Ice making machine for making liquid water based and other liquid based ice cubes and rapid latch dispensing of the ice cubes from intermittent rapid heating of cylindrical ice molds

Abstract

An ice making machine makes liquid water based and other liquid based ice cubes and rapid floor latch dispensing of the ice cubes from intermittent rapid heating of cylindrical ice molds. The ice cube molds have cylindrical, hollow trough segments filled with chilled water for freezing into cylindrical-shaped ice cubes. Each cylindrical hollow trough segment is surrounded by a respective cylindrical hollow sleeve, forming a cylinder within a cylinder. Heated or cooled refrigerant flows from a condenser into the hollow cylindrical sleeves. When the time for harvesting the cylindrical ice cubes occurs, the dispensing includes a floor latch system below the array of cylindrical ice-forming trough segments, acting as a floor for each cylindrical-shaped ice-forming trough segment and pivoting to an open position, where the ice cubes that are formed can fall straight down into a receptacle bin.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An ice making machine comprising:
 a subframe/container comprising a horizontal array of hollow cylindrical shaped ice cube forming segments surrounded by hollow closed sleeves;   said ice cube forming segments having open bottoms covered by a plurality of pivotable latches, one latch for each of said ice cube forming segments;   means for providing alternately cold or heated refrigerant fluid flow through an input conduit pipe into an inlet of said hollow closed sleeves from a condenser to alternatively flash freeze water into ice within said ice cube forming segments and subsequently to temporarily heat inner surfaces of said ice cube forming segments to temporarily melt a portion of frozen ice cubes along outer cylindrical surfaces of and within said ice cube forming segments; and   means to pivot said latches downwardly to uncover said open bottoms of said ice cube forming segments after hot refrigerant is passed through said hollow closed sleeves of said ice cube forming segments, thereby reducing friction so that frozen cylindrical shaped ice cubes drop upon downward release of said pivotable latches into a bin/receptacle.   
     
     
         2 . The ice making machine of  claim 1  in which said latches open and close by pivoting from a horizontal closed position downwardly to said open position. 
     
     
         3 . The ice making machine of  claim 2  in which said latches are mounted on horizontally positioned parallel structural braces to which said hollow cylindrical sleeves are attached. 
     
     
         4 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which said pivotable latches are actuated by a chain and pulley system which turns a pair of sprockets connected on each side of a bar which extends across a width of said subframe/container. 
     
     
         5 . The ice making machine of  claim 4  in which said chain and pulley system is powered by an electric motor which is controlled by a capacitor and a pair of relays, power being supplied from an AC or from a low voltage DC power source. 
     
     
         6 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which said array of ice cube forming segments is in a checkerboard configuration, the number of sleeves surrounding said ice cube forming segments varying to form square, rectangular, circular, oval or other geometric configurations of varying sizes. 
     
     
         7 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which said hollow closed sleeves are also cylindrical in shape, hence each ice cube forming segment comprising a cylinder within a cylinder. 
     
     
         8 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which refrigeration connections include said condenser located outside of said array of ice cube forming segments, and piping to supply said refrigerants, whether freezing or heated, to said array of ice cube forming segments. 
     
     
         9 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which release of ice cubes from said ice cube forming segments is accomplished without any forceful rotation or dumping. 
     
     
         10 . The ice making machine of  claim 3  in which said ice cube forming segments have smooth surfaces without angular corners. 
     
     
         11 . A method of making ice cubes making comprising the steps of:
 providing an ice making machine having a subframe/container comprising a horizontal array of hollow cylindrical shaped ice cube forming segments surrounded by hollow closed sleeves;   providing said ice cube forming segments having open bottoms with a plurality of pivotable latches covering said open bottoms, one latch for each of said segments;   providing alternately cold or heated refrigerant fluid flow through an input conduit pipe into an inlet of said hollow closed sleeves from a condenser to alternatively flash freeze water into ice within said ice cube forming segments and also to temporarily heat inner surfaces of said ice cube forming segments to temporarily melt a portion of frozen ice cubes along outer cylindrical surfaces of and within said ice cube forming segments; and   pivoting said latches downwardly to uncover said open bottoms of said ice cube forming segments after hot refrigerant is passed through said hollow closed sleeves of said ice cube forming segments, thereby reducing friction so that frozen cylindrical shaped ice cubes drop with minimal force upon downward release of said pivotable latches into a bin/receptacle.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  in which said latches open and close by pivoting from a horizontal closed position downwardly to said open position. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which said latches are mounted on horizontally positioned parallel structural braces to which said hollow cylindrical sleeves are attached. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which said pivotable latches are actuated by a chain and pulley system which turns a pair of sprockets connected on each side of a bar which extends across a width of said subframe/container. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which said chain and pulley system is powered by an electric motor which is controlled by a capacitor and a pair of relays, power being supplied from an AC or from a low voltage DC power source. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  in which said array of ice cube forming segments is in a checkerboard configuration, the number of sleeves surrounding said ice cube forming segments varying to form square, rectangular, circular, oval or other geometric configurations of varying sizes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  in which said hollow closed sleeves are also cylindrical in shape, hence each ice cube forming segment comprising a cylinder within a cylinder. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  in which refrigeration connections include said condenser located outside of said array of ice cube forming segments, and piping to supply said refrigerants, whether freezing or heated, to said array of ice cube forming segments. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising: releasing of ice cubes from the ice cube forming segments without any forceful rotation and dumping. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising: forming the ice cube forming segments with smooth surfaces and without angular corners. 
     
     
         21 . An ice making machine comprising:
 a frame;   a plurality of ice cube molds, each of said plurality of ice cube molds comprising: a hollow cylindrical shape with a bottom opening, each configured to mold a cylindrical-shaped ice cube;   wherein an axis of said cylindrical shape of each of said plurality of ice cube molds is oriented in a vertical direction in said frame;   a plurality of sleeves; wherein each of said plurality of sleeves is configured to surround and enclose at least a cylindrical periphery of a respective one of said plurality of ice cube molds;   a plurality of latches; wherein each of said plurality of latches is configured to cover a respective bottom opening of one of said plurality of ice cube molds when in a closed position; wherein each of said of said plurality of latches is configured to pivot into an open position;   a chain and pulley system, said chain and pulley system configured to simultaneously actuate each of said plurality of latches between said closed and open positions;   a piping arrangement, said piping arrangement configured to conduct refrigerant through each of said plurality of sleeves;   a condenser, said condenser configured to chill the refrigerant to freeze water into ice within each of said plurality of ice cube molds, and to alternately and momentarily heat the refrigerant to temporarily melt an outer surface of the ice cubes to loosen the ice cubes within each of said plurality of ice cube molds; and   wherein said plurality of latches are actuated into said open position after said condenser momentarily heats the refrigerant, thereby permitting the frozen cylindrical ice cube in each of said plurality of ice cube molds to gravity fall downwardly along the vertical direction within said frame.   
     
     
         22 . The ice making machine according to  claim 21 , wherein said plurality of ice cube molds and said plurality of sleeves are formed into an array. 
     
     
         23 . The ice making machine according to  claim 22 , wherein said piping arrangement is configured to sequentially conduct refrigerant through each of said plurality of sleeves of the array in a ladder pattern.