Ice and chilled water producing and dispensing machine
AssigneeKooler Ice, Inc.
InventorKerry R. Seymour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice producing and dispensing machine for delivering ice on demand to a consumer with a housing containing an ice maker having a discharge outlet for discharging ice. An ice bin is disposed below the ice maker having an open top for receiving ice from the ice maker and a bottom opening for discharging ice therefrom; a vertical tube is connected with the bottom opening for receiving discharged ice with an auger in the tube for driving the ice vertically in the tube; and a receiving chute connected with the tube for conveying the ice to the ice delivery outlet either in a bag or as free ice cubes. Melted water and ice chips from the ice production are recycled and used to cool the water that is fed to the ice maker.
Claims12
An ice producing and dispensing machine for delivering ice on demand to a consumer comprising:
- a housing having an ice maker operationally disposed therein, said housing having an ice delivery outlet for delivering ice to consumers;
- an ice storage bin disposed below said ice maker having an open top for receiving and storing ice from said ice maker and a bottom opening for discharging ice therefrom;
- said ice storage bin having an agitator therein with a lower portion operationally connected to a motor for stirring the stored ice, said agitator having an axis of rotation and a tine with a downwardly angled blade disposed at said lower portion for urging the stored ice to said bottom opening, said blade disposed in a plane other then the plane defined by the tine and the axis of the agitator;
- a vertical tube in communication with said bottom opening for receiving discharged ice and a propelling means in said tube for driving the ice into and upwardly in said tube;
- and
- a receiving chute in communication with said tube for conveying the ice to said ice delivery outlet.
An ice and chilled water producing and dispensing machine for delivering ice and chilled water on demand to a consumer comprising:
- a housing having an ice maker operationally disposed therein for producing ice to be dispensed to a consumer, and an ice delivery outlet from which the consumer obtains the dispensed ice;
- an ice storage bin disposed below said ice maker having an open top for receiving and storing ice from said ice maker and a bottom opening for discharging ice therefrom;
- said ice storage bin having an agitator therein with a lower portion operationally connected to a motor for stirring the stored ice, said agitator having an axis of rotation and a tine with a blade attached thereto, said blade being disposed at said lower portion for urging the stored ice to said bottom opening, and disposed in a plane other than the plane defined by said tine and said axis of rotation
- a vertical tube in communication with said bottom opening for receiving discharged ice and a propelling means in said tube for driving the ice upwardly in said tube;
- a receiving chute connected to said tube for conveying the ice to said ice delivery outlet;
- and
- a water dispensing station operationally disposed in said housing for dispensing water to a consumer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.