The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 03, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 25, 2000
Paul J. Henry, Andover, MN (US);
IMI Cornelius Inc., Anoka, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention comprises a pneumatic ice transport system having a primary ice reservoir and a blower connected to a venturi. The ice reservoir includes an ice dispensing mechanism for dispensing of ice there from into an ice flow tube. The venturi suction intake is connected by a tube to the discharge end of the ice chute. The outlet of the venturi is connected to a tube for directing the ice to a remote location. In operation, the blower provides a large volume of relatively low pressure air to the venturi. A heat exchanger can be connected between the outlet of the blower and the air inlet of the venturi. In a preferred embodiment, the heat exchanger uses forced air and melt water from the primary storage bin to cool the air stream produced by the blower. The heat exchanger serves to lower the temperature of that air to at or below ambient. The ice and the associated transport structures of the present invention through which the ice is transported, can also be maintained in a sanitary condition through the use, separately, or in combination, of ozone, chlorine or microbially resistant plastics.