METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ELIMINATING CONNECTING WEBS BETWEEN ICE CUBES
First Claim
1. A method of making ice, comprising:
- advancing water into an ice tray of an icemaker assembly and positioning displacement members within a plurality of ice forming compartments of said ice tray while said water advances into the plurality of ice forming compartments so that for a period of time both said water filling said plurality of ice forming compartments and said displacement members are simultaneously located within said plurality of ice forming compartments so a portion of said water advancing into said plurality of ice forming compartments is displaced;
moving said displacement members out of said plurality of ice forming compartments after said period of time so that said water in said plurality of ice forming compartments drops to a level lower than a level at which the water was when the displacement members were located in said plurality of ice forming compartments as water advanced into the compartments;
reducing the temperature of said water within said ice tray so as to cause said water at said lower level located within said plurality of ice forming compartments to become a plurality of discrete ice cubes while said displacement members are located out of said plurality of ice forming compartments; and
moving said displacement members into contact with said plurality of discrete ice cubes so that said plurality of ice cubes are urged out of said plurality of ice forming compartments.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device for making ice is disclosed. The icemaker assembly comprises an ice tray and an ice ejector. The ice tray has at least (i) a first ice forming compartment defining a first space, and (ii) a second ice forming compartment defining a second space. The ice ejector is positionable at a first position and a second position. The ice ejector has at least (i) a first ejector member, and (ii) a second ejector member. When the ice ejector is positioned at the first position, (i) the first ejector member is positioned in the first space and in contact with a first quantity of water, (ii) the second ejector member is positioned in the second space and in contact with a second quantity of water, and (iii) the first quantity of water is positioned in fluid communication with the second quantity of water. When the ice ejector is positioned at the second position, (i) the first ejector member is spaced apart from both the first space and the first quantity of water, (ii) the second ejector member is spaced apart from both the second space and the second quantity of water, and (iii) the first quantity of water is isolated from fluid communication with the second quantity of water.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of making ice, comprising:
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advancing water into an ice tray of an icemaker assembly and positioning displacement members within a plurality of ice forming compartments of said ice tray while said water advances into the plurality of ice forming compartments so that for a period of time both said water filling said plurality of ice forming compartments and said displacement members are simultaneously located within said plurality of ice forming compartments so a portion of said water advancing into said plurality of ice forming compartments is displaced;
moving said displacement members out of said plurality of ice forming compartments after said period of time so that said water in said plurality of ice forming compartments drops to a level lower than a level at which the water was when the displacement members were located in said plurality of ice forming compartments as water advanced into the compartments;
reducing the temperature of said water within said ice tray so as to cause said water at said lower level located within said plurality of ice forming compartments to become a plurality of discrete ice cubes while said displacement members are located out of said plurality of ice forming compartments; and
moving said displacement members into contact with said plurality of discrete ice cubes so that said plurality of ice cubes are urged out of said plurality of ice forming compartments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of making ice, comprising the steps of:
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advancing a quantity of water to an ice tray so that said quantity of water is unevenly distributed among a plurality of ice forming compartments of said ice tray;
positioning displacement members within said plurality of ice forming compartments so that a part of said quantity of water is caused to advance from a first number of said plurality of ice forming compartments to a second number of said plurality of ice forming compartments;
moving said displacement members out of said plurality of ice forming compartments after a period of time;
reducing the temperature of said water within said ice tray so as to cause said water located within said plurality of ice forming compartments to become a plurality of discrete ice cubes while said displacement members are located out of said plurality of ice forming compartments; and
moving said displacement members into contact with said plurality of discrete ice cubes so that said plurality of ice cubes are urged out of said plurality of ice forming compartments. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of filling an ice tray with a quantity of water, comprising the steps of:
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advancing a quantity of water to an ice tray so that said quantity of water is unevenly distributed among a plurality of ice forming compartments of said ice tray; and
positioning displacement members within said plurality of ice forming compartments so that a part of said quantity of water is caused to advance from a first number of said plurality of ice forming compartments to a second number of said plurality of ice forming compartments. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of filling an ice tray with a quantity of water, said ice tray having at least (i) a first ice forming compartment defining a first space, (ii) a second ice forming compartment defining a second space, and (iii) a partition member interposed between said first space and said second space, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a first displacement member in said first space, and a second displacement member in said second space; and
advancing said quantity of water within said ice tray, wherein a water level of said quantity of water located within said ice tray is vertically above at least a part of a top edge of said partition when (i) said first displacement member is positioned in said first space, and (ii) said second displacement member is positioned in said second space, and wherein said water level of said quantity of water located in said ice tray is vertically below the entire top edge of said partition when (i) said first displacement member is spaced apart from said first space, and (ii) said second displacement member is spaced apart from said second space. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An icemaker assembly, comprising:
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an ice tray having at least (i) a first ice forming compartment defining a first space, and (ii) a second ice forming compartment defining a second space; and
an ice ejector positionable at a first position and a second position, said ice ejector having at least (i) a first ejector member, and (ii) a second ejector member, wherein, when said ice ejector is positioned at said first position, (i) said first ejector member is positioned in said first space and in contact with a first quantity of water, (ii) said second ejector member is positioned in said second space and in contact with a second quantity of water, and (iii) said first quantity of water is positioned in fluid communication with said second quantity of water, and wherein, when said ice ejector is positioned at said second position, (i) said first ejector member is spaced apart from both said first space and said first quantity of water, (ii) said second ejector member is spaced apart from both said second space and said second quantity of water, and (iii) said first quantity of water is isolated from fluid communication with said second quantity of water. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification