Hansen Technologies Corporation

Howe Corporation

Jeffrey A Mackowiak

Charles C Hansen, Iii

John A Yencho

Santosh Kumar

An ice making device and a method of making ice. A plurality of passages for refrigerant, preferably, multi-component refrigerant, is in thermal communication with a freezing surface, for example in an outer shell surrounding a body. The passages each include an inlet and an outlet. The inlet for a passage may be disposed approximately 180&#xb0; from the outlet for that passage. The outlet for the passages may form the inlet for the subsequent passage. The size of the outlets may be smaller than a cross-sectional size of the passage. As the refrigerant moves through the passages, water on the freezing surfaces will freeze and form ice. A blade will scrape the ice off.

Ice making device

An improved modulating expansion valve includes a housing having a high pressure side, a low pressure side and a piston reciprocally mounted in a portion positioned centrally therebetween. A manifold is sealingly mounted above the piston, and a high pressure control passageway extends from the valve inlets, through the manifold, to a chamber on top of the piston. A low pressure passageway extends from the chamber through the manifold to the valve outlet. A pair of electrically operated solenoids open and close the high and low pressure passageways to operate the valve. Substantially infinite control of the solenoids provide for modulating control of the valve in a semi-hermetically sealed expansion valve.

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Oak Lawn, IL, United States of America

Jeffrey A Mackowiak