Ice-making device for a refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice-making devices for refrigerators face issues such as water runoff, contamination of ice with food odors, inconvenient ice withdrawal, and unnecessary cold air discharge, leading to increased power consumption and unsanitary ice storage.
Innovation Solution
An ice-making device with a detachable water tank and ice-making housing that includes a guide rib and groove system to prevent water runoff, a valve for controlled water supply, and a pivoting mechanism for easy ice tray operation, allowing for odor-free ice storage and reduced cold air loss during withdrawal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the ice-making device is installed inside the freezing chamber, then the ice can be made using cold air from the chamber, but the ice may be contaminated with food odors and water may run down inside the chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-making device is extracted from the freezing chamber interior and mounted on the door. The ice bank is separated into a detachable container that can be removed independently through the home bar opening, preventing odor contamination while maintaining cold air utilization during the ice-making process.
Solution Approach 2:
The door mounting structure acts as an intermediary between the freezing chamber and the ice storage space. The home bar opening serves as an intermediate access point for removing the ice bank without opening the main freezing chamber door, preventing odor exposure during ice withdrawal.
2Ease of operation
If the ice bank is stored inside the freezing chamber, then the ice is readily accessible, but cold air is discharged when the door is opened and food odors may contaminate the ice
Solution Approach 1:
The ice storage system is segmented into a detachable ice bank container that can be removed through the home bar opening. This allows the ice to be accessed and removed without opening the main freezing chamber door, preventing cold air discharge while maintaining ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice bank is extracted from the main freezing chamber space and stored in a detachable container mounted on the door. This enables independent removal of the ice bank through the smaller home bar opening, avoiding the need to open the large freezing chamber door and preventing unnecessary cold air loss.
3Device complexity
If the water tank is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but the ice-making device cannot be easily removed or cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-making device is segmented into detachable components including the water tank, ice tray, and ice bank container. Each component can be independently removed for cleaning or replacement, maintaining structural simplicity while enabling easy maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structure transitions from a fixed rigid connection to a detachable dynamic connection. The ice bank container can be easily removed from the door mounting, allowing for simple cleaning and maintenance without complex disassembly procedures.
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
Prevents water runoff, maintains ice sanitation, facilitates convenient ice withdrawal, and minimizes cold air discharge, resulting in efficient and economical operation.
Implementation Method 1
a guide groove formed by depressing upward a portion of a bottom surface of the water tank, the ice-making housing is provided with a guide rib protruding upward from the top surface of the ice-making housing, and the water tank can be guided by allowing the guide rib to be inserted and slid in the guide groove
Implementation Method 2
a valve for selectively opening or closing the discharge port
Implementation Method 3
support shafts are provided at both lateral sides of the ice tray to pivotally support the ice tray on the first ice-making housing
Implementation Method 4
an ice-making groove in which water supplied from the water tank is frozen into ice
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to an ice-making device for a refrigerator and a refrigerator having the same. The ice-making device of the present invention comprises a water tank detachably mounted to a rear surface of a refrigerator door, an ice-making housing detachably mounted to the rear surface of the door below the water tank and provided with a predetermined installation space therein, an ice tray mounted into the installation space and provided with an ice-making groove in which water supplied from the water tank is frozen into ice, and an ice bank for storing ice made in the ice tray, wherein the ice bank can be received in or withdrawn from the installation space. According to the present invention, there are advantages in that ice-making water can be prevented from running down from the ice tray, ice made in the ice tray can be prevented from being impregnated with odor of other foods, the ice can be more easily withdrawn while the loss of cold air is minimized, and the ice can be prevented from being impregnated with odor of the other foods.