GB2151008A

GB2151008A - Ice making apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2151008A
Application number: GB08425360A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Dennis Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-07
Filing date: 1984-10-08
Publication date: 1985-07-10
Also published as: GB8326933D0; GB8425360D0; GB2151008B

Abstract

An ice making apparatus comprises a surface (7) on which ice can form, means (5) for cooling the surface (7) means (14, 15) for spraying water onto the surface (7) to form ice thereon and means (5) for heating the surface (7) once ice has formed thereon to free ice from the surface. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ice making apparatus This invention relates to ice making apparatus.

Ice, in the form of cubes or other shapes, is used to a considerable extent in cooling drinks. The usual method of obtaining suitable amounts of ice is the use of ice trays, usually comprising a rectangular tray divided into a number of smaller compartments and filled with water which are frozen in a freezer or the freezing compartment of a refrigerator.

However, this provides a number of problems. It is necessary to place the ice tray in the freezer a considerable time before it can be used. Also, it is not unusual for the freezer space to be at a premium, and, in these circumstances, there is no room for freezing ice cubes.

The present invention seeks to provide an ice making apparatus which is independent of the usual freezing arrangements and will produce ice "cubes" at a relatively fast rate.

According to the invention, there is provided an ice making apparatus comprising a surface on which ice can form, cooling means for cooling the surface, spray means for spraying water onto the surface to form ice thereon, and heating means for heating the surface, once ice has formed, to free the ice from the surface.

Preferably the surface is provided with indentations of any suitable desired shape so that ice elements of a desired shape can be produced.

Means may be provided to collect excess water, running off the surface, and returning it to the spraying means. The surface may comprise a hollow element, the interior of which a supply of refrigerant is connected.

Means may be provided for supplying warm gas from a compressor associated with the supply of refrigerant to the surface to release the ice formed.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of an ice making apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front view of the ice forming plate of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a rear view of the ice forming plate of Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a partial sectional view of the plate shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and Figure 6 is a view of the lower part of the spraying tube arrangements.

The ice making apparatus shown comprises a base member 1 supporting an operating container 2 which contains a water reservoir 3, a water pump 4 and a coolant pump 5 connected to the usual compressor and evaporator (not shown). Supported by the upper part of this operating container is a freezing compartment 6 with an ice forming plate 7 and spray arrangement 8 whose construction will be described hereafter. A collection container, such as a glass jug 9, is removably located on the base 1 beneath the lower end of the compartment 6. A lid 8 covers the upper part of both the container 2 and the compartment 6 to allow access to both the water reservoir 3 and to the compartment 6.

The base member 1 contains the electrical or electronic control gear for the operation of the apparatus. The coolant pump 5 is connected to ice forming plate 7 by way of a feed pipe 10 and a return pipe 11. (Preferably connected to opposite corners). The water pump 4 is connected to the reservoir 3 and pumps water from the reservoir 3 through a pipe 1 4 to a spray tube 1 5 located opposite the ice forming plate 7. The lower part of the compartment 6 is open to permit the passage of ice and is provided with a collecting channel 1 3 for collection of excess water which is returned to the water pump 4 for reuse.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the ice forming plate 7 comprises a square plate having twenty five indentations 1 5 on its face 1 7. The plate 7 is formed of three sheets of material, preferably metal. The first sheet 1 8 is provided with the indentations 1 6 and the second and third sheets 1 9 and 20 form channels 21 for refrigerant, the construction being similar to a modern radiator as used in central heating systems.

The refrigerant is supplied to plate 7 by the pipe 10 connected at one corner and removed by the pipe 11 from the opposite corner.

Water is sprayed on to the front surface of the plate 7 by a spray arrangement consisting of a tube 1 5 which is located opposite the ice forming plate 7 and which can be seen in greater detail in Fig. 6. This tube 1 5 has four apertures or nozzles 22 directed at angles to each other so as to each provide spray cover for one quarter of the plate 7.

The operation of the ice making apparatus will now be described: With the lid 8 removed, the reservoir 9 is filled with water (preferably to a predetermined level). The apparatus is then connected to the mains and switched on. Refrigerant is then supplied by the coolant pump 5 to the interior of the ice making plate 7 to cool down the surface thereof. The water pump 4 pumps water to the pipe 1 5 so that water will be sprayed therefrom through the apertures or nozzles 21 onto the surface of the plate 7.

Because the plate 7 is being cooled by the refrigerant, ice will form on the inner surface in the indentations 1 6 provided thereon. Excess water will flow down the surface of the plate 7 and be collected in the collection channel 1 4. This excess water collecting in the channel 14 will be returned to the pump 4 for reuse.

When sufficient ice has formed on the surface of the plate 7 determined either by a timing circuit in the electronic controls in the base 1 or by some form of detection device, the water pump 4 will be switched off. The operation of the refrigeration device comprising the coolant pump 5 and compressor and evaporator (not shown) is reversed and supplies warm gas to the plate 7 in place of the refrigerant. The ice cubes in the indentations 1 7 of the plate 7 will be released and will fall into the glass jug 7. Once the ice has been released, determined again either by a timer or detection means, the refrigeration unit is again operated normally and the water pump 4 is restarted to repeat the cycle and produce more ice.

Many safeguards (not shown) may be provide for safe operation of the apparatus. Usually a water level detector would be provided for stopping operation when the water level dropped to a predetermined level. With automatic operation, a detector could be provided to prevent release of the ice cubes if the jug was not present therebeneath.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the formation of trapezoidal ice cubes has been described, the shape of the ice cubes may have any suitable form in dependence on the shape of the indentations. Thus disc shaped or ring shaped ice elements could be produced. If desired the shapes of the ice elements in a single apparatus could be varied so as to produce a number of different shapes at the same time.

The apparatus could itself be varied in a number of ways. The plate arrangement described could be replaced by a cylindrical or spherical element with spray nozzles situated on the axis or at the centre respectively.

Instead of providing for reversal of the refrigeration system to heat the plate for release of the ice, if the

Claims

1. An ice making apparatus comprising a surface on which ice can form. cooling means for cooling the surface, spray means for spraying water on to the surface to form ice thereon and heating means for heating the surface, once ice has formed thereon, to free ice from the surface.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface is provided with indentations such that the ice forms in the identations and produces ice pieces of the shape of the indentations.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein means are provided to collect excess water running off the surface and returning it to the spraying means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the surface comprises a hollow element to the interior on which a supply of refrigerant is connected.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein means are provided for supplying warm gas from a compressor associated with the supply of refrigerant to the surface to release the ice formed.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the wall of the surface in which the ice is formed is provided with an electrical heating element for releasing the ice formed.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the surface comprises an element formed from three sheets of material, the first sheet being provided with indentations and the second and third sheets together forming channels for refrigerant.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the spray means comprises a pipe spaced from the surface, the pipe being provided with one or more apertures or nozzles directed towards the surface.

9. An apparatus as clamed in claim 8 wherein the pipe is provided with four apertures or nozzles, each being adapted to spray a quarter of the surface.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein channel means are provided located below the surface to collect excess sprayed water, the channel means being connected to the spray means for re use of the excess water.

11. An apparatusas claimed in claim 5 or any claim dependent directly or indirectly therefrom, wherein means are provided for reversing the operation of refrigerating means supplying refrigerant to the interior of the hollow element whereby warm gas is supplied to the element instead of refrigerant liquid.

1 2. An ice making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.