ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPARENT ICE CUBE MAKER
20220341642 · 2022-10-27
Inventors
Cpc classification
F25C1/20
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25B21/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
An energy efficient ice cube maker configured to make transparent ice cubes over one inch tall, comprising a refrigeration system, an agitation system and multiple ice molds having a thickness to freeze water through a wall of the ice tray utilizing one directional freezing of the water. Taught is how to configure a frequency/amplitude combination to a refrigeration system to make tall transparent ice cubes and how to distribute the frequency rate and amplitude intensity combination to water in ice trays for a plurality of weights. Additionally taught is how to make a flavored transparent ice treat.
Claims
1. A transparent ice cube making machine comprising: features to simultaneously move water in multiple ice molds and move a refrigeration pipe and move a freezing surface; wherein the features to move the water are configured to provide a frequency of over thirty-eight movements per minute to the water; and an amplitude intensity to the water so a droplet of water jumps above a top surface of said water.
2. A transparent ice cube making machine comprising: a refrigeration system; a freezing surface; multiple ice molds; and a water movement system; wherein said refrigeration system, said water movement system, and said multiple ice molds are calibrated to a total weight to be moved to provide a frequency of over thirty eight movements per minute to said water and an amplitude intensity to said water so water droplets jump at least one eighth of an inch above a top surface of said water; wherein said amplitude intensity is low enough such that said top surface of said water does not freeze before water below said top surface freezes; and wherein an ice cube made by said machine has a center portion that is void of visual crystallization.
3. The machine of claim 2, further comprising a refrigeration pipe that is configured under a top surface of the freezing surface to freeze said water which is in said multiple ice molds through a bottom wall of said multiple ice molds when said water movement system is activated.
4. The machine of claim 2, wherein said refrigeration system further comprises a thermoelectric cooling to freeze said water which is in said multiple ice molds through a bottom wall of said multiple ice molds when said water movement system is activated.
5. The machine of claim 2, Wherein said freezing surface is made out of ceramic.
6. The machine of claim 2, further comprising a vibration isolator that is configured to the transparent ice cube making machine to help distribute the amplitude to the water in each of the multiple ice molds.
7. The machine of claim 2, wherein the water movement system comprises an eccentric vibrator that is attached to a metal segment that is one sixtieth inch thick or thicker of the transparent ice making machine to help distribute the amplitude and frequency combination to each of said multiple ice molds.
8. The machine of claim 2, wherein the frequency is adjustable by a user for varying weights to be moved to provide the amplitude to each of said multiple ice molds so a droplet of water within said multiple ice molds jumps above a top surface of said water.
9. The machine of claim 2, further comprising a removable lid that is configured to said multiple ice molds in a manner to prevent water splashing outside said multiple ice molds from the amplitude and said lid is removable from said multiple ice molds by hand.
10. The machine of claim 2, wherein said water movement system is further comprised of cams and an electric motor and said cams and electric motor are calibrated to the total weight to be moved to provide an amplitude intensity so droplets of said water which is in said multiple ice molds keeps jumping above the top surface of said water until said water is frozen.
11. The machine of claim 2, wherein said multiple ice molds are made of a polymer and a bottom wall of said ice molds has a thickness of less than 0.070 inches.
12. A transparent ice cube making machine comprising: features to move flavored water in an ice mold made out of a polymer; wherein the flavor in said water is water-soluble and transparent after said water freezes; said transparent ice cube making machine is further configured to freeze said flavored water in said ice mold from a bottom position of said ice mold to a top position of said ice mold through a bottom wall of said ice mold; and a refrigeration system; wherein said refrigeration system is configured to use a refrigerant having a boiling point of less than minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit; and wherein said refrigeration system is calibrated to said ice mold to make an ice cube that is over two inches tall, wherein said ice cube made by said machine has a center portion that is void of visual crystallization; and wherein said ice mold is configured to be removable from said machine by a user of said machine.
13. The machine of claim 12, wherein said refrigeration system is comprised of piping having a diameter of one half of an inch or larger.
