U.S. patent application number 13/020839 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for insert for a dishwasher rack.
This patent application is currently assigned to MIELE & CIE. KG. Invention is credited to David Buhl, Pia Theyson, Dirk Wegener.
Application Number | 20110192808 13/020839 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42331009 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110192808 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Buhl; David ; et
al. |
August 11, 2011 |
INSERT FOR A DISHWASHER RACK
Abstract
An insert for a rack of a dishwasher includes a bowl holder
having a frustoconical shape and a contact rib. The contact rib has
an exterior side and a sawtooth profile disposed on the exterior
side.
Inventors: |
Buhl; David; (Bielefeld,
DE) ; Wegener; Dirk; (Bielefeld, DE) ;
Theyson; Pia; (Herdecke, DE) |
Assignee: |
MIELE & CIE. KG
Guetersloh
DE
|
Family ID: |
42331009 |
Appl. No.: |
13/020839 |
Filed: |
February 4, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/41.9 ;
211/41.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 15/505
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/41.9 ;
211/41.8 |
International
Class: |
A47L 15/50 20060101
A47L015/50 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 9, 2010 |
EP |
10 401 020.2 |
Claims
1. An insert for a rack of a dishwasher comprising: a bowl holder
having a frustoconical shape and a contact rib, the contact rib
having an exterior side and a sawtooth profile disposed on the
exterior side.
2. The insert recited in claim 1, wherein the bowl holder is
configured to hold long-stem glasses.
3. The insert recited in claim 1, wherein the bowl holder includes
first and second truncated cone sections, and wherein the contact
rib extends between the first and second truncated cone
sections.
4. The insert recited in claim 3, wherein the first and second
truncated cone sections each comprise a circular segment, the first
truncated cone section being smaller than the second truncated cone
section.
5. The insert recited in claim 1, wherein the bowl holder is an
integrally formed plastic piece.
6. The insert recited in claim 1, further comprising a clamping
element configured to secure the bowl holder to a rack of a
dishwasher.
7. The insert recited in claim 1 further comprising a foot holder
configured to supportingly receive a foot of a glass.
8. The insert recited in claim 7, wherein the foot holder includes
a contact leg having a sawtooth profile on a side adapted to face
the foot of the glass.
9. The insert recited in claim 7, wherein the foot holder includes
an attachment portion configured to attach to the rack of the
dishwasher.
10. The insert recited in claim 7, wherein the foot holder is an
integrally formed plastic piece.
11. The insert recited in claim 7, wherein the bowl holder and the
foot holder are combined in a common holding device.
12. The insert recited in claim 11, wherein a connecting web
extends between the bowl holder and the foot holder.
13. The insert recited in claim 12, wherein the insert is
configured to hold stem glasses, and wherein the foot holder is
displaceable relative to the connecting web in a direction
transverse to a longitudinal direction of a glass stem held by the
insert.
14. A rack for a dishwasher including an insert comprising: a bowl
holder having a frustoconical shape and a contact rib, the contact
rib having an exterior side and a sawtooth profile disposed on the
exterior side.
15. The rack recited in claim 14, wherein the insert includes a
foot holder configured to supportingly receive a foot of a
glass.
16. The rack recited in claim 15, wherein the foot holder includes
a contact leg having a sawtooth profile on a side adapted to face
the foot of the glass.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from European Patent
Application No. EP. 10 401 020.2, filed Feb. 9, 2010, which is
hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an insert for a
dishwasher rack, and in particular to an insert adapted to hold
long-stem glasses.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Conventional dishwashers generally have what are known as
racks for receiving and supporting dishware therein. Typically, a
dishwasher has a lower rack, an upper rack and may additionally
have a cutlery tray. The lower rack, due to its spacing from the
upper rack, is used in particular for receiving and supporting
plates, glasses and/or other small items of dishware.
[0004] A common problem is to place long-stem glasses, such as wine
or champagne glasses, in conventional racks in a manner that
provides positional stability while at the same time ensuring that
the desired washing result is actually achieved. Previously known
racks allow long-stem glasses, for example, to be received and
supported horizontally therein. However, this way of supporting
glasses not only has the disadvantage of requiring a large volume
of space, but may also result in rinse water remaining in the bowl
of the glass. On the other hand, supporting long-stem glasses
vertically does not provide positional stability because the
glasses are not sufficiently supported. This may disadvantageously
result in glass breakage which, of course, is to be avoided.
