Devices and Methods for Making Shaped Clear Ice
First Claim
1. A device for making shaped clear ice from a clear liquid, the device comprising:
- an insulated vessel that includes insulated sides, an insulated bottom, and an open top, wherein the insulated sides and bottom define a vessel cavity having a depth;
an ice mold engageable into the vessel cavity through the open top of the insulated vessel, the ice mold including;
first and second mold parts that releasably engage one another to define at least one mold cavity that shapes the shaped clear ice upon freezing of the clear liquid within the at least one mold cavity;
an upper exterior end wall, the upper end having an upper opening allowing fluid communication through the upper exterior end wall to the at least one mold cavity for receiving the clear liquid during filling of the at least one mold cavity;
a lower exterior end wall spaced from the upper exterior end wall by a distance less than the vertical depth of the vessel cavity of the insulated vessel, the lower exterior end wall having lower opening allowing fluid communication through the lower exterior end wall to the at least one mold cavity;
a central rotational axis;
a lateral exterior extending between the upper and lower exterior end walls, the lateral exterior configured so that when the ice mold is engaged with the vessel cavity for ice-making, the ice mold is rotatable about the central rotational axis; and
means that allow a user to rotate the ice mold relative to the insulated vessel about the central rotational axis while the ice mold is engaged in the vessel cavity;
wherein, when the ice mold is fully engaged in the vessel cavity, the lower exterior end of the ice mold is spaced from the insulated bottom so as to leave a void in the vessel cavity in which cloudy ice forms as a result of forming of the shaped clear ice within the at least one mold cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A clear-ice-making device that includes an insulated vessel and an ice mold that is engageable with a cavity of the insulated vessel in a manner that allows a user to rotate the ice mold about a central rotational axis to aid in removing the ice mold from the insulated vessel. In one embodiment, the ice mold includes one or more mold cavities that, when the ice mold is engaged with the insulated vessel, each fluidly communicate with a void beneath the ice mold and with an overfill region above that mold cavity. A method of making clear-ice shapes using a device having an ice mold rotatable within an insulated vessel is also disclosed, as is a method of instructing a user on how to perform the method of making clear-ice shapes.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for making shaped clear ice from a clear liquid, the device comprising:
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an insulated vessel that includes insulated sides, an insulated bottom, and an open top, wherein the insulated sides and bottom define a vessel cavity having a depth; an ice mold engageable into the vessel cavity through the open top of the insulated vessel, the ice mold including; first and second mold parts that releasably engage one another to define at least one mold cavity that shapes the shaped clear ice upon freezing of the clear liquid within the at least one mold cavity; an upper exterior end wall, the upper end having an upper opening allowing fluid communication through the upper exterior end wall to the at least one mold cavity for receiving the clear liquid during filling of the at least one mold cavity; a lower exterior end wall spaced from the upper exterior end wall by a distance less than the vertical depth of the vessel cavity of the insulated vessel, the lower exterior end wall having lower opening allowing fluid communication through the lower exterior end wall to the at least one mold cavity; a central rotational axis; a lateral exterior extending between the upper and lower exterior end walls, the lateral exterior configured so that when the ice mold is engaged with the vessel cavity for ice-making, the ice mold is rotatable about the central rotational axis; and means that allow a user to rotate the ice mold relative to the insulated vessel about the central rotational axis while the ice mold is engaged in the vessel cavity; wherein, when the ice mold is fully engaged in the vessel cavity, the lower exterior end of the ice mold is spaced from the insulated bottom so as to leave a void in the vessel cavity in which cloudy ice forms as a result of forming of the shaped clear ice within the at least one mold cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of making shaped clear ice, the method comprising:
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filling, with a clear liquid; a mold cavity of an ice mold that is engaged with a vessel cavity of an insulated vessel; and a void in fluid communication with the mold cavity and located in the vessel cavity beneath the mold cavity; placing the ice mold and the insulated vessel in a frigid environment so that an entirety of the clear liquid in the mold cavity freezes; removing the ice mold and the insulated vessel from the frigid environment; while the ice mold remains engaged with the vessel cavity, causing rotational movement between the ice mold and the insulated vessel to break a connection between ice in the mold cavity and ice in the void; and extracting the shaped clear ice from the ice mold. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification