Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6666531
-
Patent Number
6,666,531
-
Date Filed
Monday, November 26, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 23, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- McKee, Voorhees & Sease, P.L.C.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 312 228
- 312 236
- 312 311
- 248 676
- 248 677
- 248 678
- 248 18891
- 248 672
- 248 3168
- 134 200
- 134 201
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A single piece tub support and frame for a dishwasher has a unitary support member that includes a pair of laterally spaced U-shaped upright end portions and an intermediate inverted U-shaped upright portion. The intermediate portion fits over the top and sides of the dishwasher tub rearwardly adjacent the front flange portion thereof. When the U-shaped end portions clear the bottom wall of the tub, they resiliently spring inward into supporting positions under the bottom wall. The unitary support member greatly reduces the number of components required, reduces manufacturing time and cost, and maintains the tub in its designed shape.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of dishwashers. More particularly, this invention relates to a single piece frame and support member for the tub of a dishwasher.
A typical dishwasher includes a tub having an open front leading to an interior washing compartment. A door pivotally mounts in a sealable manner over the front opening. Various means have been provided for supporting the tub on a floor or supporting surface. Heretofore tub frame and support means have typically included a plurality of separate component parts that must be welded or fastened together with mechanical fasteners, such as screws, rivets, or the like. Fabrication and assembly of these component parts requires considerable time and effort. It is desirable to minimize the number of component parts, movements, operations, and fasteners that are necessary to assemble the tub support frame, as well as to mount the tub and the door thereto. The component parts must also be assembled in a rather precise manner or distortion of the tub occurs. If the tub walls are not square with each other at the front opening, the door may have difficulty properly sealing the opening.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved frame and support system for a dishwasher tub.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a single piece tub frame and support member that requires no screws, rivets or other mechanical fasteners for its fabrication.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a single piece tub frame and support member that elevates the bottom wall of the tub and wraps around the top wall and opposite side walls of the tub to maintain squareness therebetween.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a method and means for dishwasher tub and support assembly that is economical, efficient in use, and which results in a reliable and durable assembly.
These and other objectives will be apparent from the drawings, as well as from the description and claims that follow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The single piece tub support and frame for a dishwasher has a unitary support member that includes a pair of laterally spaced U-shaped upright end portions and an intermediate inverted U-shaped upright portion. The dishwasher tub attaches to the intermediate portion, which fits over the top and sides of the dishwasher tub rearwardly adjacent the front flange portion thereof. When the U-shaped end portions clear the bottom wall of the tub, they resiliently spring inward into supporting positions under the bottom wall. The unitary support member greatly reduces the number of components required, reduces manufacturing time and cost, and maintains the tub in its designed shape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a right rear perspective view of a dishwasher tub mounted on the single piece support frame of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a right side elevation view of the dishwasher tub and support frame of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a front elevation view of the dishwasher tub and support frame of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of the unitary support frame of this invention.
FIG. 5
is a top plan view of the support frame of FIG.
3
.
FIG. 6
is a front elevation view of the support frame of FIG.
3
.
FIG. 7
is a right side elevation view of the support frame of FIG.
3
.
FIG. 8
is a cross-sectional view taken along line
8
—
8
in FIG.
5
and illustrates an embodiment wherein square tubing forms the support frame.
FIG. 8A
is cross-sectional view similar to
FIG. 5
, but shows an alternate embodiment wherein a U-shaped channel member forms the support frame.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1-3
illustrate a dishwasher tub and frame combination
10
that has a tub
12
supported by a single piece frame and support member
14
according to the present invention. The tub
12
includes a top wall
16
, opposite side walls
18
,
20
, and a bottom wall
22
. The tub
12
has a back wall
23
and an open front
24
. In the preferred embodiment, the tub
12
is formed of lightweight stainless steel or molded from a plastic material, such as polypropylene, but the materials of the tub can be varied without detracting from the invention.
