Patent Publication Number: US-2013232992-A1

Title: Novel ice and methods of manufacturing ice

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent application is a non-provisional application of a provisional application Ser. No. 61/608,572 filed on Mar. 8, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to innovative ice and method of manufacture thereof. Ice has been consumed for many years in various drinks and beverages. The ice is used because it has desirable cooling properties and can rapidly cool a drink while dissolving in it. This property is especially useful in hot weather and seasons when it is not practical to cool large quantities of drinks, but small quantities of ice may make the drinks cold when the ice is added to the drinks. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Water ice is currently manufactured for use in water and beverages, and also for cooling purposes unrelated to drinking beverages. However, the currently manufactured commercial ice is just water ice, whether cube, oval, chunk, crushed, flakes, or otherwise. 
     What is needed is a novel ice that allows the cooling of water and beverages, while providing flavor and visual appeal, and while being easily usable with limited-access water containers such as water and sports bottles. There is a need for an innovative ice that provides cooling, flavor, visual appeal, and the ability to fit into water bottles or other containers with limited-diameter access. 
     SUMMARY 
     This invention meets the current need for a superior type of ice that may be used with water and various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and beverages. A novel ice comprising frozen liquid and solid contents frozen inside the liquid and methods of manufacture of the novel ice are provided. The Applicant calls this innovative ice FRÜZEN ICE™. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These features, aspects and advantages of the novel ice and methods of manufacture thereof will become further understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings where 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the novel ice of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the manufacturing form for the ice of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the hollow cylinder manufacturing form for the ice of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the plurality of the hollow cylinder manufacturing forms illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is perspective view of the elements forming the two-part hollow cylinder manufacturing form. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is directed to novel ice and methods of manufacturing thereof. A preferred embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1 . With references to the drawings, and particularly  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the invention is ice  10  that comprises liquid  20  with solid contents  30 , frozen (solidified) in the ice form  40 . The solid contents  30  are preferably fully embedded within the liquid  20 . In  FIG. 1 , a cube of the ice  10  is shown as one preferred embodiment, but the ice  10  may also be manufactured in other shapes. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the form  40  for manufacturing the ice  10  may include walls  42 , a bottom  44 , and at least one but preferably a plurality of ice-forming compartments  46  into which the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  are supplied. Each of the ice-forming compartments  46  has an opening  48 , which is typically located at the top of the ice-forming compartment  46 . The liquid  20  is preferably supplied to the ice-forming compartment  46  by pouring the liquid  20  into the opening  48  from a container, through a suitable spout, pipe or hose, or using other delivery methods known in the art. The form  40  may be manufactured from plastic, stainless steel, or other suitable materials well-known in the art that are sufficiently liquid-proof to retain the liquid  20  and to allow for slight expansion of the ice  10  during the freezing process, and to facilitate easy removal of the ready ice. The form  40  may be a tray, such a plastic refrigerator ice tray, having a plurality of ice-forming compartments  46 , or a different implementation. 
     The removal of the ice  10  is typically accomplished by knocking on or twisting the form  40 , particularly when the manufacturing is on a small-scale level. Preferably, some water (of any temperature) is poured over the ice  10  and the ice  10  is then easily separated and removed from the form  40 . Other methods known in the art may also be used for small-scale and industrial-scale production and removal of FRÜZEN ICE™, such as using self-extracting forms, exposing the forms with the ice to ambient temperatures and allowing the ice to thaw a little, using heating of the forms or passing an electric charge through the forms. 
     There are two kinds of FRÜZEN ICE™ envisioned by the Applicant. The preferred embodiment is comprised of individual ice pieces  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , made from the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  embedded or frozen inside the liquid  20  of the ice pieces  10 . The ice pieces  10  may be of varying sizes and shapes, such as cubes, ovals, chunks, rectangular pieces, cylindrical pieces, star-shaped pieces, or other shapes suitable or desirable for beverages. The shapes of the ice  10  may also be elongated or round Popsicle shapes, or other simple and fancy Popsicle shapes known in the art. When a Popsicle shape is used to manufacture FRÜZEN ICE™, it may be used with a holding element (not shown), such as a Popsicle stick, that is embedded into the ice  10 . This embodiment permits the uses of the ice  10  in children&#39;s drinks or fun tropical beverages. 
     The manufacture of FRÜZEN ICE™ may be accomplished on a small-scale or large-scale, industrial level for commercial ice production. The manufacturing steps include supplying the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  into a form  40 , or multiple forms, exposing the form  40  with the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  to freezing temperatures, allowing the liquid  20  to freeze and solidify into the ice  10 , and removing the ready ice  10  (FRÜZEN ICE™). It should be noted that the freezing point of the liquid  20  may be different from the freezing point of water, and the freezing point of the liquid  20  will depend on the composition of the liquid  20 . 
