Weirless ice tray
An ice tray may include a substantially planar body portion with a plurality of cavities that are not interconnected by weirs. The ice tray may include a body having raised portions between adjacent cavities to alleviate stress that may otherwise form in these areas. A water distribution system may be utilized to provide specified volumes of water in the cavities to prevent overflowing of the cavities.
1. An ice making system, comprising:
a weirless ice tray having upper and lower sides, the tray including a body portion and a plurality of upwardly opening cavities that are interconnected by the body portion, each cavity having an upper peripheral edge defining an opening for receiving liquid water to be frozen in the cavity, each cavity defining a cavity volume whereby liquid water in excess of the cavity volume overflows the cavity if introduced into the cavity, wherein the upper peripheral edges do not form weirs between adjacent cavities such that excess liquid water overflowing a cavity does not flow solely into adjacent cavities;
a water distribution system configured to introduce a volume of water into each cavity that is no greater than each cavity volume to thereby substantially fill each cavity with liquid water without overflowing the cavities.
2. An ice making system, comprising:
a weirless ice tray having upper and lower sides, the tray including a body portion and a plurality of upwardly opening cavities that are interconnected by the body portion, each cavity having an upper peripheral edge defining an opening for receiving liquid water to be frozen in the cavity, each cavity defining a cavity volume whereby liquid water in excess of the cavity volume overflows the cavity if introduced into the cavity, wherein the upper peripheral edges do not form weirs between adjacent cavities such that excess liquid water overflowing a cavity does not flow solely into adjacent cavities;
a water distribution system configured to introduce a volume of water into each cavity that is no greater than each cavity volume to thereby substantially fill each cavity with liquid water without overflowing the cavities; and wherein:
the water distribution system includes a fluid conduit having a plurality of outlets, at least one outlet being positioned above each cavity such that water flowing through the fluid conduit exits the outlets and flows into the cavities.
3. The ice making system of claim 2 , wherein:
the fluid conduit comprises a primary fluid conduit and a plurality of individual conduits extending from the primary fluid conduit to the outlets.
4. The ice making system of claim 3 , wherein:
the cavities form a row of cavities; and
the primary fluid conduit comprises an elongated tubular member extending along the row of cavities.
5. The ice making system of claim 2 , wherein:
the fluid conduit comprises an upwardly opening trough forming the outlets; and
the fluid conduit further comprises an elongated tubular member that is fluidly connected to the trough to supply water to the trough.
6. The ice making system of claim 5 , wherein:
the trough comprises elongated generally upright front and rear sidewalks and a lower wall extending between the front and rear sidewalls; and
the outlets comprise fluid passageways through the front wall of the trough.
7. The ice making system of claim 1 , wherein:
the water distribution system includes a flow control device;
the ice making system includes a controller that is operably connected to the flow control device, wherein the controller actuates the flow control device to introduce a volume of water into each cavity that is no greater than the cavity volumes.
8. The ice making system of claim 7 , wherein:
the flow control device comprises a valve having a powered actuator.
9. The ice making system of claim 7 , wherein:
the flow control device comprises an electrically powered pump.
10. The ice making system of claim 1 , wherein:
the body portion comprises a thin sheet of material having substantially planar upper surface portions.
11. The ice making system of claim 10 , wherein:
the entire body portion comprises a single planar sheet of metal with a continuous planar upper surface that is free of protrusions.
12. An ice making system, comprising:
a weirless ice tray having upper and lower sides, the tray including a body portion and a plurality of upwardly opening cavities that are interconnected by the body portion, each cavity having an upper peripheral edge defining an opening for receiving liquid water to be frozen in the cavity, each cavity defining a cavity volume whereby liquid water in excess of the cavity volume overflows the cavity if introduced into the cavity, wherein the upper peripheral edges do not form weirs between adjacent cavities such that excess liquid water overflowing a cavity does not flow solely into adjacent cavities;
a water distribution system configured to introduce a volume of water into each cavity that is no greater than each cavity volume to thereby substantially fill each cavity with liquid water without overflowing the cavities;
the body portion comprises a thin sheet of material having substantiallvplanar upper surface portions; and wherein:
the body portion comprises formed sheet metal having upwardly-protruding raised portions disposed between adjacent cavities.
13. The ice making system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ice making system includes an ice storage bin and a powered device that twists and rotates the ice tray to thereby cause ice cubes in the tray to become dislodged and fall into the ice storage bin.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the openings are oblong.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the openings are approximately oval in shape in plan view.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
all of the cavity volumes are equal to one another.
17. A method of making ice cubes, the method comprising:
providing an ice tray having a plurality of upwardly opening cavities, each cavity defining a cavity volume such that the cavities overflow if a volume of water greater than the cavity volume is introduced into the cavities;
introducing a volume of water into each cavity, wherein the volumes of water are no greater than the cavity volumes such that the cavities do not overflow; and
freezing the water in the cavities to form ice cubes.
18. The method of claim 17 , including:
removing ice cubes from the ice tray by twisting the ice tray and rotating the ice tray such that the ice cubes fall out of the cavities.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the volumes of water are equal to one another.
20. A method of making ice cubes, the method comprising:
providing an ice tray having a plurality of upwardly opening cavities, each cavity defining a cavity volume such that the cavities overflow if a volume of water greater than the cavity volume is introduced into the cavities;
introducing a volume of water into each cavity, wherein the volumes of water are no greater than the cavity volumes such that the cavities do not overflow;
freezing the water in the cavities to form ice cubes; and wherein:
the volumes of water are introduced by utilizing a fluid conduit having a fluid exit positioned above each cavity.