Method and Apparatus for Ice Harvesting

Abstract

A mold defines a first volume for an ice cube, the mold comprising a bottom face having an inner perimeter and side faces. Each side face has an inner perimeter, top edge, and bottom edge. The top edge of each side face may be longer than the bottom edge. Each side face may extend inward from the top edge to the bottom edge. The mold may comprise a three-dimensional shape within the first volume, the three-dimensional shape comprising a second volume. The second volume may be defined by a top outer perimeter, a bottom outer perimeter, and at least a bulge of the three-dimensional shape. The bulge may extend upwardly and taper between the bottom outer perimeter and the top outer perimeter. The mold may further define a third volume between the first and second volumes, with the mold configured to receive water within the third volume.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An ice making apparatus comprising:
 a mold for an ice cube, the mold comprising:
 a first volume defined by the mold; 
 a bottom face having an inner perimeter; 
 side faces, each side face having a corresponding inner perimeter, a corresponding top edge, and a corresponding bottom edge, the corresponding top edge of each side face being longer than the corresponding bottom edge, each side face extending inward from the corresponding top edge to the corresponding bottom edge; and 
 a three-dimensional shape, the three-dimensional shape located within the first volume, the three-dimensional shape comprising a second volume, the second volume defined by a top outer perimeter, a bottom outer perimeter, and at least a bulge of the three-dimensional shape, the bulge extending upwardly between the bottom outer perimeter and the top outer perimeter, the bulge tapering as it extends upwardly between the bottom outer perimeter and the top outer perimeter of the three-dimensional shape; 
 the mold further defining a third volume between the first volume and the second volume, the mold configured to receive water within the third volume; and 
   a cooling device configured to cool water within the third volume sufficiently to freeze the water.   
     
     
         2 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom face and the side faces of the mold comprise parallelograms. 
     
     
         3 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator, the evaporator configured to provide a cooling agent to the cooling device, the cooling agent having a temperature sufficient to freeze the water in the third volume. 
     
     
         4 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mold comprises a mold body, the mold body comprising a plurality of molds cells. 
     
     
         5 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each mold cell comprises a fin, each fin connected to the mold body. 
     
     
         6 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the mold comprises a plurality of passageways, each passageway configured to receive a cooling agent and provide sufficient heat transfer from water within the mold cells to the mold cells, and freezing the water within the mold cells. 
     
     
         7 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a substantially a three-dimensional U-shape. 
     
     
         8 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a substantially a three-dimensional truncated M-shape. 
     
     
         9 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional shape comprises a set of at least two three-dimensional L-shapes. 
     
     
         10 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least two three-dimensional L shapes are mirror images of each other. 
     
     
         11 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the three-dimensional shape further comprises a third three-dimensional shape, the third three-dimensional shape being positioned between and joining the at least two three-dimensional L-shapes. 
     
     
         12 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bulge comprises at least two fins. 
     
     
         13 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bulge comprises four side faces. 
     
     
         14 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the four side faces are parallelograms. 
     
     
         15 . An ice making apparatus comprising:
 an mold, the mold comprising an upper part and a lower part, each of the parts having a plurality of ice cube mold cells corresponding to a plurality of ice cube mold cells of the other part, the mold configured so that a first mold cell of the lower part of the mold and a corresponding second cell of the upper part of the mold comprises a single enclosure, the single enclosure defining a volume for a single ice cube,   a first channel configured to fill the first mold cell and the corresponding second mold cell with water,   a second channel configured to allow air to escape from the single enclosure when the first mold cell and the second mold cell are filled with water, and   a plurality of passageways, each passageway configured to receive a cooling agent and provide sufficient heat transfer from water within the mold cells to the mold cells, and freezing the water within the mold cells.   
     
     
         16 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a seal coating at a surface area wherein the upper part meets the lower part. 
     
     
         17 . An ice making apparatus comprising:
 a plate; and   a mold, the mold positioned over the plate, the mold comprising a plurality of ice cube mold cells, each ice cube mold cell having an opening at the bottom of the cell, and an air escape channel at the top of the cell to allow air to escape from the ice cube mold cell when the plate is filled with water;   the mold and the plate each comprising a plurality of passageways, each passageway configured to receive a cooling agent and provide sufficient heat transfer from water within the ice cube mold cells to the ice cube mold cells, and freeze water within the ice cube mold cells;   each ice cube mold cell comprising a corresponding channel to allow air escape from the ice cube mold cell when the plate is filled with water.   
     
     
         18 . The ice making apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the ice cube mold cells have a shape of a truncated pyramid. 
     
     
         19 . A method of making a plurality of ice cubes, the method comprising:
 placing a mold over a plate, the mold comprising a plurality of cells, each cell having an opening at the bottom of the cell, and an air escape channel at the top of the cell,   filling each of the plurality of cells by filling the plate with water, and   transferring heat from water within the plurality of cells to the mold cells and freezing water within the cells.   
     
     
         20 . The method of making a plurality of ice cubes of  claim 19 , wherein at least one ice cube comprises the shape of a truncated pyramid. 
     
     
         21 . The method of making a plurality of ice cubes of  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of ice cubes comprises a wall having a thickness sufficient to provide mechanical strength of an ice cube and an interior volume that is not completely frozen. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the thickness of the wall of each of the plurality of ice cubes is in the range of about 2-3 mm. 
     
     
         23 . An ice making apparatus comprising:
 a mold, the mold comprising plurality of cells, each cell having an opening at a top of each cell, the mold comprising a plurality of passageways for a cooling agent, and an upper part that is hermetically enclosed with a cover, the upper part comprising a vacuum chamber,   a vacuum pump configured to pump wet air from the mold, and   a pipe, the pipe extending from the vacuum chamber of the evaporator to the vacuum pump,   wherein as pressure in the vacuum chamber starts to decrease, dissolved gases start to leave the bulk of water in each cell, the vacuum pump configured to pump wet air from the evaporator so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber drops below 61 0.5 Pa ((0.18 in Hg) at 32° F.).   
     
     
         24 . A mold for an ice cube, the mold comprising:
 a first volume defined by the mold;   a bottom face having an inner perimeter;   side faces, each side face having a corresponding inner perimeter, a corresponding top edge, and a corresponding bottom edge, the corresponding top edge of each side face being longer than the corresponding bottom edge, each side face extending inward from the corresponding top edge to the corresponding bottom edge; and   a three-dimensional shape, the three-dimensional shape located within the first volume, the three-dimensional shape comprising a second volume, the second volume defined by a top outer perimeter, a bottom outer perimeter, and at least a bulge of the three-dimensional shape, the bulge extending upwardly between the bottom outer perimeter and the top outer perimeter, the bulge tapering as it extends upwardly between the bottom outer perimeter and the top outer perimeter of the three-dimensional shape;   the mold further defining a third volume between the first volume and the second volume, the mold configured to receive water within the third volume.