Ice dispensing apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An ice dispensing paddle wheel comprising a shaft, circular means connected to the shaft for supporting peripheral means, peripheral means connected to a circumference of the circular means for supporting ice-moving means, and ice-moving means connected to the peripheral means and extending outward therefrom, the ice-moving means comprising ice-moving blades connected to the peripheral means and being positioned at angles relative to the shaft, wherein the blades extend in curved surfaces which curve generally rearwardly with respect to shaft rotation and then axially with respect to the shaft, whereby the paddles urge the ice to move forwardly in the direction of shaft rotation and in front of the blades and urge the ice to move axially forwardly with respect to the shaft as the shaft, circular means, peripheral means and ice-moving blades move, wherein the circular means comprises a circular plate and wherein the peripheral means comprises a truncated conical plate attached to and extending forward of a circumferential area of the circular plate, and wherein the blades are attached to the truncated conical plate and wherein the blades curve rearward in a direction of rotation of the circular plate and axially, wherein the circular plate fits against a circular portion of a front wall of an ice dispenser bin, wherein the conical plate surrounds a cylindrical wall portion of a recess in the front wall of the ice dispenser bin and wherein the blades move within the recess.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ice dispensing bin has an inward and rearward sloped front wall and a downward and forward sloped semi-cylindrical bottom wall. The rear wall and side walls and an upper portion of the front wall are generally vertical. A paddle wheel is positioned in a recess in the sloping front wall. The paddle wheel has a circular plate lying along a central portion of the annular recess. A truncated conical plate converges axially about 10 degrees from the circular plate. Paddles extend radially from the conical plate. Turbine blade-like paddles curve circumferentially and then axially and stop short of the front wall to trap and move ice along the front wall of the recess as the paddle wheel is rotated. A shaft extends through the paddle wheel and rearwardly to a bearing in the rear wall. An angular arm on the shaft breaks ice bridges as the shaft rotates with the paddle wheel. A speed reducer mounted on the front of the sloping wall and a motor mounted on a lower portion of the speed reducer turn the paddle wheel and ice bridge breaker. A switch opens the gate and starts movement of the paddle wheel.
53 Citations
47 Claims
- 1. An ice dispensing paddle wheel comprising a shaft, circular means connected to the shaft for supporting peripheral means, peripheral means connected to a circumference of the circular means for supporting ice-moving means, and ice-moving means connected to the peripheral means and extending outward therefrom, the ice-moving means comprising ice-moving blades connected to the peripheral means and being positioned at angles relative to the shaft, wherein the blades extend in curved surfaces which curve generally rearwardly with respect to shaft rotation and then axially with respect to the shaft, whereby the paddles urge the ice to move forwardly in the direction of shaft rotation and in front of the blades and urge the ice to move axially forwardly with respect to the shaft as the shaft, circular means, peripheral means and ice-moving blades move, wherein the circular means comprises a circular plate and wherein the peripheral means comprises a truncated conical plate attached to and extending forward of a circumferential area of the circular plate, and wherein the blades are attached to the truncated conical plate and wherein the blades curve rearward in a direction of rotation of the circular plate and axially, wherein the circular plate fits against a circular portion of a front wall of an ice dispenser bin, wherein the conical plate surrounds a cylindrical wall portion of a recess in the front wall of the ice dispenser bin and wherein the blades move within the recess.
- 11. Ice dispenser apparatus comprising a bin having a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a front dispensing wall, wherein the front wall has a curved forward extending recess communicating with the bin and extending forward in the front wall and further comprising paddle means positioned in the recess and drive means connected to the paddle means for moving the paddle means in the recess, an opening at the top of the recess in a front portion thereof and means for selectively closing and opening, whereby the paddles move in the recess and move ice along the recess toward an opening in the front dispensing wall.
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19. Ice dispenser apparatus comprising a bin having a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a frong ice-contacting dispensing wall, wherein the bottom wall slopes downward and forward at about 10 to 20 degrees and wherein the front walls lopes rearward and downward at about 5 to 20 degrees from vertical, wherein the bottom wall is generally semi-circular around a similarly sloping imaginary axis, and further comprising a paddle wheel positioned adjacent the front wall and a shaft extending through the wall for supporting and driving the paddle wheel for lifting ice to a dispensing opening, and a speed reducer connected to the shaft and a drive motor connected to the speed reducer near a bottom of a front wall for driving the speed reducer and the shaft, wherein the speed reducer and drive motor are positioned rearward of a vertical plane from a top of a front wall of the dispenser, an opening in the front wall adjacent an upper portion of the paddle wheel and a solenoid-controlled gate in the opening, the gate being slideable between an open position and a closed position, a track surrounding the gate and a drain tube connected to a lower portion of the track for draining water from the track.
