Abstract:
An apparatus for preparing frozen comestibles including a container having an interior portion holding a refrigerant solution, and a mold insert attached to the container. The mold insert includes a base, molding cavities extending therefrom, and a heat exchanger in communication with the molding cavities. The mold insert is received within the container such that the molding cavities are housed within the interior portion of the container and the heat exchangers are submerged within the refrigerant solution. The molding cavities include exposed openings that receive fluids to be frozen. When the refrigerant solution is at a sufficiently cool temperature, the fluids freeze into a shaped frozen comestible.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/321,237, filed Jan. 16, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This disclosure generally relates to producing consumable products by cooling, and in particular it relates to producing shaped or modified congealed products using a contained refrigerant solution. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Though frozen comestibles formed on a stick (such as ice pops, POPSICLES and the like) enjoy wide popularity, they are generally obtainable only through commercial and industrial sources, such as ice cream vendors or grocery stores. There have been few useful convenient devices or processes that have been proposed or introduced for the quick preparation of such food items in the home. While frozen comestibles can be molded and frozen in common refrigerator/freezer units, such methods can take hours for the comestible to form. 
     There have, by contrast, been many types of modern household ice cream makers introduced. By and large, they use double walled bowls that have heat exchangers and contain liquids with depressed freezing points, such as below 32° Fahrenheit. Ice cream makers typically only freeze liquids directly touching the wall, which is then continuously scraped off and mixed to produce, for example, ice cream or frozen yogurts. Accordingly, such ice cream makers are adapted for those specific comestibles only, and cannot generally be used for making ice pops, POPSICLES and the like. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a process and apparatus for conveniently making frozen comestibles on a stick, which overcomes the disadvantages of existing technologies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure, therefore, introduces methods and devices for making frozen comestibles, which are particularly suited for, but not limited to, making frozen, shaped comestibles on a stick. A suitable device may include a container for holding a refrigerant solution therein. The container has one or more molding cavities for receiving a fluid to be frozen, where the fluid is contained within the molding cavity separately from the refrigerant solution within the container. A molding cavity may include a coating on an inner surface thereof to facilitate removal of a frozen comestible produced from the fluid. A molding cavity may further include one or more heat exchangers on an external surface thereof, which are disposed within the refrigerant solution. When the refrigerant solution is at a sufficiently cool temperature, the fluid is frozen within the molding chamber, assisted by the thermal action of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant solution, to form the frozen comestible within, for example, ten minutes, and as few as three minutes dependent upon environmental conditions, state of recharging of the comestible maker and the shape of the molding cavities. 
     In various embodiments, a removable stick may be provided for use with the frozen comestible maker. The stick may having a blade for insertion into the molding chamber and the fluid to be frozen, and may further include a handle that is grasped by a human hand. 
     In various embodiments, a drip cup may be disposed between the handle and the blade. 
     In various embodiments, an extraction tool may be provided, which mates with the handle to produce a torque thereon and/or to provide additional linear force for the removal of the comestible. When operated by hand, the extraction tool provides sufficient force to loosen the frozen comestible from the molding cavity, and better enables the removal of the frozen comestible from the molding cavity by hand. 
