[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for producing ice, in particular but not
exclusively usable in commercial stores such as bars and ice-cream parlours.
[0002] Nowadays, as it is known, there are several machines adapted to produce blocks of
ice into various shapes, such as cubes or nuggets having substantially the same size.
[0003] Such machines generally have a frame to which a mould that has a support plate carrying
a plurality of shapers for the ice and a spraying device facing towards the plate
so as to spray water to the shapers are associated with. The mould is usually associated
with a freezing/defrosting coil with which therefore it forms an evaporator. In such
cases, the mould may be placed in a raised position with respect to the spraying device
with the openings of the shapers facing downwards. In this way, when the spraying
device sprays water in the shapers, coolant is made to flow into the coil which evaporates,
thus subtracting heat to the water in the shapers which freezes as a result. Once
ice has formed in all shapers, heating fluid is made to flow into the coils which
melts the ice just as much as to make it free to drop by gravity into a collection
tank.
[0004] In this heating step, the ice blocks do not fall all at the same time, since the
heat emitted by the coil is not immediately distributed evenly along the whole extension
thereof. In the passage from the freezing step to the defrosting step, the coil is
affected by a thermal transient of non-negligible duration that makes the ice blocks
closer to the inlet portion of the coil melt faster and thus fall before those farthest
from such an inlet portion. In order to make all the ice blocks created in the freezing
step fall into the shapers of the mould it is therefore necessary that the coil emits
substantially along the whole extension thereof heat sufficient for the partial melting
of the ice. At each thermal inversion, therefore, the demand for energy to cool or
heat the coil is very high, thus involving high costs.
[0005] This drawback is partially overcome by machines for producing ice in irregularly
shaped flakes which for example provide for the presence of scraping elements acting
on a sheet of ice, thus producing the ice flakes. This type of machines, however,
cannot ensure the production of ice blocks having substantially the same shape and
size, which is very often required by some bars to serve sought-after drinks, such
as for example a brandy.
EP 1 467 163 A1 discloses a machine according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore documents
JP 2006 078096 A and
US 4 727 729 A disclose machines of the prior art.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above
and in particular to devise a machine for producing ice that can ensure the production
of ice blocks having substantially the same shape and size, requiring lower energy
consumption than the machines currently known.
[0007] This and other objects according to the present invention are achieved by making
a machine for producing ice as described in claim 1.
[0008] Further features of the machine for producing ice are the object of the dependent
claims.
[0009] The features and the advantages of a machine for producing ice according to the present
invention will become more apparent from the following exemplary and non-limiting
description, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
- figure 1 is a schematic perspective partially sectional view of a machine for producing
ice not forming part of this invention;
- figure 2 is a lateral partially sectional view of a detail of the machine for producing
ice in figure 1;
- figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a first mould used in a machine according
to the prior art;
- figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second mould used in a machine according
to the prior art;
- figure 5 is a schematic perspective partial view of a first example of a mould used
in a machine for producing ice not forming part of this invention;
- figure 6 is a schematic perspective partial view of a second example of a mould used
in a machine for producing ice not forming part of this invention;
- figure 7 is a schematic perspective partial view of a third example of a mould used
in a machine for producing ice not forming part of this invention;
- figure 8 is a schematic perspective partial view of a fourth example of a mould used
in a machine for producing ice not forming part of this invention;
- figure 9 is a sectional view along line IX-IX of the mould in figure 8;
- figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a mould not forming part of this invention
associated with a coil heat exchanger;
- figures 11a and 11b are two schematic perspective views of a mould used in a machine
for producing ice according to the present invention.
[0010] With reference to the figures, a machine for producing ice is shown, overall indicated
with reference number 10.
[0011] Such a machine for producing ice 10 comprises a frame 11 with which a mould 20 and
a spraying device 13 are associated.
[0012] Mould 20 has a plurality of shapers 15 for forming ice blocks.
[0013] Shapers 15 may be of any shape and size and are preferably equal to each other.
[0014] In particular, mould 20 may be made with a first support plate 12 having a plurality
of through openings, each associated with a respective shaper 15. In detail, shapers
15 and the first support plate 12 may be made as separate bodies and then subsequently
coupled by, for example, welding or even a detachable joint coupling, or they may
be made as a single piece.
