Ice making assembly for a refrigerating appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice making assemblies in refrigerators are large, inefficient, prone to performance issues such as jamming and clogging, and require excessive energy consumption due to inefficient ice release mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The ice making assembly features a resilient mold with a heat exchanger, a lifter mechanism, and a sweep assembly driven by a motor, along with localized heating elements to prevent clogging and enhance ice ejection efficiency, utilizing a compact design that maximizes storage capacity and minimizes energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a harvest heater is placed far from the water discharge spout to release ice cubes from the mold, then the ice cubes can be released, but the heater must be turned on for a long period to melt the clogged water spout, increasing energy consumption and adding time to the cube formation process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the harvest heater in close proximity to the water discharge spout where ice buildup occurs. This localized placement allows the heater to efficiently melt ice at the critical clogging point without requiring extended operation time, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining reliable ice release functionality.
2Productivity
If a sweep arm is used to pass through the ice mold and eject the ice cubes, then ice cubes can be ejected, but water may freeze in locations that cause the sweep arm to jam, resulting in ejection failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing preventive measures against ice formation that could cause jamming. The system includes heating elements positioned to prevent ice buildup on the sweep arm and in the discharge path before the ejection cycle begins, ensuring reliable operation without jamming failures.
3Reliability
If a twist tray icemaker with a partitioned plastic mold is used to break the bond between ice and tray, then ice cubes can be released, but additional room is required to fully rotate and twist the tray, and ice cubes are frequently fractured during the twisting process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical twisting action with a thermal field approach. Instead of physically rotating and deforming the mold tray, the system uses strategically positioned heating elements to melt the bond between the ice cubes and the tray walls, enabling ice release without requiring additional space for tray rotation or risking cube fracture from mechanical stress.
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 provides a compact, efficient, and reliable ice making system that reduces jamming and clogging, enhances ice ejection, and optimizes energy use, ensuring consistent ice production and storage capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient mold (210) positioned for receiving a flow of water from a water supply spout (202) and containing that water until ice cubes (204) are formed
Implementation Method 2
one or more heating elements (312) selectively energized when ice buildup is detected in the fill cup (214)
Implementation Method 3
a lift mechanism (240) positioned below the resilient mold (210) and configured for raising the resilient mold to deform it and release the ice cubes (204)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An ice making assembly (200) and a refrigerator appliance (100) comprising the ice making assembly (200). The refrigerator appliance (100) comprises a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door (128), an icebox (150) mounted to the door and defining an ice making chamber (154), and an ice making assembly (200) positioned within the ice making chamber (154). The ice making assembly (200) comprises: an resilient mold (210) defining a mold cavity (212); a fill cup (214) positioned above the resilient mold (210) for selectively filling the mold cavity with water; a heat exchanger (220) in thermal communication with the resilient mold to freeze the water and form one or more ice cubes; and a heating element (312) in thermal communication with the fill cup for selectively heating the fill cup to prevent ice jams or clogging.