Ice Making Assembly with Directional Freezing for Clear Ice Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ice making methods result in cloudy or opaque ice cubes due to trapped impurities and gases, which can impart undesirable flavors and uneven melting, and existing solutions are often complex or inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An ice making assembly comprising a conductive ice mold, an insulator ice mold, and an external insulator jacket, where the insulator ice mold defines an internal water passage that allows impurities to be carried away from the freezing water, preventing them from becoming trapped in the ice, and the external insulator jacket covers this passage to facilitate even freezing and clear ice formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water freezes from sides and outer surfaces first in typical ice makers, then ice cubes form quickly, but impurities and gases become trapped inside causing cloudy appearance and uneven melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional freezing approach by initiating freezing from the bottom surface upward through the conductive mold, rather than from the sides and top surfaces as in traditional ice makers. This inversion allows impurities and gases to rise to the top water passage during freezing, where they are removed by the insulator mold, resulting in clear ice cubes without sacrificing production speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts impurities and gases from the freezing water by providing a top water passage that collects these impurities as they rise during the bottom-up freezing process. The insulator mold selectively removes water from this passage, separating impurities from the clear ice being formed in the mold cavity
2Productivity
If rapid freezing is used to produce ice quickly, then productivity increases, but a dull or cloudy finish forms on the exterior surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thermal properties to different parts of the mold: the bottom and sides use conductive material for rapid heat extraction and freezing, while the top uses insulating material to control freezing rate and prevent cloudiness. This local differentiation of thermal conductivity allows rapid freezing where needed while maintaining surface quality where impurities accumulate
3Manufacturing precision
If complex methods are used to produce clear ice, then ice clarity improves, but device complexity and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mold cavity and impurity removal passage into a single integrated mold structure. The insulator mold serves dual functions: insulating the top to control freezing rate and actively removing impurities through the water passage. This merging eliminates the need for separate filtration systems or complex multi-stage processes
4Device complexity
If traditional freezing methods are used, then the process is simple, but significant volumes of unfrozen water remain with the clear ice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary removal of impurities and excess water during the freezing process itself through the top water passage and insulator mold, rather than requiring post-freezing separation. This preliminary action ensures that by the time freezing is complete, minimal unfrozen water remains with the ice cube
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 enables the rapid and reliable production of clear ice cubes without excess unfrozen water, providing a unique appearance and improved melting characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive ice mold... The conductive ice mold may define a mold cavity
Implementation Method 2
an insulator ice mold... an external insulator jacket... The external insulator jacket may cover the internal water passage
Implementation Method 3
The insulator ice mold may define an internal water passage extending above the mold cavity in fluid communication with the mold cavity
Implementation Method 4
such liquid water can freeze within the plurality of cavities to form solid ice cubes
Data Source
AI summary
An ice making assembly includes a conductive ice mold, an insulator ice mold, and an external insulator jacket. The conductive ice mold extends along a vertical direction between a top conductive mold end and a bottom conductive mold end. The conductive ice mold defines a mold cavity having a vertical opening at the top conductive mold end. The insulator ice mold is selectively received on the conductive ice mold and covers the vertical opening. The insulator ice mold defines an internal water passage extending above the mold cavity in fluid communication with the mold cavity. The external insulator jacket is selectively received on the insulator ice mold and covers the internal water passage.