Automatic Ice Tray Weir Design for Heaterless Ice Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional automatic ice makers rely on heating elements to release ice cubes, which consumes energy and increases operational costs, whereas stand-alone ice trays use mechanical means but are less efficient in ice production rate.

Innovation Solution

An automatic ice maker within a refrigerator that uses a motor-driven, heaterless mechanism to produce ice by rotating an ice tray with weirs to break the ice bonds, allowing ice cubes to be released without a heating element, capable of producing over 3.5 pounds of ice per 24-hour period.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a heating element is used to release ice cubes from the ice tray, then the ice cubes can be released effectively, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice release effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the thermal field (heating element) with a mechanical field (motor-driven rotating shaft with fingers). The mechanical system physically manipulates the ice tray through rotation and finger insertion to break ice bonds and release ice cubes, eliminating the need for energy-consuming heating elements while maintaining reliable ice release.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The ice maker system performs its own ice release function through automated mechanical action. The motor-driven shaft and fingers automatically break the ice bonds and eject ice cubes without requiring external heating energy, making the system self-sufficient in the ice release process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Use of energy by moving object

If stand-alone ice trays use mechanical twisting to break ice bonds, then energy consumption is reduced, but ice production rate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidice production rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic motion to the ice release process through a motor-driven rotating shaft. The shaft rotates to position fingers that actively break ice bonds and eject ice cubes, transforming the static manual twisting process into a dynamic automated mechanism that increases ice production rate while maintaining low energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary mechanical action on the ice tray by rotating it and inserting fingers to break ice bonds before the ice is fully formed or at optimal timing. This preliminary mechanical intervention prepares the ice for efficient ejection, increasing overall productivity without requiring energy-intensive heating.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If the ice tray is rotated mechanically to release ice, then heating elements are eliminated, but the mechanism complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy loss from heatingVSAvoidmechanical mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The motor-driven rotating shaft serves multiple functions: it rotates the ice tray, positions the fingers to break ice bonds, and ejects the ice cubes. This multi-functional mechanism consolidates several operations into a single device, reducing overall system complexity despite eliminating the heating element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the ice tray rotation function with the ice ejection function into a single integrated mechanical system. The rotating shaft simultaneously performs rotation and finger actuation, combining multiple operations that could have been separate into one unified mechanism, thereby managing complexity efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution enhances ice production efficiency and reduces energy consumption by mechanically releasing ice cubes without the need for heating, achieving a higher ice production rate compared to traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

a motor-driven, heaterless mechanism to produce ice by rotating an ice tray with weirs to break the ice bonds

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS11441829B2Method and apparatus for increasing rate of ice production in an automatic ice maker

Publication Date: 2022.09.13 WHIRLPOOL CORP

AI summary

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an interior volume and a door for accessing the interior volume. An ice maker is disposed within the interior volume harvesting ice. The ice maker includes a frame and a motor. An ice tray includes a first end engaged with the motor, a second end engaged to the frame and a plurality ice wells defined by a plurality of weirs including first and second sets of weirs positioned proximate the first and second ends respectively, and interior weirs positioned therebetween. Each of the first and second sets of weirs and the internal weirs include a passage bifurcating each weir into first and second weir portions. Each of the passages defined by the first and second sets of weirs have a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of any one of the passages defined by the internal weirs.