Ice maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913699-B2
Application number	US-202016746839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

An ice maker includes an evaporator configured to freeze water into ice as it flows vertically down a freeze plate. A distributor distributes the water along the top of the freeze plate to form ice across the width of the freeze plate as the water flows downward along the freeze plate. The distributor can be integrated into the evaporator. For example, the distributor and evaporator can have a part in common. The distributor can be formed from two pieces that come together to form the freeze plate. The distributor can have various features that aid in providing a desirable distribution of water along the width of the freeze plate. The freeze plate can be mounted in an ice maker enclosure in thermal communication with the evaporator and to slant forward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice maker comprising:
an enclosure;
a freeze plate received in the enclosure, the freeze plate comprising a back wall and a front opposite the back wall, the freeze plate further comprising a perimeter wall extending forward from the back wall, the perimeter wall comprising a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first side wall portion, and a second side wall portion, the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion defining a width of the freeze plate, the freeze plate further comprising a plurality of heightwise divider plates extending from lower ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upper ends connected to the top wall portion and a plurality of widthwise divider plates extending from first ends connected to the first side wall portion to second ends connected to the second side wall portion, the heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates being interconnected to define a plurality of ice molds inboard of the perimeter wall, each widthwise divider plate defining a plurality of molds immediately above the divider plate and a plurality of molds immediately below the divider plate, each widthwise divider plate sloping downward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate such that an included angle between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall is greater than 90° and less than 180°;
a refrigeration system including serpentine evaporator tubing disposed along the back wall of the freeze plate, the serpentine evaporator tubing having a single inlet, a single outlet and a continuous length extending sinuously from the single inlet to the single outlet; and
a distributor located above the freeze plate and configured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow downward along the front of the freeze plate along the width of the freeze plate for filling the plurality of ice molds;
wherein the freeze plate is supported in the enclosure so that the back wall of the freeze plate slants forward;
wherein the top wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate has a bottom surface configured to define a top row of the plurality of ice molds, wherein the heightwise divider plates are entirely below the bottom surface of the top wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate, and wherein an included angle between the bottom surface of the top wall portion and the back wall of the freeze plate is less than 90°;
wherein the ice maker is configured to execute a harvest cycle for releasing ice from the molds solely by redirecting hot refrigerant gas from the refrigeration system to flow through the serpentine evaporator tubing from the single inlet along the sinuous length to the single outlet, thereby warming the freeze plate so that the ice melts and slides forward down the sloping widthwise divider plates.

2. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the back wall of the freeze plate and a plumb vertical axis have an included angle therebetween of at least 1.5°.

3. An ice maker as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the included angle between the back wall of the freeze plate and the plumb vertical axis is about 2.0°.

4. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the included angle between a top surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall of the freeze plate is at least 100°.

5. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each widthwise divider plate is formed from single piece of monolithic material.

6. An ice maker as set forth in claim 5 , wherein each widthwise divider plate has a bottom surface and a top surface oriented parallel to the bottom surface.

7. An ice maker as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of ice molds includes a plurality of interior ice molds having perimeters defined substantially entirely by the heightwise and widthwise divider plates.

8. An ice maker as set forth in claim 7 , wherein each interior ice mold has an upper end defined substantially entirely by the bottom surface of one of the widthwise divider plates and a lower end defined substantially entirely by the top surface of one of the widthwise divider plates.

9. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each widthwise divider plate has a front edge, the front edge of each widthwise divider plate lying substantially on a front plane of the freeze plate, the front plane of the freeze plate being substantially parallel to the back wall.

10. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein substantially the only forces imparted on the ice during the harvest cycle are gravitational forces.

11. An ice maker as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the distributor comprises a first end portion adjacent the first side wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate, a second end portion adjacent the second side wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate, and a bottom wall extending widthwise between the first end portion and the second end portion above the top wall portion of the perimeter wall of the freeze plate, the bottom wall of the distributor having a downstream end portion adjacent the front of the freeze plate and an upstream end portion rearwardly spaced from the front end portion.

12. An ice maker as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the downstream end portion of the bottom wall of the distributor defines a surface tension curve configured so that the water imparted through the distributor adheres to the curve and is directed downward by the curve toward a front edge of the top wall portion of the freeze plate.

13. An ice maker as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the distributor further comprises an overhanging front wall having a bottom edge margin spaced apart above the bottom wall of the distributor to define a flow restriction therebetween.

14. An ice maker as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the distributor further comprises a weir spaced apart between the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion of the bottom wall of the distributor.

15. An ice maker as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the bottom wall of the distributor comprises a ramp surface immediately upstream of the weir.

16. An ice maker comprising:
an enclosure;
a freeze plate received in the enclosure, the freeze plate comprising a back wall and a front opposite the back wall, the freeze plate further comprising a perimeter wall extending forward from the back wall, the perimeter wall comprising a top wall portion, a bottom wall portion, a first side wall portion, and a second side wall portion, the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion defining a width of the freeze plate, the freeze plate further comprising a plurality of heightwise divider plates extending from lower ends connected to the bottom wall portion to upper ends connected to the top wall portion and a plurality of widthwise divider plates extending from first ends connected to the first side wall portion to second ends connected to the second side wall portion, the heightwise divider plates and the widthwise divider plates being interconnected to define a plurality of ice molds inboard of the perimeter wall, each widthwise divider plate defining a plurality of molds immediately above the divider plate and a plurality of molds immediately below the divider plate, each widthwise divider plate sloping downward and forward away from the back wall of the freeze plate such that an included angle between an upper surface of each widthwise divider plate and the back wall is greater than 90° and less than 180°; and
a distributor configured to direct water imparted through the distributor to flow downward along the

Assignees

• True Mfg Co Inc

Inventors

• Knatt Kevin

Classifications

• F25C1/045 Primary

  with the open end pointing downwards · CPC title

• F25C1/246

  Moulds with separate grid structure · CPC title

• F25C1/25 Primary

  Filling devices for moulds · CPC title

• F25C5/20

  Distributing ice · CPC title

• F25C2400/06

  Multiple ice moulds or trays therefor · CPC title