U.S. patent application number 09/748410 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-08 for ice maker with improved harvest detection and thermal efficiency.
Invention is credited to Cox, Robert G., DeWitt, Donald E., Tchougounov, Andrei.
Application Number | 20010037648 09/748410 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25009328 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010037648 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tchougounov, Andrei ; et
al. |
November 8, 2001 |
Ice maker with improved harvest detection and thermal
efficiency
Abstract
An ice maker includes a mold having at least one cavity
configured for containing water therein for freezing into ice. An
auger extends substantially vertically through the at least one
mold cavity. The auger is configured for rotating to thereby push
the ice out of the at least one mold cavity. A temperature sensor
is positioned in association with the mold for sensing a
temperature of the mold. A heat transfer member is metallurgically
coupled with the auger and extends downwardly from the mold.
Inventors: |
Tchougounov, Andrei;
(Ligonier, IN) ; Cox, Robert G.; (Goshen, IN)
; DeWitt, Donald E.; (Syracuse, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Todd T. Taylor
TAYLOR & AUST, P.C.
142 S. Main St.
P.O. Box 560
Avilla
IN
46710
US
|
Family ID: |
25009328 |
Appl. No.: |
09/748410 |
Filed: |
December 26, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09748410 |
Dec 26, 2000 |
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09499011 |
Feb 4, 2000 |
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6223550 |
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09499011 |
Feb 4, 2000 |
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09285283 |
Apr 2, 1999 |
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6082121 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/75 ;
62/356 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2400/10 20130101;
F25C 5/00 20130101; F25C 2500/02 20130101; F25C 5/04 20130101; F25C
1/06 20130101; F25C 1/04 20130101; F25C 2400/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/75 ;
62/356 |
International
Class: |
F25C 001/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An ice maker, comprising: a mold including a plurality of side
walls defining at least one cavity configured for containing water
therein for freezing into ice; an ice removal device configured to
thereby push the ice out of said at least one mold cavity; and a
temperature sensor positioned in association with said mold for
sensing a temperature of said mold.
2. The ice maker of claim 1, said mold including a plurality of
side walls defining said at least one mold cavity, said temperature
sensor positioned at least partly within at least one of said side
walls.
3. The ice maker of claim 2, said at least one side wall including
an opening therein, said temperature sensor positioned within said
opening.
4. The ice maker of claim 3, further including at least one closure
cap, each said cap covering a corresponding end of said
opening.
5. The ice maker of claim 4, said temperature sensor including an
electrical conductor extending therefrom, and said at least one
closure cap including a hole through which said electrical
conductor passes.
6. The ice maker of claim 4, further including a resilient member
positioned within said opening and biasing said temperature sensor
against an end of said opening.
7. The ice maker of claim 6, wherein said resilient member biases
said temperature sensor against said end of said opening adjacent
said at least one cavity.
8. The ice maker of claim 7, wherein said resilient member
comprises a compression spring.
9. The ice maker of claim 8, wherein said temperature sensor
comprises a thermocouple.
10. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor
comprises a thermocouple.
11. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein said that ice removal device
comprises an auger extending substantially vertically through said
at least one mold cavity, said auger being configured for rotating
to thereby push the ice out of said at least one mold cavity
12. A freezer, comprising: a freezer unit including an ice maker,
said ice maker comprising: a mold including a plurality of side
walls defining at least one cavity configured for containing water
therein for freezing into ice; an ice removal device configured to
push the ice out of said at least one mold cavity; and a
temperature sensor positioned in association with said mold for
sensing a temperature of said mold.
13. The freezer of claim 12, said mold including a plurality of
side walls defining said at least one mold cavity, said temperature
sensor positioned at least partly within at least one of said side
walls.
14. The freezer of claim 12, said at least one side wall including
an opening therein, said temperature sensor positioned within said
opening.
15. The freezer of claim 14, further including at least one closure
cap, each said cap covering a corresponding end of said
opening.
16. The freezer of claim 15, said temperature sensor including an
electrical conductor extending therefrom, and said at least one
closure cap including a hole through which said electrical
conductor passes.
17. The freezer of claim 16, further including a resilient member
positioned within said opening and biasing said temperature sensor
against an end of said opening
18. The freezer of claim 17, wherein said resilient member biases
said temperature sensor against said end of said opening adjacent
said at least one cavity.
19. The freezer of claim 18, wherein said resilient member
comprises a compression spring.
20. The ice maker of claim 1, wherein said ice removal device
comprises an auger extending substantially vertically through said
at least one mold cavity, said auger being configured for rotating
to thereby push the ice said out of said at least one mold.
21. An ice maker, comprising: a mold including a plurality of side
walls defining at least one cavity configured for containing water
therein for freezing into ice; an auger extending substantially
vertically through said at least one mold cavity, said auger being
configured for rotating to thereby push the ice out of said at
least one mold cavity; and a heat transfer member metallurgically
coupled with said auger and extending downwardly away from said
mold.
22. The ice maker of claim 21, wherein said heat transfer member is
one of monolithic with and welded to said auger.
23. The ice maker of claim 22, wherein said heat transfer member is
monolithic with said auger.
24. The ice maker of claim 21, wherein said heat transfer member
comprises a plurality of generally disc shaped fins aligned
generally coaxially with each other.
25. The ice maker of claim 24, wherein said heat transfer member
comprises at least six generally disc shaped fins aligned generally
coaxially with each other.
26. A freezer, comprising: a freezer unit including an ice maker,
said ice maker comprising: a mold including a plurality of side
walls defining at least one cavity configured for containing water
therein for freezing into ice; an auger extending substantially
vertically through said at least one mold cavity, said auger being
configured for rotating to thereby push the ice out of said at
least one mold cavity; and a heat transfer member metallurgically
coupled with said auger and extending downwardly away from said
mold.
27. The freezer of claim 26, wherein said heat transfer member is
one of monolithic with and welded to said auger.
28. The freezer of claim 27, wherein said heat transfer member is
monolithic with said auger.
29. The freezer of claim 26, wherein said heat transfer member
comprises a plurality of generally disc shaped fins aligned
generally coaxially with each other.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/499,011, entitled "ICE MAKER", filed Feb. 4, 2000,
which is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/285,283, entitled "ICE MAKER", filed Apr. 2, 1999, now U.S. Pat.
No. 6,082,121.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to freezer units, and, more
particularly, to automatic ice makers within such freezer
units.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The freezer portion of a refrigeration/freezer appliance
often includes an ice cube maker which dispenses the ice cubes into
a dispenser tray. A mold has a series of cavities, each of which is
filled with water. The air surrounding the mold is cooled to a
temperature below freezing so that each cavity forms an individual
ice cube. As the water freezes, the ice cubes become bonded to the
inner surfaces of the mold cavities.
[0006] In order to remove an ice cube from its mold cavity, it is
first necessary to break the bond that forms during the freezing
process between the ice cube and the inner surface of the mold
cavity. In order to break the bond, it is known to heat the mold
cavity, thereby melting the ice contacting the mold cavity on the
outermost portion of the cube. The ice cube can then be scooped out
or otherwise mechanically removed from the mold cavity and placed
in the dispenser tray. A problem is that, since the mold cavity is
heated and must be cooled down again, the time required to freeze
the water is lengthened.
[0007] Another problem is that the heating of the mold increases
the operational costs of the ice maker by consuming electrical
power. Further, this heating must be offset with additional
refrigeration in order to maintain a freezing ambient temperature,
thereby consuming additional power. This is especially troublesome
in view of government mandates which require freezers to increase
their efficiency.
[0008] Yet another problem is that, since the mold cavity is
heated, the water at the top, middle of the mold cavity freezes
first and the freezing continues in outward directions. In this
freezing process, the boundary between the ice and the water tends
to push impurities to the outside of the cube. Thus, the impurities
become highly visible on the outside of the cube and cause the cube
to have an unappealing appearance. Also, the impurities tend to
plate out or build up on the mold wall, thereby making ice cube
removal more difficult.
[0009] A further problem is that vaporization of the water in the
mold cavities causes frost to form on the walls of the freezer.
More particularly, in a phenomenon termed "vapor flashing",
vaporization occurs during the melting of the bond between the ice
and the mold cavity. Moreover, vaporization adds to the latent load
or the water removal load of the refrigerator.
