초록 ▼

An ice cream machine for cooling liquid ice cream into frozen ice cream includes an evaporator having an automatic expansion valve, a temperature control circuit, and an accumulator/heat exchanger. An auxiliary tank or section of the evaporator can ensure that a cooling chamber is surrounded by liqu

An ice cream machine for cooling liquid ice cream into frozen ice cream includes an evaporator having an automatic expansion valve, a temperature control circuit, and an accumulator/heat exchanger. An auxiliary tank or section of the evaporator can ensure that a cooling chamber is surrounded by liquid refrigerant during normal operation. The flooding of the cylindrical cooling tank, the expansion valve, the temperature control circuit, and the accumulator/heat exchanger provide more efficient and even cooling in an interior cooling chamber. The more efficient cooling allows the ice cream machine to utilize a smaller compressor, thereby reducing the cost and energy consumption of the ice cream machine. The auxiliary tank can be a coil of tubing, a cylindrical container positioned above the cylindrical cooling tank, or a portion of the cylindrical cooling tank.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An ice cream machine, comprising:an evaporator having a refrigerant input and a refrigerant output, the evaporator having an interior surface defining a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output;the evaporator including an auxi

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An ice cream machine, comprising:an evaporator having a refrigerant input and a refrigerant output, the evaporator having an interior surface defining a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output;the evaporator including an auxiliary evaporator means for minimizing accumulation of vapor in the cooling chamber by collecting refrigerant in a vapor form;an automatic expansion valve having a valve input and a valve output, the valve output being coupled to the refrigerant input;a compressor having a compressor input coupled to the refrigerant output and a compressor output; anda condenser having a condenser input coupled to the compressor output and a condenser output coupled to the valve input.