APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CLEAR ICE CUBES IN A FREEZER

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards apparatuses for producing ice cubes. In particular, embodiments of the present invention are directed to trays for making ice cubes in a manner that allows for ice to be produced with a clear or semi-clear transparency through the elimination of gaseous water during the freezing process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of both (i) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/326,990, filed Apr. 25, 2016 and entitled “Apparatus for Producing Clear Ice Cubes in a Freezer” and (ii) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/394,472, filed Sep. 14, 2016 and entitled “Apparatus for Producing Clear Ice Cubes in a Freezer”, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards apparatuses for producing ice cubes. In particular, embodiments of the present invention are directed to trays for making ice cubes in a manner that allows for ice to be produced with a clear or semi-clear transparency through the elimination of gaseous water during the freezing process.

BACKGROUND

Commercial ice making machines are typically designed to make highly transparent ice, whereas most manual ice cube trays used in home freezers make ice that is cloudy and white. These white, cloudy cubes are not aesthetically pleasing and/or otherwise satisfactory to many consumers who are used to transparent ice in their cocktails or other beverages.

All currently known clear-ice making apparatuses for the home freezer suffer from some combination of the following flaws: (i) they are complex to use, for example often requiring three (3) or more interlocking parts; (ii) they require the use of a lid which does not allow the user to monitor freezing progress; (iii) they require a high total volume per cube volume in order to combat cube deformation; (iv) they take up considerable freezer space—space that is at a premium in most home freezers; (v) they do not reliably produce clear ice, wherein the resulting cubes are not uniformly clear and/or have bulging tops or other extrusions; and (vi) they require precise timing on the part of the user, wherein removing the tray from the freezer too early results in cubes that have not fully formed and removing the tray too late results in cubes may have a number of deformations.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through review of the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are directed at providing an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes. Embodiments of the present invention described herein enable the user to produce trays of substantially transparent ice in their home freezer. This ice is glass-like in appearance and aesthetically pleasing when placed in a beverage. It also has greater purity and takes longer to melt than ice with a visibly significant amount of trapped gasses.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, the apparatus comprising: a tray formed with one or more cube molds, wherein each of the cube molds is configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit the cube molds of the tray; a base defining a well that is adapted to receive the tray and retain liquid water, wherein the tray has a free edge that does not fit closely with a corresponding wall of the well; and an insulating overhang adapted to cover at least a portion of the liquid water in an open area between the free edge of the tray and the corresponding wall of the well.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating overhang is a handle for the tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the handle is formed integrally with the tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating overhang is a ledge formed on a rim edge of the well.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the open area provides a pressure release.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cube molds have side walls that are configured with ridges.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base comprises one or more insulated walls filled with an insulating material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulated walls are coated with a durable shell that protects the insulating material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tray is formed from a flexible material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tray has side edges that are tapered.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the well need not be more than twice as deep as the tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, the apparatus comprising: a tray comprising, a handle that extends from a free edge of the tray and serves as an insulating overhang, and one or more cube molds configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit the cube molds of the tray; and a base defining a well that is adapted to receive the tray and retain liquid water, wherein the free edge of the tray does not fit closely with a corresponding wall of the well and the handle covers at least a portion of the liquid water in an open area between the free edge of the tray and the corresponding wall of the well.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, the apparatus comprising: a tray formed with one or more cube molds, wherein each of the cube molds is configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit cube molds of the tray; and a base comprising, one or more walls that define a well that is adapted to receive the tray and retain liquid water, wherein the tray has a free edge that does not fit closely a corresponding wall of the well, and an insulating overhang that is a ledge formed on a rim edge of one of the walls, wherein in the insulating overhang is adapted to cover at least a portion of the liquid water in an open area between the free edge of the tray and the corresponding wall of the well.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ledge is formed on one of the insulated walls that is more highly insulated than any other of the insulated walls.

