Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
  • F25C1/00—Producing ice
  • F25C1/18—Producing ice of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air
  • F25C1/20—Producing ice of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air by agitation

Definitions

• the invention relates to freezing a liquid substance for the purpose of obtaining frozen cubes or lumps, for example freezing water in order to produce ice cubes.
• liquid substances other than water such as soups, sauces and the like.
• emulsion can be used as well.
• a mould can be used which has a series of mould cavities which are connected to one another.
• interconnected cubes are obtained from the mould.
• the connections between the cubes are such that the cubes can subsequently be readily separated from one another.
• the cubes are frozen in a mould consisting of two mould halves, each of which mould halves has a series of cavities which are arranged in pairs and delimit a mould cavity for an ice cube.
• an elongate element may extend through the series of mould cavities. This elongate element remains in the mould while the substance is being frozen.
• a series of ice cubes are thus obtained through which the elongate element extends.
• the ultimately obtained loose ice cubes therefore have an open passage in the region where the elongate element was situated.
• Ice cubes can be used for various purposes.
• One important area of application is the use of ice cubes in the hotel, restaurant and catering trade, where the ice cubes are added to drinks.
• the appearance of the ice cubes is important for the quality which the consumer of the drink experiences.
• the clarity of the ice is of overriding importance.
• This object is achieved by a method for producing lump-shaped bodies, such as ice cubes, by freezing a liquid substance, comprising the following steps:
• the freezing of the liquid substance is effected by slowly moving back the element in the mould cavities which initially contain a still liquid substance.
• the effect thereof is that the liquid substance is moved or stirred, which has the advantageous effect that inclusions, such as air inclusions, can escape more readily from the substance.
• inclusions such as air inclusions
• the movement occurring in the liquid substance is limited, so that the freezing process can still take place.
• the element can also carry out a rotating movement, although this is not always necessary in order to obtain a frozen product of the desired quality.
• the rotating movement is carried out in order to obtain for example clear ice cubes.
• a gas such as air may be supplied via the element.
• liquid optionally together with a gas, such as air, can be supplied via the element.
• pulses or vibrations may be generated in the element. Such vibrations also promote the formation of clear ice, and can be combined with the supply of air, and/or the rotation of the element.
• the mould in which the series of mould cavities is provided has external surfaces, the temperature of which can be reduced in a suitable freezing device.
• a freezing device with cooled contact plates against which contact plates the external surfaces of the mould can be placed.
• the method preferably comprises the step of freezing the substance from opposite longitudinal sides of the series of mould cavities.
• the element is situated at some distance between the longitudinal sides of the mould cavities, so that this element remains freely movable in that portion of the substance which is not yet frozen and is situated between the already frozen areas adjacent to the longitudinal sides.
• the mould may initially be filled with the substance to be frozen. As the element is moved back through the substance, the level thereof is reduced. Therefore, the method comprises the step of supplying, via the element, liquid substance to the series of mould cavities while the element is being moved back.
• the lump-shaped bodies can then be treated in various ways. According to a first possibility, they can be left in the mould and be presented in this manner. Alternatively, the lump-shaped bodies can obviously also be immediately removed from the mould.
• the method preferably comprises the step of introducing the element until the free tip thereof is situated substantially near the other end of the series of mould cavities.
• the method can be carried out both according to a variant in which the series of mould cavities is oriented horizontally and/or vertically; but an oblique position of the series of mould cavities is also possible.
• the mould cavities are oriented horizontally or obliquely at a slight angle, it is not readily possible to introduce the liquid to be frozen into the mould cavities beforehand due to the fact that the liquid may flow out of the mould cavities before the freezing process starts.
• the liquid according to a second possibility, is introduced into the mould cavities only or partly via the liquid- supplying element, so that the recently introduced liquid immediately freezes while the liquid-supplying element is being moved back without having the opportunity of flowing away.
• the invention furthermore relates to equipment for carrying out the above- described method.
• This equipment comprises, in combination, a device having a frame provided with a freezing chamber and a manipulator, a liquid-supplying element which is or can be connected to a liquid supply, which liquid-supplying element is connected to the manipulator, and control means for controlling the manipulator for the purpose of displacing the liquid-supplying element, as well as a mould having at least a series of mould cavities which are connected to each other, which mould can be accommodated in the freezing chamber, so that, in the state in which the mould is accommodated in the freezing chamber, the liquid-supplying element can be introduced into and removed from the series of mould cavities of the mould.
• the manipulator can be configured in many different ways, for example in the form of a robot arm which is suspended from the frame of the device.
