Ice cube dispensing apparatus

Abstract: The ice cube dispensing apparatus comprises a body (2) having cooling means (3) for the refrigerant fluid in a lower region of said body, forming means (4) for forming ice cubes in an upper region of said body, collecting means (5) for collecting said ice cubes in a central region of said body, dispensing means (8, 13) automatically activated by detecting means (11) adapted to detect the presence of a container (7) at the central region.

Description: The present invention relates to an ice cube dispensing apparatus, as defined in the preamble of claim 1. Such an apparatus is known, for example, from US-A-3 719 307. Conventional machines for dispensing ice cubes or shaved ice have considerable dimensions and a high productivity. In particular, conventional ice cube machines have a container adapted to collect the ice cubes which fall from the evaporator seats where they have been formed. By means of a front door, the container is accessible for manually taking the desired amount of ice cubes. In the case of machines producing shaved ice, a substantially similar container holds shaved ice which can be drawn in the desired quantity. These conventional machines are bulky and do not allow to dispense ice cubes and shaved ice hygienically, rapidly and, above all, automatically, as required for example in hotels, motels, hospital, cafeterias and everywhere there is a need to dispense ice automatically, safely and hygienically. The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioned inconveniences of the prior art. Within this aim, an important object of the invention is to provide an ice cube dispensing apparatus adapted to be installed in hotels, motels, hospital, cafeterias and everywhere there is a need to dispense ice cubes hygienically, rapidly and automatically. A further object of the invention is to provide an ice cube dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense ice cubes with a totally automatic operation and which therefore requires no manual intervention from the operator. A further aim of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will dispense ice by simply placing a container under the dispenser and will stop dispensing ice when the container is withdrawn. Still a further object of the invention is to provide an ice cube dispensing apparatus having an extremely reduced size, a low production cost and which can be operated by unskilled persons in total safety wherever it is necessary to dispense ice. The above aim is achieved by an ice cube dispensing apparatus having the features of claim 1. Further advantages of the invention will be more apparent by the following description of an ice cube dispensing apparatus according to the invention, illustrated, by way of example in the enclosed drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial schematic side view of the inside of the apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus according to the invention. With reference to the figures, the ice cube dispensing apparatus, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a body, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, having cooling means, generally designated by the reference numeral 3, for the refrigerant fluid in a lower region inside the body, forming means, generally designated by the reference numeral 4, for forming ice cubes in an upper region inside the body. Collecting means, generally designated by the reference numeral 5, for collecting ice cubes 6, formed by the forming means 4, are provided in a central region inside the body. Ice cubes dispensing means 6 are conveniently provided in the central region of body 2, and are automatically activated by detecting means adapted to detect the presence of a container 7 outside the central region. More particularly, the dispensing means comprises at least one pickup member adapted to convey the cubes 6 from the collecting means, and more particularly from a tank 9, to a delivery port 16 adapted to dispense the cubes outside the body 2. The pickup member is formed by an Archimedean screw 8 operated by a motor 13, or by any other adapted means, which is activated by the detecting means, namely a photoelectric cell 11. The tank 9 advantageously has an inclined wall 12 such that the screw 8, which extends inside the tank, has its rotation shaft substantially parallel to the wall 12. In this manner, since the inclined wall 12 of the tank defines a hopper having a collecting zone 15 for collecting the ice cubes 6, the screw 8 can pick up substantially all the ice cubes collected in such zone and can convey the ice cubes outside the body 2 in the container 7. A port 16 is provided in the upper part of the wall 12 and at the upper end of the screw 8. The port 16 is provided with a safety door 18 hinged at its upper side in order to automatically open under the pressure of the ice cubes conveyed by the screw 8. The door 18 also prevents foreign objects from entering the tank 9 and guarantees an absolute safety for children or any other person attempting to introduce a hand through the conveyor 10 inside the delivery port 16. Conveniently, the photoelectric cell 11 has several detecting members for the container 7, regardless whether the