Patent Application
20230329520
The present disclosure relates generally to dishwasher appliances, and more particularly to an apparatus for adjusting the height of rack using magnets to position cams for support in the raised position and to release such cams when moving to the lowered position.
In order for the dishwasher racks to accommodate tall items in either the upper or lower rack, the proximity of racks to each other must occasionally be altered. The most common way to accomplish this change in capacity allocation is to provide adjustability in the height of the upper rack. In conventional, low-end dishwashers this typically requires the user to manually remove the upper rack and then reinstall it at a different level. Conventional high-end dishwashers, however, have various mechanisms which allow for height adjustment without removing the rack, typically by operation of a lever to lift the rack and a supporting structure that slides vertically to maintain the rack at the elevated height.
The conventional supporting structures suffer from a variety of drawbacks. First, the supporting structures have a complicated design due in large part to the necessity of attaching the structure to multiple wires of the dishwasher rack to provide adequate support. This complicated design results in higher lead times, higher costs, and a higher incidence of quality assurance issues. The higher cost, in particular, precludes use of the supporting structures on lower-end dishwashers. In addition, attachment of the support structures to the dishwasher rack during assembly creates additional ergonomic issues. Because of variation in both the molded parts and rack wires, issues with secure fitment and maintenance of ergonomic assembly forces are not uncommon. Accordingly, a dishwasher appliance that utilizes a height adjustment mechanism for a dishwasher rack that is simpler and more cost-effective would be beneficial.
Advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dishwasher appliance is provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a metal rack, one or more housings, one or more covers, one or more cams, and a magnet. The metal rack includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall spaced apart in the lateral direction and defining a rack interior and a rack exterior, the first sidewall and the second sidewall each including a plurality of horizontal wires and a plurality of vertical wires, the metal rack moveable between a lowered position, a raised position, and a release position. The one or more housings are situated on the rack exterior and in contact with the first sidewall or the second sidewall. The one or more covers are situated on the rack interior and in contact with the first sidewall or the second sidewall of the rack, wherein each of the one or more covers is connected to one of the one or more housings through the first sidewall or the second sidewall, the cover and the housing together defining a housing chamber. The one or more cams are located within the housing chamber and are rotatable between a passive position and a retaining position. Each cam may include a first end, a second end, and a cam body. The first end of each cam further includes an opening and a shaft extending through the opening, each cam pivotable about the axis of the shaft. The second end of each cam is spaced apart from the first end of each cam and includes a retaining surface. The cam body extends from the first end to the second end and defines a cam chamber. The magnet is within the cam chamber. The magnet exerts an attraction force on one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the metallic rack within the housing chamber such that moving the metallic rack from the lowered position to the raised position pivots the cam from the passive position to the retaining position and wherein the cam is configured to support the one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the metallic rack when the cam is in the retaining position.
In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a dishwasher appliance is provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a metal rack, one or more housings, one or more cams, and a magnet. The metal rack includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall spaced apart in the lateral direction and defining a rack interior and a rack exterior, the first sidewall and the second sidewall each including a plurality of horizontal wires and a plurality of vertical wires, the metal rack moveable between a lowered position, a raised position, and a release position. The one or more housings are situated on the rack exterior and in contact with the first sidewall or the second sidewall. The one or more housings define a housing chamber. The one or more cams are located within the housing chamber and are rotatable between a passive position and a retaining position. Each cam may include a first end, a second end, and a cam body. The first end of each cam further includes an opening and a shaft extending through the opening, each cam pivotable about the axis of the shaft. The second end of each cam is spaced apart from the first end of each cam and includes a retaining surface. The cam body extends from the first end to the second end and defines a cam chamber. The magnet is within the cam chamber. The magnet exerts an attraction force on one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the metallic rack within the housing chamber such that moving the metallic rack from the lowered position to the raised position pivots the cam from the passive position to the retaining position and wherein the cam is configured to support the one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the metallic rack when the cam is in the retaining position.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the term “article” may refer to, but need not be limited to dishes, pots, pans, silverware, and other cooking utensils and items that can be cleaned in a dishwashing appliance. The term “wash cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which a dishwashing appliance operates while containing the articles to be washed and uses a detergent and water, preferably with agitation, to e.g., remove soil particles including food and other undesirable elements from the articles. The term “rinse cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which the dishwashing appliance operates to remove residual soil, detergents, and other undesirable elements that were retained by the articles after completion of the wash cycle. The term “drain cycle” is intended to refer to one or more periods of time during which the dishwashing appliance operates to discharge soiled water from the dishwashing appliance. The term “wash fluid” refers to a liquid used for washing and/or rinsing the articles and is typically made up of water that may include other additives such as detergent or other treatments. Furthermore, as used herein, terms of approximation, such as “approximately,” “substantially,” or “about,” refer to being within a ten percent margin of error.
The tub 104 includes a front opening 114 and a door 116 hinged at its bottom for movement between a normally closed vertical position (shown in
As best illustrated in
Some or all of the rack assemblies 122, 124, 126 are fabricated into lattice structures including a plurality of horizontal wires or elongated members 130 and a plurality of vertical wires or elongated members 131 (for clarity of illustration, not all wires making up rack assemblies 122, 124, 126 are shown in
Dishwasher 100 further includes a plurality of spray assemblies for urging a flow of water or wash fluid onto the articles placed within wash chamber 106. More specifically, as illustrated in
The various spray assemblies and manifolds described herein may be part of a fluid distribution system or fluid circulation assembly 150 for circulating water and wash fluid in the tub 104. More specifically, fluid circulation assembly 150 includes a pump 152 for circulating water and wash fluid (e.g., detergent, water, and/or rinse aid) in the tub 104. Pump 152 may be located within sump 138 or within a machinery compartment located below sump 138 of tub 104, as generally recognized in the art. Fluid circulation assembly 150 may include one or more fluid conduits or circulation piping for directing water and/or wash fluid from pump 152 to the various spray assemblies and manifolds. For example, as illustrated in
As illustrated, primary supply conduit 154 is used to supply wash fluid to one or more spray assemblies, e.g., to mid-level spray arm assembly 140 and upper spray assembly 142. However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, any other suitable plumbing configuration may be used to supply wash fluid throughout the various spray manifolds and assemblies described herein. For example, according to another exemplary embodiment, primary supply conduit 154 could be used to provide wash fluid to mid-level spray arm assembly 140 and a dedicated secondary supply conduit (not shown) could be utilized to provide wash fluid to upper spray assembly 142. Other plumbing configurations may be used for providing wash fluid to the various spray devices and manifolds at any location within dishwasher appliance 100.
Each spray arm assembly 134, 140, 142, integral spray manifold 144, or other spray device may include an arrangement of discharge ports or orifices for directing wash fluid received from pump 152 onto dishes or other articles located in wash chamber 106. The arrangement of the discharge ports, also referred to as jets, apertures, or orifices, may provide a rotational force by virtue of wash fluid flowing through the discharge ports. Alternatively, spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 may be motor-driven, or may operate using any other suitable drive mechanism. Spray manifolds and assemblies may also be stationary. The resultant movement of the spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 and the spray from fixed manifolds provides coverage of dishes and other dishwasher contents with a washing spray. Other configurations of spray assemblies may be used as well. For example, dishwasher 100 may have additional spray assemblies for cleaning silverware, for scouring casserole dishes, for spraying pots and pans, for cleaning bottles, etc. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments discussed herein are used for the purpose of explanation only and are not limitations of the present subject matter.
In operation, pump 152 draws wash fluid in from sump 138 and pumps it to a diverter assembly 156, e.g., which is positioned within sump 138 of dishwasher appliance. Diverter assembly 156 may include a diverter disk (not shown) disposed within a diverter chamber 158 for selectively distributing the wash fluid to the spray arm assemblies 134, 140, 142 and/or other spray manifolds or devices. For example, the diverter disk may have a plurality of apertures that are configured to align with one or more outlet ports (not shown) at the top of diverter chamber 158. In this manner, the diverter disk may be selectively rotated to provide wash fluid to the desired spray device.
According to an exemplary embodiment, diverter assembly 156 is configured for selectively distributing the flow of wash fluid from pump 152 to various fluid supply conduits, only some of which are illustrated in
The dishwasher 100 is further equipped with a controller 160 to regulate operation of the dishwasher 100. The controller 160 may include one or more memory devices and one or more microprocessors, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with a cleaning cycle. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller 160 may be constructed without using a microprocessor, e.g., using a combination of discrete analog and/or digital logic circuitry (such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.
The controller 160 may be positioned in a variety of locations throughout dishwasher 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 160 may be located within a control panel area 162 of door 116 as shown in
It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular style, model, or configuration of dishwasher 100. The exemplary embodiment depicted in
Turning now to
Rack assembly 124 may be made from steel or some other metal. The metal rack assemblies, in some circumstances, may be coated with a synthetic vinyl to prevent rusting of the rack and damages to dishes loaded therein. The metal racks, such as rack assembly 124, may include a first sidewall 170 and a second sidewall 172 (
Dishwasher appliance 10 may further include one or more height adjustment assemblies 177, as described herein, that works together with rack assembly 124 to lift rack assembly 124 to a raised position, maintain rack assembly 124 at the raised position, lower rack assembly to the lowered position, and maintain rack assembly 124 at the lowered position. Generally, one or more height adjustment assemblies 177 may be mounted to each of first sidewall 170 and second sidewall 172 of rack assembly 124 to support rack assembly 124.
Each height adjustment assembly 177 may include one or more housings 178, an embodiment of which is illustrated in
Additionally, in some embodiments, height adjustment assembly 177 may include one or more covers 180. Each cover 180 is situated within rack interior 174 and in contact with first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172 of rack assembly 124. Each of the covers 180 may be connected to the one or more housings 178 through first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172 by conventional means (e.g., snap-fit, screws, nuts and bolts, etc.). In some embodiments, such as shown in
Where cover 180 meets first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172, cover 180 may include two cover flanges 181 extending vertically from the top to the bottom of cover 180 and spaced apart from one another transversely. One of the cover flanges 181 may extend from the furthest forward transverse surface of cover 180 (i.e., from the perspective of the front of dishwasher appliance 10). The other of the cover flanges 181 may extend from the further rearward transverse surface of cover 180. In some embodiments, cover flanges 181 may flare at an angle away from first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172 (e.g., at a 45 degree angle to first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172). In alternative embodiments, cover flanges 181 may extend parallel to first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172. Additionally, or alternatively, the vertical cover flanges 181 may not extend from the top to the bottom of cover 180, but may have a shorter height (e.g., only half the height of cover 180). In further embodiments, cover flanges 181 may not be vertically contiguous, but may be divided into two or more portions (e.g., a cover flange 181 extending from each corner of the surface of cover 180 facing first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172). Those of ordinary skill will recognize that other arrangement of cover flanges 181 that aid in fitment (as further described herein) and support of height adjustment assembly 177 are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Upon connection of housing 178 and cover 180, housing flanges 179 and cover flanges 181 may be aligned with each on opposite sides of first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172. Housing flanges 179 and cover flanges 181 may be spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction a distance greater than the diameter of the plurality of vertical wires 131. Additionally, the forward and rearward housing flanges 179 and cover flanges 181 are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction at a distance less than the space between consecutive ones of the plurality of vertical wires 131. As such, consecutive wires of the plurality of vertical wires 131 may be fit between each aligned pair of housing flanges 179 and cover flanges 181, as shown in the embodiment of
Within housing chamber 182, one or more cams 184 may be situated as shown, for example, in the embodiments of
Additionally, each cam 184 includes a cam body 198. Cam body 198 may extend from first end 186 to second end 194 of each cam 184. Cam body 198, considered in isolation, may be hollow such that cam body 198 defines an internal cam chamber 200.
A magnet 202 may be contained within cam chamber 200. Magnet 202 produces a magnetic field that exerts an attraction force on the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 of the first sidewall 170 or the second sidewall 172 of the metallic rack assembly 124 within housing chamber 182 when the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 is within the magnetic field. This may vary depending on the type of magnet and material of the rack, however it is intended that the magnetic field is small and the attractive force of magnet 202 is applied to the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 when the two are in close proximity (e.g., within 1 inch). In this way, and as further described herein, magnet 202 is attracted to rack assembly 124 as it is lifted from a lowered position to a raised position, causing each cam 184 to pivot from its passive position to its retaining position. Each cam 184 may be configured to support the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 of first sidewall 170 or second sidewall 172 of rack assembly 124 when the cam 184 is in the retaining position.
