Spherical Ice Tray Mechanism for Efficient Ice Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers face challenges in efficiently producing and separating spherical ice pieces, often resulting in irregular shapes and reduced storage efficiency due to contact between ice pieces.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker incorporates a tray system with a driving unit that vertically moves and rotates the trays to form a spherical shell for ice formation, and an ejecting unit with heaters and mechanisms to separate ice pieces, ensuring efficient ice production and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional ice makers use a simple tray structure for ice production, then the device complexity is low, but the ice pieces have irregular shapes and poor storage efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The tray member is divided into an upper tray and a lower tray that can be relatively moved with respect to each other. The upper tray includes an upper shell and the lower tray includes a lower shell, which together define a spherical shell when attached. This segmentation allows the formation of spherical ice pieces while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper tray and lower tray are configured to be movable relative to each other between an attached orientation (forming spherical shell) and a separated orientation. A driving unit enables this dynamic reconfiguration, allowing the same tray structure to serve multiple functions: forming spherical ice when attached and facilitating ice ejection when separated.
2Productivity
If conventional ice makers use fixed trays for ice production, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity of ice production and separation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The upper tray and lower tray are configured to be movable relative to each other between an attached orientation (forming spherical shell) and a separated orientation. A driving unit enables this dynamic reconfiguration, allowing the same tray structure to serve multiple functions: forming spherical ice when attached and facilitating ice ejection when separated.
Solution Approach 2:
Heating elements are applied to accelerate the separation process by rapidly melting the interface between the ice and tray, enabling quick ejection of spherical ice pieces without manual intervention.
3Ease of operation
If conventional ice makers use simple ejection mechanisms, then the device complexity is low, but the ice pieces are difficult to separate from the tray
Solution Approach 1:
Heating elements are applied to accelerate the separation process by rapidly melting the interface between the ice and tray, enabling quick ejection of spherical ice pieces without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection mechanism is divided into multiple components including heating elements positioned at specific locations, an ejector with ejector pins, and a driving unit. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function in the ejection process while maintaining overall system manageability.
4Quantity of substance
If conventional ice makers produce ice pieces with flat surfaces, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the ice pieces have poor storage efficiency due to contact between pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The upper shell and lower shell are configured to define a spherical shell when attached, causing the ice to freeze in a spherical shape. Spherical ice pieces have reduced contact surface area compared to flat-surfaced ice, improving storage efficiency and reducing ice-on-ice contact in storage containers.
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 enables the production of spherical ice pieces that minimize contact during storage, improving storability and convenience while enhancing cooling performance and reducing power consumption through efficient heat generation for ice separation.
Implementation Method 1
the ejecting unit may include a lower heater mounted on an outer surface of the lower tray and an upper heater mounted on an outer surface of the upper tray
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an ice maker. The ice maker includes a tray member comprising an upper tray having an upper shell and a lower tray having a lower shell. The ice maker also includes a driving unit disposed on a side of the tray member and configured to linearly move, in a vertical direction, at least one of the upper tray and the lower tray to change between an attached orientation in which the upper shell is attached to the lower shell to define a spherical shell and a separated orientation in which the upper shell is separated from the lower shell. The ice maker further includes an ejecting unit that is disposed on a side of the tray member and that is configured to facilitate separation of an ice piece made in the spherical shell from at least one of the upper tray and the lower tray.