Compact ice making machine with cool vapor defrost
First Claim
1. An ice making machine comprising:
- a) a water system including a pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefore; and
b) a refrigeration system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, and a plurality of receivers, the receivers each having an inlet connected to the condenser, a liquid outlet connected to the expansion device and a vapor outlet connected by a valved passageway to the evaporator, and a receiver equalizer line interconnecting the receivers, the pump, ice-forming mold, evaporator and receivers being contained within a cabinet having a depth, a width and a height and at least one of its depth, width or height being less than 18 inches.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ice making machine has a water system, including a pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefore; a refrigeration system, including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator in thermal contact with the ice-forming mold, and a receiver. The receiver has an inlet connected to the condenser, a liquid outlet connected to the expansion device and a vapor outlet connected by a valved passageway to the evaporator. In a preferred embodiment, two interconnected receivers are used. A cabinet housing the evaporator is preferably less than 18 inches deep. The pump is preferably mounted so that the pump motor is located outside of the water compartment, but can still be removed from the front of the machine.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An ice making machine comprising:
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a) a water system including a pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefore; and
b) a refrigeration system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, and a plurality of receivers, the receivers each having an inlet connected to the condenser, a liquid outlet connected to the expansion device and a vapor outlet connected by a valved passageway to the evaporator, and a receiver equalizer line interconnecting the receivers, the pump, ice-forming mold, evaporator and receivers being contained within a cabinet having a depth, a width and a height and at least one of its depth, width or height being less than 18 inches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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9. An ice making apparatus in which an evaporator is located remotely from a compressor and a condenser comprising:
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a) a condensing unit comprising said condenser and said compressor;
b) an ice making unit comprising i) a water system including a pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefor; and
ii) a portion of a refrigeration system including said evaporator in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, a plurality of receivers and a thermal expansion device; and
c) two refrigerant lines running between the condensing unit and the ice making unit comprising a suction line and a feed line, the suction line returning refrigerant to the compressor and the feed line supplying refrigerant to the ice making unit;
d) wherein the receivers each have an inlet, a liquid outlet and a vapor outlet, the inlet being connected to the feed line, the liquid outlet being connected to the expansion device, which in turn is connected to the evaporator, and the vapor outlet being connected by a valved passageway directly to the evaporator, and wherein the ice making unit is contained in a cabinet having a depth of less than 18 inches. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 21)
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22. An ice making apparatus in which an evaporator is located remotely from a compressor and a condenser comprising:
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a) a condensing unit comprising said condenser and said compressor;
b) an ice making unit comprising i) a cabinet having a depth of less than 18 inches;
ii) a water system including a pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefor inside said cabinet; and
iii) a portion of a refrigeration system including said evaporator in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, at least one receiver and a thermal expansion device inside said cabinet; and
c) two refrigerant lines running between the condensing unit and the ice making unit comprising a suction line and a feed line, the suction line returning refrigerant to the compressor and the feed line supplying refrigerant to the ice making unit;
d) wherein the at least one receiver has an inlet, a liquid outlet and a vapor outlet, the inlet being connected to the feed line, the liquid outlet being connected to the expansion device, which in turn is connected to the evaporator, and the vapor outlet being connected by a valve passageway directly to the evaporator, and further wherein the ice making unit is able to produce at least 500 pounds of ice per day under ARI standard rating conditions of 90°
F. ambient temperature and 70°
F. ambient inlet water temperature. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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25. A combination of an ice making unit and an ice and beverage dispenser comprising:
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a) an ice and beverage dispenser having an ice storage bin in the top thereof with a internal bin depth;
b) an ice making unit housed in a cabinet placed on top of the ice storage bin, the cabinet having a depth, the depth of the ice making unit being at least 8 inches less than the internal depth of the ice storage bin.
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31. A compact ice making unit comprising:
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a) a cabinet;
b) a water system inside the cabinet, including a water pump, an ice-forming mold and interconnecting lines therefore; and
c) a portion of a refrigeration system including an evaporator in thermal contact with the ice-forming mold, at least one receiver and a thermal expansion device;
d) wherein the cabinet occupies a volume and wherein the ice making unit produces cubed ice at a rated capacity of 2500 pounds of ice per day or less under ARI standard test conditions of 90°
F. ambient temperature and 70°
F. ambient inlet water temperature, and wherein the ratio of ice production rate to cabinet volume is at least 125 pounds of ice/day/ft3. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An ice making unit comprising:
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a) a cabinet having a front panel covering a front panel opening, a water compartment behind the front panel, a mechanical compartment and a divider between the mechanical compartment and the water compartment;
b) a water system inside the cabinet including a pump assembly, an ice-forming mold, a water reservoir, and interconnecting lines therefore; and
c) a portion of a refrigeration system including an evaporation in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, at least one receiver and a thermal expansion device inside the cabinet;
d) the pump assembly comprising a motor and a pump housing, the pump assembly extending through the divider such that the pump motor is in the mechanical compartment and the pump housing is in the water compartment, and wherein the pump assembly can be removed through the front panel opening and replaced without the use of tools.
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37. The ice making unit of claim______ wherein the pump assembly further comprises an adaptor having locking tabs thereon and the divider comprises a hole with clearance slots allowing the locking tabs to pass therethrough when the pump motor is inserted into the machine compartment.
Specification