Rotating Ice Bucket Discharge Slope to Prevent Ice Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice crushing devices in refrigerators face issues such as ice cubes falling out due to shaking, iron chips contaminating the ice, and clogging from piled crushed ice, leading to reduced functionality and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a housing assembly with an ice-discharging plate featuring a slope adjacent to the discharge port to prevent ice cubes from falling, a gear system with bevel gears for compact and efficient power transmission, and an ice agitating mechanism to prevent ice cubes from freezing together, along with a gear box to contain iron chips and impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ice bucket is made rotatable to facilitate ice discharge, then ice discharge convenience is improved, but ice cubes may fall out during door opening/closing due to shaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing a slope structure on the ice discharging plate that creates a potential barrier before ice cubes can fall out. The slope is positioned such that ice cubes must overcome gravitational potential energy to pass through, preventing accidental discharge during door shaking while maintaining intentional discharge capability when the bucket rotates to the discharge position
2Power
If traditional gear mechanisms are used to drive the ice bucket, then power transmission is achieved, but iron chips contaminate the ice cubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful element (iron chips from gear wear) by replacing the traditional gear mechanism with a magnetic drive system. The driver assembly uses a motor to rotate a driving plate that directly contacts or magnetically couples with the ice bucket, eliminating intermediate gears and their associated wear particles that would contaminate the ice cubes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gear transmission system with a direct magnetic or friction-driven rotation system. The driver assembly converts motor rotation directly to ice bucket rotation without mechanical gear intermediaries, substituting a cleaner transmission method that avoids iron chip generation and contamination
3Productivity
If crushed ice piles at the bottom of the ice bucket, then ice crushing capacity is improved, but motive power transmission is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the ice bucket rotatable rather than stationary. This rotation creates dynamic movement that prevents crushed ice from statically piling up and blocking the discharge path. The rotating motion continuously redistributes ice and maintains open pathways for ice cube ejection, ensuring sustained motor performance without clogging
4Quantity of substance
If ice cubes are stored in the ice bucket for long periods, then storage capacity is improved, but ice cubes freeze together and require agitation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the rotatable ice bucket design to dynamically prevent ice cube adhesion during storage. The rotation creates intermittent movement and air circulation that reduces prolonged contact between ice cubes, minimizing freezing together without requiring separate agitation mechanisms. The same rotation that enables discharge also serves as a storage maintenance function
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 solution effectively prevents ice cubes from falling during door opening/closing, reduces contamination from iron chips, and improves ice crushing efficiency by preventing clogging and sticking, enhancing the reliability and performance of the ice crushing device.
Implementation Method 1
a slope is disposed on the ice-discharging plate at a position adjacent to the ice-discharging port and along a rotary ice discharge direction, and the slope is located on an ice discharge side of the ice-discharging plate and disposed uphill
Data Source
AI summary
An ice crushing device and a refrigerator, the ice crushing device comprising: a housing assembly comprises a housing and an ice bucket supported in the housing; a driver for driving the ice bucket to rotate, at least a portion of the driver being mounted in the housing; an ice crusher disposed in the ice bucket; the housing assembly further comprises an ice-discharging plate provided at a bottom of the ice bucket, the ice-discharging plate is provided with an ice-discharging port communicated with the ice bucket, ice cubes are discharged out of the ice-discharging port after being crushed in the ice bucket by the ice crusher, a slope is disposed on the ice-discharging plate at a position adjacent to the ice-discharging port and along a rotary ice discharge direction, and the slope is located on an ice discharge side of the ice-discharging plate and disposed uphill.