GB2090955A

GB2090955A - Machine for producing ice cubes

Info

Publication number: GB2090955A
Application number: GB8134610A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Castel Mac SpA
Current assignee: Castel Mac SpA
Priority date: 1981-01-09
Filing date: 1981-11-17
Publication date: 1982-07-21
Also published as: DE8133645U1; IT8120442V0; FR2497932A3; ZA818000B; GB2090955B; FR2497932B3; ES261923U; ES261923Y

Abstract

A machine for producing ice cubes of the type comprising a water tray (11) in which a set of freezing elements (12, Ra6) is immersed, said tray being connected to a shaft (14) rotatable by means of a geared motor (20), characterised in that means for interconnecting the motor and the shaft comprises a torsion spring (27). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A machine for producing ice cubes Machines for producing ice cubes are known comprising a water tray in which there is immersed a set of stem-shaped freezing elements connected to the evaporator of a refrigeration circuit. When a sufficient quantity of ice has formed around the stems, cold production is interrupted, the tray is rotated sideways, and the cubes fall into an underlying collection zone by virtue of the rise in temperature which causes them to separate from the stems.

The tray can be rotated by a connecting rodcrank mechanism operated by a geared motor and connected to a rotation shaft rigid with one end of the tray.

A machine of this type is described for example in Italian Patent No. 1,014,761.

In such machines, between one production cycle and the next it can happen that one or more ice cubes remain jammed between the stems and the tray, so preventing this latter from being properly repositioned horizontally, or between the tray and the underlying container, so preventing the tray from being correctly tilted. This is a source of damage both to the geared motor, which remains under load, and to the operating mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks, and for this purpose a machine of the aforesaid type is provided characterised in that the connecting rod of the operating mechanism is connected to one end of the tray rotation shaft by means of a torsion spring.

In this manner, if the tray remains blocked in an intermediate position along its trajectory of movement, the operating mechanism can continue its motion until its end-of-travel position by loading said torsion spring. When the blocking action on the tray ceases, said loaded spring returns it to its normal horizontal position.

The structural and operational characteristics of the invention and its advantages will be more apparent from the description given hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-Il of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the machine tray; Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4; and Figures 6 and 7 are two partly sectional side elevations taken along the arrow F of Figure 1 and showing two different operating positions of the machine tray.

With reference to the drawings, the machine according to the invention is indicated overall by 10, and is of the type comprising a tray 11 arranged to contain water into which a set of freezing elements 12 connected to the evaporator of a refrigeration circuit (not shown) is immersed.

By means of a set of interspaced sleeves 13, the tray 11 is mounted idly on an operating shaft 14 which extends between two shoulders 1 5 fixed to a horizontal load-bearing wall 1 6. Said tray 11 is operationally connected to the shaft 14 by a pair of flaps 1 7 rigid with respective bushes fixed to the shaft 14 by means of bolts 1 9. The tray 11 rests by its own weight with its rear wall 9 against said flaps 17.

The shaft 14 is rotated by a geared motor 20, by way of a connecting rod 21 comprising a slot 22 along which there slides a crankpin 23 mounted eccentrically on a cam 24 fixed to the exit shaft 25 of the geared motor 20. Said cam 24 acts on a limit microswitch 26 which controls the operation of the geared motor 20.

According to the present invention, the operational connection between the connecting rod 21 and shaft 14 is provided by a torsion spring 27 (Figures 1-3) comprising two opposing end branches 28 which rest laterally against a terminal box section 29 of the connecting rod 21, and a central branch 30 which straddles about a pin 32 extending radially from the shaft 14.

During operation, if the trajectory of movement of the tray 11 is in no way obstructed by incorrectly positioned bodies, then it is apparent that the spring 27 provides the necessary operational connection between the connecting rod 21 and shaft 14.

However, if an incorrectly positioned body, such as an ice cube 33 jammed between an element 12 and the tray 11 (Figure 7), obstructs the upward trajectory of movement of the tray 11, the spring 27, by undergoing loading, enables the connecting rod 21 to rotate until it reaches its end-of-travel position without any overload being transmitted to the geared motor 20 or to the tray.

When the body 33 is removed, said loaded spring 27 returns the tray 11 to its horizontal position.

Again, if an obstacle such as a bottle or an accumulation of ice is present during the tilting of the tray 11 , the fact that this latter is idly mounted on the shaft 14 disengages it from the crank mechanism until its upward movement provided by the flaps 1 7. This prevents the tray from being subjected to abnormal forces with the consequent danger of fracture.

