GB2387896A - Ice making machine - Google Patents
Ice making machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2387896A GB2387896A GB0304073A GB0304073A GB2387896A GB 2387896 A GB2387896 A GB 2387896A GB 0304073 A GB0304073 A GB 0304073A GB 0304073 A GB0304073 A GB 0304073A GB 2387896 A GB2387896 A GB 2387896A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- ice
- compartments
- making machine
- water
- closure member
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
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
- F25C1/04—Producing ice by using stationary moulds
- F25C1/06—Producing ice by using stationary moulds open or openable at both ends
-
- 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
- F25C2400/14—Water supply
-
- 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
- F25C2600/00—Control issues
- F25C2600/04—Control means
-
- 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
- F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
- F25C5/02—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice
- F25C5/04—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws
- F25C5/08—Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice without the use of saws by heating bodies in contact with the ice
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)
Abstract
An ice making machine comprises an ice-cube casting unit which is generally horizontally-disposed and has a plurality of compartments (C) which are open at their bottoms, a closure member (13) for sealing against the underside of the ice-casting compartments to close the bottom of those compartments, means for filling the compartments with water, cooling means for freezing the water in the compartments, and means for moving the closure member to a downwardly-inclined position to allow ice cubes to fall from their compartments and slide into a receptacle. Preferably, the ice making machine includes a control system for controlling an operating cycle. The cooling means may be in the form of coolant-filled tubes (23) which run through the walls between adjacent rows of ice-casting compartments. In use, after a predetermined period of time, electrical heating wires (24) are operated to help release the ice cubes from the compartments.
Description
ICE-MAKING MACHINE
The present invention relates to an ice-making machine and more particularly to a machine for making ice cubes.
A number of machines have been used or proposed hitherto for making ice cubes, but these are generally of 5 complicated or bulky construction. I have now devised an ice-
making machine which is of simple construction and compact form, which can make a significant quantity of ice cubes in a relatively short period of time: the machine is particularly useful for hotel, bar, leisure or domestic use.
10 In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an icemaking machine which comprises an ice-cube casting unit which is generally horizontally-disposed and has a plurality of compartments which are open at their bottoms, a closure member for sealing against the underside of the ice 15 casting unit to close the bottoms of said compartments, means for filling said compartments with water, cooling means for freezing the water in said compartments, and means for moving said closure member to a downwardly-inclined position to allow ice cubes to fall from said compartments and slide down into 20 a receptacle.
In use, the ice-casting compartments are filled with water, whilst their bottoms are closed by the closure member.
The water in these compartments is then frozen, following which the closure member is moved to its downwardly-inclined 25 position, so that the ice cubes can fall from their compartments and slide into a receptacle positioned at the lower end of the downwardly-inclined closure member.
Preferably the closure member is pivotally mounted and preferably a motordriven or solenoid-operated device is 30 provided to move the closure member between its raised and lowered positions.
Preferably the tops of the ice-casting compartments are open. Preferably the machine includes a water reservoir and means for pumping water, or for the gravity-feed of water, from
this reservoir and into the ice-casting compartments.
Preferably coolant tubes run alongside the ice-casting compartments and may be formed integrally with, or rebated or otherwise incorporated into, the walls of these compartments: 5 preferably the ice-casting compartments are arranged in a number of rows, with the coolant tubes running alongside the respective rows and preferably between adjacent rows.
Preferably each row of compartments is formed by a pair of side walls and a number of spaced-apart partitions extending between 10 the side walls.
Preferably heating means are provided, for heating the sides of the ice cubes sufficiently to release them from their ice-casting compartments. Preferably the heating means comprises electrical heating wires running adjacent the 15 outsides of the ice-casting compartments: the heating means may instead be arranged to use residual heat from the compressor.
Preferably the coolant tubes form the evaporator of a refrigeration system of the ice-making machine.
Preferably the machine includes a control system for 20 controlling an operating cycle: when the user initiates an operating cycle, the icecasting compartments are filled with water, then the cooling means is actuated to freeze the water in the compartments, and finally the closure member is lowered to allow the ice cubes to fall onto closure member and slide 25 into the ice-cube receptacle. The control system preferably includes a timer which lowers the closure member a predetermined time period after the ice-casting compartments are filled with water.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be 30 described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic section through an ice-making machine in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the icecasting unit 35 of the machine; and
FIGURE 3 is a cut-away view of the ice-casting unit shown in Figure 2.
Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown an icemaking machine which comprises a housing or 5 cabinet 10 having a front panel 11 provided with controls 12 for the user. An ice-casting unit 20 is mounted horizontally within the cabinet 10, adjacent its top. A closure member 13 (shown here as a plate) is provided below the ice- casting unit 20 and is pivoted along its rear edge 13a, so that it can be 10 moved between the downwardly-inclined position shown, and a raised position in which it seals against the underside of the ice-casting unit 20. A device 14, driven by an electric motor 15 controlled by a timer 14a, is provided for lifting and lowering the closure member 13.
15 In the downwardly-inclined position shown, the closure member 13 forms a slipway for ice cubes, falling from the underside of the ice-casting unit, to pass to a receptacle 16 in the bottom front of the cabinet 10. A reservoir for water (not shown) is positioned alongside the ice-cube receptacle 16.
20 A pump 17, for pumping water from the water reservoir to fill the icecasting unit 20, is mounted in the cabinet 10. In the bottom rear of the cabinet, the compressor 18 of the refrigerating system is mounted.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the ice 25 casting unit 20 comprises a planar body formed with a number of rows of square icecasting compartments C which are open both at their tops and at their bottoms: the compartments C may be rectangular or of other desired shapes, instead of square.
Coolant tubes 23 run through the walls between the adjacent 30 rows of ice-casting compartments and through the walls alongside the outer two rows of ice-casting compartments: electrical heating wires 24 also run alongside the ice-casting compartments, spaced from the coolant tubes and insulated from them by the material of the walls of the compartments. The 35 coolant tubes 23 form the evaporator part of the refrigerating
system. In the example shown in Figure 2, the closure member 13 is in the form of a tray having a flat bottom, upstanding walls around its sides and rear, and an outwardly-sloping wall or lip at its forward end.
5 In use, when the user initiates an operating cycle of the machine, the motor 15 and associated device 14 lift the closure member 13 to seal the latter against the underside of the ice-casting unit 20, to seal across the bottoms of the ice casting compartment C. Further, the pump 17 pumps water from 10 the water reservoir and into the ice-casting compartments C, to fill these. Then the refrigerating system operates, circulating its cooling fluid through the evaporator coolant tubes 23 in order to cool the water in the ice-casting compartments. After a period of time, the water in these 15 compartments freezes, to form ice cubes. The refrigerating system then closes down, the closure member 13 is lowered and current is passed through the electrical heating wires 24, to heat the sides of the ice cubes and melt these sufficiently to release the ice cubes from their compartments. The ice cubes 20 then fall onto the downwardly-inclined closure member 13 and slide down this and into the ice-cube receptacle.
It will be appreciated that the ice-making machine which has been described is of simple, self-contained construction and is effective in making a significant quantity 25 of ice cubes in a relatively short time period.
Claims (1)
- Claims1) An ice-making machine which comprises an ice-cube casting unit which is generally horizontally-disposed and has a plurality of compartments which are open at their bottoms, 5 a closure member for sealing against the underside of the ice-casting unit to close the bottoms of said compartments, means for filling said compartments with water, cooling means for freezing the water in said compartments, and means for moving said closure member to a downwardly-inclined position to allow 10 ice cubes to fall from said compartments and slide down into a receptacle.2) An ice-making machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said closure member is pivotally mounted.3) An ice-making machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in 15 which a motordriven or solenoid-driven device is provided to move said closure member between its raised and lower positions. 4) An ice-making machine as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the tops of said compartment are open.20 5) An ice-making machine as claimed in claim 4, in which said means for filling said compartments with water comprises a water reservoir and means for pumping water, or arranged for the gravity feed of water, from said reservoir and into said compartments. 25 6) An ice-making machine as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said cooling means comprises coolant tubes which run alongside said compartments.7) An ice-making machine as claimed in claim 6, in whichsaid compartments are arranged in rows with said coolant tubes running alongside respective said rows.8) An ice-making machine as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising heating means for heating the sides of the 5 ice cubes sufficiently to release them from their said compartments. 9) An icemaking machine as claimed in claim 8, in which said heating means comprises electrical heating wires running adjacent said compartments.10 TO) An ice-making machine as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a control system controlling an operating cycle in which firstly said ice-casting compartments are filled with water, then said cooling means acts to freeze the water in said compartments, and then said closure member is lowered 15 to allow the ice cubes to fall onto said closure member and slide into said receptacle.11) An ice-making machine, as claimed in claim 10, in which said control system includes a timer arranged so that said closure member is lowered a predetermined time period after 20 said compartments are filled with water.12) An ice-making machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2003227871A AU2003227871A1 (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2003-04-22 | Ice-making machine |
