GB2156500A - Machine for producing ice cubes - Google Patents

Abstract

A group of water supply tubes (16, 17, 18) provided with holes (23, 24, 25) directs water jets against a top plate (10), through which short peduncles (14) of a refrigerating circuit evaporator (12) arranged above said plate (10) extend downward. The supply tubes (16, 17, 18) form part of a frame (19) of tubes, which frame is disconnectibly mounted by clips (20, Fig. 2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Machine for producing ice cubes This invention relates to a machine for producing ice cubes.

Machines capable of producing ice cubes ready for use rapidly and continuously are known and ever more widespread.

Some of these are based on the concept of keeping short parallel peduncles protruding from a refrigerating circuit evaporator immersed in a basin of water. The water condenses on said peduncles forming ice cubes which are periodically unloaded by turning over the basin of water and reversing the evaporator supply cycle.

Other machines built more recently have on the other hand eliminated the basin of water and strike the evaporator peduncles (or equivalent overturned refrigerated cups) directly with very thin sprays of nebulized water upward through very small holes in a group of small tubes appropriately supplied. In this case the cubes are unloaded simply by reversal of the evaporator cycle.

Machines of the latter type are undoubtedly simpler but on the other hand are subject to problems of obstruction of the nebulization holes because of the small cross section necessary for nebulization.

The purpose of this invention is to construct a machine for the production of ice cubes which is particularly simple and at the same time free of operating problems of the aforesaid type.

According to the invention this purpose is achieved by a machine which comprises a refrigerating circuit evaporator provided with a plurality of parallel peduncles extending transversally from it characterized in that it includes a top plate through which said peduncles extend downward and a group of water supply tubes intercalated between said peduncles and provided with holes for the delivery of jets of water against said top plate.

In other words the machine according to this invention does not call for either immersion of the peduncles in a basin nor their being struck directly by nebulized water. It calls for the delivery of jets which do not strike the evaporator peduncles directly but break on the top plate and thence flow over the surface toward the peduncles along which they subsequently fall forming cubes. The cubes are then unloaded by reversing the evaporation cycle.

This is clearly a very simple machine, whose operating principle (using jets instead of nebulization) allows the use of water supply holes having a cross section large enough to avoid obstruction and consequently maintenance problems.

The only arrangement which might be provided would be to apply a rough bottom surface to the top plate so as to reduce adhesion of the cubes to said plate and thus facilitate detachment of the cubes.

In the preferred realization the group of water supply tubes constitutes a single rigid frame fastened to the machine cabinet in such a way that it can be disconnected. Said frame can thus be easily extracted for periodic maintenance.

The features and advantages of this invention will be made more evident by the following detailed description of a practically realized example thereof illustrated in the annexed drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a machine according to the invention in plan view from above; Figure 2 shows said machine in section according to the line ll-ll of Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows said machine in section according to the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 1.

The machine illustrated in the drawings includes a cabinet 1, inside which is located an operative space 2 communicating with a water collecting receptacle 3 below through an oblique grating 4 and with an adjacent cube collecting receptacle 5 through a door 6 hinged at 7 and pressed by its own weight into the closed position as in Fig. 3.

The operative space 2 is divided in an upper part 8 and a lower part 9 by a horizontal top plate 10, having a rough bottom surface (of rubber or other material for example).

Above the top plate 10 is set and fastened with brackets 11 a refrigerating circuit evaporator 1 2 having basically a U shape in a horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 1. From the two parallel branches 1 3 of the evaporator 1 2 extend vertically downward short peduncles 14 which pass through the top plate 10 then terminating in the bottom 9 of the operative space 2. Each peduncle 14 is hollow and houses an oblique diaphragm 15, which extends from the top of the evaporator branch 1 3 to the neighborhood of the bottom of the peduncle 14, so as to describe an obligatory path for the evaporator gas through the peduncle, as shown with arrows in the drawings.

Below the top plate 10 on the other hand is located a group of water supply tubes 16-17-18, intercalated between the peduncles 1 4 and joined together with headers 26 in a single rigid frame 1 9 fastened disconnectably to the cabinet 1 by means of side clips 20. With the frame 1 9 in the operating position shown in the drawings a mouth 21 in the frame is disconnectably engaged in a corresponding fixed mouth 22 to receive water and feed it to the tubesl 6-17-18.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the central tube 1 6 has a succession of vertical holes 23 for delivery of water jets upward and against the top plate 10, betwen one peduncle and another, while the two side tubes 1 7 and 18 have successions of converging oblique holes 24 and 25 with the same function.

The foliowing mode of operation of the machine illustrated in the drawings ensues.

With the frame 1 9 in operating position and the evaporator 1 2 fed in the normal cold production cycle, the water fed to the tubes 16-18 generates through the holes 23-25 jets directed upward, which avoid the peduncles 14 and break on the top plate 10.

Here, they spread laterally and run over the rough bottom surface of the plate 10 until they encounter the peduncles 1 4. The water then falls along the peduncles 14, condensing due to the effect of the cold and forming ice cubes 27 around them as shown in dots and dashes in Fig. 3.

When the cubes are formed, even without stopping the water supply simultaneously, the operating cycle of the evaporator 1 2 is reversed, producing heat which causes detachment and fall of the cubes. Said cubes fall on the oblique grating 4 and then, opening the door 6, into the receptacle 5, while the water still delivered through the holes 23-25 passes into the receptacle 3 through the grating 4.

Detachment of the cubes is facilitated by the roughness of the bottom surface of the top plate 10, which reduces adhesion between the plate and the cubes.

For periodic maintenance of the group of feed tubes 16-18 it is sufficient to open the clips 20 and extract the frame 17, pulling the mouth union 21 out of the fixed mouth 22.

Claims (5)

1. Machine for the production of ice cubes comprising a refrigerating circuit evaporator provided with a plurality of parallel peduncles extending transversally from it, characterized in that it includes a top plate through which said peduncles extend downward, and a group of water supply tubes intercalated between said peduncles and provided with holes for the delivery of water jets against said top plate.

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said group of supply tubes includes a central tube having a succession of vertical holes and at least two side tubes having successions of converging oblique holes.

3. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said group of supply tubes constitutes a single rigid frame fastened dis connectably to the machine cabinet.

4. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said top plate has a rough bottom surface.

5. A machine for the production of ice cubes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.