Artisan Ice System, Method and Apparatus

Abstract

In a system for production of artisan ice, a freezer receives an artisan ice production unit comprising a water bath, a mold bottom and a mold top. The mold bottom and top define a mold that is partially immersed in the water bath when the water bath and mold are engaged and filled with water. The water bath may be heated by a heat source to control freezing of the water in the mold. The water bath, and mold top define lips above the level of water in the mold to prevent leakage of water from the mold and water bath. The mold bottoms may be stacked when the mold bottoms contain artisan ice portions for compact storage of the artisan ice portions.

Claims

1. An artisan ice production system, the system comprising: a. a freezer configured to chill an air within the freezer to below a freezing temperature of water; b. an artisan ice production unit, said freezer being configured to receive and to support said artisan ice production unit, said artisan ice production unit including a water bath and a mold, said water bath and said mold being configured to contain a water, a portion of said mold being configured to be submerged within said water bath when said mold and said water bath contain said water.

2. The artisan ice production system of claim 1 wherein said freezer defines a surface within said freezer, said surface being configured to receive and to support said artisan ice production unit, said surface including a heat source, said heat source being configured to provide heat to said water bath.

3. The artisan ice production system of claim 2 wherein said mold defines a mold top and a mold bottom, said mold bottom defining a perforation communicating through said mold bottom, whereby said water within said mold is in communication with said water in said water bath when said mold top and bottom are in engagement with said water bath and said mold and said water bath contain said water.

4. The artisan ice production system of claim 3 wherein said water bath is insulated against a heat transfer from said water bath to said chilled air within said freezer.

5. The artisan ice production system of claim 3, further comprising: a. an upstanding water bath lip defined by a periphery of said water bath; b. a mold top lip defined by said mold top, said water bath lip and said mold top lip extending upward to a lip level, said lip level being above a level of said water in said mold when said mold and said water bath are in engagement and said mold and water bath are filled with said water, whereby said water does not leak from said mold when said mold is filled with said water.

6. The artisan ice production system of claim 5, further comprising: a. a fill hole communicating through said mold top; b. a fill lip surrounding said fill hole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby a level of said water within said fill lip corresponds to a level in said water bath and provides a feedback to a user as to whether said mold is filled and as to whether said water bath will overflow.

7. The artisan ice production system of claim 3 wherein said mold defines a shape for an artisan ice, said shape being a sphere or a cube.

8. The artisan ice production system of claim 3 wherein said mold bottom contains an artisan ice portion, said mold bottom is a one of a plurality of mold bottoms, each of said mold bottoms containing a one of said artisan ice portions, said plurality of mold bottoms combined with said artisan ice portions being stackable one on another without contact between said artisan ice portions, whereby said artisan ice portions may be compactly stored without damage to said artisan ice portions.

9. The artisan ice production system of claim 8 wherein said freezer is configured to accept said plurality of stacked mold bottoms containing said artisan ice portions in a stacked condition.

10. The artisan ice production system of claim 2, further comprising: a. a plurality of sensors, said sensors being configured to detect a temperature of said heat source and a temperature of said chilled air; b. a control system, said control system being configured to control said temperature of said heat source and said temperature of said chilled air.

11. A method for producing an artisan ice, the method comprising: a. providing an artisan ice production unit, said artisan ice production unit comprising a water bath and a mold configured to be immersed partially in said water bath; b. filling said mold and said water bath with a water so that mold is partially immersed in said water bath; c. providing a freezer; d. placing said artisan ice production unit in a chilled air in said freezer.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising: providing a heat source within said freezer, said heat source being in contact with said water bath, said heat source being configured to provide a heat to said water bath to control a freezing of said water in said mold.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: a. providing a plurality of sensors, said plurality of sensors detecting a temperature of said chilled air and a temperature of said heat source; b. providing a control system, said control system being in communication with said sensors, said control system be operably connected to said freezer and to said heat source; c. controlling said temperature of said air and said temperature of said heat source using said control system to control a freezing of said water in said mold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: providing an insulation, said insulation being configured to reduce a flow of heat from said water bath to said chilled air, whereby a requirement for said heat from said heat source is reduced.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said mold comprises a mold top and a mold bottom, said step of providing said water bath and said mold further comprises: a. providing said mold top, said water bath having a periphery, said periphery of said water bath defining a water bath lip, said mold top defining a mold top lip, said mold top lip being configured to engage said water bath lip, said water bath lip and said mold top lip extending upward to a lip level, said lip level being at or above a level of said water in said mold when said mold and said water bath are in engagement and said mold and water bath are filled with said water; b. providing a fill hole communicating through said mold top; c. providing a fill lip surrounding said fill hole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby said water does not leak from said mold when said mold is filled with said water and whereby a level of water in said fill lip provides a feedback to a user as to whether said mold is filled and as to whether said water bath will overflow.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said mold comprises a mold top and a mold bottom, the method further comprising: a. removing said mold top and said water bath to reveal an artisan ice portion in said mold bottom; b. stacking said mold bottom with said artisan ice portion in said mold bottom with another mold bottom with another artisan ice portion, whereby said mold bottom is configured for stacking without damage to said artisan ice portions. c. placing said stacked mold bottoms and artisan ice portions in said freezer for storage.

17. An apparatus for artisan ice production, the apparatus comprising: a. a water bath, said water bath having an open water bath top, said water bath being configured to contain a water; b. a mold top and a mold bottom configured for engagement with said water bath, said mold top and bottom in combination defining a mold, said mold being configured to contain said water, said mold bottom being configured to be at least partially immersed in said water contained in said water bath when said mold top and said mold bottom are in engagement with said water bath and said mold and said water bath are filled with said water.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said mold bottom defining a perforation communicating through said mold bottom, whereby said water within said mold is in communication with said water in said water bath when said mold top and bottom are in engagement with said water bath and said mold and said water bath contain said water.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus further comprising: a. an upstanding water bath lip defined by a periphery of said water bath; b. a mold top lip defined by said mold top, said water bath lip and said mold top lip extending upward to a lip level, said lip level being above a level of said water in said mold when said mold and said water bath are in engagement and said mold and water bath are filled with said water; c. a fill hole communicating through said mold top; d. a fill lip surrounding said fill hole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby said water does not leak from said mold when said mold is filled with said water and whereby a level of said water within said fill lip corresponds to a level in said water bath and provides a feedback to a user as to whether said mold is filled and as to whether said water bath will overflow.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said mold bottom is a one of a plurality of mold bottoms, each of said plurality of mold bottoms being configured to hold a plurality of artisan ice portions, each of said plurality of mold bottoms being stackable one on another when each of said plurality of mold bottoms contains said plurality of artisan ice portions, said plurality of mold bottoms being stackable without touching of any one or said artisan ice portions to any other of said artisan ice portions, whereby said artisan ice portions may be compactly stored without damage to said artisan ice portions.

Description

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is front view of the freezer with artisan ice production units and stored artisan ice portions in the freezer.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a side view of the freezer of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a view of the freezer without the artisan ice production units, artisan ice portions or freezer door.

[0025] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the artisan ice production unit.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the artisan ice production unit with a heat source and sensor.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the artisan ice production unit.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mold bottom.

[0029] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mold top.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the water bath.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of stacked artisan ice portions and mold bottoms.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a sectional end view of a stacked pair of mold bottoms combined with artisan ice portions.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0033] The artisan ice production system 2 includes a freezer 4, shown by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 1 is a front view of the freezer 4. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the freezer 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective of the outside of the freezer 4.

[0034] From FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the freezer 4 includes insulated walls 6 and a door (not shown) to define a closed interior 8 of the freezer 4. The freezer 4 defines an ice production portion 10 and an ice storage portion 12. The ice production and storage portions 10, 12 may be one and the same. Air 14 on the interior 8 of the freezer 4 is chilled conventionally to below the freezing temperature of water.

[0035] Artisan ice production units 16 are filled with water 18. A user slides he artisan ice production unit 16 into the ice production portion 10 of the freezer 4, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2. The artisan ice production unit 16 is supported within the freezer 4 by a surface 20, which may be a shelf. The surface 20 includes a heat source 22. Sensors 26 inform a control system 24 as to the temperature of the heat source 22 and the temperature of the air 14 within the production portion 10. The system 2 may include as many sensors 26 as required by the control system 24 to closely control the rate of freezing of the water 18 in the artisan ice production unit 16. Sensors 26 may be included to detect the temperature of the chilled air 14, the temperature of the heat source 2, and any other parameters that may be useful to the control system 24 to control the rate of freezing of the water in the artisan ice production unit 16. Sensors may be imbedded in the artisan ice production units 16.

[0036] FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the assembled artisan ice production unit 16. The artisan ice production unit 16 includes a water bath 28 and a mold 30. The mold 30 comprises a mold top 32 and a mold bottom 34. The mold 30 defines the shape 36 of the artisan ice portion 38. In the examples of FIGS. 1, 2, 4-8, and 10, the shape 36 is a sphere. The shape 36 may be any three-dimensional form where the resulting artisan ice portion 38 can be released from the mold top 32 and mold bottom 34 without damage to the artisan ice portion 38 or to the mold 30. Example suitable shapes 36 include a sphere, cube, and rectangular solid, but many other shapes 36 may be used.

[0037] As shown by FIGS. 4-6 and 9, the water bath 28 defines one or more water reservoirs 40. In the examples shown, the water bath 28 defines a separate water reservoir 40 for each of the shapes 36 defined by the mold top and bottom 32, 34. Alternatively, the water bath 28 may define a single water reservoir 40 configured to receive all of the shapes 36 defined by the mold top and bottom 32, 34. The water bath 28 also may incorporate more than one reservoir 40 but fewer reservoirs 40 than the number of shapes 36 defined by the mold top and bottom 32, 34. The reservoirs 40 are in thermal communication with the heat source 22 when the artisan ice production unit 16 is on the support 20 in the production portion 10 of the freezer 4. In the example of FIG. 6, the heat source 22 warms a heat transfer plate 44 that in turn selectably warms the water 18 in the water bath 28.

[0038] From FIG. 6, when the mold 30 and water bath 28 are filled with water 18, the wall of the mold bottom 34 is in contact with the water 18 in water bath 28. The water 18 within the mold 30 therefore is in thermal communication with the water 18 in the water bath 28 through the wall of the mold bottom 34. The mold top 32 is exposed to the chilled air 14 in the freezer 4. The water 18 in the mold 30 therefore is in thermal communication with the chilled air 14 in the freezer 4 through the mold top 32. Neither the mold bottom 34 nor the mold top 32 is insulated.

[0039] When the artisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18 and is located within the freezer 4, heat flows from the relatively warm water 18 inside the mold 30 through the mold top 32 to the chilled air 14. The heat flow from the mold 30 is indicated by arrow A on FIG. 6. As the water 18 inside the mold 30 cools and begins to freeze, heat flows from the relatively warm water 18 in the reservoir 40 through the mold bottom 34 into the relatively cool water 18 in the mold 30, indicated by arrow B of FIG. 6. The flow of heat from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30 controls the temperature gradient in the mold 30 and hence the rate of freezing of the water 18 in the mold 30. The reservoir 40 and mold bottom 34 are configured so that the rate of heat transfer through the mold bottom 34 is such that the rate of freezing of water 18 in the mold 30 is adequately slow so that gas bubbles and suspended particulate matter forced from solution by the advancing ice are not trapped in the ice and continue to move in advance of the ice. As heat flows from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30 and from the mold 30 to the chilled air 14, the water 18 in the reservoir 40 cools. As the water 18 in the reservoir 40 cools, the transfer of heat from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30 slows and the reservoir 40 loses its control authority over the freezing of water 18 in the mold 30. The control system 24, informed by the sensors 26, then commands the heat source 22 to warm the water 18 in the reservoir 40, restoring heat available for transfer from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30 and restoring the control authority of the reservoir 40 over the rate of freezing of water 18 in the mold 30. The flow of supplemental heat from the heat source 22 to the mold 30 is indicated by arrow C of FIG. 6. The water 18 in the reservoir 40 buffers and smooths the flow of heat from the heat source 22 to the water 18 in the mold 30

[0040] From FIGS. 6 and 7, the mold bottom 34 includes a perforation 42 so that the water 18 in the mold 30 communicates with the water 18 in the reservoir 40. When the clear ice freezing in the mold 30 reaches the bottom of the mold bottom 34, the gas bubbles and suspended particulate matter are expelled from the mold 30 through the perforation 42 and are not incorporated into the artisan ice portion 38.

[0041] As shown by FIGS. 6-9, the artisan ice production unit 16 includes features that prevent the artisan ice production unit 16 from leaking when filled with water 18 even thought the joints between the water bath 28, mold bottom 34 and mold top 32 are not watertight. The first of those features is an upstanding water bath lip 44 that is defined by a periphery 46 of the water bath 28, best illustrated by FIG. 9. The water bath 28 defines a watertight tray that will contain water 18 without leakage up to a lip level 48, shown by FIGS. 6 and 9. The lip level 48 is above the level of water 18 in the mold 30 when the artisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18. The mold bottom 34 does not define a lip and is submerged in water 18 when the artisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18.