     In various embodiments, a method for making a frozen comestible includes chilling the container of the frozen comestible maker in a refrigeration device to a temperature below the freezing point of water for several hours, removing the container from the refrigeration device, dispensing the fluid to be frozen into the molding chambers, inserting a stick into the molding chamber, and within ten minutes or less in various embodiments, applying the extraction tool to the handle of the stick to generate a torque, or otherwise removing the stick from the container, thereby producing a frozen comestible that is ready for consumption. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further aspects of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated upon review of the detailed description of its various embodiments, described below, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary comestible maker and accessories according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  depicts exemplary components and sub-assemblies of the comestible maker and accessories of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary mold cavity of the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  depicts exemplary heat exchangers for use with the mold cavity of the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary disassembled stick portion for use with the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  depicts exemplary assembled and partially assembled stick portions for use with the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  depicts an exemplary extraction tool for use with the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a second exemplary extraction tool for use with the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  depict exemplary comestibles produced by the comestible maker of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  depicts a second exemplary embodiment of a comestible maker and accessories; and 
         FIG. 12  is a further depiction of the second exemplary embodiment of the comestible maker of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed method devices and methods for making frozen comestibles include a mold or series of molds used for freezing pops and creating specifically shaped comestibles on a stick. Such devices may be used for quickly freezing water for ice cubes or for creating ice pops, ice cream pops, yogurt pops, juice pops, fruit pops, POPSICLES, FUDGESICLES, CREAMSICLES or other comestibles, particularly comestibles disposed on a stick, in a very short period of time. The disclosed devices will freeze its contents solid from the outside in, within typically three to ten minutes. Any appropriate suitable substance that can be poured into such devices is frozen quickly and extracted easily for consumption, thereby constituting an “instant” ice pop maker that is of suitable size for home use. The single or multiple molds or cavities are mated to a container that contains a refrigerating liquid or gel with a depressed freezing point below the freezing point of water, namely 32° Fahrenheit. Within the device and connected to the molds are efficient heat exchanging components in contact with the refrigerating fluid, which pull the heat away from the liquid to be frozen at a high rate of speed once it is poured into the mold, causing the contents to freeze rapidly. The heat exchanger and mold cavity are preferably made of a material with a high rate of thermal conductivity. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-12 , wherein similar components of the present disclosure are referenced in like manner, various exemplary embodiments of a method and apparatus for making frozen comestibles are disclosed. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary comestible maker  10  and accessories according to the present disclosure. The comestible maker  10  includes a base container  20 , which serves as both a vessel for a refrigerant solution and an outer shell of the frozen comestible maker. It is made of an insulating material, such as a rigid plastic, to protect user&#39;s hands from the extreme cold of the refrigerant solution and to prevent heat exchange between ambient air and the refrigerant solution. 
     The refrigerant solution is any known and suitable type of liquid or gel substance that has a freezing point less than 32° Fahrenheit. A wide variety of suitable refrigerant solutions will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, including gels used in well-known freezable ice-packs that are applied to a human body to reduce swelling and the like. 
     Accessories for use with the comestible maker  10  may include one or more sticks  50  on which the comestible is formed within the molds of the base container  20 , and an extraction tool  70  that is applied to a handle portion of the sticks  50 , and which is used to help dislodge a frozen comestible from a mold. The sticks  50  and extraction tool  70  are described in more detail herein below. 
       FIG. 2  depicts exemplary disassembled components and sub-assemblies of the comestible maker  10  of  FIG. 1 . In particular, the base container  20  may include a refrigerant solution holding bowl  21  that is made of plastic or other durable material that is mated to the molding cavities  23  via screws  24  (or other well-known suitable fasteners), or by a glue or epoxy, or by an ultrasonic weld. 
     Between the bowl  21  and molding cavities  23 , there may be disposed a seal  22  or gasket, such as a silicone gasket, that is used to prevent leakage of the refrigerant solution from the bowl  21 . 
     A bezel  25  may serve to provide the comestible maker  10  with a more decorative, finished look. In addition, the bezel  25  hides the screws  24  or other fasteners used to mate and seal the molding cavities  23  to the bowl  21 . The bezel  25  also acts as a lip around the molding cavities  23  to contain any liquid that does not end up in the molding cavities  23 , and prevents it from spilling over the sides of the frozen comestible maker  10 . The bezel  25  also functions to provide an area that is insulated and not thermally-conductive in order to protect a user&#39;s hands from the cold surface of the comestible maker  10 , while they are handling the frozen comestibles or the comestible maker  10 . The bezel  25  may also be used to mate and seal the frozen comestible maker  10  and can be made from any suitable durable material, such as a metal, a silicone or a plastic. 
