Devices for shaping clear ice products and related methods

An apparatus comprising:

• a support frame;
• a mold for shaping ice ingots, the mold including:
• a first clamshell part coupled to a first pivot point installed on the support frame, the first clamshell part having a first plurality of mold cavities on a first surface and a first channel embedded behind the first surface and configured to receive a first flow of fluid, wherein at least one cavity in the first plurality of mold cavities includes a pressure relief pin hole;
• a second clamshell part coupled to a second pivot point installed on the support frame and substantially adjacent to the first pivot point, the second clamshell part having a second plurality of mold cavities on a second surface and a second channel embedded behind the second surface and configured to receive a second flow of fluid, wherein at least one cavity in the second plurality of mold cavities includes a pressure relief pin hole;
• a positioner configured to dispose the first surface of the first clamshell part against a first side surface of an elongate ice ingot and a second surface of the second clamshell part against a second side surface of the elongate ice ingot, the first side surface of the elongate ice ingot being opposite the second side surface of the elongate ice ingot;
• and
• at least one fluid inlet valve for each of the first clamshell part and the second clamshell part, the at least one fluid inlet valve being configured to control the first flow of fluid through the first channel associated with the first clamshell part, and the second flow of fluid through the second channel associated with the second clamshell part;
• an input chamber and an output chamber in a first layer of the first clamshell part,
• wherein the first channel associated with the first clamshell part comprises a plurality of input channels and a plurality of output channels, and
• wherein the plurality of input channels and the plurality of output channels are located in a second layer of the first clamshell part, the plurality of input channels being fluidly connected to the input chamber and the plurality of output channels being fluidly connected to the output chamber.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of ice structures, the method comprising:

• providing a mold for shaping ice, the mold comprising:
• a first clamshell part coupled to a first pivot point installed on a support, the first clamshell part having a first plurality of mold cavities on a first surface and a first channel embedded behind the first surface;
• a second clamshell part coupled to a second pivot point installed on the support and substantially adjacent to the first pivot point, the second clamshell part having a second plurality of mold cavities on a second surface and a second channel embedded behind the second surface, wherein the first surface substantially faces the second surface at a predefined angle from a longitudinal plane of the mold;
• receiving an elongate ice ingot at the mold;
• causing the first clamshell part to turn about the first pivot point toward the second surface and causing the second clamshell part to turn about the second pivot point toward the first surface to at least partially encapsulate the elongate ice ingot;
• causing a first flow of fluid through the first channel;
• causing a second flow of fluid through the second channel, wherein the first flow of fluid and the second flow of fluid are thermally heated to a predefined temperature;
• and
• causing the first clamshell part and the second clamshell part to compress the elongate ice ingot while the first flow of fluid and the second flow of fluid flow such that the elongate ice ingot selectively melts to form a plurality of distinct ice structures as defined by the first plurality of mold cavities and the second plurality of mold cavities,
• providing a conveyor system including a conveyance portion and a plurality of offset supports, the conveyor system being arranged substantially parallel to the mold and beneath a bottom surface of the mold;
• causing the conveyor system to receive the elongate ice ingot at two or more of the offset supports and advance the conveyance portion to move the elongate ice ingot to a predefined position substantially along a bottom surface of the mold;
• causing transport of the plurality of distinct ice structures when released from the first plurality of mold cavities and the second plurality of mold cavities and in response to detecting completion of an ice shaping process,
• wherein the mold further comprises a drain system that drains fluid from the first plurality of mold cavities and the second plurality of mold cavities, the drain system comprising a pressure relief pin hole in each of the first plurality of mold cavities and a pressure relief pin hole in each of the second plurality of mold cavities.