EP2494907B1 - Dishwasher with adjustable top basket - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dishwasher with a arranged in an upper region of a washing container upper basket for receiving items to be washed, wherein the upper basket one, in particular an approximately horizontally extending, bottom wall and a surrounding, upwardly projecting, in particular approximately perpendicular, containing side wall, wherein the upper basket has a fixed first portion and a second portion translatable between at least two positions relative to the first portion and parallel to the course of the bottom wall of the upper basket, the second portion of the upper basket containing a portion of the bottom wall of the upper basket, and wherein the second Part of the upper basket in at least one position, an opening in the bottom wall of the upper basket releases.

Such a dishwashing machine is for example from the document US 2007/0314977 A1 known. A portion of the bottom wall is pivotable together with a portion of the side wall to create a gap in a portion of the upper basket. In the vacated gap can then protrude from below again large items to be washed, which are located in the lower basket. The remaining upper basket is still available for the use of items to be washed.

A dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher, has a rinsing container, which is generally cuboidal and has a door opening at the front, which can be closed by a front door. Location information such as "top", "bottom" or "front" refers to the operating position of the machine when it is ready for operation. In the upper region of the washing container, an upper basket is arranged, in the lower area usually a lower basket. Washware, such as pots, crockery and cutlery, are stored in the lower and upper basket. The maximum available height space for crockery parts in the lower basket is limited in terms of the available height by the upper basket or its lower bottom wall. A usual maximum plate size, which can be set vertically in a dishwasher, is currently around 33 to 35 centimeters. The problem is the rinsing of higher items or larger items to be washed, such as baking trays, high pots or plates with

Oversizes, such as pizza plates or serving plates. It is known to lay these parts across the lower basket. This wastes space for more parts to be washed. Alternatively, it is known, for example, from the publication DE 297 12 895 U1 use known baking tray shower. Alternatively, it is known to remove the upper basket as a whole from the washing container, which is then no longer available for loading with additional items to be washed.

From the publication DE 200 19 480 U1 For example, a dishwashing machine is known which, in the upper region of the washing container, for example, contains two frame shelves which can be folded against the wall of the washing container instead of an upper basket. Here, for example, a rack can be folded down to obtain a kind of upper basket on which items can be placed. The other rack can be folded up. The released space in the upper region of the washing container is then available for particularly large items to be washed, which can be placed in the corresponding area of the lower basket.

From the publication DE 10 2008 062 761 B3 a cutlery drawer for a dishwasher is known. The cutlery drawer comprises a frame extendably mounted in a washing container and a plurality of inserts movably arranged on the frame, onto which dishes, in particular cutlery, to be washed can be placed. In order to allow setting larger dishes in the arranged immediately below the cutlery drawer crockery basket, without limiting the space available for cutlery or complicate the handling, at least one of the inserts is arranged horizontally displaceable on the frame.

The aim of the present invention is to allow in a dishwasher a simultaneous rinsing of oversized dishes and / or household or cooking utensils with the usual daily amount of dishes incurred without having to accept a severely limited overall functionality of upper and lower basket in purchasing.

The object of the present invention is to specify an improved dishwasher.

The object is achieved by a dishwasher according to the independent claim.

The dishwashing machine according to the invention has a spraying device associated with the upper basket, in particular a rotatably mounted spray arm or an upper basket spray, which is coupled in a motion-coupled manner to the second partial area of the upper basket. This spraying device acts on the upper basket of the dishwasher with rinsing liquor. If the upper basket is now changed by moving its second section, the sprayer also changes its location or orientation. Thus, the loading of the upper basket with rinsing fluid through the spray always adapts optimally to the current shape of the upper basket. If, for example, there is no opening in one position of the upper basket, that is, if it fills the entire space in the dishwasher, the spraying device is displaced towards the second partial area and thus covers substantially the entire upper basket area centrally. If the upper basket is transformed such that an opening in the upper basket is present, the spray device is moved away from the second portion of the upper basket and so centrally rinsed the remaining area of the bottom of the upper basket in the first portion of the upper basket.

