AN ICE TRAY

Abstract: The ice tray is formed as a divided mould for the production of a plate of frozen liquid with indicated fracture lines in a bag (2). The divided mould comprises a box (1), a bottom grid (6) being secured in the open bottom of said box. A top grid (3) of dimensions corresponding to the inner measurements of the box (1) is adapted so as to be easily releasably secured by frictionally engaging the walls of the box. When the ice tray is to be used, the bag (2) filled to a marking is positioned flat on top of the open bottom grid (6) of the box, and the mouth portion (17) of the bag is positioned over an end wall (15) to form a gripping flap and to prevent water from flowing out. Subsequently, the top grid (3) is pressed downwards over the bag. During the freezing, indicated fracture lines appear. The bag is removable from the box after freezing in a simple manner by an upward pull in the mouth portion (17) without necessitating a rinsing of rime. Furthermore it is possible to position fruit in the individual pockets formed by the grid, said fruit being completely frozen into the individual icce pieces.

Description: Title: An Ice Tray Technical Field The present invention relates to an ice tray manufactured as a divided mould for preparing a plate of frozen liquid and in accordance* with the subject matter stated in the preamble of claim 1, Background Art Various ice trays are known for preparing ice in cubes or the like shapes and which are to be used in the household or at restaurants. An example of such an ice tray is an ice tray of aluminium in which a plastic grid is inserted. In order to remove the ice cubes it is usually necessary to pour hot water on the rear side of the ice tray where¬ after the ice cubes are catched as they fall out thereof. The grids of other ice trays include a lever mechanism partially crushing the ice. This lever mechanism is, how¬ ever, often frozen over in such a manner that it is also necessary to pour hot water onto this ice tray before the ice cubes can be removed. This procedure causes in both cases much splashing of water and therefore a subsequent drying procedure. Ice bags are also known whereby a plurality of intercon¬ nected circular pockets are formed through a local welding together of the sides of the bag. These pockets are filled with water through a funnel placed at the mouth end of the bag for the freezing of circular pieces of ice. In order to remove the individual pieces of ice it is neces¬ sary to tear or cut the plastics into pieces, which is rather strenuous . US patent specification No. 2,964,920 discloses a freezing apparatus including a pliant bag for the liσuid frozen and a moulding means. The moulding means comprises two hingedly connected grids, and between said grids the bag filled with liquid is placed. Subsequently, the grids are clamped together and retained by means of locking means in such a manner that the liquid may bulge out into the openings of the grid. This apparatus is rather compli¬ cated and involves furthermore a risk of the locking means being iced when located in the freezer compartment, where¬ by it is necessary to defrost said locking means before it is possible to remove the pieces of ice. In addition, this freezing apparatus only allows freezing of one bag with ice cubes at a time. None of the above freezing apparatuses are suited for freezing pieces of fruit such as raspherries, pit cherries or olives into the ice cubes in a practical and easy man¬ ner so that the fruits are completely surrounded by ice. Disclosure of Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a divid¬ ed mould for the production of a plate of frozen liquid with indicated fracture lines in at least one bag at a time, said bag always with certainty being easily remov¬ able from the mould without necessitating a prior pouring of water on the divided mould, and which furthermore al¬ lows an insertion of fruits or pieces of fruit into each piece of ice. This object is obtained by the divided mould mentioned in the introduction being characterised by the subject matter stated in the characterising clause of claim 1, When it is desired to freeze pieces of ice, the bag is placed on top of the bottom grid with the free open end extending over the top rim of one of the walls of the box. Subsequently, a transverse portion of the bag is pressed OMPI towards the wall of the box by pressing down the top grid, whereby a gripping flap projecting from the box is formed. When the frozen pieces of ice are to be used, the gripping flap need only be gripped and the bag and the top grid ' be pulled upwards by a slight pull so as to release the bag. A slight blow against a table surface implies that the pieces of ice are broken along the indicated fracture lines formed by the walls of the grid, and that said pieces of ice can be poured out directly. When the box is so high that it can include several bags and top grids piled atop one another it is possible to remove the bags from the box as desired. It is also possible in a simple manner to freeze the contents of the bags in order sub¬ sequently to remove the bags without breaking the ice plates and then to store the ice in the bag. In this sim¬ ple manner it is possible to establish a stock of pieces of ice. If it is desired to freeze pieces of fruit into the ice, a plurality of fruits corresponding to the number of openings in the grid are filled into the bag together with the liquid. Subsequently, the bag is positioned on top of the bottom grid, and the fruits are then manually distributed into the individual openings whereafter the top grid is positioned thereon. Advantageous embodiments have been stated in the dependent claims. Brief Description of Drawing A preferred embodiment of the object of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig, 1 is a partly diagrammatic and isometric view of the divided mould according to the invention, whereby some wall portions have been removed, and Figs, 2 and 3 are isometric, fragmentary, and partly diagrammatic views of two slightly altered embodiments of the divided mould according to the invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention As illustrated in Fig. 1, the divided mould comprises a box 1, a bag 2, and a top grid 3, The box comprises two side walls 4 and two end walls 5, some wall portions of said box being removed in the drawing. The bottom of the box is shaped as a grid 6 with a plurality of longitudi- nal and transverse walls 7, 8, which have been shown without thickness for the sake of clarity. A plurality of through openings 9 are shaped between the walls. A plura¬ lity of projections 10 are shaped on the inner sides of the walls 5, The bag 2 is preferably of resilient plastics and prefer¬ ably 8 to 15 cm, especially about 10 cm longer than the box, and preferably about 1 to 3 cm broader, especially about 2 cm broader than the box. At a predetermined dis¬ tance above the bottom of the bag a marking line 11 is provided. The top grid 3 comprises side walls 12 and end walls 13 with recesses 14. The top grid comprises furthermore a plurality of longitudinal and transverse walls 15, 16 interspaced the same distance as the longitudinal and transverse walls 7, 8 of the bottom grid 6 so that upon insertion of the top grid in the box, said first-mentioned walls flush with said last-mentioned walls. The walls 15, 16 define through openings 19. The length and the width of the top grid closely fit the corresponding inner measurements of the box so that it can be pressed into the box with an easy fit and retained against the walls of said box through a fricticnal engage- ent , Though the drawing shows that the bottom grid 6 of the box is formed integral with, the walls of the box 1, it is also possible and sometimes the most useful procedure to manufacture the bottom grid identical with the top grid and subsequently to weld the outward wall surfaces of the resulting bottom grid to the inner surfaces of the side and end walls 4 , 5 to form a bottom grid identical with the top grid. Such an embodiment implies that the corners of the box may be shaped as hinges whereby the need of storing room is minimized. When the bag is to be used, it is filled with liquid such as for instance water,- tea or syrup to the marking line 11, whereby the bag is distended. Through a grip in the mouth portion 17 forming a gripping flap, the bag is po¬ sitioned over the bottom grid 6 whereby it is shaped sub¬ stantially as illustrated in the Figures, and the gripping flap is positioned over one end wall. Subsequently, the top grid 3 is pressed downwards into the box until it is positioned about 5 mm over the surface of the bottom grid. In this position the top grid is retained through friction between the opposing wall surfaces of the top grid and the box. The projections 10, if any, ensure a further se¬ curing of the top grid, Air bubbles, if any, in the bag 2 can be pressed out through the channels formed at the recesses 14 in the bag and not shown in greater details. During the freezing, the water expands and gradually the ice fills the openings of the grids more or less. When the liquid is frozen, and the pieces of ice are to be used, the user grips by one hand in the mouth portion or the gripping flap 17 and pulls by a slight pull the top grid and the bag upwards, whereby the bag is released from the box in a simple manner, Subsequently, the user taps the bag slightly against a table surface, whereby the ice is broken along the indicated fracture lines IPO formed by means of the walls of the grid. As a result, the completed pieces of ice are in the bag ready for use. By increasing the side and end walls 4 , 5 of the box, it is possible to place a plurality of bags and top grids in succession atop one another in the same box for the simultaneous manufacture of several, bags with plates of ice, each plate being provided with indicated fracture lines. This further development of the object of the in¬ vention does not, however, appear from the drawing, The box and the top grid shown in Fig. 1 are preferably- made of a strong, semi-rigid plastics or of a metal such as for instance aluminium. Fig. 2 illustrates an altered embodiment of a divided mould according to the invention. This mould comprises a box 20 with side and end walls 24, 25 and a grid 26 of steel wire positioned a distance above the open bottom of the box 20, and a steel wire grid 23. The steel wire grid 23 corresponds to the top grid 3 and is of such dimensions that it can be inserted into the box on top of the bag not shown. Some of the transverse wires of the steel wire grid comprise extensions 27 protruding beyond the limit of the steel wire grid. The extensions may frictionally engage corresponding recesses 28 in the wall 24 of the box 21. Points 29 may be provided on the end wall of the box for the securing of the mouth end of the bag. Fig, 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the divided mould according to the invention, also shown without a bag. The box corresponds substantially to the box of Fig. i, but it comprises recesses 38, 39 in the side and end walls 34 and 35, respectively, of tne box. The walls and the bottom grid 35 of the box 31 may be made of plastics or aluminium, The top grid 33 comprises no side or end walls, but the longitudinal and transverse walls 45, 46 of the grid may be mutually braced by means of steel or OMPI plastic bars 42, 43. A few of the longitudinal and trans¬ verse walls 45, 46 are shown without thickness for the sake of clarity and are extended at the reference numerals 47, 48. These extensions may frictionally engage the re- cesses 38, 39 so as to easily releasably retain the top grid when said top grid 33 is positioned in the box on top of the bag not shown, The two latter embodiments of the divided mould according to the invention can also be manufactured with an arbitra- ry height for a simultaneous manufacture of several bags with frozen liquid. Beyond the embodiments shown, the divided mould according to the invention may be varied in various ways, Especially for divided moulds that are to the used for the manufac- ture of only one ice bag at a time, the side and end walls of the top grid 3 shown in Fig. 1 may be provided with a protruding flange resting on the surface of the side walls 4, 5 of the box. It is also possible to provide the side walls 12 of the top grid and/or the end walls 13 with pro- jecting pins engaging corresponding recesses in the side and end walls 4, 5, respectively, of the box. The shape of the grid may furthermore be varied in such a manner that the walls define triangular and/or multiangu- lar or circular and/or diamond-shaped openings so that the pieces of ice - when seen from the top - are of vari¬ ous shapes instead of a quadratic shape. The mould is suited for the manufacture of syrup ice as it is easy to break individual pieces of ice of the frozen, syrup ice plate along the fracture lines.

