4649results about "Ice production" patented technology

The operating efficiency of indirect evaporative cooling processes and indirect evaporative cooling apparatus employing a dry side channel and a wet side channel separated by a heat exchange plate are improved by placement of holes in the heat exchange plate. Further improvements are obtained when the flow direction in the wet side channel is cross-current to the flow direction in the dry side channel. Placement of desiccant materials in the dry side channel also serve to improve the operating efficiencies of these processes and apparatus.

An ice dispensing system is provided for a refrigerator having a bottom freezer. The system includes an ice maker in the freezer compartment and an ice bucket in the refrigerator compartment. A shuttle carries ice from the ice maker to the bucket through a tube extending upwardly through the dividing wall between the freezer and refrigerator compartments. The bucket includes an auger in communication with an ice dispensing opening in the refrigerator door for ice on demand by a user. The shuttle is raised and lowered by a motor-driven cable.

The present invention provides a system and a method for the production of microparticles and nanoparticles of materials that can be dissolved. The system and method of the present invention provide quicker freezing times, which in turn produces a more uniform distribution of particle sizes, smaller particles, particles with increased porosity and a more intimate mixing of the particle components. The system and method of the present invention also produce particles with greater surface area than conventional methods. One form of the present invention provides a method for the preparation of particles. An effective ingredient is mixed with water, one or more solvents, or a combination thereof, and the resulting mixture is sprayed through an insulating nozzle located at or below the level of a cryogenic liquid. The spray generates frozen particles.

The icemaker presented here may use a microcontroller, and solid state refrigeration and heat transfer elements to create ice cube qualities ranging from “clear ice” to “fast ice” in a smooth, user selectable continuum. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished by fitting a standard, high production volume icemaker mold with (1) thermoelectric coolers operated in a controlled fashion to heat or cool the mold, (2) a mold temperature sensor (such as a thermistor), and (3) a microcontroller to monitor the process and to adjust the growth rate of ice forming in the mold by adjusting heat transfer rates to optimize particular cooling phases.

A method for processing and preserving an acellular collagen-based tissue matrix for transplantation is disclosed. The method includes the steps of processing biological tissues with a stabilizing solution to reduce procurement damage, treatment with a processing solution to remove cells, treatment with a cryoprotectant solution followed by freezing, drying, storage and rehydration under conditions that preclude functionally significant damage and reconstitution with viable cells.

A portable cooler having one or more ice sheets including built-in refrigerant cubes. The cooler comprises an outer fabric shell and one or more sets of spaced apart refrigerant cubes encapsulated in plastic to form ice sheets that are attached to the interior walls of the cooler. The walls of the cooler may also include one or more layers of thermal insulation. The ice sheets provide a visually pleasing appearance to the inside of the cooler suggestive of cooling effects. The ice sheets may be retained along the walls of the cooler by seams sewn along the lanes passing between the refrigerant cubes, by being retained in pockets formed by sidewall liners or by being secured into chambers defined by the cooler's outer walls and a plastic insert fitted into the cooler. The cooler may include a hinged top and bottom that can be folded flat for allowing the cooler to assume a compact configuration during storage or freezing of the refrigerant cubes.

A compact ice-making device is provided for making ice chips of varied shapes for use in glasses of whiskey and water, and the like purposes. Ice is made using an ice-making vessel (13) for making a plank-like block of ice with a shaft (18) inserted in advance in the vessel, the shaft (18) having ribs (18A) extending substantially radially from a rotating axis. Upon completion of the ice making, a gear unit (20) connected to the shaft (18) is driven by a motor to rotate the shaft (18), which cracks and divides the plank-like ice block into ice chips of varied shapes.

A dispenser of a refrigerator comprises a dispensing chamber recessed in one of doors for opening and closing freezing and refrigerating compartments, a chute member pivotally mounted in the dispensing chamber and connected with a water supply pipe for supplying water toward the dispensing chamber, and an operating means for rotating the chute member about a pivot axis of the chute member. Accordingly, water can be easily stored in a vessel regardless of the size of the vessel, utilization effect of an internal space of the refrigerator can be improved, and insulation effect of the refrigerator can be also improved because of an increase in a thickness for insulation of the refrigerator.

