METHOD OF MAKING AN ICE MAKING MACHINE

摘要

An ice product is disclosed having improved liquid displacement characteristics and which is of a configuration which provides for splash resistance and resistance to bridging between adjacently stored products. The apparatus and method for producing the improved ice product is disclosed in the form of an ice making machine having one or more combination evaporator and ice form assemblies, each of the assemblies being provided with a plurality of pockets or recesses in which the ice product is formed during a freezing or refrigeration cycle, the ice products being subsequently discharged to an associated storage area during a subsequent harvest cycle. In a preferred construction of the present invention, the combination evaporator and ice form assemblies are arranged in a generally vertical orientation and ice makeup water is communicated to a manifold arrangement disposed above each of the assemblies, which water is intended to cascade over the surfaces of the ice forms and freeze within the pockets or recesses therein. The combination evaporator and ice form assemblies are designed such that a unique heat transfer is effected between the evaporator coils and the water freezing within the ice pockets, whereby substantially symmetrically-shaped ice products are formed within the pockets. Alternative embodiments of the present invention disclose the ice form assemblies being mounted in horizontal and inclined orientations and with the water being supplied thereto by means of associated water spray bars or the like. In the preferred construction of the present invention, the combination evaporator and ice form assemblies are in spaced vertical arrangement, whereby the ice products or ice cubes formed within the pockets thereof may drop downwardly between the assemblies toward a subjacent storage bin, permitting successive machines to be stacked one on top of one another such that the ice products produced by upper machines may fall downwardly between the ice form assemblies of subjacent machines, whereby to increase the ice making capacity of the installation. A method of fabricating or manufacturing the combination evaporator and ice form assemblies is disclosed wherein the evaporator conduit is arranged in a generally serpentine configuration and is provided with a plurality of heat transfer elements which are disposed interjacent spaced parallel sections of the conduit, with the entire assembly of the evaporator conduit and heat transfer elements having a plastic material molded thereon.