ICE MAKER

Abstract

An ice maker includes a plurality of thermal insulation covers that contain a top mold and a bottom mold in a stacked arrangement for making ice. A fluid path is formed from a top thermal insulation cover through the top mold and into the bottom mold. The top mold includes a water inlet that extends through a top thermal insulation cover. The top mold also includes openings formed at its top and bottom that allow remaining liquid to flow into the bottom mold. During use, the ice maker forms decorative ice shapes in the top mold, where the ice is substantially transparent. Ice cubes can be formed in the bottom mold.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of Chinese Utility Model Application No. 202021142045.X, filed Jun. 18, 2020, now Chinese Patent No.: ZL 202021142045.X, issued on Feb. 23, 2021, and entitled ICE MAKER, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application claims benefit of U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/737,272, filed Jun. 8, 2020, and entitled ICE MAKER, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application claims benefit of U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/745,009, filed Aug. 3, 2020, and entitled ICE TRAY, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The inventive concepts relate to an ice maker, and in particular, to an ice maker capable of making transparent ice balls.

Related Art

Ice blocks used in cocktail preparation are often ice balls. For a given volume, a surface area of the volume is minimized when the volume is in the shape of a sphere. A smaller surface area results in less contact between the volume of ice and an adjacent fluid, which slows melting, thereby greatly extending the effective icing time. In this way, wine lovers can slow down a wine-tasting speed, resulting in a better drinking experience. This same principle holds true for other drinks with which ice may be used.

In addition, ice balls that are the same size dissolve in wine at approximately the same speed, and therefore there is not much of a taste difference between them. Impressions are very different. The transparency of bar-specific ice balls is higher than that of ordinary ice balls.

Generally, ice blocks made by using ordinary ice block trays at home cannot present a transparent color. Instead, they often produce ice blocks that are almost turbid white. During condensation to an ice block, water near the top of the tray starts to condense first because it is in closer contact with the low temperature environment. During condensation to an ice block, gas contained in the water moves to a higher temperature region (the bottom of the tray that is still not completely frozen). Because the outside is frozen, and the bottom of the ice block tray is also sealed, the gas cannot escape from other places and is maintained within the ice block. Finally, the ice blocks after coagulation generate a lot of white mist and bubbles. Such ice blocks cannot transmit light well due to low transparency.

Bars that have a large demand for ice blocks and do not have enough places to make ice contact an ice factory as a supplier to regularly supply large transparent ice blocks. Such transparent ice blocks are made by a direct cooling ice machine for about two to three days. A principle of the machine is mainly to keep stirring during the freezing, so that the gas in the water can be released without condensing in the ice blocks.

After a large ice block is delivered to the bar, the ice block may be cut into a required size and shape by using tools such as a saw blade, a hammer, and the like, and then put in the freezer on the bar counter for later use. In order to get a perfect ice ball, a bartender needs to choose a proper ice block for secondary processing according to a size of a cup.

Chiseling ice balls by hands has become an artistic experience, and most people order an extra ice ball in the bar to watch the performance of the bartender. In addition to round ice balls, diamond-shaped ice blocks are also very popular. In the bar, requiring the bartender to make an ice ball is likely to cost much more than the original price of the wine.

Therefore, a traditional ice maker for transparent ice needs to take more time for production, has a complex process, takes a large floor area, and requires the bartender to have skills for making ice balls. These factors make a traditional ice maker for transparent ice not suitable for use at home or in the bar.

Therefore, there is a demand for a small ice maker for making transparent ice, in the shape of balls or in other shapes, that is suitable for use at home or in the bar.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the inventive concepts, provided is an ice maker structured to make substantially transparent ice. A modularized thermal insulation cover and a silicone forming mold form a main body of the ice maker, which limits directed freezing from top to bottom in a vertical direction A. Remaining water is collected in an ice block tray at a lower part, and the lower part of the ice block tray further serves as a reservoir for microbubble gas, so that crystal clear ice balls are obtained from an ice forming space formed by inner cavities of the silicone forming mold.

