Ice cube catcher

[0002] The present invention claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/259,530, filed Jan. 3, 2001 for an Ice Cube Catcher, said provisional application being incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is directed to a device for catching ice cubes. More particularly, the present invention concerns a device for catching ice cubes that might otherwise fall from an ice cube dispenser located in the door of a refrigerator onto a floor.

[0005] 2. Reference to Related Art

[0006] Refrigerators provided with an ice cube dispenser usually include a discharge opening in the door of the refrigerator or on the front face of the refrigerator. The discharge opening of the dispenser may include a small shelf to catch the ice cubes that are discharged from the dispenser and which are not caught by the glass or the like which is intended to receive them. Such shelves, if provided, do not include a front barrier. Therefore, they are largely ineffective in preventing ice cubes from falling to the floor.

[0007] The present invention provides an ice cube catcher designed to be mounted to a refrigerator to catch and retain ice cubes that would ordinarily fall to the floor from an ice cube dispenser. In a preferred embodiment, the ice cube catcher includes a body that has a lower portion extending inwardly toward the refrigerator door when the catcher is mounted on a refrigerator and a pair of inwardly curved end portions. Each of the end portions includes a flange or protrusion upon which is secured an attachment means for removably mounting the body to the refrigerator door. The attachment means is preferably a magnetic tape. However, mounting tape, two-sided sticky tape, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO®) may also be used to mount the ice cube catcher to the refrigerator.

[0008] In a first alternative embodiment, the body of the ice cube catcher includes a first and a second body member that are telescopically joined together to permit longitudinal adjustment of the body. Therefore, the length of the catcher is adjustable to accommodate different size ice cube dispensers.

[0009] Finally, in a second alternative embodiment, the first body member is modified to include a raised center face and a pair of side faces. The center face and the side faces function to direct ice back into a recess of the dispenser. The center face preferably extends in a tapering fashion from the lower integral portion to proximate an upper edge of the first body member. The side faces preferably extend from opposite sides of the center face.

[0010] The ice cube catcher of the present invention is preferably constructed of clear plastic but it will be apparent that it could be of any color and that other materials could be used.

[0011] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and which will provide the reader with a clearer understanding of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 1, is a perspective view of the ice cube catcher of the present invention secured to a refrigerator door proximate an ice cube dispenser;

[0013] FIG. 2, is a planar front view of the ice cube catcher of the present invention secured to a refrigerator door;

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a first and second body member telescopically attached;

[0015] FIG. 4, is a top planar view of the first alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 5, is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a first body member having a raised inner surface; and

[0017] FIG. 6, is an exploded perspective view of the second alternative embodiment.

[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1, and 2 there is shown a preferred embodiment of an ice cube catcher 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. Preferably, the ice cube catcher 10 includes an elongated body 12 having a lower integral portion 14 and integrally formed ends 16. The ends 16 are curved inwardly and have flanges 18 or protrusions onto which are secured attachment means 20 for mounting the catcher 10 to a refrigerator 100. The lower integral portion 14 is also preferably inwardly curved to engage the refrigerator 100 upon mounting of the catcher 10 to the refrigerator 100.

[0019] Preferably, the ice cube catch 10 is affixed to a refrigerator 100 by fitting the catcher 10 over the lower portion 102 of a recess 104 of an ice cube dispenser 106 that is provided in a door 108 of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, the catcher 10 is positioned to catch ice cubes (not shown) that are dispensed from the outlet 110 of the dispenser 106.

[0020] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the body 12 of the catcher 10 is preferably constructed as a solid piece of transparent plastic. However, it will appreciated that other materials such as glass, plexiglas, fiberglass, aluminum or stainless steel can be used to construct a catcher 10 according to the present invention. The attachment means 20 of the present invention are preferably a magnetic tape. However, mounting tape, two-sided sticky tape, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO®) may also be used to mount the catcher 10 to the refrigerator 100. Alternatively, the door 108 of the refrigerator 100 can include slots 110 to slidably engage the flanges 18 of the ends 16 and support the catcher 10 on the refrigerator 100. As a still further alternative, the ends 16 of the catcher 10 may be adapted to resiliently or fictionally (e.g., pads on disposed on the ends 16) engage the sides of the recess 114 to mount the ice cube catcher 10 in place.

[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a first alternative embodiment of an ice cube catcher 210 constructed in accordance with the present invention. The ice cube catcher 210 includes a body 212 having a first 214aand a second 214bbody member. Each body member 214a, 214bincludes a lower integral portion 216 and integrally formed ends 218. The ends 218 are curved inwardly and have flanges 220 or protrusions onto which are secured attachment means 20 for mounting the catcher 210 to a refrigerator (not shown). The lower integral portion 216 is also preferably inwardly curved to engage the refrigerator upon mounting of the catcher 210 to the refrigerator.

[0022] A support member 224 (e.g., a catch) is integrally formed along an upper edge 226 of the first 214aand second 214bbody member. Preferably, the support member 224 of each of the body members 214a, 214bare adapted to slidably engage the upper edge 226 of the other body member in order to telescopically join the two body members 214a, 214b. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the overall length of the ice cube catcher 210 is adjustable to accommodate the ice cube dispenser 106 of different makes or models of refrigerators with differently configured outlets.

[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a second alternative embodiment of an ice cube catcher 310 constructed in accordance with present invention. The ice cube catcher 310 includes a body 312 having a first 314aand a second 314bbody member. Each body member 314a, 314bincludes a lower integral portion 316 and integrally formed ends 318. The ends 318 are curved inwardly and have flanges 320 or protrusions onto which are secured attachment means 20 for mounting the catcher 310 to a refrigerator (not shown). The lower integral portion 316 is also preferably inwardly curved to engage the refrigerator upon mounting of the catcher 310 to the refrigerator. A pair of support members 324 (e.g., hooks) are integrally formed along an upper edge 326 of the first body member 314a. The support members 324 are adapted to slidably engage a ridge 327 of the upper edge 328 of the second body member 314bin order to telescopically join the two body members 314a, 314b.

[0024] Preferably, an inner surface 328 of the first body member 314aincludes a raised center face 330 and a pair side faces 332. The center face 330 and side faces 332 function to direct ice cubes back into the recess 104 of the dispenser 106. The center face 330 preferably extends in a tapering fashion from the lower integral portion 316 to proximate the upper edge 326 of the first body member 314a. The side faces 332 preferably extend from opposite sides of the center face 332. It will also be appreciated that the overall length of the ice cube catcher 310 is adjustable to accommodate the ice cube dispenser 106 (FIG. 1) of different makes or models of refrigerators with differently configured outlets.

[0025] Having thus described my invention, it will be apparent to the skill artisan that many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention.