Ice making system, method, and component apparatus

• US 6,282,909 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uusi LLC (Nartron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nartron Corporation
• Inventors: Newman, Todd R., Shank, David, Ballast, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US09/617,336
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 62/74, 621/58, 621/82, 622/33
• US Class Current: 62/74
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/12 by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/10 using hot refrigerant; using fluid heated by refrigerant

Abstract

An ice making machine controller system includes methods and components for making commercial quantities of ice pieces includes adaptive controls responsive to input sensors, output actuators, adaptive ice making control algorithms, adaptive ice harvesting control algorithms, diagnostics for operation cycle monitoring and communicating, and reprogrammable, expanded controller memory for reliable and efficient operation under diverse conditions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one fully automatic electronic-controlled ice making machine comprising:

detecting a signal calling for ice production;

determining that the ice bin is not sensed to be full;

supplying water to fill a water reservoir until determining said water reservoir is at a predetermined level;

determining if the compressor motor is not already energized, then energizing a refrigeration compressor motor, waiting a preprogrammed, adaptive time delay or until said motor comes up to a preset speed; and

pumping water from said water reservoir to at least one ice mold at a mass flow rate substantially greater than the mass rate of ice production.

2. The invention as described in claim 1 and further comprising shunting refrigerant pressure away from the compressor output for a preset and adaptive time or until said refrigerant pressure is below a preset level before energizing said compressor motor.

3. The invention as described in claim 2 wherein said shunting comprises shunting refrigerant from the compressor output to the evaporator.

4. The invention as described in claim 2 wherein said shunting comprises shunting refrigerant from the compressor output to the compressor input.

5. The invention as described in claim 2 and further comprising deenergizing a compressor motor for a predetermined time duration whereby compressor output pressure is empirically correlated with the time duration after the compressor motor is deenergized.

6. The invention as described in claim 2 wherein said energizing a refrigeration compressor motor comprises switching a solid state relay energizing a run coil of the compressor motor.

7. The invention as described in claim 6 wherein said switching is controlled to occur at a peak of an AC supply voltage waveform to reduce high electrical current transients associated with ferromagnetic component saturation effects.

8. The invention as described in claim 6 wherein said switching includes energizing and deenergizing at predetermined phase angles relative to AC supply voltage waveforms to control compressor motor speed or motor power.

9. The invention as described in claim 2 wherein said energizing a compressor motor comprises switching a solid state relay energizing a start coil of the compressor motor.

10. The invention as described in claim 2 and further comprising coupling a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resist series with a start coil of said compressor motor to limit maximum motor start coil temperatures by reducing power applied to said start coil.

11. The invention as described in claim 2 and comprising switching a solid state switch energizing a fan motor.

12. The invention as described in claim 11 wherein said switching includes energizing and deenergizing at predetermined phase angles relative to AC supply voltage waveforms to control fan motor speed or power.

13. The invention as described in claim 1 and further comprising prechilling for a preset, adaptive time duration or to a preset and adaptive temperature.

14. The invention as described in claim 13 and comprising sensing ice mold temperature.

15. The invention as described in claim 14 wherein said sensing comprises locating a thermistor in thermal cooperation with the ice mold.

16. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising refilling said water reservoir a preset adaptive number of times when a preset, low level of water is determined until ice molds are adequately filled with ice.

17. The invention as described in claim 16 wherein said refilling comprises adapting the number of times the water reservoir is refilled to the amount of ice produced per ice making cycle.

18. The invention as described in claim 1 comprising sensing at least one water quality indicator and setting a software flag for a water purge cycle, if the number of ice making cycles performed is equal or greater than a preset adaptive number or if said at least one sensed water quality indicator is below some preset adaptive level.

19. The invention as described in claim 18 wherein said sensing at least one water quality indicator comprises flowing water through a turbidity sensor.

20. The invention as described in claim 18 wherein said sensing at least one water quality indicator comprises flowing water past a dielectric property capacitive sensor.

21. The invention as described in claim 18 wherein said sensing at least one water quality indicator comprises flowing water past an electroconductivity sensor.

22. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising sensing that a cycle of ice production is complete and terminating passing water.

23. The invention as described in claim 22 wherein said sensing completion of ice making comprises sensing of reservoir water level.

24. The invention as described in claim 22 wherein said sensing completion of ice making comprises sensing of ice thickness on the ice molds.

25. The invention as described in claim 24 wherein said ice sensing comprises inducing high frequency electric fields proximal to at least one electrode pattern to capacitively sense dielectric property of ice.

26. The invention as described in claim 24 wherein said sensing completion of ice making is determined by locating vibrating probes near said ice mold such that the vibration frequency and/or amplitude changes as ice growth encompasses said probes.

27. The invention as described in claim 1 wherein said supplying water to fill a water reservoir until determining comprises determining that the water reservoir is at said level predetermined level based upon preferred embodiment description status of water valves and at least one timer.

28. The invention as described in claim 1 whereby said supplying water to fill a reservoir until determining comprises determining that the water reservoir is at said predetermined level based upon a moving float supporting at least one target.

29. The invention as described in claim 1 whereby said supplying water to fill a reservoir until determining comprises determining that the water reservoir is at said predetermined level based upon a moving float supporting one of a magnet and a cooperating magnetic field sensor.

30. The invention as described in claim 29 wherein said magnetic field sensor comprises at least one reed switch responsive to said magnet.

31. The invention as described in claim 29 wherein said magnetic field sensor comprises at least one Hall-effect sensor.

32. The invention as described in claim 1 wherein said pumping comprises gravity feeding water to said at least one ice mold by a top feeding manifold.

33. The invention as described in claim 1 wherein said pumping comprises spraying water to said at least one ice mold.

34. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising sensing water temperature of the reservoir by a thermistor.

35. The control method according to claim 1 and comprising fault monitoring and storing accumulated data in memory.

36. The control method according to claim 1 and comprising storing operation history and generating statistics in memory.

37. The invention as described in claim 1 and further comprising optionally immediately refilling water reservoir.

38. The invention as described in claim 1 and further comprising monitoring water reservoir temperature and rate of temperature drop;

when water reservoir temperature goes below a preset adaptive value, terminating said passing water for a preset adaptive time duration, then circulating water across ice molds; and

if rate of water temperature drop exceeds a preset adaptive maximum sign of slushing rate, then adding additional supply water to reservoir.

39. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising monitoring water reservoir temperature until ice harvest operation is initiated, then deenergizing said pump motor for a preset adaptive time duration if water temperature decreases below a preset adaptive value then energizing said pump motor to circulate water across ice molds.

40. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising diverting hot compressed refrigeration gas from the condenser to the ice mold for a preset, adaptive time duration to loosen ice pieces.

41. The invention as described in claim 40 and comprising circulating water over molds to discharge ice from molds.

42. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising energizing a water circulation pump for a preset adaptive time duration overlapping the previous preset adaptive time duration, to rinse ice pieces free from the ice molds as a harvest step;

and

sensing falling ice pieces to determine ice harvest time parameters.

43. The invention as described in claim 1 and comprising if the ice bin is sensed as being full, then discontinuing new ice making cycles until the ice bin is no longer sensed as being full.

44. The invention as described in claim 18 and comprising opening a water purge valve when said software flag is set, including energizing a water circulation pump, and opening a water supply valve;

waiting a preset adaptive time duration; and

closing said water purge valve, deenergizing said water circulation pump, and closing said water supply valve.