Vending apparatus providing bulk or bagged ice

Abstract

An ice vending apparatus and self contained building for making, bagging, and delivering a user sealed bag or bulk amount of ice to a consumer. A conveyor is placed beneath an ice crusher and is constructed and arranged to deliver ice to a bagger holder and, depending upon the election of the consumer, the ice is either directed to a bagger and delivered through a bagger chute, or directed to a bulk chute where the consumer uses their own receptacle. The building is specifically designed for the vending apparatus and is capable of handling hurricane force winds and is sized to place all components within an environment having a uniform temperature.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to ice vending machines and, more specifically, to an automated ice vending apparatus for dispensing a prescribed volume of ice by bag or in bulk to a consumer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice is used for countless purposes. Most common is the basic need of ice for cooling off fluids and assuring that food does not spoil. The ice might be used for a party, a picnic, fishing, or any countless purpose. The problem with ice is that it must be maintained in a controlled environment or it will melt. Most residential homes are not equipped for making anything other than a small amount of ice; the limitation being the production and limited storage. Nor is it economically feasible for a homeowner to purchase and maintain a commercial ice maker and freezer. For these and numerous other reasons, the commercial production of ice remains pervasive in the industry. Bagged ice can be purchased at most any grocery or convenience store. Stand-alone ice vending machines are also well known in the industry.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,897, issued in 1961, discloses an ice vending machine having a means for vending a predetermined amount of ice on each actuation of the coin operating device.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,668 discloses a coin operated vending machine for dispensing a predetermined quantity of ice.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,082 discloses an ice vending machine with a bag delivery cycle.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,193 discloses an ice dispensing apparatus that includes a conveying means for moving the ice cubes toward an ice delivery chute. A supply of empty bags is delivered along supporting tracks toward a position beneath the ice delivery chute. The tracks converge inwardly beneath the chute, and the bottom member in the ice chute is downwardly swingable into a bag so ice cubes can drop through the chute and into the opened bag. When the bag has been filled, the conveying means is de-activated and the chute bottom is swung upwardly to a closed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,477 discloses a vending machine that dispenses either purified ice or purified water in predetermined quantities in response to a fixed payment by a user. The machine consists of compartmentalized sections for each specific function, comprising a water purification and storage portion, an ice making portion, an ice storage portion, and a product dispensing and control portion.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,539 discloses an ice making and bagging vending machine for delivering a sealed bag of ice to a consumer.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,527, and related U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,124; 7,104,291; 7,426,945; 7,806,152; 8,245,488; and 8,561,655 disclose an ice vending apparatus that includes a holding vessel, an ice metering device, an ice transferring device, and a device for facilitating the movement of ice through an aperture for dispensing of ice cubes.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,784 discloses an ice bagging system and method according to which ice is automatically dispensed in respective bags provided from a first source of bags, and ice is automatically dispensed in respective bags provided from a second source of bags.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,302 discloses an ice bagging assembly for filling bags of ice for retail-commercial sales.

While the prior art has disclosed ice vending apparatus, each of the devices are derived from ice makers wherein the control mechanism must be either integrated into the ice maker or becomes dependent upon the particular ice maker design. What the applicant presents is an improved ice vending apparatus providing bulk or bagged ice from most any ice making apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention discloses an ice vending apparatus placed within a self contained building for making, bagging, and delivering a user sealed bag or bulk amount of ice to a consumer. The consumer deposits an amount of money into a controller wherein the apparatus is directed to either fill a bag or provide ice in bulk. A conveyor is placed beneath an ice crusher and is constructed and arranged to deliver ice to a scale for weighing and, depending upon the election of the consumer, the ice is either directed to a bagger and delivered through a bagger chute, or directed to a bulk chute where the consumer uses their own receptacle. The building is capable of handling hurricane force winds and is sized to place all components within an environment having a uniform temperature.

An objective of the instant invention is to provide a self contained ice vending apparatus placed within a controlled environment whereby consumers can purchase ice by the bag or in bulk by depositing a specified amount of money.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus having a combination storage bin auger and ice crusher to deliver uniform ice to a vertically disposed sensor activated weighing bin.

Another objective of the invention is to teach the use of an ice vending apparatus that can include a storage bin leveler to maximum ice storage.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus having a programmable logic controller that can be remotely monitored and adjusted to resolve most any fault issue, or operated by remote activation.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus having a sectional conveyor for ease of installation, with a conveyor belt constructed from food grade material.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus having an improved bagger with a blower to open each bag to facilitate bag filling.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to disclose an ice vending apparatus having direct drive, gear driven motors to eliminate belt and/or chain maintenance.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus having gear and pneumatically operated components timed to make a series of sounds which can be replicated upon each cycle and used to entertain as well as troubleshoot failures.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vending apparatus that is modular for ease of installation, employs minimal legs to allow for ease of floor cleaning, and is fully contained within a building capable of hurricane force winds.

