Plastic ice cube trays generally make cubes that have a generally rectangular prism shape. In order to remove the cubes the tray must be twisted to break the cubes from all five generally rectangular walls of the tray depression—the four generally vertical sides and the bottom. This is difficult, and often causes the cubes to fracture.
Disclosed herein is an ice cube tray in which individual cubes can be easily removed by pressing down on them with a single finger. The tray is constructed and arranged such that multiple trays can be nested together in one orientation, and in a different orientation the trays can support one another such that they can be stacked in a freezer.
Featured herein is an ice cube tray comprising a plurality of generally semi-circular depressions arranged a number of columns and rows, with a plurality of depressions in each column and each row, wherein each depression is surrounded by a rim, and a shoulder formed in each rim, where the shoulders are constructed and arranged to support part of the sidewall and/or bottom of a depression of another identical tray placed on top of the tray.
In one aspect the depressions making up each column are aligned along a columnar axis and the columnar axes are parallel. Each depression may define a central longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a columnar axis, where the depressions in adjacent rows are slightly offset from one another in the direction along the columnar axis such that the central longitudinal axes of depressions in adjacent columns are not co-linear but the central longitudinal axes of depressions in the same row in every other column are co-linear. Each rim may have only one shoulder. The shoulders in the rims of the depressions in each column may be on the same sides of the depressions. The shoulders in the rims of the depressions in adjacent column may be on opposite sides of the depressions. The depressions may have two parallel long sidewalls, where the long sidewalls are angled outwardly from the vertical. The outward angle may be at least about seven degrees.
The depressions and shoulders may be constructed and arranged such that two vertically aligned identical trays in one orientation nest one within the other and in an opposite orientation the trays are stacked such that the bottom tray supports the top tray in a manner in which the depressions of the top tray do not extend below the shoulders of the bottom tray.
Further featured is an ice cube tray with a plurality of generally semi-circular depressions arranged a number of columns and rows, with a plurality of depressions in each column and each row, wherein each depression is surrounded by a rim, wherein the depressions making up each column are aligned along a columnar axis and the columnar axes are parallel, and wherein each depression defines a central longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a columnar axis, where the depressions in adjacent rows are slightly offset from one another in the direction along the columnar axis such that the central longitudinal axes of depressions in adjacent columns are not co-linear but the central longitudinal axes of depressions in the same row in every other column are co-linear, wherein the depressions have two parallel long sidewalls, where the long sidewalls are angled outwardly from the vertical at an angle of at least about seven degrees. A shoulder is formed in each rim, where the shoulders are constructed and arranged to support part of the sidewall and/or bottom of a depression of another identical tray placed on top of the tray, wherein each rim has only one shoulder, the shoulders in the rims of the depressions in each column are on the same sides of the depressions and the shoulders in the rims of the depressions in adjacent column are on opposite sides of the depressions. The depressions and shoulders are constructed and arranged such that two vertically aligned identical trays in one orientation nest one within the other and in an opposite orientation the trays are stacked such that the bottom tray supports the top tray in a manner in which the depressions of the top tray do not extend below the shoulders of the bottom tray.
A non-limiting embodiment of the ice cube tray is shown in the drawings, in which:
Ice cube tray 10 is a molded plastic article of commerce that defines a number of generally semi-circular depressions that are constructed and arranged to be filled with water, which is frozen to create ice cubes. The depressions are arranged in a number of columns and rows. There are multiple depressions in each column and each row. Each depression is bordered by a rim that includes a shoulder that is constructed and arranged to support the bottom of a depression of another identical tray that is placed on top of the tray and in the opposite orientation, as explained below. When the top tray is rotated 180° from this stacked orientation, the depressions in the two trays are aligned so that the two trays can be nested together, e.g., for storage purposes.
Tray 10 includes fifteen generally semi-circular depressions each of which is defined in part by a rim 15 that surrounds the top opening of the depression. There can be a greater number or fewer depressions. There can be a greater number or fewer columns and/or rows. There can be a greater number or fewer depressions in each column and/or row. On one long side of each rim 15 there is a shoulder 22 that has an arc shape that matches the curved transitional region 20 between the sidewall and bottom of one side of a depression. Shoulders 22 support a tray placed on top of another tray so that the trays can be stacked in one orientation, as further described below.
Because of this offset of adjacent columns of depressions and the existence of shoulders 22, when two identical trays are placed one above another, depending on their orientation the trays can be nested together such that the depressions fit one with another or they can be stacked such that the bottom tray supports the top tray in a manner in which the depressions of the top tray do not extend below the shoulders of the bottom tray.
The stacking relationship is shown in
When two trays are oriented in the same manner, in other words two trays are oriented for example as shown in
The cubes can be pushed out of a tray by pushing down with one finger on one side of the cube. It is believed that the cubes release easily due to the semi-circular profile that allows a cube to rotate about the circular center as it is pushed down on one side. The semi-circular shape is not required, though. It is believed that if the sides 91 and 92 are curved and flare outwardly from the vertical by at least about 7° (and thus are “generally semi-circular”) the cube will release from the tray as it is pushed down with a finger. An angle of 10 degrees per side (20 degrees total) is illustrated in
Certain aspects of the disclosure are illustrated and described. However, these aspects illustrate the scope of the invention rather than limiting it to the particular illustrated examples. The scope of the invention is supported by the following claims.
This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/822,469, filed May 13, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61822469 | May 2013 | US |