Patent ID: 6523355
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: F25B,F25C

Abstract:
Desktop and/or stand-alone apparatus for producing ice cubes, comprising:a water reservoir; a housing; a freezing element which is separate from said water reservoir; pump means for supplying water from said water reservoir to said freezing element; at least one thermoelectric element which is connected in a thermally conductive manner to said freezing element; control means with a timer unit for providing current to said thermoelectric element for a defined freezing time, in such a manner that this element extracts heat from said freezing element; removal means for collecting ice which comes from said freezing element; wherein said water reservoir is located entirely inside said housing and comprises a filling opening to the exterior of said housing, via which said water reservoir can be filled with a desired quantity of water, said freezing element being an ice cube tray which comprises at least one set of a base part and vertical wall parts which, together, delimit a mould cavity having a volume with a depth which is greater than or equal to one centimeter, said pump means being designed to supply said mould cavity with an amount of water which substantially corresponds to said volume of said mould cavity from said water reservoir at a start of a freezing cycle, release means being provided for releasing a frozen ice cube from said mould cavity after said freezing time.