In addition, the ice maker according to aspects of the inventive concepts has a stacking function, which can stack a plurality of ice forming portions, to facilitate water injection and saving of a freezing space. Such a stacking function allows the ice maker to be mounted to or used with a single point pouring spout. The preferred ice maker has a smaller size than the ice maker in the market, which can be used for refrigerators of smaller sizes in European/Asian markets, as examples.

An ice maker according to an exemplary embodiment of the utility model includes: a top thermal insulation cover including at least one through hole formed through the top thermal insulation cover; a replaceable silicone forming mold including a top silicone mold and a bottom silicone mold, where the top silicone mold includes a first hollow forming portion and a first hollow portion in fluid communication with the first hollow forming portion, and the bottom silicone mold includes a second hollow forming portion and a second hollow portion in fluid communication with the second hollow forming portion, where the first hollow portion is allowed to pass through the through hole to allow water injection through an open end of the first hollow portion, and an inner cavity of the first hollow forming portion and an inner cavity of the second hollow forming portion form an ice forming space; a middle thermal insulation cover, where the middle thermal insulation cover is configured to support the bottom silicone mold from below during use, while the top thermal insulation cover is configured to hold the top silicone mold from above, so as to hold the silicone forming mold between the top thermal insulation cover and the middle thermal insulation cover, and the middle thermal insulation cover includes at least one through hole formed through the middle thermal insulation cover, where the second hollow portion is allowed to pass through the at least one through hole of the middle thermal insulation cover; a tray assembly including an ice block tray cover and an ice block tray, where the ice block tray cover is configured to cover an open end of the ice block tray during use; and a bottom thermal insulation cover, where a cavity is provided in an upper surface of the bottom thermal insulation cover, and the bottom thermal insulation cover is configured to be snugly engaged with the middle thermal insulation cover during use to hold the tray assembly in the cavity. During use, the ice forming space of the silicone mold are in fluid communication with a cavity formed by the ice block tray cover and the ice block tray. And a plurality of first holes are formed on a part of the first hollow forming portion and is in fluid communication with the first hollow portion, and a plurality of second holes are formed on a part of the second hollow forming portion and is in fluid communication with the second hollow portion.

According to another embodiment, the first holes and the second holes are circular.

According to another embodiment, diameters of the first holes and the second holes are in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm.

According to another embodiment, a distance between holes of the first holes is greater than 1 mm, and a distance between holes of the second holes is greater than 1 mm.

According to another embodiment, the first hollow forming portion and the second hollow forming portion are hemispherical.

According to another embodiment, the first hollow portion and the second hollow portion are cylindrical.

According to another embodiment, the ice forming space is allowed to have a plurality of shapes.

According to another embodiment, the ice forming space has a shape of sports equipment.

According to another embodiment, the shape of the sports equipment is a shape of an American football, a basketball, a soccer ball, a softball, a cricket ball, a golf ball, a tennis ball, or a rugby ball.

According to another embodiment, the ice forming space is allowed to have a classical shape.

According to another embodiment, the classical shape is a shape of a rose, a diamond, a heart, a cube, or a ball.

According to another embodiment, the ice forming space is allowed to have a shape of a film element.

According to another embodiment, the shape of the film element is a shape of a baby, a skull, a 38special bullet, a character, or a space station.

According to another embodiment, the ice forming space is allowed to have a decorative shape.

According to another embodiment, the decorative shape is a shape of a light bulb, an animal, or a tetrapod.

