AU2007100894A4 - A freezing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "A FREEZING APPARATUS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: STITLE OF THE INVENTION SA FREEZING APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS invention relates to an apparatus for formation of frozen liquids.

More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in an ice-cube tray.

00oO BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Addition of an ice-cube provides a quick and effective way to rapidly Scool a liquid. The traditional ice-cube tray is typically moulded from a semirigid material and is open on its top face for filling with water and release of ice-cubes from the tray. This arrangements have been the long-standing device for the formation of ice-cubes.

Conventional ice-cube trays suffer from many problems. For example, a significant amount of spillage may occur during filling of the tray with water.

Moreover, the inefficient manner in which the ice-cubes are released from the tray often leads to release of more ice-cubes than intended and thus wastage. A further undesirable side-effect from use of open-to-air ice-cube trays is generation of ice-cubes that have absorbed freezer odour.

The OXO GOOD GRIPS Ice Cube Tray is a combination device consisting of a lower cube compartment which is covered with a lid. The lid is removable from the cube compartment by sliding the lid to one side.

However the sliding lid does not provide an adequate seal for the lower cube compartment thus liquid may spill from the ice-cube tray during transport.

New Zealand Patent No. 213632 describes an ice-cube bottle comprising an internal reservoir for freezing water into ice cubes but the bottle must be destroyed to release the ice-cubes.

SUnited States Patent No. 3,306,567 refers to a flexible bag for making ice-cubes which has the capacity to act as an ice pack for therapy of muscular pain or the like. The flexible bag is formed from a plastic or rubber ON\ 5 and has cube or pellet forming pockets extending outwardly in one side. The 00 Smouth of the bag is shaped so as to naturally close when the bag is filled with liquid. To absolutely ensure that no spillage will occur, the mouth of the bag may be shut with a clip that squeezes together the mouth of the bag.

In this specification, the terms "comprises", "comprising" or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a method, system or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems to thereby produce an effective, efficient, easy to use and adaptable freezing apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, though it need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in a freezing apparatus comprising: a container; a capping member for closing the container;

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O0 Sa plurality of liquid-receiving wells formed on or in a wall of an (i d inner surface of the container; and a receptacle located adjacent to the plurality of liquid-receiving wells; 00 wherein the container is positionable between a freezable orientation and a filling orientation.

N Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein: FIG 1A is a perspective view of a freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG 1B is an end view of the freezing apparatus shown in FIG 1A; FIG 2A is a sectional side view of the freezing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG 2B is a sectional end view of the freezing apparatus shown in FIG 2A; FIG 2C is a sectional top view of the freezing apparatus shown in FIG 2A and 2B; FIG 3 is an end view of the freezing apparatus according to another Sembodiment of the present invention; FIG 4 is an end view of the freezing apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG 1A and FIG 1B show a perspective and end view of freezing 00

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apparatus 100 respectively. As will become readily apparent, freezing apparatus 100 provides dual functionality in being a device for the formation N of ice-cubes and as a storage device for a liquid.

A person of skill in the art will appreciate that in the context of the present invention, the term "liquid" includes within its scope any freezable liquid. Suitably, the liquid is water but is not limited thereto.

Freezing apparatus 100 includes a container 110. FIG 2A, FIG 2B and FIG 2C show a sectional side view, a sectional end view and a sectional top view respectively of the container 110. The container 110 comprises a capping member 120 and a chamber 130. The capping member 120 permits closing of the chamber 130 and hence the container 110.

The capping member 120 and the chamber 130 are formed from any suitable material that can withstand sub-zero temperatures and multiple freeze-thaw cycles, is sturdy yet has a certain degree of flexibility and resilience and is ideally translucent to thereby assist the user during filling.

By way of example only, any suitable plastic material such as those based on polyethylene may be used to manufacture components of the container 110.

The capping member 120 includes a lid 123, an attachment portion 121 and an aperture 122. The attachment portion 121 is located at one end aof the chamber 130 and is joined to a shoulder 124 of the chamber 130. The attachment portion 121 is of a size such that it can comfortably and securely accommodate the lid 123. The aperture 122 extends through the attachment portion 121 and into chamber 130. The aperture 122 is proportioned such 00

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Sthat it easily allows passage of the ice-cubes from chamber 130 and can also fit the lid 123.