The upper basket of the dishwasher according to the invention generally has a, in particular approximately horizontally extending, bottom wall and a surrounding, upstanding or projecting, in particular approximately perpendicular, side wall or dish rack bottom boundary wall. The bottom wall of the upper basket is in particular that portion of the dish basket which is bounded or enclosed by the side wall thereof. In a rectangular plan view of the upper basket, its bottom wall may preferably be enclosed on four sides by the side wall. The side wall of the upper basket can thus have a plurality of wall parts. The bottom and side wall of the upper basket are here, for example, metal or plastic grid structures or basket mats or perforated plastic elements. "In approximately horizontal" means that items to be washed on the bottom wall of the upper basket can be stored, a certain inclination, ie tilting from the horizontal, can be provided here. Parts of the bottom wall of the upper basket can thus be tilted, for example, from 10 to 20 degrees about a longitudinal or transverse axis of the dishwasher.

The upper basket has a fixed first partial area and a second, movable partial area. The first portion of the upper basket comprises only a part of the bottom wall of the upper basket and all or part of the side wall of the upper basket. The second portion of the upper basket is movable between at least two positions relative to the first portion of the upper basket. The movement takes place by a translatory displacement parallel to the course of the bottom wall of the upper basket, ie in particular horizontally relative to the first portion of the upper basket. The second portion of the upper basket contains a portion of the bottom wall of the upper basket. In at least one position, the second portion of the upper basket releases an opening in the bottom wall of the upper basket.

The second portion of the upper basket does not form a separate, separate from the rest of the upper basket built-in, but an integral part of the upper basket, so belongs to this. In other words, the upper basket is thus transformable between different design variants with respect to its geometry or the extent of its bottom wall.

The entire floor area of the upper basket is thus designed such that at least part of it, namely the portion of the bottom wall of the upper basket belonging to the second subarea of the upper basket, is displaceable. In at least one position, an opening in the bottom wall of the upper basket is released. This creates space for larger pieces of crockery to be used underneath, which can then pass through the bottom wall of the upper basket in the region of the opening of the upper basket. This will make room for higher items in the lower basket available without having to remove the upper basket or parts of it.

For different positions, the second portion of the upper basket or its portion of the bottom wall of the upper basket thanks to the purely translational displacement always the same altitude with respect to the remaining part of the bottom wall of the first portion of the upper basket. The bottom wall of the Upper basket remains as such essentially unchanged in a plane, so is reduced or enlarged only in terms of their area.

The locking of the second portion of the upper basket in one position, for example, by clips, hooks, locking, clamping devices or similar elements that may be assigned to the first or second portion. The invention can in particular be combined with a segmented spraying system which, for example, from the publication EP 1 458 276 B1 is known.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second portion of the upper basket between two positions is continuously displaceable relative to the first portion of the upper basket. Thus, the opening of the upper basket can be continuously reduced or enlarged.

In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, the section of the bottom wall of the upper basket in at least one position together with the bottom wall of the first portion of the upper basket always covers the entire, bounded by the side wall of the upper basket surface. In other words, no unusable gaps thus arise in the bottom wall of the upper basket, but the upper basket can be used in its entire base area by laying on items to be washed. In this position, the entire bottom wall of the upper basket then resembles that of a conventional, non-transformable upper basket. The bottom wall of the upper basket is then substantially planar, for example, and extends over the entire available area between the side walls of the upper basket. The upper basket is then adjustable between at least two positions, namely the "normal" position described above - corresponding to a conventional upper basket - and a further position with an opening for increased items to be washed in the lower basket.

In other positions, the upper basket thus contains in the second partial area then the opening in the bottom wall of the upper basket, which allows a passage of dishes located in the lower basket through the upper basket or its bottom wall. In this area, then the maximum height of the washing container can be used for located in the lower rack items without being obstructed by the upper basket.

