EP0925755A1 - Height adjustment device - Google Patents

Abstract

The basket has flexible tongues (5) on either side, with the tongues terminating in a horizontal hook (7). Release shuttle z(14) is part of the side wall support structure and permits the basket to be disengaged from the high position with a small upward movement, releasing it so it can be lowered.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for adjusting height at least two different positions.

Some machines or devices may have a element which can occupy at least two different height positions, element that must be able to be moved manually, or so motorized, easily, without having to handle blocking devices and without exerting a force greater than that necessary to lift this item if it was out of the device containing it. This is the case, for example, of the upper basket of a dishwasher, which can be moved between a low position and a high position, so that it can be adapted to loads of dishes of different heights.

In well-known dishwashers without a device integrated height adjustment, disengage the upper basket from the machine bowl by removing it from its slides, then engaging it on the other slides corresponding to its other height position and retract it in the tank. Such a maneuver is tedious and it is preferable to run it with an empty basket.

We know other dishwashers with integrated adjustment system in height of the upper basket. Among these, in a first model, the height adjustment system is not very rigid. The user is obliged to shoot laterally on two handles to unlock the high position, which is not ergonomic. In a second model, the user is obliged to pass the basket through a rest position which it must seek by doing carry out a transverse movement in the basket, which is very impractical. In a third model, the upper position of the basket cannot be reached only by a transverse movement of this basket. Finally, in a fourth model, the user must activate a side part to unlock the high position. Therefore, all of these known adjustment systems require impractical handling on the part of the user, and they are generally bulky.

The subject of the present invention is a device for adjusting height, in at least two different positions, of a movable element of machine, which is simple to make and handle by a user, without require its share of action other than that of raising this element, and to accompany his descent, if necessary, that is to say without having to pull or push an auxiliary part to unlock a position of this element, or move this element laterally. In the case of application to upper basket of a dishwasher, this height adjustment must be even when the basket is full of dishes, and without having to disengage the basket from the machine slides.

The device according to the invention comprises, in at least one side walls of the machine frame, walls along which is moved the movable element, a cut made in correspondence with each of the positions that this movable element must be able to occupy, each cutout, except the lowest, with a bearing surface oblique to the surface of the walls, a shuttle being arranged in each of the cutouts corresponding to the positions other than the position the lower part of the movable element, this shuttle being able to move in the cut parallel to the surfaces of the walls, the surface of this shuttle, shaped toward the movable member, being substantially coplanar with the surface from the wall corresponding to the lower end of the shuttle, and set back of this wall surface over the rest of the length of the shuttle, the cutouts relating to the different height positions of the movable element being aligned on at least one axis parallel to the direction of travel of the movable element, the movable element comprising, on its opposite faces walls in which the cuts are made, in correspondence with each cutting axis, a snap-in element having a projecting beak which can penetrate into one of the cutouts of the corresponding axis by lifting the shuttle from below during a upward movement of the movable element, the shuttle preventing the spout from penetrate into the cutout during a downward movement of the element mobile. Each shuttle has, on its side facing the element movable, an oblique face approaching, at its lower part, the element mobile and on which comes to slide by leaning said spout of the element latching up and passing at its height, thus forcing the shuttle to get off.

Advantageously, the latching element is a tongue elastically connected by one of its ends to the movable element and capable of fade into a cavity in the element, this tab extending parallel to the corresponding wall and to the direction of displacement of the movable element, the outer face of the body of this tongue being coplanar with the face of the movable element, the free end of the tongue forming said beak projecting towards the outside of the body, the front end of this beak being substantially perpendicular to the wall of the frame and connecting obliquely to the body of the tongue.

• la figure 1 est une vue partielle en coupe simplifiée d'un panier supérieur de lave-vaisselle, conforme à l'invention, en position basse,
• la figure 2 est une vue partielle en coupe simplifiée du panier de la figure 1 en position haute, et
• la figure 3 est une vue partielle en coupe simplifiée du panier de la figure 2 au début de son mouvement de descente vers sa position basse.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of an embodiment, taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawing, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a partial view in simplified section of an upper dishwasher basket, according to the invention, in the low position,
• FIG. 2 is a partial view in simplified section of the basket of FIG. 1 in the high position, and
• Figure 3 is a partial simplified sectional view of the basket of Figure 2 at the start of its downward movement to its lower position.

The invention is described below with reference to a dishwasher, but it is understood that it is not limited to this single application, and that it can be implemented for any device in which an element mobile (such as a locker, drawer, storage area, component ...) must be able to occupy several height positions different, the movements of this element being carried out by hand, vertically or roughly vertically. These displacements could be carried out mechanically (by levers, using pulleys) or, at the limit by motors, but in this last case the cost price of devices could be increased significantly, which would not be a good solution, especially since we know motor solutions in which the devices integral with these motors (for example screws endless) are used to maintain at any height position the driven elements. On the other hand, in the application described below, the dish basket should only occupy two different height positions, but it is understood that the invention can be applied to cases where the element mobile must occupy more than two different height positions.

