Freezing mould bag

Abstract

Freezing mould bags are disclosed, having a plurality of mould compartments, which communicate with each other and, in turn, with a liquid inlet. The liquid inlet and the mould compartments are defined by a pattern of joints or sealings between two opposed bag sheets constituting the bag walls. The mould bags are well-suited for preparing ice pieces of the ice "cube"-type, but may also be used for other purposes. The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/000,090, filed October 15, 1981, has been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

I claim: 
     
       1. A disposable freezing mould bag for receiving and retaining therein liquid to be frozen into a plurality of objects suitable for human consumption, and for being destroyed to gain access to the frozen objects, the mould bag comprising: first and second generally rectangular opposed sheets of thin and flexible .[.plastics.]. .Iadd.plastic .Iaddend.material defining the walls of the mould bag, said opposed sheets having top edges, bottom edges and side edges, and being flat and lying in contact with one another prior to the bag being filled with liquid; said first and second opposed sheets being heat sealed at a plurality of positions spaced over selected portions of the sheets, with the exception of defined unsealed portions for receiving the liquid to be frozen; the unsealed portions in a lower generally rectangular portion of the bag defining a plurality of interconnected compartments of substantially the same configuration, the compartments being interconnected by channels of reduced cross-sectional area, the walls of the compartments being defined by said opposed sheets, and being in substantial contact with each other prior to filling of the bag and each being distended away from the other by the liquid to be frozen after filling of the bag, said first and second opposed sheets being of a thickness so as to be rupturable at said unsealed compartments to facilitate removal of the frozen objects from the bag; .[.and.].   the unsealed portions in an upper generally rectangular portion of the bag defining a .Iadd.central .Iaddend.filling channel .Iadd.having side edges substantially equally spaced from a filling channel axis and from side edges of the bag and .Iaddend.extending from .Iadd.an opening at .Iaddend.the top edge of the bag to at least one of said compartments so that liquid entering the opening of said filling channel flows into, distends, and fills all of the compartments; .Iadd.and   cuts formed in an area of the bag immediately above the compartments in the lower portion of the bag, the cuts extending inwardly from each of the side edges of the bag and terminating at points spaced outwardly of the side edges of the filling channel so that first and second substantially rectangular upper portions are defined between said cuts and the top edges of said first and second opposed sheets, the upper portions being positioned on respective sides of said filling channel and extending transversely outwardly relative to the axis of the filling channel to the opposite side edges of the sheets, said upper portions extending in the direction of said filling channel axis between a first transverse plane passing through the opening of said filling channel and a second transverse plane spaced from said first transverse plane along the filling axis and passing through said cuts in the area immediately above the compartments, said outwardly extending first and second upper portions being foldable downwardly along transverse folding lines to define opposed wing means separate from the lower portion of the bag containing the compartments, said wing means being sufficient in transverse length to permit the wing means to be tied together in a knot so that the tied wing means completely close the filling channel once the bag is filled with liquid to be frozen; .Iaddend.   said bag being flat when unfilled, adapted to receive liquid through said filling channel to all of said compartments to bulge the walls of the compartments due to the presence of the liquid, and .Iadd.adapted .Iaddend.to form a frozen mass defined by all of said compartments and unsealed channel areas therebetween, said frozen mass in the channels between compartments being readily breakable when the compartments are ruptured to gain access to the frozen objects in the compartments. .[.   
     
     
       2.  The freezing mould bag of claim 1, and further comprising first and second wings defined by said first and second opposed sheets, located on respective sides of said filling channel and extending outwardly therefrom toward the opposite side edges of the sheets, said wings being sized and shaped so as to enable them to be tied together to close the filling channel once the bag is filled with liquid to be frozen..]. .[.3. A freezing mould bag according to claim 2, wherein said first and second 
     
     
        wings are generally rectangular..]. 4. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein only one of said compartments is in fluid communication with said gap, and wherein each of said compartments is in fluid 
     
     
        communication with all adjacent compartments. 5. A freezing mould bag according to claim 4 wherein said compartments are in a regular pattern of 
     
     
        rows and columns. 6. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein 
     
     
        said filling channel is a funnel shaped conduit. 7. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein each compartment communicates with all 
     
     
        adjacent compartments. 8. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein the compartments are arranged as several rows of circular 
     
     
        compartments between the first and second opposed sheets. 9. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein said compartments are defined by 
     
     
        linear heat sealings between the first and second opposed sheets. 10. A freezing mould bag according to claim 9, wherein said linear heat sealings 
     
     
        are interrupted lines. 11. A freezing mould bag according to claim 9, 
     
     
        wherein said linear heat sealings are wave-shaped lines. 12. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein said filling channel is provided with valve means adapted to prevent liquid from flowing back and out 
     
     
        through the filling channel. 13. A freezing mould bag according to claim 12, wherein said valve means includes at least one movable closing flap. 
     