Employing the height adjustment assembly 177 and other elements of dishwasher appliance 10 described above, a variety of techniques for lifting and lowering of rack assembly 124 may be employed, including techniques involving manually or mechanically lifting and lowering rack assembly 124.
To raise rack assembly 124, a user manually lifts rack assembly 124 in this embodiment. As rack assembly 124 is lifted vertically, the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 passes within close proximity to magnet 202 and through the magnetic field of magnet 202 in cam 184, attracting these elements together. As the user continues to lift rack assembly 124, the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 pulls magnet 202 upward, causing cam 184 to pivot about shaft 190, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, such as shown in
To lower rack assembly 124 back to the lowered position, a user may initially lift rack assembly 124 to the release position. Thus, the release position of rack assembly 124 is higher than the raised position of rack assembly 124. Lifting of rack assembly 124 from the raised position raises the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130. Because cam 184 is already substantially vertical, it can no longer rotate to remain magnetically attached to the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130. Accordingly, as the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 is raised out of the magnetic field of magnet 202, the attraction force between the two is broken. With the cessation of the magnetic force on cam 184, gravity causes cam 184 to fall, pivoting about shaft 190 until it returns to the passive position. Since cam 184 no longer provides support, the user may then manually lowers rack assembly 124 to the lowered position.
An alternative embodiment employing the height adjustment assembly 177 and other elements of dishwasher appliance 10 is illustrated is illustrated in
Lifting portion 212 of first lever 206, in this embodiment, may further include a lever rotation protrusion 214, a rack lifting protrusion 216, and a shaft pushing protrusion 218. Lever rotation protrusion 214 may extend from lifting portion 212 of first lever 206 laterally in the direction of rack assembly 124. Lever rotation protrusion 214 may further be positioned above the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 within housing chamber 182. Rack lifting protrusion 216 may also extend from lifting portion 212 of first lever 206 laterally in the direction of rack assembly 124. Rack lifting protrusion 216 may further be positioned below the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 within housing chamber 182. Shaft pushing protrusion 218 may extend radially outward from connecting portion 210 of first lever 206 and substantially orthogonal to lifting portion 212 of first lever 206 such that pivoting of first lever 206 rotates shaft pushing protrusion 218 between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position.
First lever 206 may be pivotable about a lateral axis extending through connecting portion 210. Additionally, first handle portion 208 of first lever 206 may be configured to flex inward in the lateral direction (i.e., toward rack assembly 124). Exercising these degrees of freedom, first lever 206 may be moveable between a lower rack position, a raise rack position, a resting raised rack position, and a resting lowered rack position, as further described herein.
As shown most clearly in the embodiment of
Referring again to the embodiments of
When it is desirable to lift rack assembly 124, first lever 206 is rotated by the user in the rearward direction (from the perspective of the front of dishwashing appliance 10) to the raise rack position by applying a force in the transverse direction to first handle portion 208. As lever 206 is pushed, lifting portion 212 of first lever 206 rotates upward, causing rack lifting protrusion 218 to push the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 upward, lifting the entire rack assembly 124, as shown in
As illustrated in the embodiment of
First lever 206 may further be manipulated by the user to lower rack assembly 124 as shown in the embodiment of
The magnets 202 of cams 184 initially maintain an attraction to the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130, thus lifting cams 184 and shaft 190 as rack assembly 124 is lifted. However, first lever 206 is configured such that rotation of first handle portion 208 into offset space 228 causes shaft pushing protrusion 218 to extend substantially vertically. Shaft pushing protrusion 218 is so dimensioned that, in the substantially vertical position, it pushes shaft 190 downward, thereby also push cams 184 downward to the extent that the magnetic attraction between magnets 202 and the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 is broken. At this point, gravity causes shaft 190 to fall to the lowermost portion of volume 230 and cams 184 to pivot back to the passive position. Thereafter, the user may gradually release the lever and, in the absence of cams 184 for support, the weight of rack assembly 124 on rack lifting protrusion 216 causes first lever 206 to rotate back to its original position and wherein rack assembly 124 returns to the lowered position. In this embodiment, rack assembly 124 is support by housing 178, but in alternative embodiments, rack assembly 124 may be supported by rack lifting protrusion 216 or an alternative protrusion.
