# US 11,906,229 B2 · Ultrasonic bin control in an ice machine

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- Number: US 11,906,229 B2
- Document ID: US11906229B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/676,690
- Filed: 2022-02-21
- Published: 2022-06-02
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-03
- Assignees: Hoshizaki America, Inc.
- Applicants: Hoshizaki America, Inc.
- Inventors: Hideki Sakakibara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906229B2

## CPC

- F25C 1/12: by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
- F25C 1/00: Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence)
- F25C 5/182: Ice bins therefor
- F25C 5/187: with ice level sensing means
- G01F 23/296: Acoustic waves
- G01S 15/08: Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46)
- G01S 15/88: Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00)
- F25C 1/25: Filling devices for moulds
- F25C 2400/12: Means for sanitation
- F25C 2400/14: Water supply
- F25C 2600/04: Control means
- F25C 2700/02: Level of ice
- F25D 23/00: General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence)
- F25D 23/006: {for mounting refrigerating machinery components}
- F25D 23/06: Walls (F25D23/08 takes precedence; containers with thermal insulation B65D81/38)
- F25D 23/063: {formed by an assembly of panels}
- F25D 23/064: {formed by moulding, e.g. moulding in situ}
- F28D 21/00: Heat-exchange apparatus not covered by any of the groups F28D1/00 - F28D20/00
- F28D 2021/0071: {Evaporators}
- F28F 2275/085: with snap connection
- F28F 2280/06: Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections
- F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)

## Abstract

An ice machine includes: an ice maker including: an ultrasonic bin sensor mounted to a body; and a controller in electrical communication with the ultrasonic bin sensor and configured to control the ultrasonic bin sensor; and a storage bin coupled to the ice maker and sized to receive a mound of ice, a lens of the ultrasonic bin sensor facing a bottom of an interior cavity of the storage bin, the controller configured to process a return signal of the ultrasonic bin sensor to control a level of ice stored inside the storage bin, the controller further configured to apply a predetermined time delay to filter out a portion of the return signal that exceeds a threshold voltage but does not exceed the time delay.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ice machine comprising:
an ultrasonic bin sensor comprising a lens, the lens configured to face an interior cavity of a storage bin and measure a level of ice sorted inside the storage bin; and
a controller in electrical communication with the ultrasonic bin sensor and configured to control the ultrasonic bin sensor;
wherein the controller is configured to:
filter out a portion of a return signal of the ultrasonic bin sensor below a threshold voltage as part of controlling the level of ice stored inside the storage bin; and
filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined time delay as part of controlling the level of ice stored inside the storage bin.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ice machine of claim 1, wherein a lowermost portion of the ultrasonic bin sensor is offset above a bottom maker end of an ice maker of the ice machine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ice machine of claim 1, wherein the time delay is in a range of 175 to 350 microseconds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ice machine of claim 1, wherein filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay comprises filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is closer than a distance threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The ice machine of claim 4, wherein:
the time delay is a first time delay; and
the controller is further configured to filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined second time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is further than a distance threshold.

### Claim 6

A bin control system for an ice machine, the system comprising:
an ultrasonic bin sensor comprising a body defining a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the first end comprising a lens; and
a controller in electrical communication with the ultrasonic bin sensor and configured to control the ultrasonic bin sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
filter out a portion of a return signal of the ultrasonic bin sensor below a threshold voltage as part of controlling a level of ice stored inside a storage bin of the ice machine; and
filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined time delay as part of controlling the level of ice stored inside the storage bin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the controller comprises an adjustor and defines a plurality of bin control settings, the plurality of bin control settings configured to regulate an ice detection distance measured from the lens of the ultrasonic bin sensor to a level position defined by a desired level of ice in a storage bin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein a signal emitted by the ultrasonic bin sensor defines a viewing cone defining a viewing angle of 80 degrees, plus or minus 5 degrees.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein a threshold voltage setting of the controller falls within a range between 30% and 60% of a strength of the return signal at a distance of 30 inches.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the time delay measures in a range of 175 to 350 microseconds.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay comprises filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is closer than a distance threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein:
the time delay is a first time delay, and
the controller is further configured to filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined second time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is further than a distance threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the second time delay differs from the first time delay.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first time delay measures in a range of 175 to 350 microseconds.

### Claim 15

A method of using an ice machine, the method comprising:
transmitting an acoustic pulse from an ultrasonic bin sensor of an ice maker of the ice machine into a storage bin of the ice machine, the ultrasonic bin sensor mounted to a body of the ice maker, the acoustic pulse initiated by the ultrasonic bin sensor in electrical communication with a controller;
receiving a return signal resulting from a reflection of the acoustic pulse off surfaces of materials present inside an interior cavity of the ice machine within range of the ultrasonic bin sensor;
converting the return signal from an acoustic signal into an electrical signal;
filtering out a portion of the return signal that exceeds a threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined time delay; and
switching off production of the ice maker of the ice machine when a portion of the return signal exceeds a threshold voltage for a length of time greater than the time delay.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the time delay is in a range of 175 to 350 microseconds.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein filtering out the portion of the return signal that exceeds the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay comprises:
filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is closer than a distance threshold, the time delay being a first time delay; and
filtering out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined second time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is further than a distance threshold.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the second time delay differs from the first time delay.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein a lowermost portion of the ultrasonic bin sensor is offset above a bottom maker end of the ice maker and also offset above a top bin end of the storage bin.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting, in the return signal, an acoustic signature of the one of scale resulting from hard water, slime resulting from bacteria growth, mold, and water droplets on an inner wall of the ice maker.

### Claim 21

An ice machine comprising:
an ice maker comprising:
an ultrasonic bin sensor mounted to a body; and
a controller in electrical communication with the ultrasonic bin sensor and configured to control the ultrasonic bin sensor; and
a storage bin coupled to the ice maker and sized to receive ice, a lens of the ultrasonic bin sensor facing an interior cavity of the storage bin;
wherein the controller is configured to:
filter out a portion of a return signal of the ultrasonic bin sensor below a threshold voltage as part of controlling a level of ice stored inside the storage bin; and
filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined time delay as part of controlling the level of ice stored inside the storage bin.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The ice machine of claim 21, wherein the time delay is in a range of 175 to 350 microseconds.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The ice machine of claim 21, wherein filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay comprises filtering out the portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for the length of time equal to or less than the time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is closer than a distance threshold.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The ice machine of claim 23, wherein:
the time delay is a first time delay; and
the controller is further configured to filter out a portion of the return signal exceeding the threshold voltage for a length of time equal to or less than a predetermined second time delay when the return signal corresponds to a first object distance that is further than a distance threshold.