According to another embodiment, the top thermal insulation cover, the silicone forming mold, and the middle thermal insulation cover form an ice ball forming assembly, and the ice maker is allowed to include two or more ice ball forming assemblies, where during use, the two or more ice ball forming assemblies are stacked one on top of the other in a vertical direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of an embodiment of an ice maker according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ice maker of FIG. 1, according to aspects of the inventive concepts, which shows various components of the ice maker;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of a top thermal insulation cover having a plurality of first holes, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of a bottom thermal insulation cover having a plurality of second holes, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a first step of a plurality of steps of assembling the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a second step of the plurality of steps of assembling the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a third step of the plurality of steps of assembling the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fourth step of the plurality of steps of assembling the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fifth step of a plurality of steps of assembling the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a first step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a second step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a third step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fourth step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fifth step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a sixth step of a working principle and a working process of the ice maker, according to aspects of the inventive concepts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the terms “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “back”, and the like that indicate directions are merely to facilitate the description of the accompanying drawings, and do not constitute a substantial limitation. In addition, for clarity, some of the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Various aspects of the inventive concepts will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some exemplary embodiments are shown. The present inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another, but not to imply a required sequence of elements. For example, a first element can be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element can be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” or “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly on or connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like may be used to describe an element and/or feature's relationship to another element(s) and/or feature(s) as, for example, illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use and/or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” and/or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an exemplary embodiment of an ice maker 1, in accordance with aspects of inventive concepts herein. In this embodiment, the ice maker 1 includes a top thermal insulation cover 2 constituting a main body of the ice maker 1, a middle thermal insulation cover 3, a bottom thermal insulation cover 4, two silicone forming molds accommodated between the top thermal insulation cover 2 and the middle thermal insulation cover 3, and an ice block tray assembly accommodated between the middle thermal insulation cover 3 and the bottom thermal insulation cover 4. Each of the two silicone forming molds is composed of a top silicone mold 5 and a bottom silicone mold 6, and the two silicone forming molds are arranged in parallel between the top thermal insulation cover 2 and the middle thermal insulation cover 3. The ice block tray assembly includes an ice block tray cover 7 and an ice block tray 8.

The top thermal insulation cover 2, the silicone forming molds, the middle thermal insulation cover 3, the ice block tray assembly, and the bottom thermal insulation cover 4 are stacked in that order in a vertical direction. The top thermal insulation cover 2, the silicone forming molds, and the middle thermal insulation cover 3 constitute a replaceable ice ball forming assembly.

In the embodiment shown, the top thermal insulation cover 2 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, and has an upper surface 9, a flat lower surface 10 opposite to the upper surface, two opposite short sides 11, and two opposite long sides 12. In the top thermal insulation cover 2, two through holes 13 formed through the top thermal insulation cover 2 in the vertical direction A are formed. The two through holes 13 are preferably arranged symmetrically with respect to a central longitudinal axis and a central horizontal axis of the top thermal insulation cover 2.

Preferably, hemispherical recesses (not shown) concentric with the corresponding through holes are formed at open ends of the through holes 13 in the lower surface 10 to accommodate the top silicone molds. In each of the two short sides 11 and the two long sides 12, flat-bottomed recessed portions 11a and 12a extending across a portion of the corresponding side surface in the vertical direction A are preferably formed on a part of the corresponding side surface.

Referring to FIG. 1, protrusions 14 are optionally formed on the top surface 9. Peripheries of the protrusions 14 are spaced apart from a corresponding periphery of the top surface 9 inwardly by a certain distance. Recesses are formed at positions corresponding to the flat-bottom recessed portions 11a and 12a in two short sides 14a and two long sides 14b of the protrusions 14. In some embodiments, sign characters are printed in each of the corresponding recesses in the two long sides (FIG. 2).

The top silicone mold 5 includes hollow cylindrical portions 5a, hollow hemispherical portions 5b concentrically extending downward from peripheries of lower open ends of the hollow cylindrical portions 5a, and optionally, an outward ridge 5c concentrically extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction A and a downward ridge 5d extending in the vertical direction A from peripheries of lower open ends of the hemispherical portions.

A length of the hollow cylindrical portion 5a is disposed in such a way that during use, upper ends of the hollow cylindrical portions 5a extend through the through holes 13 and are exposed and/or accessible from upper surfaces of the protrusions 14 so that each forms an injection port for filling liquids into its corresponding hemispherical portion of the mold 5.

A hollow part of the hollow hemispherical portion 5b is concentric and in fluid communication with a part of the through hole of the hollow cylindrical portion 5a. During use, the hollow cylindrical portion 5a passes through the through hole 13, and the hemispherical recess (not shown) in the top thermal insulation cover 2 is in surface contact with a periphery of the hollow hemispherical portion 5b to hold the hollow hemispherical portion 5b from above.

Preferably, a part of the outward ridge 5c is formed as a holding portion 5e. The holding portion 5e further protrudes outward relative to other parts of the outward ridge 5c and is thickened, so that the user can hold and apply force to the outward ridge 5c during mounting and disassembling, so as to avoid damaging the mold due to the excessive force applied to the other parts of the outward rib.

The bottom silicone mold 6 includes a hollow hemispherical portion 6a, a hollow cylindrical portion 6b concentrically extending downward from a periphery of a lower open end of the hollow hemispherical portion 6a, and optionally, a hollow tapered portion 6c concentrically extending downward from a periphery of a lower open end of the hollow cylindrical portion 6b. The hollow hemispherical portion 6a, the hollow cylindrical portion 6b, and a hollow part of the hollow tapered portion 6c are concentric and in fluid communication with each other.

In some embodiments, a larger area of the injection port formed by the hollow cylindrical portion 5a of the top silicone mold 5 outside the through hole 13 indicates better performance of making a transparent ice ball through directional freezing from top to bottom during ice making, but an excessively large injection port may cause difficulty removing ice from the silicone mold.

To this end, referring to the embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in the top silicone mold 5 and the bottom silicone mold 6, a plurality of first holes 5f are formed on a part of the hollow hemispherical portions 5b of the top silicone mold 5 and are in fluid communication with the hollow cylindrical portions 5a, and a plurality of second holes 6h are formed on a part of the hollow hemispherical portions 6a of the bottom silicone mold 6 and are in fluid communication with the hollow cylindrical portions 6b.

The applicant found that if the holes are arranged more densely, thin materials between the holes is likely to cause tearing of a connecting part between the holes. Moreover, as the holes become smaller, surface tension of the liquid increases, or the density of the liquid decreases, and flow resistance of the liquid when flowing through the holes increases.

As a result, preferably, the first holes 5f and the second holes 6h are circular. Preferably, diameters of the first holes 5f and the second holes 6h are in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm, and more preferably 2.5 mm. Preferably, a distance between holes of the plurality of first holes 5f is greater than 1 mm, and a distance between holes of the plurality of second holes 6h is greater than 1 mm.

Preferably, an outer ridge 6e and an inner ridge 6d extend in a direction opposite to the vertical direction A from a periphery of an upper open end of the hollow hemispherical portion 6a. The outer ridge 6e and the inner ridge 6d extend parallel to each other, and a gap between the two ribs is set to allow the downward ridge 5d of the top silicone mold 5 to be sealingly inserted into the gap, so as to achieve fluid communication between the top silicone mold 5 and the bottom silicone mold 6, with a fluid-tight seal at their common joint.

Preferably, a part of the outer ridge 6e is formed as a holding portion 6f. The holding portion 6f further protrudes outward relative to other parts of the outer ridge 6e and is thickened, so that the user can hold and apply force to the outer ridge 6d during mounting and disassembling, so as to avoid damaging the mold due to the excessive force applied to the other parts of the outward rib.

Preferably, a flange 6g is disposed at or near a joint between the tapered portion 6c and the cylindrical portion 6b.

In various embodiments, the middle thermal insulation cover 3 also has a parallelepiped shape, which includes a flat upper surface 3a, a flat lower surface 3b opposite to the flat upper surface, two opposite short sides 3c and two opposite long sides 3d.