In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, the second subregion comprises a subregion of the side wall of the upper cage. The side wall of the upper basket is thus movable together with the section. If the side wall of the upper basket delimits the second section of the upper basket toward the opening of the upper basket, then this also forms a barrier for items to be washed placed in the upper basket, which thus can not fall into the opening. In other words, so that in the various positions of the entire upper basket - wall and floor - reduced or enlarged.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second portion is arranged in a side region of the upper basket. The upper basket is usually to the front of the dishwasher, so through the door opening out of the washing out retractable. The addressed side area is then the left or right edge area of the upper basket, which thus each adjacent to a left or right pull-out rail. Thus, even when inserting high items to be washed in the lower basket both this and the upper basket can be inserted or removed without disturbing engagement of the items. Alternatively, however, the partial area can also be arranged, for example, on the front or rear side of the upper basket or in a middle area. In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, the second portion of the upper basket on a stop element for the opening in the bottom wall of the upper basket passing through dishes.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spray device extends in any position from the first portion of the upper basket forth at most up to the opening. The spraying device thus never protrudes beyond the edge of the opening of the upper basket. The opening of the upper basket is not swept by the spraying device, such as a rotating spray arm. From the lower basket through the opening of the upper basket protruding dishes so the spray, especially a rotatably mounted spray arm, not block. Particularly here can be achieved by the above-mentioned motion coupling, that the spray arm is automatically moved out of the region of the opening of the upper basket when creating an opening in the upper basket - by the movement of the second portion.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the spraying device is in each position by the movement coupling automatically centered with respect to the entire bottom wall of the upper basket formed from the portion of the bottom wall of the second portion of the upper basket and the remaining part of the bottom wall of the upper basket. In other words, in particular, the spraying device is always located in the middle of the remaining bottom surface of the upper basket remaining under removal of the opening of the upper basket.

The above described and / or reproduced in the dependent claims advantageous embodiments and refinements of the invention can - except, for example, in cases of clear dependencies or incompatible alternatives - individually or in any combination with each other in the dishwasher according to the invention are used.

The invention and its advantageous embodiments and further developments and advantages thereof are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

Fig. 1

eine Geschirrspülmaschine mit erfindungsgemäß ausgebildetem Oberkorb in perspektivischer Darstellung;

Fig. 2

den Oberkorb der Fig. 1 in einem Detail;

Fig. 3

den Oberkorb der Fig. 1 in einer Explosionsdarstellung;

Fig. 4

den Oberkorb der Fig.1 in einer Seitenansicht;

Fig. 5 und Fig. 6

zwei vorteilhafte Ausführungsformen für Oberkörbe; und

Fig.7

einen Oberkorb mit bewegungsgekoppelter Sprüheinrichtung.

Each shows in a schematic schematic diagram:

Fig. 1

a dishwasher with inventively designed upper basket in perspective view;

Fig. 2

the upper basket of the Fig. 1 in a detail;

Fig. 3

the upper basket of the Fig. 1 in an exploded view;

Fig. 4

the upper basket of the Fig.1 in a side view;

Fig. 5 and Fig. 6

two advantageous embodiments for upper baskets; and

Figure 7

a top basket with motion-coupled sprayer.

The Fig. 1 shows a dishwasher 2 with a view towards the front side 4. There is a door opening 6 in order to provide the interior of the dishwasher 2 forming rinse tank 8 with items to be washed 10 can. A in the operation, the door opening 6 closing door 12 is therefore indicated unfolded. The dishwasher 2 is set up ready for operation, ie aligned with your side walls in the direction of a vertical 14. In a lower region 16 of the washing container 8, a lower basket 18, in an upper region 20 of the washing container 8, an upper basket 22 is arranged. Upper basket 22 and lower basket 18 are connected to the washing container 8 with Help of guide rails 24 or other holding / Auszieheinrichtungen held and along the arrow 26 to the door opening 6 out, ie in the longitudinal direction of the dishwasher to the front 4 out extendable. The upper basket 22 includes an approximately perpendicular side wall 28 which defines an approximately horizontally extending bottom wall 30. Both in the lower basket 18 and in the upper basket 22 ware 10 is inserted.