container is transparent or opaque. The detecting members are also adapted to detect the presence of the container in a selected space of the central region 16 of body 2, in order to guarantee the dispensing of ice cubes only when the container 7 is placed under the conveyor 10 and to stop the dispensing of ice cubes as soon as the container is removed from that space. An optical display 20 is provided on the external wall of the body 2 at the central region 19, close to the photoelectric cell. The optical display 20 is adapted to indicate the operations performed by the apparatus while dispensing the ice cubes. The body 2 is provided with feet, namely casters 21, which can be adjusted in heigh in order to arrange the body 2 perfectly vertical to the base plane, for ensuring a perfect operation of the conveyor 10, and in order to move the apparatus easily for maintenance and cleaning. As shown in FIG. 1, the ice cube forming means 4 comprises a water tank 23 provided with an overflow 24 and with a pump 25 arranged inside the water tank below an inclined chute 27 for the ice cubes. The pump 25 has a rotor 28 immersed in the water tank 23. The operation of the apparatus according to the invention appears evident from the above description. Namely, when a container 7, be it transparent or opaque, is brought below the conveyor 10, the photoelectric cell 11 automatically activates the screw 8, through the motor 13, and the screw 8 conveys the ice cubes from the tank 9 to the container. As soon as the container is brought away from the photoelectric cell 11, the rotation of the screw 8 is stopped as well as the dispensing of ice cubes. At the same time, as the ice cubes are picked up by the screw 8 from the tank 9, the apparatus activates the cooling means 3 and the forming means 4 thereby restoring the supply of ice cubes 6 inside the tank 9. It has been seen in practice that the apparatus according to the invention allows to dispense a selected quantity of ice cubes in a totally safe, rapid and hygienic manner. The materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the specific needs and the state of the art. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: An ice cube dispensing apparatus comprising a body (2) having cooling means (3) for the refrigerant fluid in a lower region of said body, forming means (4) for forming ice cubes (6) in an upper region of said body, collecting means (5) for collecting said ice cubes in a central region (19) of said body, ice cubes dispensing means (8, 13) automatically activated by detecting means adapted to detect the presence of a container (7) at said central region, said dispensing means comprising at least a pickup member (8) for conveying said ice cubes from said collecting means to a discharge port (16) to the outside of said body characterized in that said detecting means comprises a photoelectric cell (11) adapted to automatically activate said pickup member. The apparatus, according to claim 1, characterized in that said pickup member comprises a screw (8) operated by a motor (13) which is activated by said photoelectric cell. The apparatus, according to claim 2, characterized in that said collecting means comprises a tank (9) collecting said ice cubes; said screw (8) extending inside said tank and having a rotation shaft parallel to at least one wall (12) of said tank. The apparatus, according to claim 3, characterized in that said wall (12) is substantially inclined to substantially define a hopper having a collecting zone (15) for collecting said ice cubes and wherein said screw picks up said ice cubes. The apparatus, according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a port (16) is provided in the upper part of said wall (12) and at the upper end of said screw (8), said port (16) being provided with a safety door (18) adapted to open under the pressure of said ice cubes, a conveyor (10) being provided to guide said ice cubes into said container. The apparatus, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said photoelectric cell (11) has several detecting members of said container (7), regardless whether said container is transparent or opaque, said detecting members being adapted to detect the presence of said container in a selected space of said central region. The apparatus, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that an optical display (20) is provided on an external wall of said body (2) at the central region (19), close to said photoelectric cell, for indicating the operations performed by said apparatus. The apparatus, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (2) is provided with feet or casters (21), which can be adjusted in height in order to arrange said body perfectly vertical to the base plane. The apparatus, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said ice cube forming means (4) comprises a water tank (23) provided with an overflow (24) and with a pump (25) arranged inside said water tank below an inclined chute (27) for the ice cubes, said pump having a rotor (28) immersed in said water tank.

Inventors: PORTELLI PAOLO, PORTELLI, PAOLO
Applicants: CASTEL MAC SPA, CASTEL MAC S.P.A.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: F25C5
IPC codes: F25C5, F25C1