Patent Abstract:
The disclosure pertains generally to shave ice confection machines and processes, and more particularly to a block ice shaving apparatus, system and method whereby an improved blade and blade assembly produce more consistent output with increase machine life.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to machines for preparing shaved ice confectioneries, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a block ice shaver that is particularly adapted for producing a light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice, or powdered snow-like flavored food products. 
     A variety of machines have been developed, described and are widely known for creating or processing cold deserts and confectioneries by processing ice into more appealing eatable forms, such as snow cones and shaved ice. Such devices produce either ice granules (snow cones) or light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice for subsequent flavoring using syrups. For consistency, a block of ice can produce more appealing ice shavings than cubed ice, for example. 
     Despite the advantages of shaved ice machines that are available in the marketplace, improvements are still being sought. Machines in the marketplace may have limitations such as, cumbersome ice block change procedures, frozen and impacted blades, blades that do not produce light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice, and may produce inconsistent shaved ice textures because the feeding of an ice block into a blade is inconsistent or because the machine cannot adapt to the changing consistency of the ice as the block of ice begins to warm and melt. Such machines that may use large blocks of ice tend to operate at a relatively slow rate, require significant maintenance, and are incompatible with either home use or large volume use. 
     Further, such machines may not be able to accommodate the changes in the texture of the block of ice as the ice begins to warm. As ice begins to warm and changes from a very cold state to a warmer state, the texture and consistency of the ice to be shaved by a machine begins to change. As the ice warms, the texture of the ice begins to degrade and the quality of the shaved ice decreases making it more difficult for the machine to shave the warm ice, or at least the ability to provide a high quality shaved ice product is decreased because of the interaction between the blade of the machine and the ice block. 
     Machines in the marketplace may thus be characterized by several disadvantages that may be addressed by the disclosure. The disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein. 
     The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation and are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following drawings, detailed description, claims and abstract of this disclosure. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side, perspective view of an embodiment of an ice shaving machine made in accordance with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate the loading of an ice block into an embodiment of an ice shaving machine made in accordance with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic view of several components of an embodiment of an ice shaving machine consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a blade holder consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cut away view of an embodiment of a blade holder consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic, top view of an embodiment of a blade consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of a method and associated structures that allow the rotation of a blade relative to a blade holder in accordance with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the concept of tensioning of an embodiment of an ice shaving blade within a blade assembly consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of a tensioned blade attached to a blade holder and forming blade assembly consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the feature of a flexible blade consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an embodiment of a blade holder having enhanced features consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 11   a  and  11   b  illustrate a top and side view, respectively, of an embodiment of a blade holder consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a schematic view of an embodiment of an ice shaving machine having a single drive shaft for actuating the ice block feeder; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an embodiment of a blade consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 14  is a detailed view of the embodiment of a blade illustrated in  FIG. 13  illustrating the cutting surfaces and slots consistent with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b  illustrate a side view and a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a blade in accordance with the principles of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 16   a ,  16   b  and  16   c  illustrate top views of various blade embodiments in accordance with the principles of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 17  illustrates and embodiment of a safety clearing tool for use with an ice shaving system disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed. 
     Before the apparatus, system and methods for shaving ice, such as blocks of ice, are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 
     In describing and claiming the subject matter of the disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below. 
     It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. 
     As used herein, the phrase “consisting of” and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim. 
     As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed disclosure. 
     The disclosure discloses an ice shaving machine for receiving a block of ice and thinly slicing such block ice to produce a powdery snow-like textured confection. It should be noted that for the purposes of this disclosure an ice block is defined as a generally homogenous solid body or mass of ice having a volume that is greater than or equal to eight cubic inches or that is larger than a typical household ice cube that may be placed inside of a user&#39;s cup to cool a drink. The ice block may be placed in a feeder, which permits the block to come into contact with a blade. The blade shaves off paper-thin slices of ice. A collector collects the paper-thin slices of ice and moves it to a spout, under which a container is placed to receive the slices of ice. Once the container is sufficiently full, flavorings may be added, either through an integrated flavor dispensing system or from an individual flavor container or from a stand-alone flavor stations having a plurality of containers. This disclosure has various embodiments and alternative blade designs, which are described in detail in the following detailed discussion. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an ice shaving machine  100  of the disclosure. The machine  100  is shown having a cabinet  114 , which may be made of various materials, including stainless steel, a light-weight fiberglass or plastic material without departing from the scope or concept of the disclosure, for durability and ease of cleaning. It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the machine  100  may comprise one or more of the following features: a blade assembly  310 , including a blade holder  301  and a blade  101 ; a safety cover or blade cover assembly  102 , including a spout  105 , lid  111  and an ice block guide  113 ; an ice block feeder  103 , including at least one drive shaft  116 ; a main drive motor  305  for rotating the blade assembly  310 ; and at least one motor  316  for actuating the at least one drive shaft  116 . The machine  100  may also comprise a flavor dispenser  104 . 
