Ice bagging apparatus and methods

Abstract

An ice vending apparatus adapted to remove moisture from ice pieces during dispensing, which apparatus includes a ramp having a lower lip and being adapted to transfer a quantity of ice pieces from a holding vessel to a container; and a channel having an upwardly facing opening that is in operative association with the ramp and arranged so that moisture is adapted to flow around the lower lip of the ramp into the channel while excluding the ice pieces so as to separate at least a portion of the moisture from the ice pieces as the ice pieces are transferred to the container. Methods of providing ice pieces, particularly with reduction of associated moisture to a consumer, are also described.

1 . An ice vending apparatus adapted to remove moisture from ice pieces during dispensing, which comprises:
 a ramp having a lower lip and being adapted to transfer a quantity of ice pieces from a holding vessel to a container; and   a channel having an upwardly facing opening that is in operative association with the ramp and is arranged so that moisture is adapted to flow around the lower lip of the ramp into the channel while excluding the ice pieces so as to separate at least a portion of the moisture from the ice pieces as the ice pieces are transferred to the container.   
     
     
         2 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises a rotatable door in operative association with the ramp, the door being adapted to rotate between a closed position where the ice pieces are restricted from transfer to the container and an open position that allows the transfer of the ice pieces to the container. 
     
     
         3 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is rotatable between a storage position and a dispensing position to transfer the ice pieces to the container. 
     
     
         4 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is at least partially covered. 
     
     
         5 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is inclined at about 60 degrees to 85 degrees with respect to the horizontal. 
     
     
         6 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a flexible plastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp further comprises one or more chevron-shaped grooves adapted to further separate moisture from the ice pieces when the ice pieces are dispensed over the ramp. 
     
     
         8 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 1 , which further comprises a bagging apparatus to collect a pre-selected quantity of ice pieces in a container to deliver to a consumer. 
     
     
         9 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the bagging apparatus comprises an interlock system constructed and arranged to receive the container, the interlock system comprising a pair of vertically-oriented inner and outer doors arranged in association with a pair of side walls to define a chamber therebetween, wherein the interlock system is adapted to close the inner door to inhibit or prevent access to additional containers while the outer door is adapted to be opened by a consumer. 
     
     
         10 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the doors are spaced from about 6 inches to about 24 inches apart and arranged to support opposing portions of the container adapted to receive the ice pieces. 
     
     
         11 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the interlock system further comprises at least one container-holding extension located adjacent to one of the doors and adapted to support a portion of the container during filling. 
     
     
         12 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the bagging apparatus comprises a bag detection sensor to detect the presence or absence of a container positioned to catch the ice pieces therein. 
     
     
         13 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the bagging apparatus comprises an ice detection sensor to signal when ice pieces reach a predetermined height in a container. 
     
     
         14 . An ice vending apparatus adapted to fill a portion of a container with ice pieces upon demand by a consumer, which comprises:
 a plurality of containers stored inside a housing associated with an ice dispensing portion adapted to containerize ice pieces in successive containers upon demand by one or more consumers; and   an interlock system constructed and arranged to receive each container one at a time, the interlock system comprising a pair of inner and outer doors arranged in association with a pair of side walls to define a chamber therebetween, wherein the interlock system is adapted to close the inner door to inhibit or prevent access to additional containers while the outer door is adapted to be opened by a consumer to retrieve a container that has received ice pieces.   
     
     
         15 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the interlock system further comprises at least one container-holding extension located adjacent to one of the doors and adapted to support a portion of the container during filling thereof with the ice pieces. 
     
     
         16 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the doors are spaced from about 6 inches to about 24 inches apart and arranged to support opposing portions of the container that has been prepared to receive the ice pieces. 
     
     
         17 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 14 , which further comprises a container-opening device adapted to open an end of a container disposed in the chamber so as to facilitate receipt of the ice pieces. 
     
     
         18 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the container-opening device comprises a blower to blow a gas into the end at the top of the container so as to separate a top of each opposing portions of the container and thereby partially open the container so it is adapted to be at least partially filled with ice pieces. 
     
     
         19 . The ice vending apparatus of  claim 18 , which further comprises one or more fasteners disposed inside the chamber so that a consumer can close a partly filled container therewith. 
     
     
         20 . A method for providing ice pieces to a consumer, which comprises:
 rotating a ramp zone between a storage position and a transferring position so as to direct a plurality of ice pieces from a holding zone over the ramp zone to a container in the transferring position; and   removing a portion of moisture from the dispensed ice pieces as they move through and past the ramp zone to the container, wherein the removed moisture is directed away from the container.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising detecting the presence of a container in position to receive the plurality of ice pieces before the rotating of the ramp zone from the storage position to the transferring position. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the ramp zone is arranged to direct the flow of moisture exiting the ramp zone away from the ice pieces and the container. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the container comprises a flexible plastic material. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , which further comprises partially opening the container at a top end before ice pieces are disposed through the ramp zone into the container. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the partial opening comprises blowing a gas in a pre-determined direction at the top end of the container to facilitate partially opening the container. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , which further comprises supporting the container on at least one front, back, or side surface. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , which further comprises providing an interlock system that inhibits or prevents a consumer from tampering with a supply of the containers. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , which further comprises directing ice pieces into the container in a filling zone and operating the interlock system to close at least one barrier between the filled container and additional containers to be filled.