PCT/GB2003/001682 WO2003091639A1 (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2003-04-22 | Ice-making machine |
US10/782,144 US20040163404A1 (en) | 2003-02-24 | 2004-02-18 | Ice-making machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0209281A GB0209281D0 (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2002-04-23 | Ice making machine |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB0304073D0 GB0304073D0 (en) | 2003-03-26 |
GB2387896A true GB2387896A (en) | 2003-10-29 |
GB2387896B GB2387896B (en) | 2004-05-19 |
Family
ID=9935361
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB0209281A Ceased GB0209281D0 (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2002-04-23 | Ice making machine |
GB0304073A Expired - Fee Related GB2387896B (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2003-02-24 | Ice making machine |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB0209281A Ceased GB0209281D0 (en) | 2002-04-23 | 2002-04-23 | Ice making machine |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (2) | GB0209281D0 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004081467A2 (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2004-09-23 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Ice-making apparatus and related method |
EP2258993A1 (en) | 2009-06-05 | 2010-12-08 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Apparatus for preparing coloured ice cubes |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2011000027A1 (en) * | 2009-06-29 | 2011-01-06 | John Benson Saunders | Method and apparatus for making ice blocks simultaneously |
Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB691197A (en) * | 1950-06-05 | 1953-05-06 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for producing and harvesting ice blocks |
GB718240A (en) * | 1952-11-05 | 1954-11-10 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improvements in and relating to a process and plants to produce and harvest ice, andice blocks obtained thereby |
GB847469A (en) * | 1958-05-16 | 1960-09-07 | John Robert Bayston | Ice making machine |
GB863603A (en) * | 1959-12-31 | 1961-03-22 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improved ice mould |
US3964270A (en) * | 1975-02-28 | 1976-06-22 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Ice making machine |
GB1498205A (en) * | 1975-11-22 | 1978-01-18 | Castel Mac Spa | Ice-making machines |
US5090210A (en) * | 1990-03-12 | 1992-02-25 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Control system for ice making apparatuses |
GB2248491A (en) * | 1986-12-04 | 1992-04-08 | Schneider Metal Mfg | Ice cube making |
-
2002
- 2002-04-23 GB GB0209281A patent/GB0209281D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2003
- 2003-02-24 GB GB0304073A patent/GB2387896B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB691197A (en) * | 1950-06-05 | 1953-05-06 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improvements in or relating to methods and apparatus for producing and harvesting ice blocks |
GB718240A (en) * | 1952-11-05 | 1954-11-10 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improvements in and relating to a process and plants to produce and harvest ice, andice blocks obtained thereby |
GB847469A (en) * | 1958-05-16 | 1960-09-07 | John Robert Bayston | Ice making machine |
GB863603A (en) * | 1959-12-31 | 1961-03-22 | Eugen Wilbushewich | Improved ice mould |
US3964270A (en) * | 1975-02-28 | 1976-06-22 | Liquid Carbonic Corporation | Ice making machine |
GB1498205A (en) * | 1975-11-22 | 1978-01-18 | Castel Mac Spa | Ice-making machines |
GB2248491A (en) * | 1986-12-04 | 1992-04-08 | Schneider Metal Mfg | Ice cube making |
US5090210A (en) * | 1990-03-12 | 1992-02-25 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Control system for ice making apparatuses |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
WPI & PAJ Abstract for JP9269166A * |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2004081467A2 (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2004-09-23 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Ice-making apparatus and related method |
WO2004081467A3 (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2005-01-20 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Ice-making apparatus and related method |
GB2414786A (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2005-12-07 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Ice-making apparatus and related method |
GB2414786B (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2007-08-08 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Ice-making apparatus and related method |
EP2258993A1 (en) | 2009-06-05 | 2010-12-08 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Apparatus for preparing coloured ice cubes |
WO2010139448A2 (en) | 2009-06-05 | 2010-12-09 | Jess Edward Rugeris | Apparatus for preparing coloured ice cubes |
US8794025B2 (en) | 2009-06-05 | 2014-08-05 | Ecochroma Ag | Apparatus for preparing coloured ice cubes |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB0209281D0 (en) | 2002-06-05 |
GB0304073D0 (en) | 2003-03-26 |
GB2387896B (en) | 2004-05-19 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20070224 |