Ice Tray Draft-Angle Geometry for Clear Cube Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Trapped air in ice cubes during the freezing process results in cloudy appearance and undesirable taste, and existing methods for producing clear ice are costly and inefficient, particularly in consumer refrigerators.
Innovation Solution
An ice making apparatus with a metallic ice forming plate and a grid system that forms compartments with a draft angle of 17° to 25°, allowing for the rotation and twisting of the grid to separate clear ice bodies, which are then collected in a storage container, utilizing a combination of thermal conductivity and air circulation to remove air bubbles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water is frozen to form ice cubes using conventional methods, then ice cubes are produced, but trapped air makes the ice cubes cloudy in appearance and gives them an undesirable taste
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making tray is divided into multiple compartments with dividing walls that create separate freezing zones. This segmentation allows air bubbles to be trapped in specific regions and prevents them from distributing throughout the entire ice cube, enabling clearer ice formation in each compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional ice making approach by allowing water to freeze from the top surface downward rather than from the bottom upward. This inversion enables air bubbles to rise and escape during the freezing process, resulting in clearer ice without trapped bubbles.
2Manufacturing precision
If costly processing techniques are used to manufacture clear ice, then clear ice can be produced, but the cost increases and the appliance becomes less practical for consumer use
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making tray design enables the system to produce clear ice automatically through its own structure - the dividing walls and compartment geometry naturally guide air bubble escape and facilitate clear ice formation without requiring external processing equipment or additional costly components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the ice making compartments, specifically the draft angle of the sidewalls (15-30 degrees from vertical), to optimize air bubble escape and clear ice formation. This parameter optimization achieves clear ice production through simple geometric design rather than complex processing techniques.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the draft angle of the sidewalls is too shallow, then air bubbles can escape more easily, but the structural strength of the ice compartment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the draft angle parameter to a specific range (15-30 degrees from vertical) that balances two competing requirements: shallow enough to allow air bubbles to escape during freezing, but steep enough to maintain sufficient structural strength for the compartment walls. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between bubble escape and structural integrity.
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 solution effectively produces clear ice by allowing air bubbles to escape during the freezing process, resulting in clear and flavorful ice cubes without the need for costly processing techniques, enhancing the quality of beverages.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic ice forming plate with a top surface and a bottom surface
Implementation Method 2
The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate of about 17° to about 25°
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17° to about 25° degrees.