EP3769657B1

EP3769657B1 - Cup holder, bowl basket assembly with cup holder, and dishwasher

Info

Publication number: EP3769657B1
Application number: EP18910514.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jidong Zhang; Shuguang Li; Jinjie HUANG; Qi Zeng
Original assignee: Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai; Gree Wuhan Electric Appliances Co Ltd
Current assignee: Gree Electric Appliances Inc of Zhuhai; Gree Wuhan Electric Appliances Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-20
Filing date: 2018-11-02
Publication date: 2023-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-02
Also published as: EP3769657A4; EP3769657A1; CN108294717A; WO2019179116A1; CN108294717B

Description

Related Applications

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No.201810230753.X, filed on March 20, 2018 , and entitled "Cup Holder, Bowl Basket Assembly with the Cup Holder, and Dishwasher".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a technical field of dishwashers, and more particularly to a cup holder, a bowl basket assembly with the cup holder, and a dishwasher.

Background

A dishwasher bowl basket, serving as a carrier to hold tableware, is one of the key parts of a dishwasher. In the bowl basket, it is necessary to better place more tableware and cups in a limited space. Compared with the placement of tableware such as bowls and plates, the placement of cups is often more difficult and the space utilization rate is lower. It is necessary to consider the placement of different types of cups such as mugs, tea cups, and goblets. In the device known to the inventors, cup holders are generally used to place cups. However, the cup holders of the device known to the inventors generally have a single structure, and different types of cups cannot be placed at the same time. In order to place different cups, multiple different cup holders and cup brackets are often needed, which lead to complex structure and high cost.
Examples of a dishwasher rack according to the prior art are known from EP 1925251A2 ; examples of a dishwasher basket with vertically adjustable rack according to the prior art are known from WO0187133A1 ; examples of a dishwasher basket and dish washing machine having same according to the prior art are known from WO2014108079A1 ; examples of a holding assembly according to the prior art are known from WO2016034201A1 ; examples of a cup holder, dish basket and dish washing machine according to the prior art are known from CN204091910U ; and examples of a saucer and dish washer according to the prior art are known from CN206026284U .

Summary

Based on the above situation, embodiments of the present invention provide a cup holder, which can conveniently place different types of cups, thereby improving the convenience and flexibility of corresponding products, and facilitating space and cost saving.
The present invention is a cup holder as defined by claim 1.
A cup holder is configured to be mounted on a dishwasher bowl basket and includes a cup bracket and a goblet bayonet. The cup bracket is configured to place a cup. The goblet bayonet is provided on a first side of the cup bracket and is configured to accommodate a foot of a goblet. A second side of the cup bracket is provided with a mounting portion for mounting the cup holder on the dishwasher bowl basket. The first side and the second side are opposite sides of the cup bracket in a width direction. And the mounting portion is rotatably connected to the dishwasher bowl basket, so that the cup holder is switched between an accommodation position and a working position. The mounting portion includes a mounting buckle for buckling on a first rib of the dishwasher bowl basket so that the cup holder is rotated around the first rib. The mounting buckle includes a first hook portion and a second hook portion. The first hook portion is configured to hook the first rib. The second hook portion is disposed at a free end of the first hook portion and extends toward an inner side of the first hook portion, and a free end of the second hook portion points toward the first rib to prevent the first rib from being separated from the first hook portion.
In some embodiments, the cup bracket includes crossed transverse beams and longitudinal beams. At least one of the transverse beams and/or at least one of the longitudinal beams is provided with a first corrugated structure for limiting a cup opening of a cup; and/or,
the goblet bayonet includes a first bayonet wall and a second bayonet wall opposite to each other. At least one of the first bayonet wall and the second bayonet wall is provided with a second corrugated structure for limiting the foot of the goblet.
In some embodiments, the first side of the cup bracket is provided with a plurality of goblet notches, arranged in a zigzag shape; and/or,

the goblet bayonet is of a U shape with an opening gradually increased; and/or,
a limiting protrusion is provided at an outer edge of the goblet bayonet, and a protruding direction of the limiting protrusion is toward a front side of the cup bracket.