[0015] According to the invention as shown by way of example in figures 11a and 11b, mould
20 is made with a plurality of metallic separating sheets 19 arranged on and welded
to a second support plate 21, preferably flat and metallic, so as to make an ice cube
tray. It should be noted that in the present specification, the term ice cube tray
means a plurality of shapers of any shape.
[0016] In any case, the spraying device 13 is configured to spray water towards mould 20
so that water penetrates into shapers 15. In particular, the spraying device 13 comprises
one or more spraying nozzles 16 fed with water coming from a tank (not shown).
[0017] Preferably, the spraying device 13 comprises a plurality of spraying nozzles 16 facing
the openings of shapers 15.
[0018] Moreover, mould 20 is associated with a cooling/heating device 14 configured for
cooling the water in shapers 15 up to form the ice and then heat the formed ice so
that it can be free to exit from the same shapers.
[0019] Such a cooling/heating device 14 preferably comprises a coil heat exchanger 14 coupled
to shapers 15. In particular, said coil heat exchanger 14 may be coupled to shapers
15 directly by means, for example, of welding, or indirectly by means of supports
constrained to the shapers.
[0020] In the coil heat exchanger 14, coolant fluid is made to flow to promote the freezing
of water in shapers 15 and then heating fluid is made to flow to melt the ice blocks
that have previously formed in shapers 15, making them free to exit from the same
shapers. In particular, it is possible that a same fluid acts in subsequent moments
as coolant and as heating fluid.
[0021] In any case, mould 20 is designed in such a way that the ice can exit from shapers
15 by falling by gravity. Mould 20, therefore, may be arranged parallel or orthogonal
or inclined, with respect to the base of machine 10 with the openings of shapers 15
facing the base of the machine 10 itself.
[0022] By base of the machine it is meant a substantially horizontal surface from which
the frame 11 of the machine 10 develops.
[0023] Preferably, shapers have inclined walls with respect to the support plates so as
to obtain an aid for the sliding of the blocks of ice.
[0024] In the particular example shown in figures 1 and 2, mould 20 is inclined with respect
to the base of machine 10 and placed in a raised position with respect to the spraying
device 13, whose spraying nozzles 16 spray water upwards and thus towards the openings
of shapers 15.
[0025] Of course, machine 10 comprises a collection container (not shown) for the ice blocks
falling from mould 20. According to the present invention, each shaper 15 is connected
to at least one shaper 15 adjacent thereto by at least one connection channel 17 open
on the same side towards which the openings of shapers 15 face. As can be seen in
figures 5-9, each connection channel 17 is made at the openings of adjacent shapers
as a recess with respect to the surface of the first support plate 12 opposite that
from which shapers 15 extend. Likewise, according to the invention as shown in figure
11a, each connection channel 17 is made at the openings of the adjacent shapers as
a recess of the free end of a corresponding separation sheet.
[0026] Shapers 15 may be arranged according to any scheme, for example in a matrix arrangement
In figure 5, in particular, shapers 15 are connected in rows in succession with one
another.
[0027] In figures 6-9, each shaper 15 is connected to the adjacent shapers, thus forming
a matrix arrangement. In detail, in figures 6 and 8 the matrix arrangement has a square
or more in general, quadrangular mesh; in figure 7, the matrix arrangement has a triangular
mesh.
[0028] In any case, when the spraying device 13 is activated to spray water towards mould
20, the water penetrates not only into shapers 15 but also in the connection channels
17. By cooling mould 20, therefore, ice also forms in the connection channels 17,
thus forming ice bridges between the ice blocks formed in the respective adjacent
shapers connected to each other. When the operation of the cooling/heating device
is reversed in such a way as to heat mould 20, the first ice blocks that melt and
fall towards the collection container also drag the respective ice blocks, to which
they are connected, to exit from shapers 15.
[0029] Each connection channel 17 is preferably sized so that the ice bridge formed therein
by cooling mould 20 is sufficiently sturdy to allow this entrainment between the connected
blocks and at the same time sufficiently fragile to break when the blocks fall into
the collection container.