The capping member 120 provides that the chamber 130 is closed when liquid is enclosed therein. Therefore it will be appreciated that the connection between the lid 123 and the attachment portion 121 is suitably secure. Most types of connections are suitable such as a screw fitting wherein the inside of the lid 123 has a thread that is attachable to a corresponding thread located on the attachment portion 121. Alternatively, for example, a connection using a friction fit such as a bayonet fitting may be employed.

The chamber 130 includes an inner surface 131 and a plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132 for the formation of ice-cubes. In the preferred embodiment, the chamber 130 has a hemispherical shape. It is envisaged that the invention will also be realized if the chamber 130 assumes other shapes such as a rectangular parallelepiped, but is not limited thereto.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG 2, the plurality of liquidreceiving wells 132 are formed on a first wall 135 of chamber 130. It is envisaged that the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132 can be any desired shape. In the preferred embodiment, the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132 are generally rectangular.

The chamber 130 further includes a receptacle 133 which is located adjacent to the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132 and is generally formed by the inner surfaces 131 which are not occupied by the plurality of liquidreceiving wells 132. The receptacle 133 is of a size which will easily 00

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accommodate the ice-cubes that are released from the plurality of liquidreceiving wells 132, as will be described in more detail herein below. In the N preferred embodiment, the receptacle 133 is arcuate although it will be readily appreciated that the shape of the receptacle 133 will, in part, be determined by the configuration of the chamber 130.

The chamber 130 still further includes a fill line 134 for use as a guide to indicate the maximum height for filling of the chamber 130 with a liquid.

The fill line 134 may be located either internally or externally on the chamber 130. Suitably, the fill line 134 is formed on the external surface of the chamber 130.

Referring to FIG 3, there is shown an end viewof a freezing apparatus 200 according to another embodiment of the invention. Freezing apparatus 200 comprises a chamber 230. The chamber 230 includes a plurality of liquid-receiving wells 232 formed in a first wall 235 of the chamber 230. The plurality of liquid-receiving wells 232 extend outward from one side of chamber 230 and are adjacent to a receptacle 233. It is envisaged that the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 232 and the remainder of chamber 230 are molded as a continuous piece.

FIG 4 shows an end view of a freezing apparatus 300 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. A chamber 330 of the freezing apparatus 300 includes a plurality of leg portions 340. According to this embodiment, the plurality of leg portions 340 are integrally formed with a first wall 335 and extend downwardly from the lower surface of the first wall 335.

Therefore, the chamber 330 is offset from a horizontal surface by the 00

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Spresence of a plurality of leg portions 340.

In use, the chamber 130, 230 or 330 is filled with a liquid up to the fill N line 134 using conventional techniques for filling a bottle or similar liquid container. The chamber 130, 230 or 330 is filled in a generally upright orientation and is secured from spillage by engagement of the lid 123 to the attachment portion 121. In order to generate ice-cubes, the liquid-filled freezing apparatus 100, 200 or 300 is subsequently positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation such that the liquid flows into the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132. If the liquid is added to the point of the fill line 134 and not substantially below, the plurality of liquid-receiving wells 132 will be filled to optimum. For release of the ice-cubes, freezing apparatus 100, 200 or 300 is inverted and subsequently either flexed or warmed, which results in liberation of the ice-cubes into receptacle 133. At this juncture, the ice-cubes may be poured from the chamber 130, 230 or 330 through the aperture 122 upon disengagement of the lid 123 from the attachment portion 121.

The present invention provides an efficient and adaptable freezing apparatus for the formation of ice-cubes. Advantages of this invention include: minimal wastage during filling with liquid; no spillage from the freezing apparatus during transfer to the freezer; 0 easy removal of a limited number of ice-cubes; 5 0 user-friendly operation; 00 0 can be utilized as storage container for liquid when not used as a freezing apparatus.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. A freezing apparatus comprising: a container; 00 oO a capping member for closing the container; Sa plurality of liquid-receiving wells formed on or in a wall of an inner surface of the container; and a receptacle located adjacent to the plurality of liquid-receiving wells; wherein the container is positionable between a freezable orientation and a filling orientation.

2. The freezing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container further includes a fill line.

3. The freezing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fill line is formed on the exterior surface of the container.

4. The freezing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle is arcuate. A freezing apparatus as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.