US2404973A

US2404973A - Ice tray

Info

Publication number: US2404973A
Application number: US529098A
Authority: US
Inventors: Logan L Mallard
Original assignee: CLAY HOFHEIMER H
Current assignee: CLAY HOFHEIMER H; H CLAY HOFHEIMER
Priority date: 1944-04-01
Filing date: 1944-04-01
Publication date: 1946-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1963-07-30

Description

July 30, 1946. L. L. MALLARD ICE TRAY Filed April 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 30, 1946.

L. L. MALLARD ICE TRAY Filed April 1., 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE TRAY Logan L. Mallard, Norfolk, Va., assignor of onehalf to H. Clay Hofheimer, II, Norfolk, Va.

Application April 1, 194d,v Serial No. 529,098

Claims. 1

This invention relates toice forming apparatus or ice cube trays, and more particularly to a tray having means for automatically releasing the ice cubes from the tray after the ice is frozen and the tray is taken from the refrigerator.

It is an object of the invention to provide an ice tray which will more positively and uniformly eject. the cubes when the tray is taken from the ordinary household refrigerator.

Av further object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive, practical, device of the above character;

The invention is intended to avoid the necessity for using levers or other extraneous mechanical devices for releasing the cubes for greater ccnvenience;

Briefly stated, the invention includes the combination of spring means and heat operated meansfor distorting or moving a Wall or wall porforming an ice cube cell to eject the cube one or more of which may be combined to provide an ice tray.

The. foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent in view of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of an ice tray illustrating one application of the 'invention;

Fig. 2, section on the 1ine'2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs; 3v and 4,, plan. and side views respectively or" a. mounting disc and coil springs for application beneath a cube cell;

Fig. a transverse: section similar to that of Fig. 2,. but with a different type of spring. means beneaththe-cube cells;

Fig. 6, a multiple tempered spring unit;

Fig-.7, asectionon the line 1-1 of Fig. 5; and

8 a transverse section of a tray similar to those of Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 7, but with the bottoms of the cube cells corrugated and in physical contact with the bottom of the tray.

Referring to the drawings, the tray of the present invention consists of top 9 and bottom sect-lens iil-adapted to have intimate contact with the upper surface-of. a freezingv shelf of a household refrigerator or other freezing surface, and accordingly has a substantially fiat under surface. For strengththe bottom may have corrugations or crimped portions ll extending longitudinally and transversely thereof or in any other desired manner. The bottom is also provided with'a marginal upstanding flange i2 adapted to form a joint with the outer side wall I3 of the main body or top'section' of the tray. This main body or 'top'sectionof the tray may be of stamped sheet metal or other good conduction material with depressed wall portions l4 providing cube cells or pockets for water or other material to be frozene As shown the Walls forming the pockets or cube'cells have separate bottoms I5 with their edges spun over the lower extremity of the depending walls M, or otherwiseintimately secured thereto. In order to facilitate the removal of ice from the cube cells or ice pockets the walls M are preferably tapered or uniformly enlarging from bottom to top of the cells. thusproviding cells larger at the top than at the bottom so that ice ma bedischarged more easily.

The. bottom id of the cube cell or chamber in which water is adapted to'be frozen to formice is preferably thinner than the: side wall so that it can be readily flexed. In order to provide this flexing action the tray is constructed in a manner to provide a closed chamber about the exterior of each cube cell and between the cells and the outer walls and bottom of the tray, This chamber is filled with a volatile substance and at a temperature and pressure such that when the tray is taken-from its refrigerating environment such as the cooling unit of ahousehold refrigerator at a temperature below 32 Fahrenheit into the atmosphere at orhigher, heat will fiOW through the. wallsof the: tray and heat the gas thereby causing it to expand and-exert pressure on the most easily flexed portions of the tray, which according to the construction of the tray are the bottoms I5 of the ice cube cells. The-tray may be provided with an extended end portion 2| in accordance with the volume of expansible fluid desired to be maintained'within the chamber of the tray.

