Devices for shaping clear ice products and related methods

Abstract

Methods and devices are described for shaping ingots of ice. Devices may include a support structure, a mold for shaping ice ingots, the mold being mounted to the support structure. The devices may also include a first upper platen assembly disposed above a first lower platen assembly, a first positioning means, and at least one liquid inlet valve for each of the first upper platen assembly and the first lower platen assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a support structure;   a mold having a plurality of cavities for shaping at least one ice ingot, the mold being mounted to the support structure and including:
 a first mold housing having one or more surfaces and a first heat exchanger layer; and 
 a second mold housing having one or more surfaces and a second heat exchanger layer; 
   a first platen assembly and a second platen assembly; and   a positioning means for disposing at least one of the one or more surfaces of the first mold housing adjacent to the first platen assembly and disposing at least one of the one or more surfaces of the second mold housing to the second platen assembly to cause the shaping of the at least one ice ingot by selectively maintaining tension from the first platen assembly on the at least one surface of the first mold housing and selectively maintaining tension from the second platen assembly on the at least one surface of the second mold housing over a time period such that the at least one ice ingot is selectively melted into a plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes defined by the mold,   wherein the first heat exchanger layer and the second heat exchanger layer are configured to inductively receive heat and transfer at least a portion of heat from the first platen assembly to the at least one surface of the first mold and from the second platen assembly to the at least one surface of the second mold.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inductively received heat originates at a plurality of electrically charged coils arranged in contact with the first platen assembly or the second platen assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger layer and the second heat exchanger layer comprise electrically heated layers. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning means is further configured to release the tension on the first mold and the second mold by retracting the first platen assembly from the first mold housing and the second platen assembly from the second mold housing after the time period. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mold is semi-flexible and comprises a plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of pockets being disposed between an articulating joint to allow movement during heating or cooling of the ice ingot held by the mold. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a computing device having at least one processor and memory storing instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to generate and trigger display of at least one user interface configured to receive user input corresponding to configuring a recipe for shaping the ice ingot with the apparatus, the recipe including timing instructions for shaping the ice ingot. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the ice ingot is frozen clear ice;   the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes are separate, individual volumes of ice; and   the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes are tethered together by an ice bridge to form a sprue of ice shapes.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mold cavities have a shape selected from the group consisting of a cube shape, a polyhedron shape, a sphere shape, a heart shape, a diamond shape, and a clover shape. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ice ingot is substantially rectangular shape and is about 30 centimeters to about 80 centimeters in length. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mold comprises an adjustable offset between the first mold housing and the second mold housing to accommodate ice ingots of varying sizes or shapes. 
     
     
         11 . A method for shaping ice, the method comprising:
 providing a mold that forms a plurality of cavities, the mold comprising:
 a first mold housing having one or more surfaces and a heat exchanger layer; and 
 a second mold housing having one or more surfaces and a second heat exchanger layer, 
   providing a first platen assembly and a second platen assembly; and   providing a positioning means for disposing at least one of the one or more surfaces of the first mold housing adjacent to the first platen assembly and disposing at least one of the one or more surfaces of the second mold housing to the second platen assembly;   receiving an elongate ingot of clear ice in a position between the first mold housing and the second mold housing;   selectively heating the elongate ingot through the heat exchanger layer and the second heat exchanger layer such that the elongate ingot selectively melts to form a plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes as defined by the plurality of cavities, wherein the first mold housing and the second mold housing are arranged in a substantially adjacent position during the selective heating; and   removing the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes from the mold,   wherein the first heat exchanger layer and the second heat exchanger layer are configured to inductively receive heat and transfer at least a portion of heat from the first platen assembly to the at least one surface of the first mold and from the second platen assembly to the at least one surface of the second mold.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inductively received heat originates at a plurality of electrically charged coils arranged in contact with the first platen assembly or the second platen assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first heat exchanger layer and the second heat exchanger layer comprise electrically heated layers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the positioning means is further configured to selectively maintaining tension from the first platen assembly on the at least one surface of the first mold housing and selectively maintaining tension from the second platen assembly on the at least one surface of the second mold housing over a time period such that the elongate ingot is selectively melted into a plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes defined by the mold. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the positioning means is communicatively coupled to a computing device having at least one processor and memory storing instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to generate and trigger display of at least one user interface for receiving user input corresponding to configuring a recipe for shaping the elongate ingot, wherein the recipe includes timing instructions for shaping the elongate ingot. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the ice ingot is frozen clear ice;   the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes are separate, individual volumes of ice; and   the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes are tethered together by an ice bridge to form a sprue of ice shapes.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of mold cavities have a shape selected from the group consisting of a cube shape, a polyhedron shape, a sphere shape, a heart shape, a diamond shape, and a clover shape. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mold is semi-flexible and comprises a plurality of pockets, each of the plurality of pockets being disposed between an articulating joint to allow movement during heating or cooling of the elongate ingot held by the mold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises performing at least one post processing step on the plurality of sufficiently distinct ice shapes, wherein the at least one post processing step comprises selectively cooling the elongate ingot to refreeze surface water on the elongate ingot. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mold comprises an adjustable offset between the first mold housing and the second mold housing to accommodate ice ingots of varying sizes or shapes.