Patent ID: 8151577

Claim:
An apparatus for converting a liquid into a semi-frozen or frozen “slurry” form, including: a container, having a mouth, operable to receive the liquid; a cover operable to sealably close the mouth of the container; and at least one freezing device, the at least one freezing device having a closed body, with at least one wall, the at least one wall being formed of a resiliently deformable material, the closed body being at least partially filled with a refrigerant material; wherein in a first operational mode the refrigerant material inside the at least one freezing device is cooled below a freezing temperature of the liquid; and in a second operational mode, after the first operational mode, with the at least one freezing device with the refrigerant material cooled below a freezing temperature of the liquid placed in the container, the liquid is added to the container before and/or after the at least one freezing device is placed in the container, wherein at least a portion of the liquid in contact with the at least one wall of the at least one freezing device in the second operational mode forms an at least partially frozen layer on an exterior of the at least one freezing device, and in a third operational mode, after said first and second operational modes, the container and/or cover is agitated and the at least one wall of the at least one freezing device impacts at least one wall of the container and/or cover and the at least one freezing device is deformed in the at least one wall and the at least partially frozen layer will be displaced from the exterior of the at least one freezing device to convert said liquid into said semi-frozen or frozen “slurry” form.