Patent Application
20250072713
The present subject matter relates generally to a slide assembly, and more particularly, to a mount assembly for mounting a soft close mechanism to a slide assembly of a dishwashing appliance.
Dishwashing appliances generally include a tub that defines a wash chamber. Dish racks can be mounted within the wash chamber of the tub for receipt of articles for washing. Multiple spray assemblies can be positioned within the wash chamber for applying or directing wash fluid (e.g., water, detergent, etc.) towards articles disposed within the rack assemblies in order to clean such articles. Dishwashing appliances are also typically equipped with one or more pumps, such as a circulation pump or a drain pump, for directing or motivating wash fluid from the wash chamber (e.g., to the spray assemblies or an area outside of the dishwashing appliance).
Conventional dishwasher appliances include slide assemblies for supporting the one or more dish racks within the wash chamber and enabling movement of the dish racks in and out of the wash chamber. Often, the one or more dish racks are designed to be as large as possible, for instance, to maximize a number of articles that may be loaded into the one or more dish racks. As a result, the space within the wash chamber for the slide assemblies, and for features thereof, for example, may be limited. Nonetheless, the size of a dish rack and the mass of articles loaded therein may place significant strain on any slide assembly and the articles, especially when sliding the dish rack back into the tub. For instance, abrupt or hard contact between the dish rack and the tub may risk damaging the slide assembly or articles within the dish rack.
Accordingly, a dishwashing appliance that includes one or more features to mitigate damage or improve durability (e.g., within a compact or space-efficient arrangement) would be useful.
Aspects and 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 one exemplary embodiment, a dishwashing appliance is provided. The dishwashing appliance may define a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The dishwashing appliance may include a tub defining a wash chamber. The dishwashing appliance may also include a rack assembly to load articles within the dishwashing appliance. The dishwashing appliance may further include a slide assembly mounted to the tub to transition the rack assembly between an extended loading position and a retracted position. The slide assembly may include an inner rail attached to the tub. The slide assembly may also include an outer rail slidably attached to the inner rail. The outer rail may be extended between a first end and a second end approximately along the transverse direction. The slide assembly may also include a soft close mechanism that may include an actuator to dampen movement of the slide assembly. The slide assembly may further include a mount assembly. The mount assembly may include an end cap attached to the first end of the outer rail. The mount assembly may also include a first mount body attached to the outer rail. The soft close mechanism may be mounted to the first mount body.
In another exemplary embodiment, a slide assembly is provided. The slide assembly may include an inner rail. The slide assembly may also include an outer rail slidably attached to the inner rail. The outer rail may be extended between a first end and a second end. The slide assembly may also include a soft close mechanism that may include an actuator to dampen movement of the slide assembly. The slide assembly may further include a mount assembly. The mount assembly may include an end cap attached to the first end of the outer rail. The mount assembly may also include a first mount body attached to the outer rail. The soft close mechanism may be mounted to the first mount body.
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 terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”).
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “generally,” “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a ten percent margin, i.e., including values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. In this regard, for example, when used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction, e.g., “generally vertical” includes forming an angle of up to ten degrees in any direction, e.g., clockwise, or counterclockwise, with the vertical direction V.
Referring now to
The dishwasher appliance 100 may include a cabinet 102 having a tub 104 therein that defines a wash chamber 106. The tub 104 may include a front opening and a door 120 that may be hinged at a bottom 122 for movement between a normally closed vertical position, e.g.,
In addition, the dishwasher appliance 100 may include one or more rack assemblies, such as an upper rack assembly 130 and a lower rack assembly 132, that may be used to load articles in the dishwasher appliance 100. In some embodiments, the upper rack assembly 130 may be mounted within the dishwasher appliance 100 in an upper region 141 of the wash chamber 106, e.g., above the lower rack assembly 132 with respect to the vertical direction V. The rack assemblies 130, 132 may each be adapted for movement substantially along the transverse direction T between an extended loading position (not shown) in which the respective rack assembly 130, 132 is positioned substantially outside the wash chamber 106 and a retracted position, e.g.,
One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the pair of slide assemblies 124 and the pair of roller assemblies 136 are provided by way of example only. For instance, in alternative exemplary embodiment, the movement of the upper rack assembly 130 and the lower rack assembly 132 may each be facilitated by a respective pair of slide assemblies such as the pair of slide assemblies 124.