1. A machine for producing ice cubes of the type comprising a water tray in which a set of freezing elements is immersed, said tray being connected to a shaft rotatable by means of a crank mechanism, characterised in that the connecting rod of said crank mechanism is operationally connected to said shaft by way of a torsion spring.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said spring comprises two opposing end branches which rest laterally against

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A machine for producing ice cubes Machines for producing ice cubes are known comprising a water tray in which there is immersed a set of stem-shaped freezing elements connected to the evaporator of a refrigeration circuit. When a sufficient quantity of ice has formed around the stems, cold production is interrupted, the tray is rotated sideways, and the cubes fall into an underlying collection zone by virtue of the rise in temperature which causes them to separate from the stems. The tray can be rotated by a connecting rodcrank mechanism operated by a geared motor and connected to a rotation shaft rigid with one end of the tray. A machine of this type is described for example in Italian Patent No. 1,014,761. In such machines, between one production cycle and the next it can happen that one or more ice cubes remain jammed between the stems and the tray, so preventing this latter from being properly repositioned horizontally, or between the tray and the underlying container, so preventing the tray from being correctly tilted. This is a source of damage both to the geared motor, which remains under load, and to the operating mechanism. The object of the present invention is to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks, and for this purpose a machine of the aforesaid type is provided characterised in that the connecting rod of the operating mechanism is connected to one end of the tray rotation shaft by means of a torsion spring. In this manner, if the tray remains blocked in an intermediate position along its trajectory of movement, the operating mechanism can continue its motion until its end-of-travel position by loading said torsion spring. When the blocking action on the tray ceases, said loaded spring returns it to its normal horizontal position. The structural and operational characteristics of the invention and its advantages will be more apparent from the description given hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-Il of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of the machine tray; Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4; and Figures 6 and 7 are two partly sectional side elevations taken along the arrow F of Figure 1 and showing two different operating positions of the machine tray. With reference to the drawings, the machine according to the invention is indicated overall by 10, and is of the type comprising a tray 11 arranged to contain water into which a set of freezing elements 12 connected to the evaporator of a refrigeration circuit (not shown) is immersed. By means of a set of interspaced sleeves 13, the tray 11 is mounted idly on an operating shaft 14 which extends between two shoulders 1 5 fixed to a horizontal load-bearing wall 1 6. Said tray 11 is operationally connected to the shaft 14 by a pair of flaps 1 7 rigid with respective bushes fixed to the shaft 14 by means of bolts 1 9. The tray 11 rests by its own weight with its rear wall 9 against said flaps 17. The shaft 14 is rotated by a geared motor 20, by way of a connecting rod 21 comprising a slot 22 along which there slides a crankpin 23 mounted eccentrically on a cam 24 fixed to the exit shaft 25 of the geared motor 20. Said cam 24 acts on a limit microswitch 26 which controls the operation of the geared motor 20. According to the present invention, the operational connection between the connecting rod 21 and shaft 14 is provided by a torsion spring 27 (Figures 1-3) comprising two opposing end branches 28 which rest laterally against a terminal box section 29 of the connecting rod 21, and a central branch 30 which straddles about a pin 32 extending radially from the shaft 14. During operation, if the trajectory of movement of the tray 11 is in no way obstructed by incorrectly positioned bodies, then it is apparent that the spring 27 provides the necessary operational connection between the connecting rod 21 and shaft 14. However, if an incorrectly positioned body, such as an ice cube 33 jammed between an element 12 and the tray 11 (Figure 7), obstructs the upward trajectory of movement of the tray 11, the spring 27, by undergoing loading, enables the connecting rod 21 to rotate until it reaches its end-of-travel position without any overload being transmitted to the geared motor 20 or to the tray. When the body 33 is removed, said loaded spring 27 returns the tray 11 to its horizontal position. Again, if an obstacle such as a bottle or an accumulation of ice is present during the tilting of the tray 11 , the fact that this latter is idly mounted on the shaft 14 disengages it from the crank mechanism until its upward movement provided by the flaps 1 7. This prevents the tray from being subjected to abnormal forces with the consequent danger of fracture. CLAIMS

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said spring comprises two opposing end branches which rest laterally against a terminal box section of said connecting rod, and a central branch which straddles about a pin extending radially from said shaft.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said tray is mounted idly on said shaft to which there is rigidly connected at least one flap against which the tray rests by its own weight, by way of its rear wall.

4. A machine for producing ice cubes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.