Ice maker and a method of making ice

Abstract

An ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface, is disclosed. The ice maker has a source of de-gassed water, which may be de-gassed by being heated. A pump to pressurize the de-gassed water is provided and the water is passed to a sprayer hydraulically connected to the pump. The sprayer has nozzles sized and shaped to convert the pressurized water into a fine de-gassing droplet spray directed at the cooled surface. The droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface. In one embodiment a microprocessor is provided to change the volume sprayed according to the speed of the ice maker to ensure an even coat of ice is layed down.

Description

78 mounted into the onboard sensor system of the ice maker. Such a sensor can be in the form of any type of proximity sensor such as one based on electric or magnetic fields or the like. Most preferably, the sensor will permit the operator to read the thickness of the ice as the ice making machine passes over the ice during resurfacing. In some cases, it may be necessary to install sensor devices under the ice to permit the thickness sensor to operate. Other sensors may be able to determine the ice thickness without under the ice sensor devices, but both are comprehended by the present invention.

Once the ice thickness is known, then the present invention comprehends that the information will be fed into an ice maintenance program located in an onboard microprocessor. The onboard microprocessor then will compare the ice thickness measured to the optimum ice thickness desired and will raise or lower the ice cutting blade accordingly. In this manner, the ice thickness can be maintained and problems of local ice build-up, common in the prior art, are avoided. While any number of mechanical and hydraulic actuators may be used, a switch box control unit has been found satisfactory. In this case, the blade ice cutting depth is automatically adjusted to the predetermined setting by an electric motor attached to a reduction box.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the broad scope of the attached claims. Some of these variations have been discussed above and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while specific pressures and temperatures have been disclosed, other temperatures and pressures will also work, depending upon the nozzle sizes and vehicle speed. What is believed important is to provide a spray of fine droplets of de-gassed water, which on the one hand is a controllable spray to permit the spray to be directed towards the surface to be coated in an controlled manner and yet on the other hand is fine enough to freeze as a clear unpebbled sheet with high skatability.

Claims

1. A mobile ice maker for creating a an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of water;

a pump to pressurize the water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump and a sprayer;

a means to regulate said hydraulic pump according to a speed of said mobile ice maker over said cooled surface and

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a line fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said nozzles being positioned to produce spray patterns which distribute said droplets evenly on said cooled surface to form a continual layer,

wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230.

2. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water is de-gassed.

3. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 2 wherein said ice maker includes a heater to de-gas the water by heating the water.

4. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 3 wherein said ice maker includes an insulated tank for storing heated water.

5. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 3 wherein said water is heated to a temperature of between 140° F. and 160° F. prior to being applied to said surface.

6. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump pressurizes said water to at least 10 psi.

7. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump pressurizes said water to a pressure in a range of about 10 to 60 psi.

8. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pump pressurizes said water to a pressure in a range of about 30 psi.

9. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said average droplet size produced by said nozzles is between 154 and 740 microns.

10. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said average droplet size produced by said nozzles is between about 240 and 360 microns.

11. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ice maker is mounted on a self-propelled vehicle and said sprayer defines a spray path on said surface which is at least as wide as said self-propelled vehicle.

12. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ice maker, wherein said means for regulating said hydraulic pump further includes at least a water pressure sensor and a vehicle speed sensor.

13. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 12 wherein said speed sensor produces an output signal and said ice maker further includes a microprocessor for receiving said output and for controlling a spray volume so as to produce the same ice thickness at different speeds.

14. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sprayer is comprised of at least upper spray nozzles and lower spray nozzles.

15. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 14 wherein the lower spray nozzles produce droplets of an average droplet size which is smaller than those produced by the upper nozzles.

16. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 15 wherein said upper nozzles are #6 tips and the lower spray nozzles are #2 tips.

17. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 15 wherein said upper spray nozzles are about 18 inches above the surface to be coated and the lower spray nozzles are about 12 inches above the surface to be heated.

18. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 15 wherein said sprayer is wider than said vehicle and includes at least one pivot to permit the sprayer to be pivoted so as to pass through a narrower opening.

19. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said layer of ice is between 0.04 mm and 0.40 mm ( 1/640 and 1/64 of an inch) thick.

20. A mobile ice maker for creating a an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface for ice skating, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of water for making ice a pump to pressurize the water; a means to regulate said pump according to a speed of said mobile ice maker over said cooled surface and;

a sprayer to spread said water said cooled surface in the form of a fine mist, to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230; and

an instrumentation system for correlating the rate of application of water to a speed of said ice maker and to permit said ice to be formed in a layer of uniform thickness.

