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
  • F25C5/00—Working or handling ice
  • F25C5/18—Storing ice
  • F25C5/182—Ice bins therefor
• • 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
  • F25C5/20—Distributing ice
  • F25C5/22—Distributing ice particularly adapted for household refrigerators

Definitions

• the invention relates to a storage device for pieces of ice, in particular pieces of water ice, with a receiving space for the ice cubes, which has a bottom, and with at least one movable, in particular rotatable about an axis, stirrer for the ice cubes, wherein the stirrer is arranged in the receiving space; and an ice making machine and method for providing ice pieces.
• Such devices have an ice storage unit and an ice dispensing unit.
• a convective cold air cooling available.
• the pieces of ice fall into the ice storage unit where they remain until removed by the user.
• the removal of ice pieces is done either manually, z. B. by removing a bearing shell and then emptying or tapping the ice pieces from the bearing shell by hand, or automatically by an automatic transport mechanism of the ice cubes from the ice storage unit to an ice dispensing unit. If the pieces of ice clumped in the ice storage unit, the removal is difficult, which leads in particular in an automatic removal to a considerable mechanical load on the moving components and thus causes significant wear of these components.
• the Stirrer drive-free.
• the receiving space may for example have a capacity of 4 liters to 50 liters, in particular from 8 liters to 30 liters, preferably from 15 liters to 20 liters.
• the pieces of ice are made with the help of an ice maker and stored in the receiving space until removal.
• the storage device is particularly suitable and intended for the storage of pieces of water ice.
• the stirrer may be rotatable about an axis, but may also perform a translatory movement or a pivoting movement.
• the stirrer is free of draft, ie that the pieces of ice after a cycle of agitation of the stirrer substantially return to their original location.
• the stirrer is for example obliquely. Through his movement, such. As a rotary motion, the pieces of ice are not promoted in one direction.
• the propulsion Among other things, it serves to avoid a dynamic pressure, which would occur during propulsion.
• the ice pieces are essentially only moved back and forth, such as up and down in the receiving space. By the back and forth attachments or clumping are broken or avoided.
• the stirrer is arranged in the vicinity of the bottom, in particular in the lower half of the receiving space, preferably in the lower third, particularly preferably in the lower fourth of the receiving space. Such an arrangement loosens all pieces of ice in the receiving space above the stirrer.
• the stirrer may be rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis.
• the stirrer can be arranged in front of a removal opening for the ice pieces.
• the removal opening serves to be able to remove the pieces of ice from the receiving space.
• the removal opening may have a closable flap which is opened manually or automatically upon removal of the ice pieces and closed again.
• the stirrer may be a plurality of stirring elements, such as. B. Rhackpaddel or stirring bars.
• the stirring elements are advantageously formed by a rod which is bent substantially obliquely with respect to a circumferential direction of the agitator, in particular in one or more planes lying at right angles to one another, preferably in a zigzag or in a wave form.
• the stirrer is rotated at an angular frequency in a range of 0.1 revolutions / second to 10 revolutions / second, more preferably in a range of 0.5 revolutions / second to 4 revolutions / second.
• the bottom of the receiving space is chamfered and falls off to a removal opening for the water ice pieces out. Due to the bevel of the soil, the pieces of ice slip by themselves to the removal opening, where they can be easily removed. Through a movement of the drive-free stirrer and the ensuing loosening of the pieces of ice, the ice pieces are pourable.
• a timing control is provided for the stirrer, which controls the stirrer for predefinable intervals with predeterminable pauses.
• the user can choose between different programs, when, how often, how strong and with what pauses the pieces of ice in the recording room should be relaxed.
• the timing can also other parameters such. B. take into account the degree of humidity or the temperature in the recording room with.
• the time intervals from loosening to loosening can be shortened or the intensity can be increased if the environmental conditions of the ice pieces in the receiving space favor a clumping of the ice pieces.
• the ice machine according to the invention comprises a chiller for producing pieces of ice and the storage device for ice pieces according to the invention.
• the storage device according to the invention By using the storage device according to the invention, the ice machine on a high degree of reliability and reliability, in particular disorders such. As an overload of the output unit for pieces of ice due to a persistent clumping of ice cubes, be avoided.
• the ice machine may have convective cold air cooling.
• Typical ice production rates are in the range of 1 kg ice mass per hour to 100 kg ice mass per hour, in particular in a range of 20 kg ice mass per hour and 40 kg ice mass per hour.
• the pieces of ice are loosened up with a stirrer without propulsion. Due to the propulsion freedom of the stirrer, a compression of the ice pieces is also avoided when the stirrer is moving and no pieces of ice are removed from the receiving space. Due to the propulsion freedom, the pieces of ice are merely moved away from their original position and then moved back into their original position. They are not sponsored over a longer distance.
• the pieces of ice are moved at predetermined intervals.
• both the intensity of the movement ie the distance over which the pieces of ice are moved back and forth or the speed at which the pieces of ice are moved, as well as the number and duration of the pauses between two loosening operations can be specified. It is advantageous if the time intervals can be chosen freely by the user. In a specific embodiment, other parameters, in particular the humidity in the receiving space or the temperature of the pieces of ice, can also be taken into account in the control of the movement of the stirrer.
• the ice pieces are loosened at regular intervals, in particular at least once a day, preferably once every two hours, particularly preferably at least once an hour. It is advantageous if the pieces of ice are moved less than five times per hour, in particular less than three times per hour. Excessively frequent movements of the pieces of ice are energy-consuming and produce unnecessary noise.
• the ice pieces have a mass in the range of 5 g to 40 g, in particular in the range of 10 g to 30 g, preferably in the range of 13 g to 20 g. Such sizes are particularly suitable for use in drinking cups or in pitchers.
• the pieces of ice are issued by slipping on an inclined surface for removal to the opening.
• they can be removed, for example, by means of a flap from the receiving space. After removal, the flap is closed again, which prevents penetration of warm outside air into the receiving space.
• the sliding of the pieces of ice is supported by the movement of the stirrer.
• the stirrer is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the removal opening.
• the stirrer then loosens the pieces of ice in the immediate vicinity of the removal opening.
• the stirrer performs a movement while ice pieces are removed.
• the pieces of ice are so pourable and can be removed through the removal opening in a simple manner.
• FIG. 1 shows an ice machine according to the invention with the storage device according to the invention with open removal opening.
• FIG. 2 shows the ice machine according to FIG. 2 with a closed removal opening.
• FIG. 1 shows the ice machine 12 according to the invention with the storage device 1 according to the invention in cross-section with the discharge opening 7 open, water ice pieces 2 being produced with the aid of an ice maker 16 and supplied to a receiving space 3.
• the pieces of ice 2 are cooled in the receiving space 3 by means of a cold air cooling 9.
• a drive 10 drives a stirrer 4, which has stirring elements 13, whereby the ice pieces 2 are loosened by a reciprocating motion, without being conveyed in one or the other direction. By the rotation of the stirrer 4, the pieces of ice 2 are only raised and lowered again.
• the stirring elements 13 are formed by a rod 14 which is bent in a zig-zag in a plane.
• the stirrer 4 rotates about a substantially horizontal axis 6 and is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the removal opening 7.
• the receiving space 3 has a bottom 5 which is inclined, so that the ice pieces 2 can slide to the removal opening 7.
• the inclined bottom 5 or a corresponding inclined surface 11 conveys the ice pieces 2 to the removal opening 7 out.
• FIG. 2 shows the ice machine 12 according to FIG. 1 with the removal opening 7 open. Even if the removal opening 7 is closed, the stirrer 4 can be moved and a loosening of the ice pieces 2 can be effected without causing back-up pressure due to propulsion. Due to the propulsion freedom of the stirrer 4, a simple and effective loosening of the ice pieces 2 is thus made possible, so that a clumping of the ice prevents pieces 2 and a simple removal of ice pieces 2 is made possible from the receiving space 3.
• the invention relates to a storage device 1 for (water) pieces of ice 2 with a receiving space 3 for the ice cubes 2, having a bottom 5, and at least one movable, in particular rotatable about an axis 6, stirrer 4 for the ice cubes 2, wherein the stirrer 4 is arranged in the receiving space 3 and the stirrer is free of drive; and an ice machine comprising the storage device according to the invention and a method for providing pieces of ice 2.
• the invention is characterized in that by means of the non-driven stirring 4 a simple and effective loosening of the ice pieces 2 is effected, which counteracts a clumping of the ice pieces 2, whereby the reliability of the operation of the storage device or the ice machine is considerably increased.

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)
• Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
• Beverage Vending Machines With Cups, And Gas Or Electricity Vending Machines (AREA)
• Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=36649146

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2005
  • 2005-05-10 DE DE102005021556A patent/DE102005021556A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2006
  • 2006-04-04 WO PCT/EP2006/061310 patent/WO2006120087A2/de active Application Filing
  • 2006-04-04 US US11/919,944 patent/US20090173084A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2006-04-04 EP EP06725546A patent/EP1846704A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-04-04 RU RU2007137532/12A patent/RU2478888C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-04-04 CN CNA2006800158288A patent/CN101171467A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (7)

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