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Apparatus and method for bagging iceRelated Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Means Producing Shaped Or Modified Congealed Product, With Product Receiving And Storing MeansApparatus and method for bagging ice description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070175235, Apparatus and method for bagging ice. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates generally to ice machines, and more specifically to an ice-bagging apparatus and method thereof. The present invention is particularly suitable for, although not strictly limited to, automatically bagging ice for the continuous supply thereof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Bagged ice may be found in most grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and/or superstores. These bags are typically stored in freezers on the premises of such locations. A concern for most vendors of these establishments is the necessity of maintaining an adequate supply of bagged ice for their customers. Unfortunately, most establishments are not equipped with ice-making and bagging facilities or machinery and are thus forced to rely on shipments of bagged ice and consequently accept the potential delay thereof, thus adversely affecting the establishment's customer satisfaction and profit margin. [0003] Although some establishments may be equipped with ice-making machinery, most are typically not equipped with efficient and automated ice-bagging machinery. Instead, such establishments often have on-site employees manually fill individual bags with ice and then load the individual bags into a freezer, thus resulting in a highly inefficient and potentially unsanitary process. Furthermore, bags manually filled with ice are generally not immediately placed within a freezer to maintain solid state of the ice, but are instead allowed to sit for a period of time on the floor or in a basket or container where bridging/fusing of the ice results as a consequence of the ice melting. As such, a customer purchasing manually filled bags of ice is often burdened with having to break a large clump or block of ice into useable pieces. Bags of ice shipped or trucked to a grocery store are also subject to bridging during transport of the ice bags from the delivery truck to inside the store and then into the store's freezers. [0004] Facilities that possess presently available ice making, bagging and storing machine are still at a disadvantage, as the technology of prior-art machines has generally remained inefficient, thereby adversely affecting profitability. In particular, most prior-art machines require augers to channel and physically transport ice produced by the icemaker to a reservoir for subsequent bagging. As such augers are typically slow in transporting the ice to the reservoir and fail to incorporate drainage mechanisms to assist in the channeling away of melting ice, unwanted bridging/fusing of ice particles results, and as such, utilization and incorporation of such augers is disadvantageous. Furthermore, because such machinery may bag ice based on weight of the collected ice within the reservoir, fused clumps of ice are often deposited into the bags when the required weight of ice, clumped or not, has been met. Consequently, the slow speed and inefficiency of machinery incorporating such augers directly impacts the number of bags of ice that can be produced and, as such, has a direct and negative impact on sales volume and profit of the establishment utilizing the machinery. [0005] Moreover, prior-art ice making, bagging and storing machines that incorporate hoppers for receipt of ice from the icemaker, typically do not possess an agitator in the hopper to assist in breaking up and/or agitating the ice particles/cubes so as to prevent bridging. As a result, bags of ice yielded from these prior art machines generally contain fused clumps of ice particles/cubes, thereby inconveniencing the purchaser/customer by requiring him/her to break apart the chunks of ice into smaller useable pieces. [0006] Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an ice-bagging apparatus that provides an establishment with the ability to automatically and continuously produce, bag and store bags of non-bridged ice without the need of manual labor and/or continuous monitoring of the machinery. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing an ice-bagging apparatus and method that provides an establishment with the ability to automatically and expeditiously produce, bag and store bags of ice, thus maintaining a desired supply of bagged ice by eliminating conventional methods of manual ice bagging and reducing the likelihood of unwanted bridging of the ice particles/cubes. [0008] According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is an ice-bagging apparatus having an icemaker, a hopper for receiving ice from the icemaker, a slider box for receiving ice from the hopper and for channeling the ice into a bag, a bagging mechanism for bagging the ice, a freezer for storing the bagged ice and a control panel for managing and monitoring said system. [0009] More specifically, the present invention is an ice bagging apparatus having an icemaker, a hopper for receiving ice from the icemaker, a slider box positioned under the hopper for receiving ice therefrom and for channeling the ice into a bag, wherein the bag is fed through the apparatus via a bag supply mechanism. Once filled with a desired amount of ice, the slider box slides/travels along a slider tray and is preferably computer programmed/electronically controlled to position itself over the bag, wherein ice is subsequently deposited therein. Prior to filling, the mouth of the bag is preferably blown open via a blower/fan and manually/physically held open via a pivoting hatch positioned just over the bag. The filled bag is then heat sealed via heat sealers and then dropped into a rotator, wherein motors rotate the rotator, allowing the bag to drop into a freezer/storage unit. The entire process is preferably fully automated and/or computer controlled, such that the speed of the machine can be altered according to the desired production rate of bagged ice. The apparatus further possesses laser eyes positioned at specified points on the apparatus for reading the process of the apparatus at various stages, so as to ensure proper functioning thereof. Additionally, certain laser eyes are provided to read a bar code or other signal/code on the bag, thus ensuring use of only a select type/brand of bag. [0010] Should the apparatus encounter a problem, the apparatus will attempt to correct the malfunction via computer pre-programmed responses implemented within the control panel. If the apparatus is unable to correct the malfunction, the control panel sends signals via modem or other communication devices to the manufacturer of the apparatus for repair and/or to store management depending upon the complexity of the problem. Additionally, data can be collected and analyzed regarding the volume of sales based on the number of bags utilized, the number of cycles or the volume of ice produced. [0011] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to continuously and automatically produce bags of ice, thus constantly maintaining a desired supply of bags of ice. [0012] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to send and receive computer signals for regular maintenance and/or reporting. [0013] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to drain water so as to reduce the likelihood of bridging/fusing of ice particles during the ice making and bagging processes. [0014] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to function without the incorporation of augers as utilized in prior-art machines, thus reducing the likelihood of bridging of the ice. [0015] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to permit and police the selection of a particular type/brand of bag. [0016] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its reduced size as compared to prior-art machines, thus reducing the necessary footprint and consequently the costs of floor space. [0017] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to manually/mechanically hold open a bag during the process of filling the bag with ice. [0018] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to agitate the ice held within the hopper, thus reducing the likelihood of bridging of the ice. [0019] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to function without the use of an auger as utilized in prior art machines, thus enabling increased production rates. [0020] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to reduce the vendor's overall cost of bagged ice. [0021] A feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to correct and/or attempt to correct problems associated with its components and/or machine parts, wherein problems that require further investigation/repair are reported via a modem and/or global networking system to a repair/servicing company or the like. Continue reading about Apparatus and method for bagging ice... Full patent description for Apparatus and method for bagging ice Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Apparatus and method for bagging ice patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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