14. (canceled)
15-20. (canceled)
21. A transparent ice cube making machine comprising: a freezing surface; a refrigeration system; multiple ice molds; a water movement system; and wherein said multiple ice molds sit on top of said freezing surface; and wherein said water movement system is calibrated to a total weight to be moved to provide a frequency to water and an amplitude intensity to said water to make an ice cube that has a center portion that is void of visual crystallization; and wherein said machine is further configured so said multiple ice molds are removable from said freezing surface by a user of said machine after said water freezes.
21. The machine of claim 21, wherein said amplitude intensity is high enough so a droplet of water jumps above a top surface of said water and said amplitude intensity is low enough so said water droplet does not freeze said top surface of said water before said water under said top surface freezes.
22. The machine of claim 21, wherein said machine further comprises a vibration isolator.
23. The machine of claim 21, wherein said machine is further configured so a user of said machine can exchange said multiple ice molds with a different shaped ice molds.
24. The machine of claim 21, wherein said multiple ice molds have a bottom wall made of metal and a sidewall made out of a polymer.
25. The machine of claim 21, wherein said multiple ice molds have a sidewall and said sidewall contacts a sidewall of a mold receiver when said multiple ice molds are inserted into said mold receiver.
26. The machine of claim 21, wherein a refrigeration pipe is located directly under said freezing surface.
27. The machine of claim 21, wherein a lid is calibrated to output BTUs of said refrigeration system to allow warm air above said lid to warm said lid enough to prevent a top surface of said water from freezing before water under said top surface freezes.
28. The machine of claim 21, wherein said multiple ice molds have a wall thickness of less than 0.080 inches and said multiple ice molds flex when one half pound per square inch pressure is applied to said multiple ice molds.
29. The machine of claim 21, wherein said machine is configured to provide one directional freezing of said water in said multiple ice molds.
30. The machine of claim 21, wherein said refrigeration system is configured to utilize a refrigerant having a boiling point of lower than minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit.
31. The machine of claim 21, wherein said machine is further configured to make one hundred pounds of ice cubes that measure over one inch tall utilizing less than eighteen kilowatt hours of energy.
32. The machine of claim 21, wherein said water movement system comprises an eccentric vibrator.
33. The machine of claim 21, wherein said water movement system provides at least one half pound of force for each pound to be moved.
34. The machine of claim 21, wherein a refrigeration pipe is located under said freezing surface and a thermal paste is placed between said refrigeration pipe and said freezing surface.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED BRIEF OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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[0082] Cart 105 has vibration adjusters 107 (also known as vibration isolators or vibration dampeners), is shown in one embodiment of the present invention between cart 105 and bin 108. Vibration adjusters 107 is attached to any segment of transparent ice cube maker 101 including various places on mold 111 and number between one, two, three, four or more. In one embodiment of the present invention freezing plate 119 is thermoelectrically cooled. Thermoelectrically cooling surfaces are known in the art. As an example see previously sited US Patent application 20210381746 to Boarman et al. which is incorporated by reference herein.
[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 is attached to insulating cover 114 and insulating cover 114 goes over mold 111 to vibrate mold 111. In one embodiment of the present invention cover 114 is heated. Insulating cover 114 is one means functioning to provide an air pocket (not shown) above water in cavities 112 or mold 111. In one embodiment of the present invention cover 114 is magnetized or has magnets (not shown)
[0084] In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 is located under freezing surface 109 and freezing surface 109 is made from corrosive resistant material. In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator (oscillator) 115 is either 110 volts, 115 volts, 120 volts 220 volts or 240 volts and preferably pulls less than three amperes and is capable of pulling more amperes. In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 has a built in direct current 12 volt or 24 volt or 36 volt power supply.
[0085] In one preferred embodiment the vibration isolator 107 is located under freezing surface 109 or bin 108.
[0086] In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115. 118A is a microprocessor that senses when to turn off the compressor 100 when the ice cubes (not shown) are frozen and 118B is a voice coil. Microprocessor 118A is shown by way of example and not limitation. The present invention contemplates all ways to turn off compressor 100 when the ice cubes are ready and all ways fall into the scope of the present inv invention.
[0087] In one embodiment of the present invention the vibrator 115 oscillates refrigeration pipe 102 and is calibrated to provide at least one half pound of force for each pound of to be vibrated. The location of vibration adjustor 107, also known as vibration isolators, is shown by way of example and not limitation.
