Patent Publication Number: US-2015069161-A1

Title: Ice cube positioning and protecting structure of ice shaver

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the structure of an ice shaver, in particular to an ice cube positioning and protecting structure of the ice shaver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a conventional ice shaver, an ice cube is put onto a planer seat, and a rotating mechanism is provided for rotating the ice cube, so that the rotation of the ice cube with respect to the planer shaves the ice cube into flake ice which is used for making ice products. However, the ice cube is put onto the planner seat and exposed to the outside, so that the ice cube may be melted quickly by the relatively higher temperature of the environment, which may increase the cost intangibly. In addition, dust may be attached onto the exposed ice cube easily, and thus affecting the sanitation of the ice products. On the other hand, the ice shaver producing the flake ice by rotating and rubbing the ice cube with the planer, and the flake ice may fly towards the outside during its manufacturing process due to the centrifugal force of the rotation. Obviously, the conventional ice shaver causes inconvenience and messy environment and requires further improvements. 
     Therefore, it is an important subject of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional ice shaver. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides an ice cube positioning and protecting structure of an ice shaver, wherein the structure comprises a bucket structure for containing an ice cube, and the ice cube is fixed and prevented from ejecting the flake ice while providing a thermal insulation effect. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of assembling a planer of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of operating a planer of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a using status of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of parts of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  for an ice cube positioning and protecting structure of an ice shaver in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structure comprises a base  1 , a transmission mechanism  2  and a bracket  3 . The transmission mechanism  2  is installed on the base  1 , and the base  1  includes a support base  4  disposed thereon, and the support base  4  is screwed to a rotating rod  21 , and the rotating rod  21  is linked and coupled to the transmission mechanism  2 , and the transmission mechanism  2  is provided for driving the rotating rod  21  to rotate, so that the rotating rod  21  can be moved vertically up and down with respect to the support base  4 . In this preferred embodiment, the transmission mechanism  2  includes a motor (not shown in the figure) and a rotor  22 , and the motor is installed in a column  11  which is erected from the base  1 , and the rotor  22  is installed at an end of the motor and driven to rotate. The support base  4  includes a positioning shaft tube  41  installed thereon, and an end of the positioning shaft tube  41  is pivotally coupled to a rotating disk  23 , and the rotating rod  21  is passed through he rotating disk  23  and then screwed downwardly into the support base  4 , and a belt  24  is wound around the exterior of the rotor  22  and the rotating disk  23  and provided for driving the rotating disk  23  to rotate in order to rotate the rotating rod  21 , so that the rotating rod  21  can be moved vertically up and down with respect to the support base  4 . A nail plate  25  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) is installed at the bottom of the rotating rod  21  for fixing with the ice cube, so that the rotation of the rotating rod  21  drives the ice cube to rotate. 
     In addition, a positioning space  42  is concavely formed on a side of the support base  4 , and a first engaging portion is disposed on at least one side of an inner wall of the positioning space  42 . In this preferred embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support base  4  is comprised of a support plate  43  and two positioning portions  44 , and the two positioning portions  44  are disposed on both sides of the support plate  43  respectively, and the support base  4  is mounted onto the column  11 , wherein the space enclosed by the support plate  43  and the two positioning portions  44  is defined as the positioning space  42 , and the two positioning portions  44  have a first engaging portion disposed separately on opposite sides of the positioning space  42  respectively, wherein the first engaging portion is a rail slot  441  for slidably installing the bracket  3  into the positioning space  42 . Wherein the bracket  3  has a second engaging portion slidably disposed in the rail slot  441 . In this preferred embodiment, the second engaging portion is a wing plate  311  and provided for installing the bracket  3  into the positioning space  42 , and an ice containing space  321  is concavely and downwardly formed on the bracket  3  for containing the ice cube. In this preferred embodiment, the bracket  3  has a plate portion  31  and a bucket  32 , and the bucket  32  is formed by concavely and downwardly extended from the plate portion  31 , and the ice containing space  321  