CA2176544A1

CA2176544A1 - Cutlery holding basket for a dishwashing machine

Info

Publication number: CA2176544A1
Application number: CA 2176544
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ugo Favret
Original assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi SpA
Priority date: 1996-05-14
Filing date: 1996-05-14
Publication date: 1997-11-15

Abstract

The cutlery basket for dishwashers has perforated and inclined side walls (4, 5) to permit better penetration of the bottom jets of washing water (11) into its interior.

Description

2 ? 76544 ''_ 2 BACRGROUND OF THE l~ ... lON

3 The present invention refers to a cutlery 4 basket suitable for insertion into a dishwasher above a rotating sprinkler, or something similar.
6 As described, for example, in IT-A-1,078,236, 7 cutlery baskets for dishwashers are preferably made of 8 plastic and normally have the shape of a parallelepiped 9 with an open top, perforated side walls and bottom, as well as possible internal separators. In particular, the 11 side walls of the basket are substantially vertical, in 12 order to limit the space occupied by the basket itself.
13 Effectively, however, the jets of washing water deriving 14 from the sprinklers below penetrate the basket only through its bottom. This limits undesirably the 16 effectiveness of washing of cutlery, especially when they 17 are crossed or have particular types of dirt.
18 The goal of the present invention is to provide 19 a cutlery basket for dishwashers, which, though having a simple and essentially compact structure, permits 21 improved washing of the cutlery.
22 According to the invention, this goal is 23 achieved with a cutlery basket for dishwashers that 24 incorporates the characteristics of the attached claims.

8UMMARY OF THE l~.v~ lON
26 The characteristics and advantages of the , .

1 invention will be clarified by means of the following 2 description, given only by way of a non-limiting example, - 3 with reference to the attached diagrams, in which:
4 FIG. 1 shows a cutlery basket according to the invention schematically in a perspective view; and 6 FIG. 2 shows in cross-section an enlargement 7 of a detail of the basket of FIG. 1, according to a 8 preferred embodiment of the invention.

g DET~TT.~n DESCRIPTION OF THE lNv~.. ION
With reference to the diagrams, the cutlery 11 basket is preferably made of plastic and has a perforated 12 structure formed with a bottom (3), from which side walls 13 rise toward the top. Preferably, the bottom is 14 essentially rectangular, and the side walls consist of two small walls (4) and two large side walls (5). The 16 basket also includes a handle (10) (shown only partially 17 in the diagrams) and interior dividers (6, 7) that, 18 together with the rest of the structure 19 (3, 4, 5), define in a known way various spaces suitable for placement of cutlery of different sizes in vertical 21 position.
22 In a known way, the cutlery basket is suitable 23 to be positioned within the tub of a dishwasher, for 24 example by resting on a dish basket, in such a manner as to be sprinkled by jets of washing water directed from 26 the bottom toward the top. Such water jets are 27 represented schematically by the arrows (11) in FIG. 2 -1 and are produced by spraying means below, for example by 2 a rotating sprinkler (not shown, for simplicity).
3 The side walls (4, 5) of the cutlery basket are 4 provided with several openings, preferably defined by several columns (8) and several crosspieces (9).
6 According to one aspect of the invention, 7 corresponding to its side surfaces, the cutlery basket is 8 tapered toward the bottom in such a way that, in contrast 9 to known solutions, said apertures constitute 10 corresponding windows for the passage of jets of washing 11 water (11). Preferably, the basket is tapered in the 12 manner described, corresponding to all the side walls (4, 13 5) 14 When the basket is made of plastic, for reasons 15 of strength, the crosspieces (9) of the side walls (4, 5) 16 preferably have a form that is extended.along a 17 transverse axis in a known manner. According to another 18 aspect of the invention, in order to increase the size of 19 the above-mentioned passage windows without substantially 20 increasing the size of the space occupied by the basket, 21 the extended crosspieces (9) are recessed, with their 22 transverse axes substantially vertical, as shown in FIG.
23 2. This permits the side walls (4, 5) to be made with a 24 slight inclination, as shown in the diagram, permitting 25 at the same time the jets of washing water to penetrate 26 not only through the bottom (3), but also through the 27 side walls (4, 5). Consequently, the cutlery placed 28 inside the basket is washed advantageously in an improved 21 7~544 -1 manner, as has also been verified experimentally.
2 Obviously, the cutlery basket described can 3 undergo numerous modifications while remaining within the 4 scope of the invention.
For example, the basket can have a 6 substantially shortened curvilinear shape, with the 7 characteristics of the attached claims retained.

Claims

1. A cutlery basket having a perforated bottom (3), from which side surfaces (4, 5) rise that include several apertures, the basket being suitable to be sprinkled by jets of washing water (11), directed from the bottom toward the top in the tub of a dishwasher, characterized by the fact that, corresponding to said side surfaces (4, 5), the basket is tapered toward the bottom in such a way that said apertures constitute corresponding windows for the passage of water jets (11).

2. A cutlery basket according to claim 1, in which said apertures are defined by several columns (8) and several crosspieces (9) having an extended shape according to a transverse axis, characterized by the fact that said elongated crosspieces (9) are arranged with their transverse axes substantially vertical.