Ice Making Tray with Stirrer to Eliminate Bubbles for Transparent Ice

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ice making methods in refrigerators often result in opaque ice due to supersaturated gases forming bubbles, which affect the transparency of the ice.

Innovation Solution

A refrigerator system that includes an ice making tray with a cooling system and a stirrer submerged in the tray, where the stirrer stirs the water while cooling, using different speed stages and blade configurations to eliminate bubbles and freeze water from the bottom, ensuring transparent ice formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If direct cooling method is used to freeze water quickly, then ice making speed is improved, but gas bubbles form causing opaque ice

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice making speedVSAvoidice transparency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The stirrer performs preliminary action by agitating the water before and during the freezing process to prevent gas bubble formation and ensure uniform freezing from bottom to top, resulting in transparent ice while maintaining efficient cooling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The stirrer operates periodically during the freezing process, alternating between stirring and stopping, to continuously prevent bubble formation while allowing freezing to progress, achieving both speed and transparency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 system effectively produces transparent ice by eliminating bubbles during the freezing process, improving ice clarity and efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the ice making tray may receive cooling energy by heat conduction from the refrigerant tube

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the stirrer stirs the water stored in the ice making tray

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStirring: Stirring

Implementation Method 3

the refrigerant tube extends to the inside of the ice making chamber to freeze water and comes into direct contact with the ice making tray

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

freezing speed of water for ice making is fast

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFreezing: Freezing

Data Source

PatentUS11079153B2Refrigerator and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2021.08.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed herein are a refrigerator includes an ice making tray, a cooling system, a stirrer, at least a portion of which is submerged in the ice making tray, a stirring motor coupled to the stirrer, and a controller storing instructions and configured to execute the stored instructions to control the stirring motor to drive the stirrer while controlling the cooling system to cool water stored in the ice making tray. While the cooling system cools the water stored in the ice making tray, the stirrer stirs the water stored in the ice making tray.