     A safety cover  102  may be attached to the top of the cabinet  114  for receiving a block of ice  107  and covering the working parts of the machine, for example the blade assembly  310 . The safety cover  102  may be composed of a generally clear “lexan” plastic material, although other sufficiently hard materials may also suffice and are meant to fall within the scope of the disclosure. The safety cover  102  may have a base portion  109  for covering the blade assembly  310 . The base portion  109  may be an outer shell fitting over and around the blade and blade assembly. 
     A spout assembly  105  may also be present and may be a separate component from the cover  102 . The spout assembly  105  may comprise a domed portion for providing a domed round top of shaved ice for the produced product and may also comprise an outer shell or base portion  109  fitting over and around the blade  101  and the blade holder  301 , which comprise a blade assembly  310 . The spout  105  and the outer shell or base portion  109  may be in mechanical communication with each other, such that shaved ice may move from the interior of the outer shell or base portion  109  through a conduit  105   a  to the spout  105  for dispensing the shaved ice into a container (illustrated best in  FIG. 1 ). It will be appreciated that the spout  105  may be shaped other than as a dome and may be part of, or separate from, the safety cover  102  and even the spout assembly. For example, the spout  105  may be in mechanical communication with the base portion  109  of the spout assembly, or the spout  105  may be attached directly to the cabinet  114  or other structural member, such that the spout  105  is not in mechanical communication with the spout assembly, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     The spout assembly may also comprise a flap  117  that may be a flexible material, such as a plastic or other material that is durable, but pliable, to help and assist a user in making a shaved ice confection. The flap  117  may be used as a part of the spout assembly or may be a separate and distinct component. The flap  117  may be used as a guide to assist in the dispensing of the shaved ice, such that less shaved ice is lost as the shaved ice is dispensed from the spout  105  to the container. The flap  117  may at least partially wrap around the container and may be used, or operated, as a chute so that shaved ice is directed into the container as the shaved ice is dispensed from the spout  105 . 
     Mounted to the safety cover  102  is a lid  111  that may be movably fastened to the safety cover  102 . In the embodiment, an electrical or mechanical switch  112  is provided in the lid  111  safety cover  102  connection to shut off the operation of the machine  100  when the lid  111  is raised. The lid  111  may further comprise an ice block guide  113  that adds a biasing force laterally to the ice block so that the ice block will be more consistently fed into the blade  101 . The ice block guide  113  may be a simple compliant type structure or may have a plurality of parts that produce a biasing force. 
     An ice block feeder  103  may comprise, or may be mounted or otherwise attached to, a drive shaft  116 . The ice block feeder  103  may operate to contact the block of ice and place a force on said block of ice. The drive shaft  116  operates to actuate the ice block feeder  103  into contact with the ice block, thereby bringing and forcing the ice block  107  into contact with the blade  101 . The ice block feeder  103  may comprise or may be mounted or otherwise attached to a single drive shaft  116  or, alternatively, to two or more drive shafts  116 . When two or more drive shafts  116  are utilized, the drive shafts  116  work in unison to force, move and push the ice block into contact with the blade  101  to produce shavings of ice. The ice block feeder  103  may continuously move the ice block into the blade  101 , freeing flakes or shavings of ice, which are received by the spout  105  of the blade cover assembly  102 . 
     It will be appreciated that the blade  101  may be generally planer, generally circular, substantially flat and slotted with a plurality of slots or openings  151  (shown best in  FIGS. 6 ,  13 - 15   b ). However, it will be appreciated that the blade  101  may be another geometric shape, besides circular, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Each slot or opening  151  may have an adjacent edge  150  that may be slightly bent upwards toward the direction of the incoming ice block. This blade  101  may be made of high quality stainless steel material to maximize the blade life and reduce corrosion. Other non-corrosive high strength materials may also be used in place of stainless steel without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The blade  101  may be affixed to a blade holder  301  to form a blade assembly  310  such that the assembly can be rotated to provide more consistent ice shavings. While in use, the ice shavings fall through the blade  101  by way of the slots  151  and into a collection area where the shavings are moved toward the spout  105  and are then available to be dispensed as desired into a container. Once a sufficient quantity of ice shavings are collected in a container, flavoring may be added as desired. 
