Method and apparatus for the formation of pieces of ice

Abstract

A reliable method for producing and storing ice pieces includes a liquid feeding device dosing liquid to be frozen in a freezer container, the liquid feeding device being in contact with the liquid after it has been introduced. As soon as the liquid is frozen or the ice piece is formed, the liquid feeding device moves to the top, whereby the adherent ice piece is displaced against a scraper. Simultaneously, a chute is moved over the freezer container so that the lower end of the chute is disposed such that the ice piece(s) slides from the chute and falls into a collecting container after it has separated and fallen from the liquid feeding device. Additionally, a cover of the collecting container can be opened during the movement of the chute.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for forming pieces of ice, comprising: 
 a freezing container for receiving a liquid from which at least one piece of ice is to be formed;    a cooling device operatively connected to said freezing container for cooling at least one of said freezing container and the liquid in said freezing container;    a liquid feed device communicating with said freezing container for feeding the liquid into said freezing container, said liquid feed device: 
 having a stripping location at which pieces of ice adhering to said liquid feed device are stripped off;  
 being in contact with the liquid in said freezing container after the liquid has been fed into said freezing container; and  
 being moveably disposed with respect to said freezing container and moving away from said freezing container when formed pieces of ice are stripped off from said stripping location;  
   a collecting container operatively connected to said freezing container for holding formed pieces of ice, said collecting container having an orifice;    a stripping device at least one of mechanically and by a supply of heat stripping off, when said liquid feed device is moved away, the pieces of ice-adhering to said stripping location; and    a shoot: 
 having a portion and a lower end, said lower end of said shoot being disposed with respect to said orifice to permit pieces of ice slipping down said shoot to fall into said collecting container; and  
 being operatively connected to said liquid feed device and moving into a receiving position in which said shoot lies with said portion below said stripping location when said liquid feed device is moved away.  
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said collecting container has a cover operatively connected to said liquid feed device to open when said liquid feed device is moved away.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid feed device communicates with a metering device metering the liquid.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said stripping device heats for stripping the pieces of ice.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a further cooling device; and    said cooling device being a Peltier element having first and second thermal ends, said first thermal end being connected thermally to said freezing container, and said second thermal end being connected thermally to said further cooling device.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heating device coupled to said freezing container.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling device is a cooling/heating device coupled to said freezing container.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling device is a heating device coupled to said freezing container.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said collecting container is coupled thermally to said freezing container.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said cover and said collecting container have heat insulation.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for forming pieces of ice, comprising: 
 a freezing container for receiving a liquid from which at least one piece of ice is to be formed;    a cooling device operatively connected to said freezing container for cooling at least one of said freezing container and the liquid in said freezing container;    a liquid feed device communicating with said freezing container for feeding the liquid into said freezing container, said liquid feed device: 
 having a stripping location at which pieces of ice adhering to said liquid feed device are stripped off;  
 being in contact with the liquid in said freezing container after the liquid has been fed into said freezing container; and  
 being moveably disposed with respect to said freezing container and moving away from said freezing container when formed pieces of ice are stripped off from said stripping location;  
   a collecting container operatively connected to said freezing container for holding formed pieces of ice, said collecting container having an orifice;    means for stripping off the pieces of ice adhering to said stripping location at least one of mechanically and by a supply of heat when said liquid feed device is moved away; and    a shoot: 
 having a portion and a lower end, said lower end of said shoot being disposed with respect to said orifice to permit pieces of ice slipping down said shoot to fall into said collecting container; and  
 being operatively connected to said liquid feed device and moving into a receiving position in which said shoot lies with said portion below said stripping location when said liquid feed device is moved away.  
   
     
     
         12 . A method for forming pieces of ice, which comprises: 
 providing a collecting container for holding formed pieces of the ice, the collecting container having an orifice;    feeding a liquid from which at least one piece of ice is to be formed into a freezing container with a liquid feed device;    cooling at least one of the liquid and the freezing container with a cooling device;    contacting the liquid feed device with the liquid in the freezing container after the liquid has been fed into the freezing container; and    extracting the formed pieces of ice into the collecting container by: 
 moving away the liquid feed device from the freezing container; and  
 when the liquid feed device is moved away;  
 stripping off pieces of ice adhering to the liquid feed device at least one of mechanically and by the supply of heat;  
 moving a shoot into a position in which the shoot lies with a portion thereof below a location at which pieces of the ice adhering to the liquid feed device are stripped off; and  
 placing a lower end of the shoot with respect to the orifice to guide the pieces of ice slipping down the shoot into the collecting container.  
   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , which further comprises metering the liquid with a metering device connected to the liquid feed device.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , which further comprises heating the freezing container before the liquid feed device is moved away.