Patent Document

PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/692,760, filed on Jul. 6, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Forming materials into desired shapes can be accomplished by using molds. By altering the shape of a mold, the shape of the molded material can be changed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In once aspect, the technology relates to a silicon mold including a first cavity and a second cavity for receiving a moldable material, the first cavity and the second cavity each having a cavity surface defining multiple measurement marking indentations, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are connected by an interior connection surface. The mold further includes a first cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to an exterior of the first cavity and an exterior of the second cavity and extending between the exterior of the first cavity and the exterior of the second cavity. In an embodiment, the interior connection surface defines a first cavity overflow wall surrounding the first cavity and a second cavity overflow wall surrounding the second cavity. In another embodiment, at least one of the measurement marking indentations has a different depth than at least one other measurement marking indentation. In yet another embodiment, the silicon mold has a support-height-to-cavity-depth ratio of approximately 2:5. In still another embodiment, the first cavity includes seven substantially evenly spaced measurement marking indentations, wherein each measurement marking indentation includes a text stamp. 
         [0004]    In another embodiment of the above aspect, the first cavity and the second cavity each have a size configured to hold four ounces of moldable material. In an embodiment, the mold further includes a third cavity and fourth cavity, the third cavity and the fourth cavity each defining multiple measurement marking indentations, wherein the third cavity and the fourth cavity are connected by the interior connection surface. In that embodiment, the mold also includes a second cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the second cavity and an exterior of the third cavity and extending between the exterior of the second cavity and the exterior of the third cavity; and a third cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the third cavity and an exterior of the fourth cavity and extending between the exterior of the third cavity and the exterior of the fourth cavity. In another embodiment, the sizes of the cavities are each configured to hold four ounces of butter. In yet another embodiment, each cavity includes seven substantially evenly-spaced substantially evenly spaced measurement marking indentations, wherein each measurement marking indentation is configured to indicate one tablespoon on a molded material made using the silicon mold. In still another embodiment, the mold also includes a fourth cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the first cavity and the exterior of the second cavity and extending between the exterior of the first cavity and the exterior of the second cavity; a fifth cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the second cavity and the exterior of the third cavity and extending between the exterior of the second cavity and the exterior of the third cavity; and a sixth cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the third cavity and the exterior of the fourth cavity and extending between the exterior of the third cavity and the exterior of the fourth cavity. 
         [0005]    In another embodiment of the above aspect, the mold also includes a seventh cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the first cavity and the exterior of the second cavity and extending between the exterior of the first cavity and the exterior of the second cavity; a eighth cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the second cavity and the exterior of the third cavity and extending between the exterior of the second cavity and the exterior of the third cavity; and a ninth cavity-to-cavity support structure attached to the exterior of the third cavity and the exterior of the fourth cavity and extending between the exterior of the third cavity and the exterior of the fourth cavity. In an embodiment, each of the measurement marking indentations have a width of approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm. In another embodiment, each of the measurement marking indentations have a depth of approximately 0.1 mm to 1 mm. In yet another embodiment, the mold also includes an exterior lid-support surface attached to the interior connection surface, wherein the exterior lid-support surface defines an aggregate overflow wall. In still another embodiment, the exterior lid support surface further defines at least one lid-support indentation. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment of the above aspect, the mold includes a detachable lid, wherein the detachable lid includes at least one lid support structure. In another aspect, the mold also includes a fill ridge for each cavity, wherein the fill ridge is attached to a cavity overflow wall. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, the technology relates to a mold for forming a material into a shape having one or more measurement markings thereon. The mold includes four cavities, each cavity having multiple measurement marking indentations, wherein each cavity is connected to each other cavity by an interior connection surface; and at least six cavity-to-cavity support structures, wherein each cavity-to-cavity support structure is connected on one end to a an exterior of one of the four cavities and connected on another end to another one of the four cavities. 
         [0008]    In yet another aspect, the technology relates to a mold for forming a material into a shape having one or more measurement markings thereon, the mold comprising a cavity having multiple measurement marking indentations, wherein each measurement marking indentation includes a text stamp indicating a measurement delineation, and wherein the cavity is configured to receive approximately two cups of the material. 
