Ice Maker Tray Positioning and Transparent Ice Formation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators struggle to produce ice with uniform transparency regardless of shape and often result in opaque ice due to incomplete bubble removal, and there are challenges in accurately positioning and moving trays without damaging drivers or causing ice to drop during power cycles.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design with a first and second tray forming an ice making cell, where a heater is used to move bubbles in the ice making process, and a controller adjusts heating and cooling based on mass and heat transfer to ensure uniform transparency, while a driver moves the second tray accurately between positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water is cooled in the ice making cell to form ice, then ice is produced, but bubbles remain trapped in the ice making it opaque
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the heating amount of the transparent ice heater and cooling power of the cooler to vary in response to changes in heat transfer amount between water and cold air. This dynamic adjustment of thermal parameters enables uniform transparency throughout the ice making process by optimizing bubble removal at different stages of ice formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by operating the transparent ice heater and cooler simultaneously and continuously during the ice making process. The heater and cooler work in conjunction to maintain continuous convection currents that progressively remove bubbles from the water as it freezes, ensuring uniform transparency throughout the entire ice block.
2Ease of operation
If the second tray is moved to a water supply position different from the ice making position, then water supply is enabled, but the driver may be damaged during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling the second tray to move to the water supply position before the ice making process begins. This advance positioning ensures that water is supplied to the correct location prior to freezing, while the controlled movement sequence prevents driver damage by establishing proper tray positions in advance of the ice making operation.
3Productivity
If the refrigerator is turned on after being turned off with ice in the ice making cell, then the refrigerator resumes operation, but ice may drop during tray movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling the second tray to move to the water supply position before resuming ice making operations after a power cycle. This preliminary positioning ensures that the tray is correctly situated to prevent ice from dropping during the movement and positioning operations that follow system restart.
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 achieves transparent ice with uniform transparency and prevents tray damage and ice drop during power cycles by controlling heating and cooling based on mass and heat transfer, ensuring precise tray positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to supply heat to the ice making cell... so that bubbles dissolved in water within ice making cell move from a portion at which ice is made toward liquid water
Implementation Method 2
a first tray configured to form a portion of an ice making cell in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a storage chamber which stores food; a cold air supply means which supplies cold air to the storage chamber; a first tray which forms a part of an ice making cell that is a space where water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air; a second tray which forms another part of the ice making cell may come into contact with the first tray during an ice making process, and may be separated from the first tray during an ice transfer process; a heater which is positioned adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; a sensor which determines the position of the second tray in a movement process of the second tray; and a control unit which controls the heater. Once a second signal is output from the sensor at the point of time when an initialization operation of the second tray starts, the control unit controls the second tray so that the second tray moves in the reverse direction for A seconds and then moves in the forward direction for B seconds. Once a first signal is output from the sensor after the second tray moves in the forward direction for B seconds, the control unit controls the second tray so that the second tray moves in the forward direction until an output changes to the second signal in the sensor. At the point of time when the output of the sensor changes to the second signal, the control unit recognizes, as a water supply position, a place where the second tray is positioned. output from the sensor at the point of time when an initialization operation of the second tray starts, the control unit controls the second tray so that the second tray moves in the reverse direction for A seconds and then moves in the forward direction for B seconds. Once a first signal is output from the sensor after the second tray moves in