WO2000052400A1

WO2000052400A1 - Mechanical auger for ice handling applications

Info

Publication number: WO2000052400A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/004763
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth S. Weinaug; Ehab Jaleel
Original assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
Priority date: 1999-03-05
Filing date: 2000-02-25
Publication date: 2000-09-08
Also published as: WO2000052400B1; AR022817A1; AU3377100A

Abstract

The invention relates to the food and beverage industry, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for use in an ice or ice-beverage dispenser (302) to convey ice from an ice bin (306) to an ice dispensing chute (316). A mechanical ice auger (100) is manufactured by fixedly attaching a plastic helical flight (110) to an axial metal shaft (102). Fungicides or biocides can be added to the plastic of the helical flight (110) to inhibit or to kill microbiological growth on the mechanical auger (100).

Description

MECHANICAL AUGER FOR ICE HANDLING APPLICATIONS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the food and beverage industry, and relates more specifically to a mechanical ice auger used in an ice dispenser to convey ice from an ice bin to an ice dispensing chute.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice dispensers are used in the food and beverage industry to dispense ice from an internal storage area to customers' drinking cups. A typical ice dispenser includes a loading chute or an opening for loading ice into an ice bin, an ice bin or hopper, an auger, and a dispenser chute. Ice can be processed into different shapes and sizes depending upon the water content of the ice and the needs of the customer. For example, ice can be processed into shapes such as a cube, pellet, nugget or flake. Processed or crushed ice is usually loaded into the ice bin of the ice dispenser until ready for use. When a customer or user activates the ice dispenser, a motor-driven auger rotates in the ice bin loaded with ice. The rotational force of the auger conveys ice from the ice bin to the dispenser chute. The customer then retrieves the ice from the dispenser chute.

The food and beverage industry is a highly competitive marketplace for cold beverage suppliers. Cold beverage suppliers rely on ice dispensers to dispense ice into drinking cups for use with beverages sold to customers. Any significant savings in the costs or performance associated with ice dispensers would give a beverage supplier a competitive advantage over other beverage suppliers vying for marketshare in the industry.

Conventional ice dispensers use ice augers that comprise a relatively high percentage of the overall cost of the ice dispenser. Typically, ice augers are made completely of metal because of the environment in which it operates, i.e. contact with liquids, ice, cold temperatures, and various cleaning solutions. A metal ice auger is usually machined from a single block of solid metal. When a block of solid metal is machined to a finished product, a majority of the metal is wasted in the process. The time to machine an ice auger from a block of solid metal is about two hours. This investment of time for making a single ice auger significantly limits the ability to manufacture a large quantity of metal ice augers. Thus, the cost to machine a block of solid metal into a finished metal ice auger is an expensive and time consuming process.

The ice auger in an ice dispenser must be removed for routine cleaning and then reinstalled properly. Due to the ice auger's direct contact with ice used for cold beverages, the ice auger is a component in the ice dispenser that is subjected to inspections on a regular basis. To inspect an ice auger, the ice auger must be removed from the ice dispenser. The weight of a solid metal ice auger increases the difficulty of removing the metal ice auger. After the ice auger is removed, the ice auger is inspected for wear and cleanliness, and sometimes replaced. If a replacement ice auger is not available, the repair time on the ice dispenser can be costly for an ice supplier or for the customer. Thus, the time and costs in maintaining, repairing, and replacing a metal ice auger are expensive.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide an alternative to a solid metal ice auger. For example, plastic ice augers have been used in certain applications. However, manufacturing limitations during the injection molding process do not yield a suitable ice auger for ice handling applications. The injection molding process is unable to produce thick sections of the auger needed for sufficient material rigidity in an ice dispenser which must dispense various ice types. Thus, an ice auger made completely of plastic is not typically rigid enough for ice handling applications in an ice dispenser. Furthermore, a purely plastic auger yields little improvement in manufacturing time and material costs versus a solid metal auger. The lack of control for close tolerances during the casting of a plastic auger leads to reduced performance of plastic augers in ice handling applications. Thus, a purely plastic ice auger does not yield the consistent, repeatable performance that a metal auger provides in an ice dispenser.

Therefore, there is a need for reducing the time and costs associated with manufacturing ice augers for ice dispensers. There is also a need for reducing the time and costs involved in maintaining, repairing, and replacing ice augers for ice dispensers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art described above. By using an injection molding manufacturing process, plastic helical flights with a sleeve can be molded to an axial metal shaft to produce a lightweight, relatively low cost mechanical ice auger. Rather than producing solid metal ice augers, an ice auger designed in accordance with the present invention would significantly decrease the manufacturing time and material costs in producing mechanical ice augers. Manufacturing a metal and plastic ice auger combines the advantages of both materials. The mechanical ice auger would be more rigid than a solid plastic ice auger for ice handling applications, yet the overall weight and cost of the design would be relatively inexpensive compared to a solid metal ice auger.

Increased overall manufacturing capacity of mechanical ice augers made from metal and plastic would increase the availability of ice augers during repairs of the ice dispenser. During periodic maintenance inspections and routine cleanings, quickly removing and replacing a lightweight mechanical ice auger from an ice dispenser would significantly decrease the maintenance, repair, and replacement costs associated with replacing a solid metal ice auger in an ice dispenser. Furthermore, fungicides or biocides can be added to the plastic of the mechanical ice auger to inhibit or to kill microbiological growth on the ice auger. Thus, the combined savings in reduced manufacturing costs, decreased material costs, less maintenance costs, and the time saved as a result, translate into a distinct, competitive advantage in the ice industry for a manufacturer or user of the invention.

Generally described, the invention is a mechanical auger constructed with a metal shaft and a plastic sleeve with plastic helical flights. A manufacturing process using injection molding molds a plastic sleeve with plastic helical flights to an axial metal shaft to form a lightweight, easy to manufacture mechanical ice auger for use in ice handling applications. Installing the invention in an ice dispenser combines the advantages of both metals and plastics in an important mechanical component of the ice dispenser. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an unexploded view of the mechanical ice auger assembly,

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the mechanical ice auger assembly.

FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of a mechanical ice auger FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of a mechanical ice auger. FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view of the ice auger-to-motor connection end.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of the ice auger-to-motor connection end.

FIG. 7 illustrates a coupler and a metal shaft of a mechanical ice auger. FIG. 8 illustrates the operating environment of the disclosed embodiments, specifically of a mechanical ice auger in an ice dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT

The mechanical ice auger for ice handling applications in an ice dispenser is constructed by molding a sleeve with plastic helical flights to an axial metal shaft. Combining plastic and metal to form a mechanical ice auger utilizes the advantages of both types of materials to create a lightweight, easy to manufacture, cost effective ice auger for an ice dispenser. Biocides can be added to certain types of plastics to inhibit or to kill microbiological growth on the sleeve and plastic helical flights of the mechanical ice auger.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates an unexploded view of a mechanical ice auger assembly. The mechanical ice auger 100 is basically a large screw. As shown in FIG. 2, an axial metal shaft 102 with an input end 104 opposing an output end 106 forms the center of the mechanical ice auger 100. A sleeve 108 with a continuous helical flight 110 or a series of helical flights are fixedly attached to the axial metal shaft 102. The sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 of the mechanical ice auger 100 are made from a plastic material. The plastic helical flight 110 spirals around an axis 112 of the metal shaft 102 from the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102 towards the output end 106 of the metal shaft 102, similar to the threads of a screw. A coupler 113 connects the mechanical ice auger 100 to a motor (shown on FIG. 8 as 300).

As shown in FIG. 3, the axial metal shaft has a length 114 and an exterior diameter 116. The sleeve 108 surrounds the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102 encasing the metal shaft 102, leaving little or no exposure of the length 114 of the metal shaft 102. The length 114 and an exterior diameter 116 of the axial metal shaft 102 vary according to the ice handling loads of the mechanical ice auger 100. The plastic helical flight 110 extends around the exterior diameter 116 of the axial metal shaft 102 and sleeve 108, or can be a series of helical flights spaced around the metal shaft 102 and sleeve 108 in any fixed or random pattern. The maximum diameter of the helical flight 110 is called the flight diameter 118. When the helical flight 110 or series of helical flights extends around the exterior diameter 116 of the axial metal shaft 102 and sleeve 108 at least once, a channel 120 begins to form along the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 as the flight 110 continues to spiral around the metal shaft 102 and sleeve 108. When the helical flight 110 extends around the exterior diameter 116 of the axial metal shaft 102 and sleeve 108 thereafter, the channel 120 is created with the flight 110 forming parallel walls of the channel 120 and the sleeve 108 forming the bottom side of the channel 120. The number of helical flight 110 revolutions per a unit of distance with respect to the axial metal shaft 102 is called the pitch. The channel width 122, flight thickness 120, and spacing of the helical flight 110 varies according to the ice handling requirements of the ice dispenser (shown in FIG. 8 as 302). Another view of a plastic helical flight 110 is shown in FIG. 4.

