Granted Patent B2

US 6,988,372 · App. 10/654,371 · Granted Jan 24, 2006

Assignee: Ross's Manufacturing, LLC

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. An ice cream making system, comprising:

an evaporator including a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output, wherein liquid ice cream is provided at the ice cream input and frozen ice cream is provided at the ice cream output wherein the evaporator includes a first evaporator chamber and a second evaporator chamber, wherein refrigerant travels from the first chamber to the second chamber, the second chamber ensuring the first chamber being flooded with the refrigerant;

a gate at the ice cream output;

at least one valve at the ice cream input, the valve allowing the liquid ice cream to enter the cooling chamber and the valve preventing the liquid ice cream from entering the cooling chamber, the valve including a control input; and

a control system coupled to the control input the control system ensuring that the valve is closed when the gate is closed, wherein the valve is controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is not more than 50 percent filled when the gate is closed.

2. The ice cream making system of claim 1 , wherein the control system controls the valve to prevent the cooling chamber from being more than or equal to 50 percent filled.

3. The ice cream making system of claim 2 , wherein the valve is controlled to maintain the cooling chamber filled to 25–50 percent.

4. The ice cream making system of claim 1 , wherein the valve and the gate are operably linked to open and close in coordination.

5. The ice cream making system of claim 1 , wherein the gate and the valve are controlled so that the valve is opened when the gate is opened.

6. The ice cream making system of claim 5 , wherein the valve is maintained opened after the gate is opened until an appropriate level of the liquid ice cream enters the cooling chamber.

7. An ice cream making system, comprising:

an evaporator including a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output, wherein liquid ice cream is provided at the ice cream input and frozen ice cream is provided at the ice cream output;

a gate at the ice cream output;

at least one valve at the ice cream input, the valve allowing the liquid ice cream to enter the cooling chamber and the valve preventing the liquid ice cream from entering the cooling chamber, the valve including a control input;

a control system coupled to the control input, the control system ensuring that the valve is closed when the gate is closed, wherein the valve is controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is no more than 75 percent filled when the gate is closed; and

wherein the evaporator includes a primary evaporator chamber and a secondary evaporator chamber, the primary evaporator chamber being provided about the cooling chamber and the secondary evaporator chamber being provided about the primary evaporator chamber.

8. An ice cream making system, comprising:

an evaporator including a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output, wherein liquid ice cream is provided at the ice cream input and frozen ice cream is provided at the ice cream output;

a gate at the ice cream output;

at least one valve at the ice cream input, the valve allowing the liquid ice cream to enter the cooling chamber and the valve preventing the liquid ice cream from entering the cooling chamber, the valve including a control input;

a control system coupled to the control input, the control system ensuring that the valve is closed when the gate is closed, wherein the valve is controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is no more than 75 percent filled when the gate is closed; and

wherein the evaporator further includes a primary evaporator chamber about the cooling chamber and a copper tube provided about the primary evaporator chamber, the copper tube having a first end associated with a second refrigerant input and a second end associated with a second refrigerant output.

9. The evaporator of claim 8 , wherein the valve is controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is 50 percent or less filled.

10. The evaporator of claim 7 , wherein the valve is controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is less than 50 percent filled.

11. The evaporator of claim 10 , wherein the primary evaporator chamber is defined by a space between a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the second cylinder being about the first cylinder.

12. An evaporator for an ice cream making system, the evaporator comprising:

an interior surface defining a cooling chamber for chilling a product, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output;

a two stage evaporator chamber surrounding the cooling chamber, the two stage evaporator including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage acting to cool refrigerant in the first stage; and

a valve in series with the ice cream input, the valve being controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is less than or equal to 50 percent filled.

13. The evaporator of claim 12 , wherein the valve is a metering valve.

14. An evaporator for an ice cream making system, the evaporator comprising:

a cooling chamber for chilling a product, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output;

an evaporator chamber surrounding the cooling chamber;

an electrical control circuit electrically coupled to the valve;

a valve in series with the ice cream input, the valve being controlled to ensure that the cooling chamber is 50 percent or less filled; and

an auxiliary evaporator for collecting vapor refrigerant exiting the evaporator chamber wherein the cooling chamber is defined by a first cylinder and the evaporator chamber is defined by a space between the first cylinder and a second cylinder, the second cylinder being about the first cylinder, wherein the auxiliary evaporator is a chamber defined byte second cylinder and a third cylinder, the third cylinder being about the second cylinder.

15. The evaporator of claim 14 , further comprising an auxiliary evaporator tank coupled to the evaporator chamber.

16. A method of manufacturing ice cream, the method utilizing an ice cream machine having a cooling chamber, the method comprising:

providing liquid ice cream contents into the cooling chamber through a valve, the valve preventing the cooling chamber from being more than or equal to 50 percent filled when ice cream is not removed from the cooling chamber;

cooling the liquid ice cream contents in the cooling chamber using a primary evaporator chamber and another evaporator chamber; and

removing frozen ice cream from the cooling chamber.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the valve is controlled by an electric control circuit.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the frozen ice cream is removed through a gate, the gate being opened and closed in coordination with the valve allowing liquid ice cream contents into the cooling chamber.

19. A method of manufacturing ice cream, the method utilizing an ice cream machine having a cooling chamber, the method comprising:

providing liquid ice cream contents into the cooling chamber through a valve, the valve preventing the cooling chamber from being more than 75 percent filled when ice cream is not removed from the cooling chamber;

cooling the liquid ice cream contents in the cooling chamber;

removing frozen ice cream from the cooling chamber; and

wherein the ice cream maker further comprises a secondary evaporator about a primary evaporator about the cooling chamber, wherein the secondary evaporator is a coiled tube.

20. A method of manufacturing ice cream, the method utilizing an ice cream machine having a cooling chamber, the method comprising:

providing liquid ice cream contents into the cooling chamber trough a valve, the valve preventing the cooling chamber from being more than 75 percent filled when ice cream is not removed from the cooling chamber;

cooling the liquid ice cream contents in the cooling chamber;

removing frozen ice cream from the cooling chamber; and

wherein the ice cream maker further comprises a secondary evaporator about a primary evaporator about the cooling chamber, wherein the secondary evaporator surrounds the primary evaporator.

21. An ice cream making system, comprising:

an evaporator including a cooling chamber, the cooling chamber having an ice cream input and an ice cream output, the evaporator including a primary evaporator and a secondary evaporator;

a means for restricting access through the ice cream input to the cooling chamber; and

a means for controlling the means for restricting so that the cooling chamber is less than or equal to 50 percent filled when ice cream is not exiting the cooling chamber.

Assignments (11)

Continuity (2)