Abstract: An ice maker includes a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The control system includes an air fitting disposed above the sump of the water system, a pneumatic tube, and a controller including a processor and an air pressure sensor. The air fitting defines a chamber in which air may be trapped and includes one or more openings through which water in the sump is in fluid communication with the air in the chamber. The pneumatic tube is in fluid communication with the air pressure sensor and the air fitting. The air pressure sensor is adapted to sense a pressure corresponding to a sump water level. The controller is adapted to control the operation of the refrigeration system and the operation of the water system based upon the sump water level. To avoid errors in water level measurements due to temperature changes, the system uses the pressure sensor data's noise level to detect when the water level reaches the bottom of the air fitting.

Abstract: An ice maker includes a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The control system includes an air fitting disposed above the sump of the water system, a pneumatic tube, and a controller including a processor and an air pressure sensor. The air fitting defines a chamber in which air may be trapped and includes one or more openings through which water in the sump is in fluid communication with the air in the chamber. The pneumatic tube is in fluid communication with the air pressure sensor and the air fitting. The air pressure sensor is adapted to sense a pressure corresponding to a sump water level. The controller is adapted to control the operation of the refrigeration system and the operation of the water system based upon the sump water level. To avoid errors in water level measurements due to temperature changes, the system uses the pressure sensor data's noise level to detect when the water level reaches the bottom of the air fitting.

Abstract: A deep fat fryer with a vat containing cooking oil for frying food including an integrated circulating pump housing below the oil level connected to a separate heat exchanger wherein the cooking oil is circulated from the cooking vat through the heat exchanger then back into the cooking vat. Circulating pump motor, pump inlet, and pump impeller assembly is mounted with the pump motor above the cooking oil level and the pump assembly is removable from the cooking vat and pump housing without the need to remove the oil from the cooking vat.

Abstract: A heating system for a fluid includes a double helical coil of continuous tube, a burner, and a containment structure. The double helical coil has an inlet and an outlet disposed at a bottom end and a plurality of external radial fins spaced apart along a length thereof. The burner is centered in the double helical coil and disposed above the inlet and the outlet. The containment structure has a closed bottom end and a flue opening at an upper end. The containment structure is positioned above the inlet and the outlet to enclose the double helical coil and the draft-type burner. The burner heats the continuous tube to evenly transfer heat to the fluid while the fluid flows through the continuous tube from the inlet to the outlet.

Abstract: A whipped cream machine includes a source of whipping cream, a source of gas, a mixing portion connected to the source of whipping cream and the source of gas to form a whipping cream and gas mixture at an elevated pressure that is a whipped cream, an expansion device to relieve the pressure and expand the gas in the whipped cream to form expanded whipped cream that has been expanded to the desired overrun, and a dispenser to dispense the expanded whipped cream.

Abstract: An ice bagging system that comprises a compressed flake nugget ice maker and an ice bagging device that receives compressed flake nugget ice dispensed from the ice maker. The ice bagging device includes at least one bag into which the compressed flake nugget ice is dropped. The ice bagging device is configured to seal and drop the bag of compressed flake nugget ice once a predetermined quantity of ice has been loaded into the at least one bag. An ice merchandiser supports at least the ice bagging device. The ice merchandiser is adapted to receive the at least one bag of compressed flake nugget ice dropped from the ice bagging device. Whereby the compressed flake nugget ice is dispensed from the ice maker directly to the bag of the ice bagging device and the at least one bag of compressed flake nugget ice is dropped directly from the ice bagging device into the ice merchandiser.

Abstract: A blending assembly that comprises a blender base that has an actuating member and a control mechanism, and a container that is removably mountable on the blender base. The container has an integral dispensing spout and dispensing valve. The dispensing valve opens and closes the dispensing spout. The container is adapted to receive ingredients. The control mechanism operates an impeller of the container to blend the ingredients and operates the actuating member to engage the dispensing valve to move the dispensing valve between open and closed positions with respect to the container, thereby opening and closing the dispensing spout for dispensing the blended ingredients.

Abstract: An ice making has an ice making mold with a plurality of ice making cells opened at the bottom, a water tank, water spray nozzles adapted for spraying the water contained in the water tank towards the ice making cells, an ice bin adapted for storage of ice cubes formed in and harvested from the ice making cells, and an inclined plate having water spray openings and recovery openings and mounted between the ice making mold and the water spray nozzles. The ice making cells are each attached to a serpentine evaporator tube, which is cooled by a refrigeration system and also heated by way of electrical pulse energy. The electrical pulse heating of the ice making cells allows ice to be quickly and efficiently harvested from the cells.

