US2348956A - Ice tray - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1944. CARNEY I 2,348,956

ICE TRAY Filed Dec. 18, 1959' M, W ATTO NEYS.

Patented May 16, 1944 ICE TRAY Clifford R. Carney, Detroit, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 18, 1939, Serial No. 309,742

Claims.

This invention relates to ice trays, and more particularly to an ice tray having a removable grid which is provided with a plurality of independently movable sections which may be separately operated to permit the independent re moval of any desired number of ice cubes from the grid and ice tray.

Heretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced in effecting the removal of an ice block partitioning structure or grid from the tray or pan, and also in effecting the removal of the individual ice blocks or cubes from the grid. I have found that these difiiculties can be overcome by providing a partitioning structure or grid having a plurality of generally transversely extending angularly disposed members movably mounted on a generally longitudinally extending grid member. The longitudinally extending member is preferably provided with vertically spaced stop members to position the generally transversely extending grid members at an angle to the vertical prior to the freezing of the ice cubes therein whereby a force may be applied to the transverse members to move them towards the upright or vertical position thereby producing a wedging or sliding force on the ice blocks or cubes to break the contact between the ice cubes and the grid and tray structure.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide an ice tray grid structure having a plurality of generally transversely extending angularly movable grid members mounted on a generally longitudinally extending grid member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ice tray grid structure having a generally longitudinally extending member provided with vertically spaced stop members adapted to support a plurality of generally transversely extending independently movable grid members at an angle to the vertical.

A still further object is to provide a gravity actuated ice tray grid structure wherein a plurality of generally transversely extending memhere are movable to one angularly related ice forming position by the force of gravity, and may be manually moved to another angularly related position to release the ice cubes from the grid and tray structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ice tray grid member having a generally longitudinally extending member provided with longitudinally spaced upper and lower stop members adapted to support a plurality of generally transversely extending grid members at an angle to the vertical under the influence of the force of gravity acting on the transverse members when the grid structure is placed in a generally horizontal position.

A further object is to provide an ice tray grid which is so constructed as to permit the mechanical removal of the ice cubes from the grid by a separate application of power to each transverse section of the grid.

Another object is to provide an ice tray grid which is so constructed as to permit selective manipulation of the transverse grid members to secure the progressive release of either all or a portion of the ice cubes contained therein without first partially melting said cubes to break the frozen engagement between the ice and the grid and tray structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ice tray grid from which the separate ice' cubes may be removed selectively either as separate cubes or in multiples of any desired numher.

A still further object of the invention is to'provide an ice tray grid from which the ice cubes may be released by a relative movement of the separate elements of the grid, and in which a portion of the grid is used as a fulcrum for the application of power by a wrench or lever to release the cubes from the grid and the tray.

Yet another object is to provide a grid structure having a longitudinally extending member and a plurality of transversely extending members carried thereby, wherein means are provided between portions of the longitudinally and transversely extending members to permit the application of power to the transversely extend.

ing members to vary their angular relation relative to the longitudinally extending member, and by such variation in angular relation to release the ice cubes from the grid and tray.

, A further object is to provide manually operable means for exerting a force on the transversely extending grid members to vary the angular relation of said transverse members relative to a longitudinal member forming a part of the grid structure to effect the release of ice cubes from the grid structure.

Yet a st ll further object is to provide a longitudinally extending separator member having a plurality of generally transversely extending separator members hingedly connected thereto whereby removable manually operable means may be employed to engage each transverse member and the longitudinal member closely adjacent the transverse member to actuate it an- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an ice tray and grid embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the tray and grid structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; v

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line d-fi of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the various parts of the grid shown in separated relationship; and

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a suitable l wrench or manually operable means for use with the tray and grid illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now to the drawing, represents an ice tray of any suitable size and shape, and 3i represents the grid structure which is constructed to provide a plurality of compartments in which a liquid body is confined within the tray 3!) for freezing into cubes or any other desired shape. The grid 3| preferably comprises a longitudinal partition or separator member 32, and a plurality of transverse partitions or separator members 33.

