U.S. patent application number 15/477855 was filed with the patent office on 2018-10-04 for method and apparatus for making nugget ice in a refrigerator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Jianfeng Ding, Haoming Shao. Invention is credited to Jianfeng Ding, Haoming Shao.
Application Number | 20180283758 15/477855 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63672504 |
Filed Date | 2018-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180283758 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ding; Jianfeng ; et
al. |
October 4, 2018 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING NUGGET ICE IN A REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
An ice making system for producing on-demand nugget ice in a
refrigerator includes an auger type icemaker having a double
thin-walled cylindrical flooded, evaporator and a chilled water
reservoir connecting to refrigerated rater. When ice is demanded,
the evaporator is then connected to the refrigeration circuit
through a dedicated refrigerant control device to achieve
-40.degree. F. rapid cooling. With near 32.degree. F. chilled
water, a layer of ice can form on the evaporator surface within 1
minute. Meanwhile a rotating auger scrapes ice layer into flake ice
and compresses it through an extrusion and delivery tubing to form
cylindrical ice. Then it breaks into nugget ice in the tubing and
drops in an ice container.
Inventors: |
Ding; Jianfeng; (Rancho
Palos Verdes, CA) ; Shao; Haoming; (Fullerton,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ding; Jianfeng
Shao; Haoming |
Rancho Palos Verdes
Fullerton |
CA
CA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
63672504 |
Appl. No.: |
15/477855 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 2341/0662 20130101;
F25B 39/02 20130101; F25B 49/02 20130101; F25C 1/147 20130101; F25B
2600/2511 20130101; F25B 2341/062 20130101; F25B 5/00 20130101;
F25B 2339/0242 20130101; F25B 41/04 20130101; F25C 5/14
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25C 1/14 20060101
F25C001/14; F25B 13/00 20060101 F25B013/00; F25B 39/00 20060101
F25B039/00 |
Claims
1. An ice making system that can produce nugget ice in a
refrigerator comprising: an auger type icemaker; whereby said auger
type icemaker is used to produce nugget ice in the
refrigerator.
2. An ice making system of 1, which can produce on-demand nugget
ice within one minute in a refrigerator comprising: an auger type
icemaker including a liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator and a
rotating auger; a gear motor connected to said rotating auger; a
water reservoir with a float valve connected to refrigerated water
and said liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator; an ice container
located above said water reservoir; a dedicated refrigerant control
device having a separate capillary tube and a 3-way solenoid valve
connected to said liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator; whereby
said liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator is connected to the
refrigeration circuit through said dedicated refrigerant control
device having a separate capillary tube to achieve quick cooling.
With refrigerated water, a layer of ice can form on the inside
surface of the inner cylinder of said liquid flooded cylindrical
evaporator within 1 minute. Meanwhile said rotating auger scrapes
the ice layers into flake ice and compresses the flake ice through
an extrusion and delivery tubing to form cylindrical ice. Then the
cylindrical ice breaks into nugget ice in said extrusion and
delivery tubing and drops in said ice container.
3. An ice making system of claim 2, wherein said liquid flooded
cylindrical evaporator has stainless steel double thin-walled
cylinders including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. The
space between the two cylinders is sealed and filled with
-40.degree. F. liquid refrigerant. Said liquid flood cylindrical
evaporator is constructed with an inlet at the bottom and an outlet
at the top that only liquid will be kept but vapor will be allowed
to escape.
4. An ice making system of claim 3, wherein a piece of stainless
steel tubing is welded on the inner cylinder of said liquid flooded
cylindrical evaporator. One end of said piece of stainless steel
tubing that is located inside the inner cylinder is shaped as a
cutter that is used to break the compressed cylindrical ice.
5. An ice making system of claim 2, wherein said water reservoir
located above said liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator is
connected to refrigerated water in the refrigerator. Said float
valve prevents said water reservoir from overfilling and maintains
the inner cylinder full of refrigerated water.
6. An ice making system of claim 2, wherein water from melted ice
returns to said water reservoir to avoid water dripping in the
refrigerator.
7. An ice making system of claim 2, wherein said dedicated
refrigerant control device having a separate capillary tube
connects said liquid flooded cylindrical evaporator to the
refrigeration circuit controlled by said 3-way solenoid valve. Said
dedicated refrigerant control device having a separate capillary
tube is optimized for operating at -40.degree. F. evaporating
temperature to produce -40.degree. F. liquid refrigerant.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention generally relates to ice making systems, and
more particularly to producing on-demand nugget ice in a
refrigerator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Crescent ice is widely available in a refrigerator for home
use. The automatic icemaker in a refrigerator produces crescent ice
cubes from an ice mold and the ice mold must be installed at a
location below freezing temperature. Water is filled in the ice
mold and then freezes for about an hour to become solid ice. A
heater located at the bottom of the mold is turned on at around
14.degree. F. by a thermostat to separate ice cubes from the mold.
Since the ice production is so slow, ice must be produced all the
time and stored in an ice bin below freezing temperature for daily
use. The other disadvantage includes taking plenty food storage
space by the ice bin in the refrigerator.
[0004] Different from crescent ice, nugget ice is very popular for
commercial use, which is soil and chewable. Nugget ice cools
beverages much faster than crescent ice.
[0005] Nugget ice is made by compressing and extruding flake ice.
Flake ice is produced on a freezing surface and scraped by a
rotating auger. Nugget ice can be produced much faster than
crescent ice.
[0006] Because of complexity stand-alone commercial or residential
nugget ice machines are supplied at very expensive prices. If
nugget ice can be produced in a refrigerator, it will provide an
economical way to produce nugget ice and bring an unprecedented
experience to consumers.
[0007] In current nugget ice machines, i has to be stored in an
insulated ice bin near room temperature for use in high demand.
Water produced from melted ice must be drained or reused. However
it is neither efficient nor convenient in a refrigerator
Furthermore, nugget ice can't be stored below freezing temperature
in a refrigerator, otherwise it rill freeze together.
[0008] Therefore, a nugget ice making system for particular t s
refrigerator which can quickly produce on-demand nugget ice without
using an ice storage bin, would be desirable and is not currently
available. It is an object of the invention to provide an
economical method and apparatus for producing on-demand nugget ice
in a refrigerator.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is to provide an ice making system
that can quickly produce on-demand nugget ice in a refrigerator,
which includes an auger type icemaker having a flooded cylindrical
evaporator and a rotating auger, a gear motor, a chilled water
reservoir having a float valve, an ice container and a dedicated
refrigerant control device having a 3-way solenoid valve,
[0010] The flooded evaporator has double thin-walled stainless
steel cylinders including an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder.
The space between the two cylinders is filled with -40.degree. F.
liquid refrigerant. The evaporator maintains liquid only to have it
flooded. The flooded evaporator provides rapid cooling. The
rotating auger is located in the center of the inner cylinder and
driven by the gear motor.
[0011] The chilled water reservoir has an inlet that connects
refrigerated water in the refrigerator. It also has an outlet and a
vent that connect the inside space of the inner cylinder of the
evaporator at the same time to maintain the inner cylinder full of
chilled water at all times. Furthermore, the float valve prevents
the water reservoir from overfilling. The chilled water achieves
quick ice forming.
[0012] There is a dedicated refrigerant control device to connect
the icemaker evaporator to the refrigeration circuit through a
3-way solenoid valve. The refrigerant control device is optimized
for operating at -40.degree. F. evaporating temperature to produce
very cold liquid refrigerant. A liquid accumulator is used in the
refrigeration circuit to prevent excessive liquid refrigerant from
returning to the compressor.
[0013] When ice is demanded, the 3-way solenoid valve is open to
connect the icemaker evaporator to the refrigeration circuit and
disconnect the refrigerator evaporator at the same time. Within 1
minute, a layer of ice will be formed on the inside surface of the
inner cylinder of the evaporator. Meanwhile, the auger spins and
scrapes ice layer into flake ice and compresses it through an
extrusion and delivery tubing to form cylindrical ice. Then
cylindrical ice breaks into nugget ice in the tubing and drops in
an ice container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the icemaker of the preferred
embodiment of FIG. 1
[0016] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the evaporator of the
preferred embodiment of FIG. 2
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the water reservoir with the
ice container of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration circuit
in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown
in FIG. 1. An ice making system that can quickly produce on-demand
nugget ice in a refrigerator, which includes an auger type icemaker
100 (shown in greater detail in FIG. 2) having a flooded
cylindrical evaporator 150 (show in greater detail in FIG. 2 &
3) with insulation on the outside (not shown) a rotating auger 110
(shown in greater detail in FIG. 2), a gear motor 200, a chilled
water reservoir 300 (shown in greater detail in FIG. 4) having a
float valve 304 (shown in greater detail in FIG. 4), an ice
container and a dedicated refrigerant control device 505 (shown in
FIG. 5) having a 3-way solenoid valve 509 (shown in FIG. 5).
