BULK ICE PRESERVER

Abstract

A bulk ice preserver with an ice drying and storage compartment which has a static cold unit and an attachment element for attaching the ice drying receptacle to the drying and storage compartment. The fastening element is actuated by a motor to produce the rotation of the ice drying receptacle and can be aided by sensors to control the rotation of the ice drying receptacle. The compartment also has a waste collection tray with a resistor for thawing and evacuating the remains of the drying process through the drain, and various ice discharging doors. Additionally, the ice preserver has an automaton or similar (15) connected to the ice maker, to the motor, to the sensors and to the resistor.

Claims

1. A bulk ice preserver comprising: an ice drying and storage compartment comprising: a static or forced cold unit, a fastening shaft or element that fastens the ice drying receptacle to the drying and storage compartment, said fastening shaft or element is actuated by a motor to produce the rotation of the ice drying compartment, wherein the motor is aided by the sensors to control the rotation of the ice drying receptacle, a waste collection tray equipped with a resistor to melt and evacuate the remains of the drying process through the drain, the ice drying and storage compartment comprises ice discharge doors, and an automaton connected to an ice maker, to the motor, to the sensor, to the sensors and to the resistor.

2. The bulk ice preserver, according to claim 1, wherein the ice drying receptacle is exchangeable to adapt to all the ice formats in the market.

3. The bulk ice preserver, according to claim 1, wherein the ice drying receptacle comprises a door in the opening area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0019] What follows is a very brief description of drawings that help to better understand the invention and which is presented as a non-limiting example thereof.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows an elevation view of the bulk ice preserver, wherein a series of references corresponding to the elements indicated below are provided in a non-limiting manner: [0021] 1. Ice maker. [0022] 2. Joining duct that joins the ice maker to the ice drying and storage compartment. [0023] 3. Ice drying and storage compartment. [0024] 4. Fastening structure that fastens the ice drying receptacle to the drying and storage compartment. [0025] 5. Ice drying receptacle. [0026] 6. Motor with double direction of rotation. [0027] 7. Sensor or end of travel. [0028] 8. Drying process waste collection tray. [0029] 9. Resistor. [0030] 10. Sensor or photocell. [0031] 11. Cold unit of the ice drying and storage compartment. [0032] 12. Ice drying and storage compartment doors. [0033] 13. Bulk ice preserver operation indicators. [0034] 14. Ice storage. [0035] 15. Automaton or similar. [0036] 16. Drains. [0037] 17. Ice drying receptacle door.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the bulk ice preserver.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the bulk ice preserver.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an ice maker (1) which can make ice in any format and shape. The ice drying and storage compartment (3) is disposed underneath the ice maker. In those case where the ice maker (1) is not integrated in the bulk ice preserver, they will be joined by the ice discharge duct (2), wherein this duct (2) may have different shapes and sizes to transport the different ice formats produced by ice makers (1) to the drying and storage compartment (3).

[0041] When the ice cubes enter the drying and storage compartment (3), they are directly introduced in the ice drying receptacle (5) and the ice cubes turn over one another in a timed manner in the ice drying receptacle (5) to prevent them from sticking together, until the ice maker (1) sends a signal to the automaton or similar (15), indicating that it has a new ice-making cycle. At that point, the motor (6) rotates the ice drying receptacle (5) such as to place it in the position in which ice is discharged into the storage compartment (14), whereupon all the ice cubes fall into the storage compartment (14) and the motor (6) rotates the ice drying receptacle (5) again so as to place it in the loading position so that the ice cubes made by the ice maker (1) are introduced in the ice drying receptacle (5), wherein the ice cubes turn over one another in a timed manner due to the timed activation of the motor (6) to prevent the ice cubes from sticking together when they freeze inside the drying receptacle (5). This entire process is automatically repeated until the sensor or photocell (10) detects the presence of ice, due to which it sends the automaton (15) a signal to stop the production of the ice maker (1), because the storage area (14) of the drying and storage compartment (3) is full. When the operator removes the ice from the storage section (14) and releases the sensor signal (10), the ice maker resumes the production of ice and the entire foregoing process is repeated.