Ice-Making Box Connector Design for Quick De-Icing and Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice-making devices are cumbersome for de-icing and cleaning due to complex gear and rack transmission modes, requiring users to disassemble and reassemble multiple ice-making boxes, which is inconvenient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
An ice-making device with a connector system that allows for easy assembly and disassembly of ice-making boxes by switching between releasing and limiting positions, enabling axial movement for disassembly and linkage for assembly, and allowing for simultaneous de-icing of multiple boxes by rotating the operating member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gear and rack transmission modes are used for de-icing, then de-icing function is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex gear and rack transmission components from the de-icing mechanism. Instead of using mechanical transmission, the invention directly connects the operating member to the ice-making boxes through a simplified connector, eliminating unnecessary transmission elements while maintaining the de-icing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by making the ice-making boxes detachable and connectable through a simple connector rather than using a fixed complex transmission system. The operating member can directly drive multiple boxes when connected, or boxes can be detached for cleaning without requiring complex disassembly of transmission components.
2Productivity
If multiple ice-making boxes are used, then ice production capacity increases, but disassembly and assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ice-making system into multiple detachable ice-making boxes that can be independently removed and reattached. Each box is designed as a separate module that connects to the operating member through a simple connector, allowing users to quickly detach all boxes for cleaning and reattach them without complex procedures, thus maintaining high ice production capacity while minimizing time loss during maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed to dynamically switch between connected and detached states, allowing the ice-making boxes to be quickly attached or removed from the operating member. This dynamic connection system enables rapid disassembly for cleaning and quick reassembly, maintaining productivity while reducing time loss.
3Ease of operation
If ice-making boxes are made detachable for easy cleaning, then ease of operation improves, but transmission and linkage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized connector as an intermediary component between the operating member and ice-making boxes. This connector ensures stable transmission and linkage when boxes are attached, while simultaneously enabling easy detachment for cleaning. The connector acts as a mediator that provides both stability during operation and ease of disassembly during maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector dynamically transitions between a locked connected state that provides stable transmission and a released detached state that enables easy cleaning. This dynamic design allows the system to maintain stability during ice-making operation while facilitating convenient disassembly for maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
An ice-making device and a refrigeration machine are provided. The ice-making device includes a bracket, provided with a plurality of ice-making boxes; an operating member, mounted on the bracket; and a connector, connected between the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes to facilitate the operating member to drive the plurality of ice-making boxes to act; where the connector is provided with a plurality of releasing holes and limiting holes being in one-to-one correspondence with the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes and communicating with each other; the connector is switched between a releasing position at which the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are respectively connected to the releasing holes and are disassembled from the releasing holes, and a limiting position at which the operating member and the plurality of ice-making boxes are respectively connected to the limiting holes.