Ice-Making Chamber Temperature Control for Transparent Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice making devices produce opaque ice cubes due to trapped air bubbles, and existing methods to produce transparent ice cubes are either slow or reduce ice production quantity.
Innovation Solution
An ice making device with a controller that adjusts the rate of change of temperature in the ice making container using a cooler, fan, and heater, allowing for different ice transparency modes by varying the output of these components, and incorporating a heating rod that extends from the surface to the bottom of the container to control ice formation direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the surface is firstly frozen during ice making, then ice cubes are produced efficiently, but air bubbles remain trapped and the ice cubes become opaque
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by changing the ice formation direction from surface-first (conventional) to bottom-first (inverted). The heating rod is positioned at the bottom center of the ice making container and extends upward, creating a temperature distribution that promotes ice nucleation and growth from the bottom toward the top. This inverted approach allows air bubbles to escape upward during freezing, resulting in transparent ice cubes while maintaining efficient production.
2Manufacturing precision
If a thawing stick is used to discharge air bubbles, then transparent ice cubes can be produced, but the ice making speed slows down and ice quantity reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the heating rod at the bottom center of the container before ice making begins. The rod is already in place to guide ice formation from the bottom upward, eliminating the need for subsequent thawing operations. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures transparent ice formation occurs naturally during the freezing process itself, without requiring additional time-consuming interventions.
3Manufacturing precision
If the heating rod extends from surface to bottom of the container, then ice formation direction is controlled and air bubbles are discharged, but the heater durability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary protective structure - a sleeve or housing that encloses the heating rod. This intermediary element protects the heating rod from direct contact with ice and water, reducing mechanical stress and thermal shock. The heating rod extends from the bottom center upward but is shielded by this protective intermediary structure, allowing it to control ice formation direction while maintaining durability against the harsh freezing environment.
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
Enables the production of ice cubes with varying transparency levels, improving transparency and maintaining high ice production quantity, while also simplifying the heating and ice separation process, and enhancing the durability of the heater through strategic air gaps and material selection.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler configured to supply cool air to the ice making chamber to cool the ice making water
Implementation Method 2
an ice making fan configured to circulate the supplied cool air
Implementation Method 3
an ice making heater configured to supply heat to the ice making water when the ice making water is cooled
Implementation Method 4
incorporating a heating rod that extends from the surface to the bottom of the container to control ice formation direction
Implementation Method 5
a controller configured to control at least one of the cooling unit, the ice making fan and the ice making heater to adjust a rate of change of temperature of the ice making container to generate one of two types of ice having different transparency
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an ice making device comprising: a first ice-making chamber (13); a second ice-making chamber (13) divided from the first ice-making chamber; a first ice-making unit (100) provided inside the first ice-making chamber, and including a first ice-making container provided to accommodate ice-making water; and a second ice-making unit (100) provided inside the second ice-making chamber, and including an ice-making container provided to accommodate ice-making water and a heater (120, 130) provided to supply the ice-making water with heat when cooling the ice-making water.