Abstract:
An ice cube stacking tray having a cube retaining contour in its bottom surface that allows one-handed engagement of a cube to be positioned in a self-supporting upstanding position for easy one-hand retrieval. The tray has end extension flange recessed tri-lateral areas for receiving co-depending surface of vertically engaged corresponding tray.

Description:
This is a continuation in part of allowed patent application of Ser. No. 29/265,315 filed Aug. 30, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. D560,695. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This device is directed to ice cube trays that are used to freeze small quantities of water into independent ice cubes. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Prior art devices of this type have been developed for forming different shaped ice cubes by use of ornamentally designed ice trays, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. D292,802, D397,700, D433,691, 3,825,219, and 4,222,547. 
   In Design Patents ending in 802, 700 and 691 a variety of different ice cube trays are designed to make different integral shapes such as cars and the like. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,112 discloses an ice mold having a dual cube configuration in which a single enlarged ice cube is formed having two interconnected contours separated by raised ridge therebetween. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,219 describes an ice cube tray having multiple parallel divider walls with pivotal cross-wise dividers. Levers move the dividers with slidable rollers and springs and plunger assembly to extract the cubes. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,547 shows an ice tray with shaped cavities that allows the user to push down on one end of the formed ice cube rotating the cube upwardly so that it can be lifted out while the user holds the cube in elevated position. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An ice cube forming tray in which multiple oblong shaped ice cubes are formed. The tray has a remove and positioning flange area that will engage and hold the ice cube by its edge as it is rotated upwardly within the tray compartment by the user and hold the cube hands free. 
   The cube can then be retrieved by the user with one hand lifting it up out of the tray for select removal of just a cube at a time. The tray has an extended recessed flange end that allows the trays to be stacked during use. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an enlarged partial top plan view of the ice cube tray showing the retaining flange area within and stacking flange extension area on one end thereof. 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a complete ice cube tray of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional view on lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the stackable tray. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a single cube mold illustrating cube repositioning for removal. 
       FIG. 6  is a graphic representation of an ovaloid cube tray shape. 
       FIG. 7  is a graphic section illustration on lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a graphic section illustration on lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-4  of the drawings, a stacking ice cube tray  10  of the invention can be seen having a main body member  11  with a plurality of ice cube forming mold cavities  12  formed within. The tray is made of flexible synthetic resin material and is typically filled with a liquid such as water W and then placed in a freezer (not shown) forming a plurality of identical contoured shaped ice cubes  13 . 
   Each of the cube mold cavities  12  is of an oblong ovaloid shape having an inner smooth bottom surface  14  with integrally extending connective contoured smooth sides, and end surface  15 A and  15 B and  16 A and  16 B respectively. An elliptical recess area  17  is formed within the bottom surface  14  extending transversely there across between the respective oppositely disposed sides  15 A and  15 B as best seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. An arcuate return flange portion  18  is defined by recess areas  17  having a tapered vertical surface at  19  therein. The vertical surface  19  defines an edge of the elliptical recess area  17  which extends within as a contoured surface into the corresponding sides  15 A and  15 B and end surface  16 A in spaced relation thereto. 
   The vertical surface  19  of the return flange portion  18  provides for cube edge engagement therewith when the ice cube  13  so formed within the mold cavities  12  is repositioned therein by applied force of the user&#39;s fingers  22  as best seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings in broken lines. 
   In use, water W or other freezable, consumable liquids fill the multiple ice cube molds  12  of the tray  10  and is frozen by placement within the freezer (not shown). Once the frozen cubes  13  are formed as noted in solid lines in  FIG. 5  of the drawings, the user can push down on one end  23  on the top surface  24  of the cube  13  sliding the cube within its mold  12  longitudinally so as to extend partially out of the mold cavities  12 . The ice cube  13  engages the flange  18  and held there by the cube&#39;s leading transverse edge  25 A thus positioning the cube  13  and holding it freely in the elevated position as shown in solid lines. The user can then using the same hand easily grip the cube  13  and remove it individually from the tray  10  without disturbing the remaining cubes  13  within. The tray  10  can then be returned to the freezer (not shown) and retrieved for later individual cube  13  extraction and use or multiple cubes can be extracted one at a time if so desired. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  of the drawings, a graphic representation of physical dynamics of the uniquely shaped cube mold cavities  12  of the invention is illustrated. Referring first to  FIG. 6  of the drawings, an elongated ovaloid shape of the mold  12  is represented in its pure form. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates direct contoured features in which the sidewalls  15 A and  15 B are continuously contoured in a relationship to one another as indicated by broken lines  15 CC and are therefore never parallel as illustrated by the oppositely disposed parallel indicator lines PL and are as illustrated less than 90 degrees from the horizontal. 
   Referring to  FIG. 8  of the drawings which is a graphic section on lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 , the contoured surface relationship can be seen in the end walls  16 A and  16 B which are contingently contoured in relation to one another as indicated by broken lines  16 CC and as noted are therefore never in parallel relationship as indicated by end parallel line EPL. 
   It will be evident from the above description that the ice cube  13  so formed therewithin requires no ancillary tray distortion flexation as is required in prior art trays to dislodge the cubes by loosening from therewithin. 
   Given the nature of the holding and positioning flange surface  19 , the bottom of each cube  13  so formed will have the corresponding notch in the cube, but given the directional orientation of the surface  19  extraction of the cube by the user tactile engagement will be effective only at corresponding cube end noted at  26  as illustrated in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. 
   By utilizing the distinctive and unique mold surface orientation hereinbefore described of the ice cube tray of the invention, it will be seen that the known expansion properties of water as it freezes in which a physical force is imparted equilaterally to all contact surfaces. Therefore by eliminating all binding angular adjacent engagement surfaces in the interior of the mold  12  allows for the uniform expansion of the water within as it freezes maintaining a non-compliant formed cube  13  to the mold surface interaction. This allows for ease of longitudinal rotation of individual extraction of the so-formed cubes by force being applied to the formed contact upper surface  24  of the cube by user one end thereof as seen in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4  of the drawings, the ice cube tray  10  has an extended end flange portion  27  having a contoured secondary tray receiving recess area at  28  therewithin. The recess area  28  is generally rectangular with two longitudinally spaced area of increased transverse dimension at  29  and  30  respectively. The so-defined areas  29  and  30  correspond to spacing of the trans-adjacent mold cavities  12  bottom surface for registering receiving therewith when stacked vertically in alternating end to end relationship of identical tray configurations as illustrated in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. 
   This orientation stacking allows the trays  10  to be stacked vertically during use in a freezer, not shown. It will thus be seen that a new and stackable individual ice cube extractor position element tray configuration has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore