Two-Plane Refrigerator Ice Door for Access and Sub-Freezing Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerator designs, particularly in French door bottom freezer configurations, there is a challenge in maintaining sub-freezing temperatures for ice makers and ice buckets outside the freezer compartment while ensuring user access and minimizing material and manufacturing costs, while also maximizing usable space and dealing with competing factors like air flow and gravity-driven ice delivery.
Innovation Solution
A two-plane door design for the refrigerated appliance, where the door has a lower vertical section and an upper oblique section that complements the angled front face of the ice maker, allowing ice to fall by gravity into an insulated ice compartment and maintaining sub-freezing temperatures, while providing user access and efficient use of space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ice maker and ice bucket are placed outside the freezer compartment in a French door refrigerator, then user access to ice is improved, but maintaining sub-freezing temperatures becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into two distinct planes: a vertical lower section and an oblique upper section. This segmentation allows the door to simultaneously provide user access and maintain temperature separation between the freezer and refrigerated compartments.
Solution Approach 2:
The door transitions from a conventional single-plane vertical structure to a two-plane structure with an oblique upper section. This dimensional change creates an angled interface that improves sealing against the ice maker while maintaining sub-freezing temperatures in the ice bucket location.
2Reliability
If the door is designed with a two-plane structure, then sealing and temperature maintenance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door is segmented into two planes that are structurally distinct but functionally integrated. The vertical lower section and oblique upper section are separated enough to be manufactured independently yet connected to form a unified sealing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the door have different orientations optimized for their specific functions: the vertical lower section provides structural support and access, while the oblique upper section provides enhanced sealing contact with the ice maker's angled front face.
3Temperature
If the oblique door section is used to seal with the ice maker, then temperature maintenance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oblique upper section is designed with a specific angle that matches the ice maker's front face, creating a localized sealing zone. This allows the rest of the door to remain simpler in construction while only the critical sealing portion has the complex geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The door geometry changes from a standard vertical plane to an oblique plane with a specific angle. This parameter change optimizes the sealing contact angle with the ice maker, improving thermal isolation while the angle itself can be standardized for manufacturing.
4Ease of operation
If the ice bucket is accessible outside the freezer, then user convenience is improved, but ice delivery by gravity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The oblique door section creates a sealing interface that maintains the gravitational potential difference needed for ice delivery while allowing the ice bucket to be positioned in an accessible location. The angled seal ensures proper alignment for gravity-driven ice flow.
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 two-plane door effectively maintains sub-freezing temperatures for the ice compartment, allows easy access to the ice bucket, and balances competing design factors like user access, sealing, and cost-effectiveness, while ensuring efficient ice delivery and air flow, thus addressing the complexities of ice maker placement and temperature maintenance in refrigerator designs.
Implementation Method 1
allows ice to fall by gravity into an insulated ice compartment
Implementation Method 2
insulated ice compartment
Data Source
AI summary
In a refrigeration appliance, an enclosure or container defines an enclosed space. A two-plane door forms a portion of the container. The two-plane door opens along one pivot axis and allows access to the enclosed interior space. The container can be a thermally insulated in-door ice compartment of a refrigerated appliance. One example is a bottom freezer style, with the in-door ice compartment in the cold food section of the appliance.