Systems and methods for producing ice

Abstract

In accordance with the principals of the present invention, an ice machine, tray, and process for producing high-quality, substantially clear ice is provided. A heat exchanger in the ice machine removes energy from liquid, cooling the liquid from room temperature to freezing temperature, then overcomes the heat of fusion to form ice. The tray containing a liquid is received in a freezing / mixing chamber. The tray includes an energy transfer surface in thermal contact with the heat exchanger to define a liquid / ice boundary layer. The tray further includes at least one freezing cavity having geometry defining surfaces to form the geometry of the ice. An egress area is defined in the tray above the geometry defining surfaces. A mixing mechanism is provided in operative communication with the liquid to create a velocity profile at the liquid / ice boundary layer to create a directional freezing process starting from the energy transfer surface of the tray in thermal contact with the heat exchanger and growing through the freezing cavity up to the egress area. The velocity profile at liquid / ice boundary enables impurities to be washed away during the freezing process, deterring impurities from getting entrapped in the ice. Impurities in the liquid are thereby washed away and concentrate in a pool away from the ice, ultimately in the egress area of the tray to be purged. In addition, in embodiments sensors can be provided to provide various functions selected from the group consisting of, for example, determining ice creation status, determining freezing height, varying ice creation, determining tray presence, detecting freezing / mixing chamber door position, determining liquid level, and combinations thereof.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This utility patent application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 110,611, filed 6 Nov. 2020, also entitled “Systems and Methods for Producing Ice”, the content of which is hereby incorporated by this reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to high-quality ice making.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND STATE OF THE ART[0003]There are many ice making technologies today that exist to create particular ice forms for specific market needs. Standard ice cubes are opaque and can melt quickly in beverages resulting in a warm drink with a watered-down taste. Large clear ice forms can ameliorate both problems. As used herein, the focus will be on technologies that aim to make substantially clear ice forms. Ice making technologies can be measured against key metrics, which include ice growth, ice shape / form, ice quality, machine price and size, and ease of use.[0004]Ice growth r...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an ice machine that can grow ice faster and more consistently. The ice machine has a thermal transfer surface directly connected to the tray, minimizing thermal resistance. The machine also uses optimized trays to minimize impurities and create a uniform ice form without any parting lines or gate marks. This ice machine is cost-effective and compact, providing a consistent and pleasant ice harvesting experience for the customer. Additionally, the invention includes a mixing mechanism to create a velocity profile at the liquid / ice boundary layer, washing away impurities and allowing them to concentrate in a pool away from the ice. Sensors can also be used in the ice machine to enable various functions such as determining ice creation status, freezing height, tray presence, liquid level, and chamber door position.

Problems solved by technology

Large clear ice forms can ameliorate both problems.

Crystal clear ice making devices available today produce clear ice primarily using one of three methods, each with their own drawbacks: One is the use of simple molds, made of silicone, other plastic, and / or metal.

The main downfall of the use of simple molds is the quality of ice produced.

Not only are the final ice forms not clear, but the low quality of the water put in results in a low quality of the ice that comes out.

In addition, exposure of the top can result in freezer burn if left in too long without a cover.

Simple molds also take up valuable freezer space, can easily be spilt when transferring into or closing the freezer, can create ice forms that are unsymmetrical due to inadequate wall thicknesses, and have slow and inconsistent growth rates since the freezing is beholden to the air temperature and performance of the refrigeration system.

This solution does not deliver the premium ice and experience people deserve.

Although ice can be created with better transparency and lower TDS / TDG than simple molds, ice made utilizing these complex molds takes longer to form, takes up significantly more room in the freezer, and can still exhibit freezer burn on top if not properly covered.

Use of complex molds also makes ice harvesting cumbersome for the user.

The user must guess the best time to remove the system from the freezer: If they remove it too soon, the ice may not be fully formed, and they have to start over; if they remove it too late, the water reservoir below the mold can freeze, making it difficult to remove the mold and ice below.

In many instances customers have broken their assemblies during this process.

Although use of complex molds is relatively cheap and creates better ice than a simple mold, this attempted solution does not deliver the premium ice and experience people desire.

Attempts such as filtering water, heating / boiling water, degassing water, and many others have been tried; however, the same issues persist.

First, if a user just wants the ice making capabilities of system, they are required to purchase the whole refrigerator which is very large and expensive (industrial or other).

Like the mold solutions, the growth rate relies on cold air to transfer energy out of the water, which leads to long ice growth times (18-30 hours).

These ice machines also have the same drawbacks of the quality of the water placed in the tray will remain the same in the ice.

Although storage can be convenient, the ice forms could sinter together, making them difficult to remove.

The temperature at which a typical freezer is held at is also not ideal for clear ice.

The openness of the storage container could also lead to freezer burn on the ice forms.

Most units use refrigeration systems which are energy efficient but can take up significant space.

High throughput units, typically undercounter or stand alone, are a very expensive capital expense and typically require yearly service contracts.

The countertop solutions are medium cost and take up a good amount of counter space while producing sub-par ice using water filled by the user.

These are not meant for at home use due to size and cost (high to industrial range).

Aside from cost and size being a deterrent to consumers, these ice machines also require yearly servicing and professional installation for water and purge lines.

Also, during the harvesting stage, the quick change from cold to hot can crack the ice.

This ice making machine is also large and expensive, has low throughput and limited shape, and requires post processing.

Although the block ice machine has a high average throughput, each cycle requires one to three days due to the large ice forms created.

In addition, block ice machines can be up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in height, resulting in less energy removed from the system over time, resulting in poor efficiency.

Still further, block ice machines need dedicated space, so much that restaurants and bars rarely have one onsite.

From a fixed cost perspective, block ice machines and their complementary post processing equipment cost thousands of dollars.

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