Optical Ice Level Sensing With Heated Sensors in Refrigerators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice detection systems in refrigerators fail to accurately determine if the ice container is full due to mechanical components freezing, leading to continuous ice supply and overflow issues.
Innovation Solution
An ice detecting apparatus using infrared light transmission and reception modules, with a sensor heater to prevent frost and moisture buildup, allowing for accurate detection of the ice-full state by determining the level of ice in the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical full ice detection lever is used to detect ice container fullness, then the detection mechanism is simple and reliable, but the lever becomes frozen in cold environments causing detection failure and ice overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical full ice detection lever with an optical detection system consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. This substitution eliminates the mechanical components that were susceptible to freezing, allowing reliable operation in cold environments without the harmful effect of frost formation on moving parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary heating element that applies heat to the optical detection components. This heating element acts as a mediator to prevent frost and moisture buildup on the light emitting and receiving elements, ensuring they remain functional in cold environments without directly exposing the detection system to harmful freezing conditions.
2Reliability
If optical elements are used for ice detection, then mechanical freezing issues are avoided, but moisture and ice buildup on the optic elements impairs detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element serves as an intermediary that protects the optical elements from moisture and ice buildup. By applying controlled heat to the light emitting and receiving elements, the system prevents condensation and frost formation that would otherwise impair light transmission and detection accuracy, maintaining both reliability and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the optical elements by applying heat through the heating element. This parameter change prevents the optical surfaces from reaching temperatures where moisture condensation and ice formation occur, thereby maintaining clear light paths and accurate detection without compromising the cold environment requirements for ice storage.
3Measurement precision
If the ice detection system operates continuously in a cold freezer environment, then ice can be detected accurately, but frost and moisture accumulate on the sensor causing detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element acts as a protective intermediary between the cold freezer environment and the optical detection elements. It creates a localized warm zone around the sensors that prevents moisture from the cold environment from condensing on the optical surfaces, thereby maintaining detection accuracy without requiring the entire system to operate at elevated temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element performs preliminary protective action by continuously or periodically heating the optical elements before moisture and frost can accumulate to problematic levels. This preventive heating maintains the optical surfaces above the dew point, preventing condensation and ice formation that would otherwise degrade detection precision over time.
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
The apparatus effectively prevents erroneous operations by ensuring the ice detecting sensor can accurately detect when the ice container is full, thereby preventing ice overflow and ensuring efficient ice supply.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting element, and a light receiving element for receiving the light signal emitted by the light emitting element
Implementation Method 2
a sensor heater for applying heat to prevent formation or removal of frost that may form on the ice detecting sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
An ice detecting apparatus for a refrigerator the apparatus includes an ice maker, an ice container to collect ice made by the ice maker, and an ice detecting sensor to detect an amount of ice stored in the ice container. The ice detecting sensor has a transmitter module provided on one side of the ice maker and a receiver module provided on another side of the ice maker. The transmitter module is separated by a prescribed distance from the receiver module. At least one of the transmitter module or receiver module includes at least one optical element and at least one heater, and the heater is made of an electroconductive heating material.