Container for storing and dispensing ice cubes

Abstract

A container comprising a first compartment having a bottom portion, a side wall portion extending from the bottom portion up to an upper edge and a dispensing opening in the first compartment near the upper edge, said first compartment having a total volume V1 and said first compartment being suitable for containing ice cubes. The container further comprises a second compartment arranged below the first compartment when the container is in its upright position, said second compartment being separated from the first compartment by the bottom portion of the first compartment, said bottom portion having a drain opening through which water can pass from the first compartment to the second compartment, a volume V2 of the second compartment arranged underneath the drain opening being at least 10% of the volume V1 and said volume V2 and said drain opening being arranged such that ice cubes can be dispensed from the first compartment of the container by tipping the container around a horizontal axis and shaking the ice cubes out of the first compartment without ice melt water leaving the volume V2 when the volume of ice melt water is less than 10% of the volume of V1 and the container is tipped 95 degrees from its upright position. In this ways, a simple and easy way to dispense ice cubes is provided without risking undesired ice melt water from leaving the container.

1 . A container comprising a first compartment having a bottom portion, a side wall portion extending from the bottom portion up to an upper edge and a dispensing opening in the first compartment near the upper edge, said first compartment having a total volume V 1  and said first compartment being suitable for containing ice cubes, characterized in that the container further comprises a second compartment arranged below the first compartment when the container is in its upright position, said second compartment being separated from the first compartment by the bottom portion of the first compartment, said bottom portion having a drain opening through which water can pass from the first compartment to the second compartment, a volume V 2  of the second compartment arranged underneath the drain opening being at least 10% of the volume V 1  and said volume V 2  and said drain opening being arranged such that ice cubes can be dispensed from the first compartment of the container by tipping the container around a horizontal axis and shaking the ice cubes out of the first compartment without ice melt water leaving the volume V 2  when the volume of ice melt water is less than 10% of the volume of V 1  and the container is tipped 95 degrees from its upright position. 
     
     
         2 . A container according to  claim 1 , having a holding portion with a horizontal cross section having a maximum outer width of less than 15 cm, less than 13 cm, less than 10 cm or less than 9 cm. 
     
     
         3 . A container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the container has an outer container having a bottom portion and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom portion towards an upper edge and an inner container arranged removably in the outer container, said inner container forming the first compartment and said second compartment being formed between the inner container and the outer container. 
     
     
         4 . A container according to  claim 3 , characterized in that a centre longitudinal axis of the outer container is horizontally offset from a centre longitudinal axis of the inner container in the upright position of the container. 
     
     
         5 . A container according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the inner container and the outer container are separated by an air gap. 
     
     
         6 . A container according to  claim 5 , characterized in that volume V 2  located below the drain opening is in fluid communication with the air gap. 
     
     
         7 . A container according to  claim 6 , characterized in that a volume V 3  of the second compartment arranged underneath the drain opening in the bottom portion of the first compartment when the container is rotated 95 degrees from its upright position, is at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40% or at least 50% of the total volume V 1  of the first compartment. 
     
     
         8 . A container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the first compartment comprises a water capture element having a volume V 4 . 
     
     
         9 . A container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the drain opening is provided with a valve which is open in the upright position and closed when the container is tipped more than 50 degrees, more than 60 degrees, more than 70 degrees or more than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . A container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that a flow rate through the bottom portion, when the container is tipped 95 degrees and when the container comprises a volume of ice melt water which is less than 10% of the volume V 1 , is less than 1 litres/minute. 
     
     
         11 . A container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the container further comprises a displaceable ice pick, said ice pick being in the form of an elongated element having a length which is at greater than half of the height of the container or greater than half of the height of the first compartment. 
     
     
         12 . A container according to  claim 11 , characterized in that the container further comprises a displaceable lid, said lid having at least two positions, a first position where the lid closes the dispensing opening to prevent ice cubes stored in the container from leaving the container and a second position where the dispensing opening is open to allow ice cubes stored in the container to leave the container through the dispensing opening. 
     
     
         13 . A container according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the container comprises a lid displacing mechanism, said lid displacing mechanism being arranged to displace the lid between the first and second positions and hold the lid the first and second positions. 
     
     
         14 . A container according to  claim 13 , characterized in that the lid displacement mechanism comprises a hinge, said hinge connecting the lid in a pivotable manner to the container such that the lid can pivot between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         15 . A container according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the ice pick is attached to the lid. 
     
     
         16 . A container according to  claim 15 , characterized in that the ice pick pivots together with the lid when the lid is displaced from the first to the second position. 
     
     
         17 . A container according to  claim 16 , characterized in that the ice pick is arranged outside the container in both the first and second positions of the lid, such that a user of the container can pivot the ice pick to control the position of the lid. 
     
     
         18 . A container according to  claim 17 , characterized in that the container comprises a handle offset from an outer surface of the container and in that the ice pick is arranged in a gap between the outer surface of the container and a surface of the handle which faces the outer surface of the container. 
     
     
         19 . A container according to  claim 11  characterized in that the ice pick is arranged inside the container. 
     
     
         20 . A container according to  claim 19 , characterized in that the ice pick is arranged outside the first compartment.