• simple lifting means optionally together with a rotating element, may also be considered.
• displacement means are for displacing the element along the longitudinal axis.
• the displacement means may be configured for displacing the element along the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, the displacement means may be configured for rotating the element about the longitudinal axis. According to a further variant, several liquid- dispensing means may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the liquid- supplying element. By means of such a liquid-supplying element, the mould cavities can be filled relatively quickly. In particular, it may be provided that the distance between the liquid-dispensing means corresponds to the distance of the mould cavities in a series to each other.
• the liquid-supplying element has at least one spray nozzle for spraying liquid.
• Fig. 1 shows two mould halves with a portion of a freeze plate with mould halves in exploded view and with liquid-supplying element, in perspective;
• Fig.2 shows a top view of pairs of assembled mould halves with freeze plates with the parts separated
• Fig. 3 shows a top view of pairs of assembled mould halves with the freeze plates in the closed state
• Fig.4 shows the freeze plates with an elongate element
• Fig. 5 shows a top view of the series of connected ice cubes
• Fig. 6 shows a side view of the series from Fig. 5.
• the mould halves 1, 2 illustrated in Fig. 1 are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to one another and have, on the surfaces facing one another, adjacent series 3 which each comprise a number of mould cavities 4.
• the mould cavities 4 are separated from one another by transverse flanges 11 and upright flanges 12.
• Each of the transverse flanges has a semicircular recess 13 which together form the recesses 14, the meaning of which will be explained below.
• each freeze plate 7 has an edge 8, 9, inside which in each case two mould halves 1, 2 can be accommodated, as is illustrated in the view from Fig. 2.
• each freeze plate 7 has a small edge 10 which adjoins the edges 8, 9 of a neighbouring freeze plate 7, as can be seen in the view from Fig. 3 in which the various freeze plates 7 have been placed against one another.
• Fig. 1 also shows a liquid-supplying element 15 which has several dispensing means 21, such as spray nozzles, arranged at a regular distance apart in the longitudinal direction thereof for supplying liquid to the mould cavities.
• the mutual distance between these dispensing means is equal to the mutual distance between the mould cavities.
• the series of mould cavities 4 are oriented vertically or obliquely, they can be filled with a liquid, such as water, in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, which is possible via the circular recesses 14. Then, the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 is introduced into the series of mould cavities 4 via said circular recesses 14.
• the freeze plates 7 are brought to below freezing, to the desired freezing temperature, by the cooling ducts 18 in a known manner.
• the substance in the mould cavities 4 then begins to freeze from the opposite surfaces 5 thereof, in which case an inner region of the substance, in which the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 is situated, initially remains liquid. In this case, the largest part of the liquid does not have to be introduced via the liquid-supplying element 15. Only the amount of liquid which is required to keep the level in the series of mould cavities constant when the liquid-supplying element is being pulled back then has to be supplied via the liquid-supplying element.
• the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 While the substance is in the process of freezing, the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 is pulled back, namely in such a manner that it does not become blocked by freezing. As a result of this movement of the elongate liquid-supplying element 15, the substance continues to move slightly, due to which impurities, such as air inclusions, can escape more readily. In the case of freezing water, clear ice cubes are consequently obtained.
• the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 can in this case also be rotated.
• the movements of pulling back and rotating the elongate liquid-supplying element 15 are made possible, for example by the robot arm 17, which is suspended from the frame 16 of the device.
• this robot arm 17 also carries a supply line 19, for the purpose of adding liquid substance from the supply container 20 to the series of mould cavities 4 when moving back the elongate liquid-supplying element 15.
• the liquid to be frozen is introduced into the mould cavities beforehand, except for the amount of liquid which is replenished to compensate for the withdrawal of the liquid-supplying element 15.
• the liquid can then freeze immediately after it has been introduced into the cooled mould cavities.
• the advantage of this method is that the series of mould cavities can then also extend in the horizontal position, while nevertheless preventing liquid which has been introduced from flowing away since it freezes immediately.
• liquid-dispensing means 21 such as spray nozzles, may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the liquid- supplying element. This makes it possible to carry out filling of the mould cavities quickly.
• Gas such as air
• This gas may optionally be supplied in combination with a liquid, such as water.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
• Confectionery (AREA)

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Cited By (3)

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• 2009
  • 2009-11-16 NL NL2003808A patent/NL2003808C2/nl active
• 2010
  • 2010-11-16 WO PCT/NL2010/050761 patent/WO2011059333A2/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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