21. A mobile ice maker as claimed in claim 20 wherein said ice maker further includes an ice thickness detector sensor operatively connected to said instrumentation system, wherein said ice thickness sensor is adapted and positioned on said mobile ice maker to detect a thickness of ice formed on said cooled surface and to transmit said thickness to said instrumentation system.

22. A mobile ice maker as claimed in claim 20 wherein said ice maker further includes a height adjustable ice cutting blade whereby a predetermined ice thickness can be obtained.

23. A mobile ice maker as claimed in claim 20 further including a microprocessor to receive inputs from one or more sensors for assisting to spread said water.

24. A mobile ice maker as claimed in claim 23 wherein said microprocessor produces a report on ice quality and thickness.

25. A mobile ice maker for creating a an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker being mounted on a self-propelled vehicle, said ice maker comprising:

a source of de-gassed water;

a pump to pressurize the de-gassed water;

a sprayer hydraulically connected to the pump and having nozzles sized and shaped to convert said pressurized de-gassed water into a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said droplets being sized to substantially freeze on contact with said cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230;

a water pressure sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor, to produce an output signal corresponding to a speed of said vehicle; and

a microprocessor for receiving said output signal end and for controlling a spray volume so as to produce the same ice thickness at different vehicle speeds.

26. A mobile ice maker for creating a an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of de-gassed water;

a pump to pressurize the de-gassed water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump and a sprayer;

a means to regulate said hydraulic pump according to a speed of said mobile ice maker over said cooled surface and

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said sprayer being comprised of at least upper spray nozzles and lower spray nozzles, wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230.

27. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 26 wherein the lower spray nozzles produce droplets of an average droplet size which is smaller thin those produced by the upper nozzles.

28. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 27 wherein said upper nozzles are #6 tips and the lower spray nozzles are #2 tips.

29. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 27 wherein said upper spray nozzles are about 18 inches above the surface to be coated and the lower spray nozzles are about 12 inches above the surface to be treated.

30. The mobile ice maker for creating a layer of ice on a cooled surface as claimed in claim 27 wherein said sprayer is wider than said vehicle and includes at least one pivot to permit the sprayer to be pivoted so as to pass through a narrower opening.

31. A mobile ice maker for creating a an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of de-gassed water;

a pump to pressurize the de-gassed water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump end a sprayer;

a means to regulate said hydraulic pump according to a speed of said mobile ice maker over said cooled surface and

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said nozzles being positioned to produce spray patters which distribute said droplets evenly on said cooled surface to form a continual layer;

wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230, and wherein said nozzles are arranged in a row and said nozzles at either end of said row are modified to farm form a well-defined spray edge on said cooled surface.

32. A mobile ice maker for creating an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of water;

a pump to pressurize the water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump and a sprayer;

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said nozzles being positioned to produce spray patterns which distribute said droplets evenly on said cooled surface to form a continual layer;

wherein said ice maker is mounted on a self-propelled vehicle, further including at least a water pressure sensor and a vehicle speed sensor, and

further wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230.

33. A mobile ice maker for creating an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of water;

a pump to pressurize the water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump and a sprayer; and

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said nozzles being positioned to produce spray patterns which distribute said droplets evenly on said cooled surface to form a continual layer;

wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230;

further wherein said sprayer is comprised of at least upper spray nozzles and lower spray nozzles directed at said cooled surface, and

further wherein the lower spray nozzles produce droplets of an average droplet size which is smaller than those produced by the upper nozzles.

34. A mobile ice maker for creating an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface for ice skating, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of water for making ice;

a sprayer to spread said water on said cooled surface in the form of a fine mist to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230;

an instrumentation system for correlating the rate of application of water to a speed of said ice maker to permit said ice to be formed in a layer of uniform thickness, and

an ice thickness sensor operatively connected to said instrumentation system,

wherein said ice thickness sensor is adapted and positioned on said mobile ice maker to detect a thickness of ice formed on said cooled surface and to transmit said thickness to said instrumentation system.

35. A mobile ice maker for creating an exposed layer of ice on top of a preexisting cooled surface, the mobile ice maker comprising:

a source of de-gassed water;

a pump to pressurize the de-gassed water;

a pressure line to maintain pressure in the water between the pump and a sprayer;

nozzles on said sprayer, said nozzles being sized and shaped to cause said water forced through said nozzles by said pressure to form a fine droplet spray directed at said cooled surface, said sprayer being comprised of at least upper spray nozzles and lower spray nozzles, said at least upper spray nozzles and lower spray nozzles being directed at said cooled surface;

wherein said droplets are sized to substantially freeze on contact with the cooled surface to form a planar sheet of exposed ice having a leeb hardness reading of greater than or equal to 230, and

wherein the lower spray nozzles produce droplets of an average droplet size which is smaller than those produced by the upper nozzles.