     A flavor dispenser  104  may be provided. In an embodiment of the disclosure  100 , flavor selection switches may be provided on the front of the cabinet  114 . The flavors may be provided by a plurality of inverted bottles or other containers (not shown), which may be fitted to receptacles on the top of the cabinet  114 . An automated water switch may also be provided to flush or clean the flavoring from the dispenser system. The water can also be used to dilute the concentrated flavoring. A drain pan may be provided with a drain, which may have a drain hose for handling spills. 
       FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate an embodiment of a block ice shaving machine  100  while it is being used. More particularly,  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate the loading of an ice block  107  into the ice shaving machine  100 . During use, a user slides the lid  111  in an upward direction to an open position. As can be seen in  FIG. 2   a , this movement is illustrated by the upward pointing arrow. In the open position, access to the ice block feeder  103  is provided and an ice block  107  can be loaded into position over the blade  101 . It will be appreciated that the structural features of the cover  102  permit a user to gain access to the ice block  107 , even after the ice block  107  has been loaded into the machine  100 . The ability to access the block of ice  107  after being loaded into the machine  100  may be advantageous for several reasons, including the ability to clear blocked shaved ice from the blade  101  or the spout assembly  105  or removing unused portions of the block of ice and potentially others. Some machines that are available in the market do not allow or otherwise permit access to the ice once it is loaded into the machine. The result of those machines is that time and effort may be wasted while the machine either works to clear itself of frozen or otherwise stuck shaved ice, or simply shaves the excess ice that is loaded in the machine as waste product. 
     The ice block feeder  103  may be raised automatically or manually to allow the insertion of an ice block  107  into an opening or space between the ice block feeder  103  and the blade  101 . An electronic switch may be provided to control the position and travel of the ice block feeder  103 . The electronic switch, whether a toggle switch or a rocker switch, may control at least one electric motor  316  (illustrated best in  FIG. 3 ) in order to raise and lower the ice block feeder  103 . A voltage regulator/transformer may receive AC power via a standard three prong power cord and produces DC electric power for the motor  316 . Between the voltage regulator/transformer and the motor  316  may be a speed controller, which includes a motor speed selection dial (not shown). The voltage regulator/transformer may be connected via an electric connection to the speed controller, which in turn, is connected to the motor  316 . The motor may be a DC motor capable of turning the shaft at between 400 and 500 rpm. Alternatively, it is contemplated that an AC motor capable of 1100 rpm may be substituted. Other motor configurations can be substituted without departing from the concept of the disclosure. The motor  316  may be connected to one or more drive shafts  116  to drive the ice block  107  into the blade  101  at a predetermined rate and at a predetermined pressure. 
     One embodiment may comprise an ice block feeder  103  that drives the ice block  107  within a range at about 180 to about 220 lbs. of pressure. In another embodiment, an ice block feeder  103  may apply more or less pressure than previously stated in the range, and may further use gravity and the mass of the ice block  107  itself to feed the ice block  107  into the blade  101 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2   b  the lid  111  may be rotated to lock into an open position for convenience. Other mechanisms may be employed to lock the lid  111  in an open position and are contemplated to be with in the scope of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic view of an ice block shaved ice machine  100 . An embodiment of a block ice shaving machine  100  may comprise a main drive motor  305  that may be mechanically coupled or connected to a blade assembly  310 , or directly to a blade  101 , configured for shaving ice from an ice block. The mechanical coupling may be accomplished through additional structures such as gearing and pulleys or by blade holders  301 . A control mechanism for activating and deactivating the mechanical drive mechanism, such as the main drive motor  305  may be used to operate the machine. For example, the control mechanism may comprise a switch device to control the main drive motor  305 , which may be actuated by actuating the switch device. The switch device may be a toggle switch or a rocker switch, which may advantageously provide a safety mechanism such that there is substantially no chance of accidental bumping of the switch into an activated position. The main drive motor  305  may also be actuated using a foot pedal switch. 
