Ice display device

摘要

An ice display device includes a chill tube and a piston that slides within the chill tube providing a fluidtight seal against the interior. The tube is filled with water and cooled to form an ice column. A shutter may selectively close the upper end of the chill tube with a fluidtight seal while the ice column is formed. The tube is warmed and the piston is lifted to an upper end of the tube to display the ice column. A plurality of water nozzles may selectively discharge streams of high pressure water inwardly to sculpt the ice column. An armature may extend upwardly from the piston to support and cool an interior of the ice column. The tube and armature may be cooled and warmed by a thermal transfer fluid. A device may be provided to induce turbulence in the thermal transfer fluid.

主权项

1. An ice display device comprising:
a chill tube that includes a jacket that receives a first thermal transfer fluid, the chill tube having an interior with a cross-section that extends uniformly from an open upper end to an opposing lower end; a piston that slides within the chill tube between the upper and lower ends, the piston providing a fluidtight seal against the interior; a lift coupled to the piston on a side away from the upper end that moves the piston between the upper and lower ends of the chill tube; and a sculpting head coupled to the upper end of the chill tube such that an ice column being lifted by the piston passes through a central opening of the sculpting head, the sculpting head including a plurality of water nozzles arranged to selectively discharge streams of high pressure water from one or more of the plurality of water nozzles into to the central opening of the sculpting head toward a long axis of the chill tube to sculpt an outer surface of the ice column.