Abstract: A dual-temperature refrigerating device for partially freezing beverage inside a sealed beverage container. One compartment within the device is held at a temperature below freezing and another compartment is kept at a temperature above freezing. An opening between the two compartments allows a beverage container to be placed so that is simultaneously exposed to below-freezing temperatures above-freezing temperatures. This arrangement causes the beverage in the portion of the container exposed to the below-freezing temperatures to freeze while the beverage in the part of the container exposed to above freezing temperatures does not freeze.

Abstract: An ice cube making evaporator design comprising an aluminum roll-bond evaporator plate (50) which is encased in a plastic grid (59) of vertical and horizontal ridges, thereby forming an array of freezing sites (28) on both sides of the plate. Plastic grids (59) are attached to each other using thermal staking, adhesives or welding so that the plate (50) is securely sandwiched between the two plastic grids (59).

Abstract: A beverage container having a beverage compartment and an ice compartment separated by a removable seal which, when removed, allows the ice and beverage to mix thereby cooling the beverage. The removable seal prevents premature mixing of the beverage and the ice and allows the container to be stored warm, with water in the ice compartment, indefinitely. Prior to use, the container is placed in a dual-temperature environment that freezes the water in the ice compartment but doesn't freeze the beverage. Freezing of the beverage is prevented by an air gap between the beverage and the ice that acts as a thermal barrier. An ice anchor and an air gap in the ice compartment reduce the melting rate of the ice by suspending the ice within the ice compartment, out of contact with the melt water and surrounded by an insulating layer of air.

Abstract: An ice cube making evaporator design comprising an aluminum roll-bond evaporator plate (50) which is encased in a plastic grid (59) of vertical and horizontal ridges, thereby forming an array of freezing sites (28) on both sides of the plate. Integral refrigerant passes (52) in the evaporator plate may be designed to be flat on one side, enabling the freezing sites (28) to be in direct contact with the refrigerant passes (52). Adjacent refrigerant passes (52) are flat on opposite sides of the evaporator plate (50') thereby enabling significant improvements in heat transfer geometry and performance. Boundary layer interrupters (68) and conductive anchors (86) are also disclosed for the purpose of heat transfer enhancement.

Abstract: A machine or apparatus for producing ice cubes comprising flexible membranes which are flexed into and out of thermal contact with a refrigerated evaporator core upon which conductive areas define discrete freezing sites which determine the location on the flexible membrane where the ice cubes are formed. The ice cubes are removed by flexing the flexible membrane. The flexing of the flexible membranes into and out of contact with the evaporator core may be accomplished with a fluid source which applies fluid to and removes fluid from collapsible spaces between the evaporator core and the membranes.

Abstract: A finned tube heat exchanger having an improved flat louver fin configuration for increased heat transfer efficiency and low air pressure drop. The fins comprise generally planar sheet metal plates having a pattern of spaced apertures for receiving a group of heat exchanger tubes perpendicularly to the fin plate. Groups of louvers are formed as elongate strips extending generally in an area between adjacent tubes. The strips are selectively offset, i.e. raised or lowered from the nominal plane of the fin, so as to establish a louver pattern having flat louvers in a number of different planes each parallel to the direction of flow of air across the fin. Stiffness is provided for the fin plate by providing a slope and offset of the leading and trailing edges of the fin plate such that they are displaced in a direction parallel to the axes of the tube.

Abstract: An ice product bearing a clearly discernable pattern or design caused by the controlled formation of cloudy ice within an otherwise clear ice cube, and a machine or apparatus for producing such cubes comprising a flexible membrane (56) which is urged into and out of thermal contact with a refrigerated surface (51) upon which raised conductive areas (52) define discrete freezing sites which determine where on the flexible membrane the ice cubes are formed and then removing the ice cubes by flexing the flexible membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming ice cubes without a hot gas defrost cycle comprises a flexible sheet (55) which is urged into and out of thermal contact with a refrigerated plate (51) through openings in an insulative spacer (52) defining the freezing sites where the ice cubes are built up to the desired thickness by lamination.