US2048160A - Ice cube tray - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1936` G. l.. Kl-:EsEcKER 2,048,160

ICE CUBE TRAY Filed April 4, 1955 /"aya j A Homey Patented July 21, 1936 OFFICE ICE CUBE TRAY Guy L. Keesecker, Washington, D. C. Application April d, 1935. Serial No. 14,682

2 Claims.

The present invention appertains to new and useful improvements in ice cube trays such as are employed in electricrefrigerators forproducing ice in small units or cubes.

There are various forms of trays on the market, some of which are in the form of containers having removable partition structures and others are in the nature of flexible or rubber trays which can be exed to permit displacement of the cubes. However, in both forms of trays considerable diiculty is sometimes experienced in disconnecting the cubes and in addition to this, in practically all forms of trays, all the cubes are loosened simultaneously. In other words when a person desires two or three cubes only, in the conventional tray, all of the cubes are incidentally loosened in the act of displacing these two or three cubes.

The principal object of the present invention contemplates `the provision of a tray from which a predetermined number of cubes can be displaced' without inconvenience within a fraction of the time required to displace cubes from conventional trays.

During the course of the following specification other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a bottom plan view of the improved tray.

Figure 2 represents a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 represents a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-,3

of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the tray consists of a rectangular shaped side wall 5. as well as xed longitudinally and' transversely extending partitions 6 1 respectively.

These partitions 6 1 are hollow to provide longitudinally and transversely extending passageways 8, thus dening in each partition va pair of vertical walls A-A which are connected at their upper ends as at B and spaced at their lower ends as at C. Thus pockets 9 in which the cubes are formed are dened by these partitions and each pocket is provided with an individual bottom IIJ, as is clearly shown in Figure 2.

The side wall 'extend's down below the bottoms I of the pockets 9 and has its edge rabbeted as at II for the reception of the edge portion of the sub-bottom or plate I2, which has a water admission port I3 therein. The side wall 5 extends downwardly to a point below the bottoms oi' the pockets 9 to such an extent that with the plate I2 in place, the plate will be suiiiciently spaced from the bottom of the pockets 9 to permit water entering through the opening I3 to readily pass into the passageways 8 around any or all of the 5 pockets 9.

It will be observed in Figure 1 that the tray represented is of the twenty four cube capacity, with the port I3 located in the plate I2 over the intersection of one of the longitudinal partitionsm at the intersection thereof with the second transverse partition, counting from one end of the tray.

It can now be seen that by putting the tray under a faucet and allowing water to run into the passageways 8 through the opening I3 (with the tray inverted), andi then subsequently disposing the tray on one end upon a suitable support, with the opening I3 closer to the support than to the opposite end of the tray, only the first two rows of cubes will be released, as an over supply of water beyond these rows will overflow through the opening I3. If the tray has water therein and is set in the position shown in Figure 1, only one longitudinal row will be released, .25 and on the other hand if the tray is set on its opposite longitudinal side, from that shown in Figure l, two longitudinal rows of cubes will be aii'ected by the high temperature water.

It can be seen also that three fourths of the cubes of the tray can be released by setting the tray on one end with the opening I3 closer to the top end than to the support upon which the tray rests. In each instance, any surplus water will overflow so that only a predetermined number of 3;, the cubes will be affected by the water and obviously the empty pockets can be relled with water and the tray replaced in the refrigerator without disturbing those cubes which are frozen and ready for use. 4o

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specic terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size, materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An ice cube tray comprising a receptacle having longitudinal and transverse partitions dening cube forming pockets, said partition being -hollow and opening through the bottom of the receptacle to dene water receiving passageways surrounding said pockets. and a sub-bottom for `the said receptacle provided with a ller and overvIfor the said receptacle provided within, iier and ow opening therein at a point inwardly from 'overilow opening thereiniocated at a point below the ends and sides of the tray. one intersection of said passageways and spaced 2. An ice cube tray comprising a receptacle Y from the sides and ends of the tray to permit the having longitudinal and transverse partitions dedraining` of! ot water from contact with the cube 5` ning ice cube forming pockets, said partitions pockets which are positioned above said opening being hollow and opening through the bottom of when the tray is set upon one end or on one side the receptacle to define water receiving passageto release all cubes in the pocket below the horiways surrounding said pockets, and a. sub-bottom zontal plane of the said openings.

. v GUY L. KEESECKER.

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