Apparatus for producing clear ice cubes in a freezer

Abstract

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

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of both (i) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 326,990, filed Apr. 25, 2016 and entitled “Apparatus for Producing Clear Ice Cubes in a Freezer” and (ii) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 394,472, filed Sep. 14, 2016 and entitled “Apparatus for Producing Clear Ice Cubes in a Freezer”, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards apparatuses for producing ice cubes. In particular, embodiments of the present invention are directed to trays for making ice cubes in a manner that allows for ice to be produced with a clear or semi-clear transparency through the elimination of gaseous water during the freezing process.BACKGROUND[0003]Commercial ice making machines are typically designed to make highly transparent ice, whereas most manual ice cube trays use...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about a way to make clear or semi-clear ice cubes in a home freezer. This ice is better for use in beverages because it is purer and melts slower than regular ice. This patent describes a way to produce these high-quality, attractive ice cubes right in your own freezer.

Problems solved by technology

These white, cloudy cubes are not aesthetically pleasing and / or otherwise satisfactory to many consumers who are used to transparent ice in their cocktails or other beverages.

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

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