The upper basket 22 has a fixed first partial area 32 and a second partial area 34 that is movable relative to the first partial area 32. In the embodiment, the second portion 34 forms a - viewed in plan view from the front of the door opening 6 - right side portion 36 of the upper basket 22. This is thus the right guide rail 24 faces. However, the second portion 34 could also be arranged in an embodiment, not shown, on the opposite left side region. The bottom wall 30 contains support structures 41 for simplified or improved storage of ware 10.

The Fig. 2 shows the upper basket 22 in a detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 34 includes a portion 38 of the bottom wall 30, and a portion of the side wall 28. The first portion 32 includes the remaining portion 40 of the bottom wall 30 and the side walls 28. The portion 39 thus forms an approximately perpendicular partition 42. This delimits the part 40 and section 38 of the bottom wall to an opening 53 from. The bottom wall 30 extends approximately parallel to a horizontal 48.

The part 40 and the portion 38 of the bottom wall 30 are in the Fig. 2 shown in different hatching. In particular, the section 38 is designed to be movable relative to the remaining part 40 or the rest of the upper basket 22, that is to say the first partial region 32. The mobility consists here in a translational displacement of the entire second portion 34 (section 38 and section 39) relative to the first portion 32 in or against the direction of the arrow 46, ie parallel to the course of the bottom wall 30. In the Fig.2 the left end position is shown as position A. The opening 53 is thus maximally large. The section 38 completely overlaps the part 40.

Shown dashed is also the second end position as position B. Here, the second portion 32 is moved to the right. The opening 53 is then completely covered by the portion 38 of the bottom wall 30. The upper basket 22 thus corresponds to a top basket with about the same amount of storage space for dishes as in a conventional upper basket. The dividing wall 42 actually forms the side wall 28 delimiting the upper basket on the right side. Section 38 and part 40 do not overlap or only minimally overlap.

The second portion 34 and thus the partition 42 is located at an intermediate position, the position C (dash-dotted lines), the opening 53 is only half as large. Section 38 and Part 40 overlap approximately in half.

The locking of the second portion 34 or on the first portion 32 in or the adjustment between the positions A-C carried by not shown hook, snap, snap, clamp connections or the like. Thus, the section 38 can be easily changed by an operator, not shown, between the positions A-C.

Like in the Fig. 1 can be seen, the positioning of the section 38 in the position A and C in the upper region 20, ie in the region of the upper basket 22 space for particularly high items to be washed 10, which is mounted in the lower basket 18. In the position C, however, the section 38 can continue to be used to store more items to be washed 10 on the section 38 when a relation to the position A reduced opening 53 for high items 10 is sufficient.

In position B, although there is no more height space available in the lower basket 18 for excessive items to be washed, the entire upper basket 22 is available for loading. This results in a nearly flat entire bottom wall 30th

The Fig. 2 also indicates an upper basket shower or rotatably mounted spray arm as an exemplary sprayer 44, which is associated with the upper basket 22 to pressurize it with not shown wash liquor. The spray device 44 is preferably coupled to the underside of the fixed first portion 32 of the bottom wall 30. In order to optimize the wash result to the selected position AC of the To be able to adjust the second portion 34, the sprayer 44 in the direction of the arrow 46, ie in the transverse direction of the dishwasher 2 to the left or right, ie away from the second portion 34 or on this to be displaced. Here it is motion-coupled with the second portion 34. An adjustment of the second portion 34 thus also causes an adjustment of the sprayer 44. This can ensure that the spray with respect to each - depending on the distance traveled translational displacement of the movable part 40 - total resulting total area of the floor, resulting from the bottom surface of the fixed portion 32 and the freely accessible from above, the opening 53 partially or completely covering the bottom surface of the movable portion 34 composed, can be aligned, in particular for example on the center of this composite bottom surface.

The displacement can take place here - not shown - via a direct connection to the second portion 34. Both components then go the same way in an adjustment. Alternatively, a translation, for example via an unillustrated linkage done. The paths covered are then different.

