Ice machine with adjustable ice density

Abstract

A machine to continuously produce and hold ice is provided. The machine includes a compressor, an evaporator, and an auger that rotates across an outer surface of the evaporator to scrape ice forming thereon. Ice slices travel with auger rotation and neighboring ice slices coalesce together to form larger pieces of ice. A user input allows adjustment of the density of the ice produced. The controller alters compressor speed, such that a decrease in compressor speed results in an increase in the surface temperature of the evaporator and therefore slows down ice formation thereon, and an increase in compressor speed results in a decrease in the surface temperature of the evaporator and therefore speeds up the ice formation thereon. A change in ice formation speed results in a corresponding change in the rate of ice slice production and a corresponding change in density of ice produced by the machine.

1 . An ice machine, comprising:
 a housing that provides an insulated environment for storing ice produced by the ice machine and an ice production system,   the ice production system comprises an evaporator, a compressor, and an auger, with a reservoir surrounding at least a portion of the evaporator;   a connection to receive water within the reservoir such that the water in contact with the evaporator freezes;   the auger is configured scrape ice from a surface of the evaporator when the auger rotates,   the compressor is configured with a variable speed, wherein an increase in the speed of the compressor decreases a temperature of the surface of the evaporator and a decrease in the speed of the compressor increases the temperature of the surface of the evaporator,   wherein as the temperature of the surface of the evaporator increases, the rate of ice formation upon the surface of the evaporator decreases, and as the temperature of the surface of the evaporator decreases the rate of ice formation upon the surface of the evaporator increases,   wherein an increase in the rate of ice formation upon the surface of the evaporator increases the volume of ice per unit time scrapped off of the surface of the evaporator by rotating auger, and a decrease in the rate of ice formation upon the surface of the evaporator decreases the volume of ice per unit time scrapped off of the surface of the evaporator by the rotating auger,   wherein as the volume of ice per unit time scrapped off of the evaporator changes, the density of scrapped ice that is moved through and out of the auger changes such that an increase in the volume of ice per unit time results in an increase in density of ice expelled by the rotating auger, and a decrease in the volume of ice per unit time results in a decrease in density of ice expelled by the rotating auger,   further comprising a controller and a user input device, wherein the user input device is configured to receive an input from a user related to the desired density of the ice expelled by the auger, and wherein the controller adjusts the speed of the compressor based upon the desired ice density.   
     
     
         2 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the auger operates with a constant rotational speed. 
     
     
         3 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the auger is capable of operating with a variable rotational speed, wherein a rotational speed of the auger is controlled by the controller. 
     
     
         4 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is cylindrical and the auger interacts with the cylindrical surface of the evaporator when the auger rotates. 
     
     
         5 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator is tubular, and the surface is an inner surface of the evaporator, such that the auger interacts with the inner surface of the evaporator when the auger rotates. 
     
     
         6 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein a rotation of the auger results chips of ice being removed from the surface of the evaporator, wherein the removed chips of ice are urged through the auger and away from the surface of the evaporator, and wherein neighboring ice chips in contact with each other coalesce into larger pieces of ice as the ice chips move toward a proximal end portion of the auger. 
     
     
         7 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator encloses the auger, wherein the evaporator comprises an opening proximate to a proximal end portion of the auger wherein ice reaching the proximal end portion of the auger travels through the opening and exits the auger. 
     
     
         8 . The ice machine of  claim 7 , wherein the housing further comprises a bin, wherein ice that travels through the opening and exits the auger enters into the bin. 
     
     
         9 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the user input device is configured to receive a plurality of specific inputs for desired ice quality within a range of low quality ice to high quality ice and a plurality of different ice qualities therebetween, and wherein the controller provides for a specific different compressor speed for each discrete input of desired ice quality. 
     
     
         10 . The ice machine of  claim 9  wherein the user input device allows for the user to select a desired specific density of ice and the controller accordingly adjusts the speed of the compressor based upon the user selected specific density. 
     
     
         11 . The ice machine of  claim 8 , further comprising a tube that extends between the proximal end portion of the auger and the bin to direct ice from the auger into the bin. 
     
     
         12 . The ice machine of  claim 9 , wherein the user input device is configured to cause the controller to operate the compressor to establish ice quality at a desired quality within the range of about 50% to about 85%. 
     
     
         13 . The ice machine of  claim 12 , wherein the user input device is configured to cause the controller to operate the compressor to establish ice qualities of about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, and about 80%. 
     
     
         14 . The ice machine of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the compressor at different speeds to establish a plurality of different qualities of ice between a range of about 50% to about 85%.