Annular heating assembly for an ice press

Abstract

An electric ice press is provided herein and may be utilized to reshape an initial ice billet into a sculpted ice nugget. The electric ice press may include a mold body having a first mold segment and a second mold segment movable relative to each other. Each mold segment may define a heater cavity that is configured for receiving a ceramic annular heater for heating the mold body to form the sculpted ice nugget.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric ice press defining an axial direction, the electric ice press comprising:
 a mold body comprising a first mold segment and a second mold segment, the first mold segment and the second mold segment being movable relative to each other along the axial direction and defining a mold cavity, the first mold segment defining a heater cavity; and   an annular heater positioned within the heater cavity for heating the first mold segment.   
     
     
         2 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater defines an outer diameter and the mold cavity defines a cavity diameter, wherein the outer diameter is greater than or equal to the cavity diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater defines an inner diameter and the mold cavity defines a cavity diameter, wherein the inner diameter is less than or equal to the cavity diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater defines an outer diameter, an inner diameter, and a diameter ratio of the outer diameter divided by the inner diameter, wherein the diameter ratio is between about 1 and 3. 
     
     
         5 . The electric ice press of  claim 4 , wherein the diameter ratio is between about 1.5 and 4. 
     
     
         6 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater defines an outer diameter, a heater thickness, and an aspect ratio equal to the heater thickness divided by the outer diameter, wherein the aspect ratio is between about 0.4 and 0.8. 
     
     
         7 . The electric ice press of  claim 6 , wherein the aspect ratio is greater than 0.5. 
     
     
         8 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater defines a central passage, the electric ice press further comprising:
 a thermal fuse and a thermostat positioned within the central passage.   
     
     
         9 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the heater cavity is a first heater cavity, the annular heater is a first annular heater, the second mold segment defines a second heater cavity, and the electric ice press further comprises:
 a second annular heater positioned within the second heater cavity for heating the second mold segment.   
     
     
         10 . The electric ice press of  claim 9 , wherein the first annular heater and the second annular heater are identical. 
     
     
         11 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the annular heater is a ceramic heater. 
     
     
         12 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a guide rail extending from the first mold segment toward the second mold segment along the axial direction; and   a sleeve defined within the second mold segment for slidably receiving the guide rail.   
     
     
         13 . The electric ice press of  claim 1 , wherein the first mold segment defines a first cavity portion of the mold cavity and the second mold segment defines a second cavity portion of the mold cavity, wherein the first cavity portion is an upper hemispherical void, and wherein the second cavity portion is a lower hemispherical void. 
     
     
         14 . An electric ice press defining an axial direction, the electric ice press comprising:
 a mold body comprising a first mold segment and a second mold segment, the first mold segment and the second mold segment being movable relative to each other along the axial direction and defining a mold cavity, the first mold segment defining a first heater cavity and the second mold segment defining a second heater cavity;   a first annular heater positioned within the first heater cavity for heating the first mold segment; and   a second annular heater positioned within the second heater cavity for heating the second mold segment.   
     
     
         15 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first annular heater and the second annular heater defines an outer diameter and the mold cavity defines a cavity diameter, wherein the outer diameter is greater than or equal to the cavity diameter. 
     
     
         16 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first annular heater and the second annular heater defines an inner diameter and the mold cavity defines a cavity diameter, wherein the inner diameter is less than or equal to the cavity diameter. 
     
     
         17 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first annular heater and the second annular heater defines an outer diameter, an inner diameter, and a diameter ratio of the outer diameter divided by the inner diameter, wherein the diameter ratio is between about 1 and 5. 
     
     
         18 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first annular heater and the second annular heater defines an outer diameter, a heater thickness, and an aspect ratio equal to the heater thickness divided by the outer diameter, wherein the aspect ratio is between about 0.4 and 0.8. 
     
     
         19 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein the first annular heater and the second annular heater are identical. 
     
     
         20 . The electric ice press of  claim 14 , wherein each of the first annular heater and the second annular heater is a ceramic heater.