FR2805984A1 - DISHWASHER WITH ADAPTABLE LOADING CAPACITY ACCORDING TO ARTICLES TO BE WASHED - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dishwasher in which, for supporting glasses, cups and other relatively small items, at least one structure (20, 30) is provided, supported by projecting from a side wall (6, 7). of the washing tank (2) and sliding on it. According to the invention, said structure (20, 30) consists of associated means forming sprinklers for the washing liquid and can selectively switch from an operational position in which it is turned towards the middle of the tank (2) to a rest position in which it is parallel to the wall (6, 7) which supports it USE: domestic dishwashers and the like ADVANTAGES: the loading capacity of the machine can be adapted to the items to be washed.

Description

DISHWASHER WITH ADAPTABLE LOADING CAPACITY IN

FUNCTION OF ITEMS TO BE WASHED

  The present invention relates to a dishwasher intended in particular, but not exclusively, for

domestic use.

  We know that the official performances of a dishwasher, including those appearing on the energy consumption label prescribed by the European Union, are defined according to the methodology prescribed by standard EN 50242 which is based on the use of so-called standard cutlery. Nevertheless, the composition and / or the typology of the articles which must be washed in actual use are often very different from those of standard cutlery. This is why any manufacturer wishing to satisfy the end user is forced to design a machine of this type, in particular the sliding elements (baskets) intended to support the articles.

  to wash, to meet these requirements.

  Among the solutions already known, that which most closely resembles the present invention is presented in patent GB-A-1 227 799 and consists in producing the upper basket in the form of a left section and a right section which can be inserted in respective frames supported projecting on the left and right walls of the washing tank and sliding independently with respect to each other and with respect to the lower basket, in order to project beyond the access opening of tank. Said frames with respective basket sections are also liftable by a few centimeters independently with respect to each other and with respect to the lower basket, so that large items such as trays and the like can be loaded onto the latter. Even if the sections of the upper basket are removable from the machine in an appropriate manner, it is not the same for the respective frames which remain fixed to the corresponding walls of the tank, which is why the ease of use of the machine this view is not satisfactory. In addition, it is uncertain that the efficiency of washing of the articles loaded on the sections of the upper basket is high, because of the distance from the single watering reel, placed just above the bottom of the tank, that is to say under the lower basket proper, present in this machine. According to patent applications JP-A-11 047 065 and JP-A-11 047 065, there is also known a dishwasher having an upper basket sliding integrally with a lower basket in order to facilitate loading and unloading of the articles to be washed when they are outside the tank. This upper basket, in addition to being less developed in depth (therefore able to receive relatively few articles to be washed), has the characteristic of being able to pass from an operational position in which it is substantially parallel to the lower basket, in a rest position, in which it performs an upward rotation of approximately 90 degrees and is placed parallel to the side wall of the tank. Switching occurs by holding the two baskets integral with one another in a sliding manner and makes it possible to load large articles on the lower basket. But this can only be done, in these circumstances, by making it impossible to use the upper basket and, moreover, with the constraint of having to use, to clean the articles loaded on the upper basket, a fixed sprinkler, instead from the traditional and efficient spinning reel. The present invention therefore has the fundamental object of proposing a dishwasher having a loading capacity easily adaptable to articles of various composition and / or typology to be washed, and which guarantees in all cases a high washing efficiency according to the methodology of the

EN 50242 standard mentioned above.

  These and other objects are achieved, thanks to the invention, by a dishwasher equipped with a substantially rectangular tank and, to support the articles to be washed of relatively small dimensions, at least one structure, supported in protruding since

  a side wall of the tank and sliding thereon

  ci, characterized in that said structure is equipped with associated means forming sprinklers for the washing liquid and can selectively pass from an operational position, in which it projects towards the middle of the tank, to a rest position, in which it is parallel to the wall which

supports her.

