Ice-Making Assembly Detecting Lever Repositioning to Prevent Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice-making assemblies in refrigerators face issues with ice detection levers causing jamming and requiring additional space for rotation, leading to detection failures and increased thickness of the refrigerator door.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pivotable detecting lever with a bent wire shape, positioned below the ice maker, which rotates 180° and pivots 90°, minimizing interference with the ice maker and allowing full ice state detection without additional space, using a support bracket and driver for power, and a driver mechanism with a cam gear system for precise lever control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ice detecting arm is positioned on the side of the DC motor and rotates to detect ice amount, then the detection function is achieved, but additional space is required on the motor side and assembly tolerance causes rubbing or collision with surrounding structures
Solution Approach 1:
The ice detecting lever is repositioned from the side of the DC motor to the lower side of the ice maker, changing the spatial dimension of operation. This allows the lever to rotate in a different plane that does not interfere with the motor or surrounding structures, eliminating the need for additional space on the motor side and preventing collision issues caused by assembly tolerances.
2Reliability
If the ice detecting arm rotates on the side of the DC motor, then ice amount detection is possible, but the refrigerator door thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection lever is relocated to operate in a different spatial dimension (lower side of ice maker) rather than on the side of the DC motor. This repositioning allows the detection function to be maintained while avoiding the space constraints that would otherwise increase the refrigerator door thickness.
3Reliability
If the ice detecting arm is in the ice storage container during ice separation, then detection occurs, but ice may get caught between the lever and ice-making dish causing jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The ice detecting lever is extracted from the ice storage container area and repositioned to rotate on the lower side of the ice maker. This separation removes the lever from the ice separation zone, preventing ice from getting caught between the lever and ice-making dish during the twisting motion, thereby eliminating the jamming problem while maintaining detection functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice-making assembly of the present disclosure an ice maker for making ice, an ice bin located below the ice maker, wherein the ice bin stores ice separated from the ice maker therein, and a detecting lever located below the ice maker and including a pivotable detecting body, wherein the detecting lever detects a full ice state of the ice bin.