Claims: Claims: 1, A divided mould for producing a plate of frozen liq¬ uid with indicated fracture lines in at least one bag (2) for the liquid to be frozen, preferably a bag of resilient plastics, and comprising a box (1) and a removable grid (3), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the preferably oblong box comprises an open bottom in which a bottom grid (6) is secured, and that at least one grid is a top grid (3) insertable in the box (1) and shaped so as to be eas¬ ily releasably secured by engaging the inner side of the walls (4, 5) of the box (1) , and that the bag (2) is sub¬ stantially longer than the box so that upon positioning of the bag (2) partly filled with liquid on top of the bottom grid (6) , the free mouth portion (17) can be placed over the top rim of one of the walls (5) of the box (1) , where- after a transverse portion of the bag (2) is clamped be¬ tween the inner surface of said box wall (5) and the oppos¬ ing end wall surface of the top grid (3) when the top grid (3) is pressed downwards onto the bag (2) and towards the bottom grid (6) . 2. A mould as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i s e d in that the bag (2) is about 10 cm longer and about 2 cm broader than the inner measurements of the box, and that it comprises a marking (11) indicating the maxi¬ mum allowable level of the liquid filled therein. - 3.. A mould as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the through openings (9, 19) of the bottom grid (6) and the top grid (3) are rectangular, pre¬ ferably quadratic . 4. A mould as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, c a r a c t e r i s " e d in that -the bottom grid (6) is formed integral with the side walls (4, 5) of the box (1) , and that these parts and the top grid (3) are referablv made of plastics and/or aluminium, 5. A mould as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3 , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the bottom grid (6) is formed identical with the top grid (3) , made of plastics, and welded to the inner side of the walls (4, 5) of the box (1) after the manufacture, 6. A mould as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 5 , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the top grid (3) com¬ prises limiting side and end walls (12, 13) , and that re- cesses (14) are provided in * the end walls (13) , said re¬ cesses being of such a size that air possibly trapped in the bag may ooze out through channels formed in the bag at the recesses (14) . 7. A mould as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 6 , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a plurality of projec¬ tions (10) are shaped a distance above the surface of the bottom grid (6) on the inward surface of at least two of the walls (4, 5) of the box (1) , said projections being adapted to easily releasably retain the top grid (3) through friction and/or snapping at a predetermined dis¬ tance from the surface of the bottom grid (6) , where the distance between the two opposing grid surfaces is about 2 to 10 mm, preferably 4 to 6 mm, and particularly 5 mm. 8. A mould as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the bottom grid is a wire grid situated a distance from the open bottom (26) of the box (21) , that the top grid is a wire grid (23) with protruding wire extensions (27) frictionally engaging re¬ cesses (28) shaped in the side walls (24) of the box (21) . 9, A mould as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 3 , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the outermost through openings of the top grid (33) towards the outer side too, the sides of said openings being mutually braced by means of connecting bars (42) , and that a plurality of the longitudinal and transverse walls (45, 46) of the top grid comprise extensions (47, 48) engaging recesses (38, 39) shaped in the walls (34, 35) of the box (31) ,

Inventors: BERG MARIE-LOUISE, BERG, MARIE-LOUISE (DECEASED)
Applicants: BERG MARIE LOUISE, BERG, MARIE LOUISE
Application year: 1984
Main classification: F25C1
IPC codes: F25C1