Twistable Ice Tray Geometry for Heater-Less Ice Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic ice-making systems in refrigerators are energy-intensive due to the use of electrical resistance heaters to release ice from trays, which reduces system reliability and increases energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A twistable, heater-less ice tray with recesses having ice-phobic surfaces and weirs offset from the center line, allowing the tray to flex and release ice pieces without additional heat, using a driving body to rotate the tray and press against a frame body to dislodge ice.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical resistance heaters are used to release ice from trays, then ice release is achieved, but energy consumption increases and system reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the electrical resistance heater component from the ice-making system entirely. Instead of using thermal energy to release ice, the system employs a purely mechanical twisting action of the tray to dislodge and release the ice cubes, thereby eliminating the energy consumption and reliability issues associated with electrical heaters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal field system (electrical heaters) with a mechanical field system (tray twisting mechanism). The tray is designed to twist in a specific direction to mechanically break the bond between the ice cubes and the tray, substituting mechanical action for thermal action in the ice release process.
2Productivity
If heaters are used to release ice pieces, then ice harvesting is achieved, but the refrigerator must expend additional energy to cool the heated environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the heater component from the ice harvesting process. By using a mechanical twisting action instead of thermal heating, the system avoids the energy loss associated with heating the tray and surrounding environment, which would then require additional cooling energy to maintain the refrigerator's temperature setpoint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of using heaters (energy waste and cooling load) into a beneficial mechanical system that requires no additional energy input. The twisting mechanism uses the existing motor that drives the ice-making process, converting a potentially harmful thermal approach into a beneficial mechanical approach that wastes no energy.
3Ease of operation
If automatic ice-making capability is added, then convenience is improved, but energy usage and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex heater and temperature sensing system from the automatic ice-making mechanism. By using a simple mechanical twisting action driven by the existing motor, the system achieves automatic ice harvesting without adding the complexity of electrical heating elements, thermal sensors, and associated control circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the existing motor serve multiple functions: it both drives the ice-making process and provides the twisting action for ice release. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate heater components and control systems, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automatic operation.
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 solution reduces energy consumption by eliminating the need for heaters, enhances system reliability by minimizing mechanical stress, and improves ice release efficiency, allowing for more frequent ice harvesting and increased throughput.
Implementation Method 1
The recesses are formed with ice-phobic surfaces
Implementation Method 2
The recesses are offset from a center line of the tray in a manner that distributes the stresses within the tray throughout the entire tray
Data Source
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.