The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 13, 1977
Filed:
Oct. 15, 1976
Frank A Schumacher, Louisville, KY (US);
Marvel A Elliott, Louisville, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Louisville, KY (US);
Abstract
A batch type automatic icemaker adapted for installation in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator is provided with a water-carrying member having first and second ends. The first end of the water-carrying member is in fluid communication with at least one of the ice-forming cavities and positioned to be wetted by water therein. The second end projects into cold air within the freezer. A small quantity of water is thereby carried out of the ice-forming cavity to the second end of the member and exposed to cold air within the freezing compartment. Because the small quantity of water is of small mass and is thermally isolated from the mold, it is rapidly lowered to a temperature sufficiently low to reliably form a seed ice crystal. The seed ice crystal initiates freezing of the bulk of the water in the ice-forming cavities with a minimum of supercooling. In one embodiment of the invention, the water-carrying member is a capillary device which projects above the mold and draws water up out of the ice-forming cavity. In another embodiment, the water-carrying member is simply a tube which carries a small quantity of water from the ice-forming cavity by gravity.