EP3581863A1 - Improved ice cube dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an ice dispenser comprising a tank for containing loose ice to be dispensed, a picking wheel comprising at least one cup (13) capable of removing ice from the tank and an ice dispensing opening (14). sampled by the bucket, said bucket (13) comprising an external wall (16), an internal wall (17), a rear wall (19) opposite the dispensing opening (14) and a delimited sampling opening (20) by the rear wall (19) and the external and internal walls, the internal wall (17) having an internal surface, extending from the rear wall (19) to the dispensing opening (14), inclined downwards in direction of the front wall of the tank.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an ice dispenser for delivering ice cubes at the request of a consumer.

The invention relates more particularly to an ice dispenser comprising a tank for containing loose ice to be dispensed, having a front wall provided with an outlet opening and a bottom wall having a semi-cylindrical shape, a pick-up wheel comprising at at least one bucket capable of removing ice from the tank, said wheel, rotatably mounted about an axis extending through the tank, being able to rotate in one direction so as to allow the bucket to take ice from the tank up to a high position in which the dispensing opening is arranged opposite the outlet opening of the tank for dispensing the ice cubes removed.

STATE OF THE ART

We know of the patent application FR3040772 an ice dispenser of the type comprising a tank for containing loose ice to be dispensed, a sampling wheel mounted to rotate around an axis extending through the tank and comprising at least one U-shaped measuring cup whose shape is chosen in correspondence with a calibrated volume of ice cubes to be dispensed, an outlet opening made in the upper part of the front wall of the tank and a control member capable of turning the wheel in one direction under the control of the consumer to take a calibrated quantity of ice cubes in the tank up to a high position in which the free end of the cup is arranged opposite the outlet opening for the delivery of a calibrated quantity of ice cubes.

Such an ice dispenser allows a withdrawal by the cup of a calibrated quantity of ice cubes to be delivered to a consumer who requests it because of the size of the cup in question. However, it has the drawback of not completely evacuating the water inherent in the ice cubes and present in the cup, despite the presence of evacuation orifices provided therein. This then generates over time the formation of a layer of ice inside the bucket, proving to be troublesome or even inducing a obstacle when removing and distributing ice cubes.

The invention aims to remedy this problem by providing an ice dispenser ensuring the collection and distribution of the required quantity of ice cubes over time.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention provides an ice dispenser comprising a tank for containing loose ice to be dispensed, having a front wall provided with an outlet opening and a bottom wall having a semi shape cylindrical, a pick-up wheel comprising at least one cup suitable for picking ice cubes from the tank and a dispensing opening for the ice cubes picked up by the cup in the tank, said wheel, mounted rotatably about an axis extending through the tank, being able to turn the wheel in one direction so as to allow the bucket to take the ice cubes from the tank to a high position in which the dispensing opening is arranged opposite the outlet opening of the tank for dispensing the ice cubes taken, the cup comprising a first wall known as the external wall, a second wall known as the internal wall, a third wall connecting the internal and external walls, u ne fourth wall known as the rear wall opposite the dispensing opening, and a withdrawal opening delimited by the rear wall and the external and internal walls. The ice dispenser is remarkable in that the inner wall has an inner surface, extending from the rear wall to the dispensing opening, inclined downward towards the front wall of the tank.

Thanks to the installation of a deflecting zone (inclined zone) at the level of the internal wall, the stagnation of residual water is avoided. This also makes it easier to remove the ice from the bucket.

Advantageously, the interior surface has a curved shape from the rear wall to the dispensing opening.

Advantageously, the sampling opening has a flared shape. This thus ensures and facilitates the removal of the optimal quantity of ice cubes which is defined according to the dimensions of the bucket.

Advantageously, the rear wall of the bucket is arranged to have an end portion inclined towards the rear at an angle determined relative to the rear wall, preferably between 0 degrees and 45 degrees.

Advantageously, the bottom wall of the tank is inclined downwards in the direction of the front wall of the tank at an angle determined relative to the horizontal.

Advantageously, the bottom wall of the tank is extended laterally by a wall raised relative to the bottom wall and inclined downwards towards the front wall of the tank and / or the bottom wall at an angle determined by relative to the horizontal, preferably at the same angle of inclination as the bottom wall of the tank.

Advantageously, the cup is a U-shaped measuring cup sized in correspondence with a calibrated volume of ice cubes to be dispensed.