[0042] The mold top 32 defines a mold top lip 50 defined by the periphery of the mold top 32. The mold top lip 50 extends upward to or above the lip level 48 and prevents water 18 overflowing an over-filled water bath 28 from flooding the mold top 32. The use of the water bath lip 44 and the mold top lip 50 that extend above the water level of the mold 30 also provides that none of the joints between the water bath 28, mold top 32 and mold bottom 34 need be watertight. Watertight joints are not required to prevent water 18 leakage from the mold 30 or water bath 28.

[0043] The water bath 28 and mold top 32 must be selectably attached together to prevent the mold top 32 from floating on the water bath 28 when the artisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18. As shown by FIG. 4, the mold bottom 34 defines a clip 58. The mold top 32 defines a mold top latch 60 and the water bath 28 defines a water bath latch 62. When the artisan ice production unit 16 is assembled, the clip 58 engages both the mold top latch 60 and water bath latch 62, securing the artisan ice production unit 16 in the assembled condition and preventing the mold top 32 from floating on the water bath 28.

[0044] Although watertight joints are not required, it is desirable to prevent adjacent artisan ice portions 38 in adjacent molds 30 from freezing together. The mating surfaces of the mold top 32 and mold bottom 34 may feature mating crenellations 52 to prevent ice bridging between adjacent molds 30, as shown by FIG. 6.

[0045] The mold 30 may be filled through a fill hole 54 (FIGS. 6 and 8). The filling process may be either manual by a human operator or may be automatic. A fill lip 56 may surround the fill hole 54. The fill lip 56 also extends upward to the lip level 48, just as the water bath lip 44 and the mold top lip 50. The fill lip 56 serves to protect against spills of water 18 and overfilling of the water bath 28 and mold 30. The fill lip 56 also serves as a fill indicator. The presence of water 18 in the fill lip 56 informs a user that the mold 30 and water bath 28 are filled with water 18.

[0046] From FIGS. 1, 2, 7, 10 and 11, the mold bottoms 34 provide a convenient means to store completed artisan ice portions 38 without allowing the artisan ice portions 38 to touch and without damage to the artisan ice portions 38. When the freezing process is completed, a user removes the artisan ice production unit 16 from the freezer 4, depresses the clip 58 and separates the mold top 32 from the mold bottom 34 and the water bath 28. The artisan ice portions 38 may remain with the mold bottom 34, as shown by FIGS. 10 and 11. The mold bottoms 34, with the artisan ice portions 38, may be stacked as shown by FIGS. 10 and 11 and may be stored in the storage portion 12 of the freezer 4, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0047] FIG. 11 is a sectional end view of a pair of mold bottoms 34 that are stacked and that contain artisan ice portions 38. FIG. 11 illustrates that each mold bottom 34 defines one or more artisan ice engaging features 68. The artisan ice engaging features 68 of a mold bottom 34 are configured to engage one or more artisan ice portions 38 supported by a lower mold bottom 34. The artisan ice engaging features allow the mold bottoms 34 and artisan ice portions 38 to be stacked without the uppermost mold bottom 34 from sliding from the artisan ice portions 38 supported by the lower mold bottom 34.

[0048] The water bath may be insulated against heat loss from its sides to prevent heat loss from the water bath 28 except through the mold bottom 34. Such insulation 64 reduces the energy requirements for the heat source 22. Insulation also may be disposed on the underside of the mold bottom 34, between the mold top 32 and the mold bottom 34 or on top of the mold top 32 to reduce heat loss from the reservoir to the chilled air 14 through the mold bottom 34 and mold top 32 between the shapes 36 defined by the mold 30.

[0049] An automated fill system may include a fill pipe 66, shown by FIG. 5.

[0050] The following are the numbered elements from the claims, specifications and drawings:

[0051] artisan ice production system 2

[0052] freezer 4

[0053] insulated walls 6

[0054] freezer interior 8

[0055] production portion 10

[0056] storage portion 12

[0057] air 14

[0058] artisan ice production unit 16

[0059] water 18

[0060] surface 20

[0061] heat source 22

[0062] control system 24

[0063] plurality of sensors 26

[0064] water bath 28

[0065] mold 30

[0066] mold top 32

[0067] mold bottom 34

[0068] shape 36

[0069] artisan ice portion 38

[0070] reservoir 40

[0071] perforation 42

[0072] upstanding water bath lip 44

[0073] periphery of said water bath 46

[0074] lip level 48

[0075] mold top lip 50

[0076] crenellations 52

[0077] fill hole 54

[0078] fill lip 56

[0079] clip 58

[0080] mold top latch 60

[0081] water bath latch 62

[0082] insulation 64

[0083] fill pipe 66

[0084] artisan ice engaging feature 68