Reversing circuit for ice delivery system
AssigneeMerkle-Korff Industries, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Hittie, Bruce Nielson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention comprises a gear motor assembly and control system for use with ice crushers and the other similar devices. The assembly utilizes a novel reversing circuit which allows the use of a bidirectional DC powered gear motor in existing refrigerator and freezer configurations, which heretofore used AC powered gear motors, to power ice crushing and dispensing apparatus.
Claims4
A reversing circuit for a DC gear motor used in ice delivery apparatus, the circuit comprising:
- (a) a MOSFET H-Bride connected to the gear motor;
- and
- (b) peripheral circuitry connected between an AC power source and the MOSFET H-Bridge to rectify the AC power source and supply power to the DC gear motor.
A gear motor assembly for delivering ice, the gear motor assembly comprising:
- (a) a bidirectional DC gear motor;
- (b) an AC power source;
- and
- (c) a reversing circuit connected between the AC power source and the gear motor to provide power to the gear motor.
An ice delivery system, comprising:
- (a) a housing for storing ice;
- (b) a DC gear motor assembly mounted within the housing;
- (c) an AC power line;
- (d) a reversing circuit for rectifying the AC power line to supply power to the gear motor.
- (e) an output shaft attached to the gear motor assembly, the output shaft selectively rotatable in opposite directions;
- and
- (f) an implement attached to the output shaft for manipulating the ice.
A method for dispensing or delivering ice, comprising:
- (a) providing a housing with a DC gear motor assembly positioned within the housing;
- (b) providing an AC power source to the housing;
- (c) providing a reversing circuit to rectify the AC power source to provide power to the DC gear motor assembly;
- (d) powering the gear motor assembly to operate ice dispensing or ice delivery apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.