In some embodiments, an outer side surface of the second hook portion is an inclined surface for guiding the first rib when buckled on the first rib.
In some embodiments, the second side of the cup bracket is further provided with a limiting portion. When the cup holder is rotated to the working position, the limiting portion abuts against a second rib of the dishwasher bowl basket.
In some embodiments, the limiting portion includes a convex rib protruding outward in the width direction of the cup bracket.
In some embodiments, the cup holder further includes a accommodating and locking structure for locking the cup holder relative to the dishwasher bowl basket when the cup holder is at the accommodation position.
In some embodiments, the accommodating and locking structure includes a snap structure disposed on the cup bracket for snapping onto the rib of the dishwasher bowl basket.
When the cup holder of the present invention is mounted on the corresponding dishwasher bowl basket, many different types of cups can be placed simultaneously. For example, a tea cup and a mug and the like are placed on the cup bracket. The goblet bayonet is used for placing the goblet to make full use of the space of the dishwasher bowl basket, and the convenience and flexibility of the corresponding dishwasher products are improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The implementation manners of the cup holder and the bowl basket assembly with the same according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic structure diagram of a bowl basket assembly according to a implementation manner of the present invention, where a cup holder according to a implementation manner of the present invention is included;
Fig. 2 is a schematic structure diagram of a cup holder according to a implementation manner of the present invention from a perspective;
Fig. 3 is a schematic structure diagram of the cup holder in Fig. 2 from another perspective;
Fig. 4 is a schematic front view of the bowl basket assembly of Fig. 1, where the cup holder is at a working position;
Fig. 5 is a part of a schematic left view of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a schematic front view of the bowl basket assembly of Fig. 1, where the cup holder is at an accommodation position;
Fig. 7 is a part of a schematic left view of Fig. 6; and
Fig. 8 schematically illustrates a structure of a mounting portion of a cup holder according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

