Ice Cube Tray

Abstract

A one-piece freezing tray is provided having at least one molding compartment for forming ice cubes. The tray is comprised of a flexible material and the compartment has a horizontally disposed mouth at the uppermost end of the compartment. The compartment has integrally formed in the lowermost wall thereof a projection depending from the outer surface thereof. An ice cube is removed from the compartment by placing the projection against a hard surface and pressing the mouth towards the projection to deform the lowermost surface of the compartment which urges the ice cube out of the compartment.

Description

This invention relates generally to ice cube trays and more particularly to an ice cube tray having integral means formed in each compartment to enable easy removal of ice cubes.

There are many times when only a single or a few ice cubes are required. However, normally in order to take out any ice cubes all of the ice cubes must be taken out of the ice tray. One of the more popular types of ice trays available is the type made of low density polyethylene plastic which is flexible and by flexing the tray the ice cubes can be removed. However, removal of ice cubes from this type of tray is difficult and it is normally difficult to only take out one or two ice cubes at a time without causing the remaining ice cubes to be pushed out simultaneously. Where means are provided to remove ice cubes either individually or more easily means externally of the ice tray are provided. Various devices exist for the removal of ice cubes from an ice cube tray but are more expensive than the flexible type of ice cube tray which is formed of a plurality of molding compartments which are connected together at the periphery of their mouth in a tandom arrangement.

It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ice cube tray in which the ice cubes molded can be removed easily.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ice cube tray which has at least one compartment having a projection integrally formed therein to enable an ice cube formed in the compartment to be easily emitted.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a one-piece freezing tray having at least one molding compartment for forming ice cubes. The tray is comprised of a flexible material and the compartment has a horizontally disposed mouth at the uppermost end of the compartment. The compartment has integrally formed in the lowermost wall thereof a projection depending from the outer surface thereof. An ice cube is removable from the compartment by placing the projection against a hard surface and pressing the mouth towards the projection. This deforms the compartments lowermost surfae and urges the ice cube out of the compartment.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice cube tray embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1 after the ice cube tray has been placed against a hard surface and pressed down;

FIG. 4 is an alternate embodiment of an ice cube tray embodying the invention having only a single compartment; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of the alternate ice cube tray after an ice cube has been formed therein and a removal force has been applied to the mouth of the compartment.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, an ice cube tray embodying the invention is shown generally at 20 in FIG. 1. Ice cube tray 20 is preferably flexible and comprises a thermoplastic resin such as a low density polyethylene and includes a plurality of molding compartments 22 which are held together by a frame 24. The tray preferably includes two parallel rows of compartments. Frame 24 basically comprises a pair of elongated strips 26 and 28 which are connected integrally to transversely extending end strips 30 and 32. As best seen in FIG. 1, tray 20 also includes a peripheral 32. As best seen in FIG. 1, tray 20 also includes a peripheral skirt 34 which depends from the outermost end of strips 28 and 30 and 26. The skirt 34 in addition to providing an ornamental effect also provides rigidity to the longitudinal extent of the tray as well as a handle beneath strip 30 at one end of the ice cube tray. The handle is best seen in FIG. 2 at the rightmost end of the tray and facilitates removal of the tray from a freezer compartment.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the strips 24 and 28 are also connected together by a series of inner strips 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44. The strips 30 and 32 are also connected together by a longitudinally extending strip 46 which extends through the center of each of the strips 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 and is integral with strips 30 and 32 at the center thereof. Strips 36, 38, 40 42 and 44 in combination with the peripheral strips 26, 28, 30 and 32 form the mouth of each of the compartments 22. Thus as seen in FIG. 2, the compartments are integrally connected at their mouths in tandem along the length of the tray.

Each of the compartments 22 includes a depending integral projection 48 which depends centrally from the lowermost horizontal wall 50 of each of the compartments. The projections 50 are preferably circular in horizontal cross-section and semicircular in vertical cross-section.

It should be noted that the entire tray is made of one piece and does not have any parts cooperating with the tray for removal of the ice cubes. In operation, the ice cube tray is filled in a conventional manner with water and placed in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator. After the ice cubes are formed in each of the compartments 22, the ice cubes formed in the tray are substantially as shown in FIG. 2. By applying pressure along the arrows 52, 54 and 56 the ice cubes can be removed from the ice cube tray. That is, if pressure is applied at arrow 54 arrow 52 which is about the mouth of the compartments 22 with the projection 48 against a hard surface 58, the lowermost walls 50 are deformed upwardly thereby causing the ice cube to be emitted from the compartment 22.

In order to remove only a single ice cube, it is only necessary to apply pressure along strips on opposing sides of the compartment in which it is desired to remove the cube. For example, if the ice cube in the compartment 22 shown on the leftmost side of FIG. 2 were desired to be removed, it would be necessary only to place pressure down on strip 44 and strip 32 which thereby causes removal of the ice cube 60 in the compartment associated therewith.

In accordance with this invention, an alternate embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 having only a single molding compartment. The ice tray 100 is preferably rectangular and includes a pair of horizontally disposed flanges 102 which extend outwardly of the mouth of the tray at opposed corners. The tray 100 thus comprises only a single compartment having an integrally formed projection 104 which is provided in the lowermost wall 106. The projection 104 is provided centrally of the lowermost wall 106 and enables an ice cube to be removed when pressure is applied at the mouth as indicated by arrows 108 and 110. When pressure is applied along the arrows 108 and 110 in FIG. 5 the projection 104 causes the deformation of lower wall 106 which is shown in phantom at 106'. The ice cube 112 is also shown in phantom at 112' after it has been moved upwardly by deformation of the lowermost wall 106.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention, that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

Claims

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A one-piece freezing tray having at least one molding compartment for forming ice cubes, said tray comprised of a flexible material and said compartment having a horizontally disposed mouth at the uppermost end of said compartment, said compartment having a flexible lowermost wall which is substantially planar, said wall being of narrow thickness and having integrally formed in the center thereof a projection depending from the outer surface thereof, said projection being integral with a small area of said lowermost wall and being solid throughout its cross-section, an ice cube formed therein being removable from said compartment by placing said projection against a hard surface and pressing the mouth about said compartment towards said projection to deform said lowermost wall of said compartment and urge said ice cube out of said compartment.

2. The ice tray of claim 1 wherein said tray includes a plurality of compartments, each of said compartments having an integral depending projection.

3. The one-piece freezing tray of claim 1 wherein said projection is circular in cross-section parallel to said lowermost wall and semicircular in cross-section transverse to said lowermost wall.

4. The one-piece freezing tray of claim 2 wherein each compartment has a horizontally disposed mouth at the uppermost end thereof, said mouth being formed by a plurality of longitudinally and transversly extending strips which integrally connect the compartments in tandem, said strips forming the mouth of each of the compartments.