Refrigeration – Means producing shaped or modified congealed product – With raw material projector – e.g. – spray
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-04-03
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
With raw material projector, e.g., spray
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209340
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ice makers and more specifically to structures therein for clearing ice from the evaporator.
2. Background
Ice makers are well known in the art and typically make ice by flowing water over an electrically cooled evaporator. The water that is not frozen onto the evaporator is caught by a drain pan and recycled over the evaporator. When an ice sheet of a sufficient thickness has formed thereon, a hot gas defrost cycle is started causing the ice to melt partially around the exterior surface thereof whereupon its adhesion to the evaporator surface is lessened. The ice can then fall from the evaporator and into an ice bin positioned there below. However, a problem can occur where the ice sheet does not fall completely out of the evaporator or contacts and rests on the water drain pan and leans against the evaporator. Subsequent ice making cycles can result in an unwanted build up of ice on the evaporator and shut down of the ice maker.
Various strategies have been employed to insure that the ice sheet is fully and positively removed from the evaporator. A separate active mechanism is known to push the ice from the evaporator. However, such an approach adds further components resulting in an increased cost and a decreased reliability. The evaporator can also be maintained at an angle that is more conducive to the ice falling, i.e. at an angle between the vertical and the horizontal. However, such an angular positioning can result in an undesirable portion of internal ice maker volume being dedicated to the evaporator rather than ice storage and can negatively impact uniform cube formation. Accordingly, it would very desirable to have an ice removing structure that does not increase cost or complexity and that is space efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a modified water drain pan for use in an ice maker. The drain pan is positioned below a vertically oriented evaporator and includes a front lip for receiving run off water from the evaporator during the ice making cycle. A plurality of spaced apart ice removing projections are formed integrally into and extend upward from and along the drain pan front lip. The ice moving projections serve to define a V-shaped groove along and adjacent the front lip.
In operation, the drain pan of the present invention is positioned to receive the drain water during the ice making cycle as it flows over the evaporator. When the ice is harvested the ice sheet falls from the evaporator such that a bottom edge thereof lands within the V-shaped groove. A bottom exterior corner edge of the ice sheet contacts a front surface of the V-shaped groove wherein the force applied there against by the weight of the entire sheet causes the sheet to rotate about an imaginary axis extending within and along that groove. As a result thereof, the top of the ice sheet tips in a forward direction away from the evaporator where upon it falls into the ice bin below. Thus, the V-shaped groove causes a movement of the ice sheet powered by its own weight wherein it is moved positively away from the evaporator. Thus, the drain pan of the present invention prevents the ice sheet from being able to rest thereon and lean against the evaporator.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3913349 (1975-10-01), Johnson
patent: 4107943 (1978-08-01), Ohling
patent: 4366679 (1983-01-01), Van Steenburgh, Jr.
patent: 4452049 (1984-06-01), Nelson
patent: 4823559 (1989-04-01), Hagen
patent: 6122927 (2000-09-01), Moore
Hakanson Sten Erik
IMI Cornelius Inc.
Tapolcai William E.
LandOfFree
Ice clearing structure for ice makers 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 clearing structure for ice makers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ice clearing structure for ice makers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2466986