U.S. patent application number 14/091659 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-29 for undercounter ice maker with increased capacity ice storage bin.
This patent application is currently assigned to True Manufacturing Company, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is True Manufacturing Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to John Allen BROADBENT.
Application Number | 20140144175 14/091659 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50772077 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140144175 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BROADBENT; John Allen |
May 29, 2014 |
UNDERCOUNTER ICE MAKER WITH INCREASED CAPACITY ICE STORAGE BIN
Abstract
An undercounter ice maker assembly comprising an ice maker
chassis having a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a right
panel, and a back panel. The back panel comprises a bottom portion
and a top portion and the bottom panel includes one or more
openings. The bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel,
and the bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration
system compartment having a reduced height. The undercounter ice
maker assembly further includes an ice maker disposed in the ice
maker chassis, wherein the ice maker comprises an evaporator, a
compressor, a condenser, and one or more condenser fans. The one or
more condenser fans each have an axis of rotation which are
disposed at an angle .THETA. with respect to the bottom panel and
air can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through
the one or more openings of the bottom panel.
Inventors: |
BROADBENT; John Allen;
(Denver, CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
True Manufacturing Company, Inc. |
O'Fallon |
MO |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
True Manufacturing Company,
Inc.
O'Fallon
MO
|
Family ID: |
50772077 |
Appl. No.: |
14/091659 |
Filed: |
November 27, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61730516 |
Nov 28, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25C 2400/10 20130101;
F25D 2323/00266 20130101; F25D 2323/0024 20130101; F25D 2323/00274
20130101; F25D 2323/00276 20130101; F25D 23/003 20130101; F25D
2323/00264 20130101; F25D 2500/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/340 |
International
Class: |
F25C 5/18 20060101
F25C005/18 |
Claims
1. An undercounter ice maker assembly comprising: (i) an ice maker
chassis comprising a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a
right panel, and a back panel, the back panel comprising a bottom
portion and a top portion and the bottom panel comprising one or
more openings, a) wherein the top portion extends upwardly from the
bottom panel to a point above the front, left and right panels, and
c) wherein the bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel,
and bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration system
compartment; and (ii) an ice maker disposed in the ice maker
chassis, the ice maker comprising an evaporator disposed at the top
portion of the back panel, a compressor, a condenser, and one or
more condenser fans, wherein the one or more condenser fans each
have an axis of rotation which are disposed at an angle .THETA.
with respect to the bottom panel and wherein air can enter or exit
the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more
openings of the bottom panel.
2. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
angle .THETA. of the axes of the one or more condenser fans with
respect to the bottom is about 90.degree..
3. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
angle .THETA. of the axes of the one or more condenser fans with
respect to the bottom is greater than about 45.degree.
4. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to: (i) intake ambient air from
below the bottom panel through the one or more openings of the
bottom panel, (ii) push the ambient air through the condenser where
the ambient air is warmed, and (iii) exhaust the warmed air.
5. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 4, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to exhaust the warmed air out
one or more openings in the front panel.
6. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 4, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to exhaust the warmed air out
one or more openings in one or more of the front panel, the left
panel, the right panel and the back panel.
7. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to: (i) intake ambient air, (ii)
draw the ambient air through the condenser where the air is warmed,
and (iii) exhaust the warmed air out the one or more openings of
the bottom panel.
8. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 7, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to intake ambient air through
one or more openings in the front panel.
9. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 7, wherein the one
or more condenser fans are adapted to intake ambient air through
one or more openings in one or more of the front panel, the left
panel, the right panel and the back panel.
10. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, further
comprising an ice storage bin removably attached to the ice maker
chassis.
11. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
condenser is substantially parallel to the front panel.
12. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 11, wherein the
width of the condenser is substantially equal to the width of the
front panel.
13. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
height of the refrigeration system compartment is about 6
inches.
14. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
height of the refrigeration system compartment is about 4
inches.
15. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
height of the condenser is about 6 inches.
16. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
height of the condenser is about 4 inches.
17. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
diameter of the condenser fan is about 8 inches.
18. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
diameter of the condenser fan is about 10 inches.
19. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1, wherein the
diameter of the condenser fan is about 12 inches.
20. The undercounter ice maker assembly of claim 1 further
comprising an air filter for filtering the air that can enter or
exit the undercounter ice maker assembly through the one or more
openings of the bottom panel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to ice making machines and,
more particularly, to an undercounter ice maker that has a larger
capacity ice storage bin yet retains the same footprint of typical
prior art ice makers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Undercounter ice making machines, or undercounter ice
makers, typically comprise a refrigeration and ice making system
that employs a source of refrigerant flowing serially through a
compressor, a condenser, a thermal expansion valve, and an
evaporator assembly. Thermally coupled to the evaporator assembly
is a freeze plate comprising a lattice-type cube mold.
Additionally, typical ice makers employ gravity water flow and ice
harvest systems that are well known and in extensive use.
Undercounter ice makers having such a refrigeration and ice making
system often include an ice storage bin, where ice that has been
harvested is stored until it is needed. Such ice makers have
received wide acceptance and are particularly desirable for
commercial installations such as restaurants, bars, motels, coffee
shops, etc.
[0003] In these undercounter ice makers, water is supplied at the
top of a freeze plate which directs the water in a tortuous path
toward a water pump. A portion of the supplied water collects on
the freeze plate, freezes into ice and is identified as
sufficiently frozen by suitable means whereupon the freeze plate is
defrosted such that the ice is slightly melted and discharged
therefrom into an ice storage bin. Typically, these ice machines
can be classified according to the type of ice they make. One such
type is a grid style ice maker which makes generally square ice
cubes that form within individual grids of the freeze plate which
then form into a continuous sheet of ice cubes as the thickness of
the ice increases beyond that of the freeze plate. After
harvesting, the sheet of ice cubes will break into individual cubes
as they fall into the ice storage bin. Another type of ice maker is
an individual ice cube maker which makes generally square ice cubes
that form within individual grids of the freeze plate which do not
form into a continuous sheet of ice cubes. Therefore, upon harvest
individual ice cubes fall from the freeze plate and into the ice
storage bin. Control means are provided to control the operation of
the ice maker to ensure a constant supply of ice. Various
embodiments of the present invention can be adapted to either type
of ice maker, and to others not identified, without departing from
the scope of the present invention.
[0004] Traditionally, the principal components of a refrigeration
and ice making system for use in an ice maker include a source of
refrigerant flowing serially through a compressor, a condenser, a
thermal expansion valve, and an evaporator assembly. The evaporator
is thermally coupled to the freeze plate in order to freeze the
supplied water into ice.
[0005] The exterior size, or footprint, of typical undercounter ice
makers is fixed so that kitchen and/or cabinet designers can
allocate a predictable amount of space for the undercounter ice
maker in any given design. A typical undercounter ice maker is 24
inches (60.96 centimeters) wide and 39 inches (99.06 centimeters)
tall. NSF Standard NSF/ANSI 12-2009 for "Automatic Ice Making
Equipment," paragraph 5.19. requires a gap of 6 inches (15.24
centimeters) from the floor to the bottom of the appliance for
access to under the appliance. This gap permits cleaning under the
appliance and is required unless the appliance is permanently
affixed to the floor. This standard applies to undercounter ice
makers. It is rare that undercounter ice makers are permanently
affixed to the floor, primarily due to the extra work of
installation and the resulting permanence of the ice maker within
the installation.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a constant need in the art to make
undercounter ice makers more space efficient, so that higher
capacities of ice can be stored within the standard footprint of an
undercounter ice maker.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Briefly, therefore, one embodiment of the present invention
is directed to an undercounter ice maker assembly comprising an ice
maker chassis having a bottom panel, a front panel, a left panel, a
right panel, and a back panel. The back panel comprises a bottom
portion and a top portion and the bottom panel includes one or more
openings. The top portion of the back panel extends upwardly from
the bottom panel to a point above the front, left and right panels.
The bottom panel, front panel, left panel, right panel and the
bottom portion of the back panel define a refrigeration system
compartment. The undercounter ice maker assembly further includes
an ice maker disposed in the ice maker chassis, wherein the ice
maker comprises an evaporator disposed at the top portion of the
back panel, a compressor, a condenser, and one or more condenser
fans. The one or more condenser fans each have an axis of rotation
which are disposed at an angle .THETA. with respect to the bottom
panel and air can enter or exit the undercounter ice maker assembly
through the one or more openings of the bottom panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
invention will become more fully apparent from the following
detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings,
wherein the drawings illustrate features in accordance with
exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1A is a front view of a typical prior art undercounter
ice maker assembly;
[0010] FIG. 1B is a front view of an undercounter ice maker
assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of a typical prior art
undercounter ice maker assembly as shown in FIG. 1A;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a right perspective view of an undercounter ice
maker assembly according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of an ice maker having various
components according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a right perspective view of an ice maker chassis
and portions of an ice maker of an undercounter ice maker assembly
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 6A is a partial right cross section view of a typical
prior art undercounter ice maker assembly as shown in FIG. 1A;
[0016] FIG. 6B is a partial right cross section view of an
undercounter ice maker assembly according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 6C is a partial right cross section view of an
undercounter ice maker assembly according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6D is a partial right cross section view of an
undercounter ice maker assembly according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a front view of a portion of an ice maker chassis
of an undercounter ice maker assembly according to one embodiment
of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 8A is a bottom view of an undercounter ice maker
assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 8B is a bottom view of an undercounter ice maker
assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 8C is a bottom view of an undercounter ice maker
assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0023] FIG. 8D is a rear partial cross section view of an
undercounter ice maker assembly according to one embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it will be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangement
of components set forth in the following description or illustrated
in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in
various ways. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including,"
"comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as
well as additional items.
[0025] FIGS. 1A, 2 and 6A illustrate typical prior art undercounter
ice makers assemblies 1010. Typical prior art undercounter ice
maker assemblies 1010 include an ice storage bin assembly 1030
removably attached to an ice maker chassis 1100. The ice maker
chassis 1100 has a refrigeration system compartment 1101 bounded in
part by a bottom panel 1102, a left panel 1108a, a right panel
1108b and a front panel 1104. Various refrigeration components,
including a condenser 1014, a condenser fan 1015 and a compressor
1012 are disposed on or in ice maker chassis 1100 within
refrigeration system compartment 1101. Prior art undercounter ice
makers 1010 intake and exhaust air through a front panel 1104 of
the undercounter ice maker 1010, for example with the air intake
through the right side of the front panel 1104 and with the air
exhaust through the left side of the front panel 1104 as
illustrated by arrow A in FIG. 2. This airflow configuration
creates a number of constraints. First, only half the width
W.sub.IM of the undercounter ice maker 1010 can be used for air
intake. Second, only half the width W.sub.IM of the undercounter
ice maker 1010 can be used for air exhaust. Third, the condenser
1014 must be placed within either the intake or exhaust air stream,
so it is also limited to half the width W.sub.IM of the
undercounter ice maker 1010. Four, the condenser fan 1015 must be
oriented so that the axis 1019 (see FIG. 6A) of the condenser fan
1015 is parallel to the air stream and parallel with the bottom
panel 1102 of the undercounter ice maker 1010, thus the condenser
fan 1015 blade diameter is oriented vertically. Because of this
orientation, the height H.sub.RCPA of the refrigeration compartment
1101 (see FIG. 1A) must be as tall as the diameter of the condenser
fan 1015 blade. Five, because the warm exhaust air that is expelled
out the front panel 1104 of the undercounter ice maker 1010 is
adjacent to the air intake, a portion of that warm exhaust air will
be drawn into the undercounter ice maker 1010 with the intake air
and recirculated. This recirculation causes the temperature of the
air entering the condenser 1014 to be warmer than the ambient air
temperature and will thus reduce the performance of the
refrigeration system compared to a system which draws in only the
cooler ambient air.
[0026] Because of the orientations and geometries of the prior art
undercounter ice makers 1010, these units typically use an 8 inch
(about 20.32 centimeter) diameter condenser fan 1015. This
condenser fan 1015 blade diameter in turn constrains the height
H.sub.RCPA, of the refrigeration system compartment 1101 to be
about 8 inches (about 20.32 centimeters). That height H.sub.RCPA,
plus the NSF-mandated height underneath the machine of 6 inches
(about 15.24 centimeters), means that the bottom of the ice storage
bin assembly 1030 cannot be any lower than about 14 inches (about
35.56 centimeters) above the floor. Because the total height of
typical undercounter ice makers 1010 is limited to about 39 inches
(about 99.06 centimeters) to fit under a counter, the maximum
height H.sub.ISBPA of prior art ice storage bin assemblies 1030 are
limited to about 25 inches (about 63.5 centimeters). In order to
store more ice, the height H.sub.ISBPA of prior art ice storage bin
assemblies 1030 must be increased. The only way to do that, since
the height of the top and bottom of the undercounter ice maker 1010
are fixed, is to reduce the height H.sub.RCPA, of the refrigeration
system compartment 1101.
[0027] Thus as illustrated in FIG. 1B, by altering the
configuration of various components of embodiments of undercounter
ice maker assembly 10, the height H.sub.RC of refrigeration system
compartment 101 of ice maker chassis 100 can be reduced. As will be
described more fully elsewhere herein, in various embodiments of
undercounter ice maker assembly 10, the height H.sub.RC of
refrigeration system compartment 101 may be reduced by orienting
condenser fan 15 at an angle, preferably perpendicular, with
respect to bottom panel 102 of undercounter ice maker assembly 10
(see FIGS. 5, 6B, 6C and 6D). By changing the orientation of
condenser fan 15, the vertical height required by condenser fan 15
is greatly reduced. For example, a typical 8 inch (about 20.32
centimeter) diameter condenser fan 15 is only 3 inches (about 7.62
centimeters) deep. Thus, in certain embodiments, by rotating the
orientation of condenser fan 15 by 90.degree. from the prior art
orientation, the vertical height required by condenser fan 15 can
be reduced from about 8 inches (about 20.32 centimeters) to about 3
inches (about 7.62 centimeters). Additionally, the airflow pattern
for cooling condenser 14 can be changed from
in-the-front-out-the-front to in-the-bottom-out-the-front. By
altering the orientation of condenser fan 15, the resulting exhaust
air stream can now be spread across the full width W.sub.IM of
undercounter ice maker assembly 10. Additionally, in certain
embodiments the width W.sub.C of condenser 14 may now also be
substantially equal to the full width W.sub.IM of undercounter ice
maker assembly 10 (see FIG. 7) and may be disposed substantially
parallel to front panel 104 (see FIGS. 5, 6B, 6C, 6D). Because
condenser 14 may now be substantially wider than prior art
condensers 1014, the height H.sub.C of condenser 14 may now be
reduced while maintaining its surface area (needed for heat
transfer) (see FIG. 7). Accordingly, the height H.sub.ISB of ice
storage bin assembly 30 can be increased, therefore increasing the
volume of ice storage bin assembly 30 without changing the exterior
dimensions of undercounter ice storage assembly 10. In various
embodiments, the height H.sub.RC of refrigeration system
compartment 101 can be reduced by half, from a typical height of
about 8 inches (about 20.32 centimeters) to a reduced height of
about 4 inches (about 10.16 centimeters). In certain embodiments,
for example, the height H.sub.RC of refrigeration system
compartment 101 may be about 6 inches (about 15.24 centimeters) or
less. In other embodiments, for example, the height H.sub.RC of
refrigeration system compartment 101 may be about 4 inches (about
10.16 centimeters) or less. Thus, in certain embodiments, for
example, the height H.sub.ISB of ice storage bin assembly 30 may be
about 27 inches (about 68.58 centimeters). In other embodiments,
for example, the height H.sub.ISB of ice storage bin assembly 30
may be about 29 inches (about 73.66 centimeters).
