Method, system and mould-box for creating form-moulded items of edible ice

• US 7,814,754 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Hermansen, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E
• Application Number:
  US10/515,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,709 Days
• Field of Search: 623/45, 623/56, 62/66, 249/81, 249/79, 249/80, 425/144
• US Class Current: 62/66
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/083 using moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/221 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/228 Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A method, a system, and a mould box for creating form-moulded items of edible ice from an ice mass. The method includes filling at least one mould created between a number of mould boxes with ice mass, and the introduction of cooling or heating medium into the mould boxes, where the flow of the cooling or heating medium is controlled by one or more control units in the mould boxes.

Claims

1. Method for creating form-moulded items of edible ice from an ice mass, said method comprising:

defining a plurality of mould cavities between a number of mould halves, each of the mould halves being formed of a hollow box containing one or more control units;

filling the plurality of mould cavities defined between the number of mould halves with an ice mass,

introducing cooling or heating medium into each of said mould halves, and

controlling the flow of the cooling or heating medium in a manner creating an even and uniform flow along inner sides of the hollow box from an inlet connection stub at one end of the mold halve through the respective mould halve across the side of the plurality of mould cavities facing into the hollow box, to the respective outlet connection stub at an opposite end of the mold halve, with the one or more control units in said mould halves.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein cooled brine is used as the cooling medium.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one opening of said one or more control units controls the flow of the cooling or heating medium in a direction substantially at right-angles to the direction of flow for the cooling or heating medium at the inlet stubs.

4. System for creating form-moulded items of edible ice from an ice mass, where said system comprises:

a plurality of mould halves which define a plurality of mould cavities between them for the receiving of an ice mass, each of the plurality of mould halves being a hollow box having an inlet connection stub and an outlet connection stub at opposite end of the mold halve from the inlet connection stub,

a fixed part having at least one supply that provides cooling and heating medium with associated delivery system for the cooling and heating medium and at least one collection that collects cooling and heating medium, and an area for the placing of the plurality of mould halves, and

at least two connection couplings between said at least one supply and said connection stubs of said mould halves,

wherein said mould halves have one or more control units therein for controlling flow of the cooling or heating medium in a manner creating an even and uniform flow along inner sides of the hollow box from the inlet connection stub, through the respective mould halve across the side of the plurality of mould cavities facing into the hollow space, to a respective outlet connection stub.

5. System according to claim 4, wherein said at least two connection couplings are snap-couplings at least one of the connections for each of the connection couplings including a flexible pipe.

6. System according to claim 4, wherein said fixed part includes an inlet channel through which cooling medium is supplied jointly to said mould boxes, and an outlet channel where the cooling medium is collected and led away after having flowed through the mould halves.

7. System according to claim 4, wherein cooled brine is used as cooling medium.

8. System according to claim 4, wherein each of said mould halves comprises:

a plurality of surfaces with at least one surface forming at least a portion of one mould cavity and the plurality of surfaces defining at least one inner cavity,

one or more sets of inlet and outlet stubs in connection with the at least one inner cavity, so that a cooling or heating medium can flow through said least one cavity from the inlet stub to the outlet stub, and

one or more control units for controlling flow of the cooling or heating medium positioned in said at least one inner cavity.

9. System according to claim 8, wherein said one or more control units are in direct connection with said inlet stub.

10. System according to claim 8, further including one or more discharge units.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said one or more control units and said one or more discharge units have at least one opening.

12. System according to claim 11, wherein said least one opening is circular or oval in shape.

13. System according to claim 11, wherein said least one opening is rectangular in shape.

14. System according to claim 11, wherein said least one opening is an elongated opening.

15. System according to claim 8, wherein said one or more control units include openings of a variety of shapes.

16. System according to claim 11, wherein said least one opening controls the flow of the cooling or heating medium in a direction substantially at right-angles to the direction of flow for the cooling and heating medium at the inlet stubs.

17. System according to claim 8, wherein said one or more control units are made of at least one of metal and plastic.

18. System according to claim 17, wherein said one or more control units include sections of replaceable openings.

19. System according to claim 8, further including at least one discharge unit in direct connection with said outlet stub.