EP3418656A1 - Drainage device for ice maker - Google Patents

Drainage device for ice maker Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3418656A1
EP3418656A1 EP18176365.7A EP18176365A EP3418656A1 EP 3418656 A1 EP3418656 A1 EP 3418656A1 EP 18176365 A EP18176365 A EP 18176365A EP 3418656 A1 EP3418656 A1 EP 3418656A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drainage
tank
ice maker
fluid
drainage device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP18176365.7A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Cesarino Maroli
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Brema Group SpA
Original Assignee
Brema Group SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Brema Group SpA filed Critical Brema Group SpA
Publication of EP3418656A1 publication Critical patent/EP3418656A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C1/00—Producing ice
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C2400/00—Auxiliary features or devices for producing, working or handling ice
    • F25C2400/12—Means for sanitation
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C2500/00—Problems to be solved
    • F25C2500/06—Spillage or flooding of water
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C2700/00—Sensing or detecting of parameters; Sensors therefor
    • F25C2700/04—Level of water

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a drainage device for ice maker of the type specified in the preamble of the first claim.
  • the invention relates to a drainage device for a professional ice maker, for example of the type occurring in catering facilities.
  • ice makers consist of a generally parallelepiped structure comprising an upper portion and a lower portion.
  • the upper portion consists of a box structure accessible from the outside and suitable to enclose therein the ice made by the ice maker.
  • the ice can therefore have different shapes and dimensions depending on the means used to make the ice.
  • Ice makers which make ice granules or cubes or the like, are known in the current state of the art.
  • the lower portion of the machines described above is generally, though not necessarily, constituted by a set of power supply and drive means, and hydraulic pipes required for the operation of the machine.
  • the ice makers known in the current state of the art may comprise drainage devices arranged inside the upper portion and suitable to allow the excess liquid inside the ice maker to be ejected so as to preserve the correct operation of the ice maker.
  • These devices generally comprise a liquid containment tank and a pump connected to the tank and suitable to allow the fluid contained therein to flow out of the device.
  • the pump can be directly connected to the ice container defining almost the entire upper portion.
  • drainage devices can experience malfunction or operation interruptions that can lead to flooding of the room.
  • drainage devices are frequently integrated inside the machine and therefore are difficult to replace in the event of malfunction or failure.
  • the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a drainage device for an ice maker, which is capable of substantially obviating at least some of the above-mentioned drawbacks.
  • a major object of the invention is to obtain a drainage device, which allows the space occupied inside the ice maker to be considerably reduced.
  • Another major object of the invention is to provide a drainage device, which is easily replaceable or accessible so as to allow proper maintenance.
  • the measures, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when associated with terms like “about” or other similar terms such as “almost” or “substantially”, are to be understood as unless measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing defects and, especially, unless a slight difference from the value, measure, shape, or geometric reference with which it is associated.
  • these terms if associated with a value, preferably indicate a difference not exceeding 10% of the value itself.
  • the drainage device for an ice maker according to the invention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1.
  • the drainage device 1 is preferably suitable to be installed on an ice maker 10 of a known type.
  • such an ice maker 10 is, for example, a professional machine for making granular or cubed ice components or the like.
  • the ice maker 10 preferably comprises an upper portion 11 and a lower portion 12.
  • the upper portion 11 preferably comprises an ice containment enclosure.
  • the latter can be substantially defined, for example, by a container accessible through a door, and is suitable to make and store therein ice cubes or the like.
  • the second portion 12 is preferably suitable to contain at least one power supply unit and a hydraulic apparatus.
  • the power supply unit is constituted, for example, by an electric motor or other means suitable to supply energy to the first portion for making ice according to known techniques.
  • the hydraulic apparatus is preferably in fluidic through connection with the upper portion 11.
  • the hydraulic apparatus may comprise tubular elements suitable to allow a fluid to pass therein.
  • the hydraulic apparatus comprises at least one drainage channel suitable to channel therein the fluid coming from the upper portion 11, i.e. from the ice container.
  • the ice maker 10 and the portions 11, 12 may therefore have variable shapes and dimensions depending on the ice maker model used.
  • these machines have square parallelepiped shapes with a rectangular base and define walls and angles.
  • the device 1 preferably comprises a tank 2, a drainage channel 3 and a drainage pump 4.
  • the tank 2 is preferably placed in fluidic through connection with the upper portion 11 by means of the hydraulic apparatus and is suitable to contain the fluid coming from the upper portion 11.
  • the tank 2 is preferably in fluidic through connection with the drainage channel mentioned above.
  • the tank 2 comprises a primary container 20, an air-tight element 21 and a lid 22.
  • the primary container 20 preferably defines an open box suitable to be closed by means of the lid 22.
  • the lid 22 also preferably includes a hole or connection means known per se and suitable to ensure the connection between the tank 2 and the drainage channel of the ice maker 10.
  • the air-tight element 21 is preferably arranged between the primary container 20 and the lid 22 so as to allow the tank 2 to be hermetically sealed.
  • the air-tight element 21 preferably consists of a known type of seal.
  • the tank 2 is accessible for maintenance and can be easily connected to and disconnected from the ice maker 10.
  • the tank 2 can be arranged inside the lower portion 12 at the angles defined thereby.
  • the tank 2 defines a parallelepiped structure, the base of which is substantially wedge-shaped. More preferably, the base is approximately rectangular with a highly bevelled angle, up to forming a fifth diagonal side and approximating the shape of a wedged rectangle.
