ICE BAGGING APPARATUS

• US 20090120039A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reddy Ice LLC
• Original Assignee: Reddy Ice Corporation (Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Metzger, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/440
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/36 by volumetric devices or methods checking volume of filled material B65B1/48
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/123 Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/54 Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged

Abstract

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an ice-bagging apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus comprises an ice maker for making ice and hopper for receiving the ice from the ice maker. The apparatus further includes a drawer system, operatively associated with the hopper, for measuring the ice and delivering of the ice. The drawer system includes top door and drawer. A bag delivery mechanism for placing the ice in a bag is also included, with the bag delivery mechanism including a bag supply mechanism, a blower engaged to open the mouth of the bag to receive the product, and a sealer that seals the open mouth of the bag once the bag is filled with the ice. A control device is included that manages and monitors the drawer and bag delivery mechanism and allows transmission of the collected data to the Internet.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A method comprising:

providing a hopper in which ice is disposed;

placing a drawer in a first position relative to the hopper, the drawer defining a region defining a volume;

disposing a first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, the first volume of ice being generally equal to the volume defined by the region;

after disposing the first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, moving a door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a first configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally prevented; and

after moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration, disposing the first volume of ice in a bag, comprising;

placing the drawer in a second position relative to the hopper; and

permitting the first volume of ice to fall into the bag in response to placing the drawer in the second position relative to the hopper.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

after placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper, moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a second configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally permitted; and

disposing a second volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper in response to moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the second configuration, the second volume of ice being generally equal to the first volume of ice.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

sensing the presence of a second volume of ice in the hopper, the second volume of ice being generally equal to or greater than the first volume of ice;

wherein moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration comprises;

moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration in response to sensing the presence of the second volume of ice in the hopper.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining the size of the bag;

in response to determining the size of the bag, determining how many times (n) the drawer must be moved from the first position to the second position in order to fill the bag with ice;

and

filling the bag with ice, comprising;

disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

moving the drawer from the first position to the second position an additional (n−

1) times after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein, when the drawer is in the first position and the door is in the first configuration, the door is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer and at least a portion of the hopper;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

making the ice;

filling the bag with ice, comprising disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

storing the bag filled with ice in a freezer.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising at least one of the following:

remotely monitoring one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer; and

remotely controlling one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer.

12. A system comprising:

means for providing a hopper in which ice is disposed;

means for placing a drawer in a first position relative to the hopper, the drawer defining a region defining a volume;

means for disposing a first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, the first volume of ice being generally equal to the volume defined by the region;

means for after disposing the first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, moving a door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a first configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally prevented; and

means for after moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration, disposing the first volume of ice in a bag, comprising;

means for placing the drawer in a second position relative to the hopper; and

means for permitting the first volume of ice to fall into the bag in response to placing the drawer in the second position relative to the hopper.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

means for after placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper, moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a second configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally permitted; and

means for disposing a second volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper in response to moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the second configuration, the second volume of ice being generally equal to the first volume of ice.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for sensing the presence of a second volume of ice in the hopper, the second volume of ice being generally equal to or greater than the first volume of ice;

wherein the means for moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration comprises;

means for moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration in response to sensing the presence of the second volume of ice in the hopper.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for determining the size of the bag;

means for in response to determining the size of the bag, determining how many times (n) the drawer must be moved from the first position to the second position in order to fill the bag with ice;

and

means for filling the bag with ice, comprising;

means for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

means for moving the drawer from the first position to the second position an additional (n−

1) times after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein, when the drawer is in the first position and the door is in the first configuration, the door is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer and at least a portion of the hopper;

and

wherein the system further comprises;

means for making the ice;

means for filling the bag with ice, comprising the means for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

means for storing the bag filled with ice in a freezer.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising at least one of the following:

means for remotely monitoring one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer; and

means for remotely controlling one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

means for making the ice;

means for placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

means for after placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper, moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a second configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally permitted;

means for disposing a second volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper in response to moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the second configuration, the second volume of ice being generally equal to the first volume of ice;

means for filling the bag with ice, comprising the means for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

means for sealing the bag after filling the bag with ice; and

means for storing the bag filled with ice in a freezer;

wherein, when the drawer is in the first position and the door is in the first configuration, the door is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer and at least a portion of the hopper;

wherein the bag comprises a mouth; and

wherein the means for after moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration, disposing the first volume of ice in the bag comprises;

means for opening the mouth of the bag.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a computer comprising a plurality of instructions stored therein, the plurality of instructions comprising;

instructions for placing a drawer in a first position relative to a hopper in which ice is disposed, the drawer defining a region defining a volume;

instructions for disposing a first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, the first volume of ice being generally equal to the volume defined by the region;

instructions for after disposing the first volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper, moving a door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a first configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally prevented; and

instructions for after moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration, disposing the first volume of ice in a bag, comprising;

instructions for placing the drawer in a second position relative to the hopper; and

instructions for permitting the first volume of ice to fall into the bag in response to placing the drawer in the second position relative to the hopper.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises:

instructions for placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

instructions for after placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper, moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a second configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally permitted; and

instructions for disposing a second volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper in response to moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the second configuration, the second volume of ice being generally equal to the first volume of ice.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises:

instructions for sensing the presence of a second volume of ice in the hopper, the second volume of ice being generally equal to or greater than the first volume of ice;

wherein the instructions for moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration comprises;

instructions for moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration in response to sensing the presence of the second volume of ice in the hopper.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises:

instructions for determining the size of the bag;

instructions for in response to determining the size of the bag, determining how many times (n) the drawer must be moved from the first position to the second position in order to fill the bag with ice; and

instructions for filling the bag with ice, comprising;

instructions for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

instructions for moving the drawer from the first position to the second position an additional (n−

1) times after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein, when the drawer is in the first position and the door is in the first configuration, the door is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer and at least a portion of the hopper;

and

wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises;

instructions for making the ice;

instructions for filling the bag with ice, comprising the instructions for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag; and

instructions for storing the bag filled with ice in a freezer.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises at least one of the following:

instructions for remotely monitoring one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer; and

instructions for remotely controlling one or more of making the ice, filling the bag with ice, and storing the bag filled with ice in the freezer.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises:

instructions for making the ice;

instructions for placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper after disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

instructions for after placing the drawer back into the first position relative to the hopper, moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in a second configuration in which disposal of ice into the drawer from the hopper is generally permitted;

instructions for disposing a second volume of ice into the region defined by the drawer from the hopper in response to moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the second configuration, the second volume of ice being generally equal to the first volume of ice;

instructions for filling the bag with ice, comprising the instructions for disposing the first volume of ice in the bag;

instructions for sealing the bag after filling the bag with ice; and

instructions for storing the bag filled with ice in a freezer;

wherein, when the drawer is in the first position and the door is in the first configuration, the door is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer and at least a portion of the hopper;

wherein the bag comprises a mouth; and

wherein the instructions for after moving the door relative to the hopper and the drawer to place the door in the first configuration, disposing the first volume of ice in the bag comprises;

instructions for opening the mouth of the bag.