A refrigerator with an ice feeding unit allows an outlet control unit which opens or closes an outlet of an ice container, to be quietly operated. The refrigerator with the ice feeding unit includes an ice container in an ice storage compartment. A control member is installed at a position around an outlet of the ice container to open or close the outlet of the ice container. A connection rod is rotatably installed at a predetermined position of the ice container to operate the control member. A first eccentric part is provided at a first end of the connection rod which is in contact with the control member, to be eccentric from a center of rotation of the connection rod, and a second eccentric part is provided at a second end of the connection rod which is opposite to the first end of the connection rod, to be eccentric from the center of rotation of the connection rod. A rotary cam is installed to be in contact with the second eccentric part of the connection rod, and functions to rotate the second eccentric part of the connection rod at a predetermined angle. A motor drives the rotary cam.

In accordance with the present disclosure, an icemaker combination assembly is provided and comprises a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment. The freezer compartment can have a freezer door assembly and the fresh food compartment can have a fresh food door assembly. The icemaker combination further comprises a first icemaker having a first ice cube storage bin disposed within the freezer compartment and a second icemaker having a second ice cube storage bin disposed within the fresh food compartment. The first and second icemakers having a production activation level selected from the group consisting of the first icemaker active only, the second icemaker active only, the first and the second icemakers both active, and the first and the second icemakers both inactive. The first and second icemakers can selectively and simultaneously produce and independently store ice.

Vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus and method are described to provide for a simple, economical, convenient (and preferably automatic) system for conveying ice on an as-required basis from a source such as an ice maker to one or more receptors at locations remote from that source. The system can be configured such that dispensing locations can be added or eliminated from the system or temporarily taken "off line" from the system without the need to change the basic system configuration or the central ice providing apparatus. The apparatus in various embodiments includes an ice source, a conveying conduit from the source to the receptor, a vacuum pump for moving the ice through the conduit by vacuum, and the receptor to collect the conveyed ice. The receptor may be an ice/beverage dispenser, an accumulator for retention and discharge to further devices, an intermediate storage dispenser, or an air lock device from where the ice can be projected over significant distances. Ice and vacuum may simultaneously be routed into different branched routes, utilizing a unique diverter/air shifter with the capability of providing routing to up to four different routes. Appropriate sensors and controllers, which may be microprocessor-based, may be used to automate the system. The entire system is easily cleanable. The system is advantageously used by restaurants, groceries, hotels and motels, hospitals, laboratories, and many other establishments where the providing of ice at various locations is desirable or required.

A refrigerator includes a first storage compartment defining a first interior volume. A first evaporator is disposed in a first evaporator compartment and is configured to provide cool air to the first interior volume. A second storage compartment defines a second interior volume, the second interior volume configured to be cooled by cool air received from the first interior volume. A door is positionable to permit and prohibit access to the second interior volume through a front of the second interior volume. A third interior volume is defined in an interior of the door. A second evaporator is disposed in a second evaporator compartment and is configured to provide cool air to the third interior volume. An air flow channel extends from the second evaporator compartment to the third interior volume. A fan is disposed in the third interior volume. A mold is disposed in the third interior volume and is configured to receive water and to retain the water during cooling of the water.

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber, a door coupled to the refrigerator main body to be opened or closed, a cool air supplying device which generates cool air, an ice maker including an ice making tray having ice making cells to produce ice and a cool air guide member installed in the door, coupled to the ice making tray and having a cool air line that guides the cool air supplied from the cool air supplying device to flow around the ice making tray. The cool air line disposed on the cool air guide member to supply the ice making tray guides the cool air supplied from the cool air supplying device to move along the surrounding of the ice making tray, thereby uniformly cooling down the ice making tray.

