Static molds – Including means to adjust mold volume during molding
Patent
1989-05-22
1990-12-04
Housel, James C.
Static molds
Including means to adjust mold volume during molding
249 55, 249111, 249112, 249134, 249166, 249167, F25C 122, B29C 3338
Patent
active
049748092
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing ice sculpture and in particular relates to an ice mould and method of using it in order to produce clear ice sculpture by moulding.
In the restaurant and hotel trade, it has been the mark of the higher quality establishments to be able to provide ice sculptures as the centerpiece of a set table. The exclusivity of ice sculpture has revolved around the fact that such centerpieces have had to be carved from solid ice by skilled artisans.
In order to reduce the high cost associated with the labour of such skilled artisans, attempts have been made to produce ice sculpture by freezing water in moulds. To this end, solid moulds of steel and aluminum have been employed, with less than satisfactory results.
Firstly, by the nature of production of ice from water, rigid moulds are unsatisfactory since they do not allow for the expansion of the ice upon freezing, a characteristic of water in its phase change from liquid to solid. Where a shape to be moulded has narrow and/or protuberant portions, such moulds have tended towards cracking and resultant breakage at the narrow or protuberant portions.
Several attempts have been made to overcome such problems, with limited success being attained to date. One approach has been directed to allowing for the expansion of ice by incorporating a large base area in an inverted rigid mould. However this was found not to completely eliminate the inherent problems outlined above.
Another approach to moulding ice has been through the use of flexible moulds which are resilient enough to provide for the expansion of the ice. For example, International Patent Application No WO8701183 corresponding to Danish Application No. 3655/85 discloses multiple bag like moulds for ice blocks. Whilst this construction is suitable for small simple objects, it is unsuitable for massive objects such as centerpiece ice sculpture since the weight of the liquid water tends to deform the flexible mould and results in loss of detail for the ice sculpture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,899 describes a flexible mould supported within a rectangular box. The flexible mould described has a wall of sufficient wall thickness to prevent the abovementioned distortion. However the thick-walled mould is particularly difficult to peel off the frozen sculpture, apart from being expensive. In particular, this construction of mould results in ice sculpture containing cracks which are caused by stress concentration. These cracks, as has been found in substantially all of the moulds previously proposed, detract from the appearance of the sculpture as well as promoting a tendency to structural weakness at protuberant or narrow sections of the ice sculpture.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,234 describes an expandable form for supporting a pliable container, the combination comprising an open topped mould for ice. The form is constructed and arranged to allow outward flexing to permit expansion of the ice and to assist in demoulding. A removable cover is provided which retains the container and permits stacking of the forms. The air space at the top of the assembly provides insulation for the top of the water, preventing this region of the water from freezing first and "locking in" the underlying water. However, ice sculpture produced with this apparatus still has the deficiency of cracks at narrow or protuberant parts with resultant poor appearance and structural strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,271 extends the principles of U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,234 and describes an apparatus comprising two contoured sidewalls releasably joined at flat peripheral flanges to define an enclosure having a top opening bordened by a horizontal rim. A thin flexible envelope, contoured to conform with the interior of the enclosure is inserted into the enclosure in a manner such that the mouth opening of the envelope is draped across the rim. The insulated cover again prevents the top surface of the water from freezing first, resulting in ice mouldings of improved clarity. Demoulding is facilitated by removing t
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Lipke Cecil W.
Lipke Vivienne
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