Ice cube maker and method for making high quality transparent ice cubes

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is a transparent ice cube maker configured to mass produce transparent ice cubes comprising various water movement systems and various refrigeration systems utilizing at least substantially one directional freezing of the water through a wall of an ice mold to make an ice cube having a center that is void of visible crystallization and void of a visible bubble.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transparent ice cube making apparatus, comprising:
 a substantially round freezing surface;   a cavity having water therein;   a heated device inserted into said water;   wherein said device is configured to spin said water in a circular motion against said freezing surface;   wherein a superheat is configured between 10 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees Fahrenheit; and   said apparatus is further configured so an ice cube produced has a center that is void of visible crystallization and void of a visible air bubble.   
     
     
         2 . A method to make a transparent ice cube, comprising the following steps in any order: providing a refrigeration system; setting a superheat between ten degrees Fahrenheit and forty degrees Fahrenheit; providing a mold having a sidewall made from a polymer where said polymer has a thermal conductivity of less than 1.2 watts per meter-kelvin; filling said mold with water; providing a vibrator or an oscillator; positioning said vibrator or said oscillator to vibrate or oscillate a refrigeration pipe where an amplitude intensity to water in said mold is such that a water droplet jumps above a top surface of said water to make a transparent ice cube having a center that is void of visible crystallization and that is void of a visible bubble. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further providing a lid to cover said mold where said lid is calibrated so heat goes through said lid to warm said top surface so said top surface does not freeze before water under said top surface freezes. 
     
     
         4 . A transparent ice cube making apparatus, comprising:
 a refrigeration system having a refrigeration pipe, a moisture dryer, and an expansion valve;   an ice mold configured to have four defined sidewalls;   a vibration system or an oscillation system;   wherein said apparatus is configured to provide substantially one directional freezing of water in said ice mold from a bottom position of said ice mold to a top position of said ice mold through a bottom wall of said ice mold;   wherein said apparatus is configured to simultaneously vibrate or oscillate a segment of said refrigeration pipe and said ice mold and said water; and   wherein a superheat is configured between 10 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 degrees Fahrenheit; and   wherein said apparatus is further configured to make an ice cube that has a solid center comprised of an air molecule and said solid center is void of visible crystallization and void of a visible air bubble.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further having a lid that covers said ice mold and said lid is configured to oppose the output BTUs of said refrigeration system to allow heat to go through said lid to prevent a top surface of said water from freezing before water under said surface freezes. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said apparatus is further configured to provide over one-half pound of force for each pound of the total weight vibrated or oscillated. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said apparatus is further configured to provide an amplitude intensity to said water so water droplets jump at least one eighth of an inch above a top surface of said water and said amplitude intensity is low enough such that said top surface of said water does not freeze before water below said top surface freezes. 
     
     
         8 . A transparent ice cube making apparatus, comprising:
 a refrigeration module configured to utilize a refrigerant having a boiling point of less than minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit and a superheat set between ten degrees Fahrenheit and forty-five degrees Fahrenheit;   a refrigeration pipe secured between an upper plate and a lower plate where said upper plate has a thermal conductivity of over fifteen watts per meter-Kelvin;   an ice mold;   a feature to move water in said ice mold;   wherein said apparatus is further configured to make an ice cube that has a solid center wherein said center is comprised of an air molecule and said center is void of visible crystallization and void of a visible air bubble;   and a module configured having one or more gangsaws with a blade comprised of over fourteen percent chromium content to turn said ice cube into smaller ice cubes where said smaller ice cubes have a center void of visible crystallization and said center is further void of a visible air bubble.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said ice mold is made from a polymer comprised of less than three percent bisphenol A. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said blades are configured to have a speed between one thousand surface feet per minute and eight thousand surface feet per minute and further has two to six teeth per inch. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a module configured having a blade positioned substantially horizontal and said blade is further configured to have over fourteen percent chromium content. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said ice mold is configured having four defined sidewalls made out of a thermoplastic polymer configured having a thermal conductivity of less than 0.55 watts per meter-Kelvin and a flexible bottom wall is configured to measure less than 0.070 inches thick. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said ice mold is configured to have four defined sidewalls made out of an inorganic polymer having a thermal conductivity of over 140 watts per meter-kelvin and said bottom wall is configured to flex and is configured to measure less than three quarters of an inch thick. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said ice mold is configured having a bottom wall made from a material having a thermal conductivity of over 200 watts per meter-Kelvin or from a material having over fourteen percent chromium and said ice mold further has sidewalls made from a polymer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a bin having four defined sidewalls where one of said sidewalls is configured to open to removed said ice cube. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said ice mold has a substantially level bottom wall where said wall is without creases and has a thickness of less than 0.070 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said superheat is set between twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit and forty degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         18 . A method to make transparent ice cubes, comprising the following steps in any order:
 providing a refrigeration system configured to use a refrigerant having a boiling point of less than minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit;   setting a superheat on said refrigeration system between fifteen degrees Fahrenheit and forty-five degrees Fahrenheit;   providing a mold having a bottom wall made of either an inorganic polymer having a thermal conductivity over one 140 watts per meter-Kelvin and a thickness of less than three quarters of an inch or a mold made of a thermoplastic polymer having a thermal conductivity less than 0.55 watts per meter-kelvin and a thickness of less than 0.070 of an inch;   providing a water movement system;   configuring said mold and said refrigeration system and said water movement system so said water freezes substantially in one directional through said bottom wall of said mold to produce a large ice cube that has a center that is void of visible crystallization and said center is void of a visible bubble;   providing a gangsaw having a blade with a chromium content of over fourteen percent and a tooth count of two to ten teeth per inch;   cutting said large ice cube into smaller ice cubes where said smaller ice cubes have a center that is void of visible crystallization and said center is void of a visible bubble.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said mold provided has four defined sidewalls. 
     
     
         20 . A method to make transparent ice cubes, comprising the following steps in any order:
 providing a refrigeration system configured to use a refrigerant having a boiling point of less than minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit;   setting a superheat on said refrigeration system between fifteen degrees Fahrenheit and forty-five degrees Fahrenheit;   providing a mold having a bottom wall made of either an inorganic polymer having a thermal conductivity over one 140 watts per meter-Kelvin and a thickness of less than three quarters of an inch or a mold made of a thermoplastic polymer having a thermal conductivity less than 0.55 watts per meter-kelvin and a thickness of less than 0.070 of an inch;   providing a water movement system;   configuring said mold and said refrigeration system and said water movement system so water freezes substantially in one directional through said bottom wall of said mold to produce a large ice cube that has a center that is void of visible crystallization and said center is void of a visible bubble;   providing either a concentrated air stream, or providing a concentrated water stream, or providing a tumbling device without cutting blades, or providing a jarring device, or providing a heated grid, to either cut said larger ice cube into smaller ice cubes or break said larger ice cube into smaller ice cubes without crushing said larger ice cube, where said smaller ice cubes have a center that is void of visible crystallization and said center is void of a visible bubble.