Twist tray ice making system with slanted bridging
A twistable ice cube tray in an automatic ice-making system of a refrigeration appliance can produce small, chewable ice cubes. The twistable ice cube tray can receive water from a water filling system at a first end of the twistable ice cube tray. The twistable ice cube tray can include ice cavities for freezing the water into ice cubes having a mass of up to 1.5 grams. The twistable ice cube tray can also include slanted bridges, with each slanted bridge positioned between adjacent ice cavities. The slanted bridges can transfer the water from a first set of compartments at the first end to a second set of compartments at a second end of the twistable ice cube tray that is opposite the first end.
1 . A refrigeration appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining a freezer space;
an automatic ice-making system positioned in the cabinet and comprising:
a water-filling system;
a twistable ice cube tray configured to receive water from the water-filling system at a first end of the twistable ice cube tray, the twistable ice cube tray comprising:
a plurality of ice cavities of a size that enables freezing the water into a plurality of ice cubes each having a mass of up to 1.5 grams and arranged along the twistable ice cube tray in a first direction that is parallel to a centerline of the twistable ice cube tray that extends from the first end to an opposite second end,
a first plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the first plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities in the first direction and sloping downward from the first end toward the second end to facilitate transfer of the water from a first set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the first end to a second set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the first direction, and
a thermistor system coupled to the twistable ice cube tray and configured to detect a temperature of the water in the plurality of ice cavities, the thermistor system comprising a thermistor positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray and a thermistor cover that is configured to hold the thermistor against a bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray and is coupled to a downwardly extending protrusion of each of a pair of slanted bridges of the first plurality of slanted bridges that reside on opposite sides of the centerline and are adjacent to the thermistor.
2 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein:
a top surface of the thermistor system has a same geometry as a bottom surface of the second set of ice cavities and a third set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray;
the thermistor is positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities;
the pair of slanted bridges are adjacent to the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities; and
the thermistor cover is configured to also hold a thermistor insulator against the bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray.
3 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 2 , wherein a cavity defined by each of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities has a first depth that is smaller than a second depth of other cavities defined by other ice cavities in the plurality of ice cavities.
4 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 2 , wherein the thermistor has a cylindrical shape, and wherein the bottom surface of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray has the same geometry comprising the cylindrical shape of the thermistor.
5 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ice cavities are configured to produce an ice cube having at least one of an accordion shape, a button shape, a conical shape, a round dimple shape, a donut shape, a square shape, a pyramid shape, or a bar shape.
6 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the twistable ice cube tray further comprises:
a cam at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray and configured to rotate the second end of the twistable ice cube tray; and
a stop bar at the first end of the twistable ice cube tray and configured to prevent a rotation of the first end of the twistable ice cube tray to cause the twistable ice cube tray to twist and expel the plurality of ice cubes.
7 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray are further arranged in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and extends from a first edge to an opposite second edge of the twistable ice cube tray, the plurality of ice cavities are equally distributed on opposite sides of the centerline, and the twistable ice cube tray further comprises:
a second plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities on opposite sides of the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and in the second direction, each of the second plurality of slanted bridges sloping downward toward the first edge or the second edge of the twistable ice cube tray to facilitate transfer of the water from ice cavities located nearer the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray to ice cavities located nearer the opposite edges of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the second direction; and
a plurality of non-slanted bridges, each non-slanted bridge of the plurality of non-slanted bridges extending in the second direction across the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and connecting adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities that are not connected by a slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges to help balance a level of the water within the ice cavities.
8 . The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein edges of the twistable ice cube tray are upwardly angled at each corner thereof to more evenly distribute a twisting stress along a front and back of the twistable ice cube tray.
9 . A twistable ice cube tray for a refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a plurality of ice cavities of a size that enables freezing water into a plurality of ice cubes each having a mass of up to 1.5 grams and arranged along the twistable ice cube tray in a first direction that is parallel to a centerline of the twistable ice cube tray that extends from a first, water filling end, to an opposite second end;
a first plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the first plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities in the first direction and sloping downward from the first end toward the second end to facilitate transfer of the water received from a water-filling system at a first set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the first end of the twistable ice cube tray to a second set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the first direction; and
a thermistor cover that is configured to hold a thermistor against a bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray and is couplable to a downwardly extending protrusion of each of a pair of slanted bridges of the first plurality of slanted bridges that reside on opposite sides of the centerline and are adjacent to a desired location of the thermistor.
10 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 9 , wherein:
the thermistor cover is part of a thermistor system;
a top surface of the thermistor system is coupled to a bottom of the twistable ice cube tray and has a same geometry as a bottom surface of the second set of ice cavities and a third set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray; and
the thermistor system further comprises a thermistor positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the third set of ice cavities;
the pair of slanted bridges are adjacent to the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities; and
the thermistor cover is configured to also hold a thermistor insulator against the bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray.
11 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 10 , wherein a cavity defined by each of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities has a first depth that is smaller than a second depth of other cavities defined by other ice cavities in the plurality of ice cavities.
12 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 10 , wherein the thermistor has a cylindrical shape, and wherein the bottom surface of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray has the same geometry comprising the cylindrical shape of the thermistor.
13 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of ice cavities is configured to produce an ice cube having at least one of an accordion shape, a button shape, a conical shape, a round dimple shape, a donut shape, a square shape, a pyramid shape, or a bar shape.
14 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 9 , further comprising:
a cam at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray and configured to rotate the second end of the twistable ice cube tray; and
a stop bar at the first end of the twistable ice cube tray and configured to prevent a rotation of the first end of the twistable ice cube tray to cause the twistable ice cube tray to twist and expel the plurality of ice cubes.
15 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of ice cavities are further arranged in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and extends from a first edge to an opposite second edge of the twistable ice cube tray, the plurality of ice cavities are equally distributed on opposite sides of the centerline, and the twistable ice cube tray further comprises:
a second plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities on opposite sides of the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and in the second direction, each of the second plurality of slanted bridges sloping downward toward the first edge or the second edge of the twistable ice cube tray to facilitate transfer of the water from ice cavities located nearer the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray to ice cavities located nearer the opposite edges of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the second direction; and
a plurality of non-slanted bridges, each non-slanted bridge of the plurality of non-slanted bridges extending in the second direction across the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and connecting adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities that are not connected by a slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges to help balance a level of the water within the ice cavities.
16 . The twistable ice cube tray of claim 9 , wherein edges of the twistable ice cube tray are upwardly angled at each corner thereof to more evenly distribute a twisting stress along a front and back of the twistable ice cube tray.
17 . An automatic ice-making system for a refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a water-filling system; and
a twistable ice cube tray configured to receive water from the water-filling system at a first end of the twistable ice cube tray, the twistable ice cube tray comprising:
a plurality of ice cavities of a size that enables freezing the water into a plurality of ice cubes each having a mass of up to 1.5 grams and arranged along the twistable ice cube tray in a first direction that is parallel to a centerline of the twistable ice cube tray that extends from the first end to an opposite second end,
a first plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the first plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities in the first direction and sloping downward from the first end toward the second end to facilitate transfer of the water from a first set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the first end to a second set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the first direction; and
a thermistor system coupled to the twistable ice cube tray and configured to detect a temperature of the water in the plurality of ice cavities, the thermistor system comprising a thermistor positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray and a thermistor cover that is configured to hold the thermistor against a bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray and is coupled to a downwardly extending protrusion of each of a pair of slanted bridges of the first plurality of slanted bridges that reside on opposite sides of the centerline and are adjacent to the thermistor.
18 . The automatic ice-making system of claim 17 , wherein:
a top surface of the thermistor system has a same geometry as a bottom surface of the second set of ice cavities and a third set of ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities at the second end of the twistable ice cube tray;
the thermistor is positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities;
the pair of slanted bridges are adjacent to the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities; and
the thermistor cover is configured to also hold a thermistor insulator against the bottom surface of the twistable ice cube tray.
19 . The automatic ice-making system of claim 18 , wherein a cavity defined by each of the second set of ice cavities and the third set of ice cavities has a first depth that is smaller than a second depth of other cavities defined by other ice cavities in the plurality of ice cavities.
20 . The automatic ice-making system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of ice cavities of the twistable ice cube tray are further arranged in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and extends from a first edge to an opposite second edge of the twistable ice cube tray, the plurality of ice cavities are equally distributed on opposite sides of the centerline, and the twistable ice cube tray further comprises:
a second plurality of slanted bridges, each slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges positioned between adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities on opposite sides of the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and in the second direction, each of the second plurality of slanted bridges sloping downward toward the first edge or the second edge of the twistable ice cube tray to facilitate transfer of the water from ice cavities located nearer the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray to ice cavities located nearer the opposite edges of the twistable ice cube tray by enabling a leading edge of the water in a given ice cavity to break its surface tension and flow into a next adjacent ice cavity in the second direction; and
a plurality of non-slanted bridges, each non-slanted bridge of the plurality of non-slanted bridges extending in the second direction across the centerline of the twistable ice cube tray and connecting adjacent ice cavities of the plurality of ice cavities that are not connected by a slanted bridge of the second plurality of slanted bridges to help balance a level of the water within the ice cavities.