     
          . A freezing mould bag according to claim 13, wherein said closing flap 
     
     
        is a folded portion of at least one of said bag wall sheets. 15. A freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein said bag further includes means for venting air from said bag as said bag is being filled with liquid. .Iadd.16. A disposable freezing mould bag for receiving and retaining therein liquid to be frozen into a plurality of objects suitable for human consumption, and for being destroyed to gain access to the frozen objects, the mould bag comprising: first and second generally rectangular opposed sheets of thin and flexible plastic material defining the walls of the mould bag, said opposed sheets having top edges, bottom edges and side edges, and being flat and lying in contact with one another prior to the bag being filled with liquid;   said first and second opposed sheets being heat sealed at a plurality of positions spaced over selected portions of the sheets, with the exception of defined unsealed portions for receiving the liquid to be frozen;   the unsealed portions in a lower generally rectangular portion of the bag defining a plurality of interconnected compartments of generally circular configuration, the circles being so arranged that horizontally and vertically adjacent circles overlap to define channels of reduced cross-sectional area interconnecting adjacent compartments, the peripheral edges of the sheets in the lower portion of the bag and remaining areas between adjacent compartments being completely heat sealed so as to provide a pattern of heat sealed areas covering the entire lower portion with the exception of the interconnected compartments, the walls of the compartments being defined by said opposed sheets, and being in substantial contact with each other prior to filling of the bag and each being distended away from the other by the liquid to be frozen after filling of the bag, said first and second opposed sheets being of a thickness so as to be rupturable at said unsealed compartments to facilitate removal of the frozen objects from the bag;   the unsealed portions in an upper generally rectangular portion of the bag cooperating with sealed portions to define a central filling channel having side edges substantially equally spaced from a filling channel axis and from side edges of the bag and extending from an opening at the top edge of the bag to at least one of said compartments so that liquid entering the opening of said filling channel flows into, distends, and fills all of the compartments;   cuts formed in an area of the bag immediately above the compartments in the lower portion of the bag, the cuts extending inwardly from each of the side edges of the bag and terminating at points spaced outwardly of the side edges of the filling channel so that first and second substantially rectangular upper portions are defined between said cuts and the top edges of said first and second opposed sheets, the upper portions being positioned on respective sides of said filling channel and extending transversely outwardly relative to the axis of the filling channel to the opposite side edges of the sheets, said upper portions extending in the direction of said filling channel axis between a first transverse plane passing through the opening of said filling channel and a second transverse plane spaced from said first transverse plane along the filling axis and passing through said cuts in the area immediately above the compartments, said outwardly extending first and second upper portions being foldable downwardly along transverse folding lines to define opposed wing means separate from the lower portion of the bag containing the compartments, said wing means being sufficient in transverse length to permit the wing means to be tied together in a knot so that the tied wing means completely close the filling channel once the bag is filled with liquid to be frozen;   said bag being flat when unfilled, adapted to receive liquid through said filling channel to all of said compartments to bulge the walls of the compartments due to the presence of the liquid, and adapted to form a frozen mass defined by all of said compartments and unsealed channel areas therebetween when said filled bag is subjected to a temperature sufficiently low to freeze the liquid, said frozen mass in the channels between compartments being readily breakable when the compartments are ruptured to gain access to the frozen objects in the compartments.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  A disposable freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein peripheral edges of the sheets in the lower portion of the bag are heat sealed to each other. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A disposable freezing mould bag according to claim 16, wherein said filling channel is a funnel shaped conduit defined by sealings between the two opposed sheets, the sealings diverging outwardly and upwardly from only one of said compartments. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A disposable freezing mould bag according to claim 1, wherein said filling channel is defined by sealings extending upwardly from said at least one of said compartments. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The freezing mould bag of claim 1, wherein the side edges of the bag adjacent outer ends of said cuts are collinear. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The freezing mould bag of claim 16, wherein the side edges of the bag adjacent outer ends of said cuts are collinear..Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The freezing mould bag of claim 1, wherein top edges of said opposed sheets are heat sealed to each other on both sides of the filling channel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The freezing mould bag of claim 16, wherein top edges of said opposed sheets are heat sealed to each other on both sides of the filling channel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The freezing mould bag of claim 1, wherein said cuts are slit shaped cuts so that adjacent edges of the upper and lower portions of the bag are closely spaced from each other. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.     The freezing mould bag of claim 16, wherein said cuts are slit shaped cuts so that adjacent edges of the upper and lower portions of the bag are closely spaced from each other..Iaddend.