Scotsman Group LLC

Gary L Van Riper

William J Black

Matthew W Allison

Melvin A Baker

An icemaker having a means for bypassing a head pressure control valve thereof depending upon the ambient air temperature surrounding a remotely located condenser of the icemaker. The method and apparatus involve a first bypass conduit which is coupled to an outlet of the condenser upstream of the head pressure control valve and a first bypass valve disposed in the first bypass conduit. A second bypass conduit is in communication with an inlet of the condenser and also with the head pressure control valve. A second bypass valve is disposed in the second bypass conduit. A thermostat controls each of the bypass valves such that the first bypass valve is closed and the second bypass valve opened when the sensed ambient air temperature around the condenser is below a predetermined temperature, to thereby permit normal operation of the head pressure control valve. When the ambient air temperature is at or above the predetermined temperature, the first bypass valve is opened and the second bypass valve is closed, which causes condensed refrigerant to bypass the head pressure control valve completely. The above-described arrangement permits a high set point of the head pressure control to build more heat in a compressor during the freeze cycle of the icemaker when the condenser is experiencing low ambient air temperature conditions, and further allows the head pressure control valve to be bypassed entirely when the ambient air conditions are relatively high during the freeze cycle, and the head pressure control valve is therefore not needed.

Apparatus and method for head pressure control valve disabling for an

An icemaker incorporating a hot gas bypass system for introducing a supplemental quantity of refrigerant from a condenser into a compressor of the icemaker during a harvest cycle. The system includes a harvest bypass valve disposed in a bypass conduit coupled between an input port of the compressor and the inlet of a remotely disposed condenser. The harvest bypass valve is opened by a system controller of the icemaker during a harvest cycle which allows refrigerant in the condenser to migrate back into the input port of the compressor during the harvest cycle. In this manner, it can be insured that a sufficient quantity of refrigerant is available to carry out the harvest cycle. The adding of a supplemental quantity of refrigerant is further accomplished through a single valve and does not add appreciably to the overall cost or complexity of the icemaker.

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Wildwood, IL, United States of America

Gary L Van Riper