Molded clear ice spheres

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9151527-B2
Application number	US-201213713140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2012
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

An ice maker adapted to make clear ice spheres includes a mold apparatus having a first mold portion and a second mold portion. The first and second mold portions further include mold cavity segments which define mold cavities when the mold apparatus is assembled in an ice forming position. A cooling source is in thermal communication with the first mold portion of the mold apparatus, such that water injected into the mold cavities is solidified in a directional manner from the first mold portion to the second mold portion to create a clear ice structure. Water is circulated, typically continuously, within the mold cavities to ensure clear ice is formed by injecting and simultaneously ejecting water from the mold cavities during ice formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice structure producing apparatus comprising:
a first mold portion having an outer surface area in thermal communication with a cooling source and at least one mold cavity segment disposed on the outer surface of the first mold portion;
a second mold portion having and outer surface and at least one liquid inlet configured to permit liquid ingress and at least one liquid outlet configured to permit liquid egress and further including at least one mold cavity segment disposed on the outer surface of the second mold portion;
at least one liquid delivery conduit fluidly connected to the at least one liquid inlet and a liquid source and a liquid departure conduit fluidly connected to the at least one liquid outlet;
wherein the first mold portion and the second mold portion are configured to engage with one another to form at least one mold cavity defined by the mold cavity segments of the first mold portion and the second mold portion;
wherein the cooling source in thermal communication with the first mold portion is configured to provide sufficient cooling to produce an ice structure within the at least one mold cavity when liquid capable of freezing solid is injected into the at least one mold cavity from the at least one liquid inlet;
wherein the first mold portion is configured to be cooled by the cooling source to a first temperature, and further wherein the first temperature is below a second temperature of the second mold portion during the freezing of the liquid injected into the at least one mold cavity;
wherein the second mold portion comprises a metallic portion and an insulating portion, and further wherein the metallic portion defines the mold cavity segment of the second mold portion; and
a heating element disposed in the second mold portion in thermal communication with the metallic portion of the second mold portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mold portion comprises a metallic portion having a first side, a second side and a side wall disposed therebetween, and further wherein the first mold portion comprises an insulating portion disposed about the side wall of the metallic portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first side of the metallic portion is disposed adjacent the cooling source, and further wherein the second side and the insulating portion cooperate to define the mold cavity segment of the first mold portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the metallic portion of the first mold portion is narrowed from the first side to the second side.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , including:
an evaporator and a thermoelectric disposed within the cooling source, wherein the cooling source is adapted to be sequenced to cool the first mold portion during the freezing of the liquid injected into the at least one mold cavity using the evaporator, and further heat the first mold portion during an ice harvesting process to release the ice structure from the first mold portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , including:
a sealing element disposed between the first mold portion and the second mold portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mold portion has a greater thermal conductivity relative to the second mold portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a temperature gradient is present across a length of the engaged first mold portion and second mold portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mold cavity is at least substantially spherically shaped.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ice structure is a clear ice sphere.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid inlet and the at least one liquid outlet share a common aperture and are operably engaged with the liquid delivery conduit and the liquid departure conduit through the common aperture and the liquid delivery conduit and liquid departure conduit are the same conduit with a liquid delivery channel and a liquid departure channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling source comprises a cooling source chosen from one or more of the group consisting of: an evaporator, a thermoelectric source, a secondary cooling loop and air below freezing temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet and outlet are configured in a manner chosen from the group consisting of coaxially with one another and proximate one another.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an ejection pin within the second portion and configured to apply a force to an ice structure formed within the at least one mold cavity.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first mold portion and the second mold portion are substantially rectangularly prism shaped and the first portion is at least substantially metal and wherein the mold cavity is at least substantially spherical and has a equatorial plane and the ejection pin is offset from the equatorial plane and configured to project into the second mold cavity segment and the at least one liquid inlet is a single inlet and the at least one liquid outlet is a single outlet and the single inlet and single outlet are each at least substantially aligned with the equatorial plane.

16. An ice mold comprising:
a substantially metallic first mold portion having an outer surface area in thermal communication with a cooling source and at least one mold cavity segment disposed on the outer surface of the first mold portion;
a substantially polymeric second mold portion having an outer surface and at least one water inlet configured to permit water ingress and at least one water outlet configured to permit water egress and further including at least one mold cavity segment disposed on the outer surface of the second mold portion;
wherein the first mold portion and the second mold portion are configured to engage one another to form at least one mold cavity defined by the mold cavity segments of the first mold portion and the second mold portion;
a drive mechanism configured to move the first mold portion and the second mold portion between an ice structure forming position and an ice harvesting position;
an ejector apparatus coupled to one of the first mold portion and the second mold portion;
wherein the first mold portion is at a first temperature below the temperature of the second mold portion;
wherein the second mold portion comprises a metallic portion and an insulating portion, and further wherein the metallic portion defines the mold cavity segment of the second mold portion; and
a heating element disposed in the second mold portion in thermal communication with the metallic portion of the second mold portion.

17. The ice mold of claim 16 , wherein the ice mold is configured to produce clear ice structures and the first mold portion and the second mold portion are substantially rectangularly prism shaped and wherein the mold cavity is at least substantially spherical and has a equatorial plane and the ejector apparatus comprises an ejection pin that is offset from the equatorial plane and configured to project into the second mold cavity segment and the at least one water inlet is a single inlet and the at least one water outlet is a single outlet and the single inlet and single outlet are each at least substantially aligned with the equatorial plane.

18. An apparatus for making clear ice structures comprising:
a first mold portion comprising a metal material and having an outer surface in thermal communication with at least one thermoelectric cooling source that cools the first mold portion below freezing and wherein the first mol

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Boarman Patrick J
• Culley Brian K

Classifications

• F25C1/22

  Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds · CPC title

• F25C1/18 Primary

  of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air · CPC title