A refrigerator door is provided. The refrigerator door has an outer case forming a shape of the refrigerator door, an inner case provided within the outer case to configure a backside of the refrigerator door wherein a space between the inner case and the outer case is charged with a foaming liquid, an ice making unit provided to one side of the inner case to make ice, a fixing unit provided to the space charged with the foaming liquid between the inner case and the outer case and fixing the ice making unit to the refrigerator door, and a dispenser provided to one side of the outer case to discharge the ice supplied by the ice making unit.

A refrigerator has a freezing chamber at the bottom, and a refrigerating chamber over the freezing chamber. The refrigerator includes an ice making unit and an ice dispenser mounted in a refrigerating chamber door that allows ice to be dispensed without opening the door. A sub-PCB is mounted in the refrigerating chamber door for controlling operations of the ice making unit and the dispenser. A cold air supply duct supplies cold air from a cold air supply unit to the ice making unit.

A thermal treatment system for thermally treating a sterile medium is controlled via a controller selectively manipulable by a user during system operation. The system facilitates entry of a desired temperature range for thermally treating the sterile medium and includes an alarm to notify the user of a status of the measured temperature relative to the desired temperature range.

The process and equipment, according to this invention, for manufacturing clear, solid ice of spherical and other shapes are capable of making clear ice balls and block ice of other shapes in the mold quickly, efficiently, and with effective energy utilization. This process is characterized in the steps of:

• • a) preparing a mold for making ice balls and block ice of other shapes, which comprises an upper mold (24a) made of an insulating material and provided with a vertical injection hole (23) drilled therein and a water-injection nozzle (22) fitted in the hole; and a lower mold (24b) made of a water-freezing block (26) having coolant pipe (25) embedded therein;
  • b) preparing for a domed lid (21a) or the lid of a different shape made of an insulating sheet, said lid (21a) having a shape that fits in with the surface shaped for the upper mold (24a) and being provided with a cylinder for being fitted into the vertical injection hole (23); and a shaped hemispherical cup (21b) of the same insulating sheet, which similarly fits in with the shaped surface of the lower mold (24b);
  • c) assembling both halves of the mold (24) after the lid (21a) and the cup (21b) have been attached tightly to each other and placed in the mold;
  • d) then, keeping the liquid to be frozen cooled at a predetermined temperature and spraying the liquid intermittently in the direction of the water-freezing block (26) that has been cooled to a predetermined freezing temperature;
  • e) repeating the spraying operation to freeze the sprayed liquid in the container (21), layer by layer, until clear ice balls (20) or block ice of other shapes are formed; and
  • f) disassembling the halves of the mold under the ice-releasing effect, which the ice container (21) has on the ice-making mold (24), and immediately taking out We shaped ice balls (20) or the block ice of a different shape.

Techniques for use in ice maker systems are disclosed. In one example, an ice tray apparatus includes an ice mold body formed substantially of a metal material, and a holder for holding the ice mold body, the holder including a rotation-stopping feature formed thereon. The ice tray assembly may be used in an ice maker system mounted in a storage compartment of a refrigerator appliance.

A mold is disclosed for forming a freezable and thawable bag of uniform thickness, especially useful for cryopreservation of thermolabile substances. The mold features one or more recessed planar surfaces, including radiused peripheral walls about the recesses, a planar top surface, and means for conforming a blank sheet to the mold. Two mold halves combine to form a completed bag. The mold halves may be complimentary.

Provided is an ice maker that includes a mold including a plurality of cavities for receiving water to be frozen into ice pieces, a driver operatively connected to the mold for adjusting a position of the mold to a plurality of different locations during an ice making cycle, and a controller. A limit switch is located at a plurality of different positions along a range of travel of the mold to be actuated and transmit a signal indicative of the mold's arrival at the different locations. The mold can travel along path including first portion having a first axis of rotation and a substantially vertical portion, and can be driven by a motor with a drive shaft rotatable about a single axis of rotation. The motor can drive both the mold and a bail arm, and the mold can be leveled upon reaching a predetermined location. The ice maker can perform a Dry Cycle in response to detecting an anomaly during ice making.