Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: IC'E RESURI~ACING 1VIACI-IINE
FILLD OF TI-~E IN~IE~~IOI~
xhe present invention relates to the field of ice making equipment arid more
particularly, to an ice resurfaces fox forming a layer of ice on a cool
surface, such as
may be found in hockey and ice skating arenas.
. - iD BACICGROLrLVD QF'I'FiE 1NVENTTON
Arenas used fox hockey and ice skating are typically formed on concrete floors
in
which are embedded pipes carrying a chilled solution. The chilled solution
lowers
the temperature of the concrete floor to as low as 10°x, well below the
32'F freezing
temperature of water. The chilled Floor is then ~taaded with water which
freezes to
foam an ice surface. Typically indoor ire skating rinks have a layer of ice of
about 1
%x inches in total. The ice is built up to this thickness by repeatedly
flooding the
surface with layers of water. The layers freeze ane onto the next to foam the
full
layer of iee. Tn a typical application, after the first couple layers of ice
are placed on
2o the chilled surface, the ice is painted white to prorride a good contrast
to the ice
surface. A couple more layers of ice are placed over the paix<ted layer for
protecting
the painted ice layer. At this point, additional graphics are painted on the
ice such
as, for example, the red and blue lines, goal lines and the like for hockey as
well as
any additional advertising graphics, such as corporate logos. A couple more
layers
of ice are then placed on top of these ice surfaces to provide for the final
Layer of ice
far hockey or ice skating.
In order to provide for the optimum surface for hockey attd ice skating, it is
desirable
that the ice be relatively dense. This is generally accomplished through the
use of ktot
water as it freezes to a more dense and harder ice surface then cooler water.
Generally, the water is heated to about 150°F for the making of ice xn
an arena.
During maintenance of the ice, after the initial ice is Formed, an ice
resurfaces such as
a ZamboniTM or alympiaTM is used to shave the ice to remove slush, snow and
dirt
front the surface of the ice. The resurfaces then floods the surface of the
ice with
fresh water. This is generally accomplished by dragging a rag or cloth at the
rear of
the ice resurfaces onto which water is spread to provide ~or a uniform film of
water
to be distributed over the ice surface. The snow and shavings picked xxp by
the
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resurfaces are stored in a snow tank which are then dumped after the
resur~facer is ,
finished. , . ."
. 'T~pically, to resurface a sheet of arena ice, about 12~ gallons of water is
heated to '
150'F. This requires a significant amount of energy to both hr at the water as
well as
czeate a refrigeration load in the cooling solution of the chilled floor to
properly
freeze the surface of the ice. ,
There have been attempts in the past to provide for reduced energy consumption
io during ice making and maintenance. por exannple, US Patent 5,536,411
describes a
process whereby the water used to flood the ice rink is de-mineralized by
reverse ,
osmosis and carbon filtered. In this way it is only necessary to heat the
wakes to
' about 90°F. However, this skill requires some additional energy to be
used far the
' processing of the water. , '
1~
US Patent 4,953,360 describes the use of an additive in the water used to form
the ice
or ice layers, The additive comprises a surfactant, a primary alcohol arid a
silicone.
The surfactant acts to reduce the surface tension of the water while the
silicone acts
as a defoamer collapsing any bubbles formed on the surface and also as
a.Iubricant
2o when pressure is applied on the ice such as an ice skate blade. The alcohol
is
believed to aid in providing a generally homogenous mixture when added to the
water. Through the use of the additive this allows the water to be only heated
to
about 45 - 55'F. However, the savings in energy are offset soruewhat by the
cost of ;
the additives.
2.5
US Patent 6,931,874 describes an ice maker which utilizes a source of de-
gassed water ,
which is de-gassed by being heated. A pump to pressurize the de-gassed water
is .
provided and the water is passed to a sprayer hydraulically connected to the
p,.unp. ,
The sprayer has nozzles sized and shaped to convert the pressurized water into
a
3U fine de-gassix<g droplet spray directed at the cooled surface. The droplets
are sized to
substantially freeze on contact with the rnoled surface. Qnce again, the
additional
processing o~ the water to de-gas it reduces the possible savings.
There still remains a need for an energy efficient means of resurfacixtg an
ice surface
35 while providing for dense, high quality ice. ;
t
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~TJMMARY OF THE INVENTION
. . The present invention provides an apparatus for resurfacing of an ice
surface to
provide Far dense high quality ice. The apparatus comprises an ice resurfacing
.
machine having a water storage tank connected by delivery pipe to a flood bar
assembly to apply water from the water stozage to a flood cloth. A.t least one
of the '
delivery pipe and flood bar assembly axe provided with one or more magnets to
magnEtically treat the water as the water flaws through the delivery pipe and
the '
. flood bar assembly thereby producing a denser more high quality ice.
In an aspect of the invention, one or more magnets are located along the
delivery
pipe.
'. ' In another aspect of the invention, orte or more magnets axe located on
the delivery
pipe adjacent the flood bar assembly. '
In yet another aspect of the invention, one or more magnets are located along
the
flood bar assembly.
2o In another aspect of the invention, the magnets are equally spaced along
the flood
bar assembly, ,
' In another aspect of the invention, one or more magnets are located at both
of on the
delivery pipe adjacent the flood bar assembly and along the flood bar
assembly.
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The present invention also provides for a method of forming an ice surface on
a ~ , ,
' chilled surface, the method comprising passing the water to be applied to
the chilled
surface through a magnetic field to produce denser, higher quality ice.
30 .