[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the flooded evaporator 150 has double
thin-walled stainless steel cylinders, which includes an outer
cylinder 104 and an inner cylinder 105. The two cylinders are
welded to two copper flanges 108 and 109 to form a closed space.
The space between the two cylinders is filled with -40.degree. F.
liquid refrigerant through an inlet 106 at the bottom and an outlet
107 at the top. The evaporator 150 is constructed in such a way to
hold only liquid and allow vapor to escape that it is flooded. The
use of flooded evaporator 150 provides rapid cooling.
[0021] The inside space of the inner cylinder 105 is water sealed.
On one end it is bolted with a shaft bearing seat 101 through
flange 108, and on other end it is bolted with a shaft seal seat
102 through flange 109. Both seats 101 and 102 are made of plastic.
A shaft bearing (not show inserted in the bearing seat 101 and a
shaft seal (not shown) is inserted in the seal seat 102.
[0022] The rotating auger 110 is located in the center of the inner
cylinder 105 and supported by the shaft bearing seat (101) and the
shaft seal seat 102). The auger 105 is driven by the gear motor 200
(shown in FIG. 1) through a key.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, a piece of stainless steel tubing 103 is
welded on the inner cylinder 105 of the evaporator 150. One end of
the tubing is located inside the inner cylinder and it is shaped as
a cutter 111 to break compressed cylindrical ice.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the chilled water reservoir 300, which
is located above the flooded evaporator 100, has an inlet 303
located at its middle point to receive refrigerated water (not
shown) in the refrigerator. The water reservoir 300 also has an
outlet 301 and a vent 302 located at its lowest and highest points
to connect the inside space of the inner cylinder 105 of the
evaporator 150 at its lowest, and highest points respectively to
maintain the inner cylinder 105 full of chilled water at all times.
The float valve 304 prevents the water reservoir from overfilling.
The chilled water achieves quick ice forming.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, there is a dedicated refrigerant control
device 505 to connect the icemaker evaporator 150 to the
refrigeration circuit 500 through a 3-way solenoid valve 509. The
refrigerant control device 505 is optimized for operating at
-40.degree. F. evaporating temperature to produce very cold liquid
refrigerant. The icemaker evaporator 150 is connected to the
refrigerator evaporator 506 in series to allow most refrigerant
storing in the refrigerator evaporator in case the refrigerator
calls for cooling. A liquid accumulator 508 is used in the
refrigeration circuit 500 to prevent excessive liquid refrigerant
from returning to the compressor 501.
[0026] In the preferred embodiment, when ice is demanded, the 3-way
solenoid valve 509 is open to connect the icemaker evaporator 507
to the refrigeration circuit 500 and disconnect the refrigerator
evaporator 506 at the same time. Within 1 minute, a layer of ice
will be formed on the inside surface of the inner cylinder 105.
Meanwhile, the rotating auger 110 spins and scrapes ice layer into
flake ice and compresses it through an extrusion and delivery
tubing 103 to form cylindrical ice. Furthermore, cylindrical ice
breaks into nugget ice the tubing 103 and drops in the ice
container 350.
[0027] In the preferred embodiment, water from melted ice in the
ice container 350 returns to the chilled water reservoir 300
through the holes 351 o the bottom. This prevents water from
dripping in the refrigerator.
[0028] Therefore, the advantage of the present invention is to
provide a method and apparatus to produce on-demand nugget ice in a
refrigerator using a specially designed auger type icemaker. The
preferred embodiment of this invention is particularly suited to a
refrigerator in which the refrigeration system already exists.
However, it is to be understood that various modifications may be
used without departing from the principle of the present invention
scope.
[0029] Accordingly, the breadth and scope of invention should be
limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *