Twistable Ice Tray Assembly for Heater-Less Ice Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic ice makers in refrigerators are energy-intensive due to the use of electrical resistance heaters to release ice, which reduces system reliability and increases energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A heater-less ice maker assembly featuring a metal tray with recesses having ice-phobic surfaces and a driving body that rotates the tray to flex and dislodge ice pieces, eliminating the need for heaters and reducing energy usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrical resistance heaters are used to release ice from the tray, then ice pieces can be effectively dislodged, but energy consumption increases and system reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the heater component entirely from the ice maker system. Instead of using electrical resistance heaters to release ice, the invention employs a mechanical twisting action of the tray itself to dislodge ice pieces. This extraction of the heating function eliminates the energy consumption and reliability issues associated with heaters while maintaining effective ice release.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the thermal field (heating) with a mechanical field (twisting action). The tray is designed to twist during the ice release cycle, using mechanical deformation to break the bond between ice and tray. This substitution eliminates the need for energy-intensive heating while achieving the same ice release function through mechanical means.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If electrical resistance heaters are used to heat the tray for ice release, then ice pieces can be dislodged, but the refrigerator must expend additional energy to cool the heated environment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice release effectivenessVSAvoidenergy wasted on cooling

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces thermal energy input with mechanical energy input. The twisting motion of the tray applies direct mechanical force to dislodge ice pieces without heating the tray or surrounding environment. This eliminates the energy waste cycle where heaters consume energy and the refrigerator must then expend additional energy to cool the heated air.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of heating the tray to release ice (thermal approach), the patent inverts the approach by mechanically deforming the tray structure itself. The tray twists in the opposite direction of ice formation, using this reverse mechanical action to break the ice-tray bond without thermal input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If a metal tray is used with ice-phobic surfaces, then ice pieces can be effectively released without heaters, but the tray material must withstand repeated flexing cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice release reliabilityVSAvoidtray material strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent specifies particular material parameters for the metal tray, including fatigue strength and ice-phobic surface properties. The tray material is selected to have sufficient fatigue resistance to withstand repeated twisting cycles while maintaining the ice-phobic surface characteristic that prevents ice adhesion. This parameter optimization allows the tray to reliably release ice through mechanical twisting without material failure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a metal tray with ice-phobic surface treatment or coating, creating a composite structure. The base metal provides mechanical strength and fatigue resistance for the twisting action, while the ice-phobic surface layer prevents ice adhesion and facilitates release. This composite approach combines the advantages of both materials to achieve reliable heater-less ice release.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 solution enhances energy efficiency by eliminating the need for heating, improving system reliability, and reducing energy consumption while effectively releasing ice pieces without mechanical failure.

Implementation Method 1

a tray having recesses with ice-phobic surfaces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIce-phobic surface effect: Hydrophobe

Data Source

PatentUS10030901B2Heater-less ice maker assembly with a twistable tray

Publication Date: 2018.07.24 WHIRLPOOL CORP

AI summary

An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.