Multi-sided, rotable tines for a dishwasher rack

• US 9,629,515 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH), BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH), BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Chan, Kasin, Lum, Myk, Chavez, David
• Primary Examiner(s): ING, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US14/813,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20170027412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 211 418, 211 419, 211210, 3122281
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/502 Cutlery baskets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/503 with foldable parts

Abstract

A domestic appliance, and a dishwasher in particular, which includes a rack which is able to be reversibly pulled out from within the dishwasher for the placement of dishware and/or crockery, wherein the rack includes an actuator configured to rotate a multi-sided rotatable tine body such as to select between a discrete number of predetermined tine configurations which differ in tine height, spacing, and the distance between tines.

Claims

1. A domestic appliance comprising:

a housing;

a compartment within the housing;

an opening arranged in the compartment configured to allow at least one of the insertion or removal of items to be at least one of cleaned or treated into the housing;

a door configured to close the opening and create a sealed compartment during use; and

a first component arranged within the compartment configured to receive items to be at least one of washed or treated during use of the domestic appliance, the first component includes at least one support;

wherein the first component includes an actuator configured to alter at least one of a shape or position of the support,

wherein the support comprises a plurality of engagement elements,

wherein the plurality of engagement elements comprises at least a first configuration in which the plurality of engagement elements projects from the first component, a second configuration in which the plurality of engagement elements is reduced in height with respect to the first component, and a third configuration in which at least a gap spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of engagement elements is different as compared to the first configuration, and

wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the support, such that any one of the first configuration, the second configuration, or the third configuration can be selected by rotating the actuator.

2. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the appliance is a dishwasher.

3. The domestic appliance according to claim 2, wherein the dishwasher comprises a plurality of racks.

4. The domestic appliance according to claim 3, wherein the first component is a top rack of said plurality of racks.

5. The domestic appliance according to claim 4, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate a central body of the support which runs the length of the top rack.

6. The domestic appliance according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of engagement elements is attached to the central body along a length of the central body.

7. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of engagement elements comprises at least one set of rotatable tines.

8. The domestic appliance according to claim 7, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the at least one set of rotatable tines from at least the first configuration to the second configuration.

9. The domestic appliance according to claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the at least one set of rotatable tines to the second configuration which comprises a null position such that no tines project from the first component.

10. The dishwasher according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a rotatable knob.

11. A dishwasher comprising:

a housing;

a compartment within the housing;

an opening arranged in the compartment configured to allow at least one of the insertion or removal of at least one of dishware or crockery to be at least one of cleaned or treated into/from the housing;

a door configured to close the opening and create a sealed compartment during use;

at least a first rack, the first rack being slidably installed within the compartment and configured to be movable from a retracted position where the first rack is substantially within the compartment to an extended position where the first rack is substantially projecting out of the compartment; and

an actuator configured to adjust a configuration of the first rack to accommodate a variety of different sized and shaped items of at least one of dishware or crockery,

wherein at least the first rack comprises at least one set of rotatable tines,

wherein the at least one set of rotatable tines comprises at least a first line configuration in which the at least one set of rotatable tines projects from the first rack, a second tine configuration in which the at least one set of rotatable tines is reduced in height with respect to the first rack, and a third tine configuration in which at least a gap spacing between adjacent ones of the at least one set of rotatable tines is different as compared to the first tine configuration, and

wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the at least one set of rotatable tines, such that any one of the first tine configuration, the second tine configuration, or the third line configuration can be selected by rotating the actuator.

12. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the actuator is a rotatable knob.

13. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the dishwasher comprises a plurality of racks and the first rack is a top rack.

14. The dishwasher according to claim 13, wherein the top rack is configured to be of a smaller depth than any other of the plurality of racks.

15. The dishwasher according to claim 14, wherein at least the top rack comprises the at least one set of rotatable tines.

16. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the second tine configuration comprises a null position such that no tines project from the first rack.

17. The dishwasher according to claim 11, wherein the first rack comprises at least two sets of rotatable tines configured to be individually controllable by independent actuators.