Ice bank detector

Details Ice bank detector Ice bank detector

1998-10-05

2001-07-03

Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Processes

Accumulating holdover ice in situ

C062S139000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06253557

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a beverage dispensing apparatus with an ice water bath tank therein and more particularly relates to a detector for sensing ice growth within the ice water bath tank.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Beverage dispensing systems commnonly use an internal ice bank to cool the beverage to a predetermined temperature before the beverage is served to a customer. An example of a known beverage dispensing system with an internal ice bank is shown in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,233 to Kirschner, et al., entitled “Ice Bank Control System for a Beverage Dispenser.” As is shown in this reference and in
FIG. 1
herein, a beverage dispenser
10
may use a mechanical refrigeration system
12
. The refrigeration system
12
includes an ice water bath tank
14
, a plurality of evaporator coils
16
positioned in the tank
14
to build an ice bank
17
, a plurality of syrup cooling coils
18
, a plurality of water cooling coils
19
, an agitator
20
, an agitator motor
22
, and a compressor or an evaporator system including a compressor motor
24
and a control box
26
housing an ice bank control system
28
.
In use, syrup and water passing through the syrup coils
18
and the water coils
19
are chilled by the ice of the ice bank
17
. The ice is created by the compressor system removing heat from the water in the ice water bath tank
14
. The compressor system may use the plurality of evaporator coils
16
as is shown, one or more evaporator plates of roll-bond construction, or other conventional means of removing heat. The evaporator coils
16
or the evaporator plates are powered by the compressor motor
24
. Operation of the compressor motor
24
is controlled by the ice bank control system
28
. The ice bank control system
28
monitors the growth of the ice bank
17
so as to run the compressor motor
24
until a predetermined amount of ice has developed. If too much ice grows, the syrup and water coils
18
,
19
may freeze. After the compressor motor
24
is shut down, the ice bank control system
25
may again turn on the compressor motor
24
after a predetermined interval to prevent the ice bank
17
from deteriorating. In one embodiment, this reference discloses the use of a thermistor sensing element
30
positioned at a predetermined distance from the evaporator coils
16
. The ice bank control system
25
therefore turns the compressor motor
24
off when the sensor
30
detects the presence of a predetermined amount of ice. U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,233 is incorporated herein by reference.
A similar ice bank control system is shown in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,4907,179, entitled “Ice Bank Control System for Beverage Dispenser.” This reference uses a pair of sensors to determine the growth of the ice bank at predetermined positions spaced from the evaporator coils. U.S. Pat. No. 4,4907,179 is also incorporated herein by reference. Other known ice bank devices use various types of mechanical and electrical sensors, oscillation frequencies, and even optics to detect the growth of ice. In each of these systems, the compressor runs and promotes the growth of ice within the ice bank until the control system determines that a sufficient amount of ice has been made. At that point, the control system turns the compressor off until a predetermined length of time elapses, the ice bank shrinks to a predetermined size, or some other predetermined variable is reached.
Although the purpose of an ice bank detector is to control the refrigeration system such that as much ice as possible grows without freezing the product cooling lines, known detectors only detect the growth of ice at one point in the ice bank. Such detectors, therefore, are not always reliable when, for example, ice bank erosion occurs or when the refrigeration units are improperly charged. These conditions can result in uneven ice growth across the ice bank. For example,
FIG. 2
shows the typical shape of an ice bank
50
with a low or an uneven refrigeration charge. As is shown, significant ice growth occurs at the bottom of the ice bank
50
with a much smaller amount of ice growth at the top. The detector
60
, however, is positioned at the top of the ice bank
50
and would not detect the ice at the bottom of the ice bank
50
. The result is that the compressor would continue to run and cause the ice bank
50
in the bottom of the tank to freeze the product lines
70
well before the detector
60
sensed the presence of the ice bank
50
.
What is needed, therefore, is an ice bank detector that monitors the growth of ice across a significant portion of the entire ice bank. Such a device would accurately determine the growth of ice throughout the ice bank regardless of uneven ice growth or erosion. Such a detector must accomplish these goals in a reliable and cost effective manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an ice detector for an ice water tank having an evaporator system operated by a compressor to promote the growth of ice therein. The detector includes a device for providing reciprocating motion and a probe connected to the device. The probe is capable of reciprocating movement within the ice water tank until a predetermined amount of ice grows adjacent to the probe.
Specific embodiments of the present invention include the use of an electrical device such as a solenoid as the device. The probe is positioned within the ice water tank and may include a plurality of members extending towards the evaporator system. The probe may be made of a substantially rigid material. The probe may have an elongated member extending in a direction substantially parallel to the evaporator system. The plurality of members extending towards the evaporator system, or the flanges, may be positioned along this elongated member.
Alternatively, the probe may have a plurality of spokes extending from the elongated member towards an outer hub, with the plurality of members extending towards the evaporator system positioned on the spokes and the outer hub. Further, the probe may have a first probe connected to the device and positioned on a first side of the evaporator system, a linkage connected to the first probe, and a second probe connected to the linkage and positioned on a second side of the evaporator system. The probe also may be made of a flexible material. The probe may then include an elongated member extending in a direction substantially parallel to the evaporator system and further extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the evaporator system. In any of these embodiments, the detector may detect the growth of ice over an extended length of the ice water tank.
The ice detector also may have a contact sensor positioned adjacent to the probe for contact therewith. The contact sensor may be in communication with the compressor such that the compressor remains operative when the probe contacts the contact sensor during the reciprocating movement. Likewise, the compressor may be shut down when the probe fails to contact the contact sensor because the predetermined amount of ice has grown adjacent to any of the plurality of probe members. Similarly, the probe may move between a first position in contact with the contact sensor and a second position spaced a predetermined distance from the contact sensor. The compressor may be shut down when the probe contacts the contact sensor at the first position but fails to travel to the second position because the predetermined amount of ice has grown adjacent to any of the plurality of probe members. The probe also may have a collar with a contact flange thereon such that the collar connects the probe to the device and also contacts the contact sensor during the reciprocating movement.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides an improved refrigeration system for a beverage dispenser. Such a refrigeration system includes a compressor, an ice water tank, a plurality of evaporator tubes positioned within the ice water tank to promote the growth of ice, and an ice probe positioned w

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Ice bank detector does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Ice bank detector, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ice bank detector will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2539354