IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0924023
(2007-10-25)
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등록번호 |
US-7765828
(2010-08-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Wu, Guolian
- Chase, Kevin Michael
- Fischer, Marcus Roland
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
A refrigerator includes a freezer compartment provided with an automatic icemaker incorporating a mold configured to produce truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes. With this arrangement, the icemaker produces cubes that are shorter than full, standard crescent-shaped cubes. The reduced mold size adva
A refrigerator includes a freezer compartment provided with an automatic icemaker incorporating a mold configured to produce truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes. With this arrangement, the icemaker produces cubes that are shorter than full, standard crescent-shaped cubes. The reduced mold size advantageously enables the icemaker to take less space in a freezer compartment, without a significant reduction in ice cube volume.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A refrigerated appliance comprising: a cabinet including at least one refrigerated compartment; a refrigeration system in communication with the at least one refrigerated compartment for lowering the at least one refrigerated compartment to below freezing temperatures; a door
What is claimed is: 1. A refrigerated appliance comprising: a cabinet including at least one refrigerated compartment; a refrigeration system in communication with the at least one refrigerated compartment for lowering the at least one refrigerated compartment to below freezing temperatures; a door mounted for movement relative to the cabinet for providing selective access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; and an automatic icemaker including an ice mold producing truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes in the at least one refrigerated compartment, wherein the ice mold includes at least one mold cavity defined, at least in part, by a bottom wall having: a first inner surface portion having a first end portion that slopes gradually, in a concave manner, to a second end portion; and a second inner surface portion which is abruptly re-directed upwardly from the second end portion to a level of the first end portion forming a truncated, crescent-shaped cavity; and wherein the mold has a more narrow ice making footprint than a crescent-shaped mold. 2. The refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein the ice mold includes a plurality of divider walls each including a notch formed therein, wherein the plurality of divider walls extend, at spaced locations, between the first and second inner surface portions forming a plurality of truncated, crescent-shaped sub-cavities. 3. The refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the cabinet, said icemaker being mounted to the door. 4. A refrigerated appliance comprising: a cabinet including at least one refrigerated compartment; a refrigeration system in communication with the at least one refrigerated compartment for lowering the at least one refrigerated compartment to below freezing temperatures; a door mounted for movement relative to the cabinet for providing selective access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; and means for producing truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes in the at least one refrigerated compartment, said means including at least one mold cavity defined, at least in part, by a bottom wall having: a first inner surface portion having a first end portion that slopes gradually, in a concave manner, to a second end portion; and a second inner surface portion which is abruptly re-directed upwardly from the second end portion to a level of the first end portion forming a truncated, crescent-shaped cavity. 5. The refrigerated appliance according to claim 4, wherein said means for producing truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes further includes a plurality of divider walls each including a notch formed therein, wherein the plurality of divider walls extend, at spaced locations, between the first and second inner surface portions forming a plurality of truncated, crescent-shaped sub-cavities. 6. The refrigerated appliance according to claim 4, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the cabinet, said icemaker being mounted to the door. 7. An automatic icemaker for a refrigerator comprising: an ice mold configured to produce truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes, wherein the ice mold includes at least one mold cavity defined, at least in part, by a bottom wall having: a first inner surface portion having a first end portion that slopes gradually, in a concave manner, to a second end portion; and a second inner surface portion which is abruptly re-directed upwardly from the second end portion to a level of the first end portion forming a truncated, crescent-shaped cavity; and wherein the crescent-shaped ice cubes have a length which is approximately 15-20% less than a length of a corresponding, non-truncated, crescent-shaped ice cube. 8. A method of forming ice cubes comprising: supplying water to an ice mold located in a refrigerated compartment, the ice mold including at least one mold cavity defined, at least in part, by a bottom wall having: a first inner surface portion having a first end portion that slopes gradually, in a concave manner, to a second end portion; and a second inner surface portion which is abruptly re-directed upwardly from the second end portion to a level of the first end portion forming a truncated, crescent-shaped cavity; directing the water to fill the at least one mold cavity; freezing the water; and ejecting truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes from the mold. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein each truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes has an associated length which is approximately 15-20% less than a length of a corresponding, non-truncated, crescent-shaped ice cube. 10. The refrigerated appliance according to claim 1, wherein the truncated, crescent-shaped ice cubes have a length which is approximately 15-20% less than a length of a corresponding, non-truncated, crescent-shaped ice cube.
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