[0005] In order to overcome the aforementioned problems, rack
inserts have been made which are intended to enable dishware of
special shape to be accommodated in the racks. For example, German
Patent Application DE 199 44 883 A1 describes a click & safe
holder for holding long tubular glasses, such as wheat beer
glasses. This holder includes a head portion carrying a plurality
of movable arms. When this holder is used as intended, the wheat
beer glass is placed over the head portion thereof, the movable
arms securing the glass in position. It is obvious that, unlike
wheat beer glasses, glasses having long stems cannot be securely
held in position by this type of holder.
[0006] A rack insert for long-stem wine and champagne glasses is
described in DE 200 05 725 U1. The insert described therein is
intended to hold wine and champagne glasses in a suspended manner.
This insert is made up of a main member mounted on the end of a
tube that serves as a holding stem. When used as intended, this
tube is slipped over a tine of the dishwasher rack, as can be seen
in FIG. 2 of DE 200 05 725 U1.
[0007] The insert described in DE 200 05 725 U1 is disadvantageous
for two reasons. For one thing, only glasses up to a certain height
can be accommodated. This limitation is due to the height of the
tines that carry the insert during the intended use thereof.
Another drawback is due to the suspended positioning, which results
in residual liquid accumulating in the region between a fork-shaped
holding portion of the main member and the foot of a glass, leaving
spots on the glass foot and/or stem. During later use of the glass,
these dishwasher spots are particularly striking because they are
in the direct field of view of an observer. Consequently, the
insert described in DE 200 05 725 U1 is neither suitable for
holding long-stem glasses, nor does it not allow satisfactory
washing results.
SUMMARY
[0008] In an embodiment, the present invention provides an insert
for a rack of a dishwasher including a bowl holder having a
frustoconical shape and a contact rib. The contact rib has an
exterior side and a sawtooth profile disposed on the exterior
side.
SUMMARY
[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described
in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an insert in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an insert in accordance with
another embodiment of the present;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment
of a bowl holder;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a view showing the bowl holder of FIG. 3 from a
different perspective;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a portion of the bowl
holder of FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a detail of an embodiment
of a foot holder in accordance with the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the bowl holder of FIG. 3
in combination with a clamping element;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the manner in
which a clamped holder can be arranged on the lower rack of a
dishwasher;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the foot
holder;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the manner in which an insert
can be arranged on the lower rack of a dishwasher;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of
a holding device in accordance with the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of another
embodiment of a holding device in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] In an embodiment, the present invention provides an insert
which is adapted to hold in particular long-stem glasses and which
assists in achieving a desired washing result while at the same
time providing positionally stable support.
[0023] An insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention has a bowl holder which is frustoconical in shape. When
used as intended, this bowl holder holds the bowl of a glass. In
order for the glass to be held as intended, it is placed with the
bowl over the bowl holder of the insert of. The glass is securely
held due to the frustoconical shape of the bowl holder. Wash and
rinse liquid can run off from both the interior and exterior
surfaces of the bowl, so that, advantageously, no dishwasher spots
are left on the bowl of the glass.
[0024] When used as intended, the bowl of the glass rests by its
edge on a contact rib of the bowl holder. In an embodiment, a
sawtooth profile is formed on the exterior side of said contact
rib. This configuration provides a drainage rib for wash and rinse
water, allowing any remaining water to run off therealong. This
enables the achievement of the desired washing result.
[0025] The frustoconical bowl holder further has the advantage that
it allows glasses of different bowl diameters to be positioned in
an optimized manner at all times. Thus, the insert is not subject
to any limitations with respect to the shape of the glass.
[0026] In accordance with an embodiment, the bowl holder includes a
first and a second truncated cone section, the contact rib
extending between these two truncated cone sections. It is also
possible to provide a plurality of contact ribs, for example three,
four or more contact ribs. The configuration including two
truncated cone sections has the advantage of minimizing the contact
area between the insert and the glass, which, on the one hand,
facilitates the intended use and, on the other hand, eliminates the
cause of unwanted accumulation of residual water.
[0027] According to another aspect of embodiments of the present
invention, the truncated cone sections may be circular segments,
the first truncated cone section being smaller in diameter than the
second truncated cone section. The term "first truncated cone
section" is meant to refer to the one that is closer to the glass.
This configuration results in an overall frustoconical shape of the
bowl holder.
[0028] The bowl holder may be formed in one piece from plastic.
This allows for easier manufacture and increased ease of use.
