Apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes.

[0002] As is known the presently available apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes are generally operatively provided with an evaporating assembly,which is immersed in a water holding small tank,in order to freeze water to form the ice cube about the bottom lugs or the evaporator.

[0003] As the ice cube has been formed,it is necessary to remove said small tank and,in the meanwhile, heated fluids,introduced into the bottom lugs,cause the formed ice cubes to be detached from said bottom lugs.

[0004] The above mentioned prior art apparatus are affected by drawbacks,relating to the operating steps to be carried out thereby,and, most important, those machines or apparatus comprise a great number of sensing and driving members,which add to the complexity or the apparatus structure.

[0005] Yet another problem affecting prior art apparatus is that of detecting the ice amount which is present in the reserve tank,in order to provide the apparatus with the stop command,as said ice amount has reached the preset level.

[0006] This control operation is presently carried out by means of thermostatic assemblies,wich are rather complex,or comparatively high cost and poor reliability.

[0007] Accordingly,the task of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks,by providing an apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes which affords the possibility of carrying out the automatic ice making operative cycles without the need of using complex driving systems,while reducing to a minimum the level control means.

[0008] Within the scope of the above mentioned task, it is a main object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus,for making ice cubes,which can be easily fitted to the user needs,owing to the feature that its ice making capability may be quickly and easily modified.

[0009] For example the AU-B 22 730 reference discloses an apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes, comprising a thermally insulated bearing frame, defining in its inside an ice collecting vessel, accessible from the outside and overlying a water collecting tank, a pump for supplying water to an ice making assembly communicating with said water collecting tank, said ice making assembly including an evaporator effective to be immersed into an ice making tank integrally formed with a further variable weight tank provided with an overflow channel for discharging water which can be actuated by said pump for driving, with a preset driving cycle, a lever mechanism.

[0010] This machine comprises a lot of cams and solenoids and a separated operating electric motor in addition to the pump, and is very complex construction wise.

[0011] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an ice making machine or apparatus including a single driving or operating variably counterweighted member which,in addition to precisely operating,has a greatly simple structure,thereby remarkably reducing its making cost.

[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus,for automatically and continuously making ice cubes,which is very safe and reliable in operation.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above task and objects,as well as yet other objects,which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes, according to the main claim.

[0014] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent thereinafter from the following detailed description of the subject ice cube making machine or apparatus, which is illustrated,by way of an exemplary but not limitative example,in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figs.1,2 and 3 schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention,respectively in its operative steps of supplying water to the water holding small tank,siphon member actuating and simultaneous lowering and raising of the tank 23;

Figs.4 and 5 illustrate,on an enlarged scale, the ice making assembly,with the counterweighted lever mechanism represented in its two end of stroke positions.

[0015] With reference to the above mentioned figures, the ice making apparatus according to the present invention,comprises an outer supporting frame, indicated generally at the reference number 1,which is thermally insulated and defines,in its inside, an ice collecting vessel 2 which is closed at the top by an upper wall 3 for supporting the ice making assembly,indicated at the reference number 4 and which will be illustrated thereinafter.

[0016] The ice collecting vessel 2 overlies a water collecting or holding tank 5,consisting of a tank body provided with a safety discharging siphon member 6 and a key locking system indicated at 7 and illustrated in its mounting position.

[0017] The water collecting tank 5 may be manually filled or it may be coupled to the water supply system,which is controlled by an electric valve 8.

[0018] Moreover,said water collecting vessel 5 is closed at the top by a cover member 10,which may be located at two different positions.

[0019] In the first position of said cover member, which is illustrated in figure1,the water collecting tank volume is increased.

[0020] In the other,upturned or reversed position, there is increased the ice collecting vessel volume and decreased the water collecting tank volume,which position may be preferably used as the water tank is coupled to the water supply system.

[0021] With the mentioned water collecting tank an immersed pump 11 communicates,the outlet of which leads to the ice making assembly,as it will become more apparent thereinafter.

[0022] Moreover a sensing member 13 for detecting the presence of water in the water collecting tank 5 is arranged inside said water tank.

[0023] The ice making assembly,indicated overally at the reference number 4, comprises a refrigerating system 15,operating either with air or water condensing,which is coupled to lug evaporator 16,which are preferably made of nickel clad copper.

[0024] The lugs 16 of the evaporator are supported by a supporting frame 17,preferably made of an optically transparent material,thereto there is coupled a known stirring member 18,operating a stirring blade 19 which sense and adjust the cube thickness.

[0025] Registering abutment members 20 are furthermore provided,which,as it will appear more clearly thereinafter,adjust the height of said ice cubes.

[0026] The.lugs 16 may be introduced into an ice making tank 21 which is mounted at one end of a swinging lever 22,said lever being counterweighted, at the other end thereof,by a variable weight small tank 23.

[0027] The tanks 21 and 23 are swingably mounted with respect to the counterweighted lever mechanism 22 and the pivot pins thereof are arranged above the centers of gravity of the small tanks,thereby said tanks are always held,by gravity,in a vertical position.

[0028] The small tank 23 is provided with a siphon member 25 which discharges water downward to convey the water to the water collecting vessel 5,through the provision of covering water discharging cup members 26 which are arranged horizontally and vertically,to recover the water level in the water tank 21.

[0029] Advantageously,the vertically extending cup member 27 may be raised in order to facilitate the introduction of water into the tank 5.

[0030] The water outlet 12 of the pump discharges into the upper portion of the counterweighted tank 23 and operates,as it will become more apparent thereinafter,to actuate the siphon member with preset operating cycles,to discharge water.

[0031] The ice making tank 21 is provided at the bottom thereof with a projecting portion 30 which will abut,during its swinging movement by the counterweighted lever 22,against a baffle member 33 provided for defining an opening through the separating wall 3 so as to discharge the ice cubes made in the vessel 2.

[0032] During the upward moving step in the ice making tank 21,the projecting portion will abut again against the baffle member 33 to bring it to its closure position.

[0033] The ice making apparatus further comprises an electronic card electric circuit for controlling the high or low voltage power circuit and the auxiliary circuit,which is provided with detecting sensors 13 for detecting the presence of water in the water tank 5,as well as with a display-acoustic assembly 40 arranged on the top cover member 41 closing the bearing frame 1.

[0034] The operation of the ice making apparatus is such that the ice cubes are made as the ice making tank 21 is arranged in its raised position,by immersing the lugs 16 into said tank.

[0035] At the start of the operation,water is manually introduced both into the tank 21 and in the tank 23.

[0036] Under these conditions,the tank 23 is in its lowered position,while the tank 21 is in its raised position.

[0037] As about the lugs 16 ice is formed,a friction will be developed against the stirring blade 19 to the desired ice cube thickness and the stirring movement of the stirring blade 19 will provide an electric pulse which,for an adjustable time,will operate the immersed pump 11 .located in the water collecting tank 5,which will supply water to the variable weight tank 23,to actuate the siphon member 25.

[0038] After the set time is lapsed,the pump will be stopped.

[0039] As the siphon member is actuated,the tank 23 will be gradually emptied;as the weight of this tank 23 becomes smaller than that of the tank 21,said tank 23 will be upward displaced,while the tank 21 will be lowered by gravity in such a way as to cause the baffle member 33 to be tilted,with a consequent opening toward the ice vessel.

[0040] The variable weight small tank 23 will be arranged above the tank 21,thereby recovering the water level inside the tank 21.

[0041] A position sensor detects the upward position of the variable weight tank 23 and will actuate,for a time adjustable from 30 to 90s,the hot gas electric or solenoid valve to cause the ice cubes to detach from the lugs 16,fall onto the baffle member 33 and enter the ice vessel or tank.

[0042] As the defrozing time is lapsed,the pump 11 will be actuated again for supplying water to the tank 23 to a level unable of operating the siphon member 25.

[0043] The tank 23,the weight of which is now greater than that of the tank 21,will be displaced downward,while the ice making tank 21 will be displaced upward,so as to abut against abutment members 20.

[0044] The lugs 16 will be immersed again in the tank 21,where water is present,thereby starting a new ice making cycle.

[0045] The ice making apparatus will continue to operate to fill the ice vessel in such a degree that the baffle member 33 will be prevented from recovering to its home position,thereby preventing the tank 21 to raise;thus the intermediate position sensor of the tanks will stop the apparatus.

[0046] A further safety stop of the ice making apparatus is caused by the sensor 13,arranged in the tank 5,which prevents the apparatus from operating as water is lacking.

[0047] From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended objects.

[0048] In particular,the fact is to be pointed out that it is possible,in the ice making apparatus according to the present invention,to drive all the ice making tanks by very simple means.