     In various embodiments, the comestible maker  10  may include one or more feet  26 , which may be made of rubber, plastic or the like to prevent the comestible maker  10  from slipping on a surface upon which it may be placed, such as a kitchen counter. 
       FIG. 3  depicts exemplary molding cavities  23  of the comestible maker  10  of  FIG. 1 , which are used to mold the frozen comestibles produced thereby. The molding cavities  23  are made from a material with high thermal conductivity, such as a metal (i.e., a cast aluminum alloy or stainless steel), conductive plastics, and the like, and may be die-cast, injection molded, mechanically stamped, hydro-formed, deep-drawn, or produced by any other suitable process that attains the desired geometry. The shape of an individual molding cavity  23  determines the final shape of the frozen comestible. The possible variations in shape are limitless, i.e. star-shaped, circular, elliptical, racetrack or oval, wavy, diamond, etc. The molding cavities  23  preferably have a geometry suitable to facilitate centering and balancing the sticks  50  therein and removal of the frozen comestible therefrom. The top surface  31  of the molding cavities  23  are made, for example, of aluminum. 
     A notch  32  within a molding cavity  23  may be provided to properly position the stick  50  when it is placed into the molding cavity  23 . The stick  50  may have tabs that mate with the notch  32  in the top of the molding cavity  23  when the removable stick  50  is inserted in the molding cavity  23 , so as to place a blade  51  thereof substantially near a center of the molding cavity  23 . This may facilitate the freezing of a comestible as described further below. 
     A fill line  33  may be provided to indicate a proper level of fluid to be placed in each molding cavity  23 . The fill line  33  may be a step, an indentation or a printed fill line in the molding cavity  23 . 
     A surface finish of the inside of an individual molding cavity  23  is critical to making the release of the frozen comestible by hand possible. When liquids freeze, they have a tendency to stick to surfaces that they are in contact with. Therefore, a coating may be provided on the inner surface  34  of a molding cavity  23  that helps produce a “non-stick” surface thereon. The coating may include a hard anodized aluminum, a special food-grade plastic/epoxy lining (such as used on the interior of aluminum beverage cans), or TEFLON. Any secondary treatment or material that provides a hard, smooth surface finish on the interior of the molding cavity  23 , including for example stainless steel, will help ease the manual release of the frozen comestible. Oils, such as a vegetable oil, may instead be used in certain embodiments. 
     A chamfer  35  may be provided as a beveled or chamfered edge on the molding cavity  23  that acts as a funnel for the fluids that are poured into the molding cavity  23 . 
     Fastener holes  36  are provided for the screws  24  or other fasteners to secure the molding cavities  23  to the bowl  21 . 
       FIG. 4  depicts exemplary heat exchangers  37  for use with the mold cavities  23  of the comestible maker  10 . The heat exchangers  37  may be one or more fins made of a highly thermal conductive material, such as aluminum, that are disposed within the refrigerant solution in the bowl  21 . The heat exchangers  37  are either formed as part of the molding cavity  23  or as a separate part that is attached to the exterior surface  27  of molding cavity  23 . For example, it can be a series of fins that are die cast or molded as part of the outside of each molding cavity  23  or attached thereafter. The heat exchangers  37  are made of a material with a high rate of thermal conductivity and its geometry increases the surface area of contact between the mold cavity and the refrigerant solution. This configuration pulls heat away from the liquid that has been poured into the molding cavity  23  at a high rate, causing the contents to freeze rapidly. The geometry of the heat exchangers  37  can be of any geometry that effectively increases the surface area of the molding cavity  23 . 
     A second embodiment of a suitable heat exchanger  38  is also shown in  FIG. 4 . The heat exchanger  38  may be a piece of corrugated sheet metal that is strapped to the outside of each molding cavity  23  by metallic or plastic straps  39 . 
       FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary disassembled stick  50  for use with the comestible maker  10 . The stick  50  has a portion that is submerged in the molding cavity  23  while freezing and a portion that is above the comestible. The portion that is submerged (blade  51 ) may have holes or undercut channels in it to allow liquid to pass through, and after the liquid freezes, it binds securely to the stick. The length of the submerged portion is, in various embodiments, the same as the depth of the molding cavity  23 . This ensures that none of the frozen comestible is left in the molding cavity  23  after extraction. The portion of the stick  50  above the comestible and beyond the top of the molding cavity  23  has a geometry suited to holding the stick  50  centered and in the correct orientation relative to the molding cavity  23 , such as by tabs that mate with the notch  32  described above. This portion of the stick  50  may be grasped by a human hand while eating the frozen comestible, and also works with the extraction tool  70 . For example, a nut  53  is embedded in the handle  52  to work with a screw of the extraction tool, or a hole is put through the handle  52  to work with a lever, in order to make removal of a frozen comestible by hand easier. 
     The blade  51  may be sufficiently wide and thick so as to help reduce freeze time by reducing the size of the frozen comestible “core” and filling a substantial part of the center of the molding cavity  23  where comestibles would take longer to freeze. The blade  51  may have grooves or holes to prevent ice from slipping off. The blade  51  may also have one or more shaped indentations, recesses or extrusions in a surface thereof for inducing a design in the frozen comestible and to provide an undercut to which the comestible may adhere when the stick  50  is removed from the comestible maker  10 . 
     Handle portions  52  together form a handle for the stick  50 . The handle portions  52  may be secured together by welding or fastening. In various embodiments, the handle may have an opening or notch for mating with an extraction tool  70 . The handle portions  52  may include a nut  53  therein and concealed from external view, which is aligned with such a hole or notch to mate with a bolt of an extraction tool  70 , as described later below. 
     A drip cup  54  is a separate part from the stick  50  and may be disposed on the stick  50  by a user. The drip cup  54  may be made of a soft flexible plastic, a silicone or the like. The drip cup  54  may snap on to the stick  50  between the handle  52  and the blade  51  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) to catch melting frozen comestible droplets from getting on hands, clothes, floors, and furniture. 
     It is likewise contemplated that the stick  50  and drip cup  54  can be integrally formed as one part. In such embodiments, the drip cup  54  may be translucent or transparent to allow the user to see the status of the freezing process when the stick  50  is placed in the molding cavity  23 , reducing the chances of the stick  50  being put left in the molding cavity  23  after too much time has passed and the frozen comestible is too frozen. 
       FIG. 6  depicts exemplary assembled and partially assembled sticks  50  for use with the comestible maker  10 . The handle  52  may have an opening  55  for mating with an extraction tool  70  or the like. To help the user overcome the high-level adhesion forces of the frozen comestible against the inner surface  34  of the molding cavity  23 , the stick  50  used to remove the frozen “pop” from the molding cavity  23  may include an internal mechanism (such as a screw) that provides a mechanical advantage allowing the user to turn the handle  52  and remove the pop. 
       FIG. 7  depicts an exemplary extraction tool  70  for use with the comestible maker  10 . The extraction tool  70  may be formed by welding or fastening each of the tool portions  71  together. The extraction tool  70  uses the principle of mechanical advantage to convert a relatively low torque force user input into an extremely high linear pulling force on the handle  52  for easier extraction of the frozen comestible by hand. The extraction tool  70  can use a screw, lever, threaded rod or other mechanism, such as a bolt  72 , which results in linear upward motion of the stick  50  and mechanical advantage from the user&#39;s input when the extraction tool  70  is mated with the handle  52  of the stick  50 . The bolt  72  is preferably concealed from view with the tool portions  71 . Other designs could incorporate the extraction tool  70  into each stick handle  52  or otherwise negate the need for a separate external extraction tool  70 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts a second exemplary extraction tool  80  for use with the comestible maker  10 , in which the extraction tool  80  includes a lever or cam mechanism to assist in the removal of the device. In particular, the extraction tool  80  may include a portion  81  that mates with the handle  52  of a stick  50 , a handle  82  that may be grasped by a human hand and rotated about a cam  83 . 
