Ice Tray Overflow Barrier for Splash-Free Ice Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ice trays experience water or thin ice overflow and splashing during water supply or when shaken, leading to ice pieces sticking together and degrading ice maker efficiency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An ice tray with a water overflow preventing member, made of a nonconductive material, is integrated with conductive receiving parts to prevent overflow by protruding upward from the edges of the openings, and can be manufactured separately to support the receiving parts and prevent heat transfer, ensuring efficient ice separation without deforming the tray.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is supplied into the ice tray or the ice tray is shaken, then ice production continues, but water or thin ice overflows and splashes out of the ice tray
Solution Approach 1:
The ice tray is divided into multiple receiving parts (cavities) that are spatially segmented and isolated from each other. Each receiving part has its own opening and is surrounded by partition walls, preventing water or thin ice from one cavity from flowing to adjacent cavities or the exterior. This segmentation resolves the overflow problem while maintaining continuous ice production across multiple compartments.
Solution Approach 2:
A water overflow preventing member (partition wall) is introduced as an intermediary structure between the receiving parts and the exterior environment. This partition wall extends from the opening of each receiving part to the exterior surface of the ice tray, creating a barrier that intercepts and contains water or thin ice within the receiving part, preventing harmful overflow and splashing.
2Ease of operation
If a heater is used to separate ice from the ice tray, then ice separation is achieved, but water generation during melting increases and heating time is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal field (heater-based melting) with a mechanical field (twisting motion). By rotating the ice tray around its longitudinal axis, ice is mechanically separated from the tray through friction and adhesion forces being overcome by rotational motion. This substitution eliminates the need for heating, preventing additional water generation from melting while achieving effective ice separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice separation process uses periodic twisting motion rather than continuous heating. The ice tray is rotated back and forth around its longitudinal axis, creating periodic mechanical stress that gradually separates the ice from the tray walls. This periodic mechanical action achieves separation without the continuous thermal input that causes water generation, reducing substance loss.
3Temperature
If the water overflow preventing member is made of conductive material, then heat transfer is improved, but the receiving parts may deform under external force
Solution Approach 1:
The ice tray employs composite material construction where the main body (receiving parts) is made of a non-conductive, mechanically strong material such as plastic or resin, while the water overflow preventing member can be made of a different material optimized for its specific function. This composite approach allows the structural components to provide mechanical strength and resistance to deformation, while separate elements can optimize thermal properties where needed, resolving the contradiction between heat transfer efficiency 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 prevents water and thin ice overflow, maintaining ice piece separation and improving the freezing efficiency and reliability of the ice maker, allowing easy extraction and use of ice.
Implementation Method 1
A water overflow preventing member may be provided to prevent the overflow or splashing of water out of the ice tray
Implementation Method 2
An ice tray made of a conductive material. A pulse may be applied to the ice tray for a short period of time to melt the ice
Implementation Method 3
An ice tray with a water overflow preventing member, made of a nonconductive material, is integrated with conductive receiving parts
Data Source
AI summary
An ice tray is provided that prevents the overflow or splashing of water or thin ice out of the ice tray as water is supplied to the ice tray, or when the ice tray is shaken by an external force. The ice tray may include a plurality of receiving portions that receive water for freezing into ice pieces. An overflow preventing portion may extend upward from upper edges of the receiving portions to form a barrier to water flowing out of the ice tray. Alternatively, the receiving parts may be positioned within a corresponding plurality of location parts having water proofing walls extending upward therefrom to inhibit the unintentional flow of water or thin ice out of the receiving portions of the ice tray.