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 3 certain principal components of
various embodiments of undercounter ice maker assembly 10 are
described in greater detail. Undercounter ice maker assembly 10 may
include an ice maker chassis 100 and an ice storage bin assembly 30
removably attached to ice maker chassis 100. As is known in the
art, certain embodiments of ice storage bin assembly 30 may slide
forward in order to be removed from ice maker chassis 100.
Undercounter ice maker assembly 10 further includes an ice maker 11
(see FIG. 4) having a refrigeration and ice making system which may
be disposed on or in ice maker chassis 100. Ice storage bin
assembly 30 includes an ice storage bin 31 having a cavity 36 (see
FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6D) in which ice produced by ice maker 11 falls into
and is stored until retrieved. The ice storage bin 31 further
includes an opening which provides access to cavity 36 and the ice
stored therein. The cavity 36 and the opening are formed by a left
wall 33a, a right wall 33b, a front wall 34, a back wall 35 (see
FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6D) and a bottom wall 41 (see FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6D). Ice
storage bin assembly 30 may further include a top wall 32. The
walls of ice storage bin 31 may be thermally insulated with various
insulating materials including, but not limited to, fiberglass
insulation or open- or closed-cell foam comprised, for example, of
polystyrene or polyurethane, etc. in order to retard the melting of
the ice stored in ice storage bin 31. Ice storage bin assembly 30
further includes a door 40 that that can be opened to access cavity
36. It will be understood that door 40 can be opened in any way
known in the art without departing from the scope of the present
invention. Additionally, legs 114 may be affixed to the bottom of
ice making chassis 100 in order to provide the required gap of 6
inches (15.24 centimeters) under the bottom of ice making chassis
100. In other embodiments, for example, legs 114 may be replaced
with casters or wheels.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 4, one embodiment of an ice maker 11
having refrigeration and ice making system is described in detail.
Ice maker 11 of undercounter ice maker assembly 10 may include a
compressor 12, a condenser 14 for condensing compressed refrigerant
vapor discharged from the compressor 12, a thermal expansion device
18 for lowering the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant,
and an evaporator assembly 20. In certain embodiments that utilize
a gaseous cooling medium (e.g., air) to provide condenser cooling,
one or more condenser fans 15 may be positioned to blow the gaseous
cooling medium across condenser 14. The thermal expansion device 18
may include, but is not limited to, a capillary tube, a
thermostatic expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve. Ice
maker 11 also includes a freeze plate 60 thermally coupled to
evaporator assembly 20. In certain embodiments, freeze plate 60 may
contain a large number of pockets (usually in the form of a grid of
cells) on its surface where water flowing over the surface can
collect. As water is pumped from sump 70 by water pump 62 through
water line 63 and out of distributor manifold or tube 66, the water
impinges on freeze plate 60, flows over the pockets of freeze plate
60 and freezes into ice. Sump 70 may be positioned below freeze
plate 60 to catch the water coming off of freeze plate 60 such that
the water may be recirculated by water pump 62. In certain
embodiments, where thermal expansion device 18 is a thermostatic
expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve, ice maker 11 may
also include a temperature sensing bulb 26 placed at the outlet of
the evaporator assembly 20 to control thermal expansion device 18.
In addition, a hot gas valve 24 may be used to direct warm
refrigerant from compressor 12 directly to evaporator assembly 20
to remove or harvest ice cubes from freeze plate 60 when the ice
has reached the desired thickness. As described more fully
elsewhere herein, a form of refrigerant serially cycles through
these components via a lines 23, 25, 27, 28. Ice maker 11 may have
other conventional components not described herein, including, but
not limited to, a water supply, a controller, and a source of
electrical energy.