The Fig. 3 shows the upper basket 22 in an exploded view, that is, decomposed into the first portion 32 and the second portion 34. The portion 32 forms a base frame or main part of the upper basket 22, which in itself as a stable unit to the guide rails 24 (in the Fig. 3 not shown) is attached. Evident is a part of the side wall 28 and the part 40 of the bottom wall 30. This is thus also in accordance with Fig.1 extendable from the upper area 20. The second portion 34 is mounted after assembly with the first portion 32 at this slidably in the direction of arrow 46. Evident is the affiliation of the portion 39 of the side wall 28 and the portion 38 of the bottom wall 30 to the second portion 34th

The Fig. 4 again shows the three positions AC, in which the second portion 34 is shifted to different degrees to the first portion 32 and in the upper basket different sized openings 53 form. In the positions A and C, the partition wall 42 forms a stop element 43 for (in the Fig. 4 not shown) items 10, which extends through the opening 53 from bottom to top. Is in a not shown Embodiment, the partition wall 42 is not present forms, for example, the opening 53 facing the edge of the portion 38, the stop element 43rd

The Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the invention, in which the portion 38 of the bottom wall 30 is above the portion 40 of the bottom wall 30. The Figure 6 shows the alternative variant with extending below the portion 40 section 38. The same applies to the side wall 28 and its section 39, combinations are possible. The alternatives thus form, for example, a second subregion 34 "inside" or "outside" the rest of the upper basket 22.

The Figure 7 shows an automatic movement coupling between the second portion 34 and a sprayer 44 such as a rotatably mounted spray arm. If the second portion is moved from position B in the direction of arrow 46 in the position A, also follows the sprayer 44 of this movement. The sprayer 44 is therefore always centered to the respective bottom wall 30, which has different extensions in the various positions A, B and C by different overlapping of the portion 38 with the part 40. The sprayer 44 is thus connected to the second portion 34. The connection can be made directly (same adjustment paths) or with a translation. It is thus achieved that the spray device 44 extends only to a maximum of the edge of the opening 53, but never protrudes into this or its area.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

dishwasher

4

front

6

doorway

8th

rinse tank

10

ware

12

door

14

vertical

16

Lower area

18

lower basket

20

upper area

22

upper basket

24

guide rail

26

arrow

28

Side wall

30

bottom wall

32

First section

34

Second subarea

36

page range

38

section

39

section

40

part

41

support structure

42

partition wall

43

stop element

44

spraying

46

arrow

48

horizontal

53

opening

A

position

B

position

C

intermediate position

Claims (8)

1. Dishwasher (2), having an upper basket (22) arranged in an upper region (20) of a washing container (8) for accommodating items (10) requiring to be washed, wherein the upper basket (22) contains an in particular approximately horizontal floor wall (30) and an in particular approximately vertical side wall (28) that circumferentially bounds it and projects upwards, wherein the upper basket (22) has a static first partial region (32) and a second partial region (34) that can be translationally displaced between at least two positions (A-C) relative to the first partial region (32) and parallel to the extent of the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22), wherein the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) contains a section (38) of the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22), and wherein the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) exposes an opening (53) in the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22) in at least one position (A-C), characterised in that a spraying device (44) is assigned to the upper basket (22), in particular a rotatably mounted spray arm or an upper-basket spray, that is co-movably coupled to the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22).
2. Dishwasher (2) according to claim 1, characterised in that the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) can be displaced between two positions (A-C) continuously relative to the first partial region (32) of the upper basket (22).
3. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the section (38) of the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22) in at least one position (A-C) together with the part (40) of the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22) formed by the first partial region (32) of the upper basket (22) covers the entire area circumferentially bounded by the side wall (28) of the upper basket (22).
4. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) contains a section (39) of the side wall (28) of the upper basket (22).
5. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) is arranged in a side region (36) of the upper basket (22).
6. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the second partial region (34) of the upper basket (22) has a stop element (43) for items (10) requiring to be washed that project through the opening (53) in the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22).
7. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spraying device, in particular upper-basket spray (44), extends in each position (A-C) from the first partial region (32) of the upper basket (22) at most up to the opening (53).
8. Dishwasher (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spraying device (44) is in each position (A-C) located centrally relative to the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22) formed from the part (40) - formed the first partial region (32) of the upper basket (22) - of the floor wall (30) of the upper basket (22) and the section (38).

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