Yet another alternative embodiment employing the height adjustment assembly 177 and other elements of dishwasher appliance 10 is illustrated is illustrated in
In this embodiment, second lever 234 may further include a second handle portion 238 and a second lever body 240. Both first lever 206 and second lever 234 are pivotable about common lateral axis extending through first lever body 236 and second lever body 240 at a pivot point 242. Second lever body 240 may be conceptually divided into a first side 248 and a second side 250 on opposite sides of pivot point 242. Second lever body 240 may further include a second lever rotation protrusion 252, a rack lifting protrusion 254, and a shaft pushing protrusion 256. Lever rotation protrusion 252 of second lever 234 may extend from first side 248 of second lever body 240 laterally in the direction of rack assembly 124 and be situated above the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 within housing chamber 182. Rack lifting protrusion 254 may extend from first side 248 of second lever body 240 laterally in the direction of rack assembly 124 and be situated below the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 within housing chamber 182. Shaft pushing protrusion 256 may extend from second side 250 of second lever body 240 in the direction of rack assembly 124 and be situated such that pivot point 242 is substantially between shaft pushing protrusion 256 and rack lifting protrusion 254. Although it is not necessary that pivot point 242 is directly or precisely between shaft pushing protrusion 256 and rack lifting protrusion 254, they must be on opposite sides of pivot point 242 on second lever body 240 such that, as second lever 234 rotates, shaft pushing protrusion 256 travels in substantially the opposite direction as rack lifting protrusion, as further described herein.
Referring still to the embodiments of
When it is desirable to lift rack assembly 124, first lever 206 is rotated by the user in the rearward direction (from the perspective of the front of dishwashing appliance 10) by applying a force in the transverse direction to first handle portion 208. As first lever 206 is pushed, first lever body 240, causing rack lifting protrusion 246 (identified in
As illustrated in the embodiment of
Second lever 234 may be manipulated by the user to lower rack assembly 124 as shown in the embodiment of
The magnets 202 of cams 184 initially maintain an attraction to the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130, thus lifting cams 184 and shaft 190 as rack assembly 124 is lifted. However, second lever 234 is configured such that rotation of second handle portion 238 causes shaft pushing protrusion 256 of second lever 234 to contact shaft 190, pushing it downward and thereby also pushing cams 184 downward to the extent that the magnetic attraction between magnets 202 and the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 is broken. At this point, gravity causes shaft 190 to fall to the lowermost position and cams 184 to pivot back to the passive position. Thereafter, the user may gradually release the second lever 234 and, in the absence of cams 184 for support, the weight of rack assembly 124 on rack lifting protrusion 254 of second lever 234 and rack lifting protrusion 246 of first lever 206 causes first lever 206 and second lever 234 to rotate back to their original positions.
Still another alternative embodiment employing the height adjustment assembly 177 and other elements of dishwasher appliance 10 is illustrated is illustrated in
In this embodiment, cams 184 may be contained within housing 178 and angled away from rack assembly 124 while in the passive position. Rack assembly 124 begins in a lowered position. A user may manually lift rack assembly 124 when it is desirable to raise rack assembly 124. In doing so, the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 comes in proximity to magnets 202 of cams 184, pivoting cams 184 toward rack assembly 124 and into the retaining position. The user may then set the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130 down on retaining surface 196 of cams 184, where rack assembly 124 is then in the raised position. In this embodiment, retaining surfaces 196 of cams 184 may be flat.
When it is desirable to lower rack assembly 124, the user presses first lever 206 in the lateral direction away from rack assembly 124. This rotates first lever 206, shaft 190, and cams 184. Simultaneously, the user may lift rack assembly slightly upward to the release position. The flat retaining surface 196 of cams 184 rotate out from under the one of the plurality of horizontal wires 130, breaking the magnetic attraction and allowing rack assembly 124 to be gently lowered to the lowered position and cams 184 to fall to their passive position.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
