Clear ice making apparatus having an oscillation frequency and angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers produce cloudy ice due to trapped air, which affects the taste and appearance of beverages, and require costly processing techniques to produce clear ice.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker with a rotating tray that oscillates at a frequency harmonically related to the water's movement in the tray, allowing water to transfer between compartments and releasing air bubbles, resulting in clear ice formation without the need for a drain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water is frozen in a stationary ice cube tray, then ice cubes are formed, but trapped air makes the ice cloudy in appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The ice cube tray is oscillated mechanically during the freezing process. This vibration causes water to move between compartments and prevents air bubbles from becoming trapped in the ice, resulting in clear ice cubes without requiring costly processing techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a stationary ice tray to a dynamically oscillating tray. The tray moves back and forth during freezing, creating fluid motion that allows air to escape and water to redistribute, producing clear ice while maintaining simple consumer refrigerator compatibility
2Manufacturing precision
If costly processing techniques are used to produce clear ice, then ice clarity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating tray system enables the ice making process to self-clear air bubbles through natural water movement during freezing. This eliminates the need for external costly processing techniques while maintaining clear ice production in a simple consumer refrigerator environment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and motion parameters of the water during freezing by oscillating the tray. This dynamic parameter change allows air to escape naturally during the phase change from liquid to solid, producing clear ice without complex post-processing equipment
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 releasing air bubbles and forming ice in a consumer refrigerator environment, improving the taste and appearance of ice cubes while eliminating the need for costly processing techniques.
Implementation Method 1
The frequency of oscillation (ω) is harmonically related to the frequency of movement of water in the tray
Implementation Method 2
A source of freezing temperature is coupled to the ice making tray to freeze water in the tray
Data Source
AI summary
An ice making tray has an array of individual ice cube compartments. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the tray and rotates the tray from a horizontal plane in opposite directions along an axis through an angle φ of about 20° to 40°, such that water in the tray moves between ice cube compartments. The frequency of oscillation (ω) is harmonically related to the frequency of movement of water in the tray and is about equal to or about twice the frequency of movement of water in the tray. In a preferred embodiment, the floor of the tray is a thermally conductive material in contact with a thermoelectric plate used to freeze the water as well as being subsequently heated to release the formed ice cubes.