Two through holes 3e are formed to extend through the middle thermal insulation cover 3 in the vertical direction A and be concentric with the corresponding through holes 13 in the top thermal insulation cover 2. During use, the upper surface 3a of the middle thermal insulation cover 3 is in contact with the lower surface 10 of the top thermal insulation cover 2, and the side surfaces 3c and 3d are aligned with side surfaces of the top thermal insulation cover 2.

Preferably hemispherical recesses (not shown) concentric with the corresponding through holes 3e are formed at open ends of the through holes 3e in the upper surface 3a. During use, the cylindrical portion 6b and the tapered portion 6c are inserted into the corresponding through holes 3e, and the hemispherical recess is in surface contact with a periphery of the hemispherical portion 6a to support the bottom silicone mold 6 from below.

Preferably, in each of the two short sides 3c and the two long sides 3d, recessed portions 3f and 3g are formed on a part of the corresponding side surface. In each of the short sides 3c, two recessed portions 3f extend by a distance in the vertical direction A and in a direction opposite to the vertical direction A from peripheries of the upper surface 3a and the lower surface 3b. However, in each of the long sides 3d, two recessed portions 3g each extend by a distance in the vertical direction A and in the direction opposite to the vertical direction A from the peripheries of the upper surface 3a and the lower surface 3b. The recessed portions 3f and 3g are positioned corresponding to the flat-bottom recessed portions 11a and 12a.

In various embodiments, the ice block tray cover 7 has a substantially flat parallelepiped shape, and includes a flat upper surface 7a, a flat lower surface 7b opposite to the flat upper surface, two opposite short sides 7c, and two opposite long sides 7d.

Preferably, a cavity 7e recessed downward in the vertical direction A is formed on the upper surface 7a, and a periphery of the cavity 7e is spaced apart from a periphery of the upper surface 7a substantially parallel to each other. Two hollow cylinders 7f are provided in the cavity 7e. The two hollow cylinders 7f are preferably disposed symmetrically with respect to a central longitudinal axis and a central horizontal axis of the upper surface 7a, and a part of the through holes of the hollow cylinder 7f is coaxial with the corresponding through holes 13 and 3e. During use, the hollow cylindrical portion 6b and the hollow tapered portion 6c of the bottom silicone mold 6 passes through the through hole 3e in the middle thermal insulation cover 3, and are inserted into the part of the through hole of the hollow cylinder 7f.

Preferably, a cavity (not shown) recessed in the direction opposite to the vertical direction A is also formed on the lower surface 7d, and a periphery of the cavity is spaced apart from a periphery of the lower surface 7b parallel to each other. The cavity is further recessed by a certain distance in the direction opposite to the vertical direction A at a periphery of the bottom of the cavity relative to the lower surface 7b, so that a slot (not shown) extending along the periphery of the bottom of the cavity is formed at the bottom of the cavity.

Preferably, in each of the two short sides 7c and the two long sides 7d, tab portions 7f and 7g extending in the vertical direction A on a part of the corresponding side are formed.

An ice block tray 8 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, which includes an upper surface 8a, a lower surface (not shown) opposite to the upper surface, two opposite short sides 8c, and two opposite long sides 8d.

A cavity 8e is formed on the upper surface 8a, and a periphery of the cavity 8e is spaced apart from a periphery of the upper surface 8a substantially parallel to each other and is recessed inward by a certain distance relative to the upper surface 8a. Optionally, an ice block array composed by a plurality of individual ice blocks spaced apart from each other is formed in the cavity 8e.

Preferably, in each of the two short sides 8c and the two long sides 8d, recessed portions 8f and 8g extending in the vertical direction A on a part of the corresponding side are formed, and the recessed portions 8f and 8g are positioned corresponding to the tab portions 7f and 7g of the ice tray cover 7.

During use, an upper edge of the ice block tray 8 is inserted into the slot of the ice block tray cover 7, and the tab portions 7f and 7g of ice block tray cover 7 are snapped into the recessed portions 8f and 8g of the ice block tray 8, so that the ice block tray cover 7 covers the ice block tray 8.

