Patent ID: 8484935
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: B65B,F25C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for bagging ice comprising: an ice cuber for making ice; a hopper in communication with the ice cuber for receiving ice from the ice cuber; a bag feed assembly, wherein said bag feed assembly provides at least one bag for receiving ice; a rotating member operatively disposed between said hopper and said bag feed assembly, wherein said rotating member has a first aperture and is disposed within a stationary member having a second aperture, and wherein said rotating member is movable between a first position for receiving ice from said hopper and a second position for providing ice to said at least one bag, and wherein the first aperture is aligned with the second aperture when said rotating member is in said second position; a freezer for receiving said bag; a plurality of sensors attached to said ice cuber, hopper, rotating member, bag feed assembly, freezer, or combinations thereof, wherein said plurality of sensors sense at least one characteristic of said ice cuber, hopper, rotating member, bag feed assembly, freezer, or combinations thereof, wherein said at least one characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: temperature, item location, motor status, motor operation, sequence of operation, amount of ice made, ice level, information on the bag, hopper status, bag position, heat sealing, and combinations thereof; and a processing unit in communication with said plurality of sensors, wherein said plurality of sensors transmit said at least one characteristic to the processing unit, and wherein said processing unit processes or transmits said at least one sensed characteristic for analysis.