Ice maker with rotating ice tray
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators with bottom-mount configurations face challenges in placing ice makers within the fresh food compartment, which is typically above freezing temperature, leading to inefficient ice production and storage due to temperature fluctuations and the need for complex assembly and ice transportation systems.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker is integrated into the fresh food compartment with a rotatable ice mold and evaporator, allowing for ice formation and harvesting while maintaining a sub-freezing temperature, and a heater for ice separation, along with a drip tray for water management, enabling efficient ice production and dispensing without exposing ice to ambient temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ice maker is placed in the fresh food compartment of a bottom-mount refrigerator, then ice can be produced and stored at a convenient location, but the ice is exposed to temperatures above freezing which causes partial melting and requires complex transportation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The fresh food compartment is segmented into a sub-freezing zone for ice storage and the rest of the compartment for food storage at refrigeration temperatures. This allows ice to be stored at sub-freezing temperatures while still being accessible from the fresh food compartment, resolving the contradiction between convenience and stability
Solution Approach 2:
An insulated ice storage bin acts as an intermediary between the ice maker and the ambient fresh food compartment environment. The bin maintains a sub-freezing microenvironment for ice storage while being located within the fresh food compartment, eliminating the need for complex transportation systems
2Reliability
If the ice maker is placed in the freezer compartment of a bottom-mount refrigerator, then ice can be stored at sub-freezing temperatures, but the ice storage location is inconvenient as it is close to the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The ice storage bin is positioned vertically within the fresh food compartment at an elevated, convenient height rather than at floor level. This dimensional repositioning maintains sub-freezing temperatures through insulation while improving accessibility for users
3Temperature
If a dedicated ice maker evaporator is added to the fresh food compartment, then sub-freezing temperature can be maintained for ice production, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ice maker evaporator serves dual functions: it cools the ice mold for ice production and also maintains the sub-freezing temperature in the ice storage bin. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
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 solution allows for effective ice production and storage in the fresh food compartment of bottom-mount refrigerators, minimizing ice melting and simplifying assembly by maintaining a sub-freezing environment within the compartment and facilitating convenient ice dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
an ice maker evaporator disposed adjacent the ice mold and dedicated to cooling the ice mold to a temperature below zero degrees Centigrade
Implementation Method 2
A heater is rotatable with the ice mold and operable to provide a heating effect to the ice mold to thereby separate congealed ice pieces from the ice mold during an ice harvesting operation
Implementation Method 3
A refrigeration system comprises a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food and freezer compartments
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment. An ice maker with an ice mold is disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. A refrigeration system includes a system evaporator and an ice maker evaporator dedicated to cooling the ice mold. A frame rotatably supports the ice mold within the fresh food compartment between an ice-forming position and an ice-harvesting position. The frame supports the ice maker evaporator at a stationary position that serves as a pivot axis for the ice mold so the ice mold can rotate around the ice maker evaporator between the ice-forming position and the ice-harvesting position, while the ice maker evaporator remains stationary. In one example, a heater is rotatable with the ice mold, and a drip tray is located underneath ice mold and rotatable with the ice mold.