Ice cream machine including a controlled input to the freezing chamber

A direct draw ice cream making system, comprising:

• an evaporator including a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output;
• and
• a compressor, the compressor having a horse power rating of less than 3 horse power;
• at least one valve at the ice cream input, the valve being capable of preventing ice cream mix from entering the cooling chamber, wherein the valve controls the ice cream mix so that the cooling chamber is filled with the ice cream mix so that the ice cream mix becomes frozen ice cream from the time it travels from the ice cream input to the ice cream output,
• wherein the evaporator further includes a primary evaporator chamber about the interior cooling chamber and a copper tube provided about the primary evaporator chamber, the copper tube having a first end associated with the second refrigerant input and a second end associated with the second refrigerant output.

A direct draw ice cream making system, the direct draw ice cream making system comprising:

• an evaporator including an interior surface and an evaporator chamber, the interior surface defining a cooling chamber for chilling a product, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output, the evaporator chamber being an evaporator chamber surrounding the cooling chamber;
• a valve in series with the ice cream input;
• a gate at the ice cream output, wherein the valve is closed in a non-production mode and opened when the gate is opened;
• and
• a secondary evaporator for collecting vapor refrigerant exiting the evaporator chamber,
• wherein the cooling chamber is defined by a first cylinder and the evaporator chamber is defined by a space between the first cylinder and a second cylinder, the second cylinder being about the first cylinder.

A method of manufacturing ice cream in a direct draw fashion, the method utilizing an ice cream machine having a cooling chamber, the method comprising:

• providing liquid ice cream contents into the cooling chamber through a valve, the cooling chamber being a barrel chamber surrounded by an evaporator, the valve preventing the cooling chamber from being more than 75 percent filled during a hold mode;
• cooling the liquid ice cream contents in the cooling chamber;
• and
• removing frozen ice cream from the cooling chamber,
• wherein valve prevents the cooling chamber from being more than 50 percent filled.