Ice-making device for square cubes using pan partition and pin serpentine evaporators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ice-making machines produce ice cubes with undesirable features such as empty centers or dimples, failing to meet consumer preferences for visually appealing ice shapes.
Innovation Solution
An ice-making machine equipped with both pan- and pin-shaped evaporators, allowing independent control, where the pan-shaped evaporator cools from the exterior and the pin-shaped evaporator cools from the inside, ensuring efficient and even freezing without dimples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single evaporator design is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ice particle shape quality deteriorates due to dimples or empty centers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different evaporator designs (pan evaporator and pin evaporator) into a single integrated system. The pan evaporator provides outer surface cooling while the pin evaporator provides inner surface cooling, allowing the system to produce ice particles with uniform density and no dimples by merging the functional benefits of both designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different cooling mechanisms to different regions of the ice particle formation area. The pan evaporator cools the outer surfaces while the pin evaporator cools the inner surfaces, creating local quality differences in the cooling approach that result in uniform ice particle formation throughout the entire particle.
2Device complexity
If only outer surface cooling is used, then the evaporator structure is simpler, but the freezing efficiency deteriorates due to slower heat removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-dimension cooling (outer surface only) to multi-dimensional cooling by adding inner surface cooling through pin evaporators that extend into the water. This dimensional addition allows heat to be removed from both the outer and inner surfaces simultaneously, dramatically increasing freezing efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional evaporators are used, then the device is easier to manufacture, but the ice particles have undesirable dimples reducing visual appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges pan and pin evaporator designs to eliminate the dimpling problem that plagues conventional evaporators. The combination allows uniform cooling throughout the ice particle, producing visually appealing uniform cubes while maintaining reasonable manufacturability through modular construction.
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 machine produces visually appealing, cube-shaped ice particles with no significant dimples, improving cooling efficiency by reducing the refrigerant's workload and facilitating easier ice ejection.
Implementation Method 1
A first fluid line is connected to the compressor at one end and the first evaporator at a second end, for carrying a first portion of the refrigerant to the first evaporator. A second fluid line is connected to the compressor at one end and the second evaporator at a second end, for carrying a second portion of the refrigerant to the second evaporator.
Implementation Method 2
The pan-shaped evaporator cools the water and the forming cube from the exterior sides inward.
Implementation Method 3
The pin-shaped evaporator cools the water and the forming cube from the inside out, ensuring a quicker and more efficient cooling
Implementation Method 4
Water is sprayed on or otherwise applied to the cell, where it is frozen.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an ice making evaporator that combines the cubic shape of pan and partition evaporators with the central ice making of a pin evaporator to achieve an ice shape that is mostly cubic. Separation of the cooling ability of these two evaporator portions allows cube shaping during ice making cycle based on time, temperature, pressure, or other variables.