This application is a national stage application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/075014 filed Oct. 19, 2016, which application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Embodiments herein relate to dishwashers and accessories therefor. In particular, the embodiments herein relate to a dishware supporting arrangement and a dishwasher comprising a dishware supporting arrangement.
Today's dishwashers are expected to perform high quality wash of dishware while at the same time use a relatively small amount of energy in order to account for environmental concerns. It is also expected that washed dishware, such as items, plates, glasses, silverware etc., are dry after a program cycle of a dishwasher. The program cycle usually comprises a washing phase and a drying phase. In the last step of the washing phase, fresh water is sprayed at the dishware in order to rinse off detergent from the washed dishware. After the washing phase, water-drops and pools of water are usually formed on the washed items and on racks and shelves inside the dishwasher due to surface tension. Before the drying phase starts, the interior of the dishwasher is typically heated to cause remaining water to evaporate. This is achieved by heating up the dishware with hot water in a hot rinse phase. After that hot air may be blown in to dry the dishware using heaters arranged within the dishwasher and/or by blowing into the dishwasher. The remaining water will then evaporate and the size of the water-drops will be gradually reduced.
One problem with today's dishwashers is that some water-drops may remain on the surfaces of for example the shelves and may not be completely evaporated during the drying phase. Disadvantageously, the water-drops may fall down on dry dishware when the shelves and/or the racks are displaced, e.g. when the washed dishware is to be moved into a closet or the like.
An object of the embodiments herein is to provide an improved dishware supporting arrangement, such as a shelf of a dishwasher mentioned above, that overcomes or at least alleviates at least some of the above mentioned problem and/or disadvantages.
According to an aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a dishware supporting arrangement configured to be mounted on a rack of a dishwasher, the rack having a rack main extension plane. The dishware supporting arrangement comprises a mesh structure having a structure main extension plane, wherein the mesh structure comprises a first plurality of ribs connected to a second plurality of ribs. The first plurality of ribs extends along a first plane and the second plurality of ribs extends along a second plane. In other words, the first plurality of ribs extends along the first plane in that the first plurality of ribs extends in directions within the first plane or in directions being parallel to the first plane, but at a distance from the first plane. In a similar way the second plurality of ribs extends in a second direction parallelly orientated in relation to the second plane and within the second plane or at a distance from the second plane. The first plane is arranged at a first angle in relation to the structure main extension plane and the second plane is arranged at a second angle in relation to the structure main extension plane. Thereby, the first plurality of ribs are inclined in relation to the structure main extension plane with the first angle and the second plurality of ribs are inclined in relation to the structure main extension plane with the second angle.
The dishware supporting arrangement further comprises a tilting mechanism arranged to allow the mesh structure to be tilted around at least one axis between a first position and a second position. The mesh structure may thereby be at least partly rotated around the at least one axis. In this manner, the mesh structure may easily be displaced between the first position and the second position.
Further, the tilting mechanism is arranged to hold the mesh structure in the first position and in the second position. Thus, when the mesh structure is displaced to the first position, the mesh structure is stabilized, e.g. snapped into, in the first position by means of the tilting mechanism. Similarly, when the mesh structure is displaced to the second position, the mesh structure is stabilized in the second position by means of the tilting mechanism.
Each of the first plurality of ribs and each of the second plurality of ribs are inclined in relation to the rack main extension plane at the first position and at the second position. Thereby, at the first and second positions of the mesh structure, each rib of the first plurality of ribs and each rib of the second plurality of ribs are inclined with respect to the rack main extension plane. Thanks to that the rack main extension plane usually extends along a horizontal plane when the rack is mounted inside a dishwasher, while assuming the dishwasher to be placed in a normal operating position, each rib of the first plurality of ribs and each rib of the second plurality of ribs are inclined, i.e. are angled, in relation to the horizontal plane at the first position and at the second position. Thereby, none of the first plurality of ribs and none of the second plurality of ribs are parallel in relation to the horizontal plane at the first position and at the second position during use of the dishwasher.
As mentioned, a washing fluid, such as washing liquid or water or mixture of the washing liquid and the water, may form droplets or pools on the dishware supporting arrangement. Since each of the first plurality of ribs and each of the second plurality of ribs are inclined in relation to the horizontal plane at the first position and at the second position, the washing fluid, such as water-drops, droplets, pools or the like, flows along the first plurality of ribs and the second plurality of ribs downwards due to gravity. In some situations, washing fluid droplets meets other droplets on their way downwards. Thus, resulting in bigger droplets that may more easily fall off, or separate from, the mesh structure compare to when the first plurality of ribs and the second plurality of ribs are horizontally oriented.
Thus, an improved dishware supporting arrangement is achieved that improves draining, i.e. running off of washing fluid from the dishware supporting arrangement during a programmed cycle of a dishwasher.
As a result, the above mentioned object is achieved.
According to some embodiments, the structure main extension plane is arranged at a third angle in relation to the rack main extension plane at the first position. Likewise, the structure main extension plane is arranged at a fourth angle in relation to the rack main extension plane at the second position. The fourth angle is greater than the third angle.
Thus, at the first position the structure is less inclined in relation to the rack main extension plane compare to the second position.