The bottom thermal insulation cover 4 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, which has an upper surface 4a, a lower surface 4b opposite to the upper surface, two opposite short sides 4c, and two opposite long sides 4d.

Preferably, in each of the two short sides 4c, a flat-bottom recessed portion 4e extending across the corresponding side in the vertical direction A on a part of the corresponding side is formed. In each of the two long sides 4d, a flat-bottom recessed portion 4f extending by a certain distance in the vertical direction A on a part of the corresponding side is formed. The flat-bottom recessed portions 4e and 4f are positioned corresponding to the recessed portions 3f and 3g of the middle thermal insulation cover 3.

A cavity 4g recessed downward in the vertical direction A is formed on the upper surface 4a. A periphery of the cavity 4e is spaced apart from a periphery of the upper surface 4a substantially parallel to each other. A size of the cavity 4g is set to accommodate the ice block tray 8.

In another embodiment, a sealing device (not shown), such as an O-ring, is provided between the ice block tray cover 7 and the ice block tray 8 to improve sealing performance between the ice block tray cover and the ice block tray.

In another embodiment, the ice maker may include two or more replaceable ice ball forming assemblies. The two or more ice ball forming assemblies may be sequentially stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction A.

In another embodiment, the top thermal insulation cover 2 and the middle thermal insulation cover 3 may be integrally formed. In another embodiment, the middle thermal insulation cover 3 and the bottom thermal insulation cover 4 are integrally formed.

In another embodiment, an ice forming space formed by a combination of an inner cavity of the top silicone mold 5 and an inner cavity of the bottom silicone mold 6 of the ice maker has a shape of sports equipment, such as an American football, a basketball, a football, a softball, a cricket ball, a golf ball, a tennis ball, or a rugby ball; or a classic shape, such as a shape of a rose, a diamond, a heart, a cube, or a ball; or a shape of a film element, such as a shape of a baby, a skull, a 38special bullet, a character, or a space station; or other decorative shape, such as a shape of a light bulb, an animal, or a tetrapod. Collectively, these, and other shapes, may all be considered to be decorative three dimensional shapes.

In another embodiment, the silicone mold and the thermal insulation cover of the ice maker can be snugly and seamlessly attached, or a layer of space between the silicone mold and the thermal insulation cover may be provided. A snug fit or snug attachment can form a watertight seal. The space may be filled with air or other media and may be a shape of the outer periphery of the silicone mold or other shapes, to slow down the cooling process or optimize the ice formation process, so that the ice can transmit light better or the shape of the formed ice block is more suitable for the shape of the ice forming space of the silicone mold.

Assembling of the ice maker is described below with reference to the embodiments of FIG. 5 to FIG. 9.

According to some embodiments, the method of assembling the ice maker is implemented through the following steps.

• • (1) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 5, the ice block tray cover 7 and the ice block tray 8 are snugly assembled together, and the tray assembly obtained after the combination is placed in the cavity of the bottom thermal insulation cover 4.
  • (2) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 6, the middle thermal insulation cover 3 is placed on top of the tray assembly.
  • (3) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 7, the cylindrical portion 6b and the tapered portion 6c of the bottom silicone mold 6 are inserted into the through hole 3e of the middle thermal insulation cover 3, and the bottom silicone mold 6 is inserted into the middle thermal insulation cover 3, so that the middle thermal insulation cover 3 supports the bottom silicone mold 6 from below.
  • (4) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 8, the top silicone mold 5 is placed on top of the bottom silicone mold 6 and pressed down around edges to seal the two molds together.
  • (5) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 9, the top thermal insulation cover 2 is arranged to complete the assembling. It is confirmed that the components are not adhered to each other or do not pop up.

In case of two or more ice ball forming assemblies, steps (2) to (5) may be repeated a plurality of times to complete the final assembly.

A working principle and a working process of the ice maker are described below with reference to the embodiments of FIG. 10 to FIG. 15.