     In an embodiment a blade  101  may be attached to a blade holder  301 , and it is the blade holder  301  that may be directly attached to the drive shaft  307  of the main drive motor  305 . A blade holder  301  and blade  101  may be assembled together using complementary structures to form a blade assembly  310 . It will be appreciated that the blade  101  may be attached or otherwise connected to the blade holder  301  using a variety of different mechanical structures. For example, threaded inserts and fasteners, screw fasteners, key and keyhole fasteners, post or prong style snap fasteners, mechanical pins, clips or hooks, anchors, bolts, clamps, locknuts, rivets, screws and washer assemblies, or other fasteners known or that may be become known in the future may be used to attach or connect the blade  101  to the blade holder  301  without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     An ice block shaved ice machine  100  may further comprise an ice block feeder  103  that comprises, or is connected to, one or more drive shafts  116 . The drive shafts  116  may operate by way of a screw drive rod  317  that is driven by an ice block feeder electric motor  316 . The drive shafts  116  may be connected one to another with a push plate  303  that actually makes contact with the block of ice  107 . Electronic controls may be employed to control any block feeder electric motors  316  as well as the main drive motor  305 . In an embodiment the main drive motor  305  may be mechanically coupled to the blade assembly  310  through a transmission or gear box (not shown) having predetermined operational inputs and outputs. As can be seen in  FIG. 12 , it is within the scope of the disclosure to contemplate an ice block shaving machine  1200  having more or less drive shafts  116 . The ice block shaving machine  1200  may have a single drive shaft  116  and may have additional structures to allow the successful use of a single drive shaft  116 , such as a single motor  316 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a top down view of blade holder  301  of a blade assembly  310 . In the embodiment it can be seen that the blade holder  301  may comprise a plurality of arms  404 . The drawings illustrate, for exemplary purposes only, embodiments having three or four arms, but it will be appreciated that the plurality of arms  404  may include two, three, four or more arms without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     In an embodiment, and as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the blade holder  301  may comprise a plurality of arms  404 , for example three arms  404 . The plurality of arms  404  may each radiate out from a central hub  406 . At some distance from the center hub  406 , a fastening or attachment structure  410  may be disposed on each of the plurality of arms  404 . The fastening or attachment structure  410  may correspond with an attachment point (such as  615  in  FIG. 6  or  706  in  FIG. 7 ) of the blade  101 . The fastening or attachment structure  410  may be used to fasten the blade  101  to the blade holder  301 . 
     It will be appreciated that a radial measurement from a center of rotation of the blade holder  301 , which center of rotation may be the center of the hub  406 , to the attachment structure  410  of each of the plurality of arms  404  is less than a radial measurement from a center of rotation of the blade  101  to the attachment points (such as  615  of  FIG. 6 ) of the blade  101 . The result may be that the blade  101  is in a tensioned state as discussed more fully below with respect to  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     The center hub  406  may comprise a blade support that mechanically communicates and interacts with the blade to control the amount of flex of the blade as a load is placed on the blade. The result may be that the blade is loaded evenly thereby reducing wear and tear of the blade, which may extend the life of the blade. 
     In an embodiment a blade  101  may be attached to a blade holder  301 , and it is the blade holder  301  that is directly attached to the drive shaft  307  of the main drive motor  305 . It should be noted that the blade holder  301  may be directly attached to a drive shaft of a motor with any manner of known means, such as complementary threaded portions, set screws or any other means known or yet to be discovered. With regard to the number of arms  404  of the blade holder  301 , it may be advantageous to have enough arms  404  to control forces on the blade  101  and resist undesired rotation. For example, three arms  404 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , would provide the desired stability in the typical “x” and “y” planes, such that the machine  100  will work relative to a single axis of rotation. It will be appreciated that the single axis of rotation may be a vertical axis or a horizontal axis of rotation. It will be appreciated that the single axis of rotation may be coaxial with a shaft, such as  307 , of a drive motor, such as  305 , in a simple embodiment. Alternatively, the single axis of rotation may not be coaxial or even parallel to a shaft, such as  307 , of a drive motor, such as  305 , if gearing is to be used in the machine. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the figure illustrates a cut-a-way view of a blade holder  301  defined by the cut lines AA-AA as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the cut-a-way view, greater detail regarding the center hub  406  is shown and which comprises a driver interface  513  having threads  514  that are schematically shown for this embodiment. A drive shaft (not shown) of an appropriate electric motor (not shown) may be inserted into the driver interface  513  and may be affixed by threading the threads  514  of the blade holder  301  onto corresponding threads on said drive shaft. The threads may be reverse threaded or traditionally threaded such that during use the blade holder  301  does not separate from the drive shaft. The blade holder may also be held with a set screw or key slot structure. 