       FIG. 9  depicts exemplary comestibles produced by the comestible maker  10  of  FIG. 1 . A layered comestible  92  may be formed by adding different layers of a comestible fluid to the molding cavity  23 . A coated comestible  94  may be formed by freezing an outer layer of a first fluid, removing the first fluid except for the outer frozen layer from the molding cavity  23  (by suction or pouring out or the like), and adding a second fluid to be frozen within the outer shell. 
       FIG. 10  displays various shaped molds  100  that may be used to produce frozen comestible of various shapes. The shapes are preferably conducive to quick freezing, and may include, without limitation, a racetrack, star, cylinder, ellipse, or any other shape that has a relatively high surface area to volume ratio. 
     To make frozen comestibles with the comestible maker  10  described above, a user would place the frozen comestible maker  10  in a freezer for 12-24 hours or until the refrigerant solution inside is completely frozen or “charged.” Once the refrigerant solution inside the device is frozen, the device is removed from the freezer and placed on to a counter or other level surface. The user then places a stick  50  inside the molding cavity  23  to help facilitate removal of the frozen comestible, and to be used as an implement to hold the frozen comestible while eating. Next, the user can pour water, fruit juice, sugar water, yogurt, or any other pourable comestible into the device. Within ten minutes, the comestible will be frozen solid and the user would use the extraction tool  70  to remove the stick  50  and the frozen comestible from the frozen comestible maker  10 . Once a frozen comestible is removed, the molding cavities  23  can be filled with liquid again and the cycle can be repeated several times before the device needs to be recharged. Subsequent fillings may take longer to freeze, but are still very quick when compared to traditional methods. Additionally, the frozen comestible maker  10  will not need as long to recharge after an initial charge and brief use. 
     The device also allows the user to make multi-flavor frozen comestibles, and frozen comestibles that are layered horizontally, and also frozen comestibles with different flavored cores in a very short period of time, as shown in  FIG. 9 . Variations can include multi-flavored cores with single flavored outside, or many other variations. The device also allows the user to add other items to the frozen comestibles such as juice, yogurt, coffee, alcoholic drinks, granola, chocolate chips, candy ice cream, etc. The devise allows comestibles to be easily garnished with nuts, candy, fruit etc. and quickly freeze them. Variations of the device could be used for making ice cubes. In practice, the frozen comestible may be a user friendly size for easy consumption, such as approximately 0.75 inches along the width. 
       FIG. 11  depicts a second exemplary embodiment of a comestible maker  110  and accessories, such as a base container  111  and molding cavities  112 . In this embodiment  110 , the molding cavity  112  involves splitting each mold in half and allowing the two halves to open and close like a clamshell. The frozen comestible would be made while the mold cavity halves are closed and then the frozen comestible would be released when the mold halves are opened. For example, the mold cavity  112  could open as two halves thus releasing the frozen comestible or there could be a metal sleeve  114  or other removable fluid container that is inserted into the mold cavity  112  prior to pouring the liquid to be frozen. The removable metal sleeve  114  that drops into the molding cavity  112  prior to pouring liquid that will facilitate heat transfer from the comestible to the freezer solution yet will pull out of the mold cavity easily enough to not need an extraction tool. A user can then easily pull out the sleeve  114  from the molding cavity  112  and hold it under warm running water to release the frozen comestible. A lever  113  may be provided to facilitate removal of the metal sleeve  114  or the sticks  115  from the molding cavities  112  by a user. 
       FIG. 12  is a further depiction of the second exemplary embodiment of the comestible maker  110  of  FIG. 11 , in which all components are brought together to form a frozen comestible. 
     Although the best methodologies have been particularly described in the foregoing disclosure, it is to be understood that such descriptions have been provided for purposes of illustration only, and that other variations both in form and in detail can be made thereupon by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, which is defined first and foremost by the appended claims.