For Ice Or Ice Cream Maker Patents (Class 62/228.2)
  • Patent number: 10837687
    Abstract: A safety device for an ice machine comprising a cover-type body (1), with a spherical cap shape, which is articulated on one of the ends (1a) thereof, while on the other end (1b) thereof it has a floating character and incorporates protuberances (1c) that make up the arrangement of an elastic closure (2) responsible for fastening said body to the ice machine (10); and wherein electronic means (3) are located adjacently to the body (1) in the placement area of an end of the elastic closure (2), which are responsible for detecting the change in position or opening of said body (1) and sending machine stop and breakdown warnings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ITV ICE MAKERS, S.L.
    Inventor: Cristina Cordon Compañ
  • Publication number: 20140238062
    Abstract: This invention relates to a portable onsite ice making apparatus having a bypass tube, which includes a compressor equipped with a condenser having heat removal capacity of about 2,400˜2,600 BTU/hr; an expansion valve; an evaporator being in heat exchange relationship with an ice making tray; a bypass tube for the refrigerant to bypass the condenser and the expansion valve; and a switching means selectively changing the flow of the refrigerant from the compressor to the condenser or from the compressor to the bypass tube. The portable ice making apparatus has heat removal capacity to cool the ice making tray to ?27° C.˜?26° C. within 3 minutes and heating capacity to heat the ice making tray from about ?27° C.˜?26° C. to about 50° C.˜?60° C. within 30 seconds. The area of the capillary tube in the bypass tube to the area of the first discharging tube is about 1/25˜ 1/10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Inventor: Dong Hwan SUL
  • Patent number: 8769973
    Abstract: A refrigeration system for a frozen product dispenser is controlled to have a variable cooling capacity that is determined by variable cooling load demands of the dispenser. This is accomplished, in part, by providing the refrigeration system with a variable speed compressor and one or more adjustable expansion valves for metering refrigerant to associated evaporators that are heat exchange coupled to associated freeze barrels of the dispenser, and by controlling the metering setting of the expansion valves and the speed of operation of the compressor in accordance with the cooling load demands of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for efficient operation of the refrigeration system from an energy standpoint and for a reduction in on/off cycling of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Cornelius, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel C. Leaver, Gregory M. Billman
  • Patent number: 8408017
    Abstract: A refrigeration system for a frozen product dispenser is controlled to have a variable cooling capacity that is determined by variable cooling load demands of the dispenser. This is accomplished, in part, by providing the refrigeration system with a variable speed compressor and one or more adjustable expansion valves for metering refrigerant to associated evaporators that are heat exchange coupled to associated freeze barrels of the dispenser, and by controlling the metering setting of the expansion valves and the speed of operation of the compressor in accordance with the cooling load demands of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for efficient operation of the refrigeration system from an energy standpoint and for a reduction in on/off cycling of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: IMI Cornelius, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel C. Leaver, Gregory M. Billman
  • Patent number: 7878006
    Abstract: A system and method includes a compressor operable in a refrigeration circuit and including a motor, a current sensor detecting current supplied to the motor, a discharge line temperature sensor detecting discharge line temperature of the compressor, and processing circuitry receiving current data from the current sensor and discharge line temperature data from the discharge line temperature sensor and processing the current data and the discharge line temperature data to determine a capacity of the refrigeration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hung M. Pham
  • Patent number: 7870749
    Abstract: A method of regulating the refrigerant temperature for a beverage machine, including a refrigeration system for producing a frozen beverage, operating at least one compressor at a speed to flow the refrigerant through the refrigeration system of the beverage machine and cooling the refrigerant with at least one condenser. The method may also include controllably varying the flow of air across the at least one condenser or the speed of the at least one compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Doug Franck, Darren Wayne Simmons, Daniel J. Peck, Richard Carroll Staten
  • Publication number: 20100326102
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the cabinet, an ice compartment disposed within the cabinet, and an electronic control system associated with the refrigerator and adapted to monitor and control the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment and the ice compartment. The control system provides for energy efficient control and operation through various means, including by monitoring state of an ice maker associated with the ice compartment and controlling temperature within compartments of the refrigerator based on the ice maker state. A damper controls air flow between the fresh food and freezer compartments. The control system can direct heat to the damper if the damper becomes frozen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: MAYTAG CORPORATION
