Twist harvest ice geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ice makers produce cloudy ice cubes due to trapped air, which affects taste and appearance, and existing methods for making clear ice are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An ice making apparatus with a metallic ice forming plate and a grid system that forms compartments with a draft angle of 17° to 25°, allowing for oscillation and twisting to release air bubbles and produce clear ice without a drain, utilizing thermoelectric cooling and warm air flow to enhance ice clarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional ice making methods are used, then ice cubes are produced quickly and simply, but the ice cubes are cloudy due to trapped air
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making tray is designed to oscillate during the freezing process. This dynamic movement agitates the water and allows air bubbles to escape from the freezing water, preventing trapped air that causes cloudiness. The oscillation mechanism transforms a static freezing process into a dynamic one that actively removes air bubbles while maintaining simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice making tray is divided into multiple compartments with dividing walls that create separate freezing zones. This segmentation allows different regions to have optimized geometries for air bubble removal and ice formation. The compartments enable controlled freezing patterns that promote clarity without requiring complex overall device architecture.
2Manufacturing precision
If ice making trays are agitated during freezing to escape entrapped gases, then clear ice can be produced, but the processing techniques become costly
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating ice making tray performs the air bubble removal function automatically during the freezing process itself. The system uses its own oscillation mechanism to agitate the water and release gases without requiring separate external processing equipment or additional costly intervention steps. The clearing action is integrated into the normal ice making operation.
Solution Approach 2:
By incorporating oscillation directly into the ice making tray design, the system achieves gas escape through a simple mechanical movement rather than expensive external processing equipment. The dynamic oscillation creates sufficient agitation to release air bubbles using only the tray's own motion, eliminating the need for costly additional processing techniques.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex processing techniques are used to make clear ice, then ice clarity improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillation mechanism and ice making functions are merged into a single integrated tray assembly. The dividing walls, oscillation mechanism, and freezing compartments are combined in one unit that performs both the structural containment and the active air bubble removal functions. This integration achieves clear ice production without requiring separate complex processing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice making tray is self-sufficient in removing air bubbles through its own oscillation capability. The system does not require external complex processing equipment to achieve clarity - the tray itself performs the gas escape function through its designed oscillation motion, maintaining simple overall device architecture while achieving the desired ice clarity.
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 apparatus effectively produces clear ice by removing air bubbles and promoting layer-by-layer freezing, resulting in clear and aesthetically pleasing ice cubes with improved taste and reduced production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic ice forming plate with a top surface and a bottom surface
Implementation Method 2
existing methods for making clear ice are costly and inefficient... attempts to manufacture clear ice by agitating the ice cube trays during the freezing process to allow entrapped gases in the water to escape
Implementation Method 3
The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate of about 17° to about 25°
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.