First, referring to Fig. 1, the present invention provides a bowl basket assembly, which includes a dishwasher bowl basket 1 and a cup holder 2. The cup holder 2 is mounted on the dishwasher bowl basket 1. The bowl basket assembly of the present disclosure is configured to carry tableware, cups and the like in a dishwasher.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the cup holder 2 includes a cup bracket 25 and a goblet bayonet 23. The cup bracket 25 is, for example, a main structure of the cup holder 2 and serves to support and fix cups, and is configured to place cup openings of various cups. For example, the corresponding cups can be placed upside down on the cup bracket 25. The goblet bayonet 23 is provided on a first side of the cup bracket 25 for accommodating a foot of a goblet, so as to support, limit and fix the foot of the goblet and a bottom holder. A second side of the cup bracket 25 is provided with a mounting portion 21 for mounting the cup holder 2 on the corresponding dishwasher bowl basket 1. The first side and the second side are opposite sides of the cup bracket 25 in a width direction.
When the cup holder 2 of the present disclosure is mounted on the corresponding dishwasher bowl basket 1, many different types of cups can be placed simultaneously. For example, tea cups and mugs are placed on the cup bracket 25. The goblet bayonet 23 is used for placing the goblet to make full use of the space of the dishwasher bowl basket 1, and the convenience and flexibility of the corresponding dishwasher products are improved.
In some embodiments, the goblet bayonet 23 is integrally provided on the first side of the cup bracket 25, or alternatively provided on the first side of the cup bracket 25 in a fixed connection manner, thereby integrating the goblet bayonet and the cup bracket.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the cup bracket 25 includes crossed transverse beams 251 and longitudinal beams 252. At least one of the transverse beams 251 and/or longitudinal beams 252 is provided with a first corrugated structure 26 for limiting a cup opening of a cup, for example, forming at least two limit points on the cup opening to effectively prevent the cup from slipping off the cup bracket 25. As shown in Fig. 3, in some embodiments, a first corrugated structure 26 is provided on two non-adjacent transverse beams 251, so that when the corresponding cup is placed on the cup bracket 25 upside down, four limit points be formed on a cup opening of a cup, and the slip prevention effect is better. It is easy to understand that the limiting effect of the first corrugated structure 26 on the transverse beam 251 on the cup in an extending direction of the transverse beam (that is, a length direction of the cup bracket 25) is particularly obvious. Similarly, the limiting effect of a first corrugated structure (not shown) on the longitudinal beam 252 on the cup in an extending direction of the longitudinal beam (that is, a width direction of the cup bracket 25) is more prominent.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 2, the goblet bayonet 23 includes a first bayonet wall 231 and a second bayonet wall 232 opposite to each other. At least one of the first bayonet wall 231 and the second bayonet wall 232 is provided with a second corrugated structure 24, so as to increase the friction between the foot of the goblet and the goblet bayonet 23, thereby better limiting the foot of the goblet. In the some implementation manners shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the first bayonet wall 231 and the second bayonet wall 232 are symmetrically provided with the second corrugated structure 24, so that the effect of limiting and slip prevention is better.
In some embodiments, the goblet bayonet 23 is of a U shape with an opening gradually increased, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, so that it can easily adapt to feet of goblets of different diameters, and the feet of the goblets can be guided. In particular, in conjunction with the second corrugated structures 24 on the two side walls of the bayonet, a limited anti-skid effect can be better provided for goblets of various sizes and specifications.
As shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the first side of the cup bracket 25 is provided with multiple goblet notches 23. The multiple goblet notches 23 are arranged in a zigzag shape. For example, outer ends of adjacent bayonet walls of two adjacent goblet notches 23 are smoothly connected by arc-shaped structures 233.
As shown in Fig. 3, a limiting protrusion 27 is provided at an outer edge of the goblet bayonet 23 (for example, on each arc-shaped structure 233). A protruding direction of the limiting protrusion 27 is toward a front side of the cup bracket 25, and is, for example, consistent with a carrying direction of the cup bracket 25. Here, the front side of the cup bracket 25 refers to a side for placing cups in a working state, for example, a side facing upward. Accordingly, the carrying direction of the cup bracket 25 is an outward normal direction of the front side. The limiting protrusion 27 effectively limit the cup on the cup holder 2 to prevent the cup from sliding on the cup bracket 25 in the width direction, especially outward, thereby ensuring the fixing and washing effect of the cup.
The mounting portion 21 is rotatably connected to the dishwasher bowl basket 1, so that the cup holder 2 is switched (for example, in a rotating manner) between an accommodation position (as shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 7) and a working position (as shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 to Fig. 5). For example, when the cup holder 2 is rotated to the accommodation position, it can be in an upright state, and is as close as possible to the side of the dishwasher bowl basket 1, so that the inner space of the bowl basket is hardly occupied. When the cup holder 2 is rotated to the working position, it can be at an inclined position (the first side of the cup bracket 25 is higher than the second side) or a horizontal position, so that the cup can be carried. It can be seen that in the present disclosure, the cup holder 2 can be prevented from occupying the limited space of the dishwasher bowl basket 1 when the cup holder 2 is not in use by rotating the cup holder 2 to be stored, thereby further improving the convenience and flexibility of the dishwasher bowl basket 1. The mounting portion 21 adopt various rotating structures to achieve rotatable connection.
As shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the mounting portion 21 includes a mounting buckle 210 for buckling on a first rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1, for example, a certain transverse rib 12 or ribs in other directions, so that the cup holder 2 can be rotated around the first rib, as shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 7. For example, the dishwasher bowl basket 1 has an iron wire-welded structure. Each iron wire can be called a rib, and the cup holder 2 of the present disclosure can be easily mounted on a suitable iron wire through the mounting buckle 210.
As shown in Fig. 8, the mounting buckle 210 includes a first hook portion 211 and a second hook portion 212, the first hook portion 211 is configured to hook the first rib (such as the transverse rib 12), the second hook portion 212 is disposed at a free end of the first hook portion 211 and extends toward an inner side of the first hook portion 211 to prevent the transverse rib 12 from being separated from the first hook portion 211. Here, the free end of the first hook portion 211 refers to an end away from the cup bracket 25, and the other end (that is, an end connected to the cup bracket 25) can be referred to as a fixed end, or as a root of the mounting buckle 210.
