초록 ▼

A new and improved auger-type ice-making apparatus preferably includes at least a pair of removable and interchangeable head assemblies adapted for preselectively producing either relatively dry flake or chip ice, cube ice or smaller nugget-sized ice pieces. A new and improved auger assembly prefera

A new and improved auger-type ice-making apparatus preferably includes at least a pair of removable and interchangeable head assemblies adapted for preselectively producing either relatively dry flake or chip ice, cube ice or smaller nugget-sized ice pieces. A new and improved auger assembly preferably formed from a synthetic plastic material and a new and improved evaporator element are also disclosed, either or both of which can be incorporated into an ice-making apparatus, with or without the interchangeable head assemblies. One preferred embodiment is adapted to preselectively alter the size of the cube or nugget ice pieces in order to preselectively produce a number of different sizes of ice pieces.

대표청구항 ▼

An ice-making apparatus comprising: a refrigeration system including a combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly adapted to receive ice make-up water communicated thereto and to produce relatively wet and loosely associated ice particles from said ice make-up water, said combination evaporator

An ice-making apparatus comprising: a refrigeration system including a combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly adapted to receive ice make-up water communicated thereto and to produce relatively wet and loosely associated ice particles from said ice make-up water, said combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly further including an outlet end thereon through which said wet and loosely associated ice particles are forcibly urged by said combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly; a first interchangeable head assembly removably connectable to said combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly, said first head assembly including compression means in communication with said outlet end for forcibly compressing quantities of said wet and loosely associated ice particles in order to remove at least a portion of the unfrozen water therefrom and form relatively dry and loosely associated flaked ice particles, said compression means including means for discharging said flaked ice particles from said first head assembly; and a second interchangeable head assembly preselectively interchangeable with said first head assembly and removably connectable to said combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly, said second head assembly including compacting means in communication with said outlet end for forcibly compressing quantities of said wet and loosely associated ice particles in order to remove at least a substantial portion of the unfrozen water therefrom and to compact said wet and loosely associated ice particles into substantially monolithic relatively hard compacted ice, means for discharging said compacted ice from said second head assembly in a substantially continuous elongated form having a predetermined cross-section, and breaker means for breaking said elongated compacted ice form into discrete compacted ice pieces of a preselected length and having substantially the same cross-section as said discharged elongated compacted ice form, said breaker means including at least one breaker member removably attached thereto and adjustment means for preselectively altering the position of said breaker member relative to said compacted ice form discharge means, said ice making apparatus thereby being preselectively adaptable to produce either relatively dry loosely associated flaked ice particles or discrete compacted ice pieces of preselected lengths by preselectively connecting either said first or second head assembly to said combination evaporator and ice-forming assembly and by preselectively adjusting the position of said ice breaker member of said second head assembly.