The foregoing summary of the present invention with the preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention thus described may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of ice cubes that are produced with a traditional ice cube tray, wherein such ice cubes have a cloudy appearance;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of ice cubes produced by the embodiments of the present invention, wherein such ice cubes have a transparent appearance;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes showing the tray partially lifted from the base, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes with the tray inserted into the base, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a zoomed in view of the cube molds of the tray of an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a zoomed in view showing the cube mold ridges of the tray of an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A-C illustrates the freezing process of an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of an extruded ice cube;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes wherein the insulating overhang is formed on the base, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view an apparatus for producing clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes wherein the insulating overhang is formed on the base, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards apparatuses for producing ice cubes. In particular, embodiments of the present invention are directed to trays for making ice cubes in a manner that allows for ice to be produced with a clear or semi-clear transparency through the elimination of gaseous water during the freezing process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as show in FIGS. 3-6, the apparatus 100 comprises two main parts, a tray 101 and a base 106. Importantly, the apparatus 100 does not require does not require a lid, thereby enabling the user to monitor the freezing process. Embodiments of the apparatus create an entire tray of ice cubes at a time, and can be scaled to provide twelve (12) or more cubes at once. Embodiments of the apparatus could further be scaled to provide any number of cubes at once. Embodiments of the present apparatus are small in relation to the amount of clear ice produced. Embodiments of the present invention are further configured to ensure each cube in a batch is substantially clear and undistorted, even in situations in which the apparatus is left in the freezer longer than necessary for the freezing process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as show in FIGS. 3-7, the base 106 is an insulated well 107 that is configured to reversibly engage with the tray 101, while the tray 101 is configured with one or more cube molds 103, wherein the bottom of each of the cube molds 103 is formed with one or more holes 104 that allow for gaseous water to exit the tray 101. Additionally, in some embodiments, as shown by FIG. 8, the cube molds 103 may be formed with ridges 105 at the top of each cube mold 103 that help prevent extrusion of the ice cubes late in the freezing process. In the preferred embodiment, the edges of the tray are configured to fit closely with the walls 109 that define the well 107 in the base 106. In some embodiments, the one or more of the edges or sides of the tray may be drafted or otherwise tapered in order to make easier to remove the tray 101 from the base 106 after the freezing process. However, at least one side of the tray 101 does not fit closely with the corresponding wall on the base 106, thereby leaving an open area 110 between that wall of the base 106 and the free tray edge 111 that will be at least partially occupied by water during the ice making process. In the preferred embodiment, the free edge 111 of the tray has an integrated handle 102 that extends over the open area 110 of water and rests on the rim 114 of the base, acting as both a handle and an integrated insulating overhang. In some embodiments, the handle may be removable or otherwise selectively attached to the tray, while in other there may be no handle present. In embodiments where the tray is configured without an insulating overhang, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the base 106 of the apparatus will have an insulating overhang formed as a ledge 108 on an rim edge of said well 107 of the base 106 such that the ledge 108 projects over the top of the well 107 to cover at least a portion of the open area 110 of water.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the presence of an insulating overhang, whether integrated as a handle 102 on the tray 101 or as a ledge 108 formed on the base 106, enables the production of clear ice in the tray and helps to guard against possible cube deformations during the freezing process. In effect, the insulating overhang ensures that the water below it, in the open area 110, remains in a liquid state for a longer period of time than the water in the cube molds 103 of the tray 101, which are exposed directly to the air in the freezer. Furthermore, the open area 110 of liquid water below the insulating overhang acts an escape route for the pressure caused by the expansion of the water in the tray 101 and base 106 during the freezing process. Importantly, the insulating overhang does not need to act as a handle 102 for the tray 101, whether the handle is fixed or detachable, in order to serve the insulating function. In alternate embodiments of the invention, the insulating overhang may be incorporated as a part of the base 106, for example as a lip or ledge 108 that extends over the open area 110 of water in the well 107 of the base 106. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, this lip or ledge 108 on the base 106 will generally be formed on the wall that is on the opposite side of the base 106 from where the tray 101 is received. Additionally, the wall on which the lip or ledge 108 is formed may be more highly insulated than the other walls of the base 106, in further alternate embodiments, the insulating overhang may be a separate element that is place over a portion of the water in order to serve the insulating function.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, clear or semi-clear ice can be produced by the apparatus pursuant to the following general procedure. First, the apparatus 100 is assembled by placing the tray 101 in the well 107 of the base 106. Next, the well 107 is filled with water such that the cube molds 103 of the tray 101 are also filled with water. Finally, the entire apparatus 100 is place into a freezer. When the water in the tray 101 of the apparatus 100 is completely frozen, the apparatus 100 is removed from the freezer. After removing the apparatus 100 from the freezer, the tray 101 is separated from the base 106 by the user by pulling upward on the handle 102 or the edges of the tray. In doing so, any ice formed in the small holes 104 in the bottom of the cube molds 103 (and therefore possibly connecting the ice in the cube molds with any ice formed in the well below the molds) easily breaks to allow the tray 101 and base 106 to be separated. Once the tray 101 has been separated from the base 106, the user can more easily remove the clear ice cubes from the tray 101.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base 106 is made from a highly insulating material. In a preferred embodiment, the insulated walls 109 define the well 107 of the base 106 are thinly constructed, with the insulating material of the insulated walls 109 having an R-value of 6 or more per inch. For example, the walls 109 may incorporate two-pound per cubic foot polyurethane or polyethylene closed-cell foam. In some embodiments, the foam may be encased in a thin hard plastic or other durable shell, while in other embodiments the foam may be bare. For the sake of clarity, any insulating material may be used as long as it has a sufficiently high R-value per inch. In the preferred embodiment, any of the walls 109 of the base 106 may be insulated, including the bottom of the base and/or any of the side walls. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous insulating materials and thicknesses that could be used with embodiments of the present invention, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate materials and thicknesses.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base 106 has an open well 107 into which the tray 101 fits. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the well 107 in the base 106 need not be more than twice as deep as the tray 101 itself. Alternative embodiments may have deeper bases, depending on need, form and function of the specific embodiments. For example, with a respect to a base that is configured to be used with two different trays, when the relatively shallower tray is used in the base, the well will inherently be more than twice as deep as the shallower tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the well 107 of the base 106 may be drafted inward such that the opening of the well 107 is slightly wider than the bottom of the well 107. In a preferred embodiment, the draft is a two stage draft, wherein the first stage of the draft (on the upper wall area of the well 107) has a more gradual angle than the second stage of the draft (at the lower wall area of the well 107). This two stage draft serves a functional purpose in that, if the tray 101 is left in the well 107 until all of the water in the base 106 is frozen, then the expansion pressure caused by the ice will lift the entire tray 101 upward a small amount without causing any distortion to the ice in the cube molds 103 (as the cubes are already formed and frozen) and without causing any bulging or distortions to the base 106 itself.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tray 101 is made from a food-safe flexible material, such as silicone, so that the tray can be more easily separated from the base 106 after the freezing process. Furthermore, any handle 102 formed as a part of the tray 101 may also be formed from the same flexible material. In particular, having a flexible handle 102 that can bend into a vertical position and/or stretch as it is pulled, as well as having a tray 101 with flexible sides, enables a user to pull the tray 101 away from the surrounding ice more easily. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base 106 is configured to receive trays with various arrangements of cube molds. In particular, the opening of the well 107 of the base 106 has a defined area that corresponds to the area of the tray 101, while leaving a sufficient amount of open space 110 between one edge of the tray and the corresponding wall of the base. However, within the defined area defined by the borders of the tray 101, there may be various arrangements of cube molds 103. As an illustrative example, the base 106 may configured to receive a tray 101 that is configured to produce six (6) two (2) inch cubes, which would be more suitable for wide drinking glasses, or a separate tray that is configured to produce twelve (12) one and quarter (1¼) inch cubes, which would be more suitable for narrow drinking glasses. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cube molds 103 of each tray 101 define the space in which the ice cubes are formed as the water freezes. Alternative embodiments of the trays may have any suitable arrangement and number of cube molds. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that there are numerous materials that could be used for the tray, and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any appropriate material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown by FIGS. 3-6, the tray is configured with a handle 102 that functions as an insulating overhang on one side of the tray 101. In a preferred embodiment, the insulating overhang sits above the open area 110 of the surface of the water when the apparatus is properly filled prior to freezing. In a preferred embodiment, the insulating overhang also acts as a handle 102 to ease the removal of the tray 101.