The tub
12
has a front flange portion
26
for receiving a portion of a door (not shown) that pivotally mounts to the frame and support member
14
at a pair of laterally spaced hinge brackets
28
. The front flange portion
26
has a substantially vertical faceplate
30
. A recessed substantially vertical surface
32
extends parallel to the faceplate
30
and partially around the perimeter of the open front
24
of the tub
12
. More particularly, the surface
32
extends along the top wall
16
and the side walls
18
,
20
. A guide rib or flange
34
protrudes from the top wall
16
and the opposite side walls
18
,
20
generally parallel to the recessed surface
32
and offset therefrom in the direction of the back tub wall
23
. Thus, a channel, slot or groove
36
is formed in the tub
12
between the guide rib or flange
34
and the front flange portion
26
. The front flange portion
26
and the groove
36
preferably extend perpendicular or square to the bottom wall
22
of the tub
12
.
Referring to
FIGS. 4-8
, a single piece of elongated bar stock forms the support member
14
. Preferably the bar stock is tubular and has a square transverse cross-section
38
, as shown in
FIG. 8
, or an open channel extending longitudinally therein and a U-shaped transverse cross-section
38
A, as shown in FIG.
8
A. The preferred materials include steel or aluminum alloys, but the materials can be varied without distracting from the invention. A forming operation results in the support member
14
having a plurality of bends that define several identifiable portions.
In general, the portions of the support member
14
include a pair of laterally spaced upright U-shaped end portions
40
L,
4
R and an intermediate portion
42
that has an inverted U-shape. The end portions
40
L,
40
R each have an upright front leg
44
L or
44
R, an upright rear leg
46
L or
46
R and a substantially horizontal bottom rail
48
L or
48
R respectively connecting the legs. The U-shaped end portions
40
L,
40
R preferably extend parallel to each other and reside in substantially vertical planes.
The intermediate portion
42
has a top rail
50
and side rails
52
L,
52
R. The exact profile of the inverted U-shaped intermediate portion
42
preferably closely conforms to the outer profile of the tub
12
. In the usual case of a rectangular tub, the top rail
50
extends horizontally and the rails
52
L,
52
R extend vertically. The side rails
52
L,
52
R are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the top rail
50
.
The side rails
52
L,
52
R are perpendicular to the U-shaped end portions
40
L,
40
R respectively. The top rail
50
is also perpendicular to the U-shaped end portions
40
L,
40
R. Thus, the intermediate portion
42
as a whole is perpendicular to and square with the end portions
40
L,
40
R. The lower ends of the vertical rails
52
L,
52
R can extend straight down and be directly joined to the front legs
44
L,
44
R respectively, or optional transition portions or rails
54
L,
54
R can angle downwardly and rearwardly to provide an indirect connection and recess the end portions
40
L,
40
R rearwardly from the rails
52
L,
52
R.
The unitary support member
14
has a plurality of holes
56
,
58
,
62
,
64
,
66
, that are preferably punched, pierced, or drilled during the forming operation. Longitudinally spaced holes
56
extend vertically through the bottom rails
48
L,
48
R of the U-shaped end portions
40
L,
40
R to receive threaded bolts
68
for leveling the tub
12
. Holes
58
extend through the intermediate portion
42
of the support member
14
. Holes
62
extend laterally into the lower ends of the vertical rails
52
L,
52
R, preferably just above the transition portions
54
L,
54
R when those portions exist. Holes
64
extend into the front legs
44
L,
44
R of the end portions
40
L,
40
R. Holes
66
extend into the rear legs
46
L,
46
R of the end portions
40
L,
40
R.