[0029] The insert may include a clamping element for securing the
bowl holder to the dishwasher rack. This clamping element serves to
secure the bowl holder in position on a dishwasher rack generally
known in the art. Thus, the clamping element may also be referred
to as a connecting adapter, which serves to connect the bowl holder
and the dishwasher rack. The clamping element may be U-shaped and
geometrically configured in such a way that it can be clamped, for
example, into a standard loop of a lower rack. For this purpose,
the clamp has a peripheral receiving groove which, when used as
intended, is engaged by the plastic-coated wire of the loop of the
rack.
[0030] The insert may have a foot holder which serves to
supportingly receive the foot of a glass. In accordance with this
embodiment, the insert includes a bowl holder and a foot holder, so
that, when used as intended, a glass is received by the bowl holder
and supported at its foot by the foot holder.
[0031] According to yet another embodiment, the foot holder
includes a contact leg which has a sawtooth profile on the side
facing the foot of the glass. This configuration provides the
advantage that accumulation of residual water can be substantially
prevented, making it possible to effectively avoid unsightly water
spots in the region of the foot of the glass.
[0032] The foot holder can include an attachment portion. This
attachment portion serves to secure the foot holder to the
dishwasher rack. The attachment portion may take the form of a
clamping element which allows the foot holder to be attached to the
dishwasher rack by means of a click-type connection.
[0033] Similar to the bowl holder, the foot holder is preferably
formed in one piece from plastic.
[0034] In another embodiment, the bowl holder and the foot holder
may be combined to form a common holding device. This allows the
bowl holder and the foot holder to be jointly and simultaneously
manipulated in a simple way. For this purpose, the holding device
may have a kind of connecting web which interconnects the bowl
holder and the foot holder. Provision may be made, in particular,
for the foot holder to be attached to the connecting web so that it
is movable relative thereto and, more specifically, in a direction
along and/or transverse to the connecting web. This configuration
enables the holding device to be individually adapted to glasses of
different types, sizes and shapes.
[0035] Overall, embodiments of the present invention provide an
insert which is adapted to hold in particular long-stem glasses and
which allows glasses to be securely positioned in the rack of a
dishwasher and at the same time is easy to use. The insert of the
present invention, due to its design as described above, ensures
that a good washing result is achieved and prevents, in particular,
unwanted accumulations of residual water. The insert can be
removably attached to the rack at substantially any desired
position.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows an insert 1 according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0037] Insert 1 has a bowl holder 6 which, when used as intended,
holds bowl 3 of a glass 2. In order to support the foot of glass 2,
insert 1 further has a foot holder 16, on which supportedly rests
foot 5 of glass 2, which is provided on the end of a stem 4.
[0038] Foot holder 16 provides a contact leg 17 having a sawtooth
profile 18 on the side facing the glass. Similarly, bowl holder 6
has a contact rib 9 which provides a sawtooth profile 12 on the
exterior side; i.e., on the side facing the glass.
[0039] The above-described design of insert 1 increases convenience
when washing, in particular, long-stem glasses. Bowl 3 of glass 2
is supported on a frustoconical bowl holder 6, the frustoconical
shape having the advantage that it allows glasses 2 of different
bowl diameters to be positioned in an optimized manner at all
times. This is readily apparent when viewing the FIGS. 1 and 2 in
conjunction with one another. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
FIG. 1, bowl 3 is of greater diameter.
[0040] Furthermore, sawtooth profiles 12 and 18 allow any remaining
water to run off more effectively. This makes it possible to
achieve an optimized washing result. Further, the position of the
ridges of sawtooth profile 12 is selected such that they are always
extend at the lowermost point of bowl 3, which makes it possible to
prevent water and evaporation residues.
[0041] Likewise, sawtooth profile 18 provided by foot holder 16
permits optimized drying, so that foot 5 of glass 2 is also kept
free from unwanted accumulations of residual water and/or
evaporation residues. In addition, the configuration of sawtooth
profile 18 makes it possible to supportingly receive feet 5 of
glasses 2 of different geometric shape, as is readily apparent when
viewing especially FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in conjunction with one
another.