Each transverse partition 33 is preferably provided with a centrally disposed vertical slot 34 which extends from approximately the central portion of the partition down almost but not quite to its lower edge, The longitudinal partition 32 is cut out at spaced points along its upper edge to provide a series of wide slots or cut-out areas 35 extending from the upper edge of the partition approximately to its mid-point to provide slots which permit the transverse partitions to be moved from their normal rearward tilting ice forming position in said slots towards a position approaching the vertical to release the ice formed.

The longitudinal partition 32 is also provided with a plurality of lugs 36, which extend upwardly beyond the upper edges of the transverse or cross partitions 33, and with longitudinally spaced lower slots or cut-out portions 31 in its lower edge and adapted to receive the strips or lugs 38 adjacent the lower edge of each transverse partition 33. The lugs 38 may be formed in several ways as by providing a slit in the transverse partitions 33 immediately below one edge of the slot 34 to extend from the bottom of slot 34 to the bottom edge of the partition 33. Thus a strip of metal is provided beneath slot 34, which 75 when bent permits assembling the transverse partitions on the longitudinal partition 32, and which after assembly may be bent back to retain the partitions in their assembled relationship.

It will be noted that the upper ends of the transverse grid members 33 are free to move longitudinally of the member 32 a distance equal to the length of the slots 35, while the lower ends of these transverse grid members are permitted to move longitudinally of the grid member only a comparatively short distance defined by the length of the slots 31 in the member 32. When the grid is positioned in the generally horizontal position in which it is used in the ice tray 30, the transverse members assume an inclined position as illustrated in Figure 3 under the influence of the force of gravity acting on them. The slots 35 and 31 in the member 32 are spaced longitudinally in such a manner that the transverse members 33 cannot be moved angularl to a vertical position. In other words, the transverse members are always disposed at an angle when the grid is in the substantiall horizontal position so that the members 33 will be moved by gravity to the angularly inclined ice forming position when there is no ice formed in the tray.

The longitudinal partition 32 is provided at the front or operating end of the grid with an upwardly extending projection 39 having an outwardly extending nose 46 formed thereon, the forward and lower edges of which constitute a fulcrum to receive a suitable implement such for example as the rounded end portion 69 of a lever 52 illustrated in Figure 6. If desired, the tray 30 may be held on any suitable supporting surface and the projection 39 and the outwardly extending nose 33 may be grasped manually to lift the grid structure 35 from the tray 30.

It will be observed that the rounded end portion 63 of the lever 62 is bifurcated whereby the longitudinally extending grid member 32 may be received in a slot 64 and force applied to the upper ends of the transverse grid members 33 by means of projections 63 carried b the spaced prongs es which straddle the longitudinal member 32 as illustrated in Figure 3. Movement of the lever 62 in the clockwise direction as illustrated in Figure 3 imparts a force on the transverse grid members 33 to move their upper ends in the counterclockwise direction in the slot 35 the bottom edge of the transverse members being held against longitudinal movement in the lower slots 37 formed in the longitudinal grid member 32. A camming or sliding force is thus imparted,

to the ice'blocks or cubes by the variation in the angular relation of the transverse members which breaks the contact between the ice cubes and the grid and tray.

Attention is called to the fact that it is possible to remove any desired number of ice blocks in multiples of two, either at one time or at dif- Ierent times during the use of the tray. The removal of the cubes is greatl facilitated by the progressive movement of the transverse partitions of the grid, since the power applied need merely be directed to a single pair of cubes at a time with the result that less resistance is offered to the removal of the cubes. The grid and lever described herein are also of such construction that the forces applied for releasing the cubes are directed against the various transverse partitions and the portion of its longitudinal wall 32' gdiacent the transverse member beingactua e 7 To further facilitate the loosening of the grid and the removal of the ice cubes, particularly the first pair removed, the tray 30 may be provided with a sloping forward wall 8i, although it should be understood that the effective operation of the grid is not dependent on a tray of this nature and trays of ordinary shape or construction may readily be used.

This is a continuation-in-part of each of my co-pending applications Serial No. 238,610 and Serial No. 237,834.

