US 2018/0008992 A1 · DE-ICING APPARATUS

Abstract

Illustrative processes remove ice buildup in containers or other locations by melting the ice using a de-ice component. Waste fluid may be removed using a vacuum component. The de-ice component causes discharge of pressurized fluid to melt ice. The de-ice component may include a base with guide features configured to engage an opening of the container. The de-ice component may direct a spray of the pressurized fluid into the container to melt the ice. The de-ice component may include a pressure regulator valve to selectively regulate a resulting force of the fluid sprayed into the container, which may enable a user to avoid damaging internal components located within the container. The vacuum component may cause the pressurized fluid to flow through a high pressure nozzle to create a vacuum effect at a suction inlet, which can extract waste fluid and/or other debris from the container.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of removing ice from a container, the method comprising:

aligning guide features of a base of a de-ice component with an orifice of the container that includes the ice to be removed;
selecting a pressure of fluid to be discharged through nozzles in the base and toward the ice in the container;
activating a first trigger valve to selectively cause pressurized and heated fluid to be discharged through the base to melt the ice;
rotating the base relative to the orifice while the guide features engage the container to vary a direction of dispersion of the fluid discharged into the container;
and
activating a second trigger valve of a vacuum component to selectively cause the pressurized and heated fluid to be discharged through a high pressure valve to create a vacuum in an inlet shaft, the inlet shaft configured to remove waste fluid from the container that includes melted ice and the fluid.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

De-icing apparatus

Life of this patent

De-icing apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20