  Advantageously, said structure comprises a first part in the form of a quadrilateral bowl on the bottom of which is disposed at least one watering reel and a second part which acts as a support plane for the articles to be washed, which is distant from and parallel at the bottom of said first part. The first cup-shaped part of said structure is then obtained, preferably, from a single piece of stamped plastic also comprising tubular means which, only when said structure is in the operational position, are able to be connected hydraulically to complementary means forming part of the hydraulic circuit for supplying washing liquid, which are arranged on the rear wall of the washing tank. Advantageously also, on the bottom of said first part in the form of a bowl, there are openings for dropping on the sump of the tank the washing liquid which flows from the articles loaded on the corresponding second part of said

structure.

  Furthermore, said structure is preferably equipped with pivot mounting means with two support points on supports sliding along a guide fixed to the corresponding side wall of the tank so as to be able to be held so stable in each of said two switching positions. To better explain these characteristics and highlight the advantages provided by the present invention, we will now describe a preferred embodiment using the attached drawing, in which:

  Figure 1 shows, seen from the front, a washing machine

  dishes according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the same dishwasher seen in section along the vertical plane II-II of Figure 1;

  Figure 3 again shows the same washing machine.

  dishes seen in section along the horizontal plane III-III of Figure 1; 4 shows, seen from the front on a larger scale, the details of the dishwasher which are contained in the frame designated by the letter A in Figure 1; Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 but relates to the details of the machine contained in the frame designated by the letter B in Figure 1, but without illustrating the articles to be washed which are visible

in this figure.

  It should be noted first of all that many details of the dishwasher have been intentionally omitted from the accompanying drawing, which details are not closely related to the present invention and are in themselves of a type well known to those skilled in the art. art. With particular reference to Figures 1 to 3, a dishwasher comprises an external cabinet 1 and a washing tub 2, both having an approximately parallelepiped shape. The front access opening 3 to the tank 2 is open but can be closed by a door (not shown) which can either be of the traditional type connected by hinge to the cabinet 1 along the lower side of the face 3, or sliding, as described in the Italian patent application n PN99A000043 filed by the same applicant on 01.06. 1999. Of the hydraulic circuit of the dishwasher, the attached drawing mainly represents the reel 4 associated with a basket 5 for supporting the items to be washed which is slidably mounted along guides provided for this purpose (not shown either for the sake of concern clarity) in the lowest area of the side walls 6 and 7 of the tank. 2. The basket 5, which can traditionally be made of plasticized steel wire, therefore constitutes a first structure capable of supporting not only plates P of standard dimensions, but also trays V of particularly large dimensions - see FIG. 1 - as shown

will explain it better below.

  According to a fundamental characteristic of the invention, the dishwasher comprises other structures for supporting the articles to be washed (eg for cups T and glasses G - see Figures 1 and 3) consisting of two shelves 20 and 30 which are respectively supported by said side walls 6 and 7 in the upper zone of the tank 2. Since these shelves are symmetrically identical,

  most of the description below refers

  only to tablet 20 for simplicity.

  The shelves 20 and 30, which are symmetrically identical, consist essentially of: - a first part 21, 31 having the shape of a rectangular bowl, made from a stamped plastic material, having a flat bottom 22, 32 on which are arranged, one behind the other, two sprinkler reels 23, 33 and 24, 34. The washing liquid is supplied respectively to the reels 23 and 24, 33 and 34 of the shelf 20, 30 through a pipe 25 , 35 integrated into said part 21, 31 proper. Said pipe 25, 35 comprises a mouth 26, 36 and two parallel arms 27 and 28, 37 and 38. Obviously, the overall diameter of the reels 23, 24, 33 and 34 is less than that of the reel 4 associated with the lower basket 5. Finally on the respective bottom 22, 32 of the shelves 20, 30 are provided openings 29, 39 adapted to let the washing liquid flowing from the articles B and T fall onto the final sump 8 of the tank 2, see Figures 2 and 4, 3 and 5 respectively; - A second part 41, 51, which consists of a support surface for the items to be washed, in the form of metal bars with a frame 42, 52 for fixing to the first respective parts 21, 31 of the

  shelves 20, 30, see Figures 2 and 3.