[0049] This driving is simply obtained by exploiting the weight variation of the counterweight tank, by actuating a siphon member.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically and continuously making ice cubes, comprising a thermally insulated bearing frame (1) defining in its inside an ice collecting vessel (2) accessible from the outside and overlying a water collecting tank (5), a pump (11) for supplying water to an ice making assembly (4), said pump being immersed in said water collecting tank (5), said ice making assembly (4) including an evaporator (16), effective to be immersed into an ice making tank (21), characterized in that said ice making tank (21) is supported at one end of a lever (22) pivoted at an intermediate part thereof and carrying at the other end thereof a separate variable weight water tank (23), in that said ice making assembly (4) includes formed ice sensing means for sensing ice cubes being formed in said ice making tank (21), in that said separate variable weight water tank (23) includes a siphon member (25), said siphon member being actuated by said pump pumping water into said separate variable weight water tank for a set time under the control of said formed ice sensing means to cause said siphon member to discharge water toward said water collecting tank (5) so as to cause said separate variable weight water tank (23) to be raised and said ice making tank to be lowered, and then cause said siphon member to discharge water into said ice making tank (21) and said pump to pump again water into said separate variable weight water tank (23) to a level holding said siphon member (25) inactive but causing said separated variable weight water tank to be lowered again to raise again said ice making tank for a new ice making step.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said ice making tank and said variable weight water tank are pivoted on said lever at respective positions higher than their center of gravity and in that said ice sensing means controlling said pump consists of a stirring paddle (19).

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said water collecting tank is coupled to a water supply system controlled by a water supply valve, is closed at the top by a cover member (10) which may be arranged in a first position in which the volume of said water collecting tank (5) is increased and the volume of an ice collecting tank (2) is reduced, and in a second position in which the volume of said ice collecting tank is increased and the volume of said water collecting tank is reduced.

4. An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises, on said supporting frame, a separating wall defining a zone for housing said ice making assembly, in said wall there being provided a swinging baffle member (33) effective to abut against a projection (30) formed on said ice making tank (21) for tilting it as said ice making tank is lowered to discharge the ice cubes.

Ansprüche

1. Vorrichtung zur automatischen und kontinuierlichen Eiswürfelerzeugung, mit einem wärmeisolierten Tragrahmen (1), der innerlich einen aussenzugängliche Eissammler (2) bestimmt, der über einen Wassersammelbehälter (5) und eine Pumpe (11) zur Wasserzufuhr an eine Eiserzeugungsanlage (4) liegt, wobei diese Pumpe (11) in diesem Wassersammelbehälter (5) eingetaucht ist, wobei diese Eiserzeugungsanlage (4) einen Verdampfer (16) verseht, der in einem Eiserzeugungsbehälter eingetaucht werden kann, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass dieser Eiserzeugungsbehälter (21) auf eine Ende eines Hebels (22) getragen ist, der in einer Mittelportion abgebolzen ist und auf die andere Ende einen verstellbar gewichtige abgeteilte Wasserbehälter (23) trägt; dass die obige Eiserzeugungsanlage (4) mit Aufnahmemitteln zum Ersehen der in dem obengenannten Behälter (21) erzeugten Eiswürfeln vorgesehen ist; dass der obengenannte verstellbar gewichtige abgeteilte Wasserbehälter (23) mit einem Siphonelement (25) vorgesehen ist, wobei dieses aus der obengenannten Pumpe, die eine bestimmte Zeit lang unter Überwachung der Aufnahmemittel zum Ersehen der erzeugten Eiswürfeln in der obengenannten verstellbar gewichtigen abgeteilten Wasserbehälter das Wasser pumpt, um so dem Siphonelement nach den obengenannten Wassersammelbehälter (5) das Wasser abfliessen zu ermöglichen, somit der obengenannte verstellbar gewichtige abgeteilte Wasserbehälter (23) erhebt sich und der obengenannte Eiserzeugungsbehälter sinkt und danach man dem Siphonelement in dem obengenannten Eiserzeugungsbehälter (21) das Wasser abfliessen zu ermöglichen und die obige Pumpe in dem obengenannten verstellbar gewichtigen abgeteilten Wasserbehälter (23) bis einem das obengenannte Siphonelement (25) unwirksam hantenden Stand das Wasser wiederpumpt, aber durch Ermöglichen dem verstellbar gewichtigen abgeteilten Wasserbehälter wiederzusinken um so nochmals der obengenannte Eiserzeugungsbehälter zum einen neuen Eiserzeugungsgang wieder sich zu erheben.

2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der obengenannte Eiserzeugungsbehälter und der obengenannte verstellbar gewichtige abgeteilte Wasserbehälter auf den obengenannte Hebel, auf jeweilige höheren Stellungen als ihren Schwerpunkte abgebolzen sind, und dass die obengenannten Aufnahmemittel zur Überwachung der obengenannte Pumpe aus einem Mischungsflügelrad (19) bestehen.

3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der obengenannte Wassersammelbehälter mit einem aus einem Wasserzufuhrventil kontrollierten Wasserzufuhrsystem gekoppelt ist _' aus einen Bedeckungselement (10) hoch geschlossen ist, das so eingestellt ist, so dass in einer ersten Stellung der Inhalt des obengenannten Wassersammelbehälters (5) erhöht und der Inhalt eines Eissammlers (2) erniedrigt und in einer zweiten Stellung der Inhalt des obengenannten Eissammlers erhöht und der Inhalt des obengenannten Wassersammelbehälters erniedrigt.

4. Vorrichtung nach einer oder mehreren vorhergehenden Ansprüchen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er, ausserdem, auf den obengenannte Tragrahmen eine Trennwand einschliesst, die einen Raum zur Lagerung des obengenannten Eiserzeugungsanlage bestimmt, wobei in dieser Wand ein schwenkbares Ablenkblech (33) vorgesehen ist, das auf eine auf den obengenannte Eiserzeugungsbehälter (21) gebildete Vorsprung (30) sich festzusetzen kann, um so denselben Behälter um zu klappen als der um den Eiswürfeln abzuführen heruntergelassen wird.

Revendications

1. Dispositif de production automatique et continue de glaçons, comprenant un berceau (1) isolé thermiquement et définent à son intérieur un vaisseau (2) de collecte de la glace accessible de l'extérieur et se superposant sur un réservoir (5) pour la collecte de l'eau, une pompe (11) pour l'alimentation de l'eau au groupe (4) de production de la glace, ladite pompe étant plongée dans ledit réservoir (5) pour la collecte de l'eau, ledit groupe (4) de production de la glace comprenant un évaporateur (16) pouvant être plongé dans un réservoir (21) pour la production de la glace, caractérisé en ce que ledit réservoir (21) pour la production de la glace est supporté sur une extrémité d'un levier (22) pivoté dans une portion intermédiaire de cela, et portant à l'autre extrémité un réservoir (23) à l'eau séparé ayant un poids variable, en ce que ledit groupe (4) de production de la glace comprend moyens capteurs de la glace formée ainsi de relever les glaçons formés dans ledit réservoir (21) pour la production de la glace; en ce que ledit réservoir (23) à eau séparé ayant un poids variable comprends un élément en forme de siphon, ledit élément en forme de siphon étant opéré par ladite pompe qui pompe l'eau dans ledit réservoir séparé à eau, ayant un poids variable, pendant un temps prédéterminé sous le contrôle desdits moyens capteurs de la glace formée, ainsi de permettre que ledit élément en forme de siphon fasse écouler l'eau à travers ledit réservoir (5) de collecte de l'eau, ainsi de permettre que ledit réservoir (23) à l'eau séparé ayent un poids variable, monte, et ledit réservoir de production de la glace descend et donc permettant que ledit élément en forme de siphon écoule l'eau dans ledit réservoir (21) pour la production de la glace et ladite pompe pompe encore l'eau dans ledit réservoir (23) à l'eau séparé de poids variable, jusqu'un niveau qui tient ledit élément en forme de siphon (25) inactif mais en permettant que ledit réservoir à l'eau séparé de poids variable soit abaissé encore pour ce que ledit réservoir de production de la glace soit élevé de nouveau pour commencer un nouveau stade de production de la glace.

2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ledit réservoir de production de la glace et ledit réservoir à l'eau séparé de poids variable sont pivotés sur ledit levier dans positions respectives plus hautes que leur centre de gravité, et en ce que lesdits moyens capteurs contrôlant ladite pompe se forment d'une roue à palettes (19) de mélange.

3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ledit réservoir de collecte de l'eau et accouplé à un système d'alimentation de l'eau contrôlé par une vanne d'alimentation de l'eau, est fermé en haut par un élément (10) de couverture pouvant être arrangé dans une première position où le volume dudit réservoir (5) pour la collecte de l'eau est augmenté et le volume d'un réservoir (2) de collecte de la glace est réduit, et dans une deuxième position où le volume dudit réservoir pour la collecte de la glace est augmenté et le volume du réservoir de collecte de l'eau est réduit.

4. Dispositif selon l'une ou plusieurs des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend en outre, sur ledit berceau une paroi de séparation définant une région pour accueillir ledit groupe de production de la glace, dans ladite paroi il y étant prévu un élément oscillant en forme de déflecteur (33) en état de prendre position sur une saillie (30) formée sur ledit réservoir de production de la glace (21) ainsi de le renverser lorsque ledit réservoir pour la production de la glace est abaissé, de façon de pouvoir décharger les glaçons.

Drawing