Referring back to FIG. 3, at least one end of the metal shaft 102 connects to a power-driven motor (shown in FIG. 8 as 300). The input end 104 of the mechanical ice auger 100 connects to a motor 300 using an ice auger- to-motor connection 126. The connection utilizes a segmented input section 128 that fits like a key into the motor 300 output end. The segmented input section 128 is segmented into a primary input section 130 and a secondary input section 132. The plastic helical flight 110 is modified at the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102 to accommodate the segmented input section 128. Different ice auger-to-motor connections can be utilized for connecting the mechanical ice auger 100 to the motor 300 to rotate the ice auger 100 in an ice dispenser.

The mechanical ice auger 100 is manufactured in an injection mold. First, an axial metal shaft 102 is placed into the mold. A sleeve 108 with a continuous plastic helical flight 110 or a series of plastic helical flights is then molded to or attached to the axial metal shaft 102. Various manufacturing processes can be used to make the mechanical ice auger 100 depending upon the type of plastic used for the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 or flights. An example of a suitable axial metal shaft is manufactured by Amplaco Coφoration of Rochester, New York.

Suitable plastics for the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 of a mechanical ice auger 100 can include, but are not limited to, the following plastics: PPO resins (manufactured by Noryl Corporation), polycarbonate resins with and without glass-filled formulations, Nylon-12 resins, Nylon 6/12 resins, and ABS. These plastics are selected based upon the factors such as the manufacturing process used to shape the mechanical ice auger 100 and to mold the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 to an axial metal shaft 102, the required ice handling loads and mechanical properties of the mechanical ice auger 100, and the refrigeration temperatures in an ice dispenser 302. Furthermore, the plastics are selected based upon the chemical compatibility of the plastic with chemicals such as, but not limited to, chlorine in chlorinated water, cleaning and dishwashing detergents, and sanitizer solutions, including CLOROX and sodium hydroxide.

Another consideration for the selection of a suitable plastic for the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 is the composition of an ice bin (shown in FIG. 3 as 306) in an ice dispenser 302. For example, if the ice bin 306 is made of ABS, then ABS would be a suitable plastic material for an ice auger 100. The criteria used in selecting the plastic material for the ice bin 306 would be similar to the criteria described above for a suitable plastic in manufacturing the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110. Fungicides and biocidal agents can be added to the resin plastics of the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 to inhibit or to kill microbiological growth on the mechanical ice auger 100. Suitable fungicide and biocidal agents can include, but are not limited to MICRO-BAN® sold by Bane-Clene Corporation of Indianapolis, Indiana. The axial metal shaft 102 of the mechanical ice auger 100 is manufactured from a metal material. Suitable metals are selected based upon the factors such as the manufacturing process used to mold the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 around the metal shaft 102, the required ice handling loads and mechanical properties of the mechanical ice auger 100, and the refrigeration temperatures in an ice dispenser 302. For example, a suitable metal for an axial metal shaft 102 is aluminum, or stainless steel manufactured under material designation 95040.

In FIGs. 5 and 6, a side view of a mechanical ice auger 100 is shown detailing an ice auger-to-motor connection 126. The ice auger-to-motor connection 126 is a metal coupler designed to prevent wear between the plastic of the mechanical auger and the motor shaft. The ice auger-to-motor connection is integrated into the plastic of the sleeve 108 and helical flight 110 into a shape suitable for installation into an output end of a motor (shown in FIG. 8 as 300).

The segmented input section 128 attaches to the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102. The segmented input section 128 is a segmented block that is offset from the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102, but also surrounds the exterior diameter 116 of the metal shaft 102. The segmented input section 128 comprises a primary input section 130 and a secondary input section 132, both extending a short distance from the input end 104 of the shaft 102 towards the output end 106 of the shaft 102. The segmented input section 128 has two lateral sides, an interior lateral side 200 and an exterior lateral side 202, that are concave radially outward from the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102, while a top face 204 and a bottom face 206 of the segmented input section 128 are flat. The segmented input section 128 is oriented along the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102, and along a key axis 208 with respect to the exterior diameter 116 of the metal shaft 102. Thus, the segmented input section 128 fits like a key into the motor 300 output end.

