Refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerator ice making systems are complex and difficult to construct, particularly in bottom-mounted freezer types, where the ice making compartment is separate from the refrigerating compartment and requires separate accessories for automatic ice making, storage, and crushing functions.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design that integrates a first ice making compartment within the main body for generating and storing ice and a second ice making compartment within the door for crushing, connected by a transfer device, with a sealing mechanism to facilitate communication between the two compartments when the door is closed, simplifying the ice bucket structure and ice making system construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the ice making compartment is provided separately from the refrigerating compartment in a bottom mounted freezer type refrigerator, then the ice making function is achieved, but the structure becomes complex and difficult to construct
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ice making compartment door and the refrigerating compartment door into a single integrated door structure. The ice making compartment door is formed as part of the refrigerating compartment door assembly, allowing both doors to be constructed and installed as one unit. This merging of previously separate components directly reduces construction complexity and improves ease of manufacture, while still maintaining the functional separation of the ice making and refrigerating compartments when the door is closed
2Ease of manufacture
If separate accessories for automatic ice making, storage, and crushing functions are provided, then the ice making system is complete, but the construction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple ice making functions into a unified compartment structure. The ice making compartment houses both the ice making tray and the crushing device within the same enclosed space, eliminating the need for separate storage compartments and reducing the number of discrete components that need to be assembled. This consolidation simplifies the construction process while maintaining complete ice making functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The ice making compartment serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the ice making chamber, the ice storage chamber, and the ice crushing chamber. The single compartment design with integrated door provides universal functionality for all ice making operations, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and simplifying the overall system construction
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a main body, a door rotatably coupled to the main body, a first ice making compartment configured to generate and store ice and provided in the main body, a second ice making compartment configured to crush ice and provided in the door, and a transfer device provided to transfer the ice in the first ice making compartment to the second ice making compartment. Therefore, a structure of an ice bucket storing ice is simplified, and an ice making system is easily constructed.