[0030] Having described each of the individual components of one
embodiment of ice maker 11 of undercounter ice maker assembly 10,
the manner in which the components interact and operate various
embodiments may now be described. During operation of ice maker 11
of undercounter ice maker assembly 10 in a cooling cycle,
compressor 12 receives low-pressure, substantially gaseous
refrigerant from evaporator assembly 20 through suction line 28,
pressurizes the refrigerant, and discharges high-pressure,
substantially gaseous refrigerant through discharge line 25 to
condenser 14. In condenser 14, heat is removed from the
refrigerant, causing the substantially gaseous refrigerant to
condense into a substantially liquid refrigerant.
[0031] After exiting condenser 14, the high-pressure, substantially
liquid refrigerant is routed through liquid line 27 to thermal
expansion device 18, which reduces the pressure of the
substantially liquid refrigerant for introduction into evaporator
assembly 20. As the low-pressure expanded refrigerant is passed
through tubing of evaporator assembly 20, the refrigerant absorbs
heat from the tubes contained within evaporator assembly 20 and
vaporizes as the refrigerant passes through the tubes.
Low-pressure, substantially gaseous refrigerant is discharged from
the outlet of evaporator assembly 20 through suction line 28, and
is reintroduced into the inlet of compressor 12.
[0032] In certain embodiments of the present invention, at the
start of the cooling cycle, a water fill valve (not shown) is
turned on to supply a mass of water to sump 70, wherein ice maker
11 will freeze some or all of the mass of water into ice. After the
desired mass of water is supplied to sump 70, the water fill valve
may be closed. Water pump 62 is then turned on to supply water to
freeze plate 60 via water line 63 and distributor manifold or tube
66. Compressor 12 may be turned on to begin the flow of refrigerant
through the refrigeration system. The water that is supplied by
water pump 62 then begins to cool as it contacts freeze plate 60,
returns to water sump 70 below freeze plate 60 and is recirculated
by water pump 62 to freeze plate 60. Once the water is sufficiently
cold, water flowing across freeze plate 60 starts forming ice
cubes. After the ice cubes are formed, water pump 62 is turned off
and hot gas valve 24 is opened allowing warm, high-pressure gas
from compressor 12 to flow through hot gas bypass line 23 to enter
evaporator assembly 20, thereby harvesting the ice by warming
freeze plate 60 to melt the formed ice to a degree such that the
ice may be released from freeze plate 60 and falls into ice storage
bin 31 where the ice can be temporarily stored and later retrieved.
Hot gas valve 24 is then closed and the cooling cycle can
repeat.
[0033] Turning now to FIG. 5, one embodiment of ice maker chassis
100 is shown in detail. For ease of illustration, only portions of
ice maker 11 are shown disposed inside ice maker chassis 100. It
will be understood that all or substantially all of ice maker 11 is
typically disposed on or in ice maker chassis 100. Various
embodiments of ice maker chassis 100 have a bottom panel 102, a
front panel 104, a left panel 108a, a right panel 108b, and back
panel 110. Bottom panel 102, front panel 104, left panel 108a,
right panel 108b, and bottom portion 111 of back panel 110 may
define refrigeration system compartment 101. In various
embodiments, bottom panel 102 has one or more openings 106 through
which air can flow. Back panel 110 has a top portion 112 which
extends upwardly from bottom panel 102 to a point above the front,
left and right panels 104, 108a, 108b. Front panel 104 may be
removable and may have one or more openings 105 which permit air to
flow through front panel 104. Preferably, openings 105 of front
panel 104 may comprise louvers. In other embodiments, openings 105
may include, but are not limited to, holes, slots, screens, etc. In
other embodiments, one or more of front panel 104, left panel 108a,
right panel 108b, and back panel 110 may have one or more openings
which permit air to flow through one or more of front panel 104,
left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and back panel 110. Preferably,
openings may comprise louvers. In other embodiments, openings 105
may include, but are not limited to, holes, slots, screens,
etc.
[0034] An evaporator assembly 20 may be disposed at top portion 112
of back panel 110. Affixed to evaporator assembly 20 is freeze
plate 60 and disposed under freeze plate 60 is sump 70. Water pump
62 may be disposed in sump 70 and can pump water through water line
63 and out of distributor manifold or tube 66 above freeze plate
60. Compressor 12 may be disposed in ice maker chassis 100 on
bottom panel 102 proximate back panel 110. Additionally, disposed
in ice maker chassis 100 in refrigeration system compartment 101
may be condenser 14 and condenser fan 15.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 6B, condenser fan 15 has an axis 19 about
which the blades of condenser fan 15 rotate. Unlike prior art
undercounter ice makers 1010 where the axis 1019 of prior art
condenser fans 1015 are disposed substantially parallel to bottom
panel 1102 (see FIG. 6A), in various embodiments of the present
invention as shown in FIG. 6B, axis 19 of condenser fan 15 may be
disposed at an angle .THETA. with respect to bottom panel 102. As
described above, by orienting condenser fan 15 at an angle .THETA.
