Static molds – Including destructible feature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2001-11-27
Mackey, James P. (Department: 1722)
Static molds
Including destructible feature
C249S110000, C249S119000, C383S038000, C383S107000, C383S108000, C383S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322044
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ice cube bag comprising:
two sheet-shaped foil layers having substantially identical geometrical configurations and defining an outer periphery,
a peripheral joint extending along the major part of the outer periphery of the foil layers with the exception of a peripheral area constituting an inlet channel of the bag which peripheral joint joins the foil layers together mainly overlapping each other and defining an inner chamber in the interior of the bag which inner chamber is divided into several ice cube compartments being defined in relation to each other by separate joints of the foil layers,
an inlet channel defined by joints of the foil layers and extending from the inlet channel to the inner chamber of the bag so that admission is allowed from the surroundings to the inner chamber of the bag through the inlet channel.
Numerous ice cube bags are known within this technical field, e.g. from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,207,420, Re.31,890, 4,822,180 corresponding to European patent No. 0 264 407, published European patent application No. 0 129 072, international patent application, publication No. WO82/00279, international patent application, publication No. WO87/01183 corresponding to European patent No. 0 248 817, international patent application, publication No. WO86/04561, international patent application, publication No. WO92/15491 corresponding to European patent No. 0 574 49 and published European patent application No. 0 619 948 and Danish patent No. 172.066 corresponding to published European patent application No. 0 795 393. In these numerous publications to which reference is made and which are hereby incorporated in the present specification by reference a large number of ice cube bag constructions of different embodiments having different closure devices are described, including knot closure, self-closure etc. Within this technical field it is commonly known that ice cube bags may either be glued or welded, the above mentioned Danish patent and the corresponding published European patent application describing an industrial method for production of ice cube bags having continuous or intermittent weldings.
It is commonly known within this technical field that ice cube bags with very strong joints, especially weldings or glueings may be produced, providing a safe and reliable containment of the ice cubes produced by means of the ice cube bag. Similarly it is generally realized that it may often be quite difficult for a user to open an ice cube bag in which ice cubes are contained, as the foil used, especially the commonly used polyethylene plastic foil and the rather strong joints, makes a tearing apart or opening of the ice cube bag quite difficult. In international patent application, publication No. WO87/01183 and corresponding European patent No. 0 248 817 an ice cube bag construction is described in which glueing is preferably used for establishing joints in the interior of the ice cube bag. The joints are later on relatively easy to separate again enabling a conversion of the ice cube bag from an ice cube bag divided into compartments into a non-compartmentalized ice cube bag. In the European patent it is stated that the joints enabling a conversion of the ice cube bag from a compartmentalized ice cube bag into a non-compartmentalized ice cube bag may be established as weldings or alternatively as glueings, as it should be possible for a person skilled in the art to deduce a technique to establish weak weldings enabling such a tearing apart of the joints for the purpose of converting the ice cube bag from a compartmentalized into a non-compartmentalized form. In this connection, in the European patent it is specifically stated that tearing apart of the joints, especially the glueings is not to cause any damage to the walls of the ice cube bag, i.e. cause a proper tearing of the ice cube bag, but only a separation of the joints previously established.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the problem or the object of providing an ice cube bag of the type mentioned in the introduction in which it is possible in a simple manner to provide a tearing apart of the ice cube bag when a number of ice cubes have been produced in the ice cube bag by inserting water into the ice cube bag which is thereafter brought to freeze by positioning the ice cube bag containing water in a deep freezer, a home freezer, a freezer locker or the like. This problem or this object comprises per se a contradiction, as on the one hand a reliable sealing of the ice cube bag is provided so as to avoid an unintended leakage due to weak joints provided in the ice cube bag, including weldings or glue connections that may at an inappropriate point in time break and thus provide a leakage. On the other hand, the desire for providing an ice cube bag in which it is easy for the user to get into the interior of the ice cube bag in order to take out the ice cubes confined in the interior of the ice cube bag indicates that the joints should be weak and thus facilitate the tearing apart of the ice cube bag.
The invention is based on the realization that by means of suitable geometrical designing of the joints providing the separation of the inner chamber of the ice cube bag into numerous ice cube compartments it is possible to design these joints in such a way that these joints which are preferably produced by means of the same technique and same strength as the other joints in the ice cube bag may provide an opening of the ice cube bag after producing ice cubes or lumps of ice by freezing the water contained in the inner chamber of the ice cube bag.
The above mentioned object is obtained by means of an ice cube bag according to the present invention, and the above mentioned problem is solved in accordance with the teachings of the present invention by designing the ice cube bag mentioned in the introduction in such a manner that each of the separate joints defining two neighbour ice cube compartments in relation to each other is constituted by a number of individual joints and that each of these individual joints establishes a connection between the two sheet-shaped foil layers with such a joint strength and with such limited area extension that the joint in question is not broken when the foil layers are exposed to a separative force, but produces a tearing apart or perforation in one of the foil sheets along the periphery of the joint in question.
An embodiment of the ice cube bag characteristic of the present invention is characterized by the joints producing the definition of the ice cube compartments in the interior of the ice cube bag being constituted by a number of individual joints each establishing such a joint between the two sheet-shaped foil layers of the ice cube bag that the joint in question cannot per se be torn apart or broken, but at the same time, due to the limited area extension of the joint in question, enables the joint to produce a tearing apart or perforation of one of the foil layers in the ice cube bag when the two sheet-shaped foil layers of the ice cube bag are pulled from each other and are sought to be separated. In this connection, firstly it should be noted that this tearing apart or perforation is not per se conditioned on any specific force orientation, but in accordance with the teachings of the present invention it has turned out to be advantageous that the freezing of the water in the interior of the ice cube bag into lumps of ice produces a stretching of the foil layers so that a simple bending of the ice cube bag may in itself produce the necessary tearing apart or perforation of one of the foil layers of the ice cube bag as the stretched foil layers thus produce a considerable pull in one of the sheet-shaped foil layers in which a tearing apart or perforation is accordingly produced.
Secondly, it should be noted that the separate joints characteristic of the present invention must not be mixed up with the indication in the above mentioned European patent No. 0 248 817 stating that sui
Klein & Szekeres LLP
Mackey James P.
Unigreen International A/S
LandOfFree
Ice cube bag and method of producing ice cube bags does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ice cube bag and method of producing ice cube bags, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ice cube bag and method of producing ice cube bags will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2617158