Ice maker and refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers face issues with the formation of spherical ice due to gaps between the upper and lower trays, leading to irregular shapes and ice removal defects, as well as the formation of protrusions or burrs around the ice.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker employs an upper tray and lower tray made of elastic materials with ribs that contact each other to maintain sealing, ensuring uniform ice formation and preventing burrs, using a pivoting mechanism and heaters to control ice making and removal processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the upper tray and lower tray are separated to allow ice expansion during freezing, then ice can be formed without deformation, but gaps are generated between the trays causing non-spherical ice shapes and burr formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing ribs made of elastic material that can deform to maintain contact between the upper and lower trays. These ribs act as flexible seals that accommodate the expansion of water into ice while preventing gap formation, thus maintaining both sealing reliability and ice shape precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the sealing components by using elastic materials that can transition between compressed and relaxed states. The sealing ribs are designed to deform elastically in response to tray separation caused by ice expansion, maintaining continuous contact and sealing throughout the freezing process
2Shape
If the upper tray and lower tray are kept in contact to prevent gaps, then spherical ice can be formed, but ice expansion during freezing is restricted causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing ribs allow controlled deformation to accommodate ice expansion while maintaining the overall spherical shape. The elastic material enables the sealing structure to yield locally to ice pressure without compromising the global geometry or creating surface defects
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ribs are pre-designed with sufficient elasticity and compliance to cushion the expansion forces before they can cause tray separation or ice deformation. This beforehand cushioning prevents both gap formation and surface defects by absorbing expansion energy through elastic deformation
3Ease of operation
If heaters are used for ice removal, then ice can be easily extracted from the trays, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are positioned locally at the tray-ice contact surfaces where heat is most needed for release. This localized heating approach provides effective ice removal while minimizing overall energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary heating of non-contact areas
Solution Approach 2:
The heaters operate periodically only during the ice removal phase rather than continuously. This periodic activation provides sufficient thermal energy for ice release while significantly reducing total power consumption compared to continuous operation
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 ensures spherical ice formation without gaps or protrusions, improving ice quality and reducing power consumption by efficiently sealing the trays and using heaters for precise ice removal.
Implementation Method 1
an upper tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material
Implementation Method 2
when water is phase-changed into ice and expands
Implementation Method 3
when water is phase-changed into ice
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a refrigerator including a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment defined therein, and an ice maker disposed in the freezing compartment, wherein the ice maker includes an upper tray made of an elastic material, and having a plurality of hemispherical upper chambers defined therein, a lower tray made of an elastic material, wherein the lower tray comes into contact with the upper tray by pivoting to define a plurality of spherical ice chambers therebetween, a driver for pivoting the lower tray to open and close the upper tray and the lower tray, and each rib formed along a circumference of each upper chamber or each lower chamber in contact with each other.