The sleeve 108 and plastic helical flight 110 molded to or attached to the metal shaft 102 is modified at the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102 to fit around the segmented input section 128 surrounding the metal shaft 102. At the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102, the sleeve 108 and heUcal flight 110 has an upper flight input section 210 and a lower flight input section 212. The interior flight diameter 214 of the flight input sections 210, 212 is radially setback from the segmented input section 128 surrounding the metal shaft 102. Each of the flight input sections 210, 212 has an initial flight angle 216, 218 measured with respect to the key axis 208 of the segmented input section 128. An exterior radius 216 connects the flight input sections 208, 210 at the initial flight angles 216, 218 with the interior flight diameter 214 of the flight input sections 208, 210 from the segmented input section 128.

FIG. 7 illustrates a coupler 113 and a metal shaft 102. The coupler 113 is designed to couple the metal shaft 102 of a mechanical ice auger 100 to a motor 300. Other suitable couplers may be used to attach the mechanical ice auger 100 to a motor 300.

FIG. 8 illustrates the operating environment of the disclosed embodiments, specifically of a mechanical ice auger 100 in an ice dispenser 302. Processed or crushed ice is loaded into an ice dispenser 302 by pouring the ice into a loading chute 304 or bin opening. The ice falls through the ice chute 304 or bin opening into an ice bin 306 or hopper located at the bottom of the ice dispenser 302. A separate refrigeration unit can be applied to the ice bin 306 to refrigerate the ice, maintaining the ice at freezing temperatures in the ice bin 306 until ready for use.

When a user activates the ice dispenser 302, a power driven motor 300 rotates a vertically positioned mechanical ice auger 100 in the ice bin 306. The motor 300 attaches to at least one end of the mechanical ice auger 100 to provide a rotational force on the ice auger 100. The configuration of the ice auger-to-motor connection 126 allows the motor to rotate the ice auger 100 around the axis 112 of the axial metal shaft 102. The rotational speed of the axial metal shaft 102 depends upon the drive speed of the motor 300.

The lower end 308 of the mechanical ice auger 100 is positioned in the ice bin 306, and in contact with the ice. Typically, the interior sides 310 of the ice bin 306 slope inward towards the lower end 308 of the mechanical ice auger 100 to direct the ice towards the mechanical ice auger 100. The upper end 312 of the mechanical ice auger 100 is positioned at an input section 314 of an ice dispenser chute 316. A two-piece vertical cylinder 318a, 318b surrounds the mechanical ice auger 100 between the two ends 308, 312 of the mechanical ice auger 100. A sleeve 108 and plastic helical flight 110 molded to or fixedly attached to an axial metal shaft 102 forms the mechanical ice auger 100. The sleeve 108 encases axial metal shaft 102 as the plastic helical flight 110 spirals around the sleeve 108 and axial metal shaft 102. A channel 120 parallel to the helical flight 110 forms as the helical flight 110 spirals around the sleeve 108 and axial metal shaft 102.

As the mechanical ice auger 100 rotates, the lower end 308 of the mechanical ice auger 100 picks up ice in contact with the helical flight 110 of the ice auger 100. The rotational force of the mechanical ice auger 100 propels the ice along the helical flight 110 in the channel 120 and against the interior sides 320a, 320b of the vertical cylinder 318a, 318b. The vertical cylinder 318a, 318b contains the ice along the length of the mechanical ice auger 100 and in the channel 120 between the helical flights 108 as the mechanical ice auger 100 rotates. Ice is picked up from the ice bin 306 at the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102 and conveyed along the helical flight 110 in the general direction of the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102 towards the output end 106 of the metal shaft 102. Ultimately, the rotation of the mechanical ice auger 100 conveys the ice from the lower end of the auger 308 to the upper end 312 of the auger 100.