     As can further be seen in  FIG. 5 , the plurality of arms  404  may comprise additional structures and structuring in order to provide desired functionality. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a pass-through portion  525  may be provided that allows ice shavings to pass over the top of the arm  404  yet under the blade  101 , such that the ice shavings can freely move and be forced into a collection area and out of the spout. The pass through portion  525  may be defined by the attachment structure  410  on one end and the hub  406  on the other end as illustrated in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 11   b . Referring briefly to  FIG. 11   b , the pass through portion  525  allows the ice shavings to easily pass over the top of the arm  1104  because of the height of the material forming the arm  1104 . As illustrated in the embodiment of  FIG. 11   b , the arm  1104  may be formed by a sloping or tapered portion  1104   a  adjacent the hub  1106 , which tapers in a proximal-to-distal direction with respect to the hub  1106 . The tapered portion  1104   a  is immediately followed by a substantially planar portion  1104   b . It will be appreciated that there may be a pass-through portion  525  for each of the plurality of arms  404  (illustrated best in  FIGS. 5 ,  9 - 11   b ). Accordingly, while ice is being shaved from a block of ice, the shavings will be allowed to fall through the slots or openings  151  in the blade  101  and into a collection area that is away from the blade  101  at all points under the blade  101 . It will be appreciated that the greater the surface area present on the arm, such as  404  or  1104 , the more potential there is for ice build-up on the arm. Thus, it is contemplated by the disclosure to have an arm  1104  that may have a small surface area as illustrated in  FIG. 11   b  thereby creating a larger pass through portion  525 , or an arm  404  that may have a large surface area as illustrated in  FIG. 5  thereby creating a smaller pass through area  525 . In the embodiment in  FIG. 11   b , the arm  1104  is relatively petite in comparison to the hub  1106 . The petiteness of the arm  1104  may allow any ice that has adhered to the material that comprises the arm  1104  to easily break off as the arm  1104  rotates, thereby continuing to permit ice shavings to pass over the arm and through the pass through portion  525 . 
     A potential advantage of the pass through portion  525  is the ability for the ice shavings to move freely without substantial sticking, adhering, freezing to the arm of the blade holder or otherwise clogging up the machine. Allowing free movement of the ice shavings prevents clogging and freezing problems. The surface of the arms  404  may be textured or coated for decreasing icing problems. The arms  404  may further comprise a paddle portion  528  that, together with the arm structure, may help to control the movement of the ice shavings within the machine. The arms  404  may further comprise a fastening structure  410 , which may include threaded openings, that may be configured to accommodate fasteners therein to attach the blade  101  to the blade holder  301  to form the assembly  310 . Additionally, as can be seen in  FIGS. 11 and 11   a , the arms  1104  of blade holder  1110  may be curved as they radiate out from the central hub  1106 . The curvature of the arms  1104  may function and work to reduce the accumulation of ice shavings on the arm  1104 . It will be appreciated that the radius of curvature of one or more of the plurality of arms  1104  may provide a for a greater or lesser reduction of the accumulation of ice shavings on that arm  1104 . 
     Still further, it will be appreciated that the disclosure contemplates an embodiment wherein the arm may have a very large surface area, such that there is a very little pass through portion or substantially no pass through portion at all. In such an embodiment, substantially the entire arm operates and acts as a paddle to help move or push the shaved ice into the conduit and out of the spout assembly as the blade holder rotates. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic view of a blade  101  consistent with the principles disclosed herein. A blade  101  may be generally circular in shape and be configured to rotate about an axis that runs geometrically normal to a top surface  170  of the blade  101  and passes through the center point of the circular blade  101 . However, it will be appreciated that the blade  101  may be another geometric shape, besides circular, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The blade  101 , may be generally planer, substantially flat and slotted with a plurality of slots or openings  151 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 , and  13 - 15   b , there may be a significant number, perhaps hundreds, of slots or openings  151 . Each slot or opening  151  may have an adjacent cutting edge  150  that may be slightly bent upwards toward the direction of the incoming ice block. In  FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b , which illustrate a side view and a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a blade in accordance with the principles of the disclosure, the cutting edge  150  is illustrated as pointing downward with respect to the page. However, it will be appreciated that the ice block may be forced into the cutting edge or blade  150  as described herein. Thus, the blade  101  illustrated in  FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b  may be oriented with respect to the ice block, such that the cutting edge or blade  150  is positioned to cut into the ice block. 
