Device and methods for freezing liquids into a flat form

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Solution Overview

Problem

Plastic zipper bags used for freezing liquids do not maintain a flat shape, leading to inefficient storage due to irregular shapes and disorganization, which increases space usage and makes stacking difficult.

Innovation Solution

A device comprising two identical plates with interconnect structures and a latching mechanism, such as banana plugs, pegs with rubber grommets, or clips, is used to hold a plastic bag flat during freezing, ensuring the liquid maintains a flat form after solidification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If plastic zipper bags are used to freeze liquids without support, then the bags are convenient and cheap to use, but they form irregular shapes that waste storage space and are difficult to organize

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of freezingVSAvoidstorage space

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a support structure (rigid frame with flat surface) as an intermediary between the plastic bag and the freezing environment. This support structure maintains the bag in a flat, organized position during freezing, preventing the irregular shapes that waste storage space, while requiring minimal modification to the existing bag-freezing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If plastic zipper bags are used to freeze liquids without support, then the bags are cheap and convenient to use, but they do not maintain their shape and become disorganized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of freezingVSAvoidflatness of frozen bag

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid support structure acts as a mediator that imposes a flat geometric form on the flexible plastic bag during freezing. The support structure's flat surface guides the bag to maintain a neat, organized shape without requiring complex modifications to the bag itself or the freezing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The support structure is prepared in advance and positioned in the freezer before the bag is placed inside. This preliminary arrangement ensures that the bag will naturally conform to the flat shape during freezing, eliminating the need for post-freezing shaping or reorganization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device allows for neat stacking and organized storage of frozen liquids by maintaining their flat shape, reducing space usage and preventing disorganization.

Implementation Method 1

freezing liquid-containing food and beverages into a flat form

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFreezing: Freezing

Data Source

PatentUS12410960B2Device and methods for freezing liquids into a flat form

Publication Date: 2025.09.09 MH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LLC

AI summary

A device for freezing liquid in a flat form has a first plate with a first portion of a latching mechanism and a second plate including a second portion of the latching mechanism. The latching mechanism includes a spring pin, a post and grommet, or a clip in various embodiments. The first plate and second plate can include a plurality of symmetrically formed tabs extending outward from the plates with the latching mechanism formed on the tabs. The first plate and second plate may include a plurality of symmetrically formed latching mechanisms.