Method, apparatus and arrangement for repairing ice of ice field

Abstract

A method for repairing an ice of an ice field comprising drilling, by an ice repairing apparatus, at least one hole to the ice of the ice field to remove, at least partly, a damaged ice, providing a solid ice insert having substantially the same size as the at least one hole, and inserting the ice insert into the at least hole such that a top surface of the ice insert is substantially on the same level with a surface of the ice of the ice field. An ice repairing apparatus comprising a rotating blade configured to drill a hole to an ice of an ice field, a rotating shaft configured to rotate the blade, wherein the shaft comprises a first end coupled with the blade, and a second end configured to be coupled with a power source for rotating the shaft; and a limiter coupled with the shaft configured to set against a surface of the ice and to prevent drilling of the blade into the ice when a desired depth of the hole is achieved. An ice repairing arrangement comprising an ice repairing apparatus, a mould for producing at least one ice insert, and freezer configured to freeze and/or to keep frozen at least one ice insert.

1 . A method for repairing an ice of an ice field comprising:
 processing, by an ice repairing apparatus, at least one hole to the ice of the ice field to remove, at least partly, a damaged ice;   providing a solid ice insert configured to fit into the at least one hole; and   inserting the ice insert into the at least one hole such that a top surface of the ice insert is substantially on the same level with a surface of the ice of the ice field.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 smoothening, by a smoothening tool, the surface of the ice of the field in an area of the at least one hole after inserting the ice insert.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ice insert is dimensioned such that an outer surface of the insert is configured to freeze to an inner surface of the hole after the ice insert is inserted into the hole. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the ice insert is substantially the same as a temperature of the ice of the ice field. 
     
     
         5 . An ice repairing apparatus comprising:
 a rotating blade configured to drill a hole to an ice of an ice field;   a rotating shaft configured to rotate the blade, wherein the shaft comprises a first end coupled with the blade, and a second end configured to be coupled with a power source for rotating the shaft; and   a limiter coupled with the shaft configured to set against a surface of the ice and to prevent drilling of the blade into the ice when a desired depth of the hole is achieved, and wherein the limiter is configured to move between a first and a second position along a central axis of the shaft.   
     
     
         6 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the limiter is configured to be against the surface of the ice during the drilling such that the surface of the ice forces the limiter from the first position to the second position when the blade drills into the ice and in the second position the limiter is configured to prevent drilling of the blade deeper into the ice. 
     
     
         7 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein limiter is configured to substantially cover the hole when the limiter is against the surface of the ice. 
     
     
         8 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the limiter further comprises at least one opening for removing the drilled ice from the hole when the limiter is against the surface of the ice. 
     
     
         9 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the limiter further comprises an elastic member configured to resist the movement of the limiter from the first position to the second position, and to return the limiter to the first position when the blade is removed from the hole. 
     
     
         10 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the limiter comprises an inner space configured to receive the blade in the first position such that the limiter covers, at least partly, the blade. 
     
     
         11 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the shaft is coupled with the blade from the middle of the blade such that the blade extends perpendicularly from the shaft to two opposite directions. 
     
     
         12 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the blade is configured to drill the hole having a flat bottom. 
     
     
         13 . The ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a guiding member configured to guide the blade into the ice. 
     
     
         14 . An ice repairing arrangement comprising:
 an ice repairing apparatus of  claim 5 ;   a mould for producing at least one solid ice insert; and   freezer configured to freeze and/or to keep frozen the at least one ice insert.