US3638903A - Freezing container with spillguard - Google Patents

Freezing container with spillguard Download PDF

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Publication number
US3638903A
US3638903A US1748A US3638903DA US3638903A US 3638903 A US3638903 A US 3638903A US 1748 A US1748 A US 1748A US 3638903D A US3638903D A US 3638903DA US 3638903 A US3638903 A US 3638903A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
container
shaped flange
wall means
pockets
inwardly
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US1748A
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English (en)
Inventor
Joe P Pietrzak
Lewis B Campbell
Robert M Strahan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motors Liquidation Co
Arbor Tool Corp
Original Assignee
General Motors Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Motors Corp filed Critical General Motors Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3638903A publication Critical patent/US3638903A/en
Assigned to ARBOR TOOL CORPORATION 221 ARBOR BLVD. DAYTON, OH reassignment ARBOR TOOL CORPORATION 221 ARBOR BLVD. DAYTON, OH ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: Magic Touch Manufacturing Corp.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C1/00—Producing ice
    • F25C1/22—Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds
    • F25C1/24—Construction of moulds; Filling devices for moulds for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays
    • F25C1/243—Moulds made of plastics e.g. silicone

Definitions

  • This invention relates to freezing containers provided with sidewalls contoured to prevent spilling.
  • each of the longitudinal walls 30 is provided with a slidable actuating bar 38 provided with four widely spaced notches 40 upon its upper edge for receiving the tops of the transverse walls 32 located above the slots therein.
  • a cam handle 42 pivoted by rivets 44 to the longitudinal walls 30.
  • the handle 42 is provided with a curved surface 46 of increasing radius at the front which acts as a cam against the front transverse wall 32 when the handle is lifted to move the actuating bar 38 and the tops of the transverse walls 32 forwardly reladid not provide sufficient ease of removal of the cubes together with sufficient protection against spillage.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a freezing container and grid embodying one form of our invention taken along the line ll of FIGS. 2 and 3;
  • FIG. 2 is a top view of the freezing container with the grid omitted
  • FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGS. 1 and 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the container taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the bottom of the container taken along the line 55 of FIG.'2;
  • FIG. 6 is a top view of an all plastic freezing container embodying another form of our invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a side view partly in section taken along the line 7- -7 of the freezing container shown in FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 6.
  • FIGS. 1 to 5 there is shown a molded plastic rectangular freezing container or tray having sloping end walls 22 extending at an angle of about 25 from the vertical for easy ejection.
  • the bottom wall 24 may be of any desired contour; however, as shown the bottom wall is provided with two longitudinal upwardly extending ribs 26 and four transverse upwardly extending ribs 28 which in conjunction with the twin longitudinal walls 30 and the four transverse walls 32 of the grid 33 divide the interior of the container into fifteen compartments.
  • the portions of the bottom wall between the ribs are arcuate in shape for easy ejection.
  • the longitudinal walls 30 of the grids rest upon the longitudinal ridges 26 and are aligned with them while the transverse walls 32 rest upon the ribs 28 and are aligned with them.
  • the grid 33 includes lower longitudinal wall members 30 having four widely spaced notches 36 in their lower edges. These lower longitudinal walls 30 extend tive to the longitudinal wall 30 and the container 20 to eject frozen cubes from the compartments of the grid 33 and the container.
  • the sidewalls 48 are formed upon a curve which is substantially upright at the top and which curves inwardly in an increasing amount as it approaches the bottom 24 of the container.
  • the sidewalls 48 may be formed substantially upon a long radius having a center point just above the top of the wall and a length which is approximately two-thirds the width of the container.
  • the primary means of preventing spills is an inturned square U-shaped flange 50 extending continuously along the outer edges of the side and end walls and having an inwardly facing continuous groove and having a flat bottom wall 52, a flat inner top wall 54 and a flat inner sidewall 56.
  • the top of the flange 50 may be provided with a stiffening bead 58 extending entirely around the inner edge thereof.
  • the U-shaped flange 50 may have in alignment with its outer face a continuous downwardly extending rib 62 which may extend downwardly about twothirds the height of the flange 50 above.
  • the flange 50 is located entirely outside of the side and end walls below so that it does not impede the removal of the frozen cubes from the compartments of the grid and the container.
  • the flange 50 does not extend as high as the top of the grid 33 and its handle 42.
  • the bottom of the container may be provided with the iongitudinal ribs 60 extending beneath the centerline of the two outside rows of compartments upon the bottom of the container providing sled-type runners providing smooth and easy movement onto and off of various supporting surfaces.
  • the ribs 60 also stiffen the container so that no part of the container is overstressed during the ejection of the frozen cubes from the compartments of the container.
  • the ribs 60 also serve to guide the flow of cold air beneath the bottom wall 24.
  • the bottoms of the compartments are substantially frustospherical for better airflow and easy release when the handle 42 is operated.
  • the container should be filled only up to the water line 64 indicated which is slightly below the bottom of the U-shaped flange 50. When so filled the container will contain about 1% lb. of water.
  • the groove above each sidewall has a capacity of about 0.036 lb. of water or about 2.9 percent of the capacity of the container below the liquid level.
  • the distance between the surfaces 52 and 54 should be about one-third of an inch and this groove should be located about 1% in. above the bottom of the container.
  • the width of the bottom surface 52 should likewise be about onethird of an inch while the width of the upper surface may be slightly less than one-third of an inch.
  • the provision of the inturned Utshaped flange increases the amount of side tilt required before spilling from 1 1 to 19 and increases the permissible amount of endwise tilt from 6 to 10. That is, the flange 50 provides a 72 percent improvement against spilling in sideways tilting and a 67 percent improvement against spilling in endwise tilting Furthermore, this flange 50 increases the users confidence and steadiness and provides a visual indication of undesirable tilting and splashing when liquid flows into its groove before the actual spill point is reached so that the user can correct the movement or the angle before spilling occurs.
  • the freezing container may be molded of a variety of plastics and natural or synthetic rubbers. Specifically, polyethylene or polypropylene and their copolymers are particularly suitable plastics.
  • the all plastic freezing container 120 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 is in the form of an elongated rectangular tray which is provided with four longitudinal rows of four longitudinally elongated freezing pockets 122 each having upwardly diverging sidewalls 124 extending substantially from one end of the pocket to the other longitudinally curved bottom walls including symmetrical halves 126 having their longitudinally extending wall surfaces in the form of circular arcs struck from two spaced pivot points 128 located close to the center near the top of the pocket providing an upstanding rounded ridge 130 between the two halves.
  • the halves 120 are substantially straight transversely, but may be curved transversely if desired.
  • This form of pocket is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,120,112 issued Feb. 4, 1964.
  • the adjacent walls 124 and 126 of adjacent pockets 122 are separate except at the top to provide improved flexibility. This construction is particularly advantageous since it is suitable for individual removal of individual pieces of ice or frozen liquid from the tray or container and it is also suitable for removal of all the frozen pieces from the container at one time by twisting or other simple forms of flexing.
  • an outwardly extending flange 138 which preferably is at the same level as the connecting portions 132, but if desired may be at a slightly higher level.
  • This horizontal flange 138 at its outer portion is provided with an upwardly extending flange or rib 140 and also a downwardly extending rib or flange 142.
  • the upwardly extending flange 140 preferably extends uniformly completely around the perimeter of the tray or container.
  • the upwardly extending of flange 140 may be indented slightly as compared to the downwardly extending rib of flange 142 as is better shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and particular in FIG. 9.
  • the downwardly extending flange 142 may be longer at the ends of the tray where greater stiffness is desired than at the sides of the tray where greater flexing for easier twisting is desired.
  • the downwardly extending flange 142 may be provided with a downwardly extending V-shaped projection 144 which stops short of the bottom of the pockets 122. Between this projection 144 and the adjacent pocket 122 there is provided a stiffening or reinforcing web 146 which is provided with a notch 148 for the purpose of facilitating stacking ofthe trays one upon another.
  • the upwardly extending rib or flange 140 is provided with a loop 150 having a cross section generally in the shape of an inverted L" with one leg 152 fitting directly on the outside of the upstanding rib 140 completely around the tray or container and preferably fastened thereto by an adhesive or any other suitable means such as ultrasonic welding.
  • the other leg 154 of the inverted L-shaped cross section of the loop extends horizontally inwardly substantially to the outer edges of the outermost pockets 122.
  • It is provided with a downwardly extending rib or flange or groove 156 extending tightly against the inner side of the top of the upwardly extending rib as is shown in FIG. 9. This rib 156 prevents the loop from being torn off the top of the container.
  • this construction provides an inturned square U- shaped flange 138, 140, 158 of approximately the same dimensions, shape and proportions of the U-shaped flange 50 extending entirely around the container above the level of the freezing pockets 122 which performs the same function of preventing or minimizing spillage as does the form illustrated in FIGS. l5.
  • the horizontal portion of this inturned U- shaped construction may be provided with a small bead 158 extending along the top at. the inner edge of the leg 154 as shown in FIG. 9. It may be generally similar to the bead 58 shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.
  • the vertical ribs 134 and 136 substantially impede the flow of great volumes of water from one side of the container to the other side or from one end of the container to the other so as to keep the flow within the limits which can be accommodated and completely restrained by the inturned U- shaped construction at the upper edges thereof.
  • the bottom part of the freezing container may be made of polypropylene or density polyethylene or other suitable plastics.
  • the loop 150 may be made of the same or a different plastic than the bottom part of the container.
  • a rectangular freezing container for use with an ice cube forming grid structure including bottom wall means and side and end wall means wherein the improvement comprises a substantially stiff inturned U-shaped flange adjacent the top of said end and said wall means extending outwardly from said wall means, said U-shaped flange containing a large inwardly open groove formed by substantially horizontal top and bottom wide surfaces and a substantially vertical inwardly facing surface joining said wide top and bottom surfaces, said U- shaped flange extending continuously around the periphery of said container above all of said end and sidewall means, said U-shaped flange having a gap height at its inwardly open end greater than one-fifth the depth of said container and a width measured from said inwardly open end to said inwardly facing surface greater than one-sixth the depth of said container whereby said groove has a defined liquid capacity for receiving liquid from said container when said container is in a tilted condition in any direction with respect to said liquid thereby substantially minimizing the possibility of spillage from said container, said U-shaped f
  • An elongated rectangular freezing container for use with a removable ice cube forming grid structure including bottom wall means and side and end wall means with the sidewall means formed upon a curve which is substantially upright at the top and which curves inwardly in an increasing amount as the sidewall means approaches the bottom wall means
  • the improvement comprises a substantially stiff inturned integral U-shaped flange adjacent the top of said end and said wall means extending outwardly from said wall means, said U-shaped flange containing a large inwardly open groove formed by substantially horizontal top and bottom wide surfaces and a substantially vertical inwardly facing surface joining said wide top and bottom surfaces, said U-shaped flange extending continuously around the periphery of said container above all of said end and sidewall means, said U- shaped flange having a gap height at its inwardly open end greater than one-fifth the depth of said container and a width measured from said inwardly open end to said inwardly facing surface greater than one-sixth the depth of said container said groove having a defined liquid capacity of about
  • An elongated rectangular freezing container including bottom wall means and side and end wall means and integral ice cube separating walls defining longitudinal and transverse rows of freezing pockets wherein the improvement comprises a substantially rigid inturned U-shaped flange adjacent the top of said end and said wall means extending outwardly from said wall means, said sidewall means being substantially upright immediately beneath said flange and extending downwardly and inwardly in an arc to the bottom wall means of said container, said U-shaped flange containing a large inwardly open groove formed by substantially horizontal top and bottom wide surface and a substantially vertical inwardly facing surface joining said wide top and bottom surfaces, said U-shaped flange extending continuous around the periphery of said containcr above all of said ends and sidewalls means, said U- shaped flange having a gap height at its inwardly openend greater than one-fifth the depth of said container and a width measured from said inwardly open end to said inwardly facing surface greater than one-sixth the depth of said container whereby said groove has

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
  • Table Equipment (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
US1748A 1970-01-09 1970-01-09 Freezing container with spillguard Expired - Lifetime US3638903A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US174870A 1970-01-09 1970-01-09

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US3638903A true US3638903A (en) 1972-02-01

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US (1) US3638903A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (2) DE2100717A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1267150A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3776504A (en) * 1972-03-06 1973-12-04 Si Lite Inc Spill-proof ice cube tray
US3806077A (en) * 1972-06-01 1974-04-23 Gen Motors Corp Ejector spillguard ice cube tray
US4649718A (en) * 1985-12-17 1987-03-17 Whirlpool Corporation Ice maker with anti-capillarity means
US20030197341A1 (en) * 2002-04-19 2003-10-23 Matt Walker Wheeled sled
US20070262229A1 (en) * 2006-05-09 2007-11-15 Columbia Machine, Inc. Concrete mold box assembly with polyurethane bonded compartments
US10222111B2 (en) 2015-12-18 2019-03-05 Emz-Hanauer Gmbh & Co. Kgaa Ice maker for fitting into a door of a cooling or freezing device
JP2021533038A (ja) * 2018-06-21 2021-12-02 リ，ジョンミ 食品用冷凍容器

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO882371L (no) * 1988-05-30 1989-12-01 Kullberg Wilhelm Jun Isfryseform.

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1740919A (en) * 1928-10-05 1929-12-24 Copeman Lab Co Flexible sharp-freezing container
US2593106A (en) * 1947-10-25 1952-04-15 Copeman Lab Spill guard and ice tray
US2874552A (en) * 1957-11-12 1959-02-24 Gen Motors Corp Freezing device
US3093980A (en) * 1961-11-27 1963-06-18 Gen Motors Corp Freezing device
US3120112A (en) * 1962-11-13 1964-02-04 Gen Motors Corp Ice mold
US3539145A (en) * 1968-02-29 1970-11-10 James Frank Maxwell Ice tray

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1740919A (en) * 1928-10-05 1929-12-24 Copeman Lab Co Flexible sharp-freezing container
US2593106A (en) * 1947-10-25 1952-04-15 Copeman Lab Spill guard and ice tray
US2874552A (en) * 1957-11-12 1959-02-24 Gen Motors Corp Freezing device
US3093980A (en) * 1961-11-27 1963-06-18 Gen Motors Corp Freezing device
US3120112A (en) * 1962-11-13 1964-02-04 Gen Motors Corp Ice mold
US3539145A (en) * 1968-02-29 1970-11-10 James Frank Maxwell Ice tray

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3776504A (en) * 1972-03-06 1973-12-04 Si Lite Inc Spill-proof ice cube tray
US3806077A (en) * 1972-06-01 1974-04-23 Gen Motors Corp Ejector spillguard ice cube tray
US4649718A (en) * 1985-12-17 1987-03-17 Whirlpool Corporation Ice maker with anti-capillarity means
US20030197341A1 (en) * 2002-04-19 2003-10-23 Matt Walker Wheeled sled
US7201386B2 (en) * 2002-04-19 2007-04-10 Mental Engineering, Inc. Wheeled sled
US20070262229A1 (en) * 2006-05-09 2007-11-15 Columbia Machine, Inc. Concrete mold box assembly with polyurethane bonded compartments
US10222111B2 (en) 2015-12-18 2019-03-05 Emz-Hanauer Gmbh & Co. Kgaa Ice maker for fitting into a door of a cooling or freezing device
JP2021533038A (ja) * 2018-06-21 2021-12-02 リ，ジョンミ 食品用冷凍容器

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2100717A1 (de) 1971-07-15
GB1267150A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-03-15
DE7100506U (de) 1976-10-21

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AS Assignment

Owner name: ARBOR TOOL CORPORATION 221 ARBOR BLVD. DAYTON, OH

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MAGIC TOUCH MANUFACTURING CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004021/0856