Automated ice bagging apparatus and methods

• US 8,561,655 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ice House America LLC (Ice House)
• Original Assignee: Ice House America LLC (Ice House)
• Inventors: Dalton, Donald J., Stripling, Roy Lavon
• Primary Examiner(s): NIESZ, JASON KAROL
• Application Number:
  US12/871,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20100319806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 141/82, 141/83, 141/114, 141313-316, 535/02, 53467-469, 533/851, 531/67
• US Class Current: 141/82
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/08 by vibratory feeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/12 of screw type
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/34 Adjusting weight by trickle feed
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/00 Working or handling ice F25C3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• 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 automatic ice vending apparatus including a holding vessel formed with an aperture, the holding vessel being configured and dimensioned to receive and house ice pieces produced by an operatively associated ice supply, an ice metering device, and an ice transferring device at least partially disposed within the holding vessel that facilitates movement of ice pieces located therein in a first direction toward the aperture thereof, and movement of ice pieces in a second different direction from the aperture to the ice metering device, which is adapted and configured to meter a quantity of ice pieces into a readily transportable container. Methods and automated methods of delivering ice to consumer(s) are also included.

Claims

1. An automated ice vending apparatus, comprising:

a holding vessel formed with an aperture, the holding vessel being configured and dimensioned to receive and house ice pieces produced by an operatively associated ice supply;

an ice metering device comprising an ice measuring container, wherein the ice measuring container is located in a direction above the aperture; and

an ice transferring device at least partially disposed within the holding vessel that facilitates movement of ice pieces located therein in a substantially horizontal direction toward and through the aperture thereof, and facilitates movement of ice pieces in a second different direction from the aperture to the ice metering device, which is adapted and configured to meter a quantity of ice pieces into a readily transportable container.

2. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first direction is angled no more than about 20 degrees from the horizontal.

3. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ice metering device comprises a weighing device, the second direction being upwardly angled between the aperture and the weighing device.

4. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ice supply is configured and adapted to deposit ice pieces into the holding vessel to replenish a portion of ice pieces removed through the aperture.

5. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the readily transportable container is a fully formed, discrete, plastic bag including an open end in which to dispose the selected quantity of ice pieces and a second permanently closed end.

6. The automated apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a fan that operates to blow open the open end of the bag to facilitate disposing ice pieces therein.

7. The automated apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a positioning device configured and adapted to position the bag so the open end can receive ice pieces.

8. The automated apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a closing device configured and adapted to releasably fasten each open end to seal each bag.

9. The automated apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a downwardly angled surface associated with the ice metering device to facilitate delivery of each container therefrom to a consumer.

10. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to deliver a substantial quantity of automatically bagged ice pieces in rapid succession by providing at least 100 readily transportable containers in no more than about 30minutes.

23. The automated apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ice measuring container comprises a load cell box or a ballast box.

11. An automated ice vending apparatus, comprising:

a holding vessel formed with an aperture at an end thereof, the holding vessel being configured and dimensioned to receive and house ice pieces produced by an operatively associated ice supply;

a measuring station adapted and configured to measure a selected quantity of ice pieces and to separately deliver the selected quantity of ice pieces into a readily transportable container; and

an ice transferring device at least partially disposed within the holding vessel, with the ice transferring device facilitating movement of ice pieces located therein in a first direction toward and through the aperture thereof to a second holding vessel, and in a second different direction from the second holding vessel to the measuring station.

24. The automated apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second holding vessel comprises a first transport device to move ice pieces toward the end thereof.

12. An automated ice vending apparatus, comprising:

a holding vessel formed with an aperture, the holding vessel being configured and dimensioned to receive and house ice pieces produced by an operatively associated ice supply;

a container filling station; and

an ice transferring device at least partially disposed within the holding vessel, with the ice transferring device facilitating movement of ice pieces located therein in a first direction toward and through the aperture thereof, in a lateral direction from the aperture to a second holding vessel, and a second ice transferring device to move ice pieces in a second different direction from the second holding vessel to the container filling station, wherein the container filling station comprises a metering device that is operatively associated with the ice transferring device and the second ice transferring device and that meters a selected quantity of ice pieces into each readily transportable container.

13. The automated apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first direction includes a substantially horizontal component and a downwardly angled component relative to the vertical.

14. The automated apparatus of claim 12, wherein the metering device weighs the ice pieces to provide the selected quantity of ice pieces.

15. An automated method of delivering ice pieces to a consumer which comprises:

providing a holding vessel capable of housing a quantity of ice pieces weighing at least 2,000 pounds;

providing a container filling station that meters a pre-selected supply of ice pieces outside the holding vessel and which receives ice pieces therefrom;

moving ice pieces housed within the holding vessel toward and through an aperture thereof to a second holding vessel; and

separately transferring ice pieces emitted from the second holding vessel in a predominantly vertical direction to the container filling station to replenish the pre-selected supply of ice pieces at the container filling station, which further comprises activating the container filling station in response to receipt of a payment by the consumer to dispense a selected amount of ice pieces into a readily transportable container.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein activating the container filling station comprises dispensing the ice pieces into the readily transportable container while weighing the container as it is filled so that the dispensing is terminated when a pre-selected weight of ice pieces is disposed in the container.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein activating the container filling station comprises weighing the selected amount of ice pieces into the readily transportable container, which comprises a bag, cooler, or a box each having an end and being open at the one end to facilitate receiving the ice pieces.

18. A method of automatically delivering ice pieces to a plurality of successive consumers upon receipt of a payment by each, which comprises:

providing a holding vessel formed with an aperture and capable of housing a quantity of ice pieces weighing at least about 2,000 pounds;

providing a container filling station comprising an ice measuring container which is outside the holding vessel and receives and meters a selected quantity of ice pieces from the holding vessel, wherein the ice measuring container is located in a direction above the holding vessel; and

activating the container filling station in response to receipt of the payment by each successive consumer so as to dispense the selected amount of ice pieces to each consumer in rapid succession so that at least about 100 16-pound or 20-pound containers of ice pieces are delivered in no more than about 30 minutes before the holding vessel requires replenishment from an operatively associated ice supply.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the activating comprises providing about 300 to 1000 containers of ice in a 24-hour period, with each container being provided in under about a minute in response to payment by each of the consumers.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the activating comprises transporting ice pieces in a first direction from within the holding vessel to a position outside the holding vessel, and in at least a second direction from the position outside the holding vessel to the container filling station.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the ice pieces are provided to the holding vessel in situ from an operatively associated water source that is adapted to replenish a quantity of ice pieces.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the metering and activating together occur in about 4 to 20 seconds.