Other objectives and further advantages and benefits associated with this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description, examples and claims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the automated ice vending apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the weighting bin.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing chutes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, set forth is the automated ice vending apparatus 10 of the instant invention which consists of a frame 12 having a structure of preassembled components that can be bolted together for ease of installation and designed to provide a substantially clear floor area that eliminates areas that would otherwise trap debris. The frame 12 consists of vertical legs 13 constructed and arranged to support a raised storage bin 14 used for receipt of ice from an ice maker mounted above the storage bin. Ice from the ice maker is placed into the storage bin 14 thru receptacle 16 wherein a leveling auger 18 distributes the ice evenly across the length of the storage bin 14 so as to maximize the holding capacity. In a preferred embodiment, the storage bin 14 is sized to hold approximately 4,000 pounds of ice. A distributing auger 20 is placed within the storage bin 14 and is used to move ice for positioning into a crusher box 22 having a sized opening 24; the distributing auger 20 further preventing the ice within the storage bin 14 from clumping should infrequent use occur, and for evenly distributing the ice within the storage bin 14. The sized opening 24 operates as the aperture to the top of the crusher box 22. Crusher augers 26 provide a uniform sizing of ice received from the storage bin 14, and the crushed ice is gravity fed into a weighting box 30 positioned directly below the crusher box 22. The weighting box 30 is constructed and arranged to measure a predetermined amount of ice for use in bagging or for delivery as a bulk load. For instance, once a consumer requests a bag of ice or a bulk amount of ice, the crusher augers 26 are operated until the weighting box 30 reaches the designed weight, and the weighting box 30 then releases the ice.

The weighting box 30 is arranged to hold eleven pounds of ice as a preload. Upon initiation of operation, such as when a consumer calls for ice, if the consumer seeks a bag of ice, then the weighting box 30 will further dispense five more pound of ice to deliver a sixteen pound bag. If the consumer is requesting bulk ice, then the weighting device receives another nine pounds of ice for a total unbagged delivery of twenty pounds. It should be noted that the above preload can be eliminated, changed to any weight, or preloaded to the preferred sixteen pounds wherein four more pounds can be added if bulk transfer is requested.

Upon receipt of a weight sensor 31 (FIG. 3) notification that the weighing box is holding the proper amount of ice, the ice is dispensed onto a conveyor 32 which causes the ice to move parallel beneath the crusher box 22, lifted vertically through a conveyor flight 34 and placed into bagger hopper 35. The conveyor 32 employs a flexible conveyor belt 33 having at least one transfer tab 37 to push the ice through the conveyor tunnel 34 to the bagger hopper 35. The conveyor belt 33 is maintained in a predetermined tension by belt tensioner 39. Referring to FIG. 4, the hopper 35 places the ice into a bag, not shown, if so requested by the consumer wherein the bag is filled, tied and dropped into a bag chute 36 and delivered to the consumer at a bag chute distal holding area 44. Should the consumer use their own bag or receptacle (e.g. buckets, cooler), the ice is sent down a bulk chute 38 to a distal end 40 of the bulk chute for receipt in the bag or receptacle. Operation includes the use of diverter flap valve for diverting the ice and allowing the hopper to dispense into the bagger or into the bulk chute.

For purposes of safety, security, cleanliness, and providing a controlled environment, the ice vending apparatus 10 and ice maker, not shown, are placed within a housing 100 wherein all components are maintained at a refrigerated temperature. The only portions of the ice vending apparatus placed outside of the housing 100 would be the distal end 40 of the bulk chute and the bag chute holder 44 and the face of the coin receiving apparatus. A water dispenser 61 may provide purified water from a water condition 63 for a fee. The purified water being used as make up water for an ice maker, not shown.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 12 includes either four or six vertical support legs 50 and 52 using cross braces 54 and 56 to provide structural rigidity capable of holding the bin 14 above the floor 102 of the housing 100. Use of the four or six support legs provides modularity in installation and provides access to the floor area to maintain cleanliness of the housing as well as provide a solid structure mounting to the frame for increased rigidity and support. The support structure 12 positions the storage bin 14, crusher box and weighting box 30 to permit modular installation. The illustrated storage bin 14 is shown in a square configuration, but may also have a rounded bottom to facilitate movement of ice by the distributing auger 20 along a circumference as depicted by numeral 60. A rounded storage bin facilitates ice movement, results in a continual turnover of ice, and eliminates stagnant ice areas.