According to a preferred method of use of embodiments of the apparatus described herein, the following steps, as shown by FIGS. 9A-C, are taken to produce clear or semi-clear transparency ice cubes (as shown by FIG. 2). First, the entire apparatus 100 is assembled by inserting the tray 101 into the base 106 and the well 107 of the base 106 is filled with water until the surface of the water is even with the tops of the cube molds 103 in the tray 101. The entire apparatus 100 is then placed into a freezer. While in the freezer, the water first begins to freeze at the air interface at the exposed top surface 113 of the water, which is effectively the water in the cube molds of the tray. In particular, the insulating overhang 112 (whether as handle 102 on the tray 101, at the rim on an edge of the well of the base, or otherwise), together with the insulating material in the walls 109 of the base 106, causes the water under the overhang 112 (or handle 102) and at the deeper portions of the well 107 to freeze more slowly than that water in the cube molds 103. Furthermore, gaseous water moves downward, through the small holes in the tray, out of the cube molds 103 and into the unfrozen volume of water below as the water in the cube molds 103 freezes.

As the water at and below the exposed surface 113 of the air/water interface begins to freeze as ice, and therefore expand, the pressure on the remaining unfrozen water below increases. The water under the insulating overhang 112 (or handle 102) remains unfrozen for some time after water of equal depth in the cube molds 103 of the tray 101 has frozen. This unfrozen water in the open area 110 provides a route out of the base 106 for the liquid water that has been pressurized by the ongoing ice formation that is occurring in the cube molds 103 of the tray 101. In particular, the insulating overhang 112 feature (whether as handle 102 on the tray 101, at the rim on an edge of the base, or otherwise) allows for a water pressure release without causing any cube clouding (see FIG. 1 for prior art ice) or deformations that would otherwise occur if the pressure was forced back through the water in the cube molds 103, as would occur in traditional ice cube trays. In some cases, as the water continues to freeze, the expanding ice causes the pressure to increase such that the water is forced out between the insulating overhang 112 and the rim 114 of the base 106.

