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to monitor for water leakage from the ice tray during continuous operation. When leakage is detected, the system can pause or adjust the ice making process to prevent further issues, allowing continuous ice supply while mitigating the harmful effect of water leakage through real-time monitoring and responsive control
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a sensor assembly is added to detect failure modes, then detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting ice piece harvest status, monitoring for water leakage, and identifying potential tray failures. By consolidating these detection capabilities into a single multi-functional sensor system rather than separate sensors for each function, the patent improves failure mode detection while minimizing the increase in 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
Effectively detects and responds to ice tray failures, ensuring proper ice harvesting and preventing water leaks, thereby maintaining the ice maker's functionality.
Implementation Method 1
sensing, with a sensor assembly, conditions of the ice storage bin
Implementation Method 2
sensing, with a sensor assembly, conditions of the ice storage bin
Data Source
AI summary
A method for operating an ice maker appliance includes a step of directing a fill of liquid water to compartments of an ice tray. The method also includes a step of operating a harvest mechanism to harvest ice pieces formed within the compartments of the ice tray. The method may further include a step of sensing, with a sensor assembly, conditions of an ice storage bin. The method may also include a step of determining, based on the sensed conditions of the ice storage bin, an amount of ice pieces harvested from the ice tray. The method may further include a step of detecting, based on the determined amount of ice pieces harvested, a failure mode of the ice tray.