Receptacle 16 is used for receipt of ice from an ice maker, wherein the leveling auger 18 moves the ice from the single point of introduction across the surface of the storage bin 14 to maximize the holding capacity of the storage bin 14. Without a leveling auger 18 the ice maker would simply form a mound of ice and the storage bin 14 would not hold its full capacity. The leveling auger is optional and used to increase storage capacity but is not required for use under maximum storage capacity, that is, the leveling auger would not be need approximately ninety percent of the time. While an ice maker is a critical component to any automated ice vending apparatus, there are different ice makers that are commercially available and are suitable for use with the ice vending apparatus; this invention is not to be limited to a particular commercial ice maker.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the weighting bin 30 having the sensors 31 capable of detecting the weight of ice deposited into the weighting bin before placement onto the conveyor 33 (shown in FIG. 1). As previously stated, the weighting bin 30 is positioned beneath the crusher box 22 which has at least one crusher auger 26 capable of producing a uniform sized ice particle directly before positioning into the weighting bin 30. While the weighting bin 30 is operated in response to a programmed PCL and arranged to hold twenty pounds of ice or bulk, obvious variations of this bin can be adjusted to meet the demands of the area. For instance, if the typical bulk is twenty five pounds, the bin can be adjusted accordingly and the controller adjusted to detect the higher weight. Similarly, the amount of bulk can be increased by simply running additional transfers, all of which can be programmed by use of a programmable logic controller 57. An evaporator 51 is placed within the housing to control the humidity within the housing.

Each mechanical function described herein has a corresponding sound associated with it, which vary by location, pitch, and frequency. This allows for efficiency of maintenance by allowing a maintenance technician to identify where a problem may be occurring based on what sound is not being produced. Actuators are selected by function and particular sound which is repetitive in operation. In this manner a technician is able to hear the operation of each component to determine timing, sequencing and general operational older.

Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for distributing bulk or bagged ice comprising the steps of: initiating an operating program;activating a crusher auger within a crusher box to break ice from a reservoir into roughly uniform pieces;dropping said ice pieces into a weighing box;measuring the weight of said weighing box with a scale;dropping said ice pieces from said weighing box onto a conveyor belt upon the weight of said weighing box reaching a predetermined weight based on said operating program;transporting said ice pieces on said conveyor belt to a dispensing chute;dropping said ice pieces into said dispensing chute, whereby a user can collect said ice pieces from said dispensing chute.

2. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 1, further comprising the step of depositing said ice pieces from said conveyor belt into a bag within a bag hopper.

3. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing an initial weight of ice in said weighing box prior to initiation of said operating program.

4. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 3, further comprising the step of refilling said weighing box with said initial weight of ice after said ice pieces have been dropped onto said conveyor belt.

5. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 3, further comprising the step of shutting off said crusher auger when weighing box has been refilled to said initial weight of ice.

6. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 1, further comprising the step of activating said conveyor belt upon said weighing box reaching said predetermined weight.

7. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 6, further comprising the step of stopping said conveyor belt after said ice pieces have been delivered though said dispensing chute.

8. A vending apparatus for dispensing bulk or bagged ice comprising: a housing defined by a front and back wall, two opposing side walls, a top and a bottom, creating an interior space that is refrigerated;an ice maker mounted said interior space, said ice maker having a outlet for dispensing ice;a storage bin within said interior space and positioned beneath said ice maker, said storage bin for receipt of ice from said ice maker, said storage bin having an open top, two sets of opposing sidewalls, and a bottom, said bottom having an aperture constructed and arranged to pass a predetermined amount of ice to said storage bin;a crusher box coupled to said storage bin for collecting a volume of said ice, said crusher box having opposing sidewalls, and a bottom side;means for crushing the ice into predetermined sized pieces and passing said sized pieces through an aperture on said bottom side of said crusher box;a weighing box for receipt of said crushed ice in response to a scale coupled to said weighing box to measure the weight of said ice within said weighing box;means for depositing ice from said weighing box onto a conveyor belt when said scale measures a predetermined weight of ice, said conveyor belt transferring the ice from a refrigerated section to a dispensing chute having a top aperture for delivery of bulk ice and a lower aperture for coupling to a bagger for delivery of ice within a bag.

9. The vending apparatus of claim 8 including a refrigeration means within said interior space of said housing for regulating the temperature within said housing and a portion of each said dispensing chute.

10. The vending apparatus of claim 8 including a programmable computer coupled to said crusher auger and said scale, said computer calculating the weight of the ice and timing of the crusher auger operation wherein upon a predetermined weight of ice said computer releases said crusher auger to deposit said ice onto said conveyor belt and selection of either said upper or lower aperture for delivery.

11. The vending apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an initiating mechanism on said housing, said initiating mechanism coupled to said computer for determining the amount of ice to be delivered and the type of delivery.

12. The vending apparatus of claim 8 including a diverter flap mounted within a dispensing chute for directional deliver into either said top aperture for delivery of bulk ice or said bottom aperture for delivery of bagged ice.

13. The vending apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a bag hopper and at least one bag, constructed and arranged at said top aperture of said dispensing chute, whereby said conveyor belt deposits said ice into said bag hopper and said bag being deposited into said dispensing chute.

14. The vending apparatus of claim 1 wherein said crusher box is positioned above said weighing box, said weighting box.

15. The vending apparatus of claim 14 wherein said weighing box is preloaded with a predetermined amount of ice to allow for faster delivery to said weighting box.

16. The vending apparatus of claim 7 wherein said weighing box is preloaded with a predetermined amount of ice to allow for faster delivery to said weighting box.