As shown in Fig. 8, in a mounting state, the free end of the second hook portion 212 points toward the transverse rib 12, so that the transverse rib 12 can be effectively prevented from being separated from the first hook portion 211, that is, the reliability for mounting the cup holder 2 on the dishwasher bowl basket 1 is ensured.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 8, an outer side surface 2121 of the second hook portion 212 is an inclined surface, and is used to guide the transverse rib 12 when it is buckled onto the transverse rib 12, so that the mounting process is easier.
As shown in Fig. 8, the portion where the second hook portion 212 and the first hook portion 211 are connected is an arc-shaped bending portion 2122. The arc-shaped bending portion 2122 can function as an elastic hinge, and when it is buckled onto the transverse rib 12, the outer side surface 2121 of the second hook portion 212 can be pressed by the transverse rib 12 to deform the arc-shaped bending portion 2122, so that the transverse rib 12 can smoothly slide into the first hook portion 211. With the transverse rib 12 mounted in place, the outer side surface 2121 of the second hook portion 212 is no longer pressed, and the arc-shaped bending portion 2122 can rebound immediately, so that the second hook portion 212 is restored to the original position, and the transverse rib 12 cannot be separated from the first hook portion 211.
It can be seen that the mounting portion 21 makes the cup holder 2 of the present disclosure have the advantages of easy mounting and reliable mounting. For example, the mounting buckle 210 can be mounted longitudinally and downward to the transverse rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1 in one step. The mounting is very convenient. Meanwhile, after mounting, the cup holder 2 is difficult to be separated from the dishwasher bowl basket 1.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the second side of the cup bracket 25 is further provided with a limiting portion 22, and when the cup holder 2 is rotated to the working position, the limiting portion 22 abuts against a second rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1, for example, another transverse rib 13 or ribs in other directions, as shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 5. By setting the distance between the first rib and the second rib, the cup holder 2 can obtain a desired inclination angle in the working position.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, the limiting portion 22 includes a convex rib protruding outward in the width direction of the cup bracket 25. The number of ribs is plural, so as to ensure the carrying capability of the cup holder 2 in order to carry more cups at the same time.
In some embodiments, the cup holder 2 of the present disclosure further includes a accommodating and locking structure for locking the cup holder 2 relative to the dishwasher bowl basket 1 when the cup holder 2 is at the accommodation position. For example, it is fixed relative to the transverse rib and/or the longitudinal rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1 to avoid free rotating.
The accommodating and locking structure can adopt any suitable structure, as long as the cup holder 2 can be relatively fixed to the dishwasher bowl basket 1 to prevent from rotating. As an example, it can be a hook, a strap, or the like.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 3, the accommodating and locking structure includes a snap structure 28 disposed on the cup bracket 25 for snapping onto the rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1. For example, in an implementation manner shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 7, the two snap structures 28 are snapped onto longitudinal ribs 11 and 14 of the dishwasher bowl basket 1 respectively. In an implementation manner not shown, the snap structure 28 can also be snapped onto the transverse rib of the dishwasher bowl basket 1. For example, when the cup holder 2 needs to be stored, the cup holder 2 be rotated toward the accommodation position, and when the rotating is completed, the cup holder 2 can be gently pushed to snap the snap structure 28 to the corresponding rib in one step to complete accommodating and locking. The storage process is very convenient. Similarly, when the cup holder 2 needs to be used, it is only necessary to push the cup holder 2 slightly toward the working position, so that the snap structure 28 can be disconnected from the corresponding rib, thereby rotating the cup holder 2 to the working position. The unfolding process is also very convenient.
In summary, the cup holder of the present disclosure has the advantages of allowing multiple cups to be placed at the same time, while also improving the space utilization of the bowl basket, ensuring the washing effect, and in particular, having the advantages of convenient storage, simple structure, convenient use, and the like.
On the basis of the above work, a second aspect of the present disclosure provides a bowl basket assembly, as shown in Fig. 1, which includes a dishwasher bowl basket 1 and the aforementioned cup holder 2 of the present invention. The cup holder 2 is mounted on the dishwasher bowl basket 1.
In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 1, the cup holder 2 includes a first cup holder 2A and a second cup holder 2B arranged side by side and independent of each other. For example, the two cup holders are mounted on the same transverse rib so that they can be kept flush in the working position or in the accommodation position. In particular, on the one hand, since they can be kept flush in the working position, it can be regarded as a cup holder with a larger size to continuously place cups, so that the carrying capacity of the two cup holders can be maximized. On the other hand, depending on how many cups need to be washed, it is also possible to use only one of the cup holders and store the other cup holder to make room for the bowl basket assembly.
In some embodiments, the first cup holder 2A and the second cup holder 2B have different lengths. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the length of the first cup holder 2A is smaller than the length of the second cup holder 2B, that is, the former is a small cup holder and the latter is a large cup holder. This way of setting the two cup holders with unequal length can be more flexible to adapt to the difference in the number of cups, so that according to actual conditions, a small cup holder or a large cup holder can only be used, or two cup holders can be used at the same time.
The bowl basket assembly of the present disclosure has the advantages of high space utilization, increased types and numbers of tableware that can be placed, and the like, and can improve the product quality and user experience of the corresponding dishwasher.
On the basis of the above work, a third aspect of the present disclosure provides a dishwasher, which includes the aforementioned bowl basket assembly of the present invention.
Those skilled in the art can make various obvious or equivalent modifications or replacements for the above details, which will be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A cup holder, configured to be mounted on a dishwasher bowl basket (1), comprising a cup bracket (25) and a goblet bayonet (23), the cup bracket (25) is configured to place a cup, the goblet bayonet (23) is provided on a first side of the cup bracket (25) and is configured to accommodate a foot of a goblet, a second side of the cup bracket is provided with a mounting portion (21) for mounting the cup holder on the dishwasher bowl basket (1), and the first side and the second side are opposite sides of the cup bracket (25) in a width direction, and, in a mounting state, the mounting portion (21) is rotatably connected to the dishwasher bowl basket (1), so that the cup holder (25) is switched between an accommodation position and a working position, the mounting portion (21) comprises a mounting buckle (210) for buckling on a first rib of the dishwasher bowl basket so that the cup holder is rotated around the first rib,
wherein the mounting buckle (210) comprises a first hook portion (211), the first hook portion (211) is configured to hook the first rib, characterised in that the mounting buckle (210) further comprises a second hook portion (212), wherein

