Vertical Door Ice Maker With Screw Lift to Cut Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers occupy large space, cause water overflow, and inefficiently use cold air, leading to reduced ice production and increased energy consumption, with complex configurations and high fabrication costs.
Innovation Solution
A vertically long ice making container installed on the refrigerator door's side wall, using screws to lift and cut ice, reducing size and installation height, and simplifying the configuration and operation to enhance space utilization and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a horizontal ice making container is used, then ice can be made, but the ice maker occupies a large area and reduces available space
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making container is changed from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation, transforming the space utilization from occupying horizontal area to occupying vertical space. This dimensional change allows the ice maker to be installed on the side wall of the refrigerator door, significantly reducing the horizontal footprint while maintaining ice making capacity through the vertical arrangement of the container and ice releasing unit
2Volume of stationary object
If the ice making container is made shallow, then the ice maker size is reduced, but water overflows when the refrigerator door is open or closed
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making container transitions from a shallow horizontal design to a deep vertical design. This dimensional transformation allows the container to accommodate sufficient water volume for ice making while maintaining a compact footprint. The vertical orientation ensures that water remains contained within the container even when the refrigerator door is opened or closed, preventing overflow into the ice storage container
3Ease of operation
If the ice making chamber is disposed higher to work with the dispenser, then ice can be supplied, but the distance from the freezing chamber increases causing cold air loss
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making chamber is repositioned from a high location near the dispenser to a lower location closer to the freezing chamber. This vertical repositioning shortens the cold air supply path, reducing energy loss during cold air delivery. The lowered ice making chamber is integrated with the side wall installation of the ice maker, maintaining ice supply functionality through the vertical arrangement of components
4Adaptability or versatility
If independent mechanisms are used for ice making and ice releasing units, then each function can be performed, but the configuration becomes complex and fabrication cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ice making container and ice releasing unit are integrated into a single unified structure mounted on the side wall of the refrigerator door. The container serves dual purposes: as the ice making chamber during freezing operations and as the ice storage container during dispensing operations. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate mechanisms, simplifying the overall configuration and reducing fabrication costs while maintaining both ice making and ice releasing capabilities
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 reduces the ice maker's size and energy consumption, prevents water overflow, and simplifies the configuration and operation, resulting in a slimmer refrigerator design with improved ice production and reduced fabrication costs.
Implementation Method 1
an ice making container for making ice; a lifting unit for lifting ice made in the ice making container
Implementation Method 2
a cutting unit provided at an upper end of the ice making container and performing cutting to separate upper ice of ice lifted by the lifting unit from lower ice kept in the ice making container
Implementation Method 3
when cold air from the freezing chamber is delivered to the ice making chamber
Implementation Method 4
an ice making container for making ice
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an ice maker, a refrigerator having the ice maker, and a method for supplying ice of the refrigerator. An ice making container long in a vertical direction is installed on a side wall surface of a refrigerator door, makes ice, and pushes up the ice by screws to release the ice, whereby the size of the ice maker can be reduced, the area occupied by the ice maker can be reduced, and a refrigerator having the ice maker can become slimmer. Also, because an installation height of the ice maker is lowered to shorten a cold air supply path and prevent a loss in the process of supplying cold air to the ice making chamber. Also, because a cutting operation is performed simultaneously when the ice is lifted, a fabrication cost can be reduced and a defective state due to malfunction can be prevented.