초록 ▼

A self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus, including a bowl mold for containing the water to be frozen into the ice bowl; air circulation means disposed within the bowl mold for supplying a stream of air to the freezing water to slow the freezing thereof to provide ice in greater clar

A self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus, including a bowl mold for containing the water to be frozen into the ice bowl; air circulation means disposed within the bowl mold for supplying a stream of air to the freezing water to slow the freezing thereof to provide ice in greater clarity; support means for the air circulation means; a freezer tank containing a refrigerant liquid into which the bowl mold is disposed and held at a selected level; and refrigerant liquid circulation means disposed within the freezer tank for continuously circulating the refrigerant liquid to prevent stratification of temperature levels within the refrigerant liquid, whereby uniformity of freezing of the water in the bowl mold is enhanced.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a bowl mold means for forming an ice bowl of a selected size and shape, said bowl mold means for containing water to be frozen adjacent the walls thereof only and for forming the ice bowl thereby, and said bow

1. A self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a bowl mold means for forming an ice bowl of a selected size and shape, said bowl mold means for containing water to be frozen adjacent the walls thereof only and for forming the ice bowl thereby, and said bowl mold means having an upper extremity around the rim thereof; air circulation means disposed within the opening of said bowl mold means from the top thereof for supplying a stream of air bubbles to the freezing water in said bowl mold means for slowing the freezing thereof to provide ice of greater clarity, and also for freezing of the water substantially adjacent to the walls of the bowl mold means, but simultaneously for maintaining the water in the center of the bowl mold means continuously in an unfrozen condition, such that when the remaining unfrozen water is removed from the central area of the bowl mold means, a frozen bowl shape results therefrom; frame means mounted on substantially the upper extremity of the bowl mold means for positionally holding said air circulation means within the opening of said bowl mold means at the rim thereof; a portable and free-standing freezer tank, said freezer tank having an opening at the top thereof and said bowl mold means disposed therewithin, said freezer tank being adaptable for containing a refrigerant liquid, the level of which in said freezer tank extends a substantial distance up the side of said bowl mold means to a level less than that of the upper extremity of said bowl mold means, whereby said bowl mold means is substantially immersed within the refrigerant liquid contained within, but the refrigerant liquid does not spill over the bowl mold means to contaminate the freezing water thereof; refrigerant liquid circulation means disposed solely within said freezer tank for circulating the refrigerant liquid thereof and to prevent stratification of temperature levels within the refrigerant liquid, whereby uniformity of freezing of the water in the bowl mold means except in the center of said bowl mold means is enhanced; and frame means engaging substantially the upper extremity of said bowl mold means to fixedly support said bowl mold means at the selected level within said freezer tank. 2. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bowl mold is made of a metallic material for rapid conduction of heat. 3. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bowl mold further include a lip for engaging and supporting said air circulation support means. 4. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bowl mold further has means for engaging said bowl mold support means. 5. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said lip extends laterally from the top portion of said bowl mold to engage said bowl mold support means on the under side of said lip, and to engage said air circulation support means on the upper surface thereof. 6. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said laterally extending lip is connected on the outward extremity thereof to an upwardly extending flange for prevention of contamination of the freezing water contained therein with the refrigerant liquid contained within said freezer. 7. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upwardly extending flange disposed upon and connected to the outward extremity of said lip comprises means for engaging said air circulation support means for centering said air circulating means with respect to said bowl mold, thereby to promote uniformity of bowl wall thickness formed by the freezing of the water therein. 8. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air circulation means comprises: an air tube having a length to extend a substantial distance into the water contained within said bowl mold and having an air tube aperture at the distal end thereof; an air supply means for furnishing a stream of air to said air tube at the proximal end thereof to be thereafter directed downwardly into the water within said bowl mold to bubble upwardly therefrom; and an air bubble deflection means having a surface in contact with and submersed into the water in said bowl mold, whereby the air bubbles which flow upwardly from the air tube aperture of the air tube within the water in said bowl mold are also directed to flow substantially outwardly from the center of such water and towards the sides of said bowl mold. 9. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 8 wherein said air bubble deflection means is substantially frusto-conical in shape. 10. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising decorative indicia holding means for holding decorative indicia at selected positions in the freezing water contained within said bowl mold, such decorative indicia to be incorporated within the walls of the ice bowl when frozen. 11. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 10 wherein said decorative indicia holding means comprises a length of relatively rigid wire with a clip disposed on each end thereof whereby one clip may be connected to the decorative indicia and the other clip used to hold the entirety of the wire, and including the decorative visual indicia in the selected position within the water contained within the bowl mold. 12. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air circulation means continuously supplies the stream of air bubbles to the freezing water within said bowl mold. 13. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air circulation support means comprises longitudinally extending support plates joined by laterally extending support plates to form an air circulation support frame. 14. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 13 wherein said air circulation means is attached to and borne by said laterally extending support plates of said air circulation support frame. 15. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said refrigerant liquid circulation means is continuous in operation. 16. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 15 wherein said refrigerant liquid circulation means comprises a refrigerant pump disposed within said freezing tank and submersed within said refrigerant tank. 17. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 16 wherein said refrigerant pump includes influent and effluent openings thereon, and a loop of refrigerant circulation tubing is connected to said effluent opening by means of a T-fitting for continuous circulation of refrigerant therein. 18. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 17 wherein said loop of refrigerant circulation tubing contains a plurality of upwardly directed apertures in the upper surface thereof for providing substantial uniformity of circulation of the refrigerant liquid to the freezing tank. 19. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bowl mold support frame comprises a frame having at each end a pair of upwardly extending rod elements oppositely disposed on lateral sides thereof, each of which supports a transversely extending rod element for engaging and supporting said bowl mold. 20. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said bowl mold includes an outward protrusion at the bottom thereof for forming the base of the bowl. 21. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the depth of said ice bowl mold is no greater than one and one-half (11/2) times the width of said ice bowl mold. 22. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air circulation means releases the stream of air bubbles into the freezing water at a depth which will permit freezing at the bottom and the sides of said bowl mold means to form an unfrozen central portion which is substantially hemispherical in shape. 23. The self-contained, decorative ice bowl freezing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said freezer tank is not substantially larger in horizontal cross-sectional dimension than said bowl mold means.