Using the grid construction shown, it will be apparent that the operation of the grid for removing frozen cubes or other shaped frozen objects therefrom requires the freeing of only the desired number of such cubes or objects from the grid and the tray. During this operation, the grid and its contents are securely frozen to he tray except for those particular portions where the transverse members have been moved for the express purpose of freeing the adjacent cubes or objects therefrom. This makes it possible for the housewife or other user to operate the grid readily with one hand while holdin the tray and the grid with the remaining frozen cubes or. other objects with the other hand. This is a desirable feature of the present grid construction for as it will be seen, there is no necessity for freeing the grid and its contents at one time from the tray and thereafter requiring a separate manipulation effort of the user to free the grid from the freed frozen block.

It is also to be understood that whil the embodiment of the invention here disclosed by way of example employs only a single longitudinally extending member, it is within the scope of the present invention to use any desired number of such members to divide the ice tray or other container into any desired number and shapes of separate compartments.

I claim:

1. A grid for an ice tray comprising a unitary separator member having longitudinally spaced upper and lower apertured portions whose edges define stop members, the edges of the upper portions being spaced relatively widely apart and the edges of the lower apertured portions being spaced relativel closely together, a plurality of spaced upstanding project-ions adjacent one edge of each of said upper apertured portions and a plurality of independently operable transversely extending members having vertically slotted portions adapted to receive the portions of the separator member between the upper and lower apertured portions and adapted to be moved angularly on the separator member independently between limits defined by the upper stop members.

2. A grid for an ice tray comprising a unitary relatively thin separator member having longitudinally spaced upper and lower apertured portions whose edges define stop members, the edges of the upper portions being spaced relatively widely apart and the edges of the lower apertured portions being spaced relatively closely together, a plurality of spaced upstanding projections adjacent one edge of each of said upper apertured portions, a plurality of independentis operable transversely extending members having vertically slotted portions adapted to receive the portions of the separator member between the upper and lower apertured portions, and detached manually operable means adapted to engage said projections and transverse members to move said members angularly on the separator member independently between limits defined by the upper stop members.

3. An ice tray grid comprising a unitary longitudinally extending separator member having upper and lower cut-out portions defining stop members, a plurality of spaced upstanding lugs formed adjacent each of the upper cut-out portions, a plurality of separately operable transversely extending separator members mounted on said longitudinal member and having portions extending into said upper and lower cut-out portions to restrain movement of the transverse members, the upper cut-out portions of the longitudinal member being extended in length and having spaced edge portions to limit longitudinal movement of the upper portion of the transverse members, and the lower cut-out portions being relatively short to restrain longitudinal movement of the transverse members and being longitudinally spaced with respect to the upper cut-out portions whereby each of the transverse members is free to move between angular positions to form parallelogram shaped ice clocks and to release the ice blocks from the grid and tray, and manually operable detached means having a bifurcated end portion to straddle said lugs to engage the longitudinal member and one of the transverse members to actuate the transverse member to release ice.

4. An ice tray grid comprising a longitudinally extending partition having a series of notches therein spaced along its length, a series of cross partitions extending across said first partition and loosely arranged in said notches in such manner that each cross partition may be move relative to said first Partition to facilitate the loosening of bonded ice from the grid, said first partition having an upstanding projection located closely adjacent the upper margin of each of said cross partitions, and a detached prying tool manually actuatable at separate operations thereof to selectively pry against and move an individual cross partition relative to said first partition, said prying tool having a portion adapted to partially embrace and fulcrum directly upon that projection closely adjacent the particular cross partition selected for movement at any one operation of said tool.

5. An ice tray grid comprising a relatively stationary partition having a series of upstanding projections spaced along its length, a plurality of individually movable cross partitions each intersecting said stationary partition closely adjacent one of said projections thereon, each cross partition being angularly movable relative to said stationary partition, and a detached prying tool manually actuatable at successive operations thereof to selectively engage and angularly move an individual cross partition relative to said stationary partition, said prying tool having a bifurcated end portion adapted to straddle and fulcrum directly upon the projection closely adjacent the individual cross partition being selectively engaged by said tool.

CLIFFORD R. CARNEY.

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