Freezer Door Ice Tray Mounting With Direct Knob Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators lack a convenient and stable mounting mechanism for ice making devices, which complicates assembly and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring an ice making device with a rotatable ice tray accessible via a knob on the freezing compartment door, eliminating the need for a separate gear structure and incorporating guide and fixing parts for stable mounting and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate gear structure is used to rotate the ice tray, then the ice tray can be rotated, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex gear structure entirely and replaces it with a direct manual rotation mechanism. The user rotates the ice tray directly through a simple rotation shaft connected to the tray, extracting the unnecessary intermediate transmission components while maintaining the core rotational function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a motor-driven gear system to rotate the tray automatically, the patent inverts the approach by allowing direct manual rotation of the tray through a simple shaft connection. This reverses the traditional automation approach and achieves simplicity through direct user interaction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the ice making device is firmly fixed to the freezing compartment door, then the mounting is stable, but the assembly and maintenance become complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making device is divided into separable modules that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The case, ice tray, and rotation mechanism are designed as distinct components that can be easily detached from the freezing compartment door, allowing simple maintenance while maintaining stable operation during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system transitions from a static fixed connection to a dynamic removable connection. The device can be easily attached and detached from the freezing compartment door, providing stability during operation while enabling simple assembly and maintenance through reversible mounting.
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 simplifies the assembly process, reduces manufacturing costs, and ensures the ice tray is easily accessible and stably mounted, enhancing user convenience and industrial applicability.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member disposed on the rotation shaft of the ice tray, the elastic member providing an elastic force into the ice tray so that the ice tray is rotated to an original position
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, a freezing compartment door opening or closing the freezing compartment, and an ice making device disposed on a rear surface of the freezing compartment door. The ice making device includes a case disposed on the freezing compartment door, an ice tray rotatably disposed inside the case, the ice tray making an ice therein, a knob exposed to the outside of the case, the knob being connected to a rotation shaft of the ice tray and rotated by being manipulated from the outside, and an elastic member disposed on the rotation shaft of the ice tray, the elastic member providing an elastic force into the ice tray so that the ice tray is rotated to an original position. Thus, a structure for rotating the ice tray may be simplified.