     The blade  101  may be made of high quality stainless steel to maximize the blade life and reduce corrosion. Other non-corrosive high strength materials may also be used in place of stainless steel without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The blade  101  may be affixed to the blade holder  301  to form the blade assembly  310  such that the assembly can be rotated by a drive motor or other mechanical drive mechanism to provide more consistent ice shavings. For example, a hand crank or other mechanical drive mechanism may be used to rotate or drive the blade assembly without departing from the scope of the disclosure. While in use, whether through a drive motor or other mechanical drive mechanism, the ice shavings fall through the blade  101  by way of the slots  151  and into a collection area where the shavings are moved through a conduit toward the spout  105  and are then available to be dispensed as desired into a container. Once a sufficient quantity of ice shavings are collected in a container, flavoring may be added as desired. 
     The blade  101  may comprise a cutting portion  610 , which may include the slots or openings  151  and the cutting edges  150 , and a fastening portion  611 . The fastening portion  611  may comprise radially placed attachment points  615 . One or more of the attachment points  615  may be located around the perimeter of the blade  101 . The attachment points  615  may be any structure that facilitates the attachment of the blade  101  to the blade holder  301  and may correspond with the fastening or attachment structure  410 . In an embodiment, the attachment points  615  may be openings or holes that fasteners pass though and into the fastening structure  410  to secure the blade  101  to the blade holder  301 . However, it will be appreciated that other fastening mechanisms may also be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, threaded inserts and fasteners, screw fasteners, key and keyhole fasteners, post or prong style snap fasteners, mechanical pins, clips or hooks, anchors, bolts, clamps, locknuts, rivets, screws and washer assemblies, or other fasteners known or that may be become known in the future may be used to attach or connect the blade  101  to the blade holder  301  without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 13-15   b , an embodiment of a blade  101  can be seen that illustrates the adjacent placement of the raised cutting surfaces  150  relative to the slot or openings  151 .  FIG. 14  shows a detailed view of a portion of an embodiment of a blade  101  of  FIG. 13 . It should be noted that the ice shaving blade  101  may be made of many different and various configurations as far as the cutting surfaces  150  and slot  151  patterns are concerned. For example,  FIGS. 16   a ,  16   b , and  16   c  illustrate various embodiments of a blade  101  and examples of patterns created by the cutting surfaces  150  and slots or openings  151 , which may be utilized by the disclosure. 
     It will be appreciated that a ratio of the surface area of the material from which the blade  101  is manufactured to the slot or opening area may be tailored or predetermined for desired shaved ice output and machine functionality. For example, the ratio may be about 25% material to about 75% opening, or the ratio may be inverted, such that there is about 75% material to about 25% opening. It will be appreciated that any ratio falling within the ranges given above are meant to fall within the scope of the disclosure, for example, the ratio may be 40% material to about 60% openings or about 60% material to about 40% openings. 
     An embodiment may have a blade  101  that corresponds to a blade holder  301  in which the blade  101  has more attachment points  615  than the blade holder  301  has arms  404 . An embodiment may comprise a blade holder  301  having the same number of arms  404  as the blade  101  has attachment points  615 . In certain embodiments, the blade  101  may be configured such that it flexes during use. Accordingly, in such embodiments the portions of the blade  101  that are adjacent to the arms  404  of the blade holder  301  may be more rigid than portions of the blade  101  that are further away from the support arms  404  of the blade holder  301 . Consequently, the latter, less supported portions of the blade  101  may flex away from the block of ice during use and thus experience less wear and tear. Accordingly, it may be advantageous to rotate the blade  101  relative to the blade holder  301  (and affix the blade  101  to the blade holder  301  in an alternate position) thereby distributing the wear and tear across the whole blade surface, thereby more evenly wearing the cutting surfaces  150  of the blade  101  resulting in longer blade life. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates the feature of a blade  701  being shifted or rotated with respect to the blade holder  710  in order to prolong the life of the blade  701 . As can be seen in the figure, the blade holder  710  may comprise a plurality of arms  704 , for example, three arms  704 , and is shown being shifted or rotated in dashed lines relative to the blade  701  in order to prolong the usable life of the blade cutting surfaces. More specifically, the arms  704   a  may be positioned in position “A” in the figure, which position represents a first assembled position of the blade assembly  700 . The arms  704   b  may be positioned in position “B” in the figure, which represents a second assembled position of the blade assembly  700 . As a user determines that the blade  701  is performing in an unsatisfactory manner, the blade  701  can be rotated relative to the blade holder  710  to improve function. The blade  701  may be rotated incrementally one attachment point  706  at a time or may be rotated by a plurality of attachment points  706  in order to utilize a different part of the blade cutting surfaces that have not been used as much as other portions of the blade to extend the life and usefulness of the blade as long as possible. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the feature of a tensioned blade  801  in a blade assembly  800 . In order to reduce the accumulation of unwanted ice, or ice build-up, on the blade  801 , the blade  801  may be tensioned during the assembly of the blade assembly  800 . As can be seen schematically in  FIG. 8 , the blade  801   a  may be relatively planer prior to assembly while it is in an untensioned state. The blade holder  810  may be configured with a distance between the mounting holes  815  on the blade holder arms  804  that is less than the distance between corresponding attachment points  816  of the blade  801 . 