[0010] Yet another problem is that the ice cube must be
substantially completely frozen before it is capable of
withstanding the stresses imparted by the melting and removal
processes. This limits the throughput capacity of the ice
maker.
[0011] What is needed in the art is an ice maker which does not
require heat in order to remove ice cubes from their cavities, has
an increased throughput capacity, allows less evaporation of water
within the freezer, eases the separation of the ice cubes from the
auger and does not push impurities to the outer surfaces of the ice
cubes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention provides an ice maker within a freezer
unit having a heat transfer member which is monolithically formed
with and extends from an auger for improved thermal efficiency. The
ice maker is also provided with a temperature sensor in a side wall
of the mold for detecting an optimum harvest time for the ice
cube.
[0013] The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an ice maker
including a mold having at least one cavity configured for
containing water therein for freezing into ice. An auger extends
substantially vertically through the at least one mold cavity. The
auger is configured for rotating to thereby push the ice out of the
at least one mold cavity. A temperature sensor is positioned in
association with the mold for sensing a temperature of the
mold.
[0014] The invention comprises, in another form thereof, an ice
maker including a mold having a plurality of side walls defining at
least one cavity configured for containing water therein for
freezing into ice. An auger extends substantially vertically
through the at least one mold cavity. The auger is configured for
rotating to thereby push the ice out of the at least one mold
cavity. A heat transfer member is metallurgically coupled with the
auger and extends downwardly away from the mold.
[0015] An advantage of the present invention is that the heat
transfer member extending from the auger allows the water to cool
faster and thereby provides a higher throughput rate for the ice
maker.
[0016] Another advantage is that a temperature sensor is positioned
in an opening of the mold side wall, thereby allowing detection of
the temperature of the water or ice within the mold cavity.
[0017] Yet another advantage is that the temperature sensor is
spring biased against an end of the opening in the mold side wall
to ensure good thermal contact with the mold side wall.
[0018] A further advantage is that the heat transfer member may be
formed with a plurality of generally concentrically positioned
disc-shaped cooling fins which allow the heat transfer member to
rotate with the auger during use while at the same time providing
an increased surface area for improved thermal efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of
this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference
to the following description of an embodiment of the invention
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, perspective view of a
freezer unit including an embodiment of an ice maker of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the ice maker shown in
FIG. 1; and
[0022] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a mold side wall
with a temperature sensor positioned therein.
[0023] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out
herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in
one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as
limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of a freezer unit 10
within a freezer (not numbered). Freezer unit 10 includes an ice
maker 12, which in turn generally includes a housing 14, drive
motor 16, mold 18, auger 20, heat transfer member 22 and drive
train 24.
[0025] Mold 18 includes a plurality of side walls 26 defining a
mold cavity 28. Mold cavity 28 is configured for containing water
therein for freezing into ice. Mold 18 includes a plurality of
cooling fins 30 associated with each side wall 26. Cooling fins 30
provide an increased surface area allowing the water to be frozen
into ice at a faster cooling rate within mold cavity 28. Mold 18 is
carried by housing 14.
[0026] Fill tube 32 is coupled with and carried by mold 18 using
threaded fasteners 34. The mating surfaces between fill tube 32 and
mold 18, as well as the use of fasteners 34, locate the discharge
end of fill tube 32 relative to mold cavity 28 such that water is
discharged at a particular impingement angle relative to one or
more of side walls 26 of mold 18. Fill tube 32 includes a heater 36
which may be actuated using a controller (not shown) to
periodically or continuously maintain fill tube 32 in an unfrozen
or unclogged state. For details of the general operating principals
of a heated fill tube which may be used with a freezer unit such as
employed in the present invention, reference is hereby made to
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/130,180 entitled
"Heater Assembly for a Fluid Conduit with an Internal Heater".
[0027] Auger 20 extends substantially vertically through mold
cavity 28, with a distal end which extends past mold cavity 28 for
the purpose of transporting an ice cube out of mold cavity 28.
Auger 20, in the embodiment shown, is a tapered auger having a
continuous flighting 38 extending around and carried by shaft 40.
