Ice Maker Top-Down Cooling to Reduce Gas Inclusion and Cloudiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers produce cloudy ice pieces due to the inclusion of gases during the freezing process, which affects the clarity and aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker incorporates a cooling supply device that cools the moulding element from the top downwards, allowing gases to be displaced into a residual liquid below, which is then collected in a liquid reservoir, ensuring clear ice formation by layer-by-layer freezing and maintaining the residual liquid above freezing temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cooling is applied to the moulding element, then the liquid freezes to form ice pieces, but gases are included in the ice causing cloudiness
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is initiated from the upper region of the moulding element before the freezing front reaches the lower regions. This preliminary cooling action establishes a controlled freezing sequence that pushes gases downward into the liquid reservoir before ice formation completes, preventing gas entrapment in the final ice structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of cooling from the bottom or sides as in conventional ice makers, the invention cools from the top downwards. This inverted cooling direction reverses the typical freezing progression, causing ice to form from the upper surface and progressively move downward, thereby expelling gases into the reservoir rather than trapping them in the ice.
2Manufacturing precision
If the moulding element is cooled from above, then layer-by-layer freezing occurs from top to bottom, but the liquid volume must be precisely controlled to maintain residual liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls the liquid volume parameter within a specific range (50-80% of moulding element volume) to ensure sufficient residual liquid remains after freezing. By adjusting this parameter, the system maintains optimal conditions for gas displacement into the reservoir while ensuring complete ice formation in the moulding element.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid reservoir acts as a copy or backup container for the liquid that will be frozen. By maintaining a reservoir with liquid at the same composition and temperature characteristics as the moulding element liquid, the system ensures that gases displaced during freezing are absorbed into an identical medium, preserving ice clarity without requiring complex control mechanisms.
3Manufacturing precision
If residual liquid is maintained below the ice piece, then gases are displaced into the reservoir, but the liquid must be kept above freezing temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different thermal conditions to different regions: the moulding element is actively cooled from above to achieve freezing, while the liquid reservoir is thermally isolated or heated to maintain temperatures above freezing. This local differentiation of thermal quality enables simultaneous ice formation and gas absorption without freezing the reservoir liquid.
Solution Approach 2:
The residual liquid in the reservoir serves as an intermediary medium that receives and absorbs gases displaced during freezing. By maintaining this intermediary liquid above freezing temperature through separate thermal control, the system provides a safe destination for gases without risking reservoir freezing, thereby ensuring continuous gas displacement capability.
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 method results in clear or transparent ice pieces with clarity greater than 90% by preventing gas inclusion, utilizing static cooling and controlled liquid temperature to enhance ice clarity and quality.
Implementation Method 1
By cooling the at least one moulding element, the liquid in the moulding element could freeze or change to a solid state
Implementation Method 2
at least one cooling supply device (5), which supplies a cooled fluid to the at least one moulding element (2) in such a way that it impinges on an upper area (2a) of the at least one moulding element along a height axis (Z)
Implementation Method 3
there is a residual amount of liquid along the height axis (Z) below the forming ice piece, in which any gas present can be dissolved
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an ice maker, in particular for a household appliance, comprising at least one moulding element which is suitable and intended for moulding an ice piece, wherein the at least one moulding element is fluidically connected to a liquid supply device, wherein at least one cooling supply device is provided, which supplies a cooled fluid to the at least one moulding element in such a way that it impinges on an upper area of the at least one moulding element along the height axis, wherein the liquid supply device comprises at least one liquid reservoir which is arranged along the height axis below the at least one moulding element.