According to a particular embodiment, the wheel comprises two buckets mounted head to tail 180 ° from one another around the rotation shaft, the two buckets each being in the high position facing the outlet opening at take turns every half turn of the rotation shaft.

Advantageously, the dispenser is palletizable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• la figure 1 représente une vue schématique en coupe d'un distributeur de glaçons selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue en perspective de l'ensemble prélèvement / mélangeur selon l'invention ;
• les figures 3 et 4 représentent une vue en perspective respectivement de face et d'arrière d'un godet de prélèvement selon l'invention ;
• la figure 5 représente une vue en perspective de dessus de la cuve du distributeur selon l'invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of an ice dispenser according to the invention;
• the figure 2 shows a perspective view of the sample / mixer assembly according to the invention;
• the figures 3 and 4 represent a perspective view from the front and rear respectively a sampling cup according to the invention;
• the figure 5 shows a perspective view from above of the dispenser tank according to the invention.

For greater clarity, identical or similar elements of the various embodiments are identified by identical reference signs in all of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The Figures 1 to 5 , described jointly, illustrate an ice dispenser 1 according to the invention comprising a tank 2 for storing loose ice and an ice picking / mixing unit. The ice cubes are produced by an ice production unit (not shown) arranged above the tank.

The tank 2, of parallelepiped shape, has a front wall 3 provided with an outlet opening 6 and a bottom wall 4 having a semi-cylindrical shape and advantageously inclined downward towards the front wall 3 of the tank 2 according to an angle determined with respect to the horizontal. The bottom wall is partially curved downwards as illustrated on the figure 5 . The bottom wall 4 is extended laterally by a wall 40, raised relative to the bottom wall 4, and inclined downward towards the front wall 3 of the tank 2 and the bottom wall 4 at a determined angle relative to the horizontal, preferably at the same angle of inclination as the bottom wall 4 of the tank 2.

The sampling / mixer assembly comprises a sampling wheel 10 rotatably mounted about an axis 11 extending through the tank 2. The wheel 10 is driven by a motor in one direction (clockwise in the illustrated embodiment) under the action of a control member 12. The radius of curvature of the wheel 10 is equal, apart from the functional clearance, to that of the bottom wall of the tank 2.

The wheel 10 comprises at least one cup 13, generally of bean shape, capable of removing ice cubes from the tank 2. The cup 13 is carried on the internal face 8 of the wheel 10. In the embodiment described, the wheel 10 includes two buckets 13 mounted head spade 180 ° from each other around the axis of rotation 11.

The wheel 10 has two openings called distribution openings 14, diametrically opposite one another and formed in the vicinity of the peripheral edge 9 of the wheel 10. Each opening opening into one of the cups 13 associated with screws -to which it is placed.

Under the action of the control member 12, the wheel 10 is driven by the motor clockwise to allow each of the buckets 13 to pass from a position in which it takes the ice cubes from the tank 2 up to a high position in which the dispensing opening 14 is arranged opposite the outlet opening 6 of the tank 2 for dispensing the ice cubes removed. Given the arrangement of the buckets on the wheel 10, it is understood that the two buckets 13 are each in the high position opposite the outlet opening 6 in turn, at each rotation half-turn of the shaft. rotation.

As shown on figures 3 and 4 , each bucket 13 has a first wall 16 having a curved shape with a radius of curvature substantially identical to that of the wheel 10, a second wall 17, opposite the first wall 16, a third wall 18 connecting the first and second walls, and a fourth wall forming the rear wall 19 of the bucket and opposite the dispensing opening 14

. As we understand it from the figure 2 , each bucket 13 is arranged on the wheel 10 so that the first wall 16 runs along the peripheral edge 9 of the wheel.

The first and second walls of each bucket will subsequently be designated respectively as external wall 16 and internal wall 17, with reference to the position of the first wall 16 which is positioned furthest from the center of the wheel 10 and from the second wall 17 which is located between the wall 16 and the center of the wheel 10.

In the example illustrated, each bucket 13 is fixed to the internal face 8 of the wheel 10 by screwing the fixing flanges with which each bucket is provided. More particularly, each cup 13 comprises a fixing flange, extending along the longitudinal edge of the external wall 16 and oriented towards the inside of the cup 13 and a fixing flange extending at least along the longitudinal edge of the internal wall 17 towards the outside of the bucket 13.

The internal wall 17 has an internal surface 22 extending from the rear wall 19 to the dispensing opening 14, and being inclined downwards in the direction of the front wall 3 of the tank 2. The internal surface 22 also has advantageously a curved shape from the rear wall 19 to the dispensing opening 14. More particularly, and as shown in the figure 3 , the inner surface 22 has a slightly concave shape.