with respect to bottom panel 102, the height H.sub.RC of
refrigeration system compartment 101 can be reduced in comparison
to the H.sub.RCPA of the prior art refrigeration system compartment
1101 (see FIGS. 1B, 6B, 6C and 6D). By reducing the height H.sub.RC
of refrigeration system compartment 101, the volume of cavity 36 of
ice storage bin assembly 30 can be increased over the volume of
cavity 1036 of prior art ice storage bin assemblies 1030. In
various embodiments, for example, axis 19 may be disposed an angle
.THETA. of between about 0.degree. to about 90.degree. with respect
to bottom panel 102 (e.g., about 0.degree., about 10.degree., about
20.degree., about 30.degree., about 40.degree., about 50.degree.,
about 60.degree., about 70.degree., about 80.degree., about
90.degree.). Preferably, axis 19 of condenser fan 15 may be
disposed substantially perpendicular to bottom panel 102, such that
axis 19 of condenser fan 15 is disposed at an angle .THETA. of
about 90.degree. with respect to bottom panel 102 (see FIGS. 6C and
6D). In other embodiments, axis 19 of condenser fan 15 may be
disposed substantially parallel to bottom panel 102, such that axis
19 of condenser fan 15 may be disposed at an angle .THETA. of about
0.degree. with respect to bottom panel 102. Accordingly, in various
embodiments, for example, the axes of one or more small diameter
condenser fans 15 may be disposed substantially parallel to bottom
panel 102 and can draw or push air through one or more openings 106
of bottom panel 102. In any embodiment, one or more condenser fans
15 may draw or push air through one or more openings 106 of bottom
panel 102. When axis 19 of condenser fan 15 is substantially
perpendicular to bottom panel 102, air may flow through one or more
openings 106 in a direction substantially perpendicular to bottom
panel 102. In certain embodiments where axis 19 of condenser fan 15
is oriented perpendicular with respect to bottom panel 102, the
size of condenser fan 15 does not need to be reduced to increase
the volume of ice storage bin assembly 30. Additionally, condenser
fan 15 may be increased in size without requiring the height
H.sub.RC of refrigeration system compartment 101 to be increased.
Thus, in certain embodiments, the diameter of condenser fan 15 may
range from about 8 inches (about 20.32 centimeters) to about 12
inches (about 30.48 centimeters) (e.g., about 8 inches (about 20.32
centimeters), about 9 inches (about 22.86 centimeters), about 10
inches (about 25.4 centimeters), about 11 inches (27.94
centimeters), about 12 inches (about 30.48 centimeters)). Thus by
orienting condenser fan 15 flat in ice maker chassis 100 such that
axis 19 is substantially perpendicular to bottom panel 102, the
height H.sub.RC of refrigeration system compartment 101 of ice
maker chassis 100 can be reduced, thus allowing for ice storage bin
assembly 30 to increase in height and volume. In various
embodiments, condenser fan 15 may comprise a variety of fan types
and/or constructions, including, but not limited to, electronically
commutated motors (ECM), brushed motors, brushless motors, etc.
[0036] As illustrated in FIGS. 6B, 6C and 6D, condenser fan 15 can
intake cool air that resides at the floor or ground through the one
or more openings 106 in bottom panel 102 and into ice maker chassis
100. That cool air is then directed through condenser 14. By using
the cooler air located adjacent to the floor, the ability of
condenser 14 to reject heat may be improved over prior art
undercounter ice makers 1010. The air is warmed as it passes
through condenser 14, then the air is exhausted out one or more
openings 105 of front panel 104. The warmed air then rises upward.
Arrows B illustrate the flow of air into and out of undercounter
ice maker assembly 10. While it is shown that the warm air may
exhausted out one or more openings 105 of front panel 104, it will
be understood that left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and/or back
panel 110 may have one or more openings similar to the openings 105
of front panel 104. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, ambient
air may be taken in through one or more openings 106 in bottom
panel 102 and warm air may be exhausted through openings in one or
more of front panel 104, left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and
back panel 110. In one embodiment, for example, warm air may be
exhausted through openings 105 in front panel 104. In another
embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted through openings
in front panel 104 and left panel 108a. In another embodiment, for
example, warm air may be exhausted through openings in front panel
104, left panel 108a, and right panel 108b. In another embodiment,
for example, warm air may be exhausted through openings in front
panel 104, left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and back panel 110.
In another embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted
through openings in front panel 104, left panel 108a, and back
panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, warm air may be
exhausted through openings in front panel 104 and right panel 108b.