Each of flighting 38 and shaft 40 are tapered such that the distal
end of auger 20 has a smaller diameter, thereby allowing a
harvested ice cube to be more easily separated from auger 20. A
shoulder 42 adjacent flighting 38 is positioned within mold cavity
28 to define a portion of the bottom wall of mold cavity 28. Auger
20 also fixedly carries a gear 44 (FIG. 2) allowing geared
interconnection with motor 16 via drive train 24. Drive train 24
includes a plurality of gears (not numbered) which are
appropriately sized and configured to provide a predetermined gear
reduction ratio between motor 16 and auger 20. Motor 16 can of
course be sized with an appropriate output power, output rotational
speed and input electrical power requirements.
[0028] Heat transfer member 22 is metallurgically coupled with
auger 20 and extends downwardly away from mold 18. Heat transfer
member 22 functions to provide an increased surface area such that
the cooling rate of the water within mold cavity 28 is enhanced.
More particularly, heat transfer member 22 is monolithically formed
with auger 20 to provide a maximum cooling rate to the water within
mold cavity 28. If heat transfer member 22 was merely a separate
piece which was mechanically coupled to auger 20, surface
imperfections, even at the atomic level, would decrease the cooling
efficiency of ice maker 12. By monolithically forming heat transfer
member 22 with auger 20, heat transfer via conduction away from
mold cavity 28 is improved, thereby improving the overall
efficiency of ice maker 20.
[0029] Although heat transfer member 22 is shown as being
monolithically formed with auger 20, it is also possible to
metallurgically bond heat transfer member 22 to auger 20 by other
techniques, such as welding, brazing, etc. providing continuous
conduction without a surface-to-surface interface therebetween.
[0030] Because heat transfer member 22 is metallurgically coupled
with and thus rigidly affixed to auger 20, heat transfer member 22
rotates with auger 20 during operation. Thus, heat transfer member
22 must be configured with an external shape allowing rotation
within freezer unit 10 within described geometric constraints. In
the embodiment shown, heat transfer member 22 includes a plurality
of generally disc shaped fins 48 which are aligned generally
coaxially with each other. More particularly, heat transfer member
22 includes six generally disc shaped fins which are aligned
generally coaxially with each other. Fins 48 function to provide an
increased surface area to heat transfer member 22, thereby
providing an increased heat transfer efficiency to ice maker
12.
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a sectional view of
a portion of a side wall 26 of mold 18. A temperature sensor 50 is
positioned in association with side wall 26 of mold 18 for sensing
a temperature of mold 18. More particularly, side wall 26 includes
an opening 52 therein. Temperature sensor 50 is positioned within
opening 52 at an end of opening 52 which is closely adjacent to
mold cavity 28. Temperature sensor 50 thus may be used to detect
the temperature of the water which freezes into ice within mold
cavity 28. A closure cap 54 covers an opposite end of opening 52. A
resilient member 56 in the form of a compression spring is
positioned within opening 52 and biases temperature sensor 50
against the end of opening 52. An electrical conductor 58 is
electrically coupled with temperature sensor 50 and passes through
compression spring 56 and a hole 60 within closure cap 54. Closure
cap 54 may be threadingly engaged with opening 52, press fit within
opening 52, etc., depending upon the particular configuration.
Temperature sensor 50 may be any suitable sensor for detecting a
temperature within mold cavity 28 such as a thermocouple or the
like.
[0032] During use, water is injected into mold cavity 28 from fill
tube 32. Temperature sensor 50 provides an output signal to a
controller (not shown) which detects when the ice cube within mold
cavity 28 has frozen to a point allowing harvesting thereof. The
controller actuates motor 16, which in turn drives auger 20 via
drive train 24. Since mold cavity 28 has a non-circular cross
section, rotational movement of auger 20 causes translational
movement of the ice cube out of mold cavity 28. The heat transfer
necessary to cool the water to form the ice cube is enhanced by
heat transfer member 22 which is monolithically formed with and
extends from auger 20 away from housing 14.
[0033] While this invention has been described as having a
preferred design, the present invention can be further modified
within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is
therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of
the invention using its general principles. Further, this
application is intended to cover such departures from the present
disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to
which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of
the appended claims.
* * * * *