[0088] In one embodiment of the present invention vibration adjustor 107 (also known as a vibration isolator) is placed under freezing surface 109 but also is located under mold 111 and in other locations. Vibration adjusters 107 allows bin 108 to vibrate while cart 105 does not vibrate allowing about a uniformed distribution of vibration frequency and amplitude to water in cavities 112 or mold 111 to raise a droplet of water at least one half of an inch above the surface of water (not shown) in cavities 112 or mold 111.
[0089] In one embodiment of the present invention vibration adjusters 107 is a spring having high coils or rubber pads and can be a variety of mechanisms. In one embodiment of the present invention the vibration adjustors are configured to the total mass being vibrated so one coil does not touch another coil. The present invention contemplates all configurations of vibration adjusters 107 and all vibration adjusters fall into the scope of the present invention.
[0090] In one embodiment of the present invention mold 111 is located within one half of inch of freezing surface 109. In one embodiment of the present invention freezing surface 109 is magnetized or provides a magnet (not shown) to agitate or move water in mold 111.
[0091] In one embodiment of the present invention cavities 112 are made from a polymer. In one embodiment of the present invention a segment of cavities 112 are magnetized. One embodiment of the present invention provides that the cavities themselves are flexible. In one embodiment of the present invention cavities 112 and mold 111 are made from High Density Polyethylene, or Polyethylene Terephthalate or Polypropylene or Polycarbonate or metal. The material is important because in one embodiment of the present invention the mold 111 the ice (not shown) is made in is the packaging to the end user. In one embodiment of the present invention a label having the weight of the ice printed on the label is placed on ice mold 111. One of ordinary skill in the art would know how to accomplish that goal. There is no known art for mass produced transparent ice that is made in an ice mold having multiple cavities that acts as packaging for the end user with a label (not shown) having the ice weight on the label except for the present invention. This is very sanitary as there is no need to repackage the ice cubes (not shown), it ships in the mold 111 it is made in.
[0092] Mold receiver 110 sits atop freezing surface 109. Mold receiver 110 provides insulation to the of cavities 112 as cavities 112 insert into mold receiver 110 so that when water (not shown) is put in the cavities 112 the cavities 112 touch a segment of the mold receiver 110 sidewalls 113. The mold receiver thus provides one directional freezing of water. In one embodiment of the present invention a sidewall 113 is magnetized or has a magnet (not shown) attached to it.
[0093] Freezing surface 109 having mold 111 having cavities 112 fits into openings 113. The mold receiver 110 is eliminated in one embodiment of the present invention by using injected molded 111 parts. A segment of mold receiver 110 can become a part of mold 111 through various methods known in the art including glue (not shown) to insulate mold 111 where mold 111 and mold receiver 110 becomes a single part (not shown). In one embodiment of the present invention cavities 111 are magnetized or has a magnet (not shown) attached to it.
[0094] Mold 111 can be tightly fitted together in bin thus leaving no air between numerous molds 111. In this embodiment the water in mold 111 primarily freezes from only direction, the bottom up as there is no space between the numerous molds 111.
[0095] In one embodiment of the present invention lid (cover) 130A in
[0096] One embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 operates on a direct current and is brushless.
[0097] In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 is attached first to rigid metal plate 115B and then the rigid plate 115B is attached in various ways to the transparent ice maker 101. In another embodiment vibrator 115 is attached to any metal surface of transparent ice cube maker 101. It is most preferable that vibrator 115 is attached to a metal segment of transparent ice maker 101.
[0098] One embodiment of the present invention uses a servo motor 116 or stepper motor 117 is configured to move freezing surface 109 in an arch with an angle between twenty degrees and sixty degrees. In one embodiment of the present invention power supply 118 is either 12 volts or 24 volts or 36 volts. Mold 111 is configured in many shapes or sizes and made from numerous materials. In one embodiment of the present invention refrigeration pipe 119 in
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[0100] In one embodiment of the present invention refrigeration 119 has a heater 120A to heat a refrigerant (not shown) in refrigeration pipe 119. In one embodiment of the present invention liquid refrigeration line 119D has a hot liquid or hot gas inside (not shown) so when refrigeration line 119D is placed in close proximity to refrigeration pipe 119 to heat a cold refrigerant (not shown) inside refrigeration pipe 119 to the degree it does not flow back to and freeze compressor 100 in
[0101] In one embodiment of the present invention the liquid refrigeration pipe 119D has a nominal diameter of one quarter of an inch and a length of over three feet that when coupled with a compressor 100 that in one embodiment of the present invention is rated to provide an air flow of at least two hundred cubic feet per minute to create enough pressure to heat the liquid refrigeration pipe 119D enough to properly heat a segment of refrigeration pipe 119.
[0102] In one embodiment of the present invention liquid refrigeration pipe 119D is coiled around refrigeration pipe 119 to increase the heat transfer from liquid refrigeration pipe 119D to refrigeration pipe 119. Wrapping a hot liquid pipe around a segment of a refrigeration pipe for a transparent ice cube maker is not known in the art or fairly suggested.
[0103] In one embodiment of the present invention a segment of refrigeration pipe 119 and refrigeration pipe 119D are wrapped together with insulation 120A so heat from liquid refrigerant (not shown) in refrigeration pipe 119D transfers heat to refrigeration pipe 119 having a cold refrigerant inside (not shown) is warmed.
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[0109] In one embodiment if the present invention sidewalls 206 are configured to flex when water 204 is added to cavities 205.
[0110] In one embodiment of the present invention ice tray 200 is made of plastic and has a bottom wall 207 having a thickness of 0.0130 inches or less. In one embodiment of the present invention bottom wall 207 is made of metal and sidewalls 206 are made of plastic.
[0111] In one embodiment of the present invention from position top AB to position bottom BB there is at least a one degree tapper and most preferably two degrees tapper but less than four degrees tapper. In one embodiment of the present invention sidewalls 206 are made from plastic and bottom wall 207 is made from metal. In this embodiment the plastic sidewalls provide enough insulation that water 204 will not freeze through sidewalls 206 and only freeze through bottom wall 207. In making transparent ice cubes (not shown) it is advantages that in one embodiment of the present invention the plastic is clear so one can see through the plastic to judge the transparency of the ice cube as the ice is being made and before the ice cube is completely frozen. Therefore, with respect to making transparent ice a see through transparent ice cube tray should be considered novel.
[0112] In one embodiment of the present invention ice tray 200 is configured to mold receiver 110 in
[0113] In one embodiment of the present invention vibrator 115 is attached to ice tray 200. Vibrator 115 is attached to various parts of transparent ice cube maker 101 in
[0114] In one embodiment of the present invention handle 211 is attached to transparent ice treat 212. Handel 211 is made of a variety of material in a variety of configurations and most preferable made from a transparent material. In one embodiment one the present invention handle 211 is placed in opening 210 so when water 204 freezes handle 211 attaches to the ice treat 212. The attachment of the handle is an illustration and not limitation and there are various ways to attach one of ordinary skill in the art knows how to attach a handle 211 to ice treat 212.
[0115] In one embodiment of the present invention sidewalls 206 are configured to have a thickness of plastic to provide heat conductivity of less than 1.9 watts per meter-Kelvin (W/m−K).
[0116] In one embodiment one the present invention opening 210 allows heat to go through lid 201. Opening 210 is small enough to reduce the chance of a droplet from jumping outside cavities 205.
[0117] In one embodiment of the present invention vibration adjusters 107 in
[0118] In one embodiment of the present invention ice tray 200 is configured to be crushable or compressible or flexible using one quarter pound per sqaure inch of pressure or placing a one pound weight on the bottom wall of tray 200. In one embodiment of the present invention ice tray 200 is configured to be crushable and disposable after four uses and most preferably disposable after a single use. A single use ice tray for making transparent ice cubes is thought to be novel.
[0119] In one embodiment of the present invention a segment of mold receiver 110 is attached or adhered to a segment of ice tray 200.
[0120] In one embodiment of the present invention sidewalls 206 are thicker than bottom wall 207.
[0121] This Detailed Brief of the Preferred Embodiments is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims or any part of the present inventions multiple embodiments disclosed or not disclosed.