Ice storage to hold ice and minimize melting of ice spheres
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsBrian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.
Claims17
A method of storing spherical pieces of ice in a freezer, the method comprising:
- providing an ice maker configured to produce a plurality of spherical pieces of ice, each spherical piece of ice having a substantially spherical outer surface defining a first radius;
- providing a tray having a plurality of upwardly opening ice support cavities, wherein each ice support cavity has a concave surface defining a portion of a sphere having a second radius that is substantially equal to the first radius whereby the spherical pieces of ice formed by the ice maker fit closely in a respective one of the ice support cavities;
- positioning the tray in a refrigerated space at a predefined location relative to the ice maker;
- transporting the spherical pieces of ice from the ice maker to a respective one of the ice support cavities;
- positioning the spherical pieces of ice in the ice support cavities;
- and wherein:
- each concave surface is truncated to define an opening in each of the concave surfaces;
- each of the openings having a third radius that is smaller than both the first and second radii, wherein the spherical ice pieces fall through a respective one of the openings after the spherical ice pieces melt and shrink in size.
A method of forming and storing spherical pieces of ice, the method comprising:
- providing an ice maker having a mold with first and second mold parts having concave surfaces that together define at least one spherical cavity when the first and second mold parts are in a closed position relative to one another;
- introducing water into the at least one spherical cavity;
- freezing the water in the spherical cavity to produce at least one spherical piece of ice having a substantially spherical outer surface defining a first radius;
- providing a tray having at least one upwardly opening ice support cavity;
- wherein the at least one ice support cavity has a concave surface defining a portion of a sphere having a second radius that is substantially equal to the first radius;
- positioning the tray in a refrigerated space adjacent the ice maker;
- shifting the first mold part to an open position, thereby permitting the at least one spherical piece of ice to be removed from the mold;
- and
- positioning the spherical piece of ice in the at least one ice support cavity;
- wherein the at least one ice support cavity of the tray has an opening at a lower portion of the at least one ice support cavity such that liquid water in the at least one ice support cavity drains out of the at least one ice support cavity.
A method of storing spherical pieces of ice in a freezer, the method comprising:
- providing an ice maker configured to produce a plurality of spherical pieces of ice;
- providing a tray having a plurality of upwardly opening ice support cavities, wherein each ice support cavity has an opening at a lower portion of each ice support cavity such that liquid water flows out of each of the ice support cavities through the respective openings;
- positioning the tray in a refrigerated space at a predefined location relative to the ice maker;
- transporting spherical pieces of ice from the ice maker to each ice support cavity;
- positioning the spherical pieces of ice in each ice support cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.