Refrigerator Icemaker Cover Layout to Prevent Drawer Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators with ice-making devices often suffer damage due to articles stored in sliding storage containers interfering with the ice maker components when the containers slide in and out of the freezer compartment.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring an ice maker with a protection cover that covers the lower parts of the ice-making tray and includes inclination guide parts to prevent articles from colliding with the ice-making tray, temperature sensor, and electronic device case, combined with a slidable accommodation basket with cutting parts to prevent collisions with the ice maker.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drawer door with storage box is installed to slide in and out of the freezer compartment, then storage convenience and accessibility are improved, but articles stored in the drawer may collide with and damage the ice maker components
Solution Approach 1:
A protection cover is introduced as an intermediary component between the drawer door and the ice maker. The cover includes a guide part that directs articles in the drawer away from the ice maker, and a protection part that physically shields the ice maker components from collision damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection cover is installed in advance to prevent potential damage before it occurs. The guide part proactively redirects articles away from the ice maker path, and the protection part provides preemptive shielding of vulnerable components.
2Volume of moving object
If the ice-making tray is positioned close to the drawer door for space efficiency, then device compactness is improved, but articles in the drawer can more easily interfere with the ice maker components
Solution Approach 1:
The protection cover serves as a mediator that allows the ice-making tray to remain in its space-efficient position while preventing harmful interference from drawer articles through the guide and protection parts.
3Measurement precision
If the temperature sensor is installed adjacent to the ice-making tray for accurate temperature detection, then measurement precision is improved, but the sensor becomes more vulnerable to damage from sliding drawer articles
Solution Approach 1:
The protection cover's protection part specifically shields the temperature sensor while allowing it to remain in its optimal detection position adjacent to the ice-making tray.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection cover provides preemptive shielding of the temperature sensor, cushioning it against potential damage from drawer articles before any collision can occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator including: a freezer compartment; a drawer door to open/close the freezer compartment and has a storage box; and an ice maker installed at an upper side of the freezer compartment, the ice maker includes: an ice maker supporter combined with an upper wall of the freezer compartment; an electronic device case supported by the ice maker supporter and in which a driving motor is embedded; an ice-making tray supported by the electronic device case and; a temperature sensor installed adjacent to the ice-making tray to detect temperature; and a protection cover combined with the ice maker supporter to cover at least portions of a lower part of the ice-making tray and prevents an article stacked in the lower part of the ice-making tray from interfering with at least one of the ice-making tray, the temperature sensor, and the electronic device case when the drawer door slides.