Advantageously, the third wall 18 has evacuation orifices 23 to ensure a first evacuation of the water coming from the ice cubes when the cups 13 are raised by rotation until they reach their high dispensing position.

Each bucket 13 further comprises a sampling opening 20 delimited by the rear wall 19 and the external 16 and internal walls 17. The sampling opening 20 has an enlarged shape in the direction opposite to the third wall.

The rear wall 19 of the bucket 13 is also arranged to have an end portion 21 inclined towards the rear at an angle determined with respect to the rear wall 19 advantageously comprised between 0 degrees and 45 degrees.

The sampling / mixer assembly also includes a mixer element 30 integral with the wheel 10 ( figure 2 ). The mixing element 30 comprises a drive shaft 31, extending through the tank 2, coaxial with the axis of rotation 11 of the wheel 2. The mixing element 30 comprises arms 32 extending from the shaft 31. In the embodiment described, the arms 32 are arranged in pairs, the arms of each pair extending symmetrically with respect to the shaft 31. The pairs of arms are arranged at equal distance from each other.

Advantageously, the dispenser 1 has, on its front face, means for holding under the outlet opening 6 a container or any other container such as a pocket, to allow the user to recover the ice cubes dispensed. In particular, the dispenser 1 comprises retaining pins intended to hold a pocket. The bags, preferably biodegradable, are advantageously arranged in a hatch provided in the dispenser 1. According to a particular configuration, the dispenser has a height of 2 meters and a width of 1.15 meters, with an outlet opening 6 located at a height greater than or equal to 60 centimeters from the ground. Advantageously, the dispenser is configured to produce ice cubes with a mass of 20 grams.

The distributor illustrated on the figure 1 is given as an example. It is of course obvious that the dispenser according to the invention is not limited to such a configuration and that it can have any other arrangement without departing from the scope of the invention.

The invention is described in the foregoing by way of example. It is understood that a person skilled in the art is able to carry out different alternative embodiments of the invention without going beyond the ambit of the invention.

Claims (9)

Ice dispenser comprising a tank (2) for containing loose ice cubes to be dispensed, having a front wall (3) provided with an outlet opening (6) and a bottom wall (4) having a semi-cylindrical shape, a pick-up wheel (10) comprising at least one cup (13) able to take ice cubes from the tank (2) and a dispensing opening (14) for the ice cubes picked up by the cup (13) in the tank (2), said wheel, rotatably mounted about an axis (11) extending through the tank (2), being able to turn the wheel (10) in one direction (31) so as to allow the bucket (13) to take the ice cubes in the tank (2) up to a high position in which the dispensing opening (14) is arranged opposite the outlet opening (6) of the tank (2) for dispensing the collected ice cubes, the bucket (13) comprising a first wall called external wall (16), a second wall called internal wall (17), a third wall connected ant the external and internal walls (16, 17), a fourth wall called the rear wall (19) opposite the dispensing opening (14), and a withdrawal opening (20) delimited by the rear wall (19) and the external (16) and internal (17) walls, characterized in that the internal wall (17) has an internal surface, extending from the rear wall (19) to the dispensing opening (14), inclined downwards towards the front wall (3) of the tank (2). Ice dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface has a curved shape from the rear wall (19) to the dispensing opening (14). Ice dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the sampling opening (20) has a flared shape. Ice dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear wall (19) of the bucket (13) is arranged to have an end portion (21) inclined towards the rear at an angle determined relative to to the rear wall (19). Ice dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end part (21) is inclined towards the rear by an angle between 0 degrees and 45 degrees. Ice dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom wall (4) of the tank (2) is extended laterally by a raised wall (40) relative to the bottom wall and inclined towards the down towards the front wall (3) of the tank (2) and / or towards the bottom wall (4) at an angle determined with respect to the horizontal. Ice dispenser according to claim 6, characterized in that the raised wall is inclined at a same angle of inclination as the bottom wall (4) of the tank (2). Ice dispenser according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cup is a U-shaped measuring cup (13) dimensioned in correspondence with a calibrated volume of ice cubes to be dispensed. Ice dispenser, characterized in that the wheel (10) comprises two buckets (13) mounted head to tail 180 ° from one another around the rotation shaft (11), the two buckets (13) being each in the high position opposite the outlet opening (6) in turn at each half-turn of the rotation shaft.

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