Refrigeration – Processes – Congealing flowable material – e.g. – ice making
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-10-23
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Congealing flowable material, e.g., ice making
C062S344000, C198S536000, C222S146600, C414S313000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305177
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to dispensing equipment and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a beverage dispensing system featuring a movable ice gate assembly for facilitating increased ice capacity within existing spatial constraints.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beverage dispensing systems are equipped with a beverage dispenser unit for dispensing a variety of popular beverages therefrom. Additionally, beverage dispensing systems often provide ice to complement those beverages dispensed from the beverage dispenser unit in that consumers expect ice to accompany many of these popular carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.
However, providing a continuous supply of ice has long been problematic, especially if large volumes of consumers access a beverage dispensing system. Current beverage dispensing systems either require manual ice replenishment by a beverage dispensing system attendant or feature automatic ice makers of limited capacity.
In particular, beverage dispenser units include an ice collection bin for providing a supply of ice. Often, an attendant placing ice directly into the ice collection bin replenishes ice within the ice collection bin. In addition to being tedious and labor intensive, manual ice replenishment is hazardous in that consumers and beverage dispenser attendants alike trip and fall on ice that lands on the floor during the replenishment process. Furthermore, manual ice replenishment is less than sanitary due to ice contact with the atmosphere, the ice collection bin, and even the beverage dispenser attendant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,338, which issued to A. G. Weil et al. on Oct. 12, 1965 and is entitled “Ice Handling Apparatus”, features a beverage dispensing system with an automatic ice maker. The Weil ice maker is confined within the inner workings of a beverage dispenser unit and, thus, cannot accommodate the unit's ice collection bin with large volumes of ice at any given time. Furthermore, merely entertaining the notion of integrating an additional automatic ice maker within an existing beverage dispenser unit is unduly troublesome in that beverage dispensing systems are often situated in commercial settings with little space for accommodating ice capacity expansion.
The Weil ice maker imposes a further complication in that it does not include an integrated sanitizing system, which necessitates manual cleaning. Consequently, the Weil ice maker is not suited for placement in a confined space, such as under a counter.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a self-sanitizing beverage dispensing system that provides increased ice capacity within existing spatial constraints.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a dispensing system includes a dispensing system ice storage unit, an ice supply unit for increasing ice availability of the dispensing system, and a movable ice gate assembly coupled with the ice supply unit for transporting ice from the ice supply unit about the dispensing system. The ice supply unit includes an ice supply unit housing, an ice collection bin disposed in the ice supply unit housing for receiving ice, and an automatic ice maker assembly positioned within the collection bin for supplying ice thereto. The ice supply unit further includes an external ice inlet linked and in engagement with the ice collection bin for receiving ice from an external source.
The movable ice gate assembly is positioned substantially centrally within the ice collection bin to transfer ice from the ice collection bin, out the ice supply unit, and about the dispensing system. The movable ice gate assembly includes a post for channeling ice therethrough and a movable gate unit linked and in movable engagement with the post for discharging ice received from the post out the movable ice gate assembly and about the dispensing system. The movable ice gate assembly further includes an ice channeling element disposed in the post for carrying ice therethrough. The movable gate unit includes an ice applicator chute in communication with the post and a chute sleeve disposed on and in extendible engagement with the ice applicator chute for varying the length of the movable ice gate unit. The post includes a post opening for facilitating ice transfer from the post to the movable gate unit and a trap door in cooperative engagement with the post opening for selectively regulating ice flow through the post opening.
The dispensing system further includes an ice dispenser unit for delivering ice from the dispensing system. The ice dispenser unit includes an ice dispenser assembly linked and in cooperative engagement with the ice supply unit, whereby ice is delivered from ice supply unit to the ice dispenser assembly. The ice dispenser assembly includes an ice dispenser housing secured atop the ice supply unit housing, an ice dispenser post linked and in communication with the movable ice gate assembly for channeling ice received from the movable ice gate assembly, and an ice dispensing outlet disposed on and extending through the ice dispenser housing for discharging ice received from the dispenser post out the ice dispenser assembly. The ice dispenser assembly further includes an ice dispenser channeling element for carrying ice through the ice dispenser assembly disposed in the ice dispenser housing and in cooperative engagement with the ice channeling element of the movable ice gate assembly. The dispenser post includes an ice dispenser post opening for facilitating ice transfer from the ice dispenser post to the ice dispensing outlet and an ice dispenser trap door in cooperative engagement with the ice dispenser post opening for selectively regulating ice flow through the ice dispenser post opening.
The dispensing system further includes a logic control unit for selectively engaging the ice channeling element, the trap door, the ice dispenser channeling element, and the ice dispenser trap door to facilitate ice delivery from the ice supply unit and the ice dispenser unit. The dispensing system still further includes a sanitizing system in cooperative engagement with the ice supply unit and the dispensing system ice storage unit for preventing the unfavorable build-up of contaminants therein and a water treating system coupled with the automatic ice maker assembly for supplying treated water thereto.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing system with increased ice capacity through an ice supply unit configurable in a variety of arrangements that occupy the least space possible.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ice supply unit with a movable gate assembly positionable to allow engagement of the ice supply unit with a dispensing system ice storage unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ice supply unit with an improved automatic ice maker assembly.
Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the following.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3229827 (1966-01-01), Kucera
patent: 3269517 (1966-08-01), Skelton
patent: 3913343 (1975-10-01), Rowland et al.
patent: 4055280 (1977-10-01), Kohl et al.
patent: 4732301 (1988-03-01), Tobias et al.
patent: 5299427 (1994-04-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5752393 (1998-05-01), Schlosser et al.
Durham Samuel
Edwards William A.
Grewal Randeep S.
Lancer Partnership Ltd.
Makay Christopher L.
Tapolcai William E.
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