In the drawing figures, only the outline 1 has been shown. a side of the dishwasher basket and an intermediate part 2 surrounding a lateral end of the basket (the other intermediate part 2, surrounding the other lateral end of the basket, has not been shown). This part 2 is secured to casters, themselves secured to slides moving on casters fixed on the machine tank (neither the casters, nor the slides are shown in the drawing). Room 2 consists two uprights 2A, 2B (vertical parts in the drawing) interconnected by a cross member 3. The walls of the uprights 2A, 2B facing the basket 1 are respectively referenced 2C, 2D. We assume that the side faces of the basket, which are opposite the walls of the tank, are tangent to these last or close to them. It is understood that in other applications, the mobile element, which must occupy at least two positions in different height, can move obliquely. In general, the device of the invention uses as many walls of the frame as necessary to keep the movable element in the selected position, and this frame can be fixed or mobile (for example in the case of telescopic mounting).

The basket is, in this example, guided vertically by slide devices (not shown), the fixed part of which is fixed to the intermediate piece, and the movable part on the side faces of the basket. So the basket always remains horizontal, and it a snap device is sufficient for each of its side faces.

In each of the side faces of the basket 1, a recess 4 having for example a rectangular opening, leaving remain a tongue 5 of elastic material, extending parallel to the direction of movement in height of the basket 1, above the bottom, generally flat of the recess 4, the tongue 5 being attached to the basket 1 body by its lower end, the other end (6) of the tongue 5 being free and able to be moved towards the interior of the indentation 4 when a force is applied to it in the corresponding direction. The outer surface of the tongue 5 is coplanar with the plane of the face corresponding side of the basket, apart from the upper end 6 of the tongue 5 which forms a beak 7 projecting towards the outside of the basket by relative to this surface. The rear face 8 of the end 6 of the tongue 5 is oblique to the direction of movement of the basket 1 and to side faces of basket 1, its free end being lower than its end connected to the body of the tongue 5. Thus, the end 6 does not risk to slide on the bearing surfaces 15 described below and pick up, especially when the basket 1 has a heavy load. This face 8 forms a bearing surface cooperating with the bearing surfaces, described below, the recesses made in part 2. The face oblique exterior of the spout 7 (the one facing the tank wall corresponding) is referenced 7A. Tabs 5 and recesses 4 can be formed in the side walls of basket 5 if the latter is produced by plastic molding. Alternatively, and as schematically shown in dashed lines, we can form the elements 4 and 5 in a molded block 9 (in plastic for example) fixed in the corresponding side wall of the basket (for example when this is made of metal rods). In this last case, the face outer (visible) of the rim of the block 9 and of the tongue are coplanar with the corresponding side face of basket 1 (or its outline).

To determine the different height positions of basket 1, the device of the invention comprises, in the uprights 2A, 2B of the part 2 cutouts. For the lowest position, as shown in the figure 1, the cutouts 10 are “simple” cutouts not comprising "Shuttles" (unlike other cuts, which include shuttles, as described below). The cutouts 10 include a first surface 11 perpendicular to the corresponding wall, and a second oblique surface 12, joining the bottom of surface 11 to the surface of the corresponding wall. Thus, these cutouts 10 have, in section transverse (in the drawing plane), a wedge shape. The depth of cutouts 10, at the surface 11, is sufficient to accommodate the spout 7 of the tongue 5, without exerting lateral force on this tongue when its surface 8 is close to the surface 11. Of course, the locations cutouts 10 and tabs 5 are such that when the surfaces 8 are close to the corresponding surfaces 11, the basket 1 is effectively at the lowest desired position. In this position, the basket 1 rests on crosspiece 3 of part 2.

We will now describe the means for determining, in combination with the tongues 5, the high position of the basket 1, such that shown in Figure 2. In other applications, for which it several intermediate positions should be defined between the most low (as defined by crossbar 3) and the highest position, it the same means as those described below should be used to each of these intermediate positions. Note that the most high and the intermediate positions can only be reached during upward movement of the basket (or, in general, of the movable element), because, as will be understood from the following description, during the movement descending, the basket stops only at the lowest position.

The means defining the high position include essentially, in addition to the tabs 5, a cutout 13 and a “Shuttle” 14 for each tab 5. The cut 13 a, in section (in the drawing plane) a roughly rectangular shape, the rectangle as well formed having its long sides parallel to the uprights 2A, 2B respectively. The small bottom side of this rectangle forms a surface support 15 substantially parallel to the corresponding surface 8. This surface 15 does not extend over the entire depth of the cutout 13. From the side of basket 1, it is limited by an oblique surface 16 which is set back from the wall (2C or 2D respectively) of a few millimeters. This surface 16 joined the level of the wall (2C or 2D) down to the cutout 10 (in the case shown in the drawing, since the two positions of the basket are relatively close together, the surface 16 almost reaches the wall plane (2C or 2D) at its junction with the surface 12 of the cutout 10 corresponding). On the bottom side of the cutout 13, the surface 15 stops at a cutout 17 intended to receive the end of a "tooth" or lower leg 18 of the shuttle 14. The bottom surface 19 of the cutout 13 is parallel to the wall (2C or 2D), and it joins by a short surface oblique 20 the edge of a housing 21 in which the "head" can move or upper end of the shuttle 14. This housing 21 has, in section (in the plane of the drawing) a rectangular shape extending parallel to the wall (2C or 2D) closed at its upper end and open at its lower end, thus communicating with the cutout 13. A low wall thickness remains between the housing 21 and the visible inner face of this wall.

