refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerators face issues with unstable ice separation and ice catching during the production of carbonated ice, leading to reliability concerns and inefficiencies in supplying high-concentration carbonated ice.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design that includes separate flow paths for general and carbonated water, with specific valves and flow sensors to manage water supply and CO2 injection, allowing for distinct modes for general and carbonated ice production, ensuring stable and efficient ice separation and dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high-concentration carbonated ice is produced, then CO2 concentration in ice increases, but ice separation becomes more unstable and catching occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by optimizing the water supply parameter to 30ml-50ml and maintaining extremely low temperatures of -20℃ or lower. This ensures high CO2 concentration is achieved while the frozen ice becomes sufficiently hard and stable for reliable separation, preventing catching issues that would otherwise occur with high-concentration carbonated ice.
2Device complexity
If general water flow path is used for carbonated ice production, then system complexity is reduced, but carbonated water supply reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the water supply system into separate flow paths: one for general water and another specifically for carbonated water. This includes separate valves (general water supply valve and carbonated water supply valve) and controlled flow paths that ensure carbonated water is supplied reliably to the ice-making machine without contamination or supply issues from the general water system.
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 design enables reliable production and dispensing of carbonated ice, preventing ice catching and improving the reliability of carbonated ice supply by controlling water supply, temperature, and CO2 injection, resulting in higher concentration and faster ice-making.
Implementation Method 1
a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas cylinder in which a high-pressure CO 2 gas is stored, and a mixing tank in which CO 2 gas and general water are mixed with each other so that carbonated water can be made
Implementation Method 2
an ice-making tray to which general water or carbonated water is supplied, and a cooling device that cools the ice-making tray
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator including: a main body; a storage compartment formed in the main body; a door that opens/closes the storage compartment; a general water tank in which general water supplied from an external water supply source is stored; a mixing tank in which general water supplied from the general water tank is mixed with carbon dioxide (CO2) so that carbonated water is made and stored; a dispenser that provides general water supplied from the general water tank to an outside and provides carbonated water supplied from the mixing tank to the outside of the refrigerator; and an ice-making machine that makes general ice by receiving general water from the external water supply source or the general water tank and makes carbonated ice by receiving carbonated water from the mixing tank, thereby providing general water, carbonated water, general ice, and carbonated ice through the dispenser.