[0042] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a bowl
holder 6 of the present invention. In accordance with this
embodiment, bowl holder 6 includes a first truncated cone section 7
and a second truncated cone section 8. First truncated cone section
7 is formed by a circular circumferentially extending segment 10,
and second truncated cone section 8 is formed by a circular
circumferentially extending segment 11. In the embodiment shown,
three contact ribs 9 extend between the two segments 10 and 11, at
least one of said contact ribs 9 providing the above-described
sawtooth profile 12.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a portion of bowl 3 of a glass 2 received by a
bowl holder 6. As can be seen in this figure, circumferential glass
edge 27 of bowl 3 rests on a tooth of sawtooth profile 12. In this
manner, on the one hand, secure support is provided, and, on the
other hand, sawtooth profile 12 ensures that accumulations of
residual water and/or evaporation residues can be substantially
avoided.
[0044] The same effect is provided by sawtooth profile 18 of foot
holder 16, as is apparent from the detail view of FIG. 6. In this
view, an edge portion of foot 5 of a glass 2 is shown engaged with
sawtooth profile 18 provided by foot holder 16.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows, in a schematic perspective view, a clamping
element 13, which serves to secure a bowl holder 6 in the intended
manner, for example, to a lower rack 24 of a dishwasher, as can be
seen in the view of FIG. 8.
[0046] Clamping element 13 is U-shaped and includes a rack adapter
14 and a holder adapter 15. Holder adapter 15 serves to connect
bowl holder 6 to clamping element 13. Optionally, bowl holder 6 and
clamping element 13 may also be formed as a single piece. Rack
adapter 14 provides a receiving groove 28 which, when used as
intended, is engaged by the plastic-coated wire of a loop 26 of
lower rack 24, as can be seen particularly in the view of FIG. 8.
Rack adapter 14 has a leg-like extension 29, which is capable of
resiliently flexing toward bowl holder 6 and in the opposite
direction. This resilient design allows clamping element 13 to be
fixedly clamped into the associated loop 26 of lower rack 24.
[0047] FIG. 9 shows a possible embodiment of foot holder 16. As
previously explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, foot holder
16 includes a contact leg 17 having a sawtooth profile 18 on the
side facing the glass. As can be seen in the view of FIG. 9, foot
holder 16 further includes an attachment portion 19, which is
preferably formed in one piece with contact leg 17. This attachment
portion 19 serves to secure foot holder 16 to the dishwasher rack,
as can be seen particularly in the view of FIG. 10.
[0048] FIG. 10 shows, in a schematic side view, a possible
arrangement of bowl holder 6 and foot holder 16 on lower rack 24 of
a dishwasher.
[0049] As shown in the view of FIG. 10, bowl holder 6 is clampingly
secured to a loop 26 in the dish support plane. This is
accomplished using the above-described clamping element 13.
[0050] Foot holder 16 is secured on the hinged glass and cup holder
25 of lower rack 24. The illustrated positioning of bowl holder 6
and foot holder 16 results in an angular orientation of glass 2
with respect to the dish support plane. In the exemplary embodiment
shown, the angle is about 45.degree.. This angular arrangement
ensures that any remaining water can run off from a depression in
glass foot 5.
[0051] In the aforedescribed embodiment, bowl holder 6 and foot
holder 16 are components that are manipulated separately. FIGS. 11
and 12 show an alternative embodiment, in which bowl holder 6 and
foot holder 16 are combined to form a common holding device 20.
[0052] Holding device 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12,
includes a connecting web 12. This connecting web 21 provides a
first fastening adapter 22 and a second fastening adapter 23. These
fastening adapters 22 and 23 allow connecting web 21 to be secured,
for example, to lower rack 24 of a dishwasher. In particular,
fastening adapter 22 may be used for attachment to a loop of the
rack, whereas fastening adapter 23 is used to hook onto a glass and
cup holder 25. Holding device 20 is preferably arranged so that it
has an angular orientation with respect to the dish support plane,
as is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.
[0053] Holding device 20 provides a bowl holder 6 of the
aforedescribed type. Optionally, connecting web 21 and bowl holder
6 may be formed integrally as a single plastic piece.
[0054] Holding device 20 further provides a foot holder 16, which
serves to supportingly receive a foot 5 of a glass 2 in the
aforedescribed manner. In the exemplary embodiment shown, foot
holder 16 has two guide sleeves 30. In the final assembled state,
guide extensions 31 having integrated compression springs (not
shown) are fitted into said guide sleeves. This configuration
allows foot holder 16 to be displaced transversely to the
longitudinal extent of stem 4 of glass 2 relative to connecting web
21, which allows for adjustability to the diameter of foot 5 of
glass 2.
[0055] In the embodiment of holding device 20 shown in FIGS. 11 and
12, a fork-shaped stem holder 32 provides additional support for
glass 2.
[0056] While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and details may be made therein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *