Ice Maker Water Tray Preheating for Clear Ice Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers using immersion-type ice making units often produce opaque ice due to trapped air bubbles, especially when raw water is low in temperature, which affects the transparency and quality of the ice.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker design that includes a water tray member, an ice making unit with an evaporator and immersion pipe, a heating unit to raise the temperature of the raw water before cooling, and a control unit to manage the heating process, along with a movement generation unit to prevent bubble formation, ensuring clear ice production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the immersion type ice making unit is used to produce ice, then the device cost is reduced and the structure is simplified, but air bubbles are trapped in the ice causing opaque appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by heating the raw water to a predetermined temperature before the ice making process begins. This pre-heating step prevents rapid ice formation and air bubble trapping during the initial stage of freezing, thereby producing transparent ice while maintaining the simple immersion-type structure.
2Productivity
If raw water at low temperature is supplied to the water tray member, then the ice making efficiency is improved, but opaque layer is formed around the immersion pipe due to rapid ice growth
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary heating of the raw water before initiating the ice making process. This pre-heating prevents the rapid ice growth that occurs when cold water contacts the low-temperature immersion pipe, thereby avoiding opaque layer formation while maintaining efficient ice production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the raw water from low temperature to a predetermined temperature range before ice making. This parameter adjustment prevents thermal shock and rapid freezing around the immersion pipe, eliminating the cause of opaque layers while preserving ice making efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If a complicated bubble prevention structure is added to prevent air bubbles, then the ice transparency is improved, but the device complexity increases and control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex mechanical bubble prevention structures, the patent changes the temperature parameter of the raw water to a predetermined range. This simple parameter adjustment effectively prevents air bubble formation and ensures ice transparency without increasing device complexity or control difficulty.
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 effectively prevents opaque layer formation and air bubbles in ice, producing clear ice by raising the temperature of raw water and using a simple bubble prevention structure, ensuring high-quality and transparent ice production.
Implementation Method 1
a heating unit heating the raw water received in the water tray member
Implementation Method 2
an ice making unit cooling the raw water received in the water tray member and forming ice
Implementation Method 3
an evaporator having an immersion pipe immersed in the raw water received in the water tray member
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure includes a water tray member receiving raw water for ice-making from a water tank, an ice making unit cooling the raw water received in the water tray member and forming ice, a heating unit heating the raw water received in the water tray member, and a control unit controlling an operation of the heating unit such that the raw water received in the water tray member is heated before the ice making unit cools the raw water in the water tray member. According to the ice maker, the temperature of the raw water received in an ice-making water tray is raised to a preset temperature at the initial stage of an ice making process, thereby preventing the formation of an opaque layer in the central portion of ice.