US20090152438A1

US20090152438A1 - Clear Ice Cube Tray

Info

Publication number: US20090152438A1
Application number: US11/954,215
Authority: US
Inventors: Yue-Long Chu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-12-12
Filing date: 2007-12-12
Publication date: 2009-06-18

Abstract

A clear ice cube tray includes an inner box having a plurality of holes formed through a bottom thereof, and the inner box is received in an outer box with a gap defined between the bottom of the inner box and the inner end of the outer box. The inner box is congruent in shape with the outer box. A heat isolation housing includes a space therein for accommodating the inner box and the outer box. The water is filled in the inner box and the outer box, and frozen from a surface of water in the inner box. The bubbles in the water are then pushed into the gap through the holes so that ice cubes made in the inner box is clear.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a clear ice cube tray which generates clear ice cubes without bubbles formed therein.
2. The Prior Arts
A conventional way for making ice cubes generally includes bubbles formed in the ice cubes, and because the reflection feature of the bubbles is different from the transparent ice cube, the ice cubes with bubbles appear white and not transparent.
The common ice cube trays cannot remove the bubbles from the ice cubes so that the ice cubes made at home are not transparent.
There is an ice cube maker that is integrated with specially designed refrigerator that is able to make clear ice cubes. However, the method is to freeze water drops to become the clear ice cubes and can only be used within special refrigerators. The ice cube maker is so costly that it is not practical for common users. The ice cube maker cannot be used with the general refrigerator designed for home use. Furthermore, the ice cube maker that is able to make small, uni-size clear ice cube cannot make ice cubes of large volume and special shapes.
The present invention provides a clear ice cube tray that is able to make clear ice cube in different sizes at low cost, which improves the shortcomings of the conventional ice cube maker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a clear ice cube tray that is cooperated with general refrigerator and able to make clear ice cubes at lower cost.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a clear ice cube tray that is able to make ice cubes of different sizes and shapes suitable for commercial use.
According to the present invention, a clear ice cube tray is provided and comprises an inner box having a plurality of holes formed through a bottom thereof, and an outer box has an open top through which the inner box is received. The shape of inner and outer boxes is congruent. The outside of the inner box is air-tightly contacted with the inside of the outer box. A gap is defined between the bottom of the inner box and the inner end of the outer box. A heat isolation housing has a space in which the outer box is accommodated. The outside and the bottom of the outer box are tightly contacted with the inside and an inner end of the heat isolation housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with references to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show a clear ice cube tray in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show that an inner box is received in an outer box, and the two boxes are to be received in a heat isolation housing;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the clear ice cube tray of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view to show that water is filled in the clear ice cube tray of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a partition member is to be placed into the inner box of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows that a flower is to be placed into the inner box of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 shows that the flower is merged into water in the inner box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 4, a clear ice cube tray in accordance with the present invention comprises an inner box 10, an outer box 20 and a heat isolation housing 30.
The inner box 10 includes a plurality of holes 11 defined through a bottom thereof, and the holes 11 allow water and bubbles in the water to pass therethrough. The holes 11 can be located randomly in the bottom of the inner box 10 or separated in equal distance. The distance is preferably 20.0 mm. A diameter of each hole 11 is 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm and preferably, the diameter of each hole 11 is 50 mm. In this embodiment, a flange 12 extends outward from an open top of the inner box 10 and two hooks 13 are connected to the flange 12 formed on two opposite sides of the inner box 10. The flange 12 reinforces the strength of the inner box 10 such that when the ice is formed, the inner box 10 does not deform and the ice cube can be maintained as a desired shape.
The outer box 20, which is congruent in shape with the inner box 10, has an open top through which the inner box 10 is received. The outside of the inner box 10 is air-tightly contacted with the inside of the outer box 20. A gap S is defined between the bottom of the inner box 10 and an inner end of the outer box 20. The outer box 20 includes two protrusions 21 extending outward from the open end of the outer box 20 at two opposite sides corresponding to the hooks 13. The hooks 13 are engaged with the protrusions 21 to connect the inner box 10 with the outer box 20. When the water in the gap S is frozen, the engagement of the hooks 13 and the protrusions 21 can prevent the inner box 10 from being projected out of the outer box 20 due to the expansion of the ice in the gap S, so that the ice cube made in the inner box 10 does not deform.
The heat isolation housing 30 includes a space 31 in which the outer box 20 and the inner box 10 are accommodated. The outside and the bottom of the outer box 20 are tightly contacted with an inside and the inner end of the heat isolation housing 30. The space 31 has two recesses 32 defined in two opposite insides of the heat isolation housing 30 for accommodating the hooks 13 and the protrusions 21
When using the clear ice cube tray, the outer box 20 and the inner box 10 are received in the heat isolation housing 30 respectively and water is filled in the inner box 10 and the outer box 20 via the holes 11. The inner box 10 is connected to the outer box 20 by the hooks 13 and the protrusions 21 so that the box 10 does not float as shown in FIG. 4.
The clear ice cube tray is put in a freezer under 0° C. and the water is isolated by the heat isolation housing 30 so that the water is frozen from the top surface of water in the inner box 10. Therefore, the bubbles in the water are then pushed downward to pass through the holes 11 and remained in the gap S. The ice cube made in the inner box 10 will be clear without bubbles.
As shown in FIG. 5, when making small ice cubes by using the clear ice cube tray of the present invention, a partition member 40 is placed in the inner box 10 and the partition member 40 includes several compartments so as to make multiple small ice cubes.
As shown in FIG. 6, a decoration object 60 can be put in the inner box 10 and a top board 50 is covered on the top surface of water in the inner box 10 to prevent the decoration object 60 from floating on water. As shown in FIG. 7, after the ice cube is made, the decoration object 60 is enclosed by the transparent ice cube. This ice cube with a decoration object 60 can be used for decoration or commercial purposes. The decoration object 60 is completely suspended in the water in the inner box 10 and can be a fresh flower, a plant, a plastic flower, a digit mold, a logo or a specific pattern.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clear ice cube tray, comprising:

an inner box having a plurality of holes formed through a bottom thereof,

an outer box having an open top through which the inner box is received, the outer box is congruent in shape with the inner box, an outside of the inner box being air-tightly contacted with an inside of the outer box, a gap defined between the bottom of the inner box and an inner end of the outer box; and

a heat isolation housing having a space therein for accommodating the outer box, an outside and a bottom of the outer box being tightly contacted with an inside and an inner end of the heat isolation housing.

2. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holes are located randomly in the bottom of the inner box.

3. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holes are separated in equal distance.

4. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance is 20.0 mm.

5. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of each hole is 4.0 mm to 6.0 mm.

6. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of each hole is 5.0 mm.

7. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flange extends outward from an open top of the inner box, a hook is connected to the flange at two opposite sides of the inner box, a protrusion extends outward from the open end of the outer box at two opposite sides corresponding to the hook, the hooks are engaged with the protrusions to connect the inner box with the outer box, the space has two recesses defined in two opposite insides of the heat isolation housing for accommodating the hooks and the protrusions.

8. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a partition member is located in the inner box so as to make multiple ice cubes.

9. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a decoration object is located in the inner box, and a top board is covered on a surface of water in the inner box.

10. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 9, wherein the decoration object is completely suspended in the water in the inner box.

11. The clear ice cube tray as claimed in claim 9, wherein the decoration object is a fresh flower, a plant, a plastic flower, a digit mold, a logo or a specific pattern.