Ice maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers with open structures for spherical ice production require complex mechanisms involving vertical elevation and rotational motions, leading to a complicated design and increased risk of ice pieces sticking together due to increased contact area.
Innovation Solution
An ice maker design featuring upper and lower trays with hemispherical cells, where the lower tray rotates to attach and detach from the upper tray for water supply and ice separation, utilizing a rotation shaft and ejecting pins to simplify the process and prevent ice sticking, with an ice making tube using low-temperature refrigerant and a switching valve for efficient ice production and separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an open structure is used to separate spherical ice, then ice separation is facilitated, but the structure becomes complicated requiring separate upper and lower trays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the upper and lower trays into a single integrated tray structure with through-holes. The through-holes serve dual purposes: allowing water to pass through during ice making and enabling ice separation by allowing air flow and ice ejection. This merging eliminates the need for separate upper and lower trays while maintaining spherical ice production and separation capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If a pressing type ice maker with vertical elevation motion is used, then water supply is facilitated, but the operation structure becomes complicated combining straight line motion with rotational motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the vertical elevation motion mechanism from the system. Instead of using a complex combination of straight line and rotational motions, the invention uses a simple rotational motion of the integrated tray where water is supplied through the through-holes during rotation. This takes out the unnecessary vertical motion component while maintaining effective water supply and ice making functionality.
3Productivity
If spherical ice is made with closed upper tray, then ice making is effective, but ice separation requires complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tray into regions with through-holes that allow water to pass through during ice making, effectively creating spherical ice. For separation, the same through-holes enable air flow and ice ejection when the tray is rotated. This segmentation approach allows the same structure to serve both ice making and ice separation functions without requiring complex separate mechanisms.
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
Simplifies the operation mechanism by eliminating the need for vertical straight line motion, reduces ice sticking through controlled rotation, and enhances ice separation efficiency with the use of refrigerant and heating elements.
Implementation Method 1
an ice making tube disposed at outer circumferential surfaces of the upper cells and configured to cool each of the upper cells
Implementation Method 2
The lower tray is rotatably connected to the upper tray. The ice maker further includes a rotation shaft connected to a rear end of the lower tray and a rear end of the upper tray, and configured to rotate the lower tray with respect to the upper tray.
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a rotation shaft and ejecting pins to simplify the process and prevent ice sticking
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker includes an upper tray that includes a plurality of upper cells that each have a hemispherical shape and an ice making tube disposed at outer circumferential surfaces of the upper cells and configured to cool each of the upper cells. The ice maker also includes a lower tray that includes a plurality of lower cells that each have a hemispherical shape. The lower tray is rotatably connected to the upper tray. The ice maker further includes a rotation shaft connected to a rear end of the lower tray and a rear end of the upper tray, and configured to rotate the lower tray with respect to the upper tray.