The rack assemblies 130, 132 may each include a dish rack for holding articles therein, e.g., for the cleaning of the articles. For instance, the upper rack assembly 130 may include an upper dish rack 210 and the lower rack assembly 132 may include a lower dish rack 211. The dish racks 210, 211 may each include a plurality of elongated member or rails 134 that may each be extended in the lateral direction L, the transverse direction T. and the vertical direction V. The plurality of rails 134 may be wires, rods, or any other suitable member, which may be fabricated into a lattice structure to form the shape of the respective dish rack 210, 211.
As depicted and described herein, the pair of slide assemblies 124 may include or be provided as a pair of ball bearing slide assemblies 124 that each include an inner rail 123 and outer rail 125. The inner rail 123 may be mounted to, fixed to, or attached to, a lateral tub side wall 128 of the tub 104. The outer rail 125 may be attached to or mounted to a respective lateral side of a corresponding dish rack (e.g., the upper dish rack 210). In some embodiments, the outer rails 125 are slidably mounted onto the respective inner rail 123 such that the outer rails 125 may slide along the respective inner rail 123, e.g., to move the upper rack assembly 130 between the extended loading position and the retracted position. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the pair of slide assemblies 124 include an intermediate rail 127. As will be further described below, the intermediate rail 127 may include one or more rail caps 222 that each may be attached to a respective transverse end of the intermediate rail 127. Each rail cap 222 may be used to cover the respective transverse end of the intermediate rail 127. For instance, in some embodiments, the intermediate rail 127 may be constructed from a material, for example, metal that may include exposed edges. Each rail cap 222 may be used to protect a user from the exposed metal edges of the intermediate rail 127.
In addition, lower guides 126 may be positioned in opposing manner of the sides of chamber 106 and provide a ridge or shelf for roller assemblies 136 so as to support and provide movement for the lower rack assembly 132.
Optionally, a silverware basket 150 may be removably attached to the lower rack assembly 132 for placement of silverware, small utensils, and the like, which are too small to be accommodated by the upper rack assembly 130 and the lower rack assembly 132.
Further, the dishwasher appliance 100 may include a lower spray assembly 144 that may be rotatably mounted within a lower region 146 of the wash chamber 106 and above a tub sump portion 142 so as to rotate in relatively close proximity to the lower rack assembly 132, e.g., in closer proximity to the lower rack assembly 132 than to the upper rack assembly 130. In addition, the dishwasher appliance 100 may include a mid-level spray assembly 148 that may be located in the upper region 141 of the wash chamber 106 and may attached to, or located in close proximity to, the upper rack assembly 130, e.g., the mid-level spray assembly 148 may be in “close proximity” to the upper rack assembly 130 in that the mid-level spray assembly 148 is closer to the upper rack assembly 130 than to the lower rack assembly 132. In some embodiments an upper spray assembly (not shown) may additionally be located above the upper rack assembly 130.
The lower spray assembly 144, the mid-level spray assembly 148, and the upper spray assembly may be fed by a fluid circulation assembly that may be configured for circulating water and wash fluid in the tub 104. Portions of the fluid circulation assembly may be located in a machinery compartment 140 located below the bottom sump portion 142 of the tub 104, as generally recognized in the art. Each spray assembly, e.g., lower spray assembly 144, mid-level spray assembly 148, and upper spray assembly, may include an arrangement of discharge ports or orifices for directing washing liquid onto dishes or other articles located in the upper rack assembly 130 and the lower rack assembly 132, respectively. The arrangement of the discharge ports in at least the lower spray assembly 144 may provide a rotational force by virtue of the washing fluid flowing through the discharge ports. The resultant rotation of the lower spray assembly 144 may provide coverage of dishes and other articles with a washing spray.
The dishwasher appliance 100 may further be equipped with a controller 116 to regulate operation of dishwasher appliance 100. The controller 116 may include a memory (e.g., non-transitive memory) and microprocessor, such as a general or special purpose microprocessor 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.
