Abstract:
An ice-making system may include a bin configured to contain an initial quantity of water and an ice making assembly configured to make ice solely from the initial quantity of water. A conveyor may be configured to transport the ice from the ice making assembly to the bin, and a water circuit may be configured to re-circulate the initial quantity of water through the ice making assembly.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The invention relates generally to a cooler and, more particularly, to an ice maker cooler configured to contain, display, and/or cool products, for example, beverage containers, produce, and the like.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Conventional coolers include a compartment for containing one or more products. Often times, the compartment completely encloses the products such that ice or mechanical cooling mechanisms can maintain the products at a desired temperature below ambient temperature. Other times, the compartment may be open such that the products are prominently displayed. These open compartments typically contain ice to maintain the products at a desired temperature.  
           [0003]    In conventional coolers that use ice to maintain products at a desired temperature, the ice is typically loaded manually into a storage compartment together with the products. When ambient air temperature is above freezing, the ice eventually melts and the quantity of ice becomes depleted. If someone monitors the cooler, additional ice may be manually loaded into the storage compartment at an appropriate time. The compartment may include a drain to allow the meltdown water from the ice to exit the compartment. The drain may communicate with a waste water outlet or a waste bucket.  
           [0004]    Conventional ice dispensers and cold drink vendors with ice dispensers re-circulate meltdown water by continuously pumping the meltdown water back to an ice maker reservoir. In these systems, the ice produced by the ice maker and the recirculated meltdown water are intended for human consumption in either solid or liquid form. Thus, these systems require a constant water source to continuously generate additional ice and cold drinks.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    According to one optional aspect of the invention, an ice maker and cooler apparatus for displaying products may comprise a bin configured to contain ice and the products. The bin may include an access opening configured to receive and display the products. The apparatus may also comprise an ice making assembly configured to make the ice, a conveyor configured to transport ice from the ice making assembly to the bin, and a recirculation system configured to recirculate meltdown water from the ice contained in the bin.  
           [0006]    According to another optional aspect of the invention, a system for displaying chilled products may comprise a chamber configured to hold and display the chilled products, an ice making assembly configured to periodically feed a stream of ice particles to the chamber, and a control system configured to sense an amount of water in a region of the ice making assembly and to enable the ice making assembly when the sensed amount of water reaches a predetermined, or threshold, level.  
           [0007]    According to yet another optional aspect of the invention, an ice maker and cooler apparatus for displaying products may comprise a housing configured to contain at least one component of the apparatus. The apparatus may also comprise a refrigeration system including a compressor and an evaporator, a bin configured to contain ice and the products, and an ice making chamber having the refrigeration system evaporator therein for making ice. The apparatus may further comprise a first reservoir configured to receive a supply of water from the bin and a second reservoir in fluid communication with the ice making chamber. The apparatus may also comprise a conveyor configured to transport ice from the ice making chamber to the bin and a sensor in the first reservoir for determining when the water level therein is above or below a threshold level; and. A pump may be provided in fluid communication with the first and second reservoirs for pumping water from the first reservoir to the second reservoir when the water level sensed is above said threshold level.  
           [0008]    According to another optional aspect of the invention, a method for making ice may comprise loading an ice making system with an initial quantity of water as a sole source of water and making ice from the initial quantity of water. The method may also comprise conveying the ice made from the initial quantity of water to a bin and recirculating meltdown water from the bin. The meltdown water may solely comprise meltdown water from the ice made from the initial quantity of water.  
           [0009]    According to still another optional aspect of the invention, an ice-making system may comprise a bin configured to contain an initial quantity of water, an ice making assembly configured to make ice solely from the initial quantity of water, a conveyor configured to transport the ice from the ice making assembly to the bin, and a water circuit configured to re-circulate the initial quantity of water through the ice making assembly.  