  • the drainage channel 3 is preferably in fluidic through connection with the tank 2 and suitable to allow the fluid to flow towards the outside of the ice maker 10.
  • the drainage channel 3 comprises a check valve suitable to allow the fluid to flow in one direction only.
  • the drainage channel 3 preferably comprises connection means 30.
  • connection means 30 are conveniently suitable to detachably connect the device 1 to an external drainage network.
  • This drainage network can therefore be of a known type and provide drainage channels, for example tubular elements, suitable to allow a fluid to flow towards the outside of the device 1, and hence of the ice maker 10.
  • connection means 30 are composed, for example, of a hose clamp of a known type suitable to trap part of a drainage channel of the drainage network.
  • the drainage channel 3 is suitable to protrude out of the ice maker 10, for example by means of a hole in the wall of the lower portion 12.
  • the drainage pump 4 is preferably suitable to convey the fluid from the tank 2 to the drainage channel 3.
  • the drainage pump 4 is, for example, a radial positive displacement pump of a type known in the current state of the art.
  • the drainage pump 4 is not inside the tank 2, but is arranged at least partly outside the tank 2.
  • the drainage pump 4 is accessible from the outside.
  • the drainage pump 4 is powered independently of the power supply unit of the ice maker 10.
  • the independent powering is preferably obtained through a single cable for the connection to the electrical network, which splits upstream of the power supply of the ice maker 10 and upstream of the "on" switch of the latter, so as to ensure the drainage pump 4 to be powered independently of the turning on or off of the ice maker 10.
  • the drainage pump 4 is powered in parallel with the power supply unit of the ice maker 10 and operates independently of the turning off or on of the ice maker 10.
  • the global power supply for example a wall terminal, supplies both the pump 4 and the ice maker 10.
  • the drainage pump 4 may comprise a power supply completely independent of the power supply of the ice maker 10, which may involve, for example, a separate wall terminal.
  • the drainage pump 4 is operatively connected to secondary power supply means 6.
  • the secondary power supply means 6 are particularly suitable to connect the drainage pump 4 to known electrical connections.
  • the secondary power supply means 6 may consist of electrical cables, which are suitable to be connected to wall sockets independently of the ice maker 10, as in the alternative configuration.
  • the secondary power supply means 6 consist of cables or electrical connections suitable to interface with at least one multi-connector of a known type suitable to supply the ice maker 10 and the device 1 in parallel.
  • the device 1, and in particular the drainage pump 4 is powered independently of the switching off or on of the ice maker 10.
  • the device 1 preferably also comprises sensor means 5.
  • the sensor means 5 are preferably suitable to control the drainage pump 4 so as to activate it when the fluid inside the tank reaches a predetermined threshold level.
  • “Threshold level” is intended to mean the height reached by the fluid inside the tank 2.
  • the sensor means 5 are substantially constituted by a pressure switch and comprise a secondary container 50 and a detector 51.
  • the secondary container 50 is preferably arranged inside the tank 2.
  • the secondary container 50 is suitable to be arranged within the primary container 20 so as to communicate with it. In this manner, when the fluid enters the tank 2 and rises in level, it also rises in level inside the secondary container 50 according to the principle of communicating vessels.
  • the detector 51 is thus preferably in fluidic through connection with the secondary container 50 and contains a gas, which is suitable to be placed under pressure when the fluid level rises inside the secondary container 50.
  • the gas is, for example, air; the detector 51 is therefore suitable to detect the pressure of said gas.
  • the detector 51 comprises a tubular element connected to the secondary container 50 at one end and comprises a pressure sensor 52 at the opposite end.
  • the pressure sensor is of a known type and is suitable to close the tubular element so as to trap the gas inside said tubular element.
  • the sensor means 5 are also operatively connected to the power supply means 6 so as to enable them to send command pulses to the drainage pump 4 when the pressure reaches threshold values at which the fluid reaches, inside the tank, predetermined threshold values.
  • the secondary power supply means 6 are operatively connected both to the sensor means 5 and to the drainage pump 4 and are suitable to connect them to known electrical connections external to the ice maker 10.
  • the operation of the device 1, previously described in structural terms, is as follows.
  • the drainage fluid of the ice maker 10 on which the device 1 is installed settles in the tank 2, and in particular in the primary 20 and secondary 50 containers.
  • the gas inside the detector 51 is at a threshold pressure value that activates the pressure switch preferably constituting the sensor means 5.
  • the sensor means 5 send a pulse to the drainage pump, thus allowing it to convey the fluid in the tank 2 to the inside of the drainage channel 3.
  • the drainage device for an ice maker 1 achieves important advantages.
  • the secondary power supply means 6 allow the device 1 to operate even when the ice maker 10 is not switched on, in the preferred configuration, or even when the ice maker is not powered or when it fails or malfunctions in the alternative configuration.
  • the parallel or independent powering thus allows a continuous control of the drainage of the excess fluid inside the ice maker 10, thus preventing flooding which is detrimental to the electrical components.
  • the use of the sensor means 5 including the pressure switch prevents using floats inside the tank and therefore allows the electronic means, such as the pressure sensor, to be kept dry and well separated from the fluid inside the tank.
  • a further advantage of the device 1 is that it does not substantially encumber the volume of the ice maker thanks to its wedge shape, can be easily installed on any device existing in the market also thanks to its wedge shape that limits the dimensions thereof, and may allow easy maintenance in both configurations.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Production, Working, Storing, Or Distribution Of Ice (AREA)
EP18176365.7A 2017-06-23 2018-06-06 Drainage device for ice maker Withdrawn EP3418656A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT102017000070746A IT201700070746A1 (it) 2017-06-23 2017-06-23 Dispositivo di drenaggio per fabbricatore di ghiaccio