The controller 116 may be positioned in a variety of locations throughout dishwasher appliance 100. For example, as depicted in
It should be appreciated that the present subject matter is not limited to any particular style, model, or configuration of dishwasher appliance. Thus, the exemplary embodiment depicted in
Only a single slide assembly 124 (or elements thereof) is illustrated in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the slide assembly 124 is mounted within the wash chamber 106, for instance to the one of the side walls 128 of the tub 104. In addition, the slide assembly 124 may be provided to transition the rack assembly, for example, the upper rack assembly 130 (
In some embodiments, the outer rail 125 extend between a first end 208 and a second end 213 approximately along the transverse direction T and may be slidably attached to the inner rail 123. When assembled, the slide assembly 124 may, thus, be capable of transitioning between the extended loading position and the retracted position. Additionally, in some embodiments, the outer rail 125 may include a plurality of slots 212 that may extend approximately along the vertical direction V. As shown, the slot 212 may be spaced apart approximately along the transverse direction T, for instance, spaced apart between the first end 208 of the outer rail 125 and the second end 213 of the outer rail 125. In some embodiments, for example, as illustrated in
When assembled, the inner cage 214 may be positioned between the intermediate rail 127 and the inner rail 123. The first set of ball bearings 216 may facilitate the movement of the intermediate rail 127 relative to the inner rail 123. In addition, the outer cage 218 may be positioned between the intermediate rail 127 and the outer rail 125. The second set of ball bearings 220 may facilitate the movement of the outer rail 125 relative to the intermediate rail 127. In this regard, during movement of the slide assembly 124, for example, when moving the slide assembly 124 between the extended loading position and the retracted position, the intermediate rail 127 may be capable of sliding along the inner rail 123 approximately along or parallel to the transverse direction T. Additionally or alternatively, the outer rail 125 may be capable of sliding along the intermediate rail 127 approximately along or parallel to the transverse direction T.
In some embodiments, the slide assembly 124 includes a soft close mechanism 200 to dampen movement of the slide assembly 124. More particularly, the soft close mechanism 200 may be provided to control, dampen, or quiet the movement of components, for instance, the intermediate rail 127 or the outer rail 125, during a retraction operation of the slide assembly 124. A retraction operation of the slide assembly 124 may be an operation of the slide assembly 124 wherein the slide assembly 124 may be retracted from the extended loading position to the retracted position such as when a user of the dishwashing appliance 100 may retract a rack assembly, such as the upper rack assembly 130.
Generally, the soft close mechanism 200 may be provided as any suitable soft close slide. In some embodiments, the soft close mechanism 200 includes a saddle 224 and an actuator 226, for example, a spring, a damper, or a combination thereof, positioned within an actuator housing 228. Further, the saddle 224 may be coupled to the actuator 226 and may be configured as an intermediary component between the trigger 202 and the actuator 226. For instance, during a retraction operation of the slide assembly 124, the trigger head 206 may interact with the saddle 224 to engage the actuator 226. The actuator 226 may be configured to dampen the movement of the outer rail 125 relative to the inner rail 123 such that a “soft close” of the slide assembly 124 may be achieved. Specifically, in some instances, the actuator 226 may include a spring and a damper. For example, during the retraction operation of the slide assembly 124, the spring, which may have been held in compression, may release potential energy and the damper may create resistance for the spring during the retraction operation to slow down the movement of the slide assembly such that the “soft close” of the slide assembly 124 may be achieved.
Further, in some embodiments, the slide assembly 124 may include a mount assembly 231 that may be utilized to mount the soft close mechanism 200 to the outer rail 125. As illustrated in
It should be appreciated that the general orientation of the slide assembly 124 and the components thereof is provided by way of example only. For instance, in alternative exemplary embodiments, the slide assembly 124 may be oriented such that the soft close mechanism 200 and the trigger head 206 may be positioned atop of the slide assembly 124 approximately along the vertical direction V.
Referring now to
Further, as illustrated in
Further, the first lip 242 of the end cap body 238 may be positioned at the first edge 246 of the mount wall 240 and the second lip 244 of the end cap body 238 may be positioned at the second edge 248 of the mount wall 240. The first lip 242 and the second lip 244 of the end cap body 238 may be configured and shaped such that they may be snapped onto the outer rail 125 (e.g., via a friction fit with the same).
In some embodiments, the first mount body 234 of the mount assembly 231 may be formed integrally with the end cap body 238. For instance, in some embodiments, the first mount body 234 and the end cap body 238 may be a monolithic piece that may be formed of any suitable material, for example, a rigid polymer material. In addition, the first mount body 234 may be positioned below the end cap body 238 approximately along the vertical direction V such that a housing cavity 254 of the first mount body 234 is positioned below the first lip 242 of the end cap body 238. The housing cavity 254 of the first mount body 234 may be complementary to a portion of the soft close mechanism 200. In some embodiments, housing cavity 254 is shaped and configured to receive a first end 256 of the soft close mechanism 200, for instance, to mount the soft close mechanism 200 to the outer rail 125.
