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  Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliancesUSPTO Application #: 20070012061Title: Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances Abstract: An ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances of the type comprising a freezer compartment (1), in whose interior is provided a support means (10) carrying at least one pair of median rails (30) on which is slidingly and detachably seated at least one ice mold (60). According to the present invention, the support means (10) carries at least one pair of upper rails (20) on which is slidingly and detachably seated a reservoir (50) which is dimensioned to contain, when completely full, a volume of water corresponding to that required for adequately supplying the ice molds (60) disposed immediately below, said reservoir (50) being inferiorly provided with a discharge nozzle (55), positioned above the ice mold (60) immediately below and in which is mounted an outlet valve (56) which is constantly and resiliently forced to a closed position and automatically displaced to an open position when the reservoir (50) is mounted in the support means (10). (end of abstract) Agent: Darby & Darby P.C. - New York, NY, US Inventors: Joel Ribeiro, Rodolfo Floeter Junior, Edson Adriano Da Silva USPTO Applicaton #: 20070012061 - Class: 062344000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Means Producing Shaped Or Modified Congealed Product, With Product Receiving And Storing Means The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070012061. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention refers to a system to facilitate the filling of the ice molds provided in the freezer compartment of a refrigeration appliance, generally a combined refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment, which are separated by an intermediary wall and closed by respective front doors. PRIOR ART [0002] There are known from the state of art different systems for mounting the ice molds inside the freezer compartment of a refrigeration appliance. [0003] In some of these arrangements, the ice molds are simply placed on a shelf or on the bottom of the freezer compartment. [0004] In other constructions, the ice molds take the form of compartments that slide on rails affixed to the internal structure of the freezer compartment. [0005] There are also known the arrangements in which the ice molds are rotatably seated on frames sliding on rails provided in the structure of the freezer compartment, in order to be rotated around their longitudinal axis and preferably submitted to a certain torsion upon completion of the rotation of about 90.degree., in order to release the load of ice cubes inside an ice cube collecting box which is also slidingly seated on rails and positioned under the ice molds. An arrangement of this type is described in Brazilian patent documents PI960391-9 and PI9603902-7. [0006] Independently of the characteristics of the prior art arrangements concerning the procedures for removing the ice cubes from the molds and for storing said ice cubes inside the freezer compartment, the prior art mounting systems require the ice molds to be manually supplied, generally outside the freezer compartment, and to be subsequently carried to be positioned in the determined place, which can be defined by a shelf or by rails inside the freezer compartment. This operation of supplying the ice molds is uncomfortable, often resulting in water spillage or in said molds being only partially filled. Furthermore, in the cases in which the water supply is effected outside the freezer compartment, the user has to carefully carry it to the mounting place, trying to avoid the frequent and almost inevitable water spillage. [0007] Besides the deficiency mentioned above, these known mounting systems are defined in the project, not allowing the user to modify their operational characteristics, as a function of the usage particularities to be imparted to the ice molds. The known mounting systems are not versatile, forcing the user to utilize the molds according to a single pattern defined by the manufacturer. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION [0008] By reason of the disadvantages mentioned above, it is a generic object of the present invention to provide an ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances, which promotes a correct, reliable and automatic supply, with no water spillage, of the molds with an adequate volume of water, when said molds are already positioned in their mounting places inside a freezer compartment, and which allows the ice molds to be manually and selectively rotated in their mounting places, in order to gravitationally release the ice cubes to the interior of a collecting box which can be detached from the inside of the freezer compartment. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0009] In order to comply with the object above, the invention provides an ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances of the type comprising a freezer compartment, in whose interior is provided a support means, carrying at least one pair of median rails on which is slidingly and detachably seated at least one ice mold. [0010] According to the invention, the support means carries at least one pair of upper rails, on which is slidingly and detachably seated a reservoir which is dimensioned to contain, when completely full, a volume of water corresponding to that required for adequately supplying the ice molds disposed immediately below, said reservoir being inferiorly provided with a discharge nozzle, positioned above the ice mold immediately below and in which is mounted an outlet valve which is constantly and resiliently forced to a closed position and automatically displaced to an open position when the reservoir is mounted to the support means. [0011] In a preferred constructive form, the ice mold has its opposite ends horizontally rotatably seated on a frame which is slidingly and detachably seated on one of the pairs of median rails and upper rails, the ice mold being manually rotated around its longitudinal axis from a rest position, for freezing the volume of water supplied therein, to an inclined position for gravitationally releasing the ice cubes and in which the ice mold is submitted to a certain torsion. [0012] The support means may further incorporate, particularly by applying the above-mentioned construction that uses rotatable ice molds, at least one pair of lower rails on which is slidingly and detachably seated an ice cube collecting box which is disposed immediately below at least one ice mold, in order to receive the ice cubes that are gravitationally released from an ice mold, which can be the one disposed immediately above which is displaced to the inclined position and submitted to a certain degree of torsion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings, given only by way of example and in which: [0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present supply system in an embodiment operatively associated with a sliding frame carrying a pair of ice molds and with a lower collecting box; [0015] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 when mounted in the freezer compartment of a partially illustrated refrigerator; [0016] FIG. 3 is a median longitudinal vertical sectional view of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 2; [0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a reservoir of the present supply system; and [0018] FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the supply system illustrated in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading... Full patent description for Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Refrigeration cycle dehumidifier Next Patent Application: Indoor unit of air conditioner Industry Class: Refrigeration ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Ice mold supply system for refrigeration appliances patent info. 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