is defined in the bucket  32 , and both sides of the plate portion  31  form the two wing plates  311  respectively, so that the two wing plates  311  can be slidably installed into the rail slots  441  of the positioning portions  44  on both sides of the support base  4  respectively, and the bracket  3  is formed into a sliding structure that can be installed into the support base  4  and detached from the support base  4 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , the bottom surface of the bucket  32  includes a planer  33  and an outlet  34  for interconnecting the ice containing space  321  to the outside. The planer  33  is detachably installed at the bottom surface of the bucket  32 , and the planer  33  is comprised of a seat  35 , a blade holder  36  and a blade  37 . Wherein, an end of the seat  35  is bent to form a connecting portion  351 , and the other end of the seat  35  is bent to form a blocking portion  352  parallel to the connecting portion  351 , and an installing slot  353  is formed between the connecting portion  351  and the blocking portion  352 , and the connecting portion  351  of the seat  35  is passed through and locked onto the inner wall of the outlet  34  by a plurality of locking elements  354 , and an end of the blade holder  36  has a blade interface  361  for embedding and coupling the blade  37 . When the blade  37  is installed into the blade interface  361 , the blade  37  is tilted towards the outlet  34  and slightly extended into the ice containing space  321 , and the other end of the blade holder  36  is bent to form a protrusion  362 , and the blade holder  36  is received by the installing slot  353  of the seat  35  through the protrusion  362 , and two elastic elements  38  are installed between the protrusion  362  and the blocking portion  352 , and an adjusting screw  39  is screwed and passed through the connecting portion  351  of the seat  35 , and an end of the adjusting screw  39  abuts against the protrusion  362  of the blade holder  36 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , the adjusting screw  39  is screwed and locked onto the connecting portion  351  of the seat  35 , so that when a user rotates the adjusting screw  39 , the connecting portion  351  of the seat  35  is moved axially to drive an end of the adjusting screw  39  to push the blade holder  36  to move and compress the two elastic elements  38 , so as to adjust the extending length of the blade  37  situated on the blade holder  36 , and meet the actual ice shaving requirements. 
     In addition, the transmission mechanism  2  includes a casing  12  covered thereon, and the casing  12  includes a power switch  13  and a steering control switch  14 , both electrically coupled to the transmission mechanism  2 , and provided for turning on the transmission mechanism  2  and controlling the rotation direction of the rotating rod  21  driven by the transmission mechanism  2 . 
     In an application as shown in  FIG. 5 , the ice cube  5  is put into the ice containing space  321  of the bucket  32  of the bracket  3 . and after the support base  4  is installed, the rotating rod  21  is aligned with the ice containing space  321 , and a nail plate  25  is nailed downwards at the ice cube  5 , so that the ice cube  5  is fixed with the rotating rod  21  and rotated synchronously. And then, the power switch installed on the casing  12  is turned on and the steering control switch is operated, so that the rotating rod  21  drives the ice cube  5  to rotate together and move downwardly with respect to the support base  4 , and the ice cube  5  is sliced by the planer  33  at the bottom of the bucket  32  to produce flake ice. Now, the flake ice is collected into the ice containing space  321  and sent out from the outlet  34  formed at the bottom of the bucket  32 , so as to prevent the flake ice from flying out during the process of rotating the ice cube  5  due to the centrifugal force. On the other hand, the ice cube  5  is put into the bucket  32  of the bracket  3  to achieve the thermal insulation effect, so as to slow down the melting speed of the ice cube and save material costs. In addition, the ice cube  5  put into the bucket  32  is protected by the wall of the bucket  32  to prevent dust from the external environment from contaminating the ice cube and assure the sanitation of the ice product and maintain good health of the ice product consumers. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6  for the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference between the second preferred embodiment and the first preferred embodiment resides on the combination between the support base  4  and the bracket  3 . In the second preferred embodiment, a protruding rail  442  is formed separately on the first engaging portion of the support base  4 , and a rail slot  312  is concavely and separately formed on both sides of the plate portion  31  of the bracket  3 , so that the rail slot  312  of the bracket  3  can be combined with the rail  442  of the support base  4 . 
     In addition, the ice containing space  321  of the bucket  32  not just can accommodate larger ice cubes only, but also can accommodate a plurality of smaller ice cubes. The ice shaver of the present invention can be used for producing flake ice.