In some embodiments, the second mount 232 of the mount assembly 231 is directly attached to the outer rail 125. For instance, referring now to
In some embodiments, the second mount body 236 of the mount assembly 231 may be formed integrally with the main body 258. For instance, in some embodiments, the second mount body 236 and the main body 258 may be a monolithic piece that may be formed of any suitable material, for example, a rigid polymer material. In addition, the second mount body 236 may be positioned below the main body 258 approximately along the vertical direction V such that a housing cavity 268 of the second mount body 236 may be positioned below the first lip 264 of the main body 258. The housing cavity 268 of the second mount body 236 may be complementary to a portion of the soft close mechanism 200. In some embodiments, housing cavity 268 is shaped and configured to receive a second end 270 of the soft close mechanism 200, for instance, to mount the soft close mechanism 200 to the outer rail 125.
It should be appreciated that the position of the first mount body 234 and the second mount body 236 are provided by way of example only. For instance, in alternative exemplary embodiments, the first mount body 234 may be attached to the main body 258 of the second mount 232 and the second mount body 236 may be attached to the end cap body 238 of the end cap 230. In this regard, the first mount body 234 may be formed integrally with the main body 258 of the second mount 232 and the second mount body 236 may be formed integrally with the end cap body 238 of the end cap 230.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the first wall 272 and the second wall 274 define the housing cavity 268 that the soft close mechanism 200 may be mounted within. For instance, in some embodiments, the soft close mechanism 200 may include a first portion 278 and a second portion 280. The first portion 278 of the soft close mechanism 200 may be mounted entirely within the housing cavity 268 and the second portion 280 may be positioned outside of the housing cavity 268. In this regard, the first portion 278 of the soft close mechanism 200 may be the only portion of the soft close mechanism 200 that is mounted within the second mount body 236.
Particularly, the first portion 278 of the soft close mechanism 200 may correspond to a portion of the soft close mechanism 200 that may be used to mount or attach the soft close mechanism 200 to the first mount body 234, the second mount body 236, or a combination thereof. Further, the second portion 280 of the soft close mechanism 200 may correspond to the actuation components of the soft close mechanism 200, for example, the saddle 224 or the actuator 226, that may interact with, or may be influenced by, the trigger 202 during operation of the slide assembly 124, for instance, during a retraction operation of the slide assembly 124.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the second lip may be attached to the second edge 265 of the mount wall 260 and the first lip 264 of the main body 258 may include a proximal end 282 that may be attached to the first edge 276 of the mount wall 260. In addition, the first lip 264 of the main body 258 may include a distal end 284. Further, in the vertical orientation, the second wall 274 of the second mount body 236 may be extended from the distal end 284 of the first lip 264 approximately along the vertical direction V. For instance, the second wall 274 of the second mount body 236 may be extended such that the second wall 274 is approximately parallel to the first wall 272. In this regard, the second mount body 236 and the housing cavity 268 defined by the second mount body 236 may be in the vertical orientation.
Referring now to
For example, the exemplary slide assembly 324 of
As illustrated in
Referring now to
For example, the exemplary second mount 332 of
In such embodiments, a soft close mechanism such as the soft close mechanism 200 may be attached to the first wall 272. For instance, the soft close mechanism may be mechanically attached, e.g., with mechanical fasteners, to the first wall 272 of the second mount body 236.
Exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter advantageously provide a mounting assembly that may be utilized to mount a soft close mechanism to an outer rail of a slide assembly. The mount assembly 231 may advantageously allow the soft close mechanism to easily be mounted to the outer rail by taking advantage of existing geometries of the slide assembly, for instance, the outer rail slots and general shape. The end cap may advantageously function as a traditional end cap that may be attached to an exposed side of the outer rail, for instance, to protect a user of the slide assembly, and may also be utilized to locate or mount the soft close mechanism, for instance, via the first mount body or the second mount body. The second mount may advantageously be located and attached to the outer rail via the one or more protruded tabs that may fit into the plurality of slots of the outer rail.
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 languages of the claims.
