Optical Ice Level Sensing for Freeze-Resistant Refrigerators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice level sensing apparatuses in refrigerators are unreliable when the full ice detection lever freezes, leading to continuous ice supply and overflow due to the inability to determine a full ice container state.
Innovation Solution
An ice level sensing apparatus using optical devices, such as infrared sensors, with transmitter and receiver modules positioned to detect the ice-full state by sending and receiving signals across the ice container, ensuring accurate determination of the ice level and preventing overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a mechanical full ice detection lever is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the sensing reliability deteriorates when the lever becomes frozen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical full ice detection lever with an optical sensing system consisting of a transmitter and receiver positioned on opposite sides of the ice container. The transmitter emits light and the receiver detects it, providing reliable sensing without mechanical moving parts that can freeze.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light as an intermediary between the transmitter and receiver to detect ice level. The light beam passes through the ice container and its transmission status indicates whether the container is full, serving as a non-contact intermediary for detection.
2Device complexity
If the full ice detection lever is used to detect ice level, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to freezing of the lever
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical detection lever with an optical detection system using a transmitter and receiver. This substitution eliminates the freezing problem that caused measurement errors while maintaining relatively simple device complexity through the use of standard optical components.
3Reliability
If optical elements are used for sensing, then the sensing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases compared to mechanical levers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical lever system with an optical system comprising a transmitter and receiver. While this improves reliability by eliminating freezing issues, it does increase device complexity compared to the simple mechanical lever, though the complexity remains manageable through straightforward optical component integration.
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
Enhances the reliability of ice level sensing, preventing continuous ice supply and overflow by accurately detecting the full ice state, thereby maintaining optimal ice container levels.
Implementation Method 1
An ice level sensing apparatus using optical devices, such as infrared sensors, with transmitter and receiver modules positioned to detect the ice-full state by sending and receiving signals across the ice container
Data Source
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AI summary
A refrigerator and a fullan ice level sensing apparatus, the are provided. The refrigerator including a refrigerator may include a main body, and a fullan ice level sensing apparatus provided with including an electronic optical element unit for sending or receiving a signal, and an alignment unit device for aligning and maintaining alignment of the electronic optical element unit in a preset direction, and configured to. The sensing apparatus may sense whether an ice bank for storing ice cubes make storage container in which ice cubes made by an ice maker disposed at the refrigerator main body is at a full ice level, whereby. the The electronic optical element unit is allowed to may be aligned at a preset position by, thus preventing the movement of the electronic optical element unit, resulting in improvement of improved reliability of the sensing of the full ice level apparatus.