In another embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted
through openings in front panel 104, right panel 108b, and back
panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, warm air may be
exhausted through openings in left panel 108a. In another
embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted through openings
in left panel 108a and right panel 108b. In another embodiment, for
example, warm air may be exhausted through openings in left panel
108a, right panel 108b, and back panel 110. In another embodiment,
for example, warm air may be exhausted through openings in left
panel 108a and back panel 110. In another embodiment, for example,
warm air may be exhausted through openings in right panel 108b. In
another embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted through
openings in right panel 108b and back panel 110. In another
embodiment, for example, warm air may be exhausted through openings
in back panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, warm air may
be exhausted through openings in front panel 104 and back panel
110.
[0037] As stated above, typical prior art undercounter ice makers
1010 intake and exhaust air through the front panel which can
result in the warmer exhausted air to be recirculated through the
condenser 1014. This results in ineffective cooling of the
condensers 1014 in typical prior art undercounter ice makers 1010.
Bringing in cool air off of the floor and exhausting it through
front panel 104, left panel 108, right panel 108b, and/or back
panel 110 minimizes the recirculation of air through condenser fan
15 because the warmer exhaust air will rise and will tend not to be
sucked back into undercounter ice maker assembly 10 through the one
or more openings 106 in bottom panel 102. This resulting reduction
in recirculation of air improves overall refrigeration performance
of undercounter ice maker assembly 10.
[0038] While it is preferred that condenser fan 15 turn in a
direction to intake cool air through one or more openings 106 in
bottom panel 102, in certain embodiments, as illustrated in FIG.
6D, condenser fan 15 may turn in a direction which intakes cool air
through one or more openings 105 of front panel 104, through
condenser 14, and exhausts warm air through one or more openings
106 in bottom panel 102. Arrows C illustrate the flow of air into
and out of undercounter ice maker assembly 10 in this alternative
embodiment. While it is shown that the ambient air intake may be
through one or more openings 105 of front panel 104, it will be
understood that left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and/or back
panel 110 may have one or more openings similar to the openings 105
of front panel. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, ambient air
may be taken in through openings in one or more of front panel 104,
left panel 108a, right panel 108b and back panel 110, and exhausted
through one or more openings 106 in bottom panel 102. In one
embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in through
openings 105 in front panel 104. In another embodiment, for
example, ambient air may be taken in through openings in front
panel 104 and left panel 108a. In another embodiment, for example,
ambient air may be taken in through openings in front panel 104,
left panel 108a, and right panel 108b. In another embodiment, for
example, ambient air may be taken in through openings in front
panel 104, left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and back panel 110.
In another embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in
through openings in front panel 104, left panel 108a, and back
panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, ambient air may be
taken in through openings in front panel 104 and right panel 108b.
In another embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in
through openings in front panel 104, right panel 108b, and back
panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, ambient air may be
taken in through openings in left panel 108a. In another
embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in through
openings in left panel 108a and right panel 108b. In another
embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in through
openings in left panel 108a, right panel 108b, and back panel 110.
In another embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in
through openings in left panel 108a and back panel 110. In another
embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in through
openings in right panel 108b. In another embodiment, for example,
ambient air may be taken in through openings in right panel 108b
and back panel 110. In another embodiment, for example, ambient air
may be taken in through openings in back panel 110. In another
embodiment, for example, ambient air may be taken in through
openings in front panel 104 and back panel 110.
[0039] The increase in the volume available for ice storage in ice
storage bin 30 may also be permitted by reducing the height H.sub.C
(see FIG. 7) of condenser 14 as compared to the height of
condensers 1014 of prior art undercounter ice makers 1010. In
certain embodiments, the height H.sub.C of condenser 14 may be
about 6 inches (about 15.24 centimeters) or less. In yet other
embodiments, the height H.sub.C of condenser 14 may be about 4
inches (about 10.16 centimeters) or less. By reducing the height
H.sub.C of condenser 14, additional volume is provided for ice
storage bin assembly 30. As illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6B, 6C, 6D and
7, in various embodiments, condenser 14 may also be disposed
substantially parallel to front panel 104. In prior art
undercounter ice makers 1010, condenser 1014 is often placed at an
angle greater than zero with respect to front panel 1104 (see FIG.
2). By orienting condenser 14 substantially parallel to front panel
104, the width W.sub.C (see FIG. 7) of condenser 14 can be
substantially equal to the width W.sub.IM (see FIG. 7) of
undercounter ice maker assembly 10. Thus in various embodiments the
width W.sub.c of condenser 14 is greater than the width of
condensers 1014 in many prior art undercounter ice makers 1010. By
making condenser 14 wider, the overall face area of condenser 14 is
comparable to prior art condensers 1014, thus the cooling capacity
of condenser 14 may be maintained even though the height H.sub.C of
condenser 14 has been reduced. Additionally, in certain
embodiments, the number of cooling fins (not shown) on condenser 14
may be increased in order to maintain or increase the cooling
capacity of condenser 14. In other embodiments, for example, the
depth Dc (see FIGS. 6B, 6C, 6D) of condenser 14 may also be
increased in order to maintain or increase the cooling capacity of
condenser 14. In other embodiments, for example, the number of coil
passes in condenser 14 may also be increased in order to maintain
or increase the cooling capacity of condenser 14. While condenser
14 is shown as being substantially straight, it will be understood
that condenser 14 can take a variety of shapes including, but not
limited to, curved, circular, L-shaped, etc. without departing from
the scope of the present invention. Additionally, it will be
understood that condenser 14 can be placed in a variety of
locations on or in ice maker chassis 100 without departing from the
scope of the present invention.
[0040] While the volume of ice storage bin assembly 30 can be
increased by reducing the height H.sub.RC of refrigeration system
compartment 101, typically available compressors 12 do not vary
significantly in size. Thus, as illustrated in FIGS. 6B, 6C and 6D,
in order to obtain the benefit of the reduced height H.sub.RC of
refrigeration system compartment 101a recessed area 42, as known in
the art, may be disposed proximate to back wall 35 of ice storage
bin 31. Accordingly, recessed area 42 is adapted to fit around
compressor 12 and permits ice storage bin assembly 30 to be easily
removed from ice maker chassis 100. This recessed area 42 slightly
reduces the volume of ice storage bin assembly 30, however this
slight reduction in volume is offset by the increase in volume of
ice storage bin 30 afforded by reducing the height H.sub.RC of
refrigeration system compartment 101. Accordingly, the volume of
ice storage bin assembly 31 can be increased over prior art
undercounter ice makers.
[0041] In order to reduce the potential for a person's hand to be
damaged by condenser fan 15, condenser fan 15 may be disposed
within ice maker chassis 100 so that the fan blades of condenser
fan 15 are not substantially co-planar with opening 106.
Accordingly, condenser fan 15 may be raised slightly above opening
106. Additionally, in certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8A, a
wire grill 17 may cover opening 106 to reduce or eliminate the
possibility that a person can insert their fingers into opening
106. It will be understood that any type and/or construction of
grill, louver, mesh, etc. which reduces or eliminates the
possibility that a person can insert their fingers into opening 106
while maintaining air flow through opening 106 may be used without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0042] Additionally, in certain embodiments, as illustrated in
FIGS. 6B, 6C, 8C and 8D, undercounter ice maker assembly 10 may
also include an air filter 120 for filtering the air that can enter
or exit through one or more openings 106 of bottom panel 102.
Accordingly, an air filter 120 may be placed in or over one or more
openings 106 in bottom panel 102 such that air filter 120 covers
one or more openings 106. Air filter 120 can filter the air that
will be drawn into refrigeration system compartment 101 of ice
maker chassis 100. The inclusion of an air filter may reduce the
amount of dirt, dust and/or other contaminants entering
refrigeration system compartment 101, which may assist in keeping
condenser 14 clean and maintaining condenser 14 cooling capacity.
In embodiments where ambient air is taken in through one or more
openings 106 of bottom panel 102, dirt, dust and/or other
contaminants could get deposited on an inner side of condenser 14.
The inner side of condenser 14 may be difficult to access with ice
storage bin assembly 30 in place. Accordingly, by including air
filter 120, the inner side of condenser 14 may be kept cleaner than
in applications that do not employ an air filter. Instead of having
to remove ice storage bin assembly 30 and/or front panel 104 to
clean condenser 14, a user could instead remove air filter 120 from
bottom panel 102 to clean air filter 120. Air filter 120 may be
removably affixed to bottom panel 102 in a variety of ways
including, but not limited to, magnets, tape, adhesives,
hook-and-loop style fasteners, screws, clips, etc. In certain
embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 8C and 8D, a channel 122 may
be disposed on bottom panel 102. Channel 122 may be on two or more
sides of opening 106 to hold air filter 120 in place. Preferably,
channel 122 may be on three sides. Air filter 120 can be slid in
and out of channel 122 from the front of undercounter ice maker
assembly 10. It will be understood that any type and/or
construction of air filter may be used without departing from the
scope of the invention including, but not limited to, paper
filters, foam filters, fiberglass or polyester filters, HEPA
filters, etc.
[0043] While one condenser fan 15 and one opening 106 is shown in
FIGS. 5, 6B, 6C, 6D and 8A, embodiments of undercounter ice maker
assembly 10 may include more than one condenser fan 15 and/or more
than one opening 106 in bottom 102 panel, as illustrated in FIG.
8B.
[0044] Thus, there has been shown and described novel methods and
apparatuses of an undercounter ice maker assembly with an increased
capacity ice storage bin, which overcome many of the problems of
the prior art set forth above. It will be apparent, however, to
those familiar in the art, that many changes, variations,
modifications, and other uses and applications for the subject
devices and methods are possible. All such changes, variations,
modifications, and other uses and applications that do not depart
from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered
by the invention which is limited only by the claims which
follow.
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