     The liquid  20  may be water, fruit juice, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage, carbonated beverage, milk, or the drink or beverage that the ice  10  will be added to, such as chardonnay or champagne. Manufacturing FRÜZEN ICE™ from the drink itself allows preventing the dilution of the beverage with water in cases where it is undesirable, such as with champagne, while still achieving the cooling, flavor, and visual appeal effects of FRÜZEN ICE™. The liquid  20  may also be any combination of these ingredients, or it may be mixed with any number of sauces or flavor additives such as hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, vanilla extract, honey, maple or corn syrup, or a number of other additives that would generally dissolve in water well. 
     For example, a splash of Tabasco sauce may be added to and dissolved in the liquid  20  prior to manufacturing the ice  10  for a Bloody Mary or similar drinks. The liquid  20  with the Tabasco sauce may then be frozen with a piece of celery or a wedge of lemon as the solid contents  30  inside the ice  10 . When added to the drink, FRÜZEN ICE™ will continuously add flavor to the drink as the ice  10  melts, providing an extra “kick” from the Tabasco sauce. When the ice  10  melts to the solid contents  30 , the solid contents  30  will provide another flavor boost, whether from celery juice or lemon juice. Using combinations of the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  it is thus possible to change the flavor and effect of any given drink or beverage during its consumption. It is also possible to offset the diluting effect of the water in the ice  10 , especially if tomato juice is used with the Tabasco sauce and water as the liquid  20 . Clear liquids and additives are preferably used for manufacturing FRÜZEN ICE™ because the liquids that are not clear, such as the tomato juice added to the liquid  20  in this example, will obstruct the view of the solid contents  30  if the concentration is high enough in the liquid  20 . 
     When water is used as the liquid  20 , it is possible to use filtered or spring water to produce clear ice that contains fewer contaminants. When tap water is used as the liquid  20 , the process to produce very clear ice is a longer process, but it yields more clear ice. When tap water or filtered tap water is used, the water is preferably boiled before using it as the liquid  20  to produce the ice  10  that is more clear and more visually appealing. Boiling the tap water has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating the amount of harmful bacteria and microorganisms in the liquid  20 . However, the step of boiling tap water is not a necessary step in producing FRÜZEN ICE™ according to the disclosure of the present invention. 
     Illustrative examples of the uses of FRÜZEN ICE™ include uses in alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, juice drinks, and children&#39;s drinks. By way of example, pieces of ice  10  comprising a liquid  20  and chopped, sliced, or cubed cucumber solid contents  30  may be used in a Martini drink; pieces of ice comprising a liquid  20  and chopped or sliced celery solid contents  30 , where the liquid  20  may be water or water mixed with any combination of tomato juice and/or hot sauce, may be used in a Bloody Mary drink; pieces of ice  10  comprising a liquid  20  and whole or chopped strawberries solid contents  30  for use in champagne; pieces of ice  10  comprising the liquid  20  and chocolate solid contents  30  for use in dessert liquors; pieces of ice  10  comprising the liquid  20  and mandarin orange, orange or lemon slices solid contents  30  for use in children&#39;s drinks and juices. 
     Another use of FRÜZEN ICE™ is in fruit smoothies or blended drinks, where the ice  10  comprising the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30 , whether the ice  10  is cubed, chunked, or crushed, may be deposited into a blender in a juice bar or sports club in front of the consumers for instant production of these drinks with a superior visual appeal and flavor, instead of placing regular water ice and fruit or frozen fruit into the blender, which is frequently lumped together and unappetizing. This method of mixing or blending drinks would stimulate the consumption of such beverages as the consumers would perceive these beverages to be of a better content and higher preparation quality. 
     Yet other illustrative examples of the uses of FRÜZEN ICE™ include use in ice spas and baths, hot/cold therapies, and other recreational applications. For example, pieces of the ice  10  comprising the liquid  20  and blueberries or blackberries as the solid contents  30  may be used in such applications. 
     The solid contents  30  may be supplied into the forms  40  with the liquid  20 , and in the cases of spices or other particle or powder substances dissolved or interspersed within the liquid  20 . The solid contents  30  may also be supplied into the forms  40  after the liquid  20  is supplied, but the preferred method is depositing the solid contents  30  into the forms  40  before supplying the liquid. The preferred sequence of steps allows avoiding or minimizing the spillage of the liquid  20  such as when the solid contents  30  are deposited into the forms  40  after the liquid  20 . The form  40  may be fitted with a top cover (not shown), having ports or outlets for supplying the liquid  20  to prevent or minimize the overflow, spillage and the wasting of the liquid. The cover may be detachably coupled to the form  40 , or it may be attached to the form  40  by fastening means, such as hinges, a pivoting pin, or cooperating rails, so as to swing or slide open to allow for removal of the ice  10 . The form  40  may be fully (to the top of the walls  42  of the form  40  illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) or partially filled with the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30 . 
     The solid contents  30  may include whole berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, tomatoes; fruits, including all citrus fruits, pineapple, mango, kiwi, banana, melon, watermelon, apples, pears; vegetables, such as cucumbers, celery, or olives; roots (such as ginger); dry vegetables or fruits, such as sun-dried tomatoes, raisins, dried papaya, dried pineapple; marshmallows; candies, such as coffee beans in chocolate, toffee, chewy candy, gum; chocolate, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate; coffee beans; nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts; leaves such as mint or bezel; all kinds of tea and tea leaves, including flower blossoms tea; flowers and seeds such as rose or hibiscus; various spices suitable for beverages, such as pepper, cayenne pepper, wasabi, fennel, tarragon, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, curry, cardamom, vanilla powder, ginger powder, salt; sweeteners such as sugar, brown or cane sugar, or artificial sweeteners; various herbs suitable for beverages; chopped, crushed, or minced berries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers; or any combination thereof. The fruits and vegetables may be used with or without skin where they may be consumed with skin (apples may be consumed with or without skin, for example, but bananas are preferably peeled prior to use). Marshmallows may be pre-frozen before depositing them inside the liquid  20  to avoid the absorption of the liquid and sogginess. The colors, flavors, and textures of these ingredients provide for an endless number of combinations and variety in FRÜZEN ICE™ for drinks and beverages. 
     A conventional refrigerator freezer or a commercial freezer may be used for manufacturing FRÜZEN ICE™. The manufacturing process may be automated for commercial manufacture and distribution, and the process may employ manufacturing, dispensing, bagging, and other machinery as necessary, with a stand-alone or integral freezer unit and/or storage compartment. The Applicant envisions using regular commercial freezers for manufacturing the ice  10 , and using cooled compartments to store the ready ice  10 , preferably in plastic bags. Conventional plastic bags or Ziploc bags may be used for bagging and storing the ice  10 . The conventional plastic bags may use twist ties or built-in pull ties to fasten the bags closed. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , another embodiment of the present invention uses individual ice pieces  15  cooperatively shaped to fit into specific beverage holders and vessels: water bottles, sports water bottles, alcoholic beverage bottles, champagne glasses, etc. Thus, for example, the ice  15  of the present invention that is elongated along its longitudinal axis and cylindrical in its cross section, and has a cooperating cross section diameter with the mouth of a water bottle or a sports bottle, may be used to add functional cooling, berry, fruit, or vegetable flavor, and/or visual appeal to a clear or at least partially transparent water bottle, sports bottle, champagne bottle, or wine bottle. The forms for manufacturing the ice  15  (FRÜZEN ICE™) according to this embodiment include a tubular element  50  forming a hollow cylinder  60 . The hollow cylinder  60  has at least one open end  67 , but the hollow cylinder  60  could have two open ends. The hollow cylinder  60  with only one open end  67  has an individual bottom  68 . 
     In the alternative, and with reference to  FIG. 4 , the first of the two open ends of the hollow cylinders  60  with two open ends may be placed on a flat surface  80  to form the bottom and the seal of the hollow cylinders  60 , and to prevent the liquid  20  from leaking out when the liquid  20  is supplied through the second of the two open ends of hollow cylinder  60 . The flat surface  80  is preferably made of, or is coated with, a material (not shown) that facilitates a liquid-proof seal. A plurality of hollow cylinders  60  with two open ends may be placed on the flat surface  80  in such a way that the flat surface  80  creates the bottom and the seal on the first end of the plurality of the hollow cylinders  60  with two open ends. 
     After the solid contents  30  and the liquid  20  are supplied into the plurality of the hollow cylinders  60 , the hollow cylinders  60  are subjected to below-freezing temperatures to form the ice  15 . When the freezing process is completed, the plurality of the hollow cylinders  60  may be separated from the flat surface  80  and the ice  15  (FRÜZEN ICE™) formed in the plurality of the hollow cylinders  60  may be pushed out by a cooperating plurality of rods  70  having a cross-section diameter cooperating with the diameter of the hollow cylinders  60 . Methods of separating ice from forms known in the art may be used to assist in the extraction of the ice, such as heating the form, allowing the form to heat naturally when exposed to ambient temperature, or using an electric charge. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the hollow cylinder  60  of this embodiment may be comprised of two elongated parts  62  with semi-circular channels  64  formed therein. When the two elongated parts  62  are coupled along the longitudinal edges  66  of the two elongated parts  62 , the two semi-circular channels  64  form the hollow cylinder  60  having at least one open end  67  but that could have two open ends. Using the two-part hollow cylinder  60  allows for the ease of removing the ice, without damaging the ice structure, when the two elongated parts  62  are separated after the liquid  20  solidifies into the ice  15  with the solid contents  30  inside the liquid  20 . The ice  15  can be easily manufactured in a variety of cross section diameters so as to be compatible with a number of bottles and containers, such as water bottles, sports bottles, champagne bottles, and the like. Due to the elongated cylindrical nature of the ice  15 , having a cooperating cross section diameter with any number of containers, several pieces of the ice  15  can be easily inserted into a sports bottle on the go, for example, providing cooling and flavor effects that are impossible to achieve with cubed and other conventional ice that will not fit into the narrow opening. 
     Yet another embodiment of FRÜZEN ICE™ envisioned by the applicant utilizes chunk, crushed, or flake ice. Due to the nature and relatively small pieces of chunk or crushed ice, many of the implementations described with the preferred embodiments are not possible. However, the chunk, crushed, or flake ice still lends itself well to various spices as disclosed herein, chopped berries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, or any combination thereof as disclosed herein. The chunk, crushed, or flake ice may be manufactured by mixing the liquid  20  with the solid contents  30  so as to achieve an approximately homogeneous mix, exposing the mix to freezing temperatures, and processing the frozen mix to chunk, crush, or flake the ice using crushing machinery or other methods well-known in the art to crush and separate the frozen lump of the mix. 
     The layers of the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  typically balance automatically. However, for those instances where the solid contents  30  have much lower or much higher density than the liquid  20 , floating up to the top or sinking down to the bottom of the compartment  46  of the form  40  respectively, it is advantageous to modify the method of manufacturing FRÜZEN ICE™. Yet another embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present invention comprises supplying a first part of the liquid  20  into a form  40 , without filling the entire form  40 , exposing the form  40  with the liquid  20  to freezing temperatures, allowing the liquid  20  to freeze and solidify, depositing the solid contents  30  into the form  40 , said solid contents  30  being disposed on top and approximately in the center of the frozen first part of the liquid  20 , supplying a second part of the liquid  20  into the form  40  so as to cover the solid contents  30 , exposing the form  40  with the first part and second part of the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  to freezing temperatures, and allowing the second part of the liquid  20  to freeze and bond with the first part of the liquid  20 , thus also freezing the solid contents  30  inside the second part of the liquid  10  and forming one solid piece of ice  10 . 
     Preferably, the first part of the liquid  20  according to this method is approximately one quarter to one third of the total amount of the liquid  20  necessary to fill the compartment  46  of the form  40 , depending on the size and volume of the solid contents  30  to be contained in the ice  10 . This method of manufactures allows for the positioning of the solid contents  30  approximately in the center of the final piece of FRÜZEN ICE™, preventing the solid contents  30  that are heavy from sinking to the bottom of the compartment  46 . In order to manufacture the ice  10  with the solid contents  30  that are less dense than the liquid  20 , it is necessary to add the steps of supplying another small amount of the liquid  20  onto the frozen first part of the liquid  20  before or after depositing the solid contents  30  on top of the frozen first part of the liquid  20 , and exposing these components to freezing temperatures, thus allowing the solid contents  30  to bond with the frozen first part of the liquid  20  before adding the second part of the liquid  20 . This will prevent the less-dense solid contents  30  from floating up to the top of the compartment  46 . This method thus creates an even visual appearance of the ice piece  10  with the solid contents  30  approximately in the center. 
     This method of manufacture also allows creating FRÜZEN ICE™ with a layered or striped look by supplying a plurality of layers of the liquid  20  interlaced with a plurality of layers of the solid contents  30  that may otherwise aggregate at the top or the bottom of the compartment  46  of the form  40 , such as certain spices or chopped fruit. In the case of the higher-density solid contents, the first layer of liquid  20  could be frozen in the form  40 , followed by the first layer of the solid contents  30  disposed on the first layer of the frozen liquid  20 , and then followed by as many successive layers of the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30  as is desirable. In the case of the lower-density solid contents, the first layer of the liquid  20  and the first layer of the solid contents  30  may be supplied to the form  40  simultaneously, whereby the solid contents  30  would float to the top of the first layer of the liquid  20  and be frozen in place when the first layer of the liquid  20  solidifies, then followed by successive applications of the liquid  20  and the solid contents  30 . 
     The novel FRÜZEN ICE™ of the present invention may also be used in larger-size forms than those conventionally used for drinks and beverages, such as wedding sculptures, ice sculptures for children&#39;s parties, birthday parties, sweet  16  parties, Bar- and Bat-Mitzvahs, event and convention decorations, ice art, and other applications where large and small blocks of ice are generally used. 
     The above description of the disclosed preferred embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention and the subject matter of the present invention, which is broadly contemplated by the Applicant. The scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may be or become obvious to those skilled in the art.