[0030] Preferably, as shown by way of example in figures 5-10, shapers 15 for making ice
consist of a metal material, for example of a tinned copper.
[0031] In this case, in each connection channel 17, a metallic bridge element 18 is engaged.
The metallic bridge element 18 may also consist preferably of tinned copper.
[0032] As shown in figure 9, the metallic bridge element 18 extends along the connection
channel 17 and has two opposite ends that come into contact each with a respective
shaper 15.
[0033] Otherwise, if mould 20 is made with metal separation sheets 19 welded to the second
support plate 21 as described above and illustrated by way of example in figure 11a,
the connection channel 17 already has metallic walls.
[0034] In any case, the ice bridges that are created between the blocks form not only a
mechanical connection between the ice blocks, but also a thermal connection. In this
way, when the cooling/heating device is activated to heat shapers 15, the metallic
bridge elements 18 transmit heat between adjacent shapers faster than what the cooling/heating
device can do. This makes the ice blocks formed into connected shapers 15 fall almost
all together without requiring the full heating of the coil heat exchanger.
[0035] The machine for producing ice according to the present invention requires lower energy
consumption than the currently known machines adapted to produce ice blocks of substantially
the same shape and size.
[0036] The features of the machine for producing ice object of the present invention as
well as the relevant advantages are clear from the above description. Finally, it
is clear that several changes and variations may be made to the machine for producing
ice thus conceived, all falling within the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the practice, the materials used as well as the sizes, can be whatever, according
to the technical requirements.
1. Machine (10) for producing ice comprising a frame (11) with which are associated a
mould (20) having a plurality of shapers (15) for forming blocks of ice and a spraying
device (13) for spraying water towards said mould (20) so that the water penetrates
inside said shapers (15), said mould (20) being associated with a cooling/heating
device configured for cooling the water in said shapers (15) until the ice is formed
and then heating the ice formed so that it can be free to come out from said shapers
(15), said mould (20) being configured so that the ice can come out from said shapers
(15) falling by gravity, each of said shapers (15) being connected to at least one
shaper (15) adjacent thereto through at least one connection channel (17) open on
the same side where the openings of said shapers (15) face, characterized in that said mould (20) is made with a plurality of metallic separating sheets (19) arranged
and welded on a second support plate (21) so as to make an ice cube tray, each one
of said connection channels (17) being made at the openings of adjacent shapers as
a recess of the free end of a corresponding separation sheet.
2. Machine (10) according to one of the previous claims wherein said shapers (15) have
inclined walls with respect to said support plates so as to obtain an aid for the
sliding of the blocks of ice.
3. Machine (10) according to claim 2 wherein said shapers (15) are connected in rows
in succession with one another.
4. Machine (10) according to claim 2 wherein each of said shapers (15) is connected to
the shapers (15) adjacent to it forming a matrix arrangement.
5. Machine (10) according to one of the previous claims wherein said cooling/heating
device comprises a coil heat exchanger coupled with said shapers (15).
6. Machine (10) according to one of the previous claims wherein said spraying device
(13) comprises a plurality of spraying nozzles (16) facing the openings of said shapers
(15).
7. Machine (10) according to one of the previous claims wherein said mould (20) is arranged
inclined with respect to the base of said machine (10) and in a raised position with
respect to said spraying device (13) .
1. Maschine (10) zur Herstellung von Eis umfassend einen Rahmen (11), mit dem eine Form
(20) aufweisend eine Vielzahl an Formgebern (15) zum Bilden von Eisblöcken und eine
Sprühvorrichtung (13) zum Sprühen von Wasser in Richtung der Form (20) assoziiert
sind, so dass das Wasser in die Formgeber (20) eindringt, wobei die Form (20) mit
einer Kühl-/Heizvorrichtung assoziiert ist, die zum Kühlen des Wassers in den Formgebern
(15) konfiguriert ist, bis sich das Eis gebildet hat, und dann zum Erhitzen des gebildeten
Eis, so dass es frei sein kann, aus den Formgebern (15) herauszutreten, wobei die
Form (20) so konfiguriert ist, dass das Eis aus den Formgebern (15) austreten kann,
indem es durch die Schwerkraft fällt, wobei ein jeder der Formgeber (15) mit mindestens
einem dazu benachbarten Formgeber (15) durch mindestens einen Verbindungskanal (17)
verbunden ist, der auf derselben Seite, der die Öffnungen der Formgeber (15) zugewandt
sind offen ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Form (20) mit einer Vielzahl an metallischen Trennblechen (19) hergestellt ist,
die auf einer zweiten Trägerplatte (21) angeordnet und geschweißt sind, um eine Eiswürfelschale
herzustellen, wobei ein jeder der Verbindungskanäle (17) an den Öffnungen benachbarter
Formgeber als Aussparung des freien Endes eines entsprechenden Trennblechs ausgebildet
ist.
