Dishwasher with Utensil Rack and Slides Therefor
A dishwasher comprises a cabinet defining a wash chamber and a utensil rack mounted within the wash chamber by at least one slide. The slide comprises a track that slidably receives a wheel and includes an access opening for insertion or removal of the wheel from the track. A closure for selectively closing the access opening can prevent undesired removal of the wheel from the track. A method of removing the utensil rack comprises sliding the utensil rack to align the wheel with the access opening and lifting the utensil rack to move the wheel through the access opening.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/092,453 filed Mar. 29, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a household dishwasher with a utensil rack and a slide for supporting the utensil rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automatic dishwashers are well known, especially those for use in household environments. A typical automatic dishwasher comprises a cabinet that defines a washing chamber, which is accessible through a moveable door. Typically, an upper rack and a lower rack for holding utensils to be cleaned are provided within the washing chamber. Both the upper and lower racks are slidably mounted within the washing chamber in such a manner that at least a major portion of the racks can be slid substantially beyond the washing chamber to ease the loading of the racks.
A problem associated with conventional dishwasher racks relates to the slides that mount the racks to the side walls of the dishwasher cabinet. Usually, the racks include wheels or similar devices mounted to the sides thereof, and the wheels ride within a slide movably mounted to the cabinet. To remove the rack from the dishwasher, the user pulls the rack out of the wash chamber by sliding the wheel toward the end of the slide and, once the rack reaches the end of the slide, removes the wheels from the slide, usually by slightly lifting the rack to lift the wheel over a detent in the slide while continuing to pull. However, with such a configuration, it is easy for the user to accidentally pull the wheel over the detent while pulling the rack out of the wash chamber in a normal fashion and thereby unintentionally remove the rack from the slide. It is therefore desirable to have an automatic dishwasher with a slide that prevents undesired removal of the rack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn automatic dishwasher according to another embodiment of the invention comprises an open-faced cabinet comprising opposing side walls and defining a wash chamber; a door movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the wash chamber; a utensil rack comprising opposing sides; at least one track defining an elongated raceway and comprising a stop terminating at a forward end of the raceway and an access opening to the raceway; and a wheel assembly comprising at least one wheel slidably received within the raceway and sized for insertion and removal through the access opening. One of the track and wheel assembly is mounted to one of the cabinet and utensil rack and the other of the track and wheel assembly is mounted to the other of the cabinet and utensil rack to slidably mount the utensil rack to the cabinet, and the wheel moves along the raceway to the access opening for removal through the access opening. A closure can be provided for closing the access opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn the drawings:
Referring now to the figures,
As shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The peripheral wall 70 comprises parallel and spaced first and second edges 70A, 70B joined by spaced third and fourth edges 70C, 70D. Each of the first and second edges 70A, 70B are substantially straight and can include a carry handle 80 formed integrally therewith. Each of the handles can comprise a lateral hook or flange 82 sized to receive the upper and lower support rails 62, 63, 64, 66. The third edge 70C is generally straight and perpendicular to the first and second edges 70A, 70B, while the fourth edge 70D can comprise an intermediate curve 74 to form a first basket element portion 76 and a second basket element portion 78 that is wider than the first basket element portion 76. As a result of this configuration, utensils of different length can be efficiently arranged within the basket elements 46A, 46B. As shown in
Each basket element 46A, 46B can further comprise a plurality of tines 88 projecting upward from the intersecting ribs 72 to support and separate individual utensils. The tines 88 can be arranged in groups so that the user can efficiently position utensils of different length in different areas of the basket elements 46A, 46B. A first tine group 90 extends along the fourth edge 70D for holding utensils in an orientation parallel to the first and second edges 70A, 70B, and a second tine group 92 is disposed along the second edge 70B for holding utensils in an orientation parallel to the third edge 70C. Preferably, the tines 88 in the first tine group 90 are spaced to hold relatively thin utensils, such as table knives, spoons, and forks (i.e., the relatively short utensils A and the medium length utensils B), while the tines 88 in the second tine group 92 are spaced farther apart to accommodate wider utensils, such as spatulas (i.e., the relatively long utensils C). Further, the tines 88 are preferably arranged in pairs of tines to form two parallel rows 88A, 88B of tines 88. As a result of this configuration, the utensils positioned between the tines 88 are held by the tines 88 at two locations along the length thereof, and, therefore, the rows 88A, 88B of tines 88 prevent pivotal movement of the utensils and maintain the utensils in the orientation generally parallel to the first and second edges 70A, 70B or parallel to the third edge 70C. Additionally, the second group of tines 92 includes a third row 88C of tines 88 along the first edge 70A for securing both ends of the relatively long utensils C to prevent the pivotal movement thereof.
