Ice Tray Heating Wire Cover for Uniform Ice Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers face challenges in ensuring uniform heating of ice chambers and maintaining proper contact between the ice tray and heating wire, leading to inconsistent ice removal times and potential failure in some chambers.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker design includes an upper tray with a heating wire receiving groove, a lower tray with chambers, a heating wire inserted into the groove, and a heating wire cover seated on the groove. The design features a pressing portion on the ice cover that presses the heating wire cover, ensuring close contact between the ice tray and heating wire, and fixing hooks to temporarily secure the heating wire cover during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heating wire is used to heat the ice tray for ice removal, then ice can be removed from the ice tray, but the heating amounts applied to different ice chambers may not be equal leading to inconsistent ice removal times
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire is wrapped around the outer circumference of each ice chamber with different winding densities or patterns to provide localized heating adjustments. This ensures that each ice chamber receives appropriate heating amounts based on its specific thermal characteristics, achieving uniform ice removal across all chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple heating wires are combined into a single integrated heating assembly that is collectively secured to the ice tray. This merging approach ensures consistent heating distribution while maintaining the ability to address individual chamber requirements through the integrated design.
2Productivity
If a heating wire is used to remove ice, then ice can be removed, but the heating wire may not be properly attached to the ice chamber or contact degrees may differ leading to ice-removal failure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire is pre-wrapped around the outer circumference of each ice chamber before the ice tray is fully assembled. This preliminary action ensures proper attachment and consistent contact between the heating wire and each ice chamber, preventing ice-removal failures during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A heating wire cover is introduced as an intermediary component to secure the heating wire to the ice tray. The cover includes pressing portions that apply pressure to ensure the heating wire maintains consistent contact with each ice chamber, thereby improving attachment reliability and preventing ice-removal failures.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ice tray and heating wire are fixed together during assembly, then they can be assembled, but they may be removed from each other under the assembly process
Solution Approach 1:
The heating wire is pre-wrapped around the ice chambers and temporarily fixed in position before final assembly. This preliminary positioning ensures that the heating wire remains stable and does not become dislodged during subsequent assembly operations, while still allowing the assembly process to proceed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating wire cover acts as an intermediary component that secures the heating wire to the ice tray structure. The cover includes fixing portions that anchor the heating wire in place, preventing it from being removed or displaced during the assembly process while maintaining ease of assembly.
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 design enhances heat transfer efficiency between the heating wire and ice tray, ensures uniform heating of ice chambers, reduces the difference in ice removal times, and minimizes the occurrence of ice-removal failure.
Implementation Method 1
the heating wire and the plurality of ice chambers may be brought into close contact with each other, heat transfer efficiency at which heat amounts from the heating wire are transferred to the ice tray may be increased
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an ice maker in which a pressing portion of an ice cover presses a heating wire cover that covers a heating wire seated in the ice tray such that the ice tray and the heating wire are brought into being close contact with each other. Accordingly, a heat transfer efficiency at which a heat amount from the heating wire is transferred to the ice tray is increased.