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).

Description

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 rotate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[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

Problems solved by technology

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.

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.

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