Multi-Unit Ice Maker with Heater-Controlled Transparent Ice Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers in refrigerators produce ice with a single shape and opaque appearance due to trapped air bubbles, which is aesthetically unappealing and dissolves faster than transparent ice.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker with multiple units, each having differently shaped grooves in their trays, utilizing heaters to delay cooling and deicing processes, allowing for the production of transparent ice with various shapes by controlling the heating times and temperatures to prevent rapid freezing and bubble entrapment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single ice making unit is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ice shape variety is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making system is divided into multiple independent ice making units (first ice making unit with first ice making tray, second ice making unit with second ice making tray), each capable of producing different ice shapes. This segmentation allows the system to provide diverse ice shapes while keeping each unit relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple ice making units are integrated into a single ice maker device, where each unit serves the universal function of making ice but with different groove configurations to produce various shapes. This multi-functionality approach enables the device to provide diverse ice shapes without requiring completely separate systems.
2Productivity
If water is frozen rapidly, then the ice making time is reduced, but air bubbles are trapped making the ice opaque
Solution Approach 1:
The heater performs preliminary heating on the ice making tray before water is introduced and during the freezing process. This preliminary action prevents rapid cooling by maintaining the tray temperature, allowing dissolved gases to escape from the water before freezing completes, thus producing transparent ice without sacrificing too much production speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter of the ice making tray is dynamically changed and controlled during the ice making process. The heater adjusts the tray temperature to delay cooling speed at critical stages, preventing air bubble entrapment while maintaining reasonable ice making efficiency. This parameter control resolves the contradiction between speed and transparency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the heater is used for deicing only, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the ice transparency cannot be improved
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is activated in advance during the ice making process (not just for deicing) to perform preliminary heating that prevents rapid cooling and air bubble entrapment. This preliminary action improves ice transparency while the heater's energy consumption is managed by targeting specific time periods during freezing rather than continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater, traditionally used only for deicing (removing ice), is repurposed to perform a beneficial function during the freezing process itself by controlling cooling speed and preventing air bubble entrapment. This converts the heater from a post-freezing utility to an active participant in producing transparent ice, turning a potential waste of energy into a value-adding function.
4Productivity
If multiple heaters are operated simultaneously, then the deicing efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heaters in different ice making units are operated periodically rather than simultaneously. The controller manages the operation timing of each heater, allowing them to work in sequence or at different stages of the ice making cycle. This periodic operation maintains deicing efficiency across multiple units while reducing peak energy consumption and total energy usage compared to simultaneous operation.
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
Enables the production of transparent ice with diverse shapes, enhancing appearance and longevity by ensuring dissolved gases escape, thus improving the ice-making process in refrigerators.
Implementation Method 1
heaters heating the ice making trays for deicing
Implementation Method 2
heaters heating the ice making trays for deicing
Implementation Method 3
heaters heating the ice making trays for deicing
Implementation Method 4
the water is frozen and these air bubbles are blocked in all directions
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker provided in a refrigerator is provided. The ice maker includes: first and second ice making units configured to include ice making trays, heaters heating the ice making trays for deicing, and ejectors ejecting made ice from the ice making trays, respectively, wherein a plurality of first ice making grooves are formed in the ice making tray of the first ice making unit, and a plurality of second ice making grooves are formed in the ice making tray of the second ice making unit, the plurality of second ice making grooves having a shape different from that of the plurality of first ice making grooves.