Ice maker cooler

• US 20030010054A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Coca-Cola Company (The Coca-Cola Company)
• Original Assignee: Coca-Cola Company (The Coca-Cola Company)
• Inventors: Summerville, Scott, Esch, Willy Van
• Application Number:
  US09/903,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20030010054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/354
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0439 Cases or cabinets of the open type A47F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/147 by using augers
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/007 Bottles or cans

Abstract

An ice-making system may include a bin configured to contain an initial quantity of water and an ice making assembly configured to make ice solely from the initial quantity of water. A conveyor may be configured to transport the ice from the ice making assembly to the bin, and a water circuit may be configured to re-circulate the initial quantity of water through the ice making assembly.

Claims

1. An ice maker and cooler apparatus for displaying products, comprising:

a bin configured to contain ice and the products, the bin comprising an access opening configured to receive and display the products;

an ice making assembly configured to make the ice;

a conveyor configured to transport ice from the ice making assembly to the bin; and

a recirculation system configured to recirculate meltdown water from the ice contained in the bin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chute having an input end in communication with the conveyor and an output end configured to deliver the ice into the bin.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the chute is configured to deliver ice through the access opening and onto at least one of said products.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the access opening comprises an opening in a top wall of the bin.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a reservoir assembly configured to receive meltdown fluid from the bin; and

a controller, the controller configured to operate the ice making assembly when a level of fluid in the reservoir assembly exceeds a threshold level.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a sensor associated with the reservoir assembly, the sensor being configured to sense the level of fluid in the reservoir and to communicate with the controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the fluid comprises water.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a rotary auger.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ice making assembly comprises an ice making chamber, and wherein at least a portion of the rotary auger is in the ice making chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an ice breaking device at an output end of the rotary auger adjacent to an output end of the ice making chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to contain at least one component of the ice making assembly.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the chamber comprises an opening configured to receive the stream of ice particles, and wherein the stream of ice particles is visible to a consumer through the opening of the chamber.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the opening comprises an open top in the chamber, the open top being configured to accommodate loading the bin with chilled products and viewing at least one of the chilled products and ice in the bin.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the ice making assembly comprises:

a conveyor configured to transport ice particles to the chamber; and

a chute having an input end in communication with the conveyor and an output end configured to deliver the stream of ice particles onto at least one of the chilled products.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the conveyor comprises a rotary auger, and wherein the ice making assembly comprises an ice making chamber, at least a portion of the rotary auger being in the ice making chamber.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an ice breaking device at an output end of the rotary auger adjacent to an output end of the ice making chamber.

18. The system of claim 12, said region of the ice making assembly comprises a reservoir assembly configured to receive meltdown fluid from the chamber.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control system comprises:

a controller; and

a sensor associated with the reservoir assembly, the sensor being configured to sense the level of fluid in the reservoir assembly and to communicate with the controller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the fluid comprises water.

12. A system for displaying chilled products, comprising:

a chamber configured to hold and display the chilled products;

an ice making assembly configured to periodically feed a stream of ice particles to the chamber; and

a control system configured to sense an amount of water in a region of the ice making assembly and to enable the ice making assembly when the sensed amount of water reaches a threshold level.

21. An ice maker and cooler apparatus for displaying products, comprising

a housing configured to contain at least one component of the apparatus;

a refrigeration system including a compressor and an evaporator;

a bin configured to contain ice and the products;

an ice making chamber having the refrigeration system evaporator therein for making ice;

a first reservoir configured to receive a supply of water from the bin;

a second reservoir in fluid communication with the ice making chamber, the second reservoir being configured to supply water to the evaporator for making the ice;

a conveyor configured to transport ice from the ice making chamber to the bin;

a sensor in the first reservoir for determining when the water level therein is above or below a threshold level; and

a pump in fluid communication with the first and second reservoirs for pumping water from the first reservoir to the second reservoir when the water level sensed is above said threshold level.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a sensor in the second reservoir for determining when water therein is above or below a threshold quantity; and

a controller associated with the sensor in the second reservoir, the controller being configured to disable the apparatus when the water quantity sensed is below the threshold quantity.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the supply of water comprises an initial quantity of water manually introduced into the bin.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the initial quantity of water comprises at least one of ice and liquid.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the initial quantity of water comprises a sole water supply of the apparatus, and wherein the initial quantity of water is re-circulated by the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the bin comprises a top opening for loading the bin with products and viewing the products and ice therein.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a chute having an input end in communication with the conveyor and an output end for delivering ice through the top opening of the bin onto at least one of the products.

28. The apparatus for claim 21, wherein the conveyor comprises a rotary auger in the ice making chamber.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising an ice breaking device at an output end of the auger adjacent to an output end of the ice making chamber.

30. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising an electric power supply for energizing the conveyor and ice making system, and wherein the refrigeration system comprises an electrically-powered mechanical refrigeration system.

31. A method for making ice, comprising:

loading an ice making system with an initial quantity of water as a sole source of water;

making ice from the initial quantity of water;

conveying the ice made from the initial quantity of water to a bin; and

recirculating meltdown water from the bin, the meltdown water solely comprising meltdown water from the ice made from the initial quantity of water.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

sensing a level of water in a reservoir associated with the ice making system; and

controller operation of the ice making system in response to the sensed level of water in the reservoir.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said controlling operation comprises disabling the ice making system when the sensed level of water is below a threshold level.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said conveying comprises transporting ice from an ice making assembly to the bin.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said transporting comprises distributing ice onto at least one product contained in the bin.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a level of water in a reservoir associated with the ice making system; and

a controller configured to control operation of the ice making system in response to the sensed level of water in the reservoir.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said controller is configured to disable the ice making system when the sensed level of water is below a threshold level.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said conveyor comprises an auger configured to transport ice from an ice making assembly to the bin.

40. The system of claim 36, further comprising a chute, the chute being configured to receive ice from the conveyor and distribute the ice onto at least one product contained in the bin.

36. An ice-making system, comprising:

a bin configured to contain an initial quantity of water;

an ice making assembly configured to make ice solely from the initial quantity of water;

a conveyor configured to transport the ice from the ice making assembly to the bin; and

a water circuit configured to re-circulate the initial quantity of water through the ice making assembly.