Apparatus for removal of ice from a storage bin

• US 6,685,053 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Follett Products LLC (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Follett Corporation
• Inventors: Hawkes, Richard Blair, Haupt, Brian Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O
• Application Number:
  US09/948,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20030042267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 222/450, 222/504, 222/639, 222/643, 222/235, 621/37, 62/76, 623/30, 623/54, 221/200, 221/202, 221/204, 198/657, 198/661, 198/670
• US Class Current: 221/200
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/66 in which the articles are dispensed by cutting from a mass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0071 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a cold condition, e.g. ice and ice cream

Abstract

An apparatus for storing ice in a container and dispensing ice from the container is provided in the form of a storage bin, having ice agitating apparatus for engaging ice to loosen the same and to keep ice particles from adhering together in a common mass. An ice dispenser is provided for delivering ice from a lower to an upper end. The ice dispenser and the ice agitator are provided with separate drives.

Claims

1. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them to a dispenser outlet for dispensing ice from the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

wherein the ice agitation means comprises first, upper, agitation means and second, lower, agitation means, each carried in the storage bin;

with the first, upper agitation means comprising means facilitating delivery of ice pieces to the second, lower, agitation means; and

with second, lower agitation means comprising means facilitating delivery of ice to the ice dispenser means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first drive means is provided with periodic first activation means for periodically activating the first drive means for periodically agitating the ice.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said periodic first activation means comprises timer means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second drive means comprises second activation means for activating the second drive means when the ice dispensing means is desired to be operated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bin includes internal side, front and back wall means, at least some of which are shaped to facilitate movement of ice pieces from the front wall toward a central location of the back wall, wherein said ice dispenser means comprises means for lifting ice pieces from a lower location in the storage bin to an upper location where the dispenser outlet is located, wherein the dispenser means comprises a dispenser tube and a dispenser auger, carried in said tube, for lifting ice pieces through said tube, and with the dispenser tube having an inlet opening located near the back wall means of the bin, generally midway between the side wall means of the bin, for receiving ice pieces therein.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ice agitation means comprises at least one rotating bar having right and left auger means carried thereby, each comprising means for urging ice pieces toward the opposite auger.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said right and left auger means are carried by the same rotating bar and comprises means whereby thrust loads resulting from urging ice pieces toward an opposite auger are caused to oppose each other within the same rotating bar.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ice dispenser means comprises means for lifting ice pieces from a lower location in the storage bin to an upper location where the dispenser outlet is located.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dispenser means comprises a dispenser tube and a dispense auger, carried in said tube, for lifting ice pieces through said tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the dispenser auger is mounted at an acute angle to the vertical, or approximately 45°

.

11. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein and having lower and upper ends;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means locate in said storage bin, between lower and upper ends thereof, for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them from a lower end of the storage bin to a dispenser outlet from said storage bin, for dispensing ice from an upper end of the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

wherein the ice agitation means comprises at least one rotating bar having right and left auger means carried thereby, each comprising means for urging ice pieces toward the opposite auger, wherein the ice agitation means comprises first, upper, agitation means and second, lower, agitation means, wherein both upper and lower agitation means each comprises a rotating bar having right and left auger means carried thereby, each comprising means for urging ice pieces toward the opposite auger.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said right and left auger means are carried by the same rotating bar and comprise means whereby thrust loads resulting from urging ice pieces toward an opposite auger are caused to oppose each other within the same rotating bar.

13. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them to a dispenser outlet for dispensing ice from the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

wherein the ice agitation means and the ice dispenser means each include rotationally driven augers mounted for rotation at approximately right angles to each other.

14. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein and having lower and upper ends;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and a agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means located in said storage bin, between lower and upper ends thereof, for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them from a lower end of the storage bin to a dispenser outlet from said storage bin, for dispensing ice from an upper end of the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

wherein the dispenser outlet comprises at least one dispenser chute, angularly adjustable for adjustably positioning the chute for filling variously configured containers for receiving ice pieces therefrom.

15. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein and having lower and upper ends;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means located in said storage bin, between lower and upper ends thereof, for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them from a lower end of the storage bin to a dispenser outlet from said storage bin, for dispensing ice from an upper end of the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

including a container support carried on the bin, for supporting a container for receiving ice pieces dispensed from the dispenser outlet, wherein said support is pivotally adjustable from a location beneath said dispenser outlet to a location removed from beneath said dispenser outlet, for facilitating placement of a cart beneath said outlet and the receipt of ice into a cart placed therebeneath.

16. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them to a dispenser outlet for dispensing ice from the storage bin;

(d) drive means for driving the ice agitation means and the ice dispenser means;

(e) with said drive means including shafts and bearing mounts for those shafts;

with the storage bin having clearance holes for passing of shafts therethrough, with the shafts being free of support from the storage bin; and

with a storage bin frame structure for carrying and supporting the bearing mounts for the shafts, separate from the storage bin.

17. Apparatus for storing ice in a storage bin and for dispensing ice from a storage bin, comprising:

(a) a storage bin for receiving pieces of ice therein;

(b) ice agitation means for engaging ice pieces and agitating them, to loosen ice pieces from adherence to each other;

(c) ice dispenser means for engaging pieces of ice and delivering them to a dispenser outlet for dispensing ice from the storage bin;

(d) first drive means for driving the ice agitation means;

(e) second drive means for driving the ice dispenser means; and

(f) wherein said first and second drive means are separate from each other,

wherein said first drive means is provided with a periodic first activation means for periodically activating the first drive means for periodically agitating the ice wherein the second drive means comprises second activation means for activating the second drive means when the ice dispensing means is desired to be operated, wherein the ice agitation means comprises first, upper agitation means and second, lower, agitation means, each carried in the storage bin;

with the first, upper agitation means comprising means facilitating delivery of ice pieces to the second, lower, agitation means; and

with second, lower agitation means comprising means facilitating delivery of ice to the ice dispenser means, wherein the ice agitation means comprises at least one rotating bar having right and left auger means carried thereby each comprising means for urging ice pieces toward the opposite auger, wherein said right and left auger means are carried by the same rotating bar and comprises mean whereby thrust loads resulting from urging ice pieces toward an opposite auger are caused to oppose each other within the same rotating bar, wherein both upper and lower agitation means each comprises a rotating bar having right an left auger means carried thereby, each comprising means for urging ice pieces toward the opposite auger, wherein the ice agitation means and the ice dispenser means each include rotationally driven augers mounted for rotation at approximately right angles to each other, wherein the dispenser outlet comprises at least one dispenser chute, angularly adjustable for adjustably positioning the chute or filing variously configured containers for receiving ice pieces therefrom, wherein the bin includes internal side, front and back wall means, at least some of which are shaped to facilitate movement of ice pieces from the front wall toward a central location of the back wall, wherein said ice dispenser means comprises means for lifting ice pieces from a lower location in the storage bin to an upper location where the dispenser outlet is located, wherein the dispenser means comprises dispenser tube and a dispenser auger, carried in said tube, for lifting ice pieces through said tube, and with the dispenser tube having an inlet opening located near the back wall means of the bin, generally midway between the side all means of the bin, for receiving ice pieces therein, including a container support carried on the bin, for supporting a container for receiving ice pieces dispensed from the dispenser outlet, and wherein said support is pivotally adjustable from a location beneath said dispenser outlet to a location removed from beneath said dispenser outlet, for facilitating placement of a cart beneath said outlet the receipt of ice into a cart placed therebeneath.