     It will be appreciated that a radial measurement D 1  (illustrated in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11   a ) from a center of rotation of the blade holder  301  (depicted as dashed line R-R in  FIG. 9 ), which center of rotation R-R may be the center of the hub  406  (see  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11   a ), to the center of the attachment structure  410  of each of the plurality of arms  404  is less than a radial measurement D 2  (illustrated in  FIG. 6 ) from a center of rotation R 2  of the blade  101  to the attachment points (such as  615  of  FIG. 6 ) of the blade  101 . The radial measurement D 1  may be between a range of about two inches to about eight inches, or may be between about three inches to about seven inches, or may be between about four inches to about six inches, or may be about five inches. It will also be appreciated that distances or lengths of the radial measurements D 1  may be modified depending upon the size of the blade  101  and safety cover  102  to be used with the machine  100 . It will be appreciated that the distance or length of a diameter D 3  of the blade holder  1110  may be approximately twice the length or distance of the radial measurement D 1 , such that the diameter may be between about four inches to about sixteen inches, or may be between about six inches to about fourteen inches, or may be between about eight inches to about twelve inches, or may be about ten inches. Due to the above mechanical properties and physical relationships, and as shown by the blade  801   b  in  FIG. 8 , the blade  801  will be placed in tension as and when it is attached to the blade holder  810 . As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the blade  801  is in a tensioned state when it is attached to the blade holder  810 . 
     Referring briefly now to  FIGS. 11   a  and  11   b , the fastening or attachment structure  1110  of the blade holder  1101  may extend upwardly from the arm  1104 . It will be appreciated that an angle may be formed between the arm  1104  and the attachment structure  1110  at an angle that is substantially normal to the plane in which the arm  1104  generally lies, such that the attachment structure  1110  may be aligned with the attachment points, such as  706 , of the blade, such as  701 , so that a fastener or other mechanical closure may secure the blade to the blade holder  1101  to thereby form the blade assembly. The attachment structure  1110  may comprise a height H 1 . The height H 1  may be about 0.500 inch to about 3.0 inches, or may be about 1.0 inch to about 2.0 inches, or may be about 1.50 inches. 
     It will be appreciated that the hub  1106  also comprise a height H 2 , which may have a value that is equal to or larger than the height H 1  of the attachment structure  1110 . Thus, for example, the height H 2  may be about 0.500 inch to about 3.0 inches, or may be about 1.0 inch to about 2.0 inches, or may be about 1.50 inches, when the height H 2  of the hub  1106  is about equal to the height H 1  of the attachment structure  1110 . The height H 2  of the hub  1106  may also be about 0.650 inches to about 3.150 inches, or may be about 1.150 inches to about 2.150 inches, or may be about 1.650 inches, when the height H 2  is larger than the height H 1 . A ratio of the height H 2  of the hub  1106  to the height H 1  of the attachment structure  1110  may be about 1.0 to about 1.5 or may be about 1.1 to about 1.3. The difference in height values, or lack thereof, between H 1  and H 2  may result in a blade that can flex to a predetermined extent until contacting the hub  1106 . For example, when the height H 1  is substantially equal to the height H 2 , the blade may be able to flex to a greater degree than when H 2  is larger than H 1 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , the figure illustrates the feature of a flexible blade during use. In the figure it can be seen that as a block of ice  1005  is pushed into the spinning or rotating blade  1001 , the blade flexes a distance represented in the figure as distance “F.” In the figure, the ice block positioned and labeled at  1005   a  (and drawn in a solid line) represents an unloaded condition and position. As a load is applied to the ice block  1005   a  by an ice feeder  103  (illustrated best in  FIGS. 1-3 ), the blade  1001   a  flexes to the blade positioned and labeled at  1001   b  (and drawn in dashed lines), which shows a loaded and flexed condition. The loads applied by the ice feeder  103  may range from the weight of the ice block itself to a considerable load of about 180 to about 220 lbs. of pressure or more (for example, 250 lbs. of pressure). Variables that can help determine the load to be applied may be such things as: the blade design, the blade material, the shaved ice rate, the limitation of ice feeder power, environmental conditions, the rotation rate of the blade and other factors. 