  The shelves 20, 30 are connected to respective brackets (of which FIGS. 4 and 5 only show those going from the part of the access opening 3 to the tank which are designated by the reference numerals 45, 55) by l 'respective pairs of support points 46 and 47, 56 and 57 sliding in special horizontal slots 48, 58 and vertical 49, 59. In this way, with simple rotations of about 90 degrees, the shelves can pass , naturally independently of one another, from a slightly horizontally inclined working position (as shown in box B of FIG. 1) to a vertical position allowing the loading of trays V and other large items on the lower basket 4 of the machine (as shown in frame A of the same figure 1). The brackets 45, 55 are sliding, at the same time as their respective shelves 20, 30 along respective guides 61, 71 fixed to the side walls 6, 7 of the tank so that, at the end of the race, the mouths 26 , 36 mentioned above engage on corresponding open arms 62, 72 (which are arranged on the rear wall 9 of the tank 2 and have an associated and known unidirectional valve, not shown for simplicity) of the hydraulic circuit of the machine itself which also supplies the lower reel 4 with washing liquid, see the

figure 3.

  The advantages of the present invention can be summarized as follows: a) the loading capacity of the machine is substantially equal to that of a current model having the same overall dimensions; b) since the shelves are switchable, independently of each other, the loading capacity of the lower basket is adaptable to actual needs, that is to say to the actual quantity of trays V and d 'other large items to be washed; c) only when the shelves pass into the operational position, the engagement of the mouths 26, 36 on the open arms 62, 72 and therefore the supply of the reels 23 and 24, 33 and 34 of the shelves 20, 30 in washing liquid remain insured; d) the close proximity of said reels makes it possible to wash with great efficiency articles, such as cups T and glasses G which are loaded onto

the tablets.

  Even if the description given above is

  relates to the currently preferred embodiment, it is understood that a person skilled in the art will be able to develop the machines differently in accordance with the invention, without however going beyond the scope of protection of this patent.

Claims (5)

  1. Dishwasher equipped with a substantially rectangular tank (2) and, to support the articles to be washed (B, T) of relatively small dimensions, at least one structure (20, 30), supported projecting from a side wall (6, 7) of the tank (2) and sliding thereon, characterized in that said structure (20, 30) is equipped with associated means forming sprinklers (23, 24, 33, 34) of the liquid washing and can selectively pass from an operational position, in which it projects towards the middle of the tank, to a rest position, in which it is parallel to the wall (6, 7) which supports it. 2. Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized in that said structure (20, 30) comprises a first part (21, 31) in the form of a quadrilateral bowl on the bottom (22, 32) of which is disposed at least one watering reel (22, 23, 33, 34) and a second part (41, 51) which acts as a support plane for the articles to be washed (B, T), which is distant from and parallel to the bottom (22 , 32) of the said first part (21, 31).   3. Dishwasher according to claim 2, characterized in that said first cup-shaped part (21, 31) of said structure (20, 30) is obtained from a single piece of stamped plastic also comprising tubular means (25, 26, 27, 28, 35, 36, 37, 38) which, only when said structure (20, 30) is in the operational position, are able to be hydraulically connected to complementary means ( 62, 72) forming part of the hydraulic circuit for supplying washing liquid, which are arranged on the wall rear (9) of the washing tank.   4. Dishwasher according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, on the bottom (22, 32) of said first part (21, 31) in the form of a bowl, are provided openings (29, 39) to leave the washing liquid flowing from the articles loaded on the second part falls onto the sump (8) of the tank   corresponding (41, 51) of said structure (20, 30).   5. Dishwasher according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that   said structure (20, 30) is equipped with pivot mounting means with two support points (46, 47, 56, 57) on supports (45, 55) sliding along a guide (61, 71) fixed to the corresponding side wall (6, 7) of the tank (2) so that it can be held stably in each of said two switching positions.