In order to supplement this gas expansion mechanical spring means may be employed. This spring means may include coilsprings 16 of which, as shown in Fig. 3; there may be any desired number attached to a mounting or supporting plate ll, one of which unit assemblies may be slipped beneath the bottom- 15 of each cube cell. If desired, in lieu-of spring assemblies like that shown in Fig. 3 amultiple tempered spring unit l8' may beemployed' with corrugated spring members [9 attached at their ends to the member I8; This spring unit may be inserted beneath the under side of the bottom of each ice cube cell as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, or if desired instead of utilizing aseparate spring unit a tray may be constructed like that of Fig. 8 in which the bottom 20 of each ice cube cell. is a spring: unit, or in other words a relatively thin spring diaphragm susceptible of flexure.

In accordance with the present invention the tray has certain portions, as for example, its side walls corrugated in order that they may be of relatively thin material but sufficiently stiff and strong to resist distortion by gas under pressure within the hollow portion of the tray. The relatively stiff wall and bottom cause the movable diaphragms or bottoms of the ice cube cells or pockets to receive all of the force from the combined expansion of gas and action of the springs in the gas chamber of the tray.

While in the drawings there appears to be considerable space beneath each of the ice cube cell bottoms 15 or pockets, this space is exaggerated in the drawings to show the construction, actually there being as little space as possible in order to provide a compact structure. With the construction of Fig. 8 there is direct metal to metal contact between the bottoms of the cube cell and the bottom of the tray.

NVith the construction described the springs IQ of the structure of Fig. 2, the spring portions l9 of the structure of Figs. 5 and 7, and the spring discs 20 of Fig. 8, are all normally urged upwardly under a temperature condition of above 32 so that when the ice cube cells or pockets of the tray are filled with water the bottoms of the ice cube cells or pockets project slightly upwardly into these ice cube cells or pockets. However, upon the temperature being reduced and freezing occurring the bottoms of the cube cells are depressed against the action of the springs and the expansible fluid in the chamber of the tray and remain in this depressed condition until the temperature of the tray is elevated sufliciently that the conjoint action of both the gas pressure and the springs forces the ice upwardly in the pocket in each cell so that it is freed therefrom.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising wall structure having a pocket therein for receiving Water to be frozen into a unit of ice, the bottom wall of said pocket being deformable, wall structure cooperating with said bottom to form a chamber, a body of fluid confined in said chamber in a manner to exert pressure against said deformable bottom wall upon expansion of fluid due to increase in temperature of the fluid, said chamber forming walls being of a character to transfer heat from an external source to said fluid, and said fluid being of a character and being present in such an amount that upon a rise in temperature of the same that a force will be exerted upon said bottom sufficient to move the same toward the center of said pocket and break the bond between the pocket Wall and ice therein, and compression spring means for assisting the expansive action of the fluid in breaking said ice bond.

2. A device of the character described comprising wall structure having a pocket therein for receiving water to be frozen into a unit of ice, the bottom wall of said pocket being deformable, wall structure cooperating with said bottom to form a chamber, a body of fluid confined in said chamber in a manner to exert pressure against said deformable bottom wall upon expansion of fluid due to increase in temperature of the fluid, said chamber forming walls being of a character to transfer heat from an external source to said fluid, and said fluid being of a character and being present in such an amount that upon a rise in temperature of the same that a force will be exerted upon said bottom suflicient to move the same toward the center of said pocket and break the bond between the pocket wall and ice therein, said bottom wall being provided with means tending normally to urge it toward the center of said pocket thereby supplementing the force by said fluid upon said bottom upon increase in temperature of fluid.

3. In an ice tray having one or more pockets for water to be frozen, and a fluid chamber with a gas in the chamber for absorbing heat and deforming the bottom of the chamber to free the ice in the chamber, and means between and in contact with said deformable bottom and the bottom of said fluid chamber for supplementing the force produced by the expansion of the fluid for freeing the ice.

4. In an ice tray having one or more pockets for water to be frozen, and a fluid chamber with a gas in the chamber for absorbing heat and deforming the bottom of the chamber to free the ice in the chamber, means associated with said deformable bottom for supplementing the force produced by the expansion of the fluid for freeing the ice, said means comprising a compression sprin member in said chamber beneath the bottom of the pocket.

5. In an ice tray having one or more pockets for water to be frozen, and a fluid chamber with a gas in the chamber for absorbing heat and deforming the bottom of the chamber to free the ice in the chamber, means associated with said deformable bottom for supplementing the force produced by the expansion of the fluid for freeing the ice, said means comprising a spring plate having a plurality of compressible spring portions adapted to bear against the bottom Wall of said pocket.

6. In an ice tray having one or more pockets for water to be frozen, and a fluid chamber with a gas in the chamber for absorbing heat and deforming the bottom of the chamber to free the ice in the chamber, means associated with said deformable bottom for supplementing the force produced by the expansion of the fluid for freeing the ice, said means comprising a spring member in said chamber beneath the bottom of the pocket, said spring member comprising a plate having a plurality of coil springs mounted thereon.

7. In an ice tray having one or more pockets for water to be frozen, and a fluid chamber with a gas in the chamber for absorbing heat and deforming the bottom of the chamber to free the ice in the chamber, means associated with said deformable bottom for supplementing the force produced by the expansion of the fluid for freeing the ice, said means comprising a spring member in said chamber beneath the bottom Of the pocket, said spring member comprising a spring plate having a plurality of corrugated spring portions for engagement with the bottom wall of said pocket.

8. A device of the character described comprising Wall structure having a pocket therein for receiving water to be frozen into a unit of ice, the bottom wall of said pocket being deformable, wall structure cooperating with said bottom to IOlIIl a chamber, a body of fluid confined in said chamber in a manner to exert pressure against said deformable bottom wall upon expansion of fluid due to increase in temperature of the fluid, said chamber forming walls being corrugated at the sides to increase the strength of the walls and the surface area, said wall being of a character to transfer heat from an external source to said fluid, and said fluid being of a character and being present in such an amount that upon a rise in temperature of the same that a force will be exerted upon said bottom sufficient to move the sa ine toward the center of said pocket and break the bond between the pocket wall and ice therein.

9. A device of the character described comprising wall structure having a pocket therein for receiving water to be frozen into a unit of ice, the bottom wall of said pocket being deformable, wall structure cooperating with said bottom to form a, chamber, a body of fluid confined in said chamber in a manner to exert pressure against said deformable bottom wall upon expansion of fluid due to increase in temperature of the fluid, said chamber forming walls being corrugated at the sides to increase the strength of the walls and the surface area, said walls being of a character to transfer heat from an external source to said fluid, and said fluid being of a character and being present in such an amount that upon a rise in temperature of the same that a force will be exerted upon said bottom sufilcient to move the same toward the center of said pocket and break the bond between the pocket wall and ice therein, and spring means for assisting the expansive action of the fluid in breaking said ice bond.

10. A device of the character described comprising wall structure having a pocket therein for receiving water to be frozen into a unit of ice, the bottom wall of said pocket being deformable, wall structure cooperating with said bottom to form a chamber, and including a corrugated side wall extending around three sides of the tray for strengthening and providing increased surface area, a body of fluid confined in said chamber in a manner to exert pressure against said deformable bottom wall upon expansion of fluid due to increase in temperature of the fluid, said chamber forming walls being of a character to transfer heat from an external source to said fluid, and said fluid being of a character and being present in such an amount that upon a rise in temperature of the same that a force will be exerted upon said bottom sufiicient to move the same toward the center of said pocket and break the bond between the pocket wall and ice therein, said bottom wall being provided with means tending normally to urge it toward the center of said pocket thereby supplementing the force by said fluid upon said bottom upon increase in temperature of fluid.

LOGAN L. MAILARD.