Bulk ice preserver
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ice preservation units in the hospitality industry are noisy, expensive, and inefficient, leading to ice cube deterioration and sticking due to vibration motors, which limits their placement and increases water and electricity consumption.
Innovation Solution
A bulk ice preserver with a silent, rotation-based ice cube drying system that prevents ice cubes from sticking by rotating them within a static or forced cold compartment, eliminating the need for vibrator motors and optimizing ice storage and production synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vibrator motors are used to prevent ice cubes from sticking together, then ice cubes remain separate, but the unit produces excessive noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the vibratory mechanical system with a rotational mechanical system. Instead of using vibrator motors that generate noise, the invention employs a rotation motor that slowly turns the drying tray, causing ice cubes to roll and tumble during the drying process. This substitution eliminates the harmful noise while achieving the same objective of preventing ice cube adhesion through mechanical motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses controlled mechanical motion (rotation) to create tumbling movement of ice cubes during drying. The rotation motor turns the tray at a speed that causes ice cubes to roll and shift positions, preventing them from sticking together. This approach achieves separation without the high-frequency vibration that generates noise.
2Productivity
If industrial ice dryers are used to preserve several tonnes of ice daily, then large quantities of ice are preserved, but the units are very large and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the ice drying function within the existing ice maker structure. The drying tray is positioned inside or adjacent to the ice making compartment, and the rotation motor is incorporated into the same housing. This nested arrangement allows the system to dry and preserve ice cubes produced by the ice maker without requiring a separate large-scale drying facility, thereby reducing overall unit size and cost while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single compact unit: ice making, ice drying, and ice storage. The same housing accommodates both the ice making mechanism and the rotating drying tray, allowing the unit to handle the complete ice preservation process. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate industrial dryers, reducing both size and expense while maintaining the capability to preserve large quantities of ice.
3Extent of automation
If automated ice drying units with complex mechanisms are used, then ice drying is automated, but the mechanisms are very complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of ice drying from complex automated systems and implements it through a single rotating tray mechanism. By removing unnecessary components and focusing only on the core drying action (rotation to prevent adhesion), the system achieves automation with minimal complexity. The rotation motor and tray constitute a simple, elegant solution that avoids the expensive and complicated mechanisms found in conventional automated dryers.
4Reliability
If vibrator motors are used to prevent ice cube adhesion, then ice cubes do not stick together, but the tray and metal structure vibrate excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the vibratory mechanical system with a rotational mechanical system. Instead of using vibrator motors that cause the entire tray and metal structure to vibrate intensely, the invention employs a rotation motor that slowly turns the drying tray. This substitution eliminates excessive vibrations that could compromise structural integrity while still achieving ice cube separation through the tumbling motion generated by rotation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides higher-quality, noiseless ice preservation, allowing for flexible installation, reduced costs and size, increased market accessibility, and improved resource efficiency by minimizing water and electricity usage.
Implementation Method 1
having an opening at the top of the drying receptacle through which the ice is loaded in its interior and, when the drying receptacle rotates, said opening is placed at the bottom thereof, through which ice is discharged by gravity into the storage compartment
Implementation Method 2
An ice cube drying and storage compartment which has a static or forced cold unit
Implementation Method 3
An ice cube drying and storage compartment which has a static or forced cold unit
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for preserving bulk ice that includes a compartment for drying and storing ice, and a shaft for attaching an ice drying receptacle to the drying and storage compartment is disclosed. The shaft is actuated by a motor having two directions of rotation. The motor is adapted to cause the shaft and ice drying receptacle to rotate in two directions. The action of the motor, and therefore the rotation of the shaft and the ice drying receptacle, are controlled based in part on information received from one or more sensors. The compartment also has a tray with a drain for collecting and removing waste. The tray includes a resistor for melting the remains of the drying process.