EP2432368B1

EP2432368B1 - A dishwasher and a cutlery basket used therein

Info

Publication number: EP2432368B1
Application number: EP10721484.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sena Davasligil; Mehmet Durmaz; Nihat Gunduz; Guvenc Numanoglu
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2009-05-22
Filing date: 2010-05-20
Publication date: 2013-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2030-05-20
Also published as: EP2432368A2; WO2010133677A2; WO2010133677A3

Description

The present invention relates to a cutlery basket used in dishwashers.
In dishwashers, cutlery baskets that provide the items having small volumes to be washed are used. Forks, spoons and knives placed in the cutlery baskets are generally taken out by being held from the end portions, which will contact the food, while being taken out after washing, and this situation causes a problem in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, for example, when knives are tried to be taken out by being held from their sharp and pointed ends, injuries can happen.
In the state of the art Patent Application No US2004/0020875 , an insert is described which is used in dishwashers and consists of compartments of various heights, and wherein silverware of different heights are placed.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No W02008077761 , a cutlery basket is described which is used in dishwashers and which comprises a body wherein small sized items such as forks, spoons etc. are placed, and a base that carries the items placed in the body and that can be moved upwards and downwards inside the body and when moved upwards in the body pushes upwards the items thereon such that the ends of the items project outwards from the body.
However, in this embodiment, when the base is moved upwards, the user is required to hold the body with one hand while holding the handle with the other hand in order that the body can remain balanced, and this causes difficulty of use.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a cutlery basket that is used for placing items such as forks, spoons, etc. therein, and that provides both hygienic and ergonomic conditions of use to the user.
The cutlery basket realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the claims.
The cutlery basket of the present invention comprises a body wherein items such as forks, spoons, etc. are placed and a base that carries the items placed in the body and that can be moved upwards and downwards inside the body. The cutlery basket, furthermore, comprises an arm that is connected to the base and moved upwards, providing the base to move upwards inside the body, and a handle that is connected to the body and concentric with the arm, and that limits the upward movement of the arm. The arm and the handle are located on the same plane in the vertical direction and a certain height difference is present between the arm and the handle. The arm bears against the handle when moved upwards. The base connected to the arm is also moved upwards together with the arm inside the body and thus, items thereon is provided to be moved upwards. When the arm bears against the handle, the user is enabled to hold the arm and the handle together with one hand. Thus, the user can unload the items, which is moved upwards by the movement of the base, from the body by holding them from their handle portions with the other hand. Hence, the user is presented with the opportunity to use the cutlery basket both hygienically and ergonomically.
In an embodiment of the present invention, separators that divide the inside of the body into compartments are located on the movable base. Thus, both a more balanced distribution of the items is provided inside the body, and the resistance of the base is increased.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cutlery basket comprises a locking mechanism that provides the arm and the handle to be held together without requiring the user to hold them when the arm bears against the handle by being moved upwards.
In a version of this embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a neck located on the arm and a latch having a head that can rotate around the neck, and a cut-out having a width that the head located on the handle can pass therethrough. When the arm bears against the handle, the head is passed through the cut-out and rotated, and thus, the head is prevented from being dislodged from the cut-out. Thus, the arm and the handle are prevented from being detached from each other without requiring the user to hold them.
In another version of this embodiment, a cut-out is situated both on the arm and the handle. The locking process is performed by sliding the latch like a slide bar after the head is inserted onto the handle such that at least one part of the neck will remain inside the cut-out on the arm.
By means of the present invention, the user is provided to contact the handle portions of the items during the loading and unloading of the items such as forks, spoons, etc. in the cutlery basket and thus, hygienic conditions of use are provided. Furthermore, an ergonomic cutlery basket is provided by enabling the user to hold the cutlery basket with one hand in a position wherein the handles of the items can be easily reached, and to perform the loading or unloading process with the other hand.
The cutlery basket realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a cutlery basket while the arm is in the free position.
Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a cutlery basket while the arm bears against the handle.
Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a cutlery basket and a lid belonging to an embodiment of the present invention when the arm is in the free position.
Figure 4 - is the perspective view of a cutlery basket and a lid belonging to an embodiment of the present invention while the arm bears against the handle.
Figure 5 - is the exploded perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 - is the perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism before the locking in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 - is the perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism after the locking in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 - is the exploded perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 - is the perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism before the locking in another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 - is the perspective view of the arm, handle and locking mechanism after the locking in another embodiment of the present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Cutlery basket
2. Body
3. Handle
4. Base
5. Arm
6. Separator
7. Locking mechanism
8. Neck
9. Head
10. Latch
11. Cut-out
12. Lid

In dishwashers, a cutlery basket (1) providing the items such as forks, spoons, etc. to be placed in an effective washing position is used.
The cutlery basket (1) comprises a body (2) wherein items are placed and a base (4) that carries the items placed in the body (2) and that can be moved upwards and downwards inside the body (2).
The cutlery basket (1) of the present invention comprises an arm (5) that is connected to the base (4) and moved upwards, providing the base (4) to move upwards inside the body (2), and a handle (3) that is connected to the body (2) and concentric with the arm (5), and that limits the upward movement of the arm (5).
The arm (5) and the handle (3) are located almost on the same vertical plane. While the arm (5) is in the free position, a certain height difference is present between the arm (5) and the handle (3). When the arm (5) is moved upwards after the washing process, the arm (5) bears against the handle (3). When the arm (5) bears against the handle (3), the arm (5) is in its highest possible position. Also when the arm (5) bears against the handle (3), the arm (5) is in the position wherein the user can hold the arm (5) and the handle (3) together with one hand. By the upward movement of the arm (5), the base (4) connected to the arm (5) is also moved upwards. Thus, the base (4) moves upwards as much as the distance moved by the arm (5) in the vertical direction. By moving the base (4) upwards, the items thereon are also provided to be moved upwards such that the user can reach the handle portions of the items. Thus, the user holds the arm (5) and the handle (3) with the same hand by moving the arm (5) upwards with one hand, and can unload the items from the cutlery basket (1) with the other hand without holding the items from their utilized portions (contacting the foods), for example without holding the items such as knife from their sharp and pointed ends but by holding them from the handle portions remaining under the end portion.
The handle (3) which is produced such that it will be fixed to the body (2) forms a bearing surface for the arm (5) during the upward movement of the arm (5) and limits the movement of the arm (5) in the upward direction. The handle (3), furthermore, allows the body (2) to be carried without moving the base (4). While the arm (5) is in the free position, the user can carry the body (2) only by holding the handle (3). While the arm (5) is in the free position, the arm (5) and the base (4) connected to the arm (5) are in their lowest possible position. Thus, the items placed in the cutlery basket (1) are provided to bear against the side walls of the body (2) and to be carried in a more balanced manner.
While the arm (5) is free, the vertical distance remaining between the arm (5) and the handle (3) has a length to allow the user to reach the handle portions of the items when the arm (5) bears against the handle (3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cutlery basket (1) comprises one or more separators (6) which divide the inside of the body (2) into compartments and which are located on the base (4), and which can move upwards and downwards together with the base (4). The separators (6) increase the washing efficiency by providing the cutlery placed in the body (2) to be placed into the body (2) in a more balanced manner. Furthermore, by means of the separators (6), the strength of the base (4) is increased and the items loaded thereon are provided to be carried in a more secure manner.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cutlery basket (1) comprises a locking mechanism (7) that provides the arm (5) and the handle (3) to be held together when the arm (5) bears against the handle (3). By means of the locking mechanism (7), the arm (5) is locked by bearing against the handle (3) during the loading and unloading processes of the items placed into the cutlery basket (1). The arm (5) and the handle (3) are prevented from being detached from each other without requiring the user to hold them. Thus, the access to the handle portions of the items moved upwards is facilitated.
In a version of this embodiment, the locking mechanism (7) comprises a neck (8) located on the arm (5) and a latch (10) having a head (9) that can rotate around the neck (8), and a cut-out (11) having a width that the head (9) located on the handle (3) can pass therethrough. The length of the neck (8) is almost equal to the depth of the handle (3). When the arm (5) bears against the handle (3) by being moved upwards, the head (9) passes through the cut-out (11). Thus, the head (9) is prevented from being dislodged from the cut-out (11) by rotating the head (9) that remains on the handle (3). Hence, the arm (5) and the handle (3) are prevented from being detached from each other.
In another version of this embodiment, a cut-out (11) is located both on the arm (5) and the handle (3). The middle portion of the cut-out (11) located on the handle (3) has a width that the head (9) can pass therethrough, and the end portions are narrow enough for the head (9) not to be dislodged from there but the neck (8) to move back and forth therein. The arm (5) is fixed to the handle (3) by sliding the latch (10) like a slide bar after the head (9) is inserted onto the handle (3) such that at least one part of the neck (8) will remain inside the cut-out (11) on the arm (5).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cutlery basket (1) comprises a lid (12) which is placed onto the body (2) and which is perforated or formed as a grid, and which provides the items placed into the body (2) to be held almost in the vertical position by being passed through the holes. By means of the lid (12), the items are provided to be placed into the body (2) in a more balanced manner and thus, are cleaned more effectively.
By means of the present invention, a cutlery basket (1) that is used for placing items such as forks, spoons, etc. in the dishwasher, and that provides hygienic conditions of use to the user is obtained. Furthermore, the user is presented with an ergonomic usage opportunity wherein he/she can perform the loading and unloading processes by carrying the cutlery basket (1) with one hand while contacting the handle portions of the items with the other hand.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A cutlery basket (1) comprising a body (2) wherein small sized items such as forks, spoons, etc. are placed, a base (4) that carries the items placed in the body (2) and that can be moved upwards and downwards inside the body (2), and an arm (5) that is connected to the base (4) an that can be moved upwards, providing the base (4) to move upwards inside the body (2), characterized in that the basket (1) further comprises a handle (3) that is connected to the body (2) and concentric with the arm (5), and that limits the upward movement of the arm (5).
A cutlery basket (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the handle (3) that allows the body (2) to be carried without moving the base (4).
A cutlery basket (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the base (4) that can be moved upwards as much as the vertical distance between the arm (5) and the handle (3) while the arm (5) is in the free position.
A cutlery basket (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by one or more separators (6) which divide the inside of the body (2) into compartments and which are located on the base (4), and which move upwards and downwards together with the base (4).
A cutlery basket (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by a locking mechanism (7) that provides the arm (5) and the handle (3) to be held together when the arm (5) bears against the handle (3).
A cutlery basket (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the locking mechanism (7) which comprises a neck (8) located on the arm (5) and a latch (10) having a head (9) that can rotate around the neck (8), and a cut-out (11) having a width that the head (9) located on the handle (3) can pass therethrough.
A dishwasher characterized by the cutlery basket (1) as in any one of the above Claims.