Referring back to
The basket elements 46A, 46B are adjustably mounted to the frame 44 to accommodate utensils held by the second utensil rack 30 and utensils held by the basket elements 46A, 46B and to efficiently utilize the limited space in the wash chamber 24. In particular, the basket elements 46A, 46B can be vertically adjustable on the frame 44 and, therefore, within the wash chamber 24. As shown in
Referring particularly to
Referring particularly to
An exemplary description of the assembly and operation of the third utensil rack 40 and the slides 42 follows. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill that the assembly and operation can proceed in any logical order and is not limited to the sequence presented below. The following description is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention in any way.
Each of the slides 42 is mounted to the dishwasher 10 by attaching the track 100 to a conventional slide mount (not shown) on the corresponding opposing side wall 18, 20. The slide mount can be any suitable type of device that couples the track 100 to the corresponding opposing side wall 18, 20. For example, the slide mount can comprise one or more wheels mounted to the side walls 18, 20. Typically, the track 100 receives the slide mount within the outer raceway 112 so that the track 100 can slide relative to the cabinet 12. Next, the wheel supports 140 are mounted to the opposing sides 58, 60 of the frame 44 by aligning the upper and lower peripheral wires 48, 50 with the grooves 146, snapping the lower peripheral wire 50 into the snap clamps 150, and inserting the brackets 152 into the projections 148 to clamp the upper and lower peripheral wires 48, 50 between the wheel support 140 and the brackets 150. After the wheel supports 140 are secured to the frame 44, the user pivots the closures 120 on the slides 42 to the opened position so that the rear wheels 144 can be inserted into the inner raceways 110 through the access openings 114. The user then pushes the frame 44 towards the wash chamber 24 so that the rear wheels 144 travel along the inner raceway 110 until the front wheels 142 are aligned with the access openings 114, as shown in
The user can mount the basket elements 46A, 46B to the frame 44 in either the upper position or the lower position depending on the desired configuration of the utensil racks 28, 30, 40 in the wash chamber 24, the sizes of the utensils in the second utensil rack 30, and the sizes of the utensils to be held in the third utensil rack 40. To maximize the space between the second utensil rack 30 and the basket elements 46A, 46B, the basket elements 46A, 46B are placed adjacent one another in the upper position, as shown in
With the basket elements 46A, 46B in either the upper position or the lower position, the user can fill the basket elements 46A, 46B with various shapes and sizes of utensils, including the relatively short utensils A, the medium length utensils B, and the relatively long utensils C, as described above. The utensils can be arranged in the basket elements 46A, 46B in any suitable fashion to maximize the quantity of utensils held by the third utensil rack 40 without compromising the ability of the dishwasher 10 to clean the utensils. Additionally, the user can place small items, such as corn cob holders, in the small item support areas 68. During operation of a wash cycle, the tines 88 surrounding the small item support areas 68 help retain the small items in the small item support areas 68.
After the wash cycle is complete, the user pulls the third utensil rack 40 from the wash chamber to empty the basket elements 46A, 46B. The front stop flanges 108 limit the forward movement of the frame 44 relative to the slides 42. Next, the user removes the utensils from the third utensil rack 40 in any suitable manner. For example, the user can either manually remove each utensil from the basket elements 46A, 46B while the basket elements 46A, 46B are mounted to the frame 44, the user can remove at least one of the basket elements 46A, 46B with the utensils therein and empty the at least one basket element 46A, 46B at a location separate from the dishwasher 10, or the user can remove at least one of the basket elements 46A, 46B with the utensils therein and use the at least one basket element 46A, 46B for utensil storage, such as by placing the at least one basket element 46A, 46B in a drawer.
