System for Making Clear Ice

Abstract

A system able to make clear ice pieces of a wide range of sizes and shapes employing directional freezing includes an insulated cooler, containing ice molds of various shapes and sizes, configured to be placed in a freezing environment. The ice molds have holes at their bottoms to allow minerals and dissolved air to pass through during the freezing process. The ice molds are supported by separator frames. A ladder subsystem including two separator ladders allows the separator frames to be adjusted relative to the level of the mineral content of the water in establishing the clear ice pieces.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally pertains to making clear ice cubes of different sizes and shapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clear ice is considered desirable mainly because clear ice is more aesthetically pleasing versus standard ice which tends to be quite cloudy. Generally, ice trays are used in producing various shaped ice cubes for domestic and/or commercial purposes. The use of conventional ice trays leads to the formation of ice cubes with air trapped inside the ice cubes. More specifically, in utilizing conventional ice trays, the ice cubes encapsulate trapped air and minerals, causing the ice cubes to appear white due to the air pockets formed in the ice. More specifically, traditional ice trays are not insulated on any particular side. Therefore, as the water freezes, the outer sides of the ice cubes form first. That is, the water progressively freezes from the outside inward towards the center of the cube. The outside portion of each cube might have clear ice, but the center of the ice cube will invariably contain visually identifiable air pockets. Also, due to the pressure created during ice formation, the ice cubes tend to form with cracks. As light passes through the ice, the light changes direction upon hitting the various surfaces associated with the cracks, further making the ice appear cloudy.

There does exist some known clear ice producing trays, with some taking advantage of the tendency of the water to push air away from where ice is being formed, i.e., towards the center portion of an ice cube during formation. To counter this tendency, it has been proposed to manufacture clear ice employing directional freezing. Typically, in directional freezing, water freezes from the top down, with minerals and dissolved air being pushed lower. As the water freezes solid, the lower part of the ice contains essentially all of the minerals and dissolved gasses, resulting in a lower cloudy section and an upper clear section.

One way to employ directional freezing is to place water in an insulated cooler with the lid open and then freeze the water. The water will freeze from the top down, i.e., in a certain direction, pushing the air downward. Typically, approximately the last 25% of the ice will be cloudy, but the top of the ice will be clear. One can either remove the cloudy portion or simply stop freezing the water when 75% of the water is frozen. Either way a clear slab of ice can be formed. Alternatively, trays can be placed in the water, however, the yield of clear ice produced by such trays is low. Also, these trays are not capable of producing clear ice of different shapes and certainly not ice of high quality. Furthermore, the design of the conventional clear ice producing trays makes the extraction of the clear ice from the trays difficult and time consuming. In many cases the extra cost involved with making clear ice is not considered justified, such that the use of cloudy ice is prevalent, even in all but perhaps high end bars and restaurants.

Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a system for making clear ice cubes of different sizes and shapes quickly and of high quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a system for making clear ice cubes of different sizes and shapes employing the principle known as directional freezing. The inventive system includes an insulated cooler containing ice molds of various shapes and sizes, for placement in a freezer or other below freezing environment. The ice molds have holes at their bottoms to allow minerals and dissolved air to pass through during the freezing process. The ice molds are supported by separator frames. A ladder subsystem including two separator ladders allows the separator frames to be adjustable relative to the location of the mineral content of the water.

The separator frames (scaffolding assembly) also allow the customer to separate the molds more easily from the solid block of ice formed during the formation of clear ice. The scaffolding is extremely porous, allowing all of the trapped air and minerals to pass through during the directional freezing process such that bands of cloudy ice in different sections are not formed during the directional freezing process. Together, the frames and ladders form a modular scaffolding system that can be adjusted to allow limitless variations on the shape and size of the clear ice created. For instance, in one embodiment, the molds are square shapes, but in other embodiments the molds can have a wide range of shapes in which the holes are strategically placed to allow the minerals and gasses to pass through. Examples of possible mold shapes include Christmas trees, dragons, skulls, etc. shaped ice molds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a clear ice making system.

FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the clear ice making system of FIG. 1 showing a ladder subsystem, including two ladders and two separator frames, ice molds and an insulated housing.

FIG. 3 is an upper side perspective view of the ladder subsystem, including two ladders and two separator frames, and the ice molds of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the ice molds of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of one of the separator frames of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the separator frame of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view of one of the ladders of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 shows an alternative shape of ice pieces formed with the ice making system of FIG. 1, with shaped molds.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings. The detailed description and the drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, set forth illustrative and exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Selected features of any illustrative embodiment can be incorporated into an additional embodiment unless clearly stated to the contrary.

While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. As used herein in the specification and claims, including as used in the examples and unless otherwise expressly specified, all numbers may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” or “approximately,” even if the term does not expressly appear, with it being understood that this provides a reasonable expected range of values in the order of +/−10% of the stated value (or range of values). In addition, any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. Overall, it should be understood, the intention is not to limit aspects of the disclosure to the particular illustrative embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clear ice making system 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The clear ice making system 10 includes an insulated cooler 15 including a housing 20 preferably having insulated walls 30 and a top opening 35. The insulated cooler 15 can be a standard cooler such as used for camping or can be a specialized cooler for making ice. If a standard cooler is used, preferably the top is removeable. The walls 30 of the insulated cooler 15 are preferably made of foam covered in plastic but may be made of any highly insulating material. The walls 30 preferably form the top opening 35 with a rectangular cross-section, although other shapes could be employed. The top opening 35 is configured to allow a ladder subassembly 40 to be placed in the insulated cooler 15. In the embodiment shown, the ladder subassembly 40 extends from a first sidewall 42 to a second sidewall 44 and also preferably extends above the top opening 35 so as to be more easily removed from the insulated cooler 15. The insulated cooler 15 is sized to fit within a freezer compartment (represented by a box 45). The freezer compartment can take various forms, such as a stand-alone household or commercial freezer, a freezer section of an overall refrigerator, a walk-in freezer, or the like. In general, any environment/structure which will expose cooler 15 to below freezing temperatures may be employed.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of ladder subassembly 40 above cooler 15. Ladder subassembly 40 is shown with a first ladder 52 and a second ladder 54 located facing the first ladder 52. The ladder assembly 40 has at least one separator plate, such as a bottom separator plate 60, which is shown under a lower mold assembly 70. The bottom separator plate 60 is generally formed as a flat sheet having upper and lower surfaces and forms a scaffolding assembly. The lower mold assembly 70 includes mold cavities 72. In the exemplary embodiment shown, each mold cavities 72 takes the shape of a cube. As a result, ice pieces 80 are formed in the shape of cubes. However, the mold cavities 72 could take a wide range of other shapes to form a variety of different shapes of ice, as discussed further below. A top separator plate 90, which is also part of the scaffolding assembly, is located above the lower mold assembly 70 and preferably has the same shape as bottom separator plate 60. Likewise, an upper mold assembly 94, which is similar to the lower mold assembly 70, is located above the top separator plate 90 and includes cavities 95. Each cavity 95 is also formed in the shape of a cube. As a result, pieces of ice 96 are also shaped as cubes (again as an exemplary embodiment).

FIG. 3 shows ladder subassembly 40 separate from the cooler 15 and in an assembled configuration. The first ladder 52 and the second ladder 54 are connected by the bottom separator plate 60 and the top separator plate 90. The lower mold assembly 70 rests upon the bottom separator plate 60 and is constrained from sliding by the first ladder 52 and the second ladder 54. The upper mold assembly 94 rests upon the top separator plate 90. With this overall construction, ladder subassembly 40 is thus formed to fit within cooler 15 as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of lower mold assembly 70 which is formed with the mold cavities 72. Each mold cavity 72 has a bottom wall 100, which is shown formed with a square shape, with each side of the square shape being approximately 50.8 mm long. A small hole 110 is located in each corner of the bottom wall 100. Preferably, the small hole 110 has a diameter of approximately 3 mm. A larger hole 115 is located in the center of the bottom wall 100 and has a diameter of approximately 6.5 mm. Each mold cavity is formed with four sidewalls 121, 122, 123, 124, which preferably do not have holes and are approximately 2.0 mm thick. The holes 110, 115 allow minerals and dissolved air to pass therethrough during the freezing process. The total length of the lower mold assembly is approximately 213.2 mm, and the width is approximately 160.4 mm. Of course, smaller or larger versions of the lower mold assembly could also be formed. For example, in connection with a smaller version, each square shape could be approximately 31.75 mm and have a center hole with a diameter of approximately 4.5 mm and smaller holes with approximately 2.5 mm diameters. The wall thickness preferably would be the same, but the overall length of the mold would be approximately 204.5 mm and the overall width would be approximately 137 mm. Intermediate sizes are also viable, such as with larger hole sizes varying between 4 mm to 7 mm and the small hole sizes varying between 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm. By way of example, the squares could also vary in size from about 30 mm to about 55 mm.

FIG. 5 shows the bottom separator plate 60, specifically a top surface 150 of bottom separator plate 60. The bottom separator plate 60 is formed with a first ridge 152 and a second ridge 154 located at the ends of the bottom separator plate 60. A series of middle ridges 161, 162, 163 extend across the top surface 150 and function to stiffen bottom separator plate 60. The separator plate 60 should be strong and stiff enough to not break when separating the lower mold assembly 70 after ice has been formed. The ridges 152, 154 strengthen the bottom separator plate 60 and also are configured to engage with the first ladder 52 and the second ladder 54. Connectors 175 extend from ridges 152 and 154 and connect with first ladder 52 and second ladder 54. The bottom separator plate 60 is also formed with a pattern of apertures in a porous material which allows for the passage of water with high mineral content.

FIG. 6 shows a lower side 180 of bottom separator plate 60 which is flat and has no ridges. Top separator plate 90 can be formed with the same features as bottom separator plate 60 and therefore will not be described separately. Each separator plate 60, 90 is preferably formed of plastic but metal, such as stainless steel or aluminum, may also be employed.

FIG. 7 shows the second ladder 54 with a set of holes 200 configured to be used as a handle to lift ladder assembly 40 out of cooler 15. The second ladder 54 also has a set of slots 210 which engage with connectors 175. The connectors 175 are associated with top separator plate 90. A set of keyhole shaped apertures 221-226 are formed at different heights to establish vertically spaced connectors along the ladder 54 configured to support the scaffolding assembly, particularly separator plate 60. At least in the exemplary embodiment shown, first ladder 52 and second ladder 54 are formed in the same way and have the corresponding features.

When assembling the ladder subassembly 40, the bottom separator plate 60 is connected to the first ladder 52 and the second ladder 54 by placing the connectors 175 into a lower set of keyholes, such as key holes 223 and 226. The lower mold assembly 70 is then placed on the bottom separator plate 60. The ridges 161-163 on the bottom separator plate 60 keep the lower mold assembly 70 from touching the face of the bottom separator plate 60. The upper separator plate 90 is secured by placing connectors 175 of upper separator plate 90 into the slots 210. The upper mold assembly 94 is then placed on the upper separator plate 90 and separated therefrom by the ridges on the upper separator plate 90. The height of the bottom separator plate 60 may be adjusted by placing the connectors 175 into different connection points or keyholes on the ladders.

