Auger-type ice making apparatus for producing high quality ice

• US 4,497,184 A
• Filed: 11/09/1982
• Issued: 02/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermos LLC
• Original Assignee: Thermos LLC
• Inventors: Tandeski, David A., Utter, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US06/440,468
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 62/354, 100/117
• 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

An apparatus for producing relatively uniform size high quality ice particles comprising a generally cylindrically-shaped ice forming chamber, a rotatable auger disposed in said chamber and adapted to cause ice formed on the inner side thereof to be formed into a generally cylindrically-shaped ice body, an ice discharge member disposed at one end of said chamber and being provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged ice discharge openings overlying said cylindrical body, whereby rotation of said auger causes said cylindrical body to move toward and into engagement with said ice discharge member so that portions of said body are forced into said openings and are thereby compacted to remove ice make-up water therefrom, the dimensions of said openings being selected so that flow passages are provided between peripheral portions of the ice body moving through the ice discharge openings and the peripheral walls of said openings to permit ice make-up water to flow back toward the freezing chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing high quality relatively uniform size ice particles or pellets, comprising,

means for producing an ice body comprising a generally hollow cylindrically-shaped ice forming chamber,

said ice body having a generally cylindrical cross-sectional shape and having radially inner and outer sides,

ice auger means within said chamber and cooperable therewith for causing said ice body to move toward and into engagement with an ice discharge element defining a generally axially extending ice discharge opening, said opening being arranged directly above said ice body whereby a section of said body moves through said opening upon upward movement of said body,

said discharge opening having a dimension measured radially of said chamber that is greater than the radial thickness of said ice body, whereby the section of said body moving through said opening has at least one side thereof spaced away from the wall of said opening so as to define a flow passage through which unfrozen water within said body may flow through said opening back toward said ice producing means.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said discharge opening causes said section of said ice body to be compressed into a rod-like shape as it is forced through said opening.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said ice discharge opening is of a circular configuration and of a diameter greater than the radial thickness of said body.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 which includes refrigeration means adjacent said chamber, means for supplying ice make-up water to said freezing chamber, wherein said auger comprises a body portion having a diameter less than the internal diameter of said chamber to provide a space therebetween, said auger having a spiral flight in said space, the edge of which flight is positioned closely adjacent the inner surface of said chamber.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 3 which comprises an ice discharge member adjacent the upper end of said chamber and defining said discharge opening at a position overlying said flight.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5 wherein the diameter of said discharge opening is greater than the radial dimension between the inner diameter of said chamber and the root diameter of said auger.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ice discharge element is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending discharge openings, said openings having their respective axes arranged around an imaginary circle, the center of which imaginary circle is coaxial with the axis of said auger and the diameter of which imaginary circle is greater than the root diameter of said auger and smaller than the inner diameter of said chamber.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 which includes a radially inwardly and upwardly inclined ice breaker ramp disposed above said openings for causing ice in rod-like shape moving upwardly from said opening to be deflected inwardly and break off into substantially uniform size particles.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ice discharge openings each comprises a uniform diameter upper cylindrical portion and a generally tapered frusto-conical lower section.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the lower end of each of said discharge openings is tapered at an angle of between 15°

and 25°

.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 10 wherein the lower end of each of said discharge openings is tapered at an angle of approximately 20°

.

12. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein the diameter of said upper section of said discharge opening is equal to approximately 1.2 times the radial spacing between the inner diameter of said chamber and the root diameter of said auger.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ice discharge member comprises a central blind bore section within which the upper end of said auger is rotatably received.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein said discharge passage comprises an upwardly tapered lower section and upper section of substantially uniform cross-section of the same size as the upper end of said lower section.

15. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said ice discharge element defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending openings in a circle the center of which is coaxial with the axis of said ice auger means, each opening having a dimension measured radially of said chamber that is greater than the radial thickness of said ice body, whereby the sections of said body moving through said openings each have at least one side which is spaced away from the wall of the corresponding plurality of flow passages through which unfrozen water within said body may flow through said openings back toward said ice producing means.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein openings have downwardly and outwardly flared lower end portions which divide the ice body into a corresponding plurality of circumferentially arranged rod-like bodies the circumferential dimensions of which are progressively reduced as the bodies are moved upwardly through the flared portions to thereby remove unfrozen water therefrom.

17. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ice discharge element is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending discharge openings, said openings having their respective axes arranged around an imaginary circle, the center of which imaginary circle is coaxial with the axis of said auger and the diameter of which imaginary circle is greater than the root diameter of said auger and smaller than the inner diameter of said chamber.

18. The invention as set forth in claim 8 which includes a radially inwardly and upwardly inclined ice breaker ramp disposed above said openings for causing ice in rod-like shape moving upwardly from said opening to be deflected inwardly and break off into substantially uniform size particles.

19. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein said ice discharge openings each comprises a uniform diameter upper cylindrical portion and a generally tapered frusto-conical lower section.

20. The invention as set forth in claim 19 wherein the lower end of each of said discharge openings is tapered at an angle of between 15°

and 25°

.

21. The invention as set forth in claim 20 wherein the lower end of each of said discharge openings is tapered at an angle of approximately 20°

.

22. The invention as set forth in claim 19 wherein the diameter of said upper section of said discharge opening is equal to approximately 1.2 times the radial spacing between the inner diameter of said chamber and the root diameter of said auger.

23. The invention as set forth in claim 17 wherein said ice discharge member comprises a central blind bore section within which the upper end of said auger is rotatably received.

24. The invention of claim 16 wherein openings have downwardly and outwardly flared lower end portions which divide the ice body into a corresponding plurality of circumferentially arranged rod-like bodies the circumferential dimensions of which are progressively reduced as the bodies are moved upwardly through the flared portions to thereby remove unfrozen water therefrom.