If the user desires to remove the entire frame 44 from the dishwasher, the user pivots the closures 120 away from the tracks 100 to the opened position, as shown in
An alternative slide 42′ is illustrated in
Alternatively, the access opening 114 can be located elsewhere in the track 100. For example, the access opening 114 can be formed between the lower flange 106 and the front flange stop 108 if the lower flange 106 is sufficiently spaced from the front end of the track 100.
An alternative embodiment of slides 200 is illustrated in
Referring to
The slide 202 includes a rail 220 and a track 222 slidable relative to the rail 202. The rail 220 includes a generally vertical wall 224 having bracket retainers 226 that receive slide brackets 228, which couple the rail 220 to one of the cabinet side walls 18, 20. According to the illustrated embodiment, the bracket retainers 226 fixedly couple the slide brackets 228 to the rail 220, and the bracket retainers 226 are fixedly coupled to the one of the cabinet side walls 18, 20; thus, the rail 220 is fixedly mounted to the one of the cabinet side walls 18, 20.
Referring now to
The track 222 includes a generally vertical wall 240 with upper and lower flanges 242, 244 that together define a track raceway 246. Each of the upper and lower flanges 242, 244 forms a channel 248. The channel 248 in the upper flange 242 extends downward, and the channel 248 formed in the lower flange 232 extends upward; thus, the channels 248 extend towards the track raceway 246. The channels 248 extend along the entire length of the upper and lower flanges 242, 244, except at rear ends of the upper and lower flanges 242, 244, where a projection 250 juts upward and downward from the upper and lower flanges 242, 244, respectively, away from the track raceway 246. The track raceway 246 terminates at a front stop 252 and a rear stop 254 in the form of flanges at ends of the track 222. The front stop 252 in the illustrated embodiment is generally L-shaped. The upper flange 242 that partially defines the track raceway 246 is spaced from the front stop 252 to form an access opening 256 therebetween. The track 222 further includes a position limiter 258 formed in the vertical wall 240 and extending away from the track raceway 246
A closure 260 pivotally mounts to the track 222, particularly to the upper and lower flanges 242, 244 of the track 222, and selectively blocks the access opening 256. The closure 260 includes parallel upper and lower walls 262, 264 joined by a side wall 266 and a front wall 268 orthogonal to the side wall 266. The side wall 266 and the front wall 268 form a grip 270 sized to be grasped between a user's fingers for pivotally moving the closure 260. The closure 260 further includes a wheel retainer in the form of a projection 274 depending from the upper wall 262 into the track raceway 246. The closure 260 is movable between a closed position (
A bearing assembly comprising a bearing cage 280 comprising a plurality of ball bearings 282 slidably couples the track 222 and rail 220 for relative slidable movement.
Referring to
An exemplary operation of the slide 200 will be described with respect to
When the slide 200 fully extends from the cabinet 12, as shown in
If the user desires to remove the second utensil rack 30 from the slide 200, the user moves the closure 260 from the closed position of
Once the front wheel 204 and the projection 274 no longer mate, the user can move the closure to the opened position shown in
After the front wheel 204 passes through the access opening 256, the user can continue to pull the second utensil rack 30 forwardly and upwardly to pass the rear wheel 206 through the access opening 256 in the same manner. The second utensil rack 30 removed from the slide 200 can be mounted to the slide 200 and pushed rearwardly into the cabinet 12 by repeating the above procedure in a reverse order.
The alternative embodiment slides 200 can include features described above with respect to the previous embodiment slides 42. For example, the access opening 258 can be positioned between the upper and lower flanges 242, 244 of the track 222. When the access opening 258 is located between the upper and lower flanges 242, 244, the closure 260 can form the front stop for the front wheel 204. Furthermore, the closure 260 can include a detent that mates with an aperture on the track 222 for retaining the closure 260 in the closed position. Additionally, the closure need not have the projection 274, which would eliminate the need to back up the utensil rack 30 prior to opening the closure 260.
