Combined ice and beverage dispenser and icemaker
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-017/02
F25D-017/00
출원번호
US-0437238
(2006-05-19)
등록번호
US-7269960
(2007-09-18)
발명자
/ 주소
Elsom,Kyle B.
Jablonski,Thaddeus M.
Leaver,Daniel C.
Zizas,Michael A.
Wiley, Jr.,Donald E.
출원인 / 주소
IMI Cornelius Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Pyle & Piontek, LLC
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
10인용 특허 :
3
초록▼
An ice/beverage dispenser is characterized by an ice/beverage dispensing machine having an integral ice making capacity. An icemaker of the dispenser and the ice and beverage dispensing portion share an evaporator that that is utilized both for chilling beverage water for dispensing and for making i
An ice/beverage dispenser is characterized by an ice/beverage dispensing machine having an integral ice making capacity. An icemaker of the dispenser and the ice and beverage dispensing portion share an evaporator that that is utilized both for chilling beverage water for dispensing and for making ice. The evaporator is efficiently utilized in that one side of it is used for making ice and both sides of it are used for chilling water. The present invention uses a processor based control circuit that operates the refrigeration system between ice-making and water chilling modes in such manner as to ensure that cold beverages will always be served. The ice/beverage dispenser also includes a system for quickly combining and separating the ice making and beverage dispensing water supply, water drain and electrical functions.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for dispensing ice and beverage and for making ice, comprising an ice making portion including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a sump below said evaporator for containing water for circulation over said evaporator and for receiving water off of said evapor
What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for dispensing ice and beverage and for making ice, comprising an ice making portion including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a sump below said evaporator for containing water for circulation over said evaporator and for receiving water off of said evaporator during circulation thereof, and a water pump for circulating water from said sump over said evaporator; an ice and beverage dispensing portion including an ice retaining bin, a plurality of beverage dispensing valves, and a carbonator including a carbonator tank and a carbonator pump having an inlet coupled to water in said sump and an outlet coupled to an inlet to said carbonator tank for delivering water from said sump to said carbonator tank; and control means for controlling operation of said ice making portion. 2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said control means operates said ice making portion to either freeze water circulated over said evaporator to build ice and to then harvest the ice from said evaporator for delivery to said ice retaining bin, or to chill water circulated over said evaporator to thereby chill water in said sump for delivery to said carbonator tank. 3. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said evaporator comprises a refrigerant coil, an ice piece forming panel on one side of said coil and a water chilling plate on an opposite side of said coil. 4. Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said control means controls operation of said ice making portion in either an ice making cyde by turning on said water pump to direct water from said water pump to said ice piece forming panel of said evaporator while operating said compressor to freeze the water on said panel to build ice on said panel and then hot gas harvesting the ice on said panel for delivery to said ice retaining bin, or in a water chilling cycle by turning on said water pump to direct water from said water pump onto both said ice piece forming panel and said water chilling plate of said evaporator while operating said compressor to chill, but not freeze, the water on said panel and plate to thereby chill water in said sump for delivery to said carbonator tank. 5. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said ice making portion includes means for sensing the temperature of water in said sump, said ice and beverage dispensing portion includes means for detecting the level of ice in said ice retaining bin, and said control means is responsive to said water temperature sensing means and said ice level detecting means for selectively controlling operation of said ice making portion in either an ice making or a water chilling cycle. 6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said control means is responsive to said temperature sensing means sensing a sump water temperature less than an upper setpoint temperature and to said ice level detecting mean detecting a level of ice in said ice bin indicating that ice is needed, to operate said ice making portion in an ice making cycle. 7. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said control means is responsive to said ice level detecting mean detecting a predetermined level of ice in said ice bin to discontinue operating said ice making portion in an ice making cycle. 8. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said control means is responsive to said temperature sensing means sensing a sump water temperature at least equal to an upper setpoint temperature to operate said ice making portion in a water chilling cycle. 9. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said control means is responsive to said temperature sensing means sensing a sump water temperature no greater than a lower setpoint temperature to operate said ice making portion to interrupt the water chilling cycle. 10. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said ice making portion compressor comprises a variable speed compressor. 11. Apparatus as in claim 10, including means for sensing the temperature of water in said sump and wherein said control means controls operation of said ice making portion in either an ice making cycle by turning on said water pump, directing water from said water pump to said evaporator while operating said compressor to freeze the water on and build ice on said evaporator and to then hot gas harvest the ice on said panel for delivery to said ice retaining bin, or in a water chilling cycle by turning on said water pump, directing water from said water pump onto said evaporator while and operating said compressor to chill, but not freeze, the water on said evaporator to thereby chill water in said sump for delivery to said carbonator tank, said control means including means responsive to said temperature sensing means for determining the change of sump water temperature with respect to time (DT/dt) and for controlling operation of said variable speed compressor during a water chilling cycle to increase the speed of said compressor if DT/dt is less than a first selected value and to decrease the speed of said compressor if DT/dt is greater than a second and greater selected value. 12. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said ice and beverage dispensing portion includes a cold plate beneath said ice retaining bin and said bin has an opening for passage of ice from said bin to and into heat exchange contact with said cold plate, said cold plate having circuits for flow through said circuits of beverage syrup flavorings to be chilled. 13. A method of operating a combination icemaker and ice and beverage dispenser, wherein the icemaker includes a compressor and an evaporator, and wherein the ice and beverage dispenser includes an ice retaining bin, a beverage dispensing valve and a carbonator, said method comprising the steps of: flowing water from a sump below the evaporator over the evaporator; collecting runoff water from the evaporator in the sump; chilling water flowing over the evaporator by operating the compressor, while performing said water flowing step, to chill, but not freeze, the water flowing over the evaporator, to thereby chill the water in the sump; and delivering chilled water from the sump to the carbonator for supply to the beverage dispensing valve. 14. A method as in claim 13, including the step, while performing said water flowing step, of selectively operating the compressor to either chill water or to make ice by freezing water circulated over the evaporator to build ice on the evaporator and to then harvest the ice from the evaporator for delivery to the ice retaining bin. 15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said selectively operating step is performed by flowing water over an evaporator that includes a refrigerant coil, an ice piece forming panel on one side of the coil and a water chilling plate on an opposite side of the coil. 16. A method as in claim 15, wherein during performance of said ice making step said flowing step is performed to flow water over the ice piece forming panel of the evaporator and during performance of said water chilling step said flowing step is performed to flow water over both the ice piece forming panel and the water chilling plate of the evaporator.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (3)
Stanfill Ted M. (3512 Elm Creek Ct. Fort Worth TX) Dugger Joe K. (3512 Elm Creek Ct. Fort Worth TX 76109), Beverage dispenser with ice water precooler.
Anderson, Douglas; Popov, Nikolay; Veettil, Shaji Kulangara; Kumar, Neravati Sudhir; Gooding, III, James E.; Kumar, Santhosh, Point of dispense chilling for blended iced beverage machines.
Boarman, Patrick J.; Culley, Brian K.; Hortin, Gregory G., Refrigerator with ice mold chilled by fluid exchange from thermoelectric device with cooling from fresh food compartment or freezer compartment.
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