The shuttle 14 has a general shape of a fork with two teeth. Its head 22, of rectangular shape, can slide in the housing 21. Its two "teeth" 18 and 23 are connected to the head 22 by a narrow body 24. In low position (Figures 1 and 3), the shuttle 14 rests on the surface 15. The sides, considered in the planes perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, the body 24 are connected by oblique surfaces 25, 26 to the sides of the teeth 18, 23 (also considered in planes perpendicular to the plane of the drawing). The length of the shuttle 14 is such that in its low position, the top of its head 22 is slightly engaged in its housing 21, and that its high position, the top of its head abuts against the upper bottom of the housing 21, its surface 25 being close to the surface 20 or in abutment against she. Of course, all the cuts 10 and 13 cooperating with the same tab 5 are aligned on the same vertical axis (parallel to the direction of moving the basket between its upper and lower positions).

The operation of the device described above is as follows. In starting from the lower position of the basket (Figure 1), the user lifts it.

At the beginning of this upward movement, the beaks 7 of the tongues 5 are pushed towards the inside of the basket in the housings 4, because they slide on the oblique surfaces 12 which join, at their upper part, the plane of the visible faces of the corresponding 2C, 2D walls. Then the sliding of the nozzles 7 on the oblique surfaces 16 makes them stand out slightly housings 4, thanks to the elasticity of the tabs 5. When these nozzles reach the height of the teeth 23 of the shuttles 14 corresponding, they raise these last. When the bearing surfaces 8 nozzles 7 reach the height of the bearing surfaces 15 of the housings 13, the tongues 5 relax and return to their initial state. Their surfaces 8 can then be supported on the bearing surfaces 15 (Figure 2).

To lower the basket 1 to its low position, the user raises slightly. By this upward movement, the oblique faces 7A nozzles 7 lift the teeth 23 of the corresponding shuttles up to their high position (for which the top of the heads 22 abuts against the end upper part of the housing 21 and / or the surfaces 25 abut against the surfaces 20 corresponding). The nozzles 7 are then pushed back towards the inside of the basket because their surfaces 7A slide over the corresponding teeth 23, and these beaks then reach the bodies 24 of the shuttles. Thanks to the elasticity of tabs 5, their beaks 7, sliding on the faces 26 of the shuttles 14, make lower these (Figure 3), which stop in abutment on the surfaces 15. The user can then lower the basket 1. The spouts 7 slide then faces 26 and on the sides of the teeth 23, then on the surfaces 16 and 12, and the basket 1 returns to its low position, pressing on the crosspieces 3 (figure 1).

Claims (4)

Height adjustment device, in at least two positions different, of a movable element (1) of a machine, characterized in that it comprises, in at least one of the side walls (2C, 2D) of the frame of the machine, walls along which the movable element is moved, a cutout (10, 13) made in correspondence with each of the positions that this mobile element must be able to occupy, each cut except the most low with a support surface (15) oblique to the surface walls, a shuttle (14) being arranged in each of the cutouts (13) corresponding to positions other than the lowest position of the movable element, this shuttle being able to move in the cutout parallel to the surfaces of the walls, the surface of this shuttle, turned towards the movable element, being substantially coplanar with the surface of the wall corresponding to the lower end of the shuttle, and set back from this wall over the rest of the length of the shuttle (22, 24), the cutouts relating to the different height positions of the movable element being aligned on at least one axis parallel to the direction of movement of the movable element, the movable element comprising, on its faces facing walls in which the cuts are made, in correspondence with each cutting axis, a latching element (5) having a protruding beak (7) which can penetrate into one of the cutouts of the axis correspondent by lifting the shuttle from below during a movement ascending of the movable element, the shuttle preventing the spout from entering in the cutout during a downward movement of the movable element. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each shuttle (14) has, on its side facing the movable element an oblique face (26) approaching, at its lower part, the element mobile and on which comes to slide by pressing said spout (7) of the element latching up and passing at its height, thus forcing the shuttle to get off. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the latching element is a tongue (5) connected elastically by a from its ends to the movable element and which can be erased in a cavity (4) practiced in the element, this tongue extending parallel to the wall corresponding to the direction of movement of the movable element, the face exterior of the body of this tongue being coplanar with the face of the movable element, the free end of the tongue forming said spout (7) in protruding outwards from the body, the rear end (8) of this beak being oblique to the wall of the frame and connecting obliquely (7A), outside, to the body of the tongue. Device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the movable element is a dishwasher basket, said walls being at less partially those of the dishwasher tank.

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