           [0010]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker cooler in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ice maker cooler in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a exemplary freezer assembly of the ice maker cooler of FIG. 2; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an exemplary refrigerant circuit associated with a freezer assembly of the ice maker cooler of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
         [0017]    In accordance with the present invention, an ice maker cooler is provided. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an ice maker cooler  10  may include a housing  12  and a bin  14 . The housing  12  may contain mechanical and/or electrical components of the cooler  10 . The bin  14  may contain ice and/or products, for example, containers such as beverage containers, produce, and the like. The bin  14  may have an access opening  16 , for example, and open top, a side opening, or the like, that facilitates loading of the bin  14  and viewing of the products and/or ice contained in the bin  14 .  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 2, the cooler  10  may include a fluid circuit  11 , for example, a water circuit. The circuit  11  may comprise the bin  14  and a tank  18 , for example, a water tank, in fluid communication with the bin  14  via drain line  20 . The drain line  20  may comprise a flexible hose, a rigid tube, or the like. It should be appreciated that more than one drain line may provide fluid communication between the bin  14  and the tank  18 . The capacity of the tank  18  may be varied according to design criteria, for example, capacity of the circuit  11 , the bin  14 , etc. The tank  18  may include a filter (not shown), for example, a metal strainer. The filter may be configured to remove relatively large particles from the water before the water exits the tank  18 . The tank  18  may also include a drain port  19  for facilitating periodic draining of the water from the cooler.  
         [0019]    The water circuit  11  may also include a first reservoir  22  in fluid communication with the tank  18 . A solenoid valve  24  may be associated with a flow line  26  between the tank  18  and the first reservoir  22 . A first sensor  28  may be disposed in the first reservoir  22 . The first sensor  28  may comprise, for example, a float switch configured to energize and de-energize the solenoid valve  24  when the water level in the first reservoir  22  is above or below a threshold level. As a result, the flow of water into the first reservoir  22  and the water level in the first reservoir  22  may be controlled. The first reservoir  22  may be associated with a pump  34 .  
         [0020]    The water circuit  11  may further include a second reservoir  32  in fluid communication with the first reservoir  22 . The pump  34  may be associated with a flow line  36  providing the fluid communication between the first and second reservoirs  22 ,  32 . The pump  34  may be configured to pump water from the first reservoir  22  to the second reservoir  32 .  
         [0021]    A second sensor  38  may be disposed in the first reservoir  22 . The second sensor  38  may comprise, for example, a float switch configured to energize and de-energize the pump  34  when the water level in the first reservoir  22  is above or below a threshold level. As a result, the flow of water from the first reservoir  22  to the second reservoir  32  may be controlled.  
         [0022]    A filter  40  may be associated with the flow line  36  between the first and second reservoirs  22 ,  32 . The filter  40  may reduce the impurities in the water being pumped to the second reservoir  32  and subsequent components of the cooler  10  including the water circuit  11 . The filter  40  may eliminate, for example, small particles and color from the water. The filter  40  may comprise, for example, a twenty micron filter.  
         [0023]    The cooler  10  may comprise a freezer assembly, for example, an ice maker assembly  42 . The water circuit  11  may comprise portions of the ice maker assembly  42 . A flow line  44  may provide fluid communication between the second reservoir  32  and the ice maker assembly  42 . A sensor assembly  46  may be disposed in the second reservoir  32 . The sensor assembly  46  may comprise, for example, a float valve and/or a float switch. The sensor assembly  46  may be configured to control the level of water in the second reservoir  32 . For example, a mechanical float valve may shut off the inlet  48  to the second reservoir  32  when the water level in the second reservoir reaches a predetermined maximum level. Additionally or alternatively, a float may be configured to disable operation of the cooler  10  when the water level in the second reservoir  32  is below a threshold level.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIG. 3, the ice maker assembly  42  may comprise an inlet  50  configured to receive water from the second reservoir  32  via flow line  44 . The ice maker assembly  42  may also include a freezing cylinder  52  and a conveyor, for example, an auger  54 . The freezing cylinder  52  may be concentric with and/or surround the auger  54 . The auger  54  may comprise, for example, stainless steel.  
         [0025]    The auger  54  may be rotatably held by bearings  64  and may be configured to rotate counter-clockwise relative to the freezing cylinder  52 . The auger  54  may be driven by a motor  56 , for example, a direct drive gear motor optionally including a gear reducer  58 . The motor  56  may be connected to the auger  54  by any well-known coupling  60 . A water seal  62  may be provided to prevent water from entering the motor  56 .  
