Imi Cornelius, Inc.

Hassan Shams

James D Vogel

Paul R Weber

Rajesh Valabh

The present invention includes a dual purpose carbonator/blending bottle connected to a source of beverage syrup, a source of potable water and to a source of pressurized carbon dioxide gas. The dual purpose bottle is retained within an ice bank water bath tank. A pair of ratio valves provide for metering the water and syrup at a desired ratio. The mixed beverage first flows through a serpentine coil, also located in water bath, and then flow into the dual purpose bottle. A refrigeration system provides for cooling an evaporator located in the water tank for forming the ice bank thereon. The carbonated beverage then flows from the bottle into a freeze cylinder. The freeze cylinder also includes a further evaporator coiled around an exterior perimeter thereof. The freeze cylinder evaporator is connected to and cooled by the same refrigeration system that cools the evaporator in the water bath tank. A scraping mechanism within the cylinder provides for scraping frozen beverage from the inner surface of the cylinder. A control mechanism provides for controlling the refrigeration system and the cooling of both evaporators. The beverage is therefore pre-cooled to a temperature just above its freezing point before delivery to the freeze cylinder. Thus, less cooling power is needed to reduce the beverage to a frozen state. The present invention utilizes a method of controlling the operation of the refrigeration system and the cooling of both evaporators thereof. The control system provides for directing refrigerant to one or the other of the evaporators as is most efficient so as to avoid short cycling or pressure build up. The present invention uses a control strategy that can more accurately maintain a pre-selected temperature differential between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporators. The control algorithm utilizes a proportional integral differential control approach that safely permits a much narrower temperature difference so that a greater length of each freeze cylinder evaporator can be utilized for efficient heat transfer cooling.

Semi-frozen food product producing machine

In one preferred embodiment, a freeze cylinder is used having a closed end and an open end. Around the cylinder adjacent the closed end, a three phase DC stator is placed. The stator is connected to a three phase DC power supply that includes an AC to DC inverter. An electrical rotor is positioned in the cylinder adjacent a spacer plate. The rotor consists of metal ring around the perimeter of which are secured eight permanent magnets. The magnets and tube are encased in a food grade plastic creating a rotor disk having a central hole. A scraper extends along the axis of the cylinder and includes a central rod end that extends through the rotor and into the bearing of the spacer disk. The scraper includes a skirt portion around the rod end for securing to the rotor. In operation, the stator and rotor constitute a three phase DC motor that is operated by the power supply to rotate the scraper within the cylinder. No dynamic seal is needed as no rod end of the scraper is required to extend out of the cylinder for mechanical connection to a drive motor. In a further embodiment, a freeze cylinder is used that also has a closed end and an open end. A conventional motor and gear drive are used, however the gear drive is adapted to rotate a circular magnetic drive plate. This external magnetic drive plate is positioned so that the magnetic surface thereof faces and is closely adjacent the exterior surface of the cylinder closed end. Within the cylinder a similar circular magnetic ring is rotatively mounted therein carried on and within a stainless steel disk. This internal disk is secured to a rod end of the scraper and the magnetic face of the magnetic ring faces the internal surface of the cylinder end and is positioned closely adjacent thereto. In operation, the external drive plate is magnetically coupled to the magnetic ring of the internal driven disk wherein rotation of the driven disk results in rotation of the scraper.

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Golden Valley, MN, United States of America

Hassan Shams