MANITOWOC FOODSERVICE COMPANIES, LLC Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150069087 | HYBRID BEVERAGE DISPENSER - Disclosed is a hybrid beverage dispenser that can be configured in a number of flexible arrangements, providing the opportunity for a configurable beverage dispensing “station” having a variable “footprint”. The hybrid beverage dispenser may have “on board” refrigeration and/or heating system for providing both hot and cold beverages from the same dispenser. A remote chiller may provide chilled syrups for the beverages. Also disclosed is a countertop hybrid beverage dispensing unit for situations where limited space is an issue. Also disclosed is a hybrid beverage dispenser that provides the ability to dispense from one dispenser beverages which usually are dispensed from separate dispensers. The countertop unit possesses the same beverage dispensing flexibility; however, all ingredients are remotely chilled and pumped to the point of dispensing. | 03-12-2015 |
20140260349 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE INITIATION OF A FREEZE CYCLE PRE-SET TIME IN AN ICE MAKER - A novel control logic for an individual cube spray type ice machine. The duration of the freeze cycle is able to adapt to changes in inlet water temperature, changes in ambient air temperature, and the impact of warm temperatures of internal ice making parts within the ice machine due to off cycle periods. This is accomplished through a combination of starting a freeze time period only after the water temperature for the volume of water circulating over the evaporator has reached approximately 32° F., and a freeze time period value that is a function of the refrigerant temperature leaving the condenser at the time where the water reaches approximately 32° F. | 09-18-2014 |
20140246966 | COMPACT HOLDING CABINET - A food holding cabinet for holding food with a carrier that can be moved in and out of the cabinet be either a front door or a rear door. The food holding cabinet comprises an assembly with slots and fixtures that facilitate the motion of the carrier. | 09-04-2014 |
20140204698 | BLENDER BLADE OR MIXER BLADE GUARD DEVICE - A blender blade or mixer blade guard device includes a guard housing having a top portion and a sidewall and a plurality of openings disposed in the guard housing. Each of the opening is located on the guard housing proximal to either the top portion, an interface between the top portion and the sidewall, the sidewall or any combinations thereof. | 07-24-2014 |
20140137852 | Cooking oven and method with removable air diffuser - A cooking oven with an air diffuser disposed in the oven cavity to diffuse circulating air prior to entering an air inlet to a fan. The oven cavity comprises a wall with the air inlet aligned with the fan that draws the circulating air from the oven cavity. The air diffuser is installed in front of the wall and diffuses the circulating air evenly across food in the oven cavity and into the fan return without reducing an overall mass flow rate of the air. | 05-22-2014 |
20140061232 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PORTIONING AND DELIVERING ICE - Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically adjusting the amount of ice that may be delivered from an ice storage reservoir to a point of use, such as from an ice reservoir of a combination beverage dispenser and ice reservoir to a container, with a high degree of accuracy, consistency and repeatability. The method and apparatus may be controlled by means of a program and/or logic sequence stored in a memory to allow a wide range of ice volumes to be measured, metered and dispensed. The apparatus may include an ice reservoir, a mechanism for dispensing ice to a point of use disposed in communication with the ice reservoir, and an ice metering device disposed in communication with both the ice reservoir and the mechanism for dispensing ice. | 03-06-2014 |
20140060089 | LOW COST HIGH EFFICIENCY ICE MACHINE - Disclosed are ice making machines which use aluminum as an alternative to copper in the ice making machine evaporator and also use an alternate coolant/refrigerant specifically targeted to provide improved heat transfer transport properties and higher heat capacitance than conventional HFC coolant/refrigerants. Optionally, rotary compressors are used in place of conventional reciprocating compressors, further enhancing performance for the ice making machine. The disclosed ice making machines maintain high efficiency and ice output, and provide equal or better energy efficiency than comparative ice making machines. At the same time, savings are realized in the material cost for the evaporator, and resulting from the combined effects of lower density and lower metal cost/unit weight offered by aluminum as compared to copper. | 03-06-2014 |
20140013781 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING ICE SLAB BRIDGE THICKNESS AND INITIATE ICE HARVEST FOLLOWING THE FREEZE CYCLE - A method and apparatus for adjusting and controlling ice bridge slab thickness and/or initiation of ice harvest following a freeze cycle. This adjusting and controlling is performed through the use of adjustable float clip assemblies which set the amount of water available for ice making in a batch process. The adjustable float clip assemblies provide an ice machine user with the ability to easily adjust the ice slab bridge thickness to a single or plurality of settings, and allow for changes in ice bridge slab thickness at the site of installation. | 01-16-2014 |
20140001195 | CUP SINGULATION AND DENESTING MECHANISM | 01-02-2014 |
20130180268 | LOW REFRIGERANT VOLUME CONDENSER FOR HYDROCARBON REFRIGERANT AND ICE MAKING MACHINE USING SAME - An ice making machine using hydrocarbon (HC), and particularly propane, as the refrigerant is disclosed. The ice making machine has components which have been modified in size, type and operation to accommodate the use of HCs, and particularly propane, in the ice making machine refrigerant system. Also disclosed is a low volume condenser especially designed for HCs, and in particular propane, to minimize the volume of flammable/explosive HC in the ice making machine refrigerant system. | 07-18-2013 |
20130112708 | BEVERAGE VALVE ASSEMBLY MOUNTING ASSEMBLY - A mounting assembly includes a beverage mounting assembly having a housing. The housing has a housing wall that surrounds a cavity. A valve body is connectable to the beverage mounting assembly. The valve body is connectable to the beverage mounting assembly via a clip. The clip is insertable into both the housing and the valve body to connect the valve body to the beverage mounting assembly. At least one actuator is disposed in the cavity of the housing. The actuator rotates from a closed position to an open position that actuates pressure to the valve body from a liquid source. The actuator is separate from the clip that connects the housing to the valve body. | 05-09-2013 |
20130061981 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING DRIPPINGS FROM A BEVERAGE DISPENSER VIA AN EXPANSION VALVE - A beverage system includes an ingredient module and an ingredient dispensing valve dispensing an ingredient into a beverage container. The ingredient module comprises a housing, an ingredient container disposed within the housing, a first ingredient conduit disposed between the ingredient container and the ingredient dispensing valve, and a pumping device that causes the ingredient to move from the ingredient container, through the first ingredient conduit, and through the ingredient dispensing valve under pressure. A valve receives the ingredient from the pumping device and passes the ingredient to the dispensing valve. The valve includes a second ingredient conduit, where the valve controls the size of the second ingredient conduit, such that the size of the second ingredient conduit is reduced during dispensing of the ingredient to the dispensing valve and enlarged when the dispensing of the ingredient to the dispensing valve is terminated. | 03-14-2013 |
20130039808 | SANITATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ICE STORAGE AND DISPENSING EQUIPMENT - A system and methods for sanitation of ice storage equipment. An ozone generator provides a sanitizing agent comprised of a mixture of ambient air and ozone. The sanitizing agent is circulated through an ice storage bin. The sanitizing agent cleanses interior surfaces of the ice storage bin and also cleanses surfaces of an ice dispenser that dispenses ice from the ice storage bin. | 02-14-2013 |
20130026773 | ERGONOMIC SCOOP - An apparatus for picking up material is disclosed that has a scoop section with a bottom, a leading edge, two spaced apart side walls extending up from opposed sides of the bottom, and a back between the two side walls extending up from the bottom opposite the leading edge. The scoop has a cavity formed within the bottom, the side walls, and the back, and having an open front end and extending rearward therefrom. The scoop has a handle connected to and extending rearward and downward from the back of the scoop section. The handle and back are fixedly or adjustably attached to one another. The scoop cavity has an extended cavity section disposed under the handle that is a contiguous part of the cavity. The scoop is ergonomically designed for reducing stress related fatigue, strain or injury to the upper or lower extremities, or shoulder or neck. | 01-31-2013 |
20130000327 | ICE-MAKING MACHINE WITH AIR STERILIZATION FEATURE - An ice-making machine includes an ice-forming mold in a food zone of the ice-making machine; a refrigeration system including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator in thermal contact with said ice-forming mold, thus producing a combined evaporator and ice-forming mold; and a bulkhead wall separating an equipment compartment from the food zone. A bulkhead space is located between the bulkhead wall and the combined evaporator and ice-forming mold. The bulkhead space is part of the food zone. Air in contact with ice being formed by the ice-making machine can circulate to the bulkhead space. A source of antimicrobially active gas and an air circulation system that causes the antimicrobially active gas to circulate through the bulkhead space. In use, the antimicrobially active gas flows though the bulkhead space to thereby distribute the antimicrobially active gas throughout the bulkhead space, thus inhibiting growth of microbiological contaminates. | 01-03-2013 |
20120197543 | ANALYZING AN ACOUSTIC WAVE THAT HAS PROPAGATED THROUGH A BODY OF WATER WHILE THE BODY OF WATER IS BEING FROZEN - A method that includes: (i) detecting an acoustic wave that is propagating through a body of water, as the body of water is being frozen on a structure, thus yielding a detected acoustic wave; (ii) extracting, from the detected acoustic wave, (a) a frequency component thereof, and (b) a magnitude of the frequency component; and (iii) removing the body of water from the structure when the magnitude exceeds a threshold value. | 08-02-2012 |