         [0009]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following Figures. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1A  depicts a perspective view of a mold in accordance with an example of the present technology. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  depicts a top view of the mold of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0013]      FIG. 1C  depicts a side view of the mold of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0014]      FIG. 1D  depicts a front view of the mold of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0015]      FIG. 1E  depicts a bottom view of the mold of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0016]      FIG. 1F  depicts a top view of an example cavity of the mold of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with an example of the present technology. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2A  depicts a perspective view of a lid for a mold in accordance with an example of the present technology. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2B  depicts a top view of the lid of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 2C  depicts a front view of the lid of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0020]      FIG. 2D  depicts a side view of the lid of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0021]      FIG. 2E  depicts a bottom view of the lid of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of a mold having an attached lid in accordance with an example of the present technology. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4A  depicts a perspective view of an example mold in accordance with the present technology. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4B  depicts a top view of an example cavity of the mold of  FIG. 4A  in accordance with an example of the present technology. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    The technologies described herein contemplate a mold for forming items having one or more measurement lines incorporated thereon. For example, liquid butter may be poured into a hollow cavity of the mold, and upon hardening, the butter will have at least one or more measurement markings formed thereon, such as tablespoon measurement markings. While the mold is primarily discussed for use in forming butter, butter is only one type of item for which the mold may be used. Any type of food or other material that can be melted and poured into the mold would be suitable for use, including soaps and confection-related foods, such as chocolate. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 1A-1E  depict an example of a mold  100  and are described simultaneously. The mold  100  has at least two hollow cavities  102 . Each hollow cavity  102  is defined by a cavity surface  101 . Within each hollow cavity  102  are one or more measurement marking indentations  104 . The measurement marking indentations  104  may be created by forming the cavity surface  101  so as to form the measurement marking indentations  104 . The measurement marking indentations  104  are generally linear and extend across the bottom and both walls of the cavity  102 . For example, as depicted in  FIGS. 1A-1E , the mold  100  may include four separate hollow cavities  102 , each having seven measurement marking indentations  104 . In that example, each hollow cavity  102  may be designed to receive four ounces of butter, which is the amount of butter generally found in one stick of commercially-sold butter. For a mold  100  having four four-ounce hollow cavities  102 , the mold  100  may be used to make a pound of butter, i.e., sixteen ounces of butter. The measurement marking indentations  104  may be configured so as to convey any useful measurement information, depending on the particular application. As an example, where the hollow cavity  102  is configured to hold four ounces of butter, seven equally spaced measurement marking indentations  104  are incorporated into each hollow cavity  102 . In that example, when the butter is formed and removed from the mold  100 , it will have seven markings indicating eight separate tablespoon portions of butter—similar to the printed lines on the packaging of commercially-sold sticks of butter. As such, forming sticks of butter using the mold  100  removes the need to keep any packaging or measure any amount of butter because the measurement markings are incorporated directly on the butter itself. As should be understood, when the butter forms in the hollow cavity  102 , a portion of the butter will flow into the measurement marking indentations  104 , forming a small ridge on the butter when it hardens. In other examples of the present technology, the measurement marking indentations  104  may actually be protrusions into the hollow cavity  102 , causing small indentations to form on the hardened butter rather than ridges. In yet other examples, some of the measurement marking indentations  104  may be indentations, while other measurement marking indentations  104  are protrusions. In such examples, the different types of measurement marking indentations  104  could be used to represent different types of measurements. For instance, a ridge may be used to represent the half point for the stick of butter, whereas the indentations may be used to indicate all other four-ounce markings. In examples, the width of the measurement marking indentations  104  may be from approximately 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The depth of the measurement marking indentations  104  may be from approximately 0.1 mm to 2 mm. The depth or width of the measurement marking indentations  104  may also vary within each cavity  102  to convey additional measurement information. For example, the measurement marking indentations  104  for a ⅛ of a stick may have a different width and/or depth than the measurement marking indentations  104  for a ¼ stick indication, which may yet have a different width and/or depth from the measurement marking indentations  104  indicating a ½ stick. Other configurations are contemplated, such as having measurement marking indentations  104  only for quarters of a stick of butter. In addition, the size and/or depth of the measurement marking indications may be altered to indicate a ¼ cup of butter and ⅓ cup of butter. 
