초록 ▼

A dry ice dispenser apparatus for dispensing a metered volume of dry ice into a receiving well. The apparatus includes a dry ice source, such as a hopper, or a dry ice producing apparatus for supplying dry ice to a metering carriage. The metering carriage delivers a metered volume of dry ice to a re

A dry ice dispenser apparatus for dispensing a metered volume of dry ice into a receiving well. The apparatus includes a dry ice source, such as a hopper, or a dry ice producing apparatus for supplying dry ice to a metering carriage. The metering carriage delivers a metered volume of dry ice to a receiving well. The metering carriage is contained in a carriage slide assembly which includes a pair of guide walls, a closed floor portion connection to a bottom portion of the guide walls and a discharge opening located above the receiving well. The apparatus may contain a pellet press for forming dry ice pellets when the dry ice is delivered to the receiving well.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. An apparatus for dispensing a metered volume of dry ice, the apparatus comprising:a dry ice source for supplying dry ice, the dry ice source defining at least one metering channel opening;a carriage slide assembly positioned below the dry ice source, extending along a c

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. An apparatus for dispensing a metered volume of dry ice, the apparatus comprising:a dry ice source for supplying dry ice, the dry ice source defining at least one metering channel opening;a carriage slide assembly positioned below the dry ice source, extending along a carriage axis, the carriage slide assembly comprising:a pair of guide walls extending along the carriage axis, each guide wall having a top portion and a bottom portion; anda closed floor portion between the guide walls and connected to the bottom portion of the guide walls wherein the closed floor portion defines at least one discharge opening for each of the at least one metering channel openings;a metering carriage for receiving the metered volume of dry ice from the dry ice source and delivering the metered volume of dry ice to the discharge opening, the metering carriage slidably received between the pair of guide walls for translational movement along the carriage axis, the metering carriage having a height and defining at least one metering channel for each of the at least one metering channel openings for receiving a metered volume of dry ice when the at least one metering channel is in registration with the at least one metering channel opening of the dry ice source, wherein the at least one metering channel extends along a metering channel axis and spans the height of the carriage assembly, and wherein the metering carriage has a length sufficient to close the at least one metering opening when the at least one metering channel is in registration with the at least one discharge opening;at least one receiving well positioned below the at least one discharge opening of the carriage slide assembly for receiving the metered amount of dry ice from the metering carriage when the at least one metering channel is in registration with the at least one discharge opening of the carriage slide assembly; anda pellet press having at least one upper piston and at least one lower piston for each at least one discharge opening, each at least one lower piston being slidably received in the receiving well and forming a base therein, and each at least one upper piston being positioned above each at least one discharge opening and sized to be slidably received in the at least one discharge opening such that when the metered volume of dry ice is delivered to the receiving well, the dry ice rests on the base and the at least one upper piston slidably moves through the at least one discharge opening and applies sufficient pressure to the dry ice to form a pellet;wherein the receiving well, the discharge opening and the at least one upper piston and the at least one lower piston are configured to form the pellet in a predetermined geometric shape.