In use, the support member
14
attaches to the tub
12
in a quick, simple and easy manner. Although the support member
14
is substantially rigid, by design it has some resilient deformability. The worker can pull the end portions
40
L,
40
R or the lower ends of the intermediate portion
42
farther apart to slip them over the width of the top wall
16
. Then the worker moves the member
14
toward the front flange portion
26
and the bottom wall
20
of the tub
12
until the U-shaped end portions
40
L,
40
R clear the bottom wall
20
. At that point, the end portions
40
L,
40
R resiliently spring back inward into a supporting position under the bottom wall
20
or optional pads
69
attached thereto. The inverted U-shaped intermediate portion
42
will then be securely disposed in the groove
36
.
The worker secures the tub
12
to the support member l
4
primarily by installing conventional fastening means, such as screws in the holes
58
(see the cut away portion of FIG.
2
). A conventional door seal
72
(
FIGS. 2 and 3
) mounts on the recessed surface
32
and covers the heads of the screws
70
. Cabinet mounting brackets
74
,
76
are also attached to the top rail
50
by the screws
70
. Door mounting brackets
28
attach to the lower ends of the intermediate portion
42
using holes
62
, just above the transition portions
54
L,
54
R. The optional angled transition portions
54
L,
54
R, also allow a toe plate
78
to be recessed rearwardly with respect to the front flange
26
of the dishwasher
10
. Conventional fastening means
80
, such as screws, attach the toe plate
78
at the holes
64
in the front legs
44
L,
44
R of the end portions
40
L,
40
R. An optional rear support cross member
82
laterally interconnects the rear legs
46
L,
46
R of the end portions
40
L,
40
R to provide additional rigidity to the frame and provide a means for securing the rear legs
46
L,
46
R to the pads
69
.
The single piece support member
14
can be formed in a single forming operation, thereby eliminating a number of machining operations for separate components parts and the sub-assembly thereof. Furthermore, the support member
14
has the added benefit of insuring the squareness of the tub
12
while supporting it. The front flange portion
26
of the tub is directly secured to the intermediate portion
42
of the support member
14
. By supporting the tub
12
at the front flange portion
26
, door seal problems have been substantially reduced or eliminated altogether.
Thus, it can be seen that the present invention at least satisfies its stated objectives.
In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and a descriptive sense only and not for the purposes of limitations. Changes in the form and the proportional parts as well as in the substitution of equivalence are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A dishwasher tub support frame, the tub comprising a front, a rear wall, opposite side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, a flange having a vertical surface extending around the top and side walls and a guide rib extending around the top and side walls and being spaced to the rear of the vertical surface to create a groove therebetween, the tub support frame comprising:an elongated support member formed a single unitary bar stock material and comprising a pair of spaced apart uptight U-shaped members and an inverted U-shaped member; the pair of upright U-shaped members each comprising an upright rear leg and an upright front leg joined by a horizontal bottom rail; the inverted U-shaped member comprising a pair of upstanding side rails extending upwardly from the upright front legs of the upright U-shaped members, and a top rail interconnecting the upper ends of the upstanding side rails; the upstanding side rails each having an angled transition portion connected to each of the upright front legs of the U-shaped members; the inverted U-shaped member being sized and shaped to fit within the groove between the guide rib and the vertical surface of the flange; the upstanding side rails of the inverted U-shaped member having a plurality of holes therein extending in a direction from the front of the side rails in a rear direction through the side rails for receiving screws to attach the upstanding side rails to the vertical surface of the flange of the tub.
- 2. The dishwasher tub support frame according to claim 1 wherein the unitary support member is of square cross-section.
- 3. The dishwasher tub support frame according to claim 1 wherein the unitary support member is of U-shaped cross-section.
- 4. The dishwasher tub support frame according to claim 1 wherein transitional portions angle in a rearward and downward direction to connect the lower ends of the side rails with the upright front legs of the upright U-shaped members.
- 5. The dishwasher tub support frame according to claim 1 wherein the pair of spaced apart upright rear and front legs are parallel to one another.
- 6. The dishwasher tub support frame according to claim 1 wherein the upstanding side rails are vertical and parallel to one another.
US Referenced Citations (20)