In operation, the ice making system 10 is assembled and placed in the cooler 15. Water is then added to the cooler 15 filling the cooler and thus also filling the mold assemblies 70 and 94. In operation, the clear ice making system 10 is placed in a cold storage area, such as freezer compartment 45 of a refrigerator or in a stand-alone freezer (not shown). The water freezes by directional cooling, starting at the top of the ice making system 10. As the ice freezes, water with air and particulates pass through holes 110, 115 in mold cavities 72, 95 and end up below separator plate 60 such that clear ice pieces 80 are formed in mold cavities 72, 95. The ladder subassembly is then removed from the cooler 15 and separated into pieces by breaking the ice. The mold cavities are then emptied of the pieces of ice 96, which are clear.

FIG. 8 shows a piece of ice 300 in the shape of a dragon. The piece of ice 300 is intended to be exemplary of a wide range of different shapes of ice which can be formed in accordance with the invention. In general, the mold cavities 72, 95 can take various forms to create a wide range of generic or custom shaped pieces of ice. Although it should be noted that the various shaped mold cavities would still be formed such that the insulating properties of the mold are less than the insulating properties of the cooler 15 so as to enable the directional freezing.

Although various illustrative embodiments are described above, various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention set forth herein. For example, it should be noted that the term “ladder” is intended to broadly convey a support system with different repositionable steps or stages. Although the described embodiments set forth a preferred manually repositioned ladder system, it should be recognized that other manual and/or electronic controlled systems could be employed, such as through the use of pulley, rack and pinion, rail, track or the like ladder systems which can be manually shifted or through electronic control to reposition the separator(s) to accomplish the formation of clear ice. Therefore, optional features of various device and system configurations may be included in some embodiments and not others. Overall, it should be understood that the foregoing description is provided primarily for exemplary purposes and should not be interpreted to limit the scope of the conveyed invention.

Claims

1. A system for making clear ice comprising: an insulated cooler having insulated walls forming a cavity;a support assembly located in the cavity formed with a first connection point and a second connection point;a scaffolding assembly having at least one separator plate extending from the first connection point to the second connection point; andan ice mold, located on the at least one separator plate, wherein the support assembly is configured to adjust a location of the at least one separator plate.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the support system includes a ladder assembly having a first wall formed with the first connection point and a second wall formed with the second connection point.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ice mold has a bottom wall that is formed with holes configured to allow minerals and dissolved air to pass during freezing.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the ice mold has four side walls arranged to have a cross section that is shaped as square, has corners, and is configured to produce ice in the shape of a cube.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the bottom wall has at least one hole formed in each of the corners.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the bottom wall has a hole formed in a center of the bottom wall.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the bottom wall has a hole formed in a center of the bottom wall.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein the ice mold has walls shaped to form various shapes.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the ice mold has walls shaped to form various shapes.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the various shapes include one of a Christmas tree, a dragon, and a skull.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the ladder assembly has vertically spaced connectors configured to support the scaffolding assembly at different heights.

12. The system according to claim 11, where the ladder assembly is configured to adjust the scaffolding assembly to allow water with a high mineral content pass below the separator plate.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein separator plates of the scaffolding assembly a formed of a porous material that allows air and minerals to pass therethrough.

14. A method for making clear ice with a system including an insulated cooler having insulated walls forming a cavity, a support system located in the cavity having a first connection point and a second connection point. a scaffolding assembly having at least one separator plate extending from the first connection point to the second connection point, said method comprising: placing the support system in the cavity;adding water;adjusting a height of at least one separator plate along the support system;cooling air above the cooler; anddirectionally cooling the water for form ice above the at least one separator plate.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising allowing minerals and dissolved air in the water to pass through holes in a bottom wall of an ice mold.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising producing ice in a shape of a cube.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising adjusting the scaffolding assembly to allow water with a high mineral content pass below the at least one separator plate.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising allowing air and minerals to pass through porous material of the scaffolding assembly.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising separating the support system to retrieve the clear ice.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the support system is a ladder assembly and adjusting the height of the at least one separator plate along the support system includes lifting or lowering the separator plate and connecting the separator plate to the ladder assembly.