Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2005 055 775.9, filed Nov. 21, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing dishwashers of different widths, especially ones of a drawer-type construction, including housings which accommodate a washing tub having at least one spray means, the washing tub having mounted thereon different functional components, such as water inlet, appliance control system, and water softening system.
There are dishwasher manufacturing methods in which the interior is manufactured using a one-piece mold which is capable of producing one particular width of a dishwasher. The dishwasher has various functional elements in the wall area, said functional elements then being mountable on the washing tub. The known machines have the disadvantage of being relatively expensive due to the adaptation to one particular width of a dishwasher. This is because, in practice, dishwashers are generally available in widths of 45, 60 and 90 cm. Therefore, a plurality of molds must be provided for the different widths.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method which is suitable for manufacturing dishwashers of different widths and in which the same molds can be used for different appliance models.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for making a dishwasher including providing a wash chamber receivable in a housing. The wash chamber includes a left side part capable of having a first functional component disposed thereon, a right side part capable of having second functional component disposed thereon, and a first middle part disposed between the left and right side parts and capable of having a spray device disposed thereon. At least one intermediate part is disposed between the first middle part and at least one of the left and right side parts so as to provide a dishwasher having a desired width.
The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which:
In accordance with the present invention, the wash chambers of the dishwashers, regardless of their width, have a first left side part carrying functional components, a second right side part carrying functional components, and at least one middle part including the spray means; the left side part, the right side part and the middle part(s) being of the same design, respectively, in each dishwasher regardless of its width. In order to manufacture a dishwasher having a greater width, one or more intermediate parts are inserted between the middle part(s) and the left and right side parts. This reduces the cost of manufacturing the dishwashers and results in higher mold utilization.
In order to manufacture the interior, it is preferred for the middle part, side parts and intermediates parts to have the same depth. This ensures that the mold allows for manufacturing of a substantially cuboid-shaped washing tub.
The middle part and the side parts may each have functional elements mounted thereon, the mold already being provided with suitable shapes for purposes of mounting the respective functional elements. In addition to the spray arm support, these functional elements include, for example, a sump, one or more screens, a dispensing device, a control system, a water outlet, a water inlet, a power supply, a drying system, a salt container, a resin container, and other functional elements. It is also advantageous if the side parts are each provided with holding means for a runner of a pull-out guide assembly.
A washing tub 1a for dishwashers includes a middle part 2 with an axis 3 at one wall element, a spray arm being mountable at axis 3. Also shown schematically is a screen 4 which is part of a fluid circuit. A suitable seat for a screen 4 is made on the wall section in the washing tub. At the sides of middle part 2, there are provided a left side part 5 and a right side part 6 which are joined to middle part 2 and are designed in such a manner that they can be used in mounting of the washing tub of dishwashers having a width of, for example, 45 cm. Circle 7 schematically indicates the radius of a spray arm.
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In the case of washing tub 1b, the two intermediate elements 8 are inserted between middle part 2 and side walls 5 and 6, respectively. Intermediate parts 8 do not have any functional elements and are only used to increase the width of the mold. Therefore, the wall sections produced there are smooth and not intended for attachment of any functional elements.
In the case of washing tub 1c, the mold is shown in its widest version, in which two middle parts 2, 2′ are provided, a first middle part 2 including a control system 15 and a dispensing device 16. Second middle part 2′ is formed in the region of axis 3 as the other middle part 2, but lacks a control system and a dispensing device, because only one of these functional elements is needed for each washing tub, respectively. In this respect, middle part 2′ is a kind of second intermediate element in accordance with the present application. Moreover, side parts 5 and 6 are of the same design as in the preceding embodiments.
Thus, the present invention provides components which make it possible to manufacture dishwashers of different widths in a simple manner. The individual parts may be designed as plastic or stainless steel parts which are joined by welding, gluing or crimping. It is also possible to conceive of other ways to manufacture the individual parts.
Middle part 2 may be joined to side parts 5 and 6, and/or to intermediate parts 8, by mechanical coupling means, for example, by using screw connections, clamping connections, or other fastening means.
The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein; reference should be had to the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 055 775.9 | Nov 2005 | DE | national |