GB2215445A - Defrosting freezers - Google Patents

Abstract

A water collector 8 for use in defrosting a freezer is formed of flexible polyethene material in the manner of a plastic food bag, and is of conical shape. The wide end has a strip 13 of adhesive therearound on the outside for attaching the collector to the base and adjacent side wall portions of the freezer to form a mouth through which defrost water may enter the collector. The narrow end is either closed if water is to be collected in the collector or has an opening if water is to be collected in the collector or has an opening if water is to be directed into a further receptacle 9. The collector may be formed from a sheet of polythene material upturned edges thereof forming a channel for defrost water (Fig 5). <IMAGE>

Description

DEFROSTING FREEZERS This invention relates to defrosting freezers or refrigerators and is particularly concerned with a device for facilitating this operation in a convenient manner.

Home freezers and sometimes refrigerators need defrosting from time to time in order to remove a build-up of ice. Although some of the ice may be removed by chipping it away, it is necessary to permit at least some of the ice to melt. This is normally achieved by turning off the freezer and leaving the door open. A receptacle may be positioned near to the freezer with a view to collecting the resulting water, but it is almost impossible to prevent water getting on to the surrounding floor.

The present invention aims at least to alleviate this problem.

In a preferred aspect, the invention provides a device which may be in the form of a funnel or container which may be attached to the freezer or refrigerator for collecting the water and/or directing it into a suitable receptacle.

The invention is described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a freezer having attached thereto a funnel in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side sectional view of the freezer and funnel of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the funnel of Figs. 1 and 2 in flat form prior to use; Fig. 4 shows the funnel of Fig. 3 after opening but before attachment to a freezer; Fig. 5 shows a funnel according to an alternative form of the invention, in flat form; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of freezer and illustrates another embodiment of the invention.

With reference to Fig. 1, a freezer 1 has its door 2 open and includes an inner plastic moulding 3 supporting a number of shelves 4 and having a bottom 5 to the rear of which a compartment 6 containing the freezing mechanism is located. The freezer is mounted on a base or plinth 7.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a water collector 8 is attached to the freezer near to the bottom thereof for directing water, during defrosting, into a suitable receptacle 9 shown as being in the form of a tray. The water collector 8 is made of polyethylene in a manner analogous to a conventional polyethylene bag for containing food and comprises a conical body 10 open both at its wide end 11 and at its narrow end 12. An adhesive strip 13 extends most of the way around the outer surface of the body 10 along the edge of the open wide end 11 and is used for adhering the wide end 11 of the body 10 to the bottom 5 of the freezer and the immediately adjacent portions 3a of the inner side walls of the freezer.Thus, as the ice in the freezer melts during defrosting, the resulting water enters the mouth formed by wide end 11 of the body 10 and is guided into the tray 9. Little or no spillage takes place because of the adhesion between the strip 13 and the base 5 and side walls of the freezer.

After use, the water collector is removed. The adhesive is preferably of a type which remains attached to the polyethylene of the water collector without leaving any unwanted adhesive attached to the freezer after removal of the water collector.

Fig. 3 shows the collector 8 in flattened form before use. In this form, the end 12 is not yet opened. To form the opening, the plastic has to be severed along a line 14 which may, if desired, be perforated during manufacture so that severance along this line 14 may be achieved by tearing instead of cutting. Further, a protective strip 15 of paper or the like covers the adhesive 13. The strip 15 is removed when preparing the collector for use.

Fig. 4 shows the collector 8 partially prepared for use. Severance along line 14 has been effected and the protective strip 15 has been partially removed from the adhesive 13.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which the collector, in flattened form, is rectangular, but seal lines 16 are formed to define the conical body 10 leaving unused areas of polyethylene 17. In this embodiment, the line 14 is perforated both across the portion forming the body 10 and across the unused portions 17. Water collectors as illustrated in Fig.

5 may conveniently be formed in a continuous strip from which they may be detached one at a time when required.

Fig. 6 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in use on a refrigerator/freezer where the freezer is located above the refrigerator. The freezer is again designated by reference number 1 and has an open door 2 with an inner moulding 3. A water collector 8 in accordance with the invention is secured to the floor or base 5 of the freezer compartment and the adjacent side wall portions 3a of the inner moulding 3 in a manner as previously described. However, instead of the open end 12, a closed end 18 is provided so that the water is collected inside the bag itself rather than being directed to a further receptacle. It will be appreciated that where a water collector similar to those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 is made without the perforations 14, the bag may be used either as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or as shown in Fig. 6 according to whether or not the narrow end of the body is cut off to form an open end.

Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, it is not essential that the body be formed in conical shape although this is preferred where the collector is to be used for directing water into a further receptacle.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS:

1. A freezer or refrigerator in combination with a water collector made of flexible plastics material and having a portion thereof secured to the freezer or refrigerator in a substantially water-tight manner to form a mouth which is so dimensioned and arranged that substantially all water draining from the floor of the freezer or refrigerator enters said water collector.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said water collector is secured to the freezer or refrigerator by adhesive.

3. The combination according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said water collector is secured at least to the floor and adjacent side wall portions of the freezer or refrigerator.

4. The combination according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said collector has an opening spaced from said mouth portion for permitting water to be discharged from the collector into a further receptacle.

5. The combination according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein, apart from said mouth, said water collector is closed so that said water collects therein.

6. The combination according to any preceding claim wherein said collector comprises a body of tapered shape, said mouth being at said wide end.

7. The combination according to any preceding claim, wherein said water collector is made of polyethylene.

8. A flexible plastics water collector for use in defrosting a freezeror refrigerator, comprising a body portion and means extending at least partly around said body portion at an end thereof for substantially sealingly attaching said one end to the freezer or refrigerator in a substantially water-tight manner, said one end being dimensioned for forming a mouth through which water may enter said body portion from the floor of said freezer or refrigerator when attached thereto by said attaching means.

9. A water collector according to claim 8, wherein said body portion has an opening for the escape of water at an end opposite said one end.

10. A water collector according to claim 8, wherein said body portion has a perforation formed opposite said one end so that part of the body portion may be torn off to leave an opening for the escape of water from the body portion.

11. A water collector according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the body portion is of conical shape, said mouth being at said wide end.

12. A water collector according to any of claims 8 to 11, wherein said attaching means comprises a strip of adhesive.

13. A water collector according to claim 12, including a protective strip covering said adhesive.

14. A plurality of water collectors according to any of claims 8 to 13 formed in a continuous strip.

15. The combination of a freezer and water collector substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

15. A water collector substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompany drawings.

16. The combination of a freezer and water collector substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS: 1. A freezer or refrigerator in combination with a water collector made of flexible plastics material and having a portion thereof secured by adhesive at least to the floor and adjacent side wall portions of the freezer or refrigerator in a substantially water-tight manner to form a mouth which is so dimensioned and arranged that substantially all water draining from the floor of the freezer or refrigerator enters said water collector.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said collector has an opening spaced from said mouth portion for permitting water to be discharged from the collector into a further receptacle.

3. The combination according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, apart from said mouth, said water collector is closed so that said water collects therein.

4. The combination according to any preceding claim wherein said collector comprises a body of tapered shape, said mouth being at the wide end.

5. The combination according to any preceding claim, wherein said water collector is made of polyethylene.

6. The combination according to any preceding claim, wherein said adhesive is in the form of a strip extending most of the way around said mouth portion.

7. A flexible plastics water collector for use in defrosting a freezer or refrigerator, comprising a body portion and an adhesive strip extending at least most of the way around said body portion at an end thereof for substantially sealingly attaching said one end to the floor and adjacent side wall portions of the freezer or refrigerator in a substantially water-tight manner, said one end being dimensioned for forming a mouth through which water may enter said body portion from the floor of said freezer or refrigerator when attached thereto by said adhesive strip.

8. A water collector according to claim 7, wherein said body portion has an opening for the escape of water at an end opposite said one end.

9. A water collector according to claim 7, wherein said body portion has a perforation formed opposite said one end so that part of the body portion may be torn off to leave an opening for the escape of water from the body portion.

10. A water collector according to any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the body portion is of conical shape, said mouth being at the wide end.

11. A water collector according to and of claims 7 to 10, including a protective strip covering said adhesive.

12. A plurality of water collectors according to any of claims 7 to 11 formed in a continuous strip.

13. A water collector substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompany drawings.

14. The combination of a freezer and water collector substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.