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(11) | EP 1 213 550 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Ice-cube maker |
| (57) It comprises a base body (2) which includes a plurality of alveoli (3) for shaping
the ice cubes and a cover (4) which fits over said base body (2). It is characterised in that the base body (2) is flexible and in that the cover (4) is rigid and has a plurality of ribs (11) located near the upper surface of the base body (2), each rib (11) being interpolated between two alveoli (3). It prevents direct contact with other items in the refrigerator and facilitates turning the ice cubes out of the alveoli (3). |
[0001] This invention relates to an improved ice-cube maker for forming ice cubes in a refrigerator or freezer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The ice-cube maker of the invention is of the type which comprise a base body which includes a plurality of alveoli for shaping the ice cubes and a cover which fits over said base body and thereby prevents direct contact of the ice cubes with food and other items which might be inside the refrigerator or freezer.
[0003] It has been found in practice that the current ice-cube makers of this type present certain difficulties when it comes to removing or ejecting the ice cube from inside the alveolus.
[0004] Moreover, once the ice cube has been extracted from the alveolus the latter often fails to return to its initial position and has to be restored subsequently to that initial position.
[0005] This invention has been developed in order to provide an ice-cube maker which resolves these disadvantages, while at the same time providing other additional advantages which will become obvious from the description set out below.
DESCRIPTION
[0006] The improved ice-cube maker of the invention is characterised in that the base body is flexible and in that the cover is rigid and has a plurality of ribs located near the upper surface of the base body, each rib being interpolated between two alveoli.
[0007] These characteristics provide an ice-cube maker which, on the one hand, prevents direct contact with other items in the refrigerator and the smells from foods placed close to the ice-cube maker, and on the other hand, due the presence of the ribs on the cover, considerably facilitates turning the ice cubes out of the alveoli. This is due to the ribs acting as an ice cube extracting lever when pressure is applied by hand from underneath the alveoli.
[0008] Moreover, the presence of the cover prevents the ice cube falling onto the floor when it is removed under pressure from the alveolus.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the base body includes a plurality of ribs situated between the alveoli and facilitating return of the alveolus to its initial position once the ice cube has been removed from inside it.
[0011] Advantageously, the base body includes at least one orifice for water evacuation. Said orifices facilitate the emergence of excess water once all the alveoli have been filled.
[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, the cover includes an orifice for emergence of the ice cubes and for fitting a deflector element which facilitates pouring of the water into the alveoli by distributing that water perimetrally.
[0013] Also preferably, the base body includes means of fixing to the cover to facilitate fitting the ice-cube maker together and taking it apart, thereby allowing each of the parts of the ice-cube maker to be cleaned independently.
[0014] Advantageously, the cover has means of levelling which ensure the horizontality of the ice-cube maker on a uneven surface. This ensures equal filling of each of the alveoli so that the ice cubes formed are all the same size.
[0016] According to another characteristic, the surface in which the alveoli are located is concave so as to facilitate filling of the alveoli at the centre of the base body once all the peripheral alveoli have been filled.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Other characteristics and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred, though not exclusive embodiment illustrated by way of non-restrictive example in the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective, exploded view of the entire improved ice-cube maker of the invention; Figure 2 is an underside perspective view of the base body of the ice-cube maker; and Figure 3 is an underside perspective view of the cover of the ice-cube maker of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF S PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the ice-cube maker 1 of the invention is made up principally of a base body 2 made of flexible material and having a circular plan, which base body includes a plurality of alveoli 3 with curved bases distributed radially, and a dome-shaped cover 4, made of rigid material, which covers the upper and side surface of said base body 2.
[0019] The ice-cube maker further includes fixing means between the base body 2 and the cover 4 which include a plurality of lugs 5 situated perimetrally on the base body 2 and inserting into some slots 6 situated on the side wall of the cover 4.
[0020] Additionally, the upper central part of the cover 4 has an orifice 7 which serves as an outlet for the ice cubes to emerge from the ice-cube maker 1. For filling the ice-cube maker 1, the orifice is fitted with a removable deflector 8 which has large side openings and a central part made up of a conical surface which facilitates radial distribution of the water towards the alveoli 3 situated at the periphery of the base 2.
[0021] Figure 2 shows in greater detail the design of the bottom of the base body 2, with the arrangement of ribs situated between the alveoli 3. Said ribs 9 facilitate return of the alveolus 3 to its initial position once the ice cube has been removed from inside it. The central zone of the base body 2 also has three openings 10 which facilitate evacuation of excess water (see figure 1).
[0022] Figure 3 shows more clearly how the interior of the cover of the ice-cube maker includes a plurality of ribs 11, arranged radially, which are interpolated between two alveoli 3 once the parts of the ice-cube maker 1 have been fitted together. Said ribs considerably facilitate removal of the ice cube from the interior of the alveolus 3, making it easer to eject.
[0023] In order to ensure horizontality of the ice-cube maker 1 of the invention and the uniform size of all the ice cubes, the cover 4 has some lateral extensions 12 whose ends have a pair of lugs 13.
[0024] It should be noted that in order to avoid problems of space inside the refrigerator in the event of having to stow several ice-cube makers in it, the structural design means that they can be stacked one on top of the other.
[0025] The details, shapes, dimensions and other ancillary features, together with the materials used in manufacturing of the ice-cube maker of the invention, may be suitably replaced by others that are technically equivalent and do not depart from the essential nature of the invention or the scope defined by the claims included below.
1. Improved ice-cube maker (1) for forming ice cubes in refrigerators and the like, which
comprises a base body (2) which includes a plurality of alveoli (3) for shaping the
ice cubes and a cover (4) which fits over said base body (2), characterised in that the base body (2) is flexible and in that the cover (4) is rigid and has a plurality of ribs (11) located near the upper surface
of the base body (2), each rib being interpolated between two alveoli (3).
2. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the base body (2) includes a plurality of ribs (9) situated between the alveoli (3).
3. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the alveoli (3) are arranged radially on the base body (2).
4. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the base body (2) includes at least one orifice (10) for water evacuation.
5. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the cover includes an orifice (7) for emergence of the ice cubes and for fitting
a deflector element (8) which facilitates pouring of the water into the alveoli (3).
6. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the base body (2) includes means of fixing to the cover (4).
7. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the cover (4) has means of levelling which ensure the horizontality of the ice-cube
maker on a uneven surface.
8. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 7, characterised in that the means of levelling include at least one pair of lugs (13).
9. Improved ice-cube maker (1), as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the surface in which the alveoli (3) are located is concave.