Optionally, the first angle and the second angle are less than the third angle. Thus, each rib of the first plurality of ribs and each rib of the second plurality of ribs are inclined in relation to the rack main extension plane at the first position and at the second position and at all positions between the first position and the second position.
According to some embodiments, the mesh structure is arranged to support dishware at the first position. Thus, at the first position, the dishware may be placed on the mesh structure.
Further, the mesh structure may comprise a supporting side adapted to support the dishware, wherein each rib of the first plurality of ribs and each rib the second plurality of ribs has a cross sectional profile comprising a tip pointing oppositely to a direction from the support side and away from the support side. This direction being referred to as “normal direction” of the mesh structure. With other words the tip is pointing in a direction downward while assuming the dishwasher to be placed in a normal operating position. Thereby, droplets of washing fluid that are collected on the mesh structure flows downwards and ends up at the tip. Thanks to the tip, the droplets that end up at the tip have a smaller contact area with the first plurality of ribs and with the second plurality of ribs as compared to when the cross sectional profile has an even horizontal side on that side of the cross sectional profile that is opposite to the normal direction. Consequently, forces keeping the droplets at the ribs are reduced and thereby the droplets fall off, or separates from, the ribs more easily.
According to some embodiments, the cross sectional profile is shaped as a rhomb.
The mesh structure may comprise a plastic material. Thereby, a mesh structure is achieved that:—has low weight,—is suitable for an environment with a lot of water, and—is easy and cheap to manufacture.
Further, a projection of the first plurality of ribs and the second plurality of ribs onto a plane perpendicularly orientated with respect to the at least one axis may be described by a zig-zag pattern.
According to another aspect of the embodiments herein, the object is achieved by a dishwasher comprising a dishware supporting arrangement according to the embodiments herein.
Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following detailed description. Those skilled in the art will realize that the different features described may be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.
The various aspects of the invention, including its particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The embodiments herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. Disclosed features of example embodiments may be combined. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Well-known functions or constructions will not necessarily be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
As illustrated in
The dishware supporting arrangement 1 according to
According to
As illustrated in
The first plane n1 is arranged at a first angle a1 in relation to the structure main extension plane m2 and the second plane n2 is arranged at a second angle a2 in relation to the structure main extension plane m2. The first angle a1 and the second angle a2 may for example be in a range of 5-45°. The first angle a1 and the second angle a2 may be equal or may be different.
The first plurality of ribs 9 has a first length d1 and the second plurality of ribs 11 has a second length d2. The first length d1 and second length d2 may be equal or may be different. The first length d1 and second length d2 may for example be in a range of 5-200 mm.
In
Further, the tilting mechanism 13 may be arranged to hold the mesh structure 7 in the first position p1 and in the second position p2 by a first stop mechanism (not shown) arranged to stabilize the mesh structure 7 in the first position p1, and by a second stop mechanism (not shown) arranged to stabilize the mesh structure 7 in the second position p2. The first and second stop mechanisms may be realized by any known stop mechanisms, such as a snap grip or the like.
At the first position p1, the structure main extension plane m2 is arranged at a third angle a3 in relation to the rack main extension plane m1, and at the second position p2 the structure main extension plane m2 is arranged at a fourth angle a4 in relation to the rack main extension plane m1. According to the embodiments illustrated in
At the first position p1, the mesh structure 7 is arranged to support dishware intended to be washed in the dishwasher. The dishware, such as cups, glasses or silverware, may be placed on the mesh structure 7 at the first position p1 of the mesh structure 7. The mesh structure 7 further comprises a supporting side 15 adapted to support the dishware.
As illustrated in
According to the embodiments illustrated in
Each of the first plurality of ribs 9 and the second plurality of ribs 11 may comprise an upper tip 6. Due to the upper tips 6 of the mesh structure 7, the dishware supported by the mesh structure 7 at the first position have smaller contact area with the mesh structure 7 compared to when the cross sectional profile has an even and substantially horizontal supporting side 15 of the mesh structure 7. By this, draining, i.e. running off, of washing fluid from the dishware and from the mesh structure is facilitated. As an effect drying process of the dishware is improved.
According to some embodiments the cross sectional profile of each of the first plurality of ribs 9 and the second plurality of ribs 11 may comprise a tip 17 pointing opposite to a direction from the support side 15 and away from the support side 15. With other words, opposite in relation to the upper tips 6. Thereby, forces keeping the washing fluid at the ribs are reduced and by this, the draining of the washing fluid from the ribs is improved.
Even though embodiments of the various aspects have been described, many different alterations, modifications and the like thereof will become apparent for those skilled in the art. The described embodiments are therefore not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2016/075014 | 10/19/2016 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/072818 | 4/26/2018 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20110247990 | Chai | Oct 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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201 286 692 | Aug 2009 | CN |
204 618 156 | Sep 2015 | CN |
10 2011 003774 | Aug 2012 | DE |
2 074 925 | Jul 2009 | EP |
WO 2010062195 | Jun 2010 | WO |
Entry |
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CN201286692Y—Machine translation (Year: 2009). |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/EP2016/075014 dated Oct. 19, 2016, 10 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200037846 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |