Refrigerator including ice making device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator designs for ice making in refrigerators are costly due to the need for pumps, electronic valves, and high-torque motors, and they face issues with power consumption and safety concerns related to heater operation, especially when the water tank is empty.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design that eliminates the need for a pump and electronic valve by using a water tank with a valve assembly and an AC motor to rotate the ice making tray, allowing water to freely fall into the tray, and incorporates a heater in the water tank to prevent freezing, with a temperature sensor to control the heater's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pump and electronic valve are installed to forcibly supply water to the ice maker, then water supply reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pump and electronic valve from the system by utilizing gravity-driven water flow. The water tank is positioned above the ice making tray, allowing water to flow naturally into the tray without mechanical pumping or electronic flow control, thereby eliminating these costly components while maintaining water supply functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the weight of the water tank and gravity to automatically supply water to the ice making tray. The water flow is self-regulated through the positioning and design of the water tank and tray, requiring no external power source or control mechanism, thus achieving self-service water supply.
2Reliability
If a heater is installed on the water tank to prevent freezing, then water supply reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a temperature sensor that continuously monitors the water tank temperature and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit activates the heater only when the temperature drops below a predetermined threshold, and deactivates it when the threshold is reached, thereby preventing water freezing while minimizing unnecessary power consumption through intelligent on-demand heating.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous heating, the system uses periodic heating controlled by temperature thresholds. The heater operates intermittently based on temperature feedback, providing heat only when necessary to prevent freezing, thus reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous operation.
3Reliability
If a bidirectional DC motor with high torque is used to rotate the ice making tray, then ice separation capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive bidirectional DC motor with a simpler, lower-cost AC motor that rotates in a single direction. The ice making tray is designed with a specific structure that allows ice pieces to be effectively separated through unidirectional rotation combined with gravitational force, eliminating the need for costly bidirectional high-torque motors while maintaining ice separation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the complex bidirectional motor control mechanism with a simpler unidirectional AC motor system. The ice separation function is achieved through the combination of unidirectional rotation and the tray's structural design that utilizes gravity to facilitate ice piece release, substituting complex mechanical bidirectional control with simpler unidirectional mechanics.
4Reliability
If the heater operates without water level detection, then ice making reliability is improved, but safety risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a water level sensor that detects the presence of water in the tank before the heater is activated. This preliminary detection ensures that the heater only operates when water is present, preventing dry heating conditions that could lead to fire hazards or component damage, while still maintaining the ability to prevent water freezing when water is available.
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
This design reduces manufacturing costs, minimizes power consumption, enhances safety by preventing overheating, and ensures efficient ice making without the need for costly high-torque motors or complex control systems.
Implementation Method 1
a heater in the water tank to prevent freezing
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor to control the heater's operation
Implementation Method 3
allowing water to freely fall into the tray
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator (1) includes a main body (10) including a storage compartment (11, 12), a door (13, 14) opening and closing the storage compartment (11, 12), an ice making device (20) disposed in the storage compartment (11, 12) or on a back surface of the door (11, 12), a water tank (40) disposed above the ice making device (20) to supply water for making ice pieces into the ice making device (20), and an ice bin (30) disposed under the ice making device (20) to store ice pieces manufactured in the ice making device (20). The ice making device (20) includes an ice making tray (210) including a plurality of ice making chambers (212) in which the water for making the ice pieces is filled, and an ejector (260) extending from an upper central portion of the ice making tray (210) in a longitudinal direction of the ice making tray (210) to pass through both ends of the ice making tray (210). The ejector (260) is maintained in a fixed state during the water supply, ice making, and ice separation, and the ice making tray (210) rotates at an angle of about 360° in one direction with respect to the ejector (260).