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3418656A1 true EP3418656A1 (en) 2018-12-26

Family

ID=60294242

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP18176365.7A Withdrawn EP3418656A1 (en) 2017-06-23 2018-06-06 Drainage device for ice maker

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3418656A1 (it)
IT (1) IT201700070746A1 (it)

Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS62138664A (ja) * 1985-12-12 1987-06-22 ホシザキ電機株式会社 噴射式自動製氷機
JPH0288437A (ja) 1988-09-21 1990-03-28 Iseki & Co Ltd ピペット製造装置
US4987746A (en) * 1989-08-04 1991-01-29 Roberts Mark J Apparatus for transferring water from a container to a refrigerator ice maker
JPH10288437A (ja) * 1997-04-15 1998-10-27 Matsushita Refrig Co Ltd 給水タンク
US6536242B1 (en) * 2001-11-27 2003-03-25 General Electric Company Pressure relief drain pump assembly for appliance
DE112006000552T5 (de) 2005-03-15 2008-03-06 Eltek S.P.A., Casale Monferrato Kühlvorrichtung in einem Flüssigkeitsbereitstellungssystem
US20080250820A1 (en) * 2005-10-13 2008-10-16 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Drain Pump
KR20100085689A (ko) * 2009-01-21 2010-07-29 주식회사 세아이엔씨 제빙기용 드레인 펌프 유닛
CN102252477A (zh) 2011-06-28 2011-11-23 中山市新顺翔电器制造有限公司 一种制冰机
US20110284094A1 (en) 2010-05-18 2011-11-24 Chilcoat Edward A Liquid leak control appliance pedestal
US20140013781A1 (en) * 2012-07-11 2014-01-16 Manitowoc Foodservice Companies, Llc Methods and apparatus for adjusting ice slab bridge thickness and initiate ice harvest following the freeze cycle
US20160054043A1 (en) 2014-08-22 2016-02-25 True Manufacturing Co., Inc. Draining the sump of an ice maker to prevent growth of harmful biological material

Patent Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS62138664A (ja) * 1985-12-12 1987-06-22 ホシザキ電機株式会社 噴射式自動製氷機
JPH0288437A (ja) 1988-09-21 1990-03-28 Iseki & Co Ltd ピペット製造装置
US4987746A (en) * 1989-08-04 1991-01-29 Roberts Mark J Apparatus for transferring water from a container to a refrigerator ice maker
JPH10288437A (ja) * 1997-04-15 1998-10-27 Matsushita Refrig Co Ltd 給水タンク
US6536242B1 (en) * 2001-11-27 2003-03-25 General Electric Company Pressure relief drain pump assembly for appliance
DE112006000552T5 (de) 2005-03-15 2008-03-06 Eltek S.P.A., Casale Monferrato Kühlvorrichtung in einem Flüssigkeitsbereitstellungssystem
US20080250820A1 (en) * 2005-10-13 2008-10-16 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Drain Pump
KR20100085689A (ko) * 2009-01-21 2010-07-29 주식회사 세아이엔씨 제빙기용 드레인 펌프 유닛
US20110284094A1 (en) 2010-05-18 2011-11-24 Chilcoat Edward A Liquid leak control appliance pedestal
CN102252477A (zh) 2011-06-28 2011-11-23 中山市新顺翔电器制造有限公司 一种制冰机
US20140013781A1 (en) * 2012-07-11 2014-01-16 Manitowoc Foodservice Companies, Llc Methods and apparatus for adjusting ice slab bridge thickness and initiate ice harvest following the freeze cycle
US20160054043A1 (en) 2014-08-22 2016-02-25 True Manufacturing Co., Inc. Draining the sump of an ice maker to prevent growth of harmful biological material

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Publication number Publication date
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