Clear ice tray

• US 6,357,720 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Shapiro, Andrew Philip, Tiemann, Jerome Johnson
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey, James P.
• Application Number:
  US09/681,863
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 249/119, 425/261, 426/66, 62/66, 62/85
• US Class Current: 249/119
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/10 by using rotating or otherwise moving moulds F25C1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/18 of a particular transparency or translucency, e.g. by injecting air
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/24 for refrigerators, e.g. freezing trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2305/022 Harvesting ice including rotating or tilting or pivoting of a mould or tray
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/10 Refrigerator units

Abstract

An ice tray includes mold cells each having an open top and closed bottom. The bottom is air permeable for venting released air during formation of ice cubes therein. And, external sides of the ice tray may be thermally insulated for enhancing directional solidification of the ice cubes.

Claims

1. An ice tray comprising a plurality of adjoining mold cells each having an open top and an air permeable closed bottom.

2. An ice tray according to claim 1 further comprising opposite external sides extending vertically between said cell bottoms and tops, and said external sides and cell bottoms being formed of a thermally insulating material.

3. An ice tray according to claim 2 wherein said cell bottoms comprise silicone and are sized in thickness for being air permeable to vent air from water freezing in said cells.

4. An ice tray according to claim 2 wherein said cell bottoms include an aperture extending therethrough, and said aperture is closed by an air permeable seal.

5. An ice tray according to claim 2 further comprising a thermally insulating jacket covering said opposite external sides and cells bottoms.

6. An ice tray according to claim 5 further comprising an air vent disposed between said cell bottoms and said jacket for venting air therefrom.

7. An ice tray according to claim 6 wherein said vent comprises a gap extending outside said jacket.

8. An ice tray according to claim 5 wherein said cells are arranged in a grid, and said jacket completely covers the sides and bottom of said grid, and is fixedly joined thereto.

9. An ice tray according to claim 8 further comprising an air venting gap disposed between said cell bottoms and said jacket and extending outside said jacket for venting air from said gap.

10. An ice tray according to claim 2 further comprising a heater disposed below said cell bottoms.

11. An ice tray according to claim 10 further comprising a thermally insulating jacket covering said opposite external sides of said ice tray.

12. An ice tray according to claim 2 wherein said cells are arranged in a continuous belt including an upper leg having upright cells and a lower leg having inverted cells.

13. An ice tray according to claim 12 further comprising a thermally insulating jacket adjoining opposite external sides of said upper leg for forming respective gaps therebetween.

14. An ice tray according to claim 13 wherein said jacket is disposed along the middle of said upper leg, and terminates short of opposite ends thereof.

15. An ice tray according to claim 14 wherein said jacket further covers the bottom of said upper leg to thermally insulate said cell bottoms.

16. An ice tray according to claim 14 further comprising a heater disposed below said upper leg for locally heating said cell bottoms.

17. A method of using said ice tray according to claim 14 comprising:

filling said cells with water;

circulating freezing air over said water in said cells;

directionally freezing said water in said cells from said tops to bottoms thereof to liberate air therein; and

venting said liberated air through said cell bottoms.

18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising rotating said belt ice tray through said jacket to freeze said water in said cells when positioned inside said jacket.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein said cells are filled with water outside said jacket and transported inside said jacket for freezing therein.

20. An ice tray comprising a plurality of adjoining mold cells arranged in a continuous belt including an upper leg having upright cells and a lower leg having inverted cells, and each of said cells having an open top and an air permeable closed bottom.

21. An ice tray according to claim 20 further comprising a thermally insulating jacket adjoining opposite external sides of said upper leg for forming respective gaps therebetween.

22. An ice tray according to claim 21 wherein said jacket is spaced from one end of said upper leg.

23. An ice tray according to claim 22 wherein said cells comprise silicone.

24. An ice tray according to claim 23 wherein said cell bottoms are thin for being air permeable to vent air released in said cells from freezing water therein.

25. An ice tray according to claim 23 wherein said cell bottoms include an aperture extending therethrough, and said aperture is closed by an air permeable seal.

26. An ice tray according to claim 25 wherein said seal comprises a fabric permeable to air and non-permeable to water leakage.

27. An ice tray according to claim 23 wherein said jacket further covers the bottom of said upper leg to thermally insulate said cell bottoms.

28. An ice tray according to claim 23 further comprising a heater disposed below said upper leg for locally heating said cell bottoms.