• • (6) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 10, upon completion of assembling, a funnel accessory is placed in a water injection port protruding from the top of the top thermal insulation cover 2. In this embodiment, for example, boiling water of 280 ml/9.5 fl oz (liquid ounce) is poured into the funnel. When the water reaches the top of the two water injection ports, it indicates full filling. It can be ensured that there is no water leakage on the sides.
  • (7) The ice maker is preferably placed in a freezing chamber (or freezer) for about 36 hours, and it is suggested that a temperature of the freezing chamber be set to −15° C./5° F. Such a long and controlled cooling time is necessary to obtain crystal clear ice. Due to an excessively low temperature at a cooling channel, it is not suggested that the ice maker be placed at the cooling channel in the freezing chamber.
  • (8) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 11, The ice maker 1 is taken out of the freezing chamber and left for a few minutes to defrost. If being at a lower temperature than the recommended temperature, the ice maker after refrigeration is left for about 10 minutes, or cold water or room temperature water is poured on the ice maker. It should be noted that if the ice maker is opened untimely after the ice maker is removed from the freezing chamber, there is a risk of damage to the ice maker.
  • (9) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 12, the top thermal insulation cover 2 is removed, cold water or room temperature water is poured on the mold and ice to accelerate the defrosting process, so as to obtain a crystal clear ice ball. Water also contributes to gloss of a surface of the defrosting ice.
  • (10) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 13, the bottom thermal insulation cover 4 is to be removed from an ice block tray assembly.
  • (11) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 14, the ice block tray is removed from the bottom thermal insulation cover 4.
  • (12) Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 15, the ice block tray is rotated to remove an ice block (the ice block obtained herein is not crystal clear).

Through the ice maker, since the modular thermal insulation cover and the silicone forming mold constitute the main body of the ice maker, the water at the water injection port is first frozen, and then gradually freezes downward, that is, the ice maker of the utility model defines directional freezing from top to bottom in the vertical direction A. Remaining water is collected in an ice block tray at a lower part, and the lower part of the ice block tray further serves as a reservoir for microbubble gas, so that crystal clear ice balls are obtained from an ice forming space formed by inner cavities of the silicone forming mold. The ice blocks obtained from the ice block tray assembly may be cloudy, but the ice blocks are clean and usable, which does not cause waste.

In addition, it is to be understood that although in the above embodiments, the top silicone mold 5 is described as including a hollow hemispherical portion 5b and a hollow cylindrical portion 5a, and the bottom silicone mold 6 is described as including a hollow hemispherical portion 6a and a hollow cylindrical portion 6b. However, the solution of this application is not limited to the specific shapes, but the corresponding parts 5b, 5a and 6a, 6b of the top silicone mold 5 and the bottom silicone mold 6 may also be of other suitable shapes.

Various embodiments of the utility model have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model defined by the attached claims, a person skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the utility model, and all of the modifications and variations are included in the scope of the inventive concepts.

While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and/or other preferred embodiments, it is understood that various modifications can be made therein and that the invention or inventions may be implemented in various forms and embodiments, and that they may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim that which is literally described and all equivalents thereto, including all modifications and variations that fall within the scope of each claim.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination. For example, it will be appreciated that all of the features set out in any of the claims (whether independent or dependent) can combined in any given way.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Ice maker

2 Top thermal insulation cover

3 Middle thermal insulation cover

3a Upper surface

3b Lower surface

3c Short side

3d Long side

3e Through hole

3f, 3g Recessed portion

4 Bottom thermal insulation cover

4a Upper surface

4b Lower surface

4c Short side

4d Long side

4e, 4f Recessed portion

4g Cavity

5 Top silicone mold

5a Hollow cylindrical portion

5b Hollow hemispherical portion

5c Outward rib

5d Downward rib

5e Holding portion

5f Hole

6 Bottom silicone mold

6a Hollow hemispherical portion

6b Hollow cylindrical portion

6c Hollow tapered portion

6d Outer rib

6e Inner rib

6f Holding portion

6g Flange

6h Hole

7 Ice block tray cover

7a Upper surface

7b Lower surface

7c Short side

7d Long side

7e Cavity

8 Ice block tray

8a Upper surface

8c Short side

8d Long side

8e Cavity

8f, 8g Recessed portion

9 Top surface

10 Bottom surface

11 Short side

12 Long side

11a, 12a Flat-bottom recessed portion

13 Through hole

14 Protrusion

14a Short side

14b Long side

15a, 5b Recess

Claims

1. An ice maker, comprising:

a top thermal insulation cover comprising through holes formed through the top thermal insulation cover;

a replaceable silicone forming mold comprising a top silicone mold and a bottom silicone mold, wherein the top silicone mold comprises a first hollow forming portion and a first hollow portion in fluid communication with the first hollow forming portion, and the bottom silicone mold comprises a second hollow forming portion and a second hollow portion in fluid communication with the second hollow forming portion, wherein the first hollow portion is allowed to pass through the through hole to allow water injection through an open end of the first hollow portion, an inner cavity of the first hollow forming portion and an inner cavity of the second hollow forming portion form an ice forming space;

a middle thermal insulation cover, wherein the middle thermal insulation cover is configured to support the bottom silicone mold from below during use, while the top thermal insulation cover is configured to hold the top silicone mold from above, so as to hold the silicone forming mold between the top thermal insulation cover and the middle thermal insulation cover, and the middle thermal insulation cover comprises a through hole formed through the middle thermal insulation cover, wherein the second hollow portion is allowed to pass through the through hole of the middle thermal insulation cover;

a tray assembly comprising an ice block tray cover and an ice block tray, wherein the ice block tray cover is configured to cover an open end of the ice block tray during use; and

a bottom thermal insulation cover, wherein a cavity is provided in an upper surface of the bottom thermal insulation cover, and the bottom thermal insulation cover is configured to be snugly engaged with the middle thermal insulation cover during use to hold the tray assembly in the cavity; wherein

during use, the ice forming space of the silicone mold are in fluid communication with a cavity formed by the ice block tray cover and the ice block tray; and wherein

a plurality of first holes are formed on a part of the first hollow forming portion and is in fluid communication with the first hollow portion, and a plurality of second holes are formed on apart of the second hollow forming portion and is in fluid communication with the second hollow portions.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the ice forming space is allowed to have a plurality of shapes.

3. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the ice forming space has a shape of sports equipment.

4. The ice maker according to claim 3, wherein the shape of the sports equipment is a shape of an American football, a basketball, a soccer ball, a softball, a cricket ball, a golf ball, a tennis ball, or a rugby ball.

5. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the ice forming space is allowed to have a classical shape.

6. The ice maker according to claim 5, wherein the classical shape is a shape of a rose, a diamond, a heart, a cube, or a ball.

7. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the ice forming space is allowed to have a shape of a film element.

8. The ice maker according to claim 7, wherein the shape of the film element is a shape of a baby, a skull, a 38special bullet, a character, or a space station.

9. The ice maker according to claim 2, wherein the ice forming space is allowed to have a decorative shape.

10. The ice maker according to claim 9, wherein the decorative shape is a shape of a light bulb, an animal, or a tetrapod.

11. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the top thermal insulation cover, the silicone forming mold, and the middle thermal insulation cover form an ice ball forming assembly, and the ice maker is allowed to comprise two or more ice ball forming assemblies, wherein during use, the two or more ice ball forming assemblies are stacked one on top of the other in a vertical direction.

12. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the first holes and the second holes are circular.

13. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein diameters of the first holes and the second holes are in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm.

14. The ice maker according to claim 12, wherein a distance between holes of the plurality of first holes is greater than 1 mm, and a distance between holes of the plurality of second holes is greater than 1 mm.

15. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the first hollow forming portion and the second hollow forming portion are hemispherical.

16. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the first hollow portion and the second hollow portion are cylindrical.