         [0027]    Depending on the desired shape of the hardened butter, the dimensions of the cavities  102  may be altered. For example, the cavity  102  may be configured so as to form a stick of butter having the approximate dimensions of 121 mm by 32 mm by 32 mm, corresponding to approximately 4 ounces of butter. Other sizes and shapes are also contemplated. As an example, each cavity  102  may be configured so as to have the following approximate dimensions: a length of 81 mm, a width of 39 mm, and a depth of 39 mm. Such an example also results in each cavity  102  forming approximately 4 ounces of butter, but having a different shape. The overall mold may also have different overall dimensions. For instance, as compared to a mold having the approximate dimensions of 121 mm by 32 mm by 32 mm, the mold having the approximate dimensions of a length of 81 mm, a width of 39 mm, and a depth of 39 mm, has a taller height as the cavities are deeper. Similarly, the overall length and width of the mold may also be smaller to accommodate the narrower and shorter cavities. The other components of the mold may be modified such that they retain the same relative locations as the mold having different dimensions. In another example, the cavity  102  is configured so as to have the following approximate dimensions: a length of 120 mm, a width of 65 mm, and a height of 65 mm. Such an example results in each cavity  102  forming approximately 16 ounces of butter. 
         [0028]    Each cavity  102  may also have a fill ridge  106 . The fill ridge  106  indicates the level to which the cavity  102  should be filled to achieve the proper or desired amount of butter in the mold  100 . For example, the location of the fill ridge  106  may be configured such that filling the cavity  102  up to the fill ridge  106  results in four ounces of butter being formed in the cavity  102 . A cavity overflow wall  108  may also be incorporated into the mold  100 . The cavity overflow wall  108  is proximate to the fill ridge  106 , such that a small portion of butter that flows onto the fill ridge  106  is prevented from flowing further throughout the mold  100 . Accordingly, the cavity overflow wall  108  prevents a portion of butter from flowing into other cavities  102 . 
         [0029]    The cavities  102  are connected to one another by an interior connection surface  110 , which may also form the cavity overflow wall  108 . At the edges of the interior connections surface is an aggregate overflow wall  120 . The aggregate overflow wall  120  prevents a portion of butter from flowing outside of the mold  100  in the case that more butter is poured into each cavity  102  than the cavities  102  have a capacity to hold. The mold  100  may also include an exterior lid-support surface  114 , which may also form the aggregate overflow wall  120 . 
         [0030]    Each cavity also has a cavity exterior  112  that may also form the base of the mold  100 . For example, the mold  100  may be placed on a table or surface and be supported by the cavity exteriors  112 . Each of the cavity exteriors  112  may be connected to another cavity exterior  112  by a cavity-to-cavity support structure  116 . For example, one end of a cavity-to-cavity support structure  116  is attached to a first cavity exterior  112  and the other end of the cavity-to-cavity support structure  116  is attached to second cavity exterior  112 . The cavity-to-cavity support structures  116  provide additional support for each cavity exterior  112 . By including the cavity-to-cavity support structures  116 , the mold  100  is more resistant to deformation upon liquid butter being added to the mold  100 . In the example depicted in  FIG. 1E , each cavity exterior  112  has attached to it three cavity-to-cavity support structures  116 . Other amounts and configurations of cavity-to-cavity support structures  116  are also contemplated. For example, the number and configuration of the cavity-to-cavity support structures  116  depends on the construction of the mold  100  and type of material used to form the mold  100 . In an example, the mold  100  is made of a silicon material and may be formed as a single component, such as by forming the mold  100  by using a separate mold that can receive silicon material to be formed in the shape and configuration of mold  100 . The use of silicon as a material for the mold  100  allows for the mold  100  to be flexible so that the butter can be more easily removed once it solidifies in the mold  100 . The incorporation and configuration of the cavity-to-cavity support structures  116  allow for additional stability to be added to the mold  100 , while still retaining flexibility desired for removing butter from the mold  100 . In some examples, lid-support indentations  118  may also be incorporated into the mold  100 . The lid-support indentations  118  are incorporated into the underside of the exterior lid-support surface  114 , and the lid-support indentations  118  may be configured to provide a desired amount of flexibility or stiffness to the exterior lid-support surface  114  such that a lid can be more easily attached and removed from the mold  100 . 
         [0031]    Additional support and flexibility may be adjusted by varying the thickness of material used to form each component of the mold  100 . As an example, the cavity-to-cavity support structures  116  may have a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. In such examples, the cavity-to-cavity support structure  116  may have a height H of approximately 14 mm, whereas the depth D of the cavity may be approximately 35 mm. The ratio of the height of the cavity-to-cavity support structure  116  to the depth of the cavity  102  may be referred to herein as the support-height-to-cavity-depth ratio. The support-height-to-cavity-depth ratio may range from approximately 1:10 to 1:1, and in the example discussed above, the support-height-to-cavity-depth ratio is approximately 2:5. The thickness of the material forming the cavity  102  may have a similar thickness as the thickness of the cavity-to-cavity support structure  116 . The thickness of the exterior lid-support surface  114 , however, may be thicker to fully support the lid. For instance, the lid support surface may have a thickness of approximately 5-10 mm. In examples, the length L of the mold  100  may be approximately 196 mm and the width W of the mold  100  may be approximately 146 mm. In examples, the length L to width W ratio may be approximately 3:4. 
         [0032]    The measurement marking indentations  104  may also include raised or indented text stamp  122 , as shown in  FIG. 1F . The text stamp  122  may be created by forming the cavity surface  101  such that it forms the desired text in the text stamp  122 . As mentioned above, the text stamp  122  may be raised so as to indent the hardened butter with the text encompassed in the text stamp  122 . In other examples, the text stamp  122  may be indented so as to form a ridge on the hardened butter with the text encompassed in the text stamp  122 . As shown in  FIG. 1F , the text in the text stamp  122  appears backwards so that when the text is formed on the hardened butter, it will read properly to a person viewing the hardened butter. The text in the text stamp  122  shown in  FIG. 1F  will read “1 TBSP” when formed on the hardened butter. Other text may include ounce or cup sizes indicated by each measurement marking indentation  104 . In such examples, the text stamp  122  in each measurement marking indentation  104  for each cavity  102  may be different. In an example, the measurement marking indentations  104  corresponding to ¼ cup and ⅓ cup would include text stamps  122  indicating those particular measurement delineations. 
         [0033]    Where the mold  100  is used to create food products, the material, such as silicon, forming the mold  100  should be selected such that it is non-toxic. For example, the silicon used in forming the mold  100  is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is free of bisphenol A (BPA). The silicon may also accept liquids ranging from −40 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Further, when forming the butter or other items, the material of the mold  100  should not contaminate the product which is being formed. In some examples, it may also be desirable that the material forming the mold  100  is microwave and dishwasher safe. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 2A-2E  depict an example of a lid  200  for attaching to the mold  100 , and are described simultaneously. The lid  200  is configured to attach to the mold  100  to keep the contents of the mold  100  covered and therefore keep contaminants out of the contents. The lid  200  includes a raised central portion  204  and an outer portion  202 . The raised central portion  204  includes a lid support structure  206 . The lid support structure  206  is a structure attached to or formed from the underside of the raised central portion  204 . For example, the lid support structure  206  may be a raised structure forming a horizontal and vertical ridges, as shown in  FIG. 2E . Other configurations are also contemplated. The lid support structure  206  provides additional support for the raised central portion  204  to help prevent the raised central portion  204  from falling into the contents of the mold  100 . A connection ridge  208  is also attached to the underside of the outer portion  202  for connecting the lid  200  to the mold  100 .  FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the mold  100  having the lid  200  attached to the mold  100 . 
