Ice making method and system for refrigerator appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerator appliances with a bottom freezer configuration, locating the ice maker in the freezer chamber can be inconvenient, and existing solutions do not provide efficient ice making options outside of the freezer chamber.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker is positioned outside of the freezer chamber, proximate to the fresh food chamber, and is thermally communicated with the freezer evaporator via a fan, supply duct, and return duct, using a harvest heater to operate independently of the freezer evaporator for ice production and defrosting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ice maker is located in the freezer chamber, then ice making can utilize the cold environment directly, but the appliance design becomes less flexible and less convenient for users
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker is segmented from the freezer chamber and placed in a separate location (fresh food chamber or other convenient location), allowing independent positioning while maintaining thermal connection through ducts and fans
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal communication system consisting of supply ducts, return ducts, and fans acts as an intermediary to transfer cold air from the freezer evaporator to the ice maker, enabling remote operation while maintaining freezing capability
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ice maker operates independently outside the freezer chamber, then design flexibility and user convenience are improved, but additional components (fan, ducts, harvest heater) are required
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer evaporator serves dual purposes: cooling the freezer chamber and providing cold air to the remotely located ice maker through the thermal communication system, reducing the need for separate cooling components
Solution Approach 2:
The harvest heater enables the ice maker to harvest ice cubes by melting them independently, without requiring manual removal or additional harvesting mechanisms, making the system self-sufficient
3Productivity
If the harvest heater is activated to heat the mold body for ice harvesting, then ice can be released from the mold, but the freezer evaporator must be deactivated to provide warm air
Solution Approach 1:
The freezer evaporator operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active (providing cold air for ice formation) and inactive (allowing warm air for ice harvesting) states, enabling sequential ice making and harvesting operations
Solution Approach 2:
The controller pre-cools the mold body and surrounding air using the freezer evaporator before activating the harvest heater, ensuring the ice is properly formed and frozen before the harvesting process begins
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
This configuration allows for efficient ice production and defrosting without the need to locate the ice maker in the freezer chamber, providing convenience and flexibility in appliance design.
Implementation Method 1
The ice maker is in thermal communication with a freezer evaporator via a fan, a supply duct, and a return duct
Implementation Method 2
The ice maker includes a harvest heater
Implementation Method 3
activating a fan to flow cold air to the heat exchanger from a freezer evaporator
Implementation Method 4
The refrigerator appliance also includes an ice maker disposed within the sealed icebox compartment, the ice maker including a mold body and a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger extends through the sealed icebox compartment at the heat exchange opening and the heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the mold body
Implementation Method 5
activating a fan to flow cold air to the heat exchanger from a freezer evaporator positioned proximate the freezer chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber below the fresh food chamber. The refrigerator appliance further includes an ice maker disposed within the cabinet outside of the freezer chamber and proximate to the fresh food chamber. The ice maker is in thermal communication with a freezer evaporator via a fan, a supply duct, and a return duct. The ice maker includes a harvest heater and the freezer evaporator is deactivated while the harvest heater is active.