    Inventors: ROBERT L. WETEKAMP, KYLE B. VAN METER, ALAN G. TARRANT, RYAN D. SCHUCHART, MAURO M. OLIVEIRA, ALVIN V. MILLER, BRENT A. KOPPENHAVER, CARL J. FRANKEN, NELSON J. FERRAGUT, II, TIM L. COULTER, GREG BERARDI, THOMAS CARL ANELL
  • Patent number: 7721563
    Abstract: An apparatus for calculating torque of a variable capacity compressor, including: a sensor configured to detect internal and external states of an air conditioner; an OFF-torque calculator configured to calculate and store a steady-state torque according to a state detected by the sensor just before a clutch is turned off; a start torque calculator configured to calculate a start torque according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; a steady-state full-stroke calculator configured to calculate a steady-state full-stroke torque based on an assumption that the compressor was in a full-stroke-state according to a state detected by the sensor after the clutch is turned on; and a determiner configured to provide, when an elapsed time after the clutch is turned on is less than a predetermined time, a maximum one of the torque values calculated by the OFF-torque calculator, start torque calculator, and steady-state full-stroke calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignees: Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Takahashi, Masaki Kawachi, Masanori Ogawa, Hirofumi Muto, Daisuke Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090211269
    Abstract: A controller for a drive motor for a scraper of a frozen product dispenser operates the drive motor to rotate the scraper at selected ones of a plurality of different speeds within a freeze barrel of the dispenser, in accordance with the values of sensed operating parameters of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for rotation of the scraper at speeds appropriate for, but no greater than required for, the then existent operating condition of the dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: David Brett Gist, Gregory M. Billman, Santhosh Kumar, Kyle Elsom, Nikolay Popov
  • Patent number: 7337624
    Abstract: A method of regulating the refrigerant temperature for a beverage machine, including a refrigeration system for producing a frozen beverage, operating at least one compressor at a speed to flow the refrigerant through the refrigeration system of the beverage machine and cooling the refrigerant with at least one condenser. The method may also include controllably varying the flow of air across the at least one condenser or the speed of the at least one compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Doug Franck, Darren Wayne Simmons, Daniel J. Peck, Richard Carroll Staten
  • Patent number: 6988371
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for cooling a passenger compartment in a hybrid vehicle that operates an engine intermittently during vehicle operation, the hybrid vehicle having an HVAC system including an HVAC duct, a blower adapted to direct a flow of air through the HVAC duct, and an evaporator located within the HVAC duct. The method includes the steps of operating the blower; operating the compressor; allowing a predetermined amount of ice to form on the evaporator during operation of the compressor; turning off the vehicle engine; ceasing operation of the compressor; measuring an indicator corresponding to a remaining amount of the predetermined amount of ice formed on the evaporator; and re-starting the compressor when a predetermined air temp in air duct is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Munther M. Salim, Gregory A. Major, Jeffrey A Bozeman
  • Patent number: 6601399
    Abstract: An ice making machine in which upon starting of an ice making operation, a water level detecting switch starts measurement, and a water-supply-stop time T1 is compared with a reference time T2. When the water-supply-stop time T1 is not longer than the reference time T2, it is determined that the ice making machine is an excessive-ice-making state, and control is performed so as to reduce the RPM of a fan motor for cooling a condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Kuroyanagi, Teruhiko Otani, Hideo Sumikawa, Hiroshi Tanaka, Yoshio Furukawa, Akira Suyama
  • Patent number: 6532751
    Abstract: A method of maximizing ice production in a refrigeration. The method includes monitoring a fill level of an ice storage bin and when the fill level is below a predetermined full level, energizing a water valve to dispense water into a mold, an alternate cooling routine is initiated comprising energizing an evaporator fan for a predetermined time period being equal to a time period necessary to freeze the water in the mold, controlling a temperature in a fresh food compartment by opening and closing an air door positioned in the air flow between the evaporator and the fresh food compartment, dispensing the ice from the mold to the storage bin upon a completion of the predetermined time period, and determining whether the storage bin is filled and if so, terminating the alternate cooling routine and if not, reenergizing the water valve and continuing the alternate cooling routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis G. Schenk, John R. Wisnoski, David A. Diekmann, Steven J. Kuehl
  • Patent number: 6467295
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a refrigerated cooling apparatus for cooling heat generated from a semiconductor device by forming a circulating flow path of the air in a case with an evaporator and the semiconductor mounted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sai Kee Oh, Dong Yeon Jang, Se Yoon Oh, Wook Yong Lee