Water Purifier Ice-Maker Guide Member to Prevent Storage Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water purifiers with ice makers face issues such as interference between the guide member and purified water storage, increased power consumption due to separate motors, and limited capacity due to guide member interference, leading to operational instability and reduced convenience.

Innovation Solution

The guide member is designed to rotate with the tray member, avoiding interference with the purified water storage part, and rotates by gravity without a separate power source, ensuring stable operation and increased capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the guide member is fixed to the ice-making drip tray and rotates together with it, then ice can be stably guided, but the guide member interferes with the purified water storage part when the tray rotates to the ice generating position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice guidance stabilityVSAvoidpurified water storage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member is separated from the ice-making drip tray and positioned independently within the ice storage part. This segmentation allows the guide member to remain stationary while the tray rotates, eliminating interference with the purified water storage part and enabling stable ice guidance without compromising storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a separate driving motor is provided to rotate the guide member, then ice path can be changed according to user selection, but power consumption increases and total weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice path selectionVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member is designed to be rotatable by hand or by the weight of ice without requiring a separate driving motor. This self-service approach allows users to manually adjust the ice path according to their selection while eliminating the power consumption and weight increase associated with additional motors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If the guide member rotates independently from the tray member, then ice path can be adjusted, but ice may not be normally supplied to the ice storage or cold water tank

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveice path adjustmentVSAvoidice supply stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member is positioned independently within the ice storage part rather than being fixed to the rotating tray. This segmentation allows the guide member to remain stationary while the tray rotates, ensuring that ice is reliably guided to the correct storage location without supply instability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Device complexity

If the guide grill is fixed to the ice-making drip tray, then the configuration is simplified, but the guide grill vertically disposes in the height direction when the tray rotates to the ice generating position, causing interference with the purified water tank

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguide member configurationVSAvoidpurified water tank capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member is separated from the ice-making drip tray and positioned independently within the ice storage part. This segmentation eliminates the interference issue that occurs when the guide member is fixed to the rotating tray, allowing the purified water tank to achieve maximum capacity without vertical disposal conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 configuration improves user convenience by increasing purified water storage capacity, enhances operational stability and power efficiency, and ensures stable ice supply and dispersion, while allowing for separate washing and noise reduction through a buffer member.

Implementation Method 1

rotates by gravity without a separate power source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS12359859B2Water purifier having ice-maker

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 COWAY CO LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to a water purifier with an ice maker, and more particularly to a water purifier with an ice maker, wherein a guide member for guiding ice may stably guide ice separated while moving together with a tray member, and the guide member does not interfere with a purified water storage part even in a case where the tray member rotates such that the purifier can increase the capacity of the purified water storage part and thus can improve user convenience.