         [0026]    The freezer assembly  42  may also comprise an ice breaker  66  disposed at an output end  68  of the auger  54  and freezing cylinder  52 . The ice breaker  66  may include teeth (not shown) configured to crack ice as the ice is forced to the outlet end  68  by rotation of the auger  54 . The freezer assembly  42  may further include a chute  70 , for example, an inverted funnel spout, disposed adjacent to the ice breaker  66  at the output end  68  of the auger  54 . The chute  70  may be spaced vertically above the bin  14  and configured to distribute ice to the bin  14 . The shape and size of the chute  70  and the bin  14 , as well as the spacing between them, may be varied as desired.  
         [0027]    Referring to FIG. 4, the freezing cylinder  52  may be associated with an optional refrigerant circuit, for example, exemplary refrigerant circuit  72 . The exemplary circuit  72  may include a compressor  74 , a condenser  76 , a drier filter  78 , and a capillary tube  80 . In operation, a refrigerant, for example, a hot gas refrigerant, may be discharged from the compressor  74  toward the condenser  76 . After being cooled down at the condenser  76 , the gas condenses into liquid. The liquid may pass through the drier filter  78  and continue through the capillary tube  80 , where the liquid loses some of its pressure such that its pressure and temperature are lowered. The refrigerant may eventually enter an evaporator coil  84  wrapped around an inner tube  86  of the freezing cylinder  52 . As water is fed to an interior of inner tube  86 , heat exchange may take place between the water and the refrigerant in the evaporator coil  84 , causing the refrigerant to boil off and evaporate, i.e., changing from liquid to vapor. The vapor refrigerant may pass through a suction accumulator  88  and through a suction line  90  before being sucked into the compressor  74  to be re-circulated.  
         [0028]    The cooler  10  may also comprise a controller  100  in electrical communication with one or more components of the cooler  10 , for example, the sensors  28 ,  38 , the sensor assembly  46 , the pump  34 , the solenoid valve  24 , the freezer assembly  42 , and/or the motor  56 . The controller  100  may be configured to control operation of one or more of these and other components. The controller  100  may also be configured to receive operator inputs so as accommodate user-defined changes in sensor sensitivity, pump speed, freezer temperature, and the like.  
         [0029]    Referring again to FIG. 2, the ice maker cooler  10  may operate in a self-contained manner. That is, the cooler  10  and the water circuit  11  do not need to be connected to a water supply line. An initial quantity of water may be supplied to the cooler and that quantity may be re-circulated through a closed-loop water circuit. The initial quantity of water may be removed and replaced periodically.  
         [0030]    An initial quantity of water in a liquid and/or frozen state may be manually loaded into the bin  14  of the cooler  10 . In either case, the water or meltdown water from the ice will eventually flow from the bin  14  to the water tank  18 . The initial quantity of water may be measured prior to loading so as not to exceed the capacity of the cooler  10 . Alternatively the tank  18  may be sized in accordance with a capacity of the cooler  10 . Thus, an unmeasured quantity of water may be poured into the bin  14 . The water will drain into the tank  18  until the tank is filled, at which time water will back up into the bin  14 . Pouring of water may cease and excess water in the bin  14  may be drained, for example, by opening the tank drain port  19  until the bin is empty.  
         [0031]    If the first sensor  28  senses a water level in the first reservoir  22  less than a threshold level, the controller  100  may control operation of the solenoid valve  24  to allow water to flow from the tank  18  to the first reservoir  22 . If the first sensor  28  senses a water level in the first reservoir  22  greater than a threshold level, the controller  100  may control operation of the solenoid valve  24  to prevent water from flowing from the tank  18  to the first reservoir.  
         [0032]    If the second sensor  38  senses a water level in the first reservoir  22  greater than a threshold level, the controller  100  may control operation of the pump  34  to pump water from the first reservoir  22  to the second reservoir  32 . The water may pass through a filter  40  while traveling to the second reservoir  32 . If the second sensor  38  senses a water level in the first reservoir less than a threshold level, the controller  100  may prevent water from being be pumped from the first reservoir  22  to the second reservoir  32 .  
         [0033]    Optionally, the pump  34  may operate as long as the first reservoir  22  contains some amount of water. The sensor assembly  46  may open the inlet  48  as long as the assembly  46  senses a water level in the second reservoir  32  below a threshold level, thereby allowing water pumped from the first reservoir  22  to enter the second reservoir  32 . If the sensor assembly  46  senses a water level above a threshold level, the assembly  46  may close the inlet  48 . For example, the assembly may comprise a mechanical valve. Although the pump  34  may continue to operate, the pressure supplied by the pump may not be great enough to open the inlet  48 .  
         [0034]    If the sensor assembly  46  senses a water level in the second reservoir  32  less than a threshold level, the controller  100  may stop operation of the cooler. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor assembly  46  may sense an inadequate water quality, for example, excessively soft water, and the controller  100  may consequently stop operation of the cooler.  
         [0035]    As shown in FIG. 2, the water may enter the freezer assembly  42  by way of an inlet  50  disposes at a bottom end of a vertically-arranged freezing cylinder  52 . Refrigerant in the evaporator coil  84  causes water near the inner tube  86  of the freezing cylinder  52  to freeze into ice, for example, flakes of ice. The conveyor or auger  54  carriers the ice upward along the refrigerated inner wall of the inner tube  86 . As a result, the ice gets progressively thicker and harder as it travels vertically through the freezer assembly  42 .  
         [0036]    As the auger  54  forces the ice toward the outlet end  68 , the ice may engage the ice breaker  66 . The auger  54  and the ice breaker  66  may cooperate to compact and crack the ice. The ice breaker  66  may cause the ice to lose any excess water content such that very hard, dry bits of ice may result.  
         [0037]    The ice may eventually be forced from the auger  54  and into the distributor spout  70 . The spout  70  may be configured to receive the ice forced through the outlet end  68  by the auger  54  and to direct the ice into the bin  14 . As the spout  70  may be positioned vertically above the bin  14 , consumers may see the falling ice being directed from the spout  70  to the bin  14 . The audible and visual effects of the falling ice may attract the attention of consumers.  
         [0038]    Products  110  may be loaded into the bin  14  at any time. As the ice is directed into the bin  14  from the spout  70 , the ice may contact and/or at least partially cover the products  110 . The visual effect of the products  110  mixed among the ice in the bin  14  may enhance the perception of an ice-cold refreshment.  
         [0039]    After being in contact with ambient air, the ice may eventually melt. The meltdown water from the ice may be collected back into the tank  18  and re-circulated through the water circuit as just described.  
         [0040]    It should be appreciated that any one or more of the tank  18 , the first reservoir  22 , and the second reservoir  32  may be referred to as a reservoir assembly.  
         [0041]    It should also be appreciated that the cooler  10  may be equipped with a drain in communication with a wastewater line or a waste bucket. Such a drain may facilitate emptying of the water at desired intervals. At such time, fresh water and/or fresh ice may be loaded into the cooler  10  by way of, for example, the bin  14 .  
         [0042]    It should further be appreciated that the cooler  10  may equipped with other devices to attract the attention of consumers. For example, lights and/or movable devices may be associated with the cooler  10 . Optionally, a rotating device with internal illumination may be mounted on the top of the spout  70 .  
         [0043]    While the exemplary embodiment is described with respect to water, it should be appreciated that other liquids may be employed in the cooler  10 . For example, a liquid combination of water and an icing agent may be employed to raise the freezing temperature of the liquid above that of water.  
         [0044]    It should be appreciated that the controller  100  may comprise a general purpose or special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit elements, an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a hardware electronic or logic circuit such as a discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device such as a PLD, PLA, FPGA or PAL, or the like. In general, any device on which a finite state machine capable of implementing the operation of the cooler  10  can be used to implement the controller functions of this invention.  
         [0045]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the ice maker cooler without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.