# US 11,425,920 B2 · Methods and systems for producing frozen cocktail ice structures

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- Number: US 11,425,920 B2
- Document ID: US11425920B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/890,214
- Filed: 2020-06-02
- Published: 2020-12-31
- Granted: 2022-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-28
- Assignees: Drinkwell LLC
- Applicants: Cadence Gourmet LLC
- Inventors: Michael Benton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11425920B2

## CPC

- A23G 9/48: Composite products, e.g. layered {, laminated}, coated, filled
- A23G 9/045: {of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage}
- A23G 9/086: {using a rotatable container containing the cooling medium}
- A23G 9/228: {Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices}
- A23G 9/245: {for coating the products}
- C12G 3/005: Solid or pasty alcoholic beverage-forming compositions
- C12G 3/06: with flavouring ingredients
- F25C 1/00: Producing ice (F25C3/00 takes precedence)
- F25D 3/10: using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air {(for cooling semiconductor devices H10W40/305)}
- A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
- C12G: WINE; PREPARATION THEREOF; ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (beer C12C); PREPARATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES C12C OR C12H
- F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)

## Abstract

Methods and systems for producing cocktail ice cubes are provided. One method includes setting a temperature of an interior surface of a tumbler below a desired temperature for an ice structure loaded into the tumbler; executing a sauce coating cycle for coating the ice structure with a sauce; executing a freeze cycle after the sauce coating cycle, by spraying nitrogen on the ice structure; alternating between the sauce coating cycle and the freeze cycle for applying sauce on the ice structure; and executing a water cycle for applying water to the ice structure coated with the sauce to produce a frozen cocktail ice structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
setting a temperature of an interior surface of a tumbler below a desired temperature for an ice structure and loading the ice structure in the tumbler;
maintaining the ice structure stationery in the tumbler for a certain duration until a surface temperature of the ice structure is within a certain temperature range;
verifying the surface temperature of the ice structure;
in response to verifying the surface temperature, executing a sauce coating cycle by a programmable controller to coat the ice structure with a sauce in the tumbler operating at a first speed;
executing a freeze cycle by the programmable controller, after the sauce coating cycle, by spraying nitrogen on the ice structure in the tumbler operating at a second speed that is different from the first speed, while maintaining an ambient temperature within the tumbler that is different from a temperature range of the ice structure;
alternating between the sauce coating cycle and the freeze cycle by the programmable controller for applying sauce on the ice structure in the tumbler; and
executing a water cycle by the programmable controller for applying water in the tumbler on the ice structure coated with the sauce to produce a frozen cocktail ice structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the certain temperature range is between 0 degrees Fahrenheit and—3 degrees Fahrenheit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein during the freeze cycle, the ambient temperature within the tumbler is about −30 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature range of the ice structure is between −7 to −25 degrees Fahrenheit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first speed during the sauce coating cycle is about 18% at 15 RPM (revolutions per minute) and the second speed during the freeze cycle is about 10% at 15 RPM.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the frozen cocktail ice structure is used for making an alcoholic drink.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the frozen cocktail ice structure is used for making a non-alcoholic drink.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ice structure is an ice cube.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ice structure is of a non-cubic shape.

### Claim 9

A frozen cocktail ice structure, comprising:
an ice structure coated with a plurality of sauce layers; wherein the ice structure is loaded in a tumbler whose interior surface temperature is preset to a temperature below a desired temperature for the ice structure, wherein for an ice tempering process, the ice structure upon being loaded is maintained in a stationery state for a certain duration until a surface temperature of the ice structure is within a certain range and upon verification of the ice structure surface temperature, the ice structure is coated with a first sauce layer during a sauce coating cycle in the tumbler operating at a first speed controlled by a programmable controller and after the sauce coating cycle, nitrogen is sprayed on the ice structure in the tumbler, during a freeze cycle controlled by the programmable controller, the tumbler operating at a second speed that is different from the first speed; wherein the sauce coating cycle and the freeze cycle alternate for applying the plurality of sauce layers and nitrogen on the ice structure in the tumbler; and after a last freeze cycle, water is applied in the tumbler on the ice structure coated with the plurality of sauce layers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The frozen cocktail ice structure of claim 9, wherein the frozen cocktail structure is used for making an alcoholic drink.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The frozen cocktail ice structure of claim 9, wherein the frozen cocktail ice structure is used for making a non-alcoholic drink.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The frozen cocktail ice structure of claim 9, wherein the ice structure is an ice cube.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The frozen cocktail ice structure of claim 9, wherein the ice structure is a non-cubic shape.

### Claim 14

A system, comprising:
a tumbler whose interior surface temperature is pre-set below a desired temperature of an ice structure loaded in the tumbler, wherein an ice tempering process is executed in the tumbler by maintaining the ice structure stationery in the tumbler for a certain duration until a surface temperature of the ice structure is within a certain temperature range; and
a controller having a processor executing instructions out of a memory for:
alternating between a sauce coating cycle in the tumbler operating at a first speed to apply a sauce layer on the ice structure, and a freeze cycle that occurs after the sauce coating cycle to spray nitrogen on the ice structure, wherein the tumbler operates at a second speed during the freeze cycle, the second speed being different from the first speed, and during the freeze cycle, an ambient temperature within the tumbler is different from a temperature range of the ice structure; and
executing a water cycle for applying water to the ice structure coated with sauce for producing a frozen cocktail ice structure having sauce coated on the ice structure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the certain temperature range during the ice tempering process is between 0 degrees Fahrenheit and—3 degrees Fahrenheit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further comprising: a pump that provides the sauce layer to the tumbler for the sauce coating cycle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, further comprising: a nitrogen supply unit that supplies nitrogen for the freeze cycle in the tumbler.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the frozen cocktail ice structure is used for making an alcoholic or a non-alcoholic drink.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the ice structure is an ice cube.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the ice structure is a non-cubic shape.