초록 ▼

An ice making apparatus is disclosed which includes a refrigeration system and a new and improved combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly for making flake or chip ice. The combination assembly preferably includes a generally horizontal freezer plate with a freezer surface thereon, which is a

An ice making apparatus is disclosed which includes a refrigeration system and a new and improved combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly for making flake or chip ice. The combination assembly preferably includes a generally horizontal freezer plate with a freezer surface thereon, which is adapted for receiving make-up water thereon. An evaporator means in close physical proximity with the opposite side of the freezer surface functions to form a thin layer of hard-frozen surface ice on the freezer surface and a rotatable ice breaker disposed closely adjacent the freeze surface fractures the substantially fully frozen ice surface layer from the freezer surface into formed ice particles. Preferably, at least the freezer plate and the evaporator coil are integrally encased and molded into a monolithic freezer member composed of a molded polymeric material, with the freezer surface exposed for forming the ice layer thereon. The ice breaker is also preferably composed of a molded polymeric material. The assembly also includes means for compressing quantities of the formed ice particles in order to compressively remove unfrozen water therefrom.

대표청구항 ▼

An ice making apparatus comprising: a refrigeration system including a combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly; and means communicating a source of ice make-up water to said assembly; said assembly including a generally horizontal freezer plate, conveying means for conveying said make-up wat

An ice making apparatus comprising: a refrigeration system including a combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly; and means communicating a source of ice make-up water to said assembly; said assembly including a generally horizontal freezer plate, conveying means for conveying said make-up water onto a generally horizontal freezing surface on one side of said freezer plate, said conveying means including manifold means having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced outlets for distributing said make-up water onto a plurality of locations on said freezer surface, evaporator means disposed on the opposite side of said freezer plate from said freezing surface, a rotatable ice breaker disposed generally adjacent said freezer surface for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to said horizontal freezing surface, said ice breaker being generally disc-shaped and having at least one blade-like member on a face thereof that is oriented toward said freezer plate, said blade-like member extending generally horizontally along a generally spiral-shaped path from a radially inward position on said ice breaker to a radially peripheral position thereon, an edge portion of said blade-like member being located in close proximity with said freezer surface but axially spaced therefrom in order to forcibly fracture ice thereon into formed ice prticles, said fractured ice particles being forcibly urged in a generally radial outward direction by said blade-like member and further being discharged from between said freezer surface and said ice breaker as said ice breaker is rotated, and compression means fixed relative to said freezer plate generally at said radially peripheral position thereon for compressing quantities of said fractured ice particles as said ice particles are discharged from between said freezer surface and said ice breaker in order to remove unfrozen water from said ice particles.