- 20. Ice dispensing apparatus comprising an ice storage bin having a rear wall and a front wall spaced from the rear wall, and first and second opposite side walls spaced from each other and connected to the front wall and rear wall, and a bottom wall connected to the side walls and connected to the front wall and rear walls for completing the ice storage bin, a circular recess in the front wall, plural ice dispenser paddles in the recess, a rotatable holder connected to the paddles, the rotatable holder being mounted on the front wall concentrically with the recess, an ice dispensing opening in an upper portion of the recess for permitting ice to flow through the opening and exit the recess, and a turner for turning the holder and moving the paddles in the recess, whereby the paddles move ice along the recess.
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28. An ice dispensing apparatus comprising an ice storage bin having an outward and upward sloping inner wall, the inner wall having a fixed sloping surface, a paddle wheel mounted along the sloping wall and having a shaft disposed at an angle to a horizontal axis, a disk connected to the shaft means, a paddle support means connected to the disk for supporting ice-moving paddles, and ice-moving paddles connected to the paddle support and extending outward therefrom, the ice-moving paddles being configured for moving ice along the fixed sloping surface of the ice bin inner wall, thereby the paddles move ice along the fixed sloping surface of the inner wall, wherein the disk comprises a circular plate, wherein the paddle support comprises a forward extending plate attached to and extending forward of a circumferentially area of the circular plate and wherein the paddles are attached to the forward extending plate, and wherein the paddles curved rearward in a direction of rotation of the circular plate and forward in an axial direction, wherein the paddles terminate short of a front edge of the forward extending plate.
- 29. An ice dispensing apparatus comprising an ice storage bin having an outward and upward sloping inner wall, the inner wall having a fixed sloping surface, a paddle wheel mounted along the sloping wall and having a shaft disposed at an angle to a horizontal axis, a disk connected to the shaft means, a paddle support means connected to the disk for supporting ice-moving paddles, and ice-moving paddles connected to the paddle support and extending outward therefrom, the ice-moving paddles being configured for moving ice along the fixed sloping surface of the ice bin inner wall, whereby the paddles move ice along the fixed sloping surface of the inner wall, wherein the disk comprises a circular plate and wherein the paddle support comprises a forward extending plate attached to and extending forward of a circumferential area of the circular plate and wherein the paddles are attached to the forward extending plate, wherein a sloping wall has a cylindrical recess and the circular plate fits against a circular portion of a front wall of an ice dispenser bin, wherein the forward extending plate extends over a cylindrical wall portion of the recess in the sloping wall of the ice storage bin, and wherein the paddles move within the recess.
- 40. Ice dispenser apparatus comprising a bin having a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a front dispensing wall, wherein a surface of the front wall facing inward in the bin has an arcuate forward extending recess communicating with the bin and extending forward into the front wall, and further comprising a paddle wheel having paddles positioned in the recess and a drive connected to the paddle wheel for moving the paddles in the recess, an ice dispensing opening in the recess near a top of the recess, whereby the paddles move ice along the recess toward the ice dispensing opening.
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41. An ice dispensing apparatus comprising an ice storage bin having an outward and upward sloping inner wall, the inner wall having a fixed sloping surface, a paddle wheel mounted along the sloping wall and having a shaft disposed at an angle to a horizontal axis, a disk connected to the shaft means, a paddle support connected to the disk for supporting ice-moving paddles, and ice-moving paddles connected to the paddle support and extending outward therefrom, the ice-moving paddles being configured for moving ice along the fixed sloping surface of the ice bin inner wall, whereby the paddles move ice along the fixed sloping surface of the inner wall.
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46. Ice dispenser apparatus comprising a bin having a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a front dispensing wall, an arcuate recess in the front wall wherein the bottom wall slopes downward and forward at about 10 to 20 degrees, and wherein the front wall slopes rearward and downward at about 5 to 20 degrees from vertical, further comprising a paddle wheel positioned adjacent the front wall and having paddles in the recess for moving ice along the recess, and a shaft extending through the wall for supporting and driving the paddle wheel for lifting ice to a dispensing opening.
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47. An ice dispensing bin having an open top, and a cover for the top, a long generally vertical rear wall extending downward from the top, a sloping bottom wall extending downward and forward from a lower edge of the rear wall, a generally vertical upper front wall portion extending downward from the top, a sloping front wall portion extending downward and rearward from a lower edge of the vertical upper front wall portion toward the sloping bottom, a first and second oppositely spaced sidewalls connected to lateral edges of the rear wall, the bottom wall, the upper portion of the front wall and the sloping portion of the front wall, and a dispensing opening in an upper portion of the sloping portion of the front wall for dispensing ice out of the bin, and ice mover mounted in the bin adjacent the sloping portion of the front wall and extending between positions near a forward portion of the bottom sloping wall and the dispensing opening for moving ice along he sloping front wall to the dispensing opening, whereby substantially all of the ice within the bin is capable of being dispensed from the dispensing opening by the ice mover, further comprising a circular recess extending forward within the sloping portion of the front wall, and wherein the ice mover includes paddles mounted within the forward extending recess for moving ice along the recess, whereby substantially all of the ice in the bin is dispensed by the paddles moving along the recess, and whereby the ice is dispensed at a substantially consistent rate.
Specification