Layering of low thermal conductive material on metal tray
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsPatrick J. Boarman, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ice maker having a housing defining an interior volume, with an ice tray rotatably coupled with the housing and horizontally suspended across the interior volume thereof. The ice tray has ice wells, defined along the bottom by a bottom surface and the sides by an interior surface of at least one containment wall, wherein the containment wall has an upper portion, including a top surface of the containment wall and the interior surface adjacent the top surface. The upper portion of the containment wall has an insulating layer applied thereto. A tray for use in the ice maker and method of manufacturing the tray are also provided.
Claims10
An ice forming tray for making clear ice, comprising:
- an ice well, defined along its bottom by a bottom surface and upwardly from the bottom surface by at least one wall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface and the at least one wall comprise a conductive material;
- wherein the at least one wall comprises an interior surface which is facing the ice well, a top surface which is generally opposite the bottom surface and which faces generally perpendicular to the interior surface, and an upper portion, comprising the top surface and a portion of the interior surface adjacent thereto;
- and
- an insulating layer applied only to the upper portion and the portion of the interior surface adjacent to the interior surface of the at least one wall.
A method of manufacturing an ice forming tray, comprising the following steps:
- providing an ice forming tray with at least one ice well defined along its bottom by a bottom surface and upwardly from the bottom surface by at least one wall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, wherein the at least one wall comprises an interior surface which is facing the ice well, a top surface which is generally opposite the bottom surface and which generally faces perpendicular to the interior surface, and an upper portion comprising the top surface and a part of the interior surface adjacent thereto;
- and
- applying an insulating layer to the top surface of the upper portion and to only the part of the interior surface of the at least one wall that is adjacent to the top surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.