Transparent ice making system and transparent ice making method using the same

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional transparent ice manufacturing systems are inefficient, requiring complex processes that increase manufacturing time and energy consumption, while also wasting raw materials due to unnecessary discarding of parts during carving, crushing, and forming.

Innovation Solution

A transparent ice manufacturing system that includes a reservoir tank, a mold with a cavity, a cooling part, and a fluid circulation part, which simplifies the manufacturing process by filling liquid into a cavity corresponding to the final product shape and freezing it, thereby reducing waste and energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If conventional transparent ice manufacturing processes are used (freezing large capacity water at once, then carving and crushing), then large capacity opaque ice can be produced, but manufacturing time increases and energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity of iceVSAvoidmanufacturing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The mold cavity is pre-formed with the exact shape of the final transparent ice product, eliminating the need for subsequent carving and crushing operations. Water is filled into this pre-designed cavity before freezing, so the ice forms directly in its final shape, reducing manufacturing time while maintaining transparency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct phases: water purification, controlled freezing in shaped molds, and direct extraction. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, reducing overall manufacturing time compared to the conventional single-phase approach followed by secondary processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If conventional transparent ice manufacturing processes are used (freezing large capacity water at once, then carving and crushing), then large capacity opaque ice can be produced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity of iceVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The mold cavities are pre-formed with the exact shape of the final transparent ice product, eliminating the need for subsequent carving and crushing operations. Water is filled into this pre-designed cavity before freezing, so the ice forms directly in its final shape, reducing manufacturing time while maintaining transparency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The unnecessary steps of carving and crushing are extracted and removed from the manufacturing process. The system directly produces transparent ice in its final shape by freezing water in pre-formed molds, eliminating the energy-consuming secondary processing operations required in conventional methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If conventional transparent ice manufacturing processes are used (freezing large capacity water at once, then carving and crushing), then transparent ice can be produced, but raw materials are wasted due to discarding unnecessary parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransparent ice productionVSAvoidraw material waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The mold cavity is pre-formed with the exact shape of the final transparent ice product, eliminating the need for subsequent carving and crushing operations. Water is filled into this pre-designed cavity before freezing, so the ice forms directly in its final shape, reducing manufacturing time while maintaining transparency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system recovers all water used in the process by collecting it from the mold cavities after ice extraction and reusing it in subsequent cycles. This eliminates raw material waste, as no water is discarded during the carving or crushing operations that occur in conventional methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 shortens manufacturing time, reduces energy consumption, enhances manufacturing efficiency, allows for easy quality management, and prevents raw material waste by eliminating the need for carving, crushing, and forming unnecessary parts.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling part that cools one area of the mold to manufacture ice while freezing the liquid from the one area to an opposite area of the mold

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFreezing: Freezing

Implementation Method 2

a fluid circulation part provided between the reservoir tank and the mold, and that circulates the liquid between the reservoir tank and the cavity while the liquid is frozen in the cavity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid circulation: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4224096B1Transparent ice making system and transparent ice making method using the same
Publication Date: 2025.02.12 INTYCO CO LTD
  • EP4224096B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4224096B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4224096B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Disclosed is a transparent ice manufacturing system including a reservoir tank, in which a liquid is stored, a mold having a cavity, in which the liquid supplied from the reservoir tank is filled to form ice, a cooling part that cools one area of the mold to manufacture ice while freezing the liquid from the one area to an opposite area of the mold, and a fluid circulation part provided between the reservoir tank and the mold, and that circulates the liquid between the reservoir tank and the cavity while the liquid is frozen in the cavity.