         [0035]    The composition and stiffness of the lid  200  may also depend on the particular application. For example, in some applications, the lid  200  is formed so as to have a stiffness sufficient to allow at least one other mold to be stacked on top of the lid  200  without the lid  200  flexing low enough to touch the butter in the cavities  102  or the interior connection surface  110 . The stiffness of the lid  200  may be altered by changing the material of the lid  200 , for instance to a stiffer silicon material than the mold  100 . The stiffness of the lid  200  may also be altered by changing the thickness of the lid  200  or the size and configurations of the lid support structure  206 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 4A  depicts another example of a mold  400  and are described. The mold  400  is similar to the mold  100  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1A-1F . As such, many of the features and examples discussed above are also applicable to the mold  400 . The mold  400  shown in  FIG. 4A , however, has only a single cavity  402 . The cavity  402  is defined by a cavity surface  401 . The cavity surface  401  further defines several measurement marking indentations  404  that protrude into the cavity  402 . Each measurement marking indentation  404  may also have a text stamp  422  that indicates a particular measurement delineation. The mold  400  further includes a fill ridge  406  connected to the cavity surface  401  and an overflow wall  420 . The fill ridge  406  indicates the proper fill level for the butter when poured into the cavity  402 . If the amount of butter poured into the cavity  402  exceeds the fill ridge  406 , the overflow wall  420  prevents at least a portion of the butter from flowing outside of the mold  400 . The mold  400  further includes an exterior lid-support surface  414  connected to the overflow wall  420 . The mold  400  is supported by the cavity exterior  412 . 
         [0037]    In an example, the cavity  402  of the mold has the following approximate dimensions: 120 mm long, 65 mm wide, and 65 mm deep. With those dimensions, the mold  400  produces approximately 1 pound of butter. In such an example, the cavity  402  may include three measurement marking indentations  404 , as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4B . By including three measurement marking indentations  404 , the resulting hardened butter will be formed into four sections, each corresponding to a half cup of butter. A text stamp  422  on the measurement marking indentations  404  may then be configured to as to imprint “½ CUP” onto the butter. The text stamp  422  may also be configured to alternatively or in addition to the “½ CUP” marking also imprint “4 OZ,” which is also equivalent to a half cup of butter. In other examples, more or less measurement marking indentations  404  may be included in the cavity  402 . In such examples, the text of the text stamp  422  would also change to indicate the different portion sizes of the butter as indicated by the measurement marking indentations  404 . For instance, there may be anywhere from 4-10, or even more, measurement marking indentations  404 . The measurement marking indentations  404  may also have different widths or heights to indicate different types of measurements, as discussed above with the measurement marking indentations  104  in  FIGS. 1A-1F . 
         [0038]    Like the mold  100  discussed above, the mold  400  is also configured to have a lid attached thereto. For instance, a lid such as lid  200  shown in in  FIGS. 2A-2E  may be attached to the mold  400 . Depending on the particular application and dimensions of the mold  400 , the lid  200  would be configured to have complimenting dimensions such that the lid can be properly attached to the exterior lid-support surface  414 . The underside of the lid support surface  414  may also include lid-support indentations, such as lid support indentations  118  shown in  FIG. 1E . 
         [0039]      FIG. 4B  depicts a top view of the cavity  402  defined by the cavity surface  401 . In the example shown, each measurement marking indentation  404  includes a text stamp  422 . In the example shown, the text stamp  422  includes the text “½ CUP” backwards so that the resulting stamp on the hardened butter reads properly to a viewer of the butter. Other configurations or text stamps  422  and measurement marking indentations  404  may be utilized, as discussed above. 
         [0040]    Although specific embodiments and aspects were described herein and specific examples were provided, the scope of the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments and examples. In addition, the figures may not be drawn or printed to scale. Rather, the dimensions and other numerical figures of the mold have been described herein. Those dimensions are approximate dimensions. Further, the term “approximately” or “about” as used herein corresponds to a tolerance of 10% unless otherwise indicated or understood by one having skill in the art. One skilled in the art will also recognize other embodiments or improvements that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Also, while the above technology has been described as examples and embodiments, it should be understood that many of those examples and embodiments are combinable with one another. Therefore, the specific structure, acts, or media are disclosed only as illustrative embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims and any equivalents therein.

Technology Category: 1