US2170592A

US2170592A - Ice tray organization for refrigerators

Info

Publication number: US2170592A
Application number: US194672A
Authority: US
Inventors: James H Miner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-03-08
Filing date: 1938-03-08
Publication date: 1939-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1956-08-22

Description

Aug. 22, 1939. J, H, WNER 2,170,592

ICE TRAY ORGANIZATION FdR REFRIGERATORS Filed March 8, 1938 Slum-mien:

James J[. Miner,

Patented AugQZZ, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ICE TRAY ORGANIZATION FOB REFBIGERATORS James H. Miner, Meridian, Miss. Application Mamas, 1938, Serial No. 194,672 9 Claims. o1. 62-4085) The invention concerns an ice tray for use with refrigerators, and one object is to provide a tray, the main element of which will be of simple and substantially conventional form, but so arranged or related to'ea'ch' other that by pressing or forcing the grid downwardly after the waterhas been frozen, the ice cubes will be separated from the contacting walls of the grid and tray in order that they readily may be removed.

I'he invention is shown iri the accompanying drawing and consists'in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.-

- Figure l is a side view of a tray organization embodying my invention.-

Fig. 2 is an end view.,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the grid.

Fig. 4 is an end view of thetray with its en a wall partly broken away.

Fig. 5 illustrates another form of the invention to secure the initial elevated position of the grid v relative to the tray.

In the drawing i indicates the tray proper go which may be made of stainless steel or aluminum, and of a substantially conventional form having, upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls as shown in Fig. 2, and also upwardly and outwardly inclined end walls as shown in Fig. 1. .0 It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to a tray of the form just de{ scribed. It is preferably of elongatedshape.

"Within this tray a grid is placed consisting of a longitudinally extending partition wall 2 set up as on edge. and having its end edges substantially conforming to the shape of the end walls of the tray. This partition member may be in one piece from end to end, or it maybe divided in the center of its length to provide an independent grid sec- 40 tion at each endof the tray. This central partitlon member carries laterally extending fins or supplemental partition members 3 which extend laterally from-the central partition member towards each side of'the tray, and divide the space I up into cube forming pockets. Thisgrid member when placed in the tray is intended to be initially. elevated, as it were, above the bottom .of the tray,- and for this purpose suitable means or relation? between the parts is provided. go; ,As an example of said means I show a strip 4 of yielding material such as rubber, extending along the bottom of the tray at the center portion thereof; this strip being of suiilclent depth or thickness vertically to hold the grid so that the lower edges [of its laterally; extending iins or supplemental partition members will .be elevated above the bottom of the tray when the grid is seatedtherein. y

The lower'edges 5 of the laterally extending fins are sharpened so that when/the grid is l presseddownwardly, this being allowed by the yielding quality of the rubber strip, these sharpened lower edges will cut the ice formation lying below them, and the action will be such that the ice cubes will be loosened from the walls of the 10 tray and from the walls provided by the longltudinal partition and laterally extending fln's of the grid.

As is well known, the amount of displacement between the parts of the grid organization need 15 not be but very slight in order to loosen the cubes, and this slight movement is rendered possible by the initial elevation of the grid relative to the tray by the use of the resilient strip as a means for initially holding the grid slightly above 80 the bottom of the tray. The central partition of the grid-and those portions of the laterally extending fins which overlie the rubber strip are blunt so that they will merely indent or distort the rubber without cutting it. The sides of the tray may be arranged to yield as the grid is forced down into the tray. Pressure may be exerted for forcing the grid downwardly by any suitable means such as a lever which may find a fulcrum at .one point of the .30 tray and extend thence over the grid, or the grid may be forced down by pressure applied in any suitable way, or by a mallet used for tapping or striking the grid at any suitable point or points thereon.

As above stated, the grid may be intact from end 'to end, or itmay be divided at the center of its length. I do ;not limit myself to a rubber strip as the means of securing, in eife'ct, an initial elevation of the grid within thetray member, nor 40 to the location of the strip at the longitudinal center line of the tray. a

' In Fig. 5 I show a modification of theinven tlon whereby the grid instead of being elevated above the bottom of the tray by a centrally disposed yieldingstrip, is supported by two strips 8, one at each side of'the tray in the cornerbetween the side wall and the bottom of thetray. These strips, like the central strip above de- I scribed, extend from'end to end of the tray. so

The invention is not limited to theconstructlon shown which is illustrative of, but not restrictive upon thescope of the invention, for which reference is'made to the appended claims.

Bofarasl am aware, I'amthe flrsttocoordis5 would be forced down nate a tray member and a grid member with the grid initially located above the low position or low level to which it may be moved downwardly in the tray by applying pressure thereto in a downward direction with the object of causing the grid member of suitable form to act in splitting the ice and freeing the same from its frozen contact with the walls of the grid and tray.

It will be understood that the lower edges of the partition members including the center bar and the laterally extending fins are sharpened throughout the major portion of their extent, excepting where the lower edges near the ends of the fins rest upon the spaced apart side strips of rubber indicated at 6 in Fig. 5.

The height of the grid, or in other words, its position above or spaced apartfrom the upper surface of the bottom wall of the tray, may be varied. Indeed, I may employ a comparatively .thin sheet of rubber covering the whole bottom of the tray, this sheet of rubber being, as an instance, only or slightly more in thickness. The thickness may be only such as will enable the grid when receiving downward pressure, or a blow from a mallet or the like, to have sufilcient displacement or downward movement to dislocate the ice cubes and to shatter their connection with the opposing surfaces of the grid and tray.

Instead of a mallet, a suitable lever mechanism may be employed to crack the cubes lose by slightly displacing the grid downwardly relative to the tray. The tray is of the same construction, whether the force applied to the grid is in the nature of a blow or pressure.

As above stated, the grid may be in sections susceptible of independent manipulation so that less thanthe entire contents of the tray may be cracked away from the walls for its removal, leaving the remaining ice in its frozen condition.

Where a lever is used for forcing the grid downwardly, a fulcrum therefor may be provided by.

slipping a band or cufi onto the tray, which cut? would provide a portion overlying the tray and spaced therefrom so that the end of a hand lever or tool could be thrust between the grid and the underside of said overlying portion with the end of the lever bearing on said underside, while an adjacent intermediate part of the lever would bear on the center bar of the grid so that by forcing the free end of the lever downwardly the Joint between the parts.

fWhile I show the grid divided at a point about midway of one of the cube pockets, the invention isnot limited in this way, as the division'may be made at any desired point.

I claim:

1. An ice tray organization for refrigerators comprising a tray and a grid held-"above the bottom of the tray, and movable downwardly from its "elevated position for dislocating the ice from the wall of the tray and grid, said grid'being substantially of the same width and length as the interior of the tray, and being self-centering also to crack the ice aimsea in respect to the tray by substantially contacting the upstanding walls thereof, substantially as described.

2. an ice tray organization according to claim 1, resilient means within the tray for initially holding the same above the bottom of the tray, said means yielding when the grid is forced downwardly towards the bottom of the tray.

3. In a tray organization according to claim 1, a grid consisting of a longitudinally extending partition having fins extending therefrom laterally towards the sides of the tray, said fins being sharpened on their lower edges.

4. An ice tray organization according to claim 1 in which a grid made up of a central longitudinally extending partition and fins extending laterally therefrom, a resilientmember upon which the central portion of the grid rests, to be forced donwwardiy towards the bottom of the tray, the laterally extending fins being sharpened at their lower edges, excepting where they overlie the yielding strip.

5. In combination a tray of elongated form, a yielding member extending lengthwise and centrally of the tray, a grid having portions with blunt edges resting upon said yielding member,

and with their portions free from said yielding member, sharpened at their lower edges to divide the ice when said grid is forced downwardly towards the bottom of thetray.

6. An ice tray organization for refrigerators comprising a tray and grid, means for supporting the latter in elevated position within.the tray,

said grid being movable downwardly under presbeing movable downwardly from its initial posit tion to cause its partitions to act upon the ice for splitting or dislocating the same, substantially as described.

8. Incombinauon in an ice tray organization,

va tray proper, a grid and resilient means along the opposite walls of the tray resting upon the bottom of said tray, and supporting the grid ini-. tially above the bottom of the tray for downward movement when pressure is applied to said grid,

substantially as described. I g 9. In combination in an ice tray organization for refrigerators, a. tray proper, .a grid, and a member of rubber resting upon the bottom of the tray and supporting the grid in an elevated position initially in respect to the bottomof the tray, said rubber, when downward pressure is exerted on the grid, yielding to allow the walls of the 1 grid to dislocate or split the ice, substantially as described.

- JAMES H. MINER.