Abstract:
The present invention comprises a pneumatic ice transport system having a primary ice reservoir and a blower connected to a venturi. The ice reservoir includes an ice dispensing mechanism for dispensing of ice there from into an ice flow tube. The venturi suction intake is connected by a tube to the discharge end of the ice chute. The outlet of the venturi is connected to a tube for directing the ice to a remote location. In operation, the blower provides a large volume of relatively low pressure air to the venturi. A heat exchanger can be connected between the outlet of the blower and the air inlet of the venturi. In a preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger uses forced air and melt water from the primary storage bin to cool the air stream produced by the blower. The heat exchanger serves to lower the temperature of that air to at or below ambient. The ice and the associated transport structures of the present invention through which the ice is transported, can also be maintained in a sanitary condition through the use, separately, or in combination, of ozone, chlorine or microbially resistant plastics.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/161,810, filed Oct. 27, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to transport of ice and more particularly to the pneumatic transport of ice from a source thereof to remote ice and/or beverage dispensing locations. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Equipment for moving or transporting ice from one location to another is well known in the art. Such equipment has application in the food service industry to move ice from an ice making source thereof to, for example, remote ice/beverage dispensers, thereby negating the need for manual loading of the latter. Manual loading is less sanitary and can lead to accidents from spilled ice on the floor or, for example, as the result of the individual filling the dispenser losing their balance and falling during the filling process. Pneumatic approaches are known where compressed air, in conjunction with a venturi, is used to move ice through tubes to the dispenser. However, dispensers of this type have problems with the noise associated with the use of high pressure air and, the cost of the compressor equipment and the venturi. In addition, compressed air can only be provided for a limited time, given the limited capacity of any reasonably sized compressed air reservoir tank. 
     Other compressed or forced air approaches are also restricted to sending particularly sized batches of ice one at a time. Thus, further price increasing equipment is required to measure or meter out the correct batch size. This batch approach can also slow down the overall transport process. The prior art transport systems also suffer from the problem of melting a significant portion of the ice prior to and during the transport process. Melting of the ice represents an inefficient loss of energy and can result in the dispensed ice being undesirably “wet”. A further concern with ice transport involves the ease and effectiveness with which the system can be cleaned. Disinfectant flushing systems are known, however they suffer from the problems of insuring that such is done regularly, that it is done properly with a sufficiently strong disinfectant mixture and that all of the cleaning solution is completely rinsed and removed. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an ice transport system that is low in cost, that is quiet, that can send ice continuously limited only by the available starting volume of ice, that does not require a batch process, that minimizes any loss of ice due to melting during the transport thereof and that can be easily and reliably maintained in a sanitary condition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a pneumatic ice transport system having a primary ice reservoir and a blower connected to a venturi. A heat exchanger is connected between the outlet of the blower and the air inlet of the venturi. In a preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger uses melt water from the primary storage bin to cool the air produced by the blower. The ice reservoir uses an ice dispensing strategy as known and employed in the beverage dispensing industry, to move ice out of a storage bin area to a dispense chute. The venturi ice intake is connected by a tube to the discharge end of the ice chute. In the preferred embodiment, an ice maker is secured to the top of the ice reservoir for providing ice therein. The outlet of the venturi is connected to a tube for directing the ice to a remote location, such as, an ice reservoir bin of an ice/beverage dispenser. 
     In operation, the blower provides a large volume of relatively low pressure air to the venturi. The heat exchanger serves to lower the temperature of that air to at below ambient thereby reducing melting loss of ice as it is transported. Operation of the dispense mechanism of the primary reservoir causes ice to move into the chute at a preset rate and be sucked into the venturi as a result of the movement of the air there through. The ice is then directed to the remote location. Loss of ice due to melting during transport can also be reduced by supplying cooled air to the intake of the blower. 
     The ice maker can include a chlorinating device and/or an ozonating device to provide for sanitizing of the water used in the preparation thereof and to keep the ice storage area clean. An ozone system can also be employed to meter predetermined amounts of ozone into the transport tubes for reducing or eliminating microorganisms therein and in the final remote storage locations. In a further embodiment, the transport tube and other plastic components can be infused with various compounds that kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms. Such compounds are mixed in with the plastic material and become and integral component of the formed plastic part. These compounds are then present at the surface of the plastic and provide for the bacteriostatic or bactericidal action thereon. 
     The present invention was found to operate relatively quietly and can work continuously for as long as ice is available to be transported. The use of a primary reservoir that can actively discharge ice therefrom is a significant improvement over prior art systems that do not have a mechanically accessible storage capacity and can only transport an amount of ice as is harvested from an ice maker after any one cycle thereof. The present invention is also not hampered by any type of batch transport requirement. The heat exchanger serves to reduce ice melting and does so in a cost effective manner by using cold water that was previously unutilized and regarded as waste. A combination of the chlorine, ozone and/or microorganism resistant plastic approaches provide for a transport system that is clean, and reliably so, and that will not degrade or otherwise negatively affect the dispensed ice. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the structure, function, operation and advantages of the present invention can be had by referring to the following detailed description which refers to the following drawing figures, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the ice transport system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a representational view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the air to air heat exchanger of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view along lines  5 — 5  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 show a cross-sectional view of the heat exchange tubes of the air to air heat exchanger of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the venturi of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a plan view along lines  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the diverter of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The ice transport system of the present invention is seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 and is generally referred to by the numeral  10 . Transport system  10  includes an ice dispenser  12  having an ice retaining and dispensing bin  14  as defined by a bin liner  14 ′. Ice dispenser  12 , as will be understood by those of skill, is an adapted combination ice/beverage dispenser of the type well known in the art. Such dispensers typically include a cold plate underlying bin  14  for receiving ice thereon through a hole in liner  14 . A portion of the stored ice that falls through such hole cools the cold plate and hence liquid beverage components flowing there through to beverage dispensing valves. Dispenser  12  is different from such ice/beverage dispensers in that it lacks such cold plate and valves, hence a beverage dispensing capacity. However, it does include the insulated ice retaining bin  14  and, as is also well known, a dispensing wheel  15  having ice lifting paddles  15 ′ around the perimeter thereof and ice stirring arms  15 ″. Also, without the need for the valves and a cold plate the ice bin can be designed to provide for increased ice capacity. As is understood, rotation of wheel  15 , by a motor  16 , lifts ice to chute opening  17  so that the ice then flows down chute  18 . Chute  18  is connected to a tube  20  which is, in turn, connected to a suction or ice receiving inlet  22  of a venturi  24 . As is known in the art wheel  15  can be turned at different rates by, for example, rheostatic control of motor  16 . 
     A blower  26  includes an air filter  27  on an inlet  28  thereof and an air outlet  29  connected to a water assisted air to air heat exchanger  30 . Blower  26  is, for example, of the regenerative type as manufactured by Gast Manufacturing Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., denoted a Regenair® model and providing an air flow of 215 cubic feet per minute with a pressure of 95 inches of water. As seen by also referring to FIGS. 4-6, heat exchanger  30  includes a fluted or spiraled coiled tube  32  within an insulated housing  34  thereof. Tube  32  is connected to blower outlet  29  and on its opposite end to air inlet  35  of venturi  24 . Tube  32  is made of aluminum and is of the type manufactured, for example, by Delta-T Limited, of Tulsa, Okla. A fan  36  provides for the blowing of air through a housing opening  34 ′ and over tube  32  to exit through a housing air outlet  34 ″. A drain  37  extending from the bottom of bin liner  14  is connected to a tube  38 . Tube  38  is connected to a further heat exchange tube  40  that extends around tube  32  in close contact there with and following the spiraled grooves thereof. As seen specifically in FIG. 6, tube  40  can also be placed within tube  32 , as indicated by the phantom lined tube marked as  40 ′. Tube  32  can also be a conventional non spiraled cylindrically surfaced tube, and tubes  40  or  40 ′ can simply extend in a coaxial fashion along the length thereof against the interior or exterior surfaces respectively. In fact, interior tube  40 ′ could extend along a central axis of tube  32  and not in contact with the interior surfaces thereof. Tube  32  extends in a coiled fashion within housing  34  and exits therefrom connecting with an air inlet  42  of venturi  24 . An ice transport tube  44  extends from an outlet  46  of venturi  24  to a remote ice storage location  48 . Storage location  48  can be for example an ice storage bin, or an ice storage bin as part of an automatic ice dispenser or a combination beverage and ice dispenser. 
     A further detailed view of venturi  24  is seen by referring to FIGS. 7 and 8. As can be understood, venturi  24  consists of a common and inexpensive Y-junction made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as is commonly known and used in the plumbing industry. 
     Such junction is modified herein to include an air flow concentrating disk  49 . A disk  49  is received in air inlet end  35  and includes a central conical hole  49 ′ for providing an enhanced venturi effect for providing suction along to tube  20  as is indicated by the air direction flow arrows of FIG.  7 . 
     An ice maker  50  is preferably positioned atop dispenser  12  and provides for making ice to fill bin  14 . As is well understood in the art, ice maker  50  includes an ice forming evaporator E, a water pump P fluidly connected to a water reservoir tray T, which tray T is fluidly connected by a fluid level maintaining valve, not shown, to a potable source of water along a line L. A refrigeration system includes a condenser C and a compressor CP. In operation during an ice making mode, water from tray T continually flows over evaporator E by the operation of pump P. At the same time, evaporator E is cooled by the operation the refrigeration system. Ice is therefore built up on evaporator E and harvested when of sufficient thickness. The harvested ice then falls directly into bin  14 . An ice bin level sensor  52  is located in bin  14  and connected to a control  54 . Control  54  is also operatively connected to the control system of ice maker  50  that regulates the ice making and ice harvesting thereof. A bin level sensor system  56  is located in remote storage location  48  and also connected to control  54 . In operation, it will be understood by those of skill that sensor system  56  can actually consist of high and low level sensors. Thus, when the low level sensor indicates low ice, control  54  can operate the transport system  10  of the present invention to deliver ice to location  48  and stop such delivery upon the high level sensor indicating the presence of ice, i.e. that location  48  is full. 
     With respect to such ice transport, it can be understood that control  54  operates motor  16  resulting in the dispensing of ice from bin  14  down chute  18  into tube  20 . At the same time control  54  operates blower  26  and fan  36  to provide for flows of air through and over tube  32  respectively. Ice falling down tube  20  will approach venturi  24  and then be sucked by the action thereof into tube  44  and propelled there along by the air flow produced by blower  26  to be delivered to remote location  48 . It will be appreciated by those of skill that a major advantage of the present invention is its ability to continuously transport ice. Thus, ice will be transported to remote location  48  as long as wheel  15  is operated and there is sufficient ice in primary storage bin  14 . In that regard, ice bin level sensor  52  and control  54  provide for the operating of ice maker  50  to insure a full reserve of ice in bin  14 . 
     Heat exchanger  30  operates to cool the air produced by blower  26 . Those of skill will understand that blower  26  will produce air that is heated typically above that of ambient, particularly where ambient is an air conditioned interior space. Thus, heat exchanger  30 , by the operation of fan  34 , serves to cool that air before it reaches the ice so as to limit any melting thereof as it is transported. The spiraled tube provides for better heat transfer by presenting greater exterior surface area to the air flow produced by fan  36  and as the air flowing therein has a more turbulent flow, as opposed to a traditional cylindrical tube. Tubes  40  or  40 ′ provide for further cooling of the transport air flow through heat exchange with the cold melt water draining from bin  14  as the ice therein melts. Thus, the present invention provides for use of cooled water that would be otherwise wasted and directly drained away. Those of skill will understand that in certain application where large volumes of ice are not transported and/or transported relatively short distances, such as, less than 20 feet, air exchanger  30  may not be required. In such an installation, blower  26  would simply be directly connected to the inlet  35  of venturi  24 . It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that dispenser  12  can include a beverage dispensing capacity where such is desirable at the location thereof. Thus, dispenser  12  can be of the combination ice/beverage type and only slightly modified with respect to connecting the ice chute thereof to venturi  24 . 
     As seen in the further embodiment depicted in FIG.  2  and generally referred to by the numeral  60 , there can be a plurality of remote ice storage/dispensing locations  64  and  66 . A diverter provides for directing flow from tube  44  to either one of a plurality of ice transport tubes, such as, tubes  70  and  72  for specific delivery of the ice to remote ice retaining locations  64  and  66 , respectively. For example, a diverter  68  is used to direct ice flow selectively thereto. As seen in FIG. 9, diverter  68 , as with venturi  24 , can be made from a Y-junction as used in venturi  24 . A pivoting rod  68   a  extends there through and includes a flapper valve  69  secured thereto. Flapper valve  69  is moveable by a drive means, not shown, such as a solenoid or linear actuator, from a normally closed position, represented by the solid line thereof, to be held in an open position, represented by the dashed line thereof. As can be understood by reference to FIG. 2, when diverter  68  is in the open position ice will be diverted to remote location  64  and will be blocked from entering ice location  66 . Conversely, when valve  69  of diverter  68  is in the closed position ice will be delivered exclusively to remote location  66 . Those of skill will understand that more than two remote locations could be serviced with the use of additional diverters  68 . In such case, only one location would be filled at a time wherein such location would be the only one to have its diverter  68  in the open position, with the remainder in the closed position. Naturally, the “end” location would not require a diverter as ice would be delivered thereto by default wherein all the diverters simply remain in their normally closed position. Control  54  would then be operatively connected to diverter  68  for regulating which tube  70  or  72  ice is directed along as determined by ice level sensing systems  78  and  80  respectively. 
     Velocity reducers  81  can be used to slow the speed of the individual ice pieces as they flow downward through the tube portions  72  and  74 . Reducers  81  consist essentially of an increased diameter tube portion having an exhaust air outlet, not shown. Thus, some of the air pressure moving the ice is reduced as the flow thereof enters the increased diameter section and as that air is permitted to escape there from to ambient. In one embodiment of the present invention wherein a 215 cubic feet m per minute air flow is used, tubes  44 ,  70  and  72  have an inside diameter of 2 inches and reducers  81  have an inside diameter of 4 inches and a length of 2 feet. Tube portions  70  and  72  will typically have a length of between 4 to 8 feet reaching from the ceiling of the particular installation to the remote storage container. The remote storage containers are typically located between 40 to 90 feet from the primary storage bin  14 . Those of skill will appreciate that variation can be made as to tube lengths, diameters thereof, air flow rate and the like to achieve desired results given the demands of a particular installation. Thus, for example, longer or shorter ice transport distances can be provided for and/or the transport of greater amounts of ice per unit time. 
     The present invention can also be connected to a source of cooled air such as an existing air conditioning system  82 . Thus, a duct  84  thereof can be connected to the inlet  27  of blower  26 . Also, in this case, outlet  29  of blower  26  could be directly connected to venturi  24  as any heat exchange with the ambient air would be rendered redundant and probably counter productive. In operation, it can be appreciated that cooled air provided by system  82  can significantly and positively reduce the temperature of the ice moving air within the various ice transport tubes. In this manner, any melting of ice as it is transported can be greatly reduced. 
     As is seen in co-pending application No. 60/124,058, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,863 and incorporated herein by reference thereto, ozone can be generated to provide for retarding or reducing the growth of microorganisms in the context of beverage dispensers and ice makers. In the present invention an ozone generator  86  can be similarly connected to ice maker  50 , as is disclosed in the above referenced &#39;058 application. Thus ozone can be absorbed directly into the water through a venturi, not shown, connected to a flow of water from pump P. In addition, thereto, or as an alternate method, ozone can simply flow along a tube  88  into bin  14 . Additionally, or in the alternative, a further ozone generator  86 ′ can be located adjacent to the air conditioning system  82  and provide for introduction of ozone into duct  84 . Use of an ozone generator will provide for increasing the sanitary state of the ice produced by ice maker  50 . In addition, that ice will provide some bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic effect with respect to the presence thereof in the various transport tubes as well as in a remote storage location. If ozone is allowed to simply flow by gravitational force down into bin  14 , it will likewise have a beneficial sanitizing effect as it settles therein and as a fraction thereof is then sucked into and pushed through the transport tubes to and in the remote ice storage locations. Introduction of ozone into duct  84  can also serve as a strategy for the reduction of the growth of microorganisms in the tube  32  and the associated transports tubes and remote storage locations. 
     As is seen in co-pending application No. 60/122,935 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,863 and incorporated herein by reference thereto, chlorine can also be utilized to provide for a sanitizing effect in the context of beverage and ice equipment. Thus, a chlorine generator  90  can be connected to water supply line L. In this manner, a level of active chlorine can be produced that can reduce or eliminate microorganism growth in the produced ice, and at the same time results in ice that is safe to consume. Use of a chlorine generator  90  separately or in conjunction with ozone generator  86  can likewise provide for beneficial reduction and/or control of the growth of microorganisms in bin  14 , as well as the associated transport tubes and remote ice storage locations. Thus, the presence of active chlorine in the ice can provide for a retardation of such growth in those components as it is moved there through, melts and leaves small residues of chlorine therein. 
     Tubes  20  and  46 , or  70 ,  72  or  74 , venturi  24 , liner  14 ′, as well as the liners of the remote storage locations  48  or  62 ,  64  and  66 , are comprised of plastic and come into contact with the ice as it is stored and transported. These components can be made of suitable plastic materials that include therein various chemicals that are known to kill or stop the growth of a variety of microorganisms on the surfaces thereof. Examples thereof are seen generally in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,906,825; 4,401,702. A particular such compound is a wide spectrum antibiotic known as Triclosan, specifically, 2,2,4′trichloro 2′-hydroxy-diphenyl-ether. Expertise in the application of Triclosan in a variety of plastics is provided, for example, by Microban Products Company, Huntersville, N.C. Use of Triclosan or other such anti-microbial in the various plastic ice contact components of the present invention can serve as an additional way to reduce any growth of microorganisms thereon. Such use can be exclusive of, or complementary with, the use of ozone and/or chlorine as described above.