Patent Description:
For some time fully-automated monobloc machines have been present on the market, for automated production of ice for food use for internal use by operators in the foodstuffs sector such as hotels, restaurants, catering, food sales and preparation establishment, fishmongers, bars and markets.

It is known that these machines work on a normal refrigeration cycle, where the evaporator is provided with forming means for forming ice particles from liquid drinking water when appropriately sprayed or conveyed onto the means where the drinking water changes from liquid to solid state.

In general machines used for automated production of ice are directly connected to the tubing coming from the municipal water supply with an absence of refining systems of the drinking water used.

Some machines can be provided with a water storage tank: in this case, i.e. when the drinking water used for the ice production is not used in a continuous flow, the automated production of the ice must include further water disinfection systems with disinfectants suitable for the purpose of preventing issues with microbial proliferation.

The ice particles thus formed, such as ice cubes (full or hollow), in flakes or granules, are then detached from the forming means, typically with a brief inversion of the refrigeration cycle, and immediately collected in containers or trays made of suitable materials for the contact with foodstuffs that need being kept clean and sanitised.

The user then manually accesses the container to collect the ice particles, according to needs, while duly following the correct hygiene practices for handling foodstuffs (hand hygiene, clothing hygiene and so on) with the purpose of preventing microbiological and particle contaminations.

As is known, these machines are provided with control means which subordinates the formation of the particles, and thus the functioning of the machine under production, to a minimum level of particles in the collection container.

As is also known, manual access by the user and/or a plurality of users not particularly protected to the collection container can transmit a possible contamination of micro-organisms to the ice particles contained in the collection container, and which will be subsequently collected.

In the present historical moment, special and due attention also needs being paid to the drinking water in the liquid state used for the formation of the ice particles, which also must be sanitised to be freed from micro-organisms.

Systems for sanitising drinking water in machines provided with a water storage tank and based on the disinfection of the water with suitable disinfectants are notoriously poorly effective, as these activities are typically not automatic.

It is well known that these traditional sanitising systems require the user's diligence, precision and goodwill.

The traditional systems for sanitising the collection containers and/or trays for the ice particles produced traditionally include cleaning and sanitising the container and/or the tray, but not sanitising the ice particles between one withdrawal by a user and the next. <CIT> discloses a fully-automated monobloc machine according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

<CIT> discloses a further machine of the prior art.

There is therefore a need to simplify the structure of the sanitising systems in a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice of known type.

The technical task of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use which enables obviating the technical disadvantages comprised in the prior art.

Within the context of this technical task an object of the invention is to realise a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use which has a system for sanitising the ice particles in the collection container.

A further aim of the invention is to realise a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use which has a system for sanitising the drinking water in the storage tank.

A further aim of the invention is to realise a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use which has a system for sanitising the ice particles in the collection container and a system for sanitising the drinking water in the storage tank that are simple, effective and have an automated functioning.

The technical task, as well as these and other objects according to the present invention are achieved by realising a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use, as defined in claim <NUM>, comprising at least one storage tank of process water in the liquid state, an evaporator provided with forming means for forming ice particles from liquid water, a collection container of the ice particles, an access hatch door to the collection container, wherein it comprises surface sterilisation means of the ice particles in the collection container, detection means of the open or closed position of the access hatch door, and control means communicating with said detection means and configured to activate said sterilisation means if said closed position is detected.

Other characteristics of the present invention are further defined in the following claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the appended drawing, in which:.

The operation in production of the fully-automated monobloc machine <NUM> is with a known refrigeration cycle, the components of which are not highlighted in the figure but of which only the evaporator <NUM> is illustrated provided with forming means for forming ice particles <NUM> from the process drinking water in the liquid state which is advantageously sprayed or in any case conveyed by operating means <NUM> onto the forming means <NUM>, where the liquid changes from liquid to solid state. The machine <NUM> comprises a storage tank <NUM> where the process drinking water in the liquid state coming from the municipal water supply is stored and subsequently withdrawn by the operating means <NUM> for the subsequent transformation thereof into ice.

The ice particles thus formed, being ice cubes (full or hollow), in flakes or in granules, are then detached from the forming means <NUM>, typically with a brief inversion of the refrigeration cycle, and immediately generally collected by force of gravity in at least a collection container <NUM>.

According to the present invention, the collection container <NUM> is advantageously closed, by at least one access hatch door <NUM>.

The user manually accesses the collection container <NUM> to collect the ice particles, according to needs, exclusively through the access hatch <NUM>, which is normally in the closed position.

According to the present invention, there is a detection means <NUM> of the open or closed position of the access hatch door <NUM> present.

The detection means <NUM> typically comprises a microswitch activated by the opening or closing movement of the hatch door <NUM>.

According to the present invention, the collection container <NUM> advantageously comprises a surface sterilisation means <NUM> of the ice particles in the collection container <NUM>.

The surface sterilisation means <NUM> advantageously comprises at least one ultraviolet germicidal lamp positioned inside the collection container <NUM>, typically above the ice particles deposited in the collection container <NUM>.

The detection means <NUM> communicates with a suitable control means <NUM> configured to activate the surface sterilisation means <NUM> only if the closed position of the hatch door <NUM> is detected.

The control means <NUM> activates the surface sterilisation means <NUM> according to a predefined timed program, as a function at least of the type of the ice particles produced and collected in the container <NUM>, such as ice cubes (full or hollow), in flakes or granules, and as a function at least of the quantity of the ice particles appropriately detected in the collection container <NUM>.

The control means <NUM> typically comprises a timer and a relay which control the energy supply to the surface sterilisation means <NUM>.

The machine <NUM> can comprise sanitising means with ionised air and ozone <NUM> for sanitising internal volumes of the machine <NUM> which can be provided to replace or preferably in addition to the above-described sterilisation means.

Said sanitising means of ionised air and ozone <NUM> comprises detection means <NUM>, control means <NUM> communicating with said detection means <NUM> and configured to activate production means of at least ionised air and ozone <NUM> and diffusion means <NUM> of ionised air and ozone.

The diffusion means <NUM> is advantageously configured for the diffusion of ionised air and ozone at least into the area of the forming means <NUM> of the ice particles in proximity of the evaporator <NUM> and/or at least into the container <NUM> of the ice particles and/or at least into the storage tank <NUM> for storing the drinking water in the liquid state coming from the municipal water supply and used for the formation of the ice particles.

The production means of at least ionised air and ozone <NUM> typically comprises an ultra-violet anti-bacterial germicidal lamp, and as well as ionised air the production means produces ozone, well known today as the most powerful existing virucide and bactericide, able to deactivate not only viruses but also a vast array of other contaminant micro-organisms possibly present in the internal volumes of the machine <NUM>.

The control means <NUM> activates the production means of ionised air and ozone <NUM> and the diffusion means <NUM> according to a sequence and a predefined timed program while controlling the diffusion areas, times and the quantity of diffusion. The operation of the fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use according to the invention emerges clearly from the description and illustration and, in particular, is substantially as follows.

The operation is described with reference to a cycle of manufacturing of ice in particles, from an instant considered initial at which the collection container <NUM> is considered to be sufficiently full of ice particles, in any conformation i.e. cubes, flakes or granules.

The user accesses the collection container by opening the access hatch door <NUM>, normally in a closed position, and manually and/or using manual tools collects the quantity of ice particles at the desired instant: this intrusion to the inside of the collection container <NUM>, if not carried out with the due hygienic precautions, can contaminate, with micro-organisms or bacteria, the residual surface of the mass of ice particles remaining in the collection container <NUM>.

The access hatch door <NUM> is closed, manually or by means of traditional closing devices of an elastic type, not illustrated in the figures.

The detection means <NUM> detects the closure of the access hatch door <NUM> and communicates this datum to the control means <NUM> which activates the surface sterilisation means <NUM>, typically at least one ultraviolet germicidal anti-bacterial lamp, which illuminates the residual surface of the mass of ice particles remained in the collection container <NUM>, according to a predefined timed program, and sterilises it.

When the volume of the ice particles remained in the collection container <NUM> falls below a predetermined quantity, typically a level, suitable traditional detection means, not illustrated in the figures, activates the operating means <NUM> which conveys the process drinking water contained in the storage tank <NUM> onto the forming means of the ice particles <NUM>, where the drinking water changes from liquid to solid state, restoring the level of the ice particles produced in the collection container <NUM> to a predetermined value.

The activation of the production means <NUM>, and therefore the supply thereof with the process water, reduces the level of the process water in the storage tank <NUM>, where suitable traditional detection means, not illustrated in the figures, activates the supply of the storage tank <NUM> from the municipal water supply of drinking water, with traditional means, not illustrated, restoring the level to predefined quantities.

The detection means <NUM>, on detecting the activation of the operating means <NUM>, transfers the datum to the control means <NUM> which activates the production means of ionised air and ozone <NUM> which the diffusion means <NUM> advantageously transfers in known ways into the internal volumes of the machine <NUM> according to a sequence and a predefined timed program.

Typically, when the ice particles under formation are ice cubes (full or hollow) the diffusion means <NUM> transfers ionised air and ozone in the area of the forming means <NUM> of the ice particles in proximity of the evaporator <NUM> and in the container <NUM> of the ice particles;
when the ice particles under formation are ice in flakes or granules, the diffusion means <NUM> transfers ionised air and ozone into the container <NUM> of the ice particles and into the storage tank <NUM> for storing the drinking water in the liquid state.

It has been demonstrated how a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use according to the invention is particularly advantageous for surface sanitising of the ice particles in the collection container, following each withdrawal of particles by the user.

A further advantage of a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use according to the invention is the presence of sanitising means with ionised air and ozone <NUM> for sanitising internal volumes of said machine <NUM>.

A not least advantage of a fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use according to the invention is that it has an automatic surface sanitising system of the ice particles in the collection container and a sanitising system of the internal volumes of the machine that are simple, effective and have an automated functioning.

A fully-automated monobloc machine for manufacturing ice in particles for food use thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept, as defined in the claims.

Claim 1:
A fully-automated monobloc machine (<NUM>) for manufacturing ice in particles for food use, comprising at least one storage tank (<NUM>) of process water in the liquid state, an evaporator (<NUM>) provided with forming means for forming ice particles (<NUM>) from the process water in the liquid state, a collection container (<NUM>) of the ice particles, an access hatch door (<NUM>) to said collection container (<NUM>), surface sterilisation means (<NUM>) of said ice particles present in said collection container (<NUM>), detection means (<NUM>) of the open or closed position of said access hatch door (<NUM>), and control means (<NUM>) communicating with said detection means (<NUM>) and configured to activate said surface sterilisation means (<NUM>) only if said closed position of said access hatch door is detected (<NUM>), characterised in that said control means (<NUM>) are configured to activate said surface sterilisation means (<NUM>) according to a predefined timed program, as a function at least of the type of the ice particles produced and collected in the container (<NUM>), and as a function at least of the quantity of the ice particles detected in the collection container (<NUM>).