2. Maschine (10) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Formgeber (15) gegenüber
den Trägerplatten geneigte Wände aufweisen, um eine Hilfe zum Gleiten der Eisblöcke
zu erzielen.
3. Maschine (10) nach Anspruch 2, wobei die Formgeber (15) nacheinander in Reihen miteinander
verbunden sind.
4. Maschine (10) nach Anspruch 2, wobei ein jeder von den Formgebern (15) mit den ihm
benachbarten Formgebern (15) verbunden ist und eine Matrixanordnung bildet.
5. Maschine (10) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Kühl-/Heizvorrichtung
einen Spulenwärmetauscher umfasst, der mit den Formgebern (15) gekoppelt ist.
6. Maschine (10) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Sprühvorrichtung
(13) eine Vielzahl an Sprühdüsen (16) umfasst, die den Öffnungen der Formgeber (15)
zugewandt sind.
7. Maschine (10) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die Form (20) in Bezug
auf die Basis der Maschine (10) geneigt und in Bezug auf die Sprühvorrichtung (13)
in einer erhöhten Position angeordnet ist.
1. Machine (10) pour produire de la glace comprenant un cadre (11) auquel sont associés
un moule (20) comportant une pluralité de formes (15) pour former des blocs de glace
et un dispositif de pulvérisation (13) pour pulvériser de l'eau vers ledit moule (20)
de sorte que l'eau pénètre à l'intérieur desdites formes (15), ledit moule (20) étant
associé à un dispositif de refroidissement/chauffage configuré pour refroidir l'eau
dans lesdites formes (15) jusqu'à ce que la glace soit formée et chauffer ensuite
la glace formée de sorte qu'elle puisse être libre de sortir desdites formes (15),
ledit moule (20) étant configuré de manière à ce que la glace puisse sortir desdites
formes (15) en tombant par gravité, chacune desdites formes (15) étant reliée à au
moins une forme (15) adjacente à celle-ci par au moins un canal de raccordement (17)
ouvert du même côté où sont orientées les ouvertures desdites formes (15), caractérisée en ce que ledit moule (20) est constitué d'une pluralité de feuilles de séparation (19) métalliques
disposées et soudées sur une seconde plaque de support (21) de manière à réaliser
un plateau à glaçons, chacun desdits canaux de raccordement (17) étant réalisé en
correspondance des ouvertures de formes adjacentes comme un renfoncement de l'extrémité
libre d'une feuille de séparation correspondante.
2. Machine (10) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle lesdites formes
(15) comportent des parois inclinées par rapport auxdites plaques de support de manière
à obtenir une aide pour le glissement des blocs de glace.
3. Machine (10) selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle lesdites formes (15) sont reliées
en rangées successives les unes aux autres.
4. Machine (10) selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle chacune desdites formes (15)
est reliée aux formes (15) qui lui sont adjacentes en formant une disposition matricielle.
5. Machine (10) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle ledit dispositif
de refroidissement/chauffage comprend un échangeur de chaleur à serpentin couplé auxdites
formes (15).
6. Machine (10) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle ledit dispositif
de pulvérisation (13) comprend une pluralité de buses de pulvérisation (16) faisant
face aux ouvertures desdites formes (15).
7. Machine (10) selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle ledit moule
(20) est disposé incliné par rapport à la base de ladite machine (10) et dans une
position relevée par rapport au dit dispositif de pulvérisation (13).