Evaporator device for an ice maker and method of manufacture

Refrigeration – Processes – Congealing flowable material – e.g. – ice making

Reexamination Certificate

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C029S890035, C062S347000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06247318

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an evaporator device for ice making equipment and to a method of manufacturing the evaporator device. In particular, the invention relates to an evaporator device that does not use brazing or soldering in a manner that leaves brazing or soldering material in contact with the ice making cells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Evaporator devices generally include an array of ice cells arranged in a grid of horizontal rows and vertical columns and a refrigerant tube that is positioned adjacent the grid to provide cooling during ice making and heating during defrost and harvest.
It is known to construct an ice cell array with thermally conductive metal, such as copper or aluminum. An example of a copper evaporator device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,824. The evaporator device, when constructed of copper, is plated with a suitable metal, such as tin or nickel. The plating is required by Natonal Sanitation Foundation codes, which prohibit the use of copper parts in contact with food products. The plating process results in waste products that need to be handled with environmentally acceptable procedures. In addition, plating degradation can occur at solder fillets used in the construction of the array of cells or their connection to other parts over which the water used in the ice making process may flow. This can result in a formation of copper oxides that could contaminate the ice.
Examples of evaporator devices that use aluminum parts to construct the ice cell array are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,430,452, 5,129,237 and 5,193,357. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,357 discloses a plurality of horizontal integral aluminum pieces arranged side by side to form a grid of ice cells. However, the back of each ice cell contains a gap that is filled entirely or partially with brazing material. Brazing material or soldering material can deteriorate over time, thereby resulting in unreliability. Moreover, the evaporator device construction is limited to one-sided ice cell arrays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,237 discloses an evaporator device constructed of a base plate from which extend row wide fins. Vertical fins must be connected to the row wide fins to form a grid of ice cells. Conventional techniques have included notches. Notch connections are susceptible to loosening and, therefore, present a quality issue. If the notch connection is strengthened by brazing or soldering, the above noted disadvantages will result.
Thus, there is a need for an evaporator device that does not have ice cells formed with copper, brazing material or soldering material.
There is also a need for an evaporator device that has secure fastenings without the use of brazing or soldering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The evaporator device of the present invention is used in an ice maker that makes ice cubes. The evaporator device has a plurality of vertical integral structures located side-by-side with a plurality of vertical partitions interleaved therewith to form an array of ice cells in horizontal rows and vertical columns. Each of the vertical integral structures has a plurality of bores extending horizontally therethrough. Each of the vertical partitions has a plurality of holes in registry with the bores. An evaporator tube threads the bores and the holes. The evaporator tube is expanded to mechanically bond the vertical integral structures, the vertical partitions and the evaporator tube.
In preferred embodiments, the vertical integral structures the vertical partitions are aluminum.
Each vertical integral structure includes a base plate and a plurality of fins that extend outwardly from the base plate. The base plate forms the back of each ice cell of one column. Each of the fins has opposed first and second surfaces that form the tops and bottoms of adjacent ones of the ice cells of the column.
A plurality of weep holes is formed in each of the vertical partitions. The weep holes of each vertical partition are in registry with the weep holes of adjacent vertical partitions to form for each horizontal row a weeping passageway for water and air during a defrost/harvest cycle. The passageway is open at its ends to allow the flow of water and air.
The vertical integral structures and the vertical partitions are shaped to support a mirror image array of ice cells in a dual array configuration.
The method of the present invention for making an evaporator device forms the array of ice cells by interleaving the vertical integral structures with the vertical partitions. An evaporator tube is then threaded through the bores of the vertical integral structures and the holes of the vertical partitions. The evaporator tube is then expanded to mechanically bond the evaporator tube, the vertical integral structures and the vertical partitions.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1709865 (1929-04-01), Muffly
patent: 3086559 (1963-04-01), Grenell
patent: 3280588 (1966-10-01), Brindley
patent: 3430452 (1969-03-01), Dedricks et al.
patent: 4459824 (1984-07-01), Krueger
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patent: 5129237 (1992-07-01), Day et al.
patent: 5157941 (1992-10-01), Cur et al.
patent: 5186022 (1993-02-01), Kim
patent: 5193357 (1993-03-01), Kohl et al.

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