EVAPORATOR COVER CONSTRUCTION FOR AN ICE MAKING APPARATUS

• US 3,648,462 A
• Filed: 05/22/1970
• Issued: 03/14/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermos LLC
• Original Assignee: John B. Lyman
• Inventors: Lyman, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/039,777
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 107/14 62/354,320,74,75 100/117,145 18/12 264/329 165/135
• US Class Current: 62/354
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/147 by using augers
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/142 extrusion of ice crystals

Abstract

A cover or cap assembly for an evaporator of an ice making apparatus has an inner cover member forming a collection chamber receiving ice flakes or slush and being composed of an elastomeric material or similar thermally insulative material having a substantially low thermal conductivity relative to thermally conductive, metallic material and forming a surface having improved lubricity relative to the ice flakes or slush moving through the collection chamber. An outer, rigid backing member composed of a thermally conductive maetallic material receives the inner cover in nested assembly, and the inner cover has integrally formed insulative barriers between the backing member and the contiguously disposed portions of the ice making apparatus.

Claims

1. In an ice maker, means forming an evaporator unit having an internal, refrigerated cylindrical surface forming an internal bore;

auger means rotatable within said evaporator bore and having flights in close proximity to said refrigerated surface for harvesting and axially upwardly advancing an ice flake product frozen on said surface;

collection means receiving the ice product harvested by said auger, said collection means comprising an inner cover member having a central passageway and a central, circular, inverted cup-shaped body portion sized to extend across and close an upper end of said evaporator bore, said body portion forming a collection chamber receiving the ice flake product upwardly advanced by said auger means, and directing and mechanically transferring the ice flake product to said passageway; and

an outer backing member having said cover nested therein and clamping said cover to subjacent portions of an ice maker, said cover being composed of a thermally insulative material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of material forming said outer backing member, whereby the mechanical transfer of ice through said collection chamber is enhanced.

2. In an ice maker as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said cover material being an elastomeric material forming a non-wettable surface, thereby retarding adhesion of the ice flake product to surfaces of said cover.

3. In an ice maker as defined in claim 2 and further characterized by:

said cover being composed of a rubber and latex composition; and

said outer backing member being constructed of sheet-form stainless steel.

4. In an ice maker as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by means integral with said cover and forming insulative barriers between said backing member and portions of an ice maker disposed contiguously of said cover. 5. In an ice maker, means forming an evaporator unit having an internal, refrigerated cylindrical surface forming an internal bore;

an inner cover member having a central passageway and a collection chamber receiving ice flake product and directing the same to said passageway; and

said cover having a central, circular, inverted cup-shaped body portion sized to extend across and close said evaporator bore;

said cover body portion having a plurality of collection channels formed therein and extending from a periphery thereof and to said central passage in a generally spiral path; and

an outer backing member having said cover nested therein and clamping said cover to subjacent portions of an ice maker, said cover being composed of a thermally insulative material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of material forming said outer backing member.

6. In an ice maker, means forming an evaporator unit having an internal, refrigerated cylindrical surface forming an internal bore;

said evaporator having a radially outwardly exteNding support flange formed at an upper end portion;

an inner cover member having a central passageway and a collection chamber receiving ice flake product and directing the same to said passageway; and

an outer backing member having said cover nested therein and clamping said cover to subjacent portions of an ice maker, said cover being composed of a thermally insulative material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of material forming said outer backing member;

said backing member having an annular attachment flange sized complementally to said support flange;

said cover having a radially outwardly extending base flange formed integral therewith and interposed between said support flange and said attachment flange in laminar adjacency thereto; and

attachment means securing said attachment flange to said support flange for clamping said backing member, said cover and said evaporator in firm assembly, whereby said cover base flange forms an insulative barrier between refrigerated portions of said evaporator and said backing member.

7. In an ice maker as defined in claim 6 and further characterized by a plurality of concentric, radially spaced, depending sealing ridges formed integrally on said cover base flange and sealingly abutting an upwardly projecting surface of said support flange for forming a labyrinth seal between said cover and said evaporator.

8. In an ice maker, means forming an evaporator unit having an internal, refrigerated cylindrical surface forming an internal bore;

an inner cover member having a central passageway and a collection chamber receiving ice flake product and directing the same to said passageway; and

said cover having a central, circular, inverted cup-shaped body portion sized to extend across and close said evaporator bore;

said cover having an upstanding neck formed integral with said body portion and having an out-turned flange forming a laterally opening channel;

an outer backing member having said cover nested therein and clamping said cover to subjacent portions of an ice maker, said cover being composed of a thermally insulative material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of material forming said outer backing member;

said backing member having an annular top wall overlying said cover body portion and having inner terminal ends received in said laterally opening channel and forming an aperture closely receiving said upstanding neck.

9. In an ice maker, means forming an evaporator unit having an internal refrigerated cylindrical surface forming an internal bore;

ice collection means comprising a cover member composed of a thermally insulative material and having a central passageway and a collection chamber receiving an ice flake product from said evaporator and directing the product to said central passageway;

said cover having a central body portion sized and configured to extend across and close and end of said evaporator bore;

said cover body portion having a plurality of collection channels therein forming said collection chamber and extending from a periphery of said body portion and to said central passageway in a generally spiral path for mechanically transferring the ice flake product received from the evaporator to said central passageway, with the thermally insulative material on the wall surfaces of said collection channels acting to enhance the mechanical transfer of ice product to said central passageway.

10. In an ice maker as defined in claim 9 and further characterized by:

said evaporator having a radially outwardly extending support flange formed at an upper end portion thereof;

said cover having a base flange extending radially outwardly of said body portion and formed integrally therewith, said base flange being disposed in laminar adjacency with said support flange; and

attachment means securing said base flange to said support flange.