Refrigeration – Means producing shaped or modified congealed product – With raw material projector – e.g. – spray
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-12-04
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
With raw material projector, e.g., spray
C062S078000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324863
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally t o methods and apparatus for maintaining a sanitary condition in an ice maker, and in particular to such methods and apparatus using the generation of chlorine as a sanitizing a gent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The need to keep ice making and dispensing equipment clean over time is well known in the art. It is understood that such equipment can become contaminated with microorganisms, such as, bacteria, yeast, fungi, and mold. Thus, for example, the ice forming evaporator, fluid lines and ice storage area found in such equipment must be periodically cleaned.
Manual cleaning with detergents and sterilizing chemicals can be effective, however, cleaning schedules are not, as a practical matter, always adhered to. In addition, the job may not be done satisfactorily in terms of a thorough cleaning and rinsing of the food contact and drain elements or tubes. Thus, systems have been developed including electronic controls that, in the case of an ice maker, automatically enter the machine into a sanitizing cycle wherein cleaning agents are pumped there through and subsequently rinsed off. Of course, the automatic systems can fail as well, where, for example, the cleaning agent reservoir runs out of cleaner, or the apparatus simply breaks down or fails to operate properly. Accordingly, a more reliable low cost method of maintaining an ice maker in a sufficiently sanitary condition that is less susceptible to human error or mechanical break down would be desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an apparatus and method for providing effective chlorination of water used in ice making equipment for the production of ice cubes for sanitizing and retarding the growth of micro-organisms therein.
As is known, an ice maker typically includes refrigeration components including a compressor, a condenser for cooling an evaporator. The evaporator is integral with an ice forming grid having the individual pockets in which the ice cubes are formed. As is also known in the art, the ice maker ,as above described, includes a water pump that operates to pump water from a source thereof to a water distribution tube located along and above the ice forming grid. The water then exits the distribution tube and cascades over the surface of the vertically oriented grid/evaporator. As the ice forming grid is cooled by contact with the evaporator during operation of the refrigeration system, some of the water flowing there over will freeze thereon. The remainder of the water will flow into a receiving tank to be recycled by the pump to flow repeatedly over the evaporator until ice of a sufficient thickness is formed thereon. The ice is then harvested, typically by hot gas defrosting of the evaporator, causing the ice to melt slightly and slip off the grid structure and drop into an ice retaining bin there below.
An electronic chlorine generating device, as manufactured by Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. Of Japan is used to produce bacterially active chlorine gas Cl
2
from chloride ions. Such generators are described in Japanese patents 5269469 A, 2190994 A, 2031886 A and 61283391 A, which patents are incorporated herein by reference thereto. As is understood, such generators include a pair of electrodes for creating an electrolytic reaction wherein a relatively biologically inactive chloride ion, present in municipal tap water, is converted to the more biologically active growth retarding or inhibiting chlorine gas. In the present invention, the pair of electrodes are positioned in the water receiving tank of the ice maker. In operation, a potential is periodically applied between the electrodes for predetermined periods of time to produce the active chlorine to a desired level. It was found that by enriching the Cl
2
content of the water, growth of microorganisms on the evaporator, the receiving tank, the distribution tube and the tubing associated there with was greatly reduced or eliminated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4361471 (1982-11-01), Kosarek
patent: 5005364 (1991-04-01), Nelson
patent: 5458851 (1995-10-01), Schroeder et al.
patent: 5586439 (1996-12-01), Schlosser et al.
patent: 5798036 (1998-08-01), Zimmerman et al.
patent: 6045704 (2000-04-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6095205 (2000-08-01), Nagasawa
Ali Mohammad M.
IMI Cornelius Inc.
Sten Erik Hakanson
Tapolcai William E.
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