Refrigerator Transparent Ice Maker Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers struggle to produce ice with uniform transparency regardless of shape, and there is a need to adjust transparency and ice making rate based on operation mode and user preferences.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator system with a controller that manages cold supply and heating of a transparent ice heater to control ice transparency and rate, allowing for adjustable operation modes and user-specific settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is cooled simultaneously in upper and lower cells to make spherical ice, then ice making efficiency is improved, but bubbles are not completely discharged resulting in opaque ice
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making process is divided into two stages: first, water is cooled from the upper cell only to form initial ice while discharging bubbles; second, the lower cell is activated to complete the spherical shape. This preliminary action in the upper cell ensures bubble discharge before the lower cell cooling begins, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and transparency.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice making process is segmented into distinct phases with different cooling strategies. The upper cell operates independently in the first phase to handle bubble discharge, while the lower cell operates in the second phase to complete the spherical formation. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific function, achieving both transparency and efficiency.
2Productivity
If heating amount of heater is increased simply when volume of water is reduced, then solidification rate control is improved, but uniform transparency according to ice shape cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is positioned specifically at the lower portion of the water column, and the upper and lower cells provide localized cooling. This local quality approach allows different regions of the water to experience different thermal conditions appropriate for their position, enabling uniform transparency throughout the spherical ice while maintaining controlled solidification rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating and cooling amounts are dynamically adjusted based on the solidification progress and water volume. The controller modifies the heater power and cell cooling intensity in real-time to maintain optimal conditions for uniform transparency throughout the ice formation process, rather than using fixed heating rates.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable operation modes are implemented for transparency and ice making rate, then user preferences are satisfied, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The same heater and tray assembly are used across multiple operation modes (transparent ice mode and non-transparent ice mode), rather than requiring separate systems for each mode. The controller simply adjusts the operation parameters of existing components to achieve different ice types, maintaining simplicity while providing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different operation modes are achieved by changing control parameters (heating amount, cooling intensity, timing sequences) rather than changing the physical structure. The controller modifies operational parameters of the heater and trays to produce transparent or non-transparent ice, avoiding additional hardware complexity while achieving adaptability.
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 system produces ice with uniform transparency by controlling cold and heating amounts, accommodating different operation modes and user preferences, ensuring consistent ice quality.
Implementation Method 1
a first tray assembly defining a portion of an ice making cell that is a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by cold
Implementation Method 2
a heater disposed adjacent to at least one of the first tray assembly or the second tray assembly
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator according to the present invention comprises: a first tray forming a part of an ice-making cells; a second tray forming the other part of the ice-making cells; a heater for supplying heat to the ice making cells; a cooler for supplying cold to a storage compartment; and a control unit for controlling the heater and the cooler. The operation modes of the refrigerator include a first mode and a second mode. The control unit may control so that either or both of the amounts of cooling by the cooler and the amount of heating by the heater vary in the first mode and the second mode.