US2199195A

US2199195A - Multiple compartment tray

Info

Publication number: US2199195A
Application number: US187107A
Authority: US
Inventors: Crimmel Henry Hays
Original assignee: SNEATH GLASS Co
Current assignee: SNEATH GLASS Co
Priority date: 1938-01-27
Filing date: 1938-01-27
Publication date: 1940-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1957-04-30

Description

p il 30, 1940 "HHCRI'MMEL. 2,199,195.

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT TRAY INVENTOR. fif/YK) ///7 Y5 (Rm/v54.

ATTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,199,195 I [MULTIPLE COMPARTMENTITRAY Henry I IaysCrimmel, Hartford- City, I nd assignor to Sneath-Glass CompanLqHartford City,

Ind., a corporation Application January 27, 1938, Serial No. 1 7,107

' 4 Claims. (01. 62-1),

This invention relates to'a universal purpose multiple compartment tray structure for refrigerators, or the like.

The chief object of the present invention is to *5 provide in a tray structure a plurality of compartments one of which'is of open or uncovered M: frosting of the cooling unit of the mechanical refrigerator ordr ippage .thereinin the event some otheradjacentor superposed container happens to be accidentally tipped over.

It is contemplated to form. the invention in such shape that it not only may be supported 20 upon a rack or tray but may, if, as and when desired be associated with suspending guides or slideways.

In a multiple compartment tray of this character it is possibleto retain ice cubes in theopen 2,5 storage and cool liquids for drinking purposes in the covered and dispensing portion of the tray. One feature of one form of the invention is the ventilating character of the tray structure partition which renders the same suitable for 30 ice cube storage and liquid cooling without melting of the ice cubes by thewarm liquid in the dispensing compartment. 1

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the 35 following description and claims:

In the drawing'Fig. 1 is a'front to rear section a1 view of a portion of a refrigerator with the multiple compartment tray suspendingly supported therebetween.

49 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the multiple compartment tray structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. .4 is a transverse sectional view taken on' line 4-4 of Fig. '3 and in the direction of the Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken 6n] line 55 of Fig. 4 and in the direction of the arrows. c

In the drawing I indicates the top'portion of so a mechanical refrigerator or the like, having,'

55 the depending angular members l for slidably andjsuspendingly supporting a tray structure embodying the invention. The tray structure embodying the invention may also rest upon a rackstructure, conventional ,in the refrigerator Reference'will now be ha'dmore especially to Figs.'3 to 5', inclusive, 'wherein there is illustrated one and the preferred embodiment of the in-' 'vention. It includes a pair of opposite walls [6 and [1,, a connectingwal'l I8. -andanother con- 10 nectingwalllil. Each'of these walls includes a rim portion 20 and the rim isjsubstantially coextensive with the top edges of" these walls. 2| indicates the bottomportion of onecompartment in the tray structure. ZZindicatesanOther bot- 't'o'm'portion and 'of the covered compartment portion of the tray structure.

In one form of the invention bottoms 2| and 22 may be continuations of the other. Projecting upwardly from the bottom portion, or por- I tions, is a partition or ridge structure which defines the two compartments. This in'the preferred form of the invention includes the wall portion 24 opposite the wall portion l8 and the wall portion 23 opposite the wallportion l9. Thisin the 25 present invention,as illustrated clearly in Fig. 4, provides a space 25 between the exterior surfaces of the

partition forming walls

23 and 24. If desired, these two

walls

23 and 24 may be transversely united together between the walls l6 and I! by the transverse web portions 26. This forms passageways in the partition wall and the partition walls at the junction 21 may be provided with apertures 28.

The closed compartment is provided with a suitable valve controlled drain structure 29,

whereby said compartment may be drained. 7 The upper edges of the wall portions I6 and H between the walls 23 and I9 and the upper edges of the walls 23 and I9 may have formed therein a." groove or seat 30. This is continuous about the top edge of the compartment.

A cover structure 3| includes a finger grippin portion 32 therein and forms a closure for the compartment described when it rests on the seat All of the foregoing tray structure with the exception of the valve controlled outlet 29, may be of glass and the multiple compartment tray portion proper'may be of integral character as illustrated.

'-As previously suggested, the uncovered compartment is adapted to receive vegetables, ice cubes, and the like, while the covered compartment is adapted to receive fruit juices, water, or '55 the like, for cooling purposes. Also, this covered compartment may receive odoriferous products in place of liquids to be chilled, in which event, of course, the valve controlled outlet would not necessarily be required for use. It is thus possible to maintain ice cubes in storage in the uncovered tray compartment and cool water for drinking purposes in the covered tray compartment and have the drinking water protected against accidental contamination in the event the refrigerating unit l3 accidentally defrosts, which does casionally happen.

The invention furthermore has the advantage that as the drinking water is exhausted from the covered compartment, it may be refilled, and inasmuch as wall 23 is throughout a major portion of its length separated from wall 25 by the air passages 25, the warm water for replenishing the drinking water supplywill not cause the rapid melting of ice cubes stored inthe open compartment and furthermore, the cooling water may be more rapidly cooled by reason of this air circulation.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as Well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiple compartment tray structure,

integral side walls, a bottom integral with said side walls, an apertured ridge for compartment delineation formed by an indentation in said bottom, the sides of said ridge constituting additional side walls, and a plurality of webs integral with said additional side walls and providing with the apertures in said ridge a plurality of vertical air passages.

3. A refrigerator tray having a plurality of four-sided compartments, a bottom common to said compartments, said bottom being indented to form the fourth side of each compartment, an apertured compartment-delineating ridge likewise formed by the indentation of said bottom, and a plurality of webs integral with said fourth side of each compartment providing with the apertures in said ridge a plurality of air passages.

l. In a tray of multiple compartment charac ter, a bottom common to each compartment, said bottom being indented to form a sideof each compartment and an apertured ridge for compartment delineation, and web means between said sidesproviding with the apertures in said ridge a plurality of air passages.

. HENRY HAYS CRIMMEL.