     The hub may comprise a support structure  1009  that mechanically communicates and interacts with the blade to control the amount of flex of the blade as a load is placed on the blade, such that the blade may be loaded evenly. The flex of the blade may be limited by the blade support structure  1009 , which may be part of the hub or other structure, on the blade holder  1010  to prevent damage to the blade  1001 . It will be appreciated that the support structure  1009  may comprise a substantially flat surface or may comprise a curved surface without departing from the scope of the disclosure. It will also be understood that the release of the load on the blade  1001  may allow the blade to move back into its original, unloaded position. When the load is released, the blade moves and experiences a “spring action,” such that any built-up ice may be removed from the cutting surfaces of the blade  1001  as the blade springs back into its original, unloaded position. 
     It will be appreciated that the disclosure contemplates an embodiment in which the blade may be attached to the blade holder without being in tension, such that the blade does not flex. In such an embodiment, the blade may be substantially static with respect to the blade holder and hub. 
       FIG. 17  illustrates a tool for safely clearing blockages within an ice block shaving machine. A clearing tool  1600  may be included in a system comprising an ice shaving machine having a blade assembly. 
     It will be appreciated from the detailed description that it may be desirable to provide a machine for shaving a block of ice that produces light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice, or a powdery snow-like textured shaved ice product. When shaving ice, blocks of ice provide for a more consistent, powdery snow-like texture than cubed ice, which tends to produce a grainier shaved ice product. Flavoring may then be dispensed onto the powdery snow-like shaved ice, thereby providing a confectionery product for human consumption. Block ice provides several advantages for making shaved ice, such as consistency in the outputted shaved ice product, and the volume of outputted product between ice refills. 
     Therefore, it is a potential feature of this disclosure to provide a machine for shaving a block of ice that produces light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice and dispensing the shaved ice into a receiver or a container while maintaining safety of operation and efficiency of operation, such that one or more flavorings may be dispensed on the received shaved ice. 
     It is a further potential feature of this disclosure to provide a machine for shaving block ice into a snow-like texture, or a light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice. Blocks of ice produce more even consistency and texture that is more like a powdery snow. The structures of the devices described and used herein above have been adapted for use with blocks of ice. Certain adaptations and improvements have been developed to handle the block ice form. 
     Another potential feature of this disclosure is to provide a machine for shaving ice and which provides a flavoring dispensing mechanism that permits the convenient selection of flavors. A further potential feature of this disclosure is to provide a machine for shaving ice into a confectionery and which is adapted to provide high volume shaved ice production. 
     It is a further potential feature of this disclosure to provide a machine for shaving ice that provides enhanced shaving speed control. 
     Another potential feature of this disclosure is to provide a machine for shaving ice that has an improved blade design. 
     A further potential feature of this disclosure is to provide a machine for shaving ice that has improved “snow” dispensing. 
     A further potential feature of the disclosure is to provide a machine and blade assembly for shaving ice that produces light, fluffy, finely textured shaved ice. 
     It is another potential feature of the disclosure to provide a machine and blade assembly for consistently producing high quality shaved ice even as the block of ice begins to warm and change consistency. 
     It is another potential feature of the disclosure to provide a machine and blade assembly for shaving ice without taking into account the skill of the worker to produce high quality shaved ice products, wherein the machine and the blade assembly does substantially all of the work necessary to provide a high quality shaved ice product, such that the ability and skill of the worker is not a paramount consideration. 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of numerous and varied other embodiments, which may constitute applications of the principles of the disclosure. Such other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure and it is the inventor&#39;s intent that these alternative embodiments be deemed as within the scope of the disclosure. 
     It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure and the disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5