Ice making system, method, and component apparatus

• US 6,581,393 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• 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:
  US09/898,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 62/74, 621/58, 621/82, 622/33, 622/08, 621/35
• US Class Current: 62/135
• 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 controller system and apparatus for at least one fully automatic electronic-controlled ice making machine comprising:

a microprocessor;

a controller memory linked for communication with said microprocessor;

at least one diagnostics program in one of said memory and said microprocessor for determining a response to a plurality of inputs;

a communication interface;

a sensor detecting at least one water reservoir temperature and generating a first input to said processor;

a sensor detecting an amount of ice on ice molds and generating a second input to said processor;

a sensor detecting harvested ice and generating a third input to said microprocessor;

a circulator for delivering water over ice making molds at a mass rate significantly greater than the mass rate of ice production, said circulator including at least one water control valve and a pump driven by a motor in said circulator;

a control for energization of said at least one water control valve in response to a first determined response from said operation diagnostics program;

a control for energization of said motors in said circulator; and

a control for energization of at least one refrigerant control valve in response to at least one of said first, second and third inputs.

2. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said microprocessor is based upon a reduced instruction set code (RISC) architecture.

3. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said controller memory is integral within the microprocessor.

4. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said controller memory includes flash read only memory (ROM).

5. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said controller memory includes electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

6. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said controller memory includes removable EEPROM memory.

7. The controller system according to claim 6 wherein said removable EEPROM memory is programmed for field updating system operational parameters.

8. The controller system according to claim 6 wherein said removable EEPROM memory is programmed for field updating source code.

9. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said operation diagnostics software monitors operating conditions of the ice making machine.

10. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said operation diagnostics software stores data relating to abnormal and/or fault conditions in controller memory.

11. The controller system of claim 10 in which said operation diagnostics software comprises stored data including information about operation history prior to and throughout fault conditions.

12. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said operation diagnostics software stores data relating to fault and/or normal operating conditions in controller memory for purposes of system performance evaluation.

13. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said communication interface means includes input and/or output communication via a communication interface bus.

14. The controller system of claim 13 wherein said communication interface bus further comprises an RS-485 bus in full or half-duplex communication mode.

15. The controller system of claim 13 wherein said RS-485 bus couples said controller system with a kitchen network.

16. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said communication interface means includes RJ11 jacks.

17. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said communication interface means includes input via at least one operator switch.

18. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said communication interface means includes input via at least one service switch.

19. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said communication interface means includes output via at least one panel indicator lamp.

20. The controller system of claim 19 wherein said at least one indicator lamp includes at least a plurality of indicator colors.

21. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor for the amount of ice on molds comprises at least one water level sensor of the water reservoir, and a comparator for comparing the reservoir level detected with a level corresponding to an amount of water supplied for ice production.

22. The controller system of claim 21 wherein said at least one water level sensor of the water reservoir incorporates a permanent magnet moving with a water level float, said magnet being sensed by at least one reed switch.

23. The controller system of claim 21 wherein said at least one water level sensor of the water reservoir incorporates at least one optoemitter and at least one optodetector in an optocoupled arrangement to electronically signal the optocoupling and the lack of optocoupling, for which the moving float assembly alters said optocoupling based upon the level of water in the reservoir.

24. The controller system of claim 21 wherein said microcontroller reads the erratic digital signal caused by bobbing of the float assembly on a software sampled and software filtered basis, adaptively modifying at least one digital level detection threshold value from an initial default value.

25. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor or amount of ice on molds comprises at least one sensor sensing the thickness of ice at least one location on at least one mold.

26. The controller system of claim 25 wherein said sensor detects capacitive dielectric properties of the increasing ice thickness via high frequency electric fields emanating from at least one proximal conductive electrode array in conjunction with electronic circuitry that switches output based upon a net capacitance threshold value of said conductive electrode array.

27. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor for harvested ice includes at least one optoemitter and at least one optodetector in an optocoupled arrangement to electronically signal the presence of falling and/or standing ice.

28. The controller system optoelectronic sensing technology according to claim 27 wherein the at least one of said microcontroller and/or electronic hardware adaptively modify the optoemitter drive and/or the optodetector gain and/or the electronic interface circuitry detection sensitivity threshold to compensate for variations in optocoupling.

29. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said sensor of harvested ice comprises an emitter and a detector of vibration signals aligned within an ice chute and/or within an ice storage bin.

30. The controller system according to claim 29 wherein said sensor detecting a level of harvested ice includes at least one curtain that swings out of position.

31. The controller system of claim 30 wherein said curtain includes at least one magnet attached to and moving with said swinging curtain and at least one reed switch changing state of electrical conductivity in cooperation with proximity of said at least one permanent magnet to sense relative movement correlating to harvesting of ice.

32. The controller system according to claim 1 wherein said control of energization of motors includes at least one solid state relay.

33. The controller system of claim 32 wherein said control for energization of motors includes switching control to provide switched turn-on conduction corresponding to peak voltages of an AC power supply waveform to reduce saturation-related current surge transients associated with load magnetic saturation affects.