When the ice reaches the upper end 312 of the mechanical ice auger 100, the ice leaves the helical flight 110 of the auger 100 and enters the input section 314 of the ice dispenser chute 316. The ice passes through the ice dispenser chute 316 and then through the output section 322 of the ice dispenser chute 316 into a cup 324 or container. A customer or user typically supplies the cup 324 or container to hold the dispensed ice.

The mechanical ice auger 100 may be installed in any type of ice dispenser. Suitable ice dispensers for use with the mechanical ice auger 100 are manufactured by Cornelius/REMCOR Products. The dispenser manufactured by Cornelius/REMCOR Products is sold under the trade designation UC-150 MCD.

Dimensions of a suitable axial metal shaft 102 depend upon the size of an ice dispenser and its ice handling requirements. For example, an axial metal shaft 102 for a mechanical ice auger 100 installed in the ice dispenser described above has an exterior diameter 206 of about 0.750 inches. The lengths 111 of the axial metal shaft 102 made of aluminum or stainless steel can be about 31.656 inches or about 35.026 inches depending upon the model type of ice dispenser.

Dimensions of a suitable plastic helical flight 110 depend upon the size of an ice dispenser and its ice handling requirements. For example, a plastic helical flight 110 for a mechanical ice auger 100 installed in an ice dispenser can have an exterior flight diameter 118 of about 2.875 inches, and a flight thickness 120 of about 0.250 inches. The plastic helical flight 110 extends from the input end 104 of the axial metal shaft 102 to a point about 1.391 inches from the output end 106 of the axial metal shaft 102. The dimension of the channel width 122 including the thickness 120 of the helical flight 110 is about 2.875 inches.

Dimensions of a suitable ice auger-to-motor connection 126 depend upon the configuration of the motor 300 output end. For example, an ice auger-to- motor connection 126 for a mechanical ice auger 100 installed in the ice dispenser described above is shown in FIGs. 5 and 6. The ice auger-to-motor connection 126 has a segmented input section 128 length of about 1.260 inches along the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102, a segmented input section 128 thickness of about 0.506 inches, and a segmented input section 128 width of about 1.006 inches, and a primary input section 130 length of about 0.510 inches along the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102. The interior concave lateral side 200 of the segmented input section 128 measures about 0.253 inches radially from the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102. The exterior concave lateral side 201 of the segmented input section 128 measures about 0.753 inches radially from the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102. The plastic helical flight 110 modified at the input end 104 of the metal shaft 102 has a lower input flight 210 thickness of about 0.221 inches, a lower input flight 210 height of about 0.763 inches, an upper input flight initial angle 212 of approximately 67 degrees counterclockwise from the key axis 208 of the segmented input section 128, a lower input flight initial angle 214 of approximately 110 degrees clockwise from the axis 206 of the segmented input section 128, and a interior flight diameter 214 of about 0.375 inches from the axis 112 of the metal shaft 102.

Claims

CLAIMS The invention claimed is: 1. An ice dispenser, comprising: an ice bin for storing ice; a dispenser chute; and an ice auger for conveying ice from the ice bin to the dispenser chute; the ice auger comprising a metal shaft and a plastic flight, the plastic flight fixedly attached to the metal shaft.

2. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, further comprising: a shell surrounding the ice auger between the ends of the metal shaft.

3. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, further comprising: a motor connected to one end of the metal shaft for rotating the metal shaft.

4. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises PPO resin.

5. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises polycarbonate resin.

6. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises Nylon 12 resin.

7. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises

Nylon 6/12 resin.

8. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises ABS.

9. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises a fungicide.

10. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the plastic flight comprises a chemical additive to inhibit or to kill microbiological growth.

11. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the metal shaft comprises aluminum.

12. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the metal shaft comprises stainless steel.

13. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the ice auger comprises a plastic flight in a helical orientation about an axis of the metal shaft.

14. The ice dispenser of Claim 1, wherein the ice auger comprises a plastic flight surrounding an axis of the metal shaft and in a spiral orientation to the axis of the metal shaft.

15. The ice dispenser of Claim 2, further comprising: an ice bin for storing ice; and a motor for rotating the metal shaft within the shell and in the ice bin, whereby ice is conveyed from the ice bin along the plastic flight.

16. A method of using a mechanical ice auger in an ice dispenser, comprising the steps of: attaching a plastic flight to a metal shaft to form the ice auger; installing the ice auger within the ice dispenser; and rotating the ice auger to move ice within the ice dispenser.