Ice-Making Device with Quick-Release Connector for Multi-Box De-Icing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ice-making devices face complications in de-icing efficiency, require complex gear and rack transmission modes, and necessitate disassembly for cleaning, which is inconvenient and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

An ice-making device with a bracket, operating member, and connector system that allows for easy assembly and disassembly of ice-making boxes through a releasing and limiting position mechanism, enabling efficient de-icing by rotating the operating member.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering 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

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvede-icing functionVSAvoidtransmission structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the complex gear and rack transmission mechanisms from the de-icing system. Instead, it uses a simple operating member that directly drives the ice-making box to swing, achieving the de-icing function without the need for complicated transmission components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than using a motor-driven transmission system to achieve swinging motion, the patent inverts the approach by using a simple manual operating member that directly produces the swinging motion through user operation, thereby simplifying the overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If ice-making boxes are designed to be detachable for cleaning, then ease of maintenance is improved, but transmission and linkage structure stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning convenienceVSAvoidtransmission structure stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the ice-making device into separable components - the ice-making box can be detached from the bracket for cleaning, while the operating member remains on the bracket. This segmentation allows easy maintenance without compromising the stability of the remaining transmission structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If multiple ice-making boxes perform de-icing independently, then individual box functionality is maintained, but loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual box functionalityVSAvoidde-icing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the de-icing operation for multiple ice-making boxes into a single action. The operating member is designed to simultaneously drive multiple ice-making boxes to swing, allowing all boxes to be de-iced at the same time rather than requiring separate operations for each box.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4206577B1Ice-making device and refrigeration apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 HEFEI MIDEA REFRIGERATOR CO LTD
  • EP4206577B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4206577B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4206577B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present application relates to the field of ice-making, in particular to an ice-making device and a refrigeration machine. 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. By the ice-making device, a plurality of ice-making boxes and the operating member can be linked through a connector for de-icing, which improves the de-icing efficiency. In addition, the assembly and disassembly efficiency of the operating member and the ice-making box can be improved which is convenient for the user to clean the ice-making box.