Another alternative embodiment slide 200 is illustrated in
The operation of the slide 200 of
Spacing the access opening 256 from the front stop 252 requires the user to purposely slide the second utensil rack 30 rearward prior to moving the front wheel 204 through the access opening 256. Requiring the rearward movement helps to prevent accidental removal of the front wheel 204 from the track raceway 246 when the slide 200 does not include the closure 260 for selectively closing the access opening 256. However, it is within the scope of the invention for the access opening 256 to be located in any suitable position, such as directly adjacent to the front stop 252, as is shown with respect to the embodiments of
Furthermore, the track raceway 246 of the illustrated embodiment and the other embodiments of the slides can be substantially unobstructed such that the front wheel 204 can freely slide along the track raceway 246 to the access opening 256. In other words, there are no detents or other structures to impede movement of the front wheel 204 within the track raceway 246. The positioning of the access opening 256 and the employment of the closure 260, either alone or in combination with one another, are sufficient to control the movement of the front wheel 204 and the removal of the front wheel 204 from the slide 200, thereby negating a need for detents or other structures.
The complementary basket elements 46A, 46B have been described with respect to the number, shape, and size shown in the figures. However, it is within the scope of the invention for the whole basket to be formed by more than two basket elements and for the basket elements to be shaped and sized in any suitable manner as long as they are complementary and together form the whole basket. For example, the whole basket can be formed by two or more rectangular basket elements having straight edges, a first L-shaped basket element and a second square or rectangular basket element, two triangular basket elements, or basket elements similar to the basket elements 46A, 46B but having a fourth edge 70D with a different contour. Additionally, the basket elements 46A, 46B are not limited to use with the frame 44; the basket elements 46A, 46B can be utilized with any suitable frame or utensil rack and are not required to be vertically adjustable within the wash chamber 24. Similarly, the frame 44 can mount a unitary whole basket rather than separate basket elements so that the unitary whole basket is vertically adjustable within the wash chamber 24.
While the third utensil rack 40 has been shown and described as being located near the upper wall 14 of the cabinet 12 and in conjunction with the first and the second utensil racks 28, 30, it is within the scope of the invention to utilize the third utensil rack 40 in any location within the wash chamber 24, such as adjacent the lower wall 16 or in the middle of the wash chamber 24, and with or without other utensil racks. Furthermore, the slides 42 are not limited for use with the third utensil rack 40; rather, the slides 42 can be used with the first utensil rack 28, the second utensil rack 30, or any other suitable utensil rack.
The grid of the basket elements 46A, 46B has been described as being formed by the plurality of intersecting ribs 72; however, it is within the scope of the invention for the grid to be formed by other structures having apertures or gaps that allow wash liquid to pass through the bottom wall of the basket elements 46A, 46B. For example, the grid can be a molded panel with circular, rectangular, or other shaped apertures formed therein.
While the third utensil rack 40 and the slides 42 have been described and shown as for use in the dishwasher 10 comprising the cabinet 12 and the door 26 movably mounted to the cabinet 12, the dishwasher 10 can be any type of appliance for washing dishes and is not limited to the dishwasher 10 shown in the figures. For example, the dishwasher can be a drawer-type dishwasher, wherein the wash chamber is formed in an open-top drawer that is slidably mounted to a cabinet. Further, the slides 42 can be used to slidably mount the drawer to the cabinet, if desired.
The third utensil rack 40 accommodates various shapes and sizes of utensils for effective cleaning thereof without dramatically sacrificing capacity of the first and second utensil racks 28, 30. Because the basket elements 46A, 46B are vertically adjustable, the third utensil rack 40 can be arranged to accommodate the sizes of utensils in the second utensil rack 30. In the preferred embodiment, various portions of the frame 44, such as the upper support rails 62, 63 and the lower support rails 64, 66, function as height adjusters for adjustably mounting the basket elements 46A, 46B to the frame 44. However, the height adjusters can also be located on the basket elements 46A, 46B. For example, the basket elements 46A, 46B can include multiple hooks vertically spaced on the peripheral wall 70 such that the basket elements 46A, 46B can be mounted to a portion of the frame 44 in different vertical orientations depending on which hooks mate with the portion of the frame 44.
While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
Claims
1. An automatic dishwasher comprising:
- an open-faced cabinet comprising opposing side walls and defining a wash chamber;
- a door movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the wash chamber;
- a utensil rack comprising opposing sides and a wheel mounted to at least one the sides; and
- at least one slide slidably coupling the utensil rack to the cabinet for movement of the utensil rack relative to the cabinet and comprising: a track coupled to one of the side walls of the cabinet and defining an elongated raceway for receiving the wheel of the utensil rack and comprising an access opening to the raceway for insertion or removal of the wheel from the raceway; and a closure mounted to the track for movement between an opened position and a closed position to selectively open and close the access opening, wherein the closure remains attached to the track during movement between the opened and closed positions.
2. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the closure is pivotally mounted to the track.
3. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises a detent for locking the closure in a closed position blocking the access opening to prevent the removal of the wheel from the raceway.
4. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 3 wherein the detent mates with the track to secure the closure in the closed position.
5. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the track comprises upper and lower flanges that partially define the raceway, and the access opening is located in at least one of the lower flange, upper flange, and between the lower flange and upper flange.
6. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the track further comprises a stop to limit movement of the utensil rack along the raceway.
7. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 6 wherein the track further comprises a flange at an end of the raceway to form the stop.
8. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 6 wherein the closure forms the stop.
9. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 8 wherein the track comprises upper and lower flanges that partially define the raceway, and the access opening is located between the lower and upper flanges.
10. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the slide further comprises a rail coupled to one of the side walls of the cabinet and defining a rail raceway, and the track is slidably received within the rail raceway.
11. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the slide further comprises a bearing assembly that slidably couples the track to the rail in the rail raceway.
12. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the track is fixedly mounted to the one of the side walls of the cabinet.
13. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 10 wherein the closure is mounted to the track and configured to be received within the rail raceway.
14. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the track further defines a second elongated raceway for slidably receiving a slide mount coupling the track to the at least one of the side walls of the cabinet.
15. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 14 wherein the track is configured to slide relative to the slide mount.
16. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises a wheel retainer configured to prevent the wheel from exiting the raceway.
17. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 16 wherein the wheel retainer is configured to prevent lateral movement of the wheel relative to the raceway.
18. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 16 wherein the wheel retainer comprises a projection that extends into the raceway.
19. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 18 wherein the wheel comprises a groove that receives the projection.
20. An automatic dishwasher comprising:
- an open-faced cabinet comprising opposing side walls and defining a wash chamber;
- a door movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the wash chamber;
- a utensil rack comprising opposing sides;
- at least one track defining an unobstructed elongated raceway and comprising a stop terminating a forward end of the raceway and an upwardly facing access opening to the raceway; and
- a wheel assembly comprising at least one wheel slidably received within the raceway and sized for insertion and removal through the access opening;
- wherein one of the track and wheel assembly is mounted to one of the cabinet and utensil rack and the other of the track and wheel assembly is mounted to the other of the cabinet and utensil rack to slidably mount the utensil rack to the cabinet, and the wheel is free to move unobstructed along the raceway to the access opening for removal through the access opening.
21. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 20 wherein the access opening is spaced from the forward end of the raceway.
22. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 21 wherein the access opening is spaced from the forward end of the raceway a distance at least equal to a diameter of the wheel.
23. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 20 wherein the track comprises an upper flange, and the access opening is formed in the upper flange.
24. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 22 wherein the access opening is spaced from the forward end of the raceway.
25. The automatic dishwasher according to claim 20 wherein the wheel assembly comprises at least a pair of wheels.
26. A method of removing a utensil rack from a dishwasher comprising a cabinet and at least one slide coupling the utensil rack to the cabinet and having a track with a raceway and an access opening to the raceway and a wheel mounted in the raceway, the method comprising:
- sliding the utensil rack in a first direction to align the wheel with the access opening; and
- lifting the utensil rack in a second direction to move the wheel through the access opening.
27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.
28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the second direction corresponds to pivoting the utensil rack.
29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising moving a second wheel through the access opening.
30. The method according to claim 26 wherein the sliding the utensil rack in the first direction comprises freely sliding the utensil rack to the access opening.
Type: Application
Filed: May 9, 2006
Publication Date: Nov 9, 2006
Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation (Benton Harbor, MI)
Inventors: David Stevens (Stevensville, MI), Robby Mack (Stevensville, MI), Mark Feddema (Kalamazoo, MI), Lorraine Westlake (Eau Claire, MI), Mark Davis (Grand Rapids, MI)
Application Number: 11/382,400
International Classification: A47B 88/00 (20060101);