IMPROVEMENTS IN ICE-CREAM MACHINES, PARTICULARLY FOR DOMESTIC USE

Abstract: In an ice-cream machine for domestic use, comprising a fixed vessel (2), a container (3) for the product, located within the vessel (2) and removable therefrom, means (7) for mixing the product within the container (3), and a cooling circuit including an evaporator coil (10) associated with the fixed vessel (2), the passage of the coil is defined between a pair of plates which are connected together by the technique known as "roll bonding" and which constitute the wall of the vessel (2).

Description: ~ l ~ Improvements in ice-cream machines, particularly for domestic use. The present invention relates to ice-cream machines, particularly for domestic use, of the known type comprising: - a fixed vessel, - a container for the product, located within the vessel and removable therefrom, means for mixing the product within the container, and a cooling circuit including: an evaporator coil associated with the fixed vessel, a compressor having its inlet connected to the outlet end of the evaporator coil, a capillary tube communicating with the inlet end of the evaporator coil, a duct for communication between the outlet of the compressor and the capillary tube, and a condenser connected in the duct. The object of the present invention is to provide an ice-cream machine of the type specified above, which has a simple and cheap construction and is quick and easy to assemble. The main characteristic of the invention lies in the fact that the passage of the evaporator coil is defined between a pair of plates connected together by the technique known as "roll bonding" and constituting the wall of the fixed vessel. The invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a partially sectioned schematic view of an ice-cream machine according to the invention. Figure 2 is a view of a detail of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the development of the wall of the fixed vessel of the ice-cream machine according to the invention. Figure 1 illustrates an ice-cream machine 1 for domestic use, including a fixed vessel 2 and a container 3 for the product to be chilled, disposed within the vessel 2 and removable therefrom. The container 3 has an associated lid 4. In accordance with the prior art, the container 3 is smaller than the vessel 2 whereby an interspace 5 containing a liquid with a low freezing point, for example a saline solution, is defined between their side walls and bottoms. The fixed vessel 2 is surrounded by a casing 6 of thermally-insulating material. Within the removable container 3, which is intended to receive the product, there is also provided, in known manner, a rotary tool 7 for mixing the product, mounted on a shaft 8 driven by an electric motor 9. The ice-cream machine 1 has an associated cooling circuit whose components are housed within the housing (not illustrated) of the ice-cream machine. The real position of the various components within the body of the ice-cream machine has not been illustrated in order to allow the components themselves and the connections between them to be shown more clearly. The cooling circuit of the ice-cream machine includes an evaporator coil 10 associated with the fixed vessel 2 and having an outlet end 11 connected through a duct 12 to the inlet 13 of a hermetic compressor 14. The outlet 15 of the hermetic compressor 14 is connected through a duct 16 to the inlet 17 of a condensor 31 whose outlet 18 is connected through a duct 19 to a capillary tube (which will be described with reference to Figure 3) located in correspondence with the inlet 21 of the evaporator coil 10. The condenser 31 is constituted by a radiator having a fan 31a driven by an electric motor (not illustrated). In the prior art, the evaporator coil 10 is constituted by a tube wound into a helix and housed in the interspace 5. According to the present invention, however, the evaporator coil is formed in the wall of the fixed vessel 2, which is constituted by a pair of plates 2a, 2b (see Figure 2) connected together by the technique known as "roll bonding". Figure 3 illustrates the development of the side wall and the bottom of the fixed vessel 2 as they are made by the aforesaid technique. After they have been made in the developed form, the part thereof corresponding to the side wall of the vessel, indicated 22 in Figure 3, is bent at a right angle to the part corresponding to the bottom of the vessel, indicated 23. The part 22 is then formed into a cylinder and its two opposite ends are joined together by welding or seaming to define the fixed vessel. As illustrated schematically in Figure 3, the serpentine path has a constricted portion 24 in which the capillary tube 25 of the cooling circuit is intended to be housed. In Figure 3 the direction of flow of the fluid through the evaporator is indicated by the arrows. Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the constructional details may be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of example.

Claims: CLAIM Ice-cream machine, particularly for domestic use, comprising: - a fixed vessel (2), - a container (3) for the product, located within the vessel (2) and removable therefrom, - means (7) for mixing the product within the container (3), and - a cooling circuit including: an evaporator coil (10) associated with the fixed vessel (2), a compressor (14) having its inlet (13) connected to the outlet end (11) of the evaporator coil (10), a capillary tube (25) communicating with the inlet end (21) of the evaporator coil (10), a duct (16, 19) for communication between the outlet (15) of the compressor (14) and the capillary tube (25), and a condenser (31) connected in the duct (16,19), characterised in that the passage of the evaporator coil (10) is defined between a pair of plates (2a, 2b) connected together by the technique known as "roll bonding" and constituting the wall of the vessel (2).

Inventors: PANDOLFI ALBERTO, PANDOLFI, ALBERTO
Applicants: GAGGIA BREVETTI, BREVETTI GAGGIA S.P.A.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A23G9
IPC codes: A23G9, F25D11, F25D31