BRIEF DESCRIhTION QE THE 15RAWINGS '
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the attached
' 35 drawings in which: ,
- Figure 1 is a side elevation view paxtly in cross section of an ice
resurfacing machine
according to the pxesent invention;
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Figure 2 is a perspective view of the piping and the flood bar of the ice
resurfacing
machine of Figvxe 1; and
Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the piping and flood bar of laigure 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ~F THE INVENTION
An ice resurfacing machine 10 according to the present invention is
illustrated in
Figure 1. The ice resurfaces 10 includes a tank assembly 12, wheels 14, an
operatax
position I6 and an ice resurfacing unit 18.
. ~ The ice resurfacing unit includes a scraper bar 20 to shave the ice
surface and prepare
fvr receiving the water from the resurfacing. The shavings from the scraper
bar 20
are fed by means of a conveyor unit 2z to the snow holding tank 24 contained
within ,
the top portion of the tank assembly 12. 'T'he bottom parkion of the tank
assembly 12
holds a water tank 26 which contains the water for application to the surface
of the
ice. A delivery pipe 2$ distributes the water from the water tank 26 to the
flood bar
' assembly 30 to thereby be applied to the flood cloth 32 to form the ice
surface. '
. ,
As illustrated in. Figures 2 and 3, one or more magnets 34 axe provided at one
or
more locations along the delivery pipe z8 and flood bar assembly 30. Tne
magnets 34 1 ,
are attached to the exterior surface of the delivery pipe 28 or flood bar
assembly 30
such that the water flowing in the pipes are subject to the magnetic field
generated
. 25 by the magnets. The magnets 34 are arranged on the pipes such that the
north pole is
oriented outwardly and the south pale of the magnet is oriented inwardly to
the
, . , pipe.
Preferably, the magmets 34 are ceramic magnets, as these have been found to be
most
effective but other types of magnets may be utilized. For example, an
energized coil
' , electromagnet or ferrous magnets may also be employed.
It has also been found that the magnetic field effect of the present invention
rrtay be ;
enhanced by providing the magnet 34 with a steel ox other ferrous metal
backing 38
plate on north pole of the magnet, . The use of the steel backing plate 38
appears to , '
better focus the magnetic field within the pipe.
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,' There are a number of different locations at which the magnets,34 can be
placed to
provide far the desired effect on the water flowing through the pipe. The
magnets 34
rnay be placed on the delivery pipe 28 to surround the delivery pipe 2$ such
that the
water is treated by the magttetit field prior to its distribution through the
flood bar
assembly 30. Alternatively, one or more magnets 34 may be placed along the
flood
bar assembly 30 such that the water is subjected to the magnetic field just
prior to its
exiting the flood bar assembly 30 through the openings 36 provided along the
length
' of the flood bar assembly 30. Preferably, for a maximum effect, it has been
found
that a number o~ magnets 34 placed around the delivery pipe 28 as well as
magnets
34 placed along the length of the flood bar assembly 30 are most effective for
the
desired treatment.
- To resurface the ice utilizing the apparatus of the present invention, the
operator
operates the ice resurtacer i11 the normal manner scraping the i,ce and
flooding the ice
' 15 with the thin layer of water applied to the ice through the flood loth.
In operation
the water from the water tank 26 is dispensed along the delivery pipe 28 to
the flood
bar assembly 30 where it exits the flood bar assembly 30 through the openings
36,
The water then falls on the flood cloth 32 ~rorn which it is dispensed onto
the surface
of the ice.
.:
Tt has been found that utilizing the magnets on the delivery pipe and/or flood
bar
assembly in accordance with the present invention provides numerous benefits
to art
operator of the ice resurfacing machine. Firstly, the ice prepared utilizing
the
apparatus of the present invention has been found to be very dense and high
quality
zS such that ruts formed in the surface of the ice as a result of the skaters
movement of
the skate blades are not as deep as those formed in ice utilizing a standard
ice
resurfacer of the prior art. In addition and more importantly, is has been
found that
this ice may be formed utilizing much lower temperature water than has
previously
commonly been used in ice resurfacing machines. While Typically the water in a
ice
30 resurfacing rrxaclune is heated to about 150°F for the making of ice
in an arena, with
the apparatus of the present invention, it has been found that water of
90°F or
perhaps even less may be utilized to form the dense high quality ice. The ice
formed
with the apparatus of the present invention has been also found to be nnuch
clearer
perhaps as a result o~ less dissolved gases wi hin the water. The denser ice
also
35 allows for better conductivity of the chilling effect of the chilled floor
to the surface of
the lee. It has also beer: found that ice formed with the ice resurfacex of
the present
invention is a faster zce where a skater's movement is quicker. In addition,
for
.hockey games the puck has been found to move faster on such ice.
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In addition to using the magnets to treat the water applied to an ice surface
with an '
' ice resurfacing machine, the water utilized to build up the original ice
layers may
also be nta~tetically treated. 'This may be accomplished by providing oxte or
more
magnets on the hose used to flood the chilled surface to produce the ice
layer. The ,
magnets are preferably provided in a collar either attached to the hose ox
tkuough
which the hose passes. In this way, the original ice layers are dense and of
high '
' quality, making the resurfacing of the ice much easier.
While it is not exactly known how the magnets iz~creasE the density and
quality of
the ice, it is postulated that it may be in part due to the magnetic field
acting on the
. water molecules to reduce the bond angles and allow for denser packing of
the water
molecules in the ice as it is forming.
IS While preferred embodiments of the present invention hare been described
herein in '. ' -
detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations mar
be made
thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
-' . appended Claims. ,
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