Without the insulating overhang 112, the water under pressure in the base may be forced through the small holes 104 in any one of the cube molds 103, thereby causing the cube to be pushed upwards and resulting in an oddly tall, extruded, cloudy cube 115 (as shown by FIG. 10). Similarly, without the insulating overhang 112, the water under pressure could be forced back through the small holes 104 in any one of the cube molds 103, flow between the frozen cube and the mold sides, and eventually reach the top of the cubes where it is exposed to cold air and freezes causing a deformed cloudy dome on top of the already formed, and otherwise clear, cubes.

Additionally, the use of an insulating overhang also eliminates the need for a third part in the form of a lid that would be used to seal the top of the tray in order to keep cubes from becoming deformed by escaping water. There are many drawbacks to using a lid, the first of which is that a lid inhibits the user's ability to monitor the freezing process. Additionally, attaching a lid can cause the water pressure to remain in the base, which can lead to deformation of the base and/or forcing the water to escape between inner walls of the base and the outer walls of the tray, thereby causing an overflow situation.

Another benefit created by the insulating overhang features is that in enables the use of a base that has a smaller and shallower well. Previously, a larger well in the base was necessary to provide more space to spread out the pressure caused by the ice forming process. In particular, a larger well, which inherently has a greater amount of wall space and water volume in the well, can flex and absorb deformations without forcing the pressurized water up through the tray. However, as the insulating overhang also provides a pressure release feature, it is possible to use space saving, shallower configuration for the well in the base because there is no need to account for an area to diffuse the pressure generated during the freezing process.

A further advantage of this apparatus and the insulating overhang is that it is more forgiving in the production of clear ice. In particular, the design allows the user to leave the apparatus in the freezer for longer than required, whether on purpose or by accident, and still obtain ice cubes without cloudy tops or other deformations. In normal use, the tray is preferably removed from the base when the water in the cube molds is completely frozen, but the water below the tray in the well of the base is liquid. This is the preferred method simply due to the fact the tray is easiest to remove from the base just after the water in the molds has completely frozen. However, even if the apparatus is left in the freezer until more of the total water volume is frozen, the ice cubes will not be distorted. This is because the insulating overhang feature allows pressurized water to escape late into the freezing process, therefore preventing late-stage cube extrusion, deformation, or cloudiness resulting from the unpredictable escape of pressurized water.

It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well-known components may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. The invention is capable of myriad modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, said apparatus comprising:

a tray formed with one or more cube molds, wherein each of said cube molds is configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit said cube molds of said tray;

a base defining a well that is adapted to receive said tray and retain liquid water, wherein said tray has a free edge that does not fit closely with a corresponding wall of said well; and

an insulating overhang adapted to cover at least a portion of said liquid water in an open area between said free edge of said tray and said corresponding wall of said well.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said insulating overhang is a handle for said tray.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said handle is formed integrally with said tray.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said insulating overhang is a ledge formed on a rim edge of said well.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said open area provides a pressure release.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cube molds have side walls that are configured with ridges.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said base comprises one or more insulated walls filled with an insulating material.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said insulated walls are coated with a durable shell that protects said insulating material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tray is formed from a flexible material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tray has side edges that are tapered.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said well need not be more than twice as deep as said tray.

12. An apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, said apparatus comprising:

a tray comprising, a handle that extends from a free edge of said tray and serves as an insulating overhang, and one or more cube molds configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit said cube molds of said tray; and

a base defining a well that is adapted to receive said tray and retain liquid water, wherein said free edge of said tray does not fit closely with a corresponding wall of said well and said handle covers at least a portion of said liquid water in an open area between said free edge of said tray and said corresponding wall of said well.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said open area provides a pressure release.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said cube molds have side walls that are configured with ridges.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said tray is formed from a flexible material.

16. An apparatus for producing ice cubes that are clear or semi-clear in transparency, said apparatus comprising:

a tray formed with one or more cube molds, wherein each of said cube molds is configured with one or more holes that permit gaseous water to exit cube molds of said tray; and

a base comprising, one or more walls that define a well that is adapted to receive said tray and retain liquid water, wherein said tray has a free edge that does not fit closely a corresponding wall of said well, and an insulating overhang that is a ledge formed on a rim edge of one of said walls, wherein in said insulating overhang is adapted to cover at least a portion of said liquid water in an open area between said free edge of said tray and said corresponding wall of said well.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said open area provides a pressure release.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said cube molds have side walls that are configured with ridges.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said base comprises one or more insulated walls filled with an insulating material.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said ledge is formed on one of said insulated walls that is more highly insulated than any other of said insulated walls.