Stand-Alone Ice Maker UV Water Sanitization for Clean Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stand-alone ice makers lack effective sanitation and contamination control, as they often rely on unsanitary water sources and do not account for the introduction of undesirable elements, leading to potential health risks and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A stand-alone ice making appliance with a container for ice storage, a water storage volume, an ice maker, a pump, and an ultraviolet light source, where the ultraviolet light source sanitizes the water before it is used to produce ice, ensuring the ice remains sanitary and reducing cross-contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If stand-alone ice makers use water storage volumes and recirculated melt water, then ice production becomes independent from refrigeration systems, but water contamination and sanitation issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The ultraviolet light source is positioned to sanitize water in the water storage volume before the water is used by the ice maker. This preliminary sanitation action prevents contamination from occurring in the first place, addressing the harmful effect while maintaining the benefit of independence from refrigeration systems.
2Loss of energy
If stand-alone ice makers recirculate melt water, then water usage efficiency improves, but cross-contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ultraviolet light source performs preliminary sanitation on the recirculated melt water in the water storage volume before it re-enters the ice making process. This eliminates cross-contamination risks while maintaining the efficiency benefits of water recirculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultraviolet light acts as an intermediary sanitation mechanism between the melt water and the ice making process. It mediates the recirculation by sanitizing the water, allowing efficient water reuse without introducing harmful contamination.
3Device complexity
If stand-alone ice makers lack sanitation systems, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but health risks and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ultraviolet light source serves as a simple yet effective intermediary sanitation device. It provides reliable water sanitization without requiring complex mechanical or chemical sanitation systems, thus maintaining low device complexity while ensuring high sanitation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sanitation systems with an ultraviolet light-based sanitation approach. This substitution maintains reliability through effective pathogen elimination while keeping the device simple and cost-effective.
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 appliance effectively sanitizes water using ultraviolet light, producing sanitary ice and minimizing contamination risks, while being cost-effective and independent from refrigeration systems.
Implementation Method 1
The ultraviolet light source may be disposed above the reservoir along the vertical direction to selectively direct ultraviolet light into the third storage volume
Implementation Method 2
The ice maker may further include a sealed refrigeration system in thermal communication with the casing
Data Source
AI summary
A stand-alone ice making appliance and method of operation is provided. The stand-alone ice making appliance may include a container defining a first storage volume for receipt of ice, a water storage volume in fluid communication with the container to receive water from the container, an ice maker, a pump, and an ultraviolet light source. The ice maker may include an auger at least partially surrounded by a casing. The casing may be in fluid communication with the water storage volume to receive water from the water storage volume. The ice maker may further include a sealed refrigeration system in thermal communication with the casing. The pump may be in fluid communication with water storage volume for actively flowing water from the water storage volume to the ice maker. The ultraviolet light source may face the water storage volume to selectively direct ultraviolet light into the water storage volume.