the second hook portion (212) is disposed at a free end of the first hook portion (211) and extends toward an inner side of the first hook portion (211), and, in a mounting state,

a free end of the second hook portion (212) points toward the first rib to prevent the first rib from being separated from the first hook portion.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the cup bracket (25) comprises crossed transverse beams (251) and longitudinal beams (252), and at least one of the transverse beams (251) and/or at least one of the longitudinal beams (252) is provided with a first corrugated structure (26) for limiting a cup opening of the cup; and/or,

the goblet bayonet (23) comprises a first bayonet wall (231) and a second bayonet wall (232) opposite to each other, wherein at least one of the first bayonet wall (231) and the second bayonet wall (232) is provided with a second corrugated structure (24) for limiting the foot of the goblet.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the first side of the cup bracket is provided with a plurality of goblet notches (23), arranged in a zigzag shape; and/or,

the goblet bayonet (23) is of a U shape with an opening gradually increased; and/or,

a limiting protrusion (27) is provided at an outer edge of the goblet bayonet (23), and a protruding direction of the limiting protrusion is toward a front side of the cup bracket.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer side surface of the second hook portion (212) is an inclined surface (2121) for guiding the first rib when buckled on the first rib.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second side of the cup bracket is further provided with a limiting portion (22), and when the cup holder is rotated to the working position, the limiting portion abuts against a second rib of the dishwasher bowl basket.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the limiting portion (22) comprises a convex rib protruding outward in the width direction of the cup bracket.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a accommodating and locking structure for locking the cup holder relative to the dishwasher bowl basket when the cup holder is at the accommodation position.
The cup holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein the accommodating and locking structure comprises a snap structure (28) disposed on the cup bracket for snapping onto a rib of the dishwasher bowl basket.
A bowl basket assembly, comprising a dishwasher bowl basket and the cup holder as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cup holder (2) is mounted on the dishwasher bowl basket (1).
The bowl basket assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cup holder comprises a first cup holder (2A) and a second cup holder (2B) arranged side by side and independent of each other.
The bowl basket assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first cup holder and the second cup holder have different lengths.
A dishwasher, comprising the bowl basket assembly as claimed in one of claims 9 to 11.