GB2215020A

GB2215020A - Discharge control system for ice-making apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2215020A
Application number: GB8803018A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Simon Cotton
Original assignee: INNSNOW Ltd
Current assignee: INNSNOW Ltd
Priority date: 1988-02-10
Filing date: 1988-02-10
Publication date: 1989-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2008-02-10
Also published as: GB8803018D0; GB2215020B

Abstract

Ice-making apparatus (4), in which there is a discharge outlet (5), has a discharge control system with a sensor unit (15) to detect the presence of accumulated ice in or close to the outlet (5). A water supply device can direct water from an outlet (21) onto the ice accumulation to melt the ice and a control unit (18) controls the operation of the water supply device in response to the actuation of the sensor unit (15). <IMAGE>

Description

ICE-MAKING APPARATUS This invention relates to ice-making apparatus.

Ice-making apparatus which continuously produces ice in cube or flake form is well known. Commonly such apparatus has an upright hopper or chute through which ice is discharged into a vessel or a storage bin or the like. In Application No. 2184218A ice-making apparatus is used to discharge ice into a water-filled vessel to provide a supply of cold water for chilling foodstuffs.

A common problem with the known arrangements is that the ice tends to accumulate beneath the hopper or chute and often causes blockages. It is known to provide a trip switch at the top of the hopper or chute which acts to switch off the apparatus when tripped by accumulated ice. This can prevent damage being caused to the apparatus but production of ice is interrupted, possibly for long periods of time, whilst the blockage clears by melting of the ice, and this can be inconvenient and inefficient. Also, it can be difficult to achieve even distribution of discharged ice within the storage bin or vessel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge control system for ice-making apparatus whereby excessive accumulation of discharged ice can be prevented, and even distribution of ice can be more readily achieved, in a convenient and efficient manner.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a discharge control system for ice-making apparatus which apparatus has an ice discharge outlet, said system comprising a sensor mountable in relation to the ice discharge outlet so as to be actuated by the presence of accumulated ice, in or close to the outlet, a water supply device mountable in relation to the ice discharge outlet and operable to direct a stream of water into or close to the outlet, and a control device for effecting said operation of the water supply device in response to said actuation of the sensor.

With this arrangement, accumulated ice can be flushed away by the stream of water as and when required thereby to avoid blockages and to achieve more even distribution of the ice. The water need only be supplied for a short period of time sufficient to remove the blockage and this water need not give rise to any inconvenience.

Where solid ice rather than an ice/water mixture is being produced, the water used for flushing purposes can freeze by contact with the ice after flushing has occurred and/or it can be drained away with other excess water normally produced by melting of the ice.

The sensor may take any suitable form. Preferably however it comprises a proximity detector which responds to the presence of a mass of ice without requiring contact therewith. A particularly suitable proximity sensor comprises a capacitive device which responds to the change of electrostatic charge on an electrode caused by the presence of the ice in close proximity thereto.

The control device may comprise a suitable electrical or electronic circuit capable of responding to a change in property of the sensor, such as the abovementioned change in capacity thereof, to trigger a switch capable of controlling flow of operating current to an electrical solenoid valve associated with the water supply device.

The water supply device may comprise at least one water jet or pipe or the like arranged to be suitably positioned in relation to the ice discharge outlet so as to be capable of readily achieving effective removal of accumulated ice.

Water for the water supply device may be obtained from a main supply e.g. water mains. Alternatively or additionally it may be obtained by recirculation e.g. from a water-containing vessel into which the ice is being discharged.

The arrangement may be such that water is supplied until the sensor no longer detects the presence of accumulated ice. In this case it may be necessary to position the sensor in relation to the water supply device such that the operation of the sensor is not disturbed by the water flow. Alternatively the arrangement may be such that the water flow once initiated continues in a predetermined manner e.g. for a predetermined period of time and is then terminated.

The sensor and the water supply device may be positioned within a discharge outlet such as an upright hopper or chute of ice-making apparatus. Thus the water supply may be arranged to deliver water through a side inlet or inlets into the hopper or chute, and the sensor may be set into a side recess or otherwise positioned at a shielded location within the hopper or chute.

The control system of the invention may be used with any suitable kind of ice-making apparatus. Thus the apparatus may be of the 'flake' kind which produces flakes of ice scraped off an ice-forming surface, or of the 'cube' kind which produces ice bodies of a predetermined shape (not necessarily cubic). The apparatus may be used to produce ice for any suitable purpose for example for cooling water e.g. as described in Patent Application 2184218A.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of cooling equipment provided with ice-making apparatus incorporating one form of a control system in accordance with the invention.

The cooling equipment is for use in chilling foodstuffs and comprises a rectangular open-topped vessel 1 which stands on legs 2.

A rigid super structure 3 is mounted on the vessel 1 and this supports flake ice-making apparatus 4 and an upright chute 5 having a lower discharge end 6 positioned above the vessel 1 adjacent a rear side thereof.

The ice-making apparatus 4 is of conventional form and comprises a thermally insulated freezing cylinder 7 which is cooled by circulation of a refrigerant from a refrigeration unit 8 through a coiled pipe around the outer surface of the cylinder 7. Water from mains supply is fed via a pipe 9 to the interior of the cylinder 7 so as to form a layer of ice on its inner surface. Within the cylinder 7 is a cutting auger which is rotatably driven via a reduction gear box 10 from an electric motor 11. The action of the auger is to scrape ice flakes away from the cylinder wall and convey this upwardly to a side outlet at the upper end of the cylinder 7. This outlet is connected by a short passage 12 to the side of a hopper 13 connected to the top end of the chute 5 whereby the ice flakes can be pushed into so as to fall down the chute 5 into the vessel 1.

In the central region of the chute 5 there is a side recess 14 containing a capacitive proximity sensor unit 15 having a sensitive end 16 facing into the chute 5 but spaced back away from the adjacent surface 17 of the side of the chute 5 containing the recess 14. The sensor 15 is connected to an electrical control device 18 which in turn is connected to a solenoid valve 19 which is interposed in a water pipe 20 linking mains supply to an outlet 21 in the side of the chute 5 immediately below the hopper 13. Alongside the outlet 21 there is a further outlet 22 which is linked by a pipe 23 connected to a water recirculation circuit 24, such pipe 23 incorporating a further solenoid valve 25 also connected to the control device 18.

The water recirculation circuit 24 comprises an outlet 26 and an inlet 27 to the vessel 1 linked by a pump 28. The vessel 1 also has a water inlet 29 connected via a tap to mains supply, and a closable discharge outlet 30. An overflow outlet 31 is also provided.

Control switches 32 are provided at the front of the super structure 3 for controlling operation of the control device 18, the pump 28 and the ice-making apparatus 4.

In use, the ice-making apparatus 4 is switched on and the vessel 1 is filled with water to a desired level through the inlet 29. Ice flakes are discharged through the chute 5 into the water in the vessel 1. The pump 28 is actuated to circulate water continuously from the outlet 27 to the inlet 26, and excess water is discharged through the overflow 31 (or can be removed when desired through the outlet 30).

Discharged flake ice tends to build up beneath the chute 5 as a pyramid of ice. When this ice reaches the interior of the chute 5 close to the end face 16 of the sensor 15, the capacitance of a circuit element within the sensor 15 changes and when this change reaches a pre-set predetermined value an electronic circuit (also within the sensor) is triggered and a signal is fed from the sensor 15 to the control device 18. If at this time the pump 28 is switched off (as monitored by the control device 18) the appropriate solenoid valve 19 is opened to cause mains supply water to be delivered through the outlet 21 into the chute 5. This water has the effect of flushing away the accumulated ice. When the sensor 15 no longer detects the presence of ice i.e. (or a short predetermined period thereafter) the solenoid valve 19 is again closed.During flushing of the chute 5, if desired, the control device 18 may also act to arrest operation of the ice-making apparatus 4. If the pump 28 is switched on when the sensor 15 is actuated, the control device 18 operates the other solenoid 25 so that the accumulated ice is flushed away with recirculated water rather than mains water.

With this arrangement the water in the vessel 1 is cooled and maintained cooled in a particularly convenient and efficient manner.

The cooling equipment may be utilised for blanching vegetables as described in Patent Application 2184218A and reference is made to such application for further pertinent details.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. In particular the control system of the invention can be used with ice-making apparatus of any suitable kind in any suitable context and the invention is not restricted to use in the context of cooling equipment for foodstuffs.

Claims

1. Discharge control system for ice-making apparatus which apparatus has an ice discharge outlet, said system comprising a sensor mountable in relation to the ice discharge outlet so as to be actuated by the presence of & cumulated ice, in or close to the outlet, a water supply device mountable in relation to the ice discharge outlet and operable to direct a stream of water into or close to the outlet, and a control device for effecting said operation of the water supply device in response to said actuation of the sensor.

A A system according to Claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a proximity detector which responds to the presence of a mass of ice without requiring contact therewith.

3. A system according to Claim 2, wherein said sensor comprises a capacitive device which responds to the change of electrostatic charge on an electrode caused by the presence of ice in close proximity thereto.

4. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said control device comprises an electrical or electronic circuit capable of responding to a change in property of the sensor, to trigger a switch capable of controlling flow of operating current to an electrical solenoid valve associated with the water supply device.

5. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said water supply device comprises at least one water jet.

6. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein water is arranged to be supplied to said water supply device by recirculation.

A A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein said water supply device is arranged to supply water until said sensor no longer detects the presence of accumulated ice.

8. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein said water supply device is arranged to supply water for a predetermined time.

9. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein said sensor and said water supply device are positioned within said discharge outlet of said apparatus.

10. A system according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the water supply device is arranged to deliver water through at least one side inlet into said outlet.

11. A system according to Claim 9, wherein said sensor is in a shielded location within said outlet.

12. A system according to Claim 11, wherein said sensor is set into a side recess in said outlet.

13. Ice-making apparatus incorporating a discharge control system according to any preceding claim.

14. Discharge control system and ice-making apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.