IP Library Patent Application 12148886
Patent Application
App. No. 12/148,886

Ice machine with drain

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/148,886
Abstract

There is an ice machine. The machine has i) a cabinet, ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker, (iv) a drawer positioned in the bin. The icemaker is situated in the cabinet. The drawer is substantially non-refrigerated and is adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the cabinet. The drawer has an opening at the top thereof such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand and has a drain therein to allow melt water to drain out.

Claims (27)

1 . An ice machine, comprising:

i) a cabinet;

ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, wherein the icemaker is situated in the cabinet;

iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker; and

iii) a drawer positioned in the bin, the drawer adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, wherein the drawer is adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the cabinet, wherein the drawer has an opening at the top thereof such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, and wherein the drawer has a drain therein to allow melt water to drain out.

2 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the icemaker comprises a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator.

3 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the drawer is substantially non-refrigerated.

4 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the drawer is at least partially insulated.

5 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the bin.

6 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the drain takes the form of an orifice in the bin, wherein the orifice is in communication with a drainage hose.

7 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the bin is at least partially insulated, wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the bin, and wherein the one or more orifices is in communication with one or more drainage hoses.

8 . The ice machine of claim 1 , wherein the bin has a removable liner situated therein, wherein the liner is adapted to receive and retain the ice, wherein the liner and the drawer are positioned with respect to each other as to define a cavity therebetween, and wherein the liner has one or more orifices therein to allow melt water to drain from the liner into the cavity.

9 . The ice machine of claim 8 , wherein the drawer is at least partially insulated, wherein the drain takes the form of one or more orifices in the drawer, and wherein the one or more orifices in the bin is in communication with one or more drainage hoses.

10 . An ice machine, comprising:

i) a cabinet;

ii) an icemaker adapted to making ice, wherein the icemaker is situated in the cabinet;

iii) a bin situated in the cabinet below the icemaker;

iv) a drawer positioned in the bin, the drawer being adapted to being pulled at least partially out of the bin, the drawer having an interior therein, the drawer being adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, the drawer defining an opening therein such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, the drawer having a drain therefrom to allow water to drain out, the bin having a drain therefrom to allow water to drain out, the drain from the bin having a valve therein substantially preventing the backflow of water into the bin.

11 . The ice machine of claim 10 , further comprising a liner, the liner being situated at least partly in the interior of the drawer and at least generally conforming to the shape thereof, the liner being removable from the drawer, the liner being adapted to receive and retain the ice from the ice maker, the liner defining an opening therein such that ice can be removed directly or indirectly by hand, the liner having at least one orifice therein providing a passage for melt water from the liner to a cavity between the liner and the drawer.

12 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the drawer is positioned in the bin such that a cavity is defined therebetween.

13 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the drawer has a drain therethrough that takes the form of a valve that opens when the drawer is in a resting position in the bin and closes to water flow when the drawer is pulled from the resting position.

14 . The ice machine of claim 13 , wherein the valve in the liner is a duckbill valve.

15 . The ice machine of claim 13 , wherein the valve in the liner is a dome valve.

16 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the valve in the drain from the bin is a check valve.

17 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the icemaker includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator.

18 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the bin is at least partially insulated.

19 . The ice machine of claim 10 , wherein the drain from the drawer and the drain from the bin converge to a common drain having an electric pump therein.

Assignments (6)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 18, 2010
From: SCOTSMAN GROUP LLC
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 024402/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2010
From: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SCOTSMAN GROUP LLC; MILE HIGH EQUIPMENT LLC; SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS SHANGHAI CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 024286/0001 →
REQUEST FOR CORRECTION OF NOTICE OF RECORDATION OF ASSIGNMENT FOR REEL 022259, FRAME 0941 RECORDED FEBRUARY 13, 2009 TO CORRECT ASSIGNOR'S NAME FROM SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS TO SCOTSMAN GROUP INC. D/B/A SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS AND DELETE ALL PROVISIONAL APPLICATION APPILCATION NUMBERS 61062259, 61007735,61007718,60925999, 60829907, 60632759, 60585833, 60528227, 60527956, 60502048, 60479646, 60468782, 60468782, 60453096, 60417468, 60268619, 60233392, 60164787. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED MARKED UP COPY. Recorded May 8, 2009
From: SCOTSMAN GROUP INC. D/B/A SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS
To: SCOTSMAN GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 022659/0854 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2009
From: SCOTSMAN GROUP LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 022427/0406 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2009
From: SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS
To: SCOTSMAN GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 022259/0941 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2008
From: SOWA, CASIMER S.; ANDRESEN, MICHAEL J.; HAND, JAMES C.
To: SCOTSMAN ICE SYSTEMS LLC.
Reel/Frame 021191/0515 →