GB2198032A

GB2198032A - Support for cutlery and crockery in a dishwashing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2198032A
Application number: GB08721337A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wolfgang Crusius; Ulrich Deiss; Rudiger Eiermann; Egon Kreuz; Ernst Stickel; Herbert Gunzl; Dietrich Rehberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-12-01
Filing date: 1987-09-10
Publication date: 1988-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-10
Also published as: SE8703752L; FR2607382B1; SE469737B; GB8721337D0; GB2198032B; DE3641020C1; SE8703752D0; FR2607382A1

Abstract

A support 5 for cutlery mountable on a cutlery basket 1 is provided with openings 6 whereby items of cutlery may be suspended within the basket during washing in a dishwashing machine. The support may also be used in an inverted position in a crockery basket of the dishwashing machine as a support for small crockery parts. The support may be provided with a tiltable handle 8. <IMAGE>

Description

SUPPORT FOR CUTLERY AND CROCKERY IN A DISHWASHING MACHINE The present invention relates to a support for cutlery and crockery in a dishwashing machine.

For the cleaning and drying of cutlery, a cutlery basket of plastics material and provided with a handle is known from DE-GM 76 05 761, wherein the basket is sub-divided by intermediate walls into several compartments. The basket is provided in its base as well as in its side walls with a plurality of passages for the throughflow of rinsing liquid.

Cutlery baskets of that kind are placed on the bottom of a lower crockery basket. Cutlery to be cleaned is placed from the top into the compartments of the cutlery basket. In that case, the receiving volume of the cutlery basket can be greatly restricted by cutlery lying transversely.

This can lead to the cutlery not being cleaned as intended by the spray jets Due to the articles of cutlery lying one against the other, drainage is also obstructed so that spots form on the cutlery during drying.

In a dishwashing machine equipped with an upper and a lower crockery basket, it is also known to provide, in at least one of the crockery baskets, areas which have no fixed crockery mountings so that exchangeable receiving frames, designed for a particular kind of crockery, can be inserted into the basket. However, known inserts for glasses have the disadvantage that the glasses have to be arranged at an inclination transversely to the direction of movement of the basket. When pulling the basket out of the rinsing container, there is a risk that the cleaned articles are tilted over or knock against each other so that they crack or break.

There is thus a need for an insert for a dishwashing machine for the cleaning and drying of cutlery and crockery, which may avoid the disadvantages of known cutlery baskets and small crockery mountings, may facilitate a loading and unloading of the dishwashing machine with cutlery and/or small crockery, and may have increased capacity by virtue of an ordered arrangement of the items to be washed.

According to the present invention there is provided a reversible support for cutlery and crockery in a dishwashing machine, comprising a tray which is selectably mountable on a cutlery basket or insertable into a crockery basket and which is provided with openings for insertion of items of cutlery and suspension of such items in one orientation of the tray and with support means for supporting items of crockery in the inverted orientation of the tray.

In a preferred embodiment the tray is insertable into the basket bottom of a lower or an upper crockery basket and settable onto a boxshaped cutlery basket, the tray having passages for cutlery parts that can be hooked in and/or mountings for small crockery. Cutlery and small crockery may be easier to clean and to dry with such a tray, since they hang securely and in ordered manner in the passages of the tray. This mounting of the tray avoids the possibility that cutlery covered with food remnants may lie one against or inside the other. Not only is improved cleaning and drying provided, but spot formation during drying may be largely avoided by virtue of the unhindered liquid drainage from the suspended items of cutlery and crockery.The tray can be removed from the cutlery basket, which ensures that the user can also place cutlery in conventional manner in the cutlery basket chambers. The tray is also usable as utensil deposit when inserted in the lower or upper basket.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cutlery basket with a first cutlery and small crockery tray, placed on in the manner of a lid, embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a second tray embodying the invention, again in combination with a cutlery basket.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a cutlery basket 1 which is intended for insertion into a crockery basket of a dishwashing machine and which is, for example, divided by intermediate walls 2 into compartments which are upwardly open. The cutlery basket is provided in its base 3 as well as in its side walls with a plurality of passages 4 for the throughflow of rinsing liquid.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a tray 5 is placed on the box-shaped basket 1 and has passages 6 by which items of cutlery 7 can be hooked into the tray. The illustrated spoons, knives and forks in that case project by their handles into the cutlery basket. The individual items can thus hang in ordered and space-saving manner in the grating-like tray 5, which preferably has a tiltable, stirrup-shaped handle 8. The basket 1 with the tray 5 can be loaded and unloaded in easily surveyable manner outside the dishwashing machine.

The tray 5 in Fig. 2 can, in the dishwashing machine, either be placed on the cutlery basket or inserted into a free space of the upper or lower crockery basket. The tray 5 can also be structured for the reception and mounting of small crockery parts. It is, however, to be turned over for this purpose. According to Fig. 1, the tray 5 has a recess 9 through which the small parts are insertable into the cutlery basket. A deposit surface is designated by 10.

Claims

1. A reversible support for cutlery and crockery in a dishwashing machine, comprising a tray which is selectably mountable on a cutlery basket or insertable into a crockery basket and which is provided with openings for insertion of items of cutlery and suspension of such items in one orientation of the tray and with support means for supporting items of crockery in the inverted orientation of the tray.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tray is provided with a handle and has the form of a lid for the cutlery basket, the support means being receptacles.

3. A support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the handle is generally U-shaped and pivotably connected to the tray.

4. A support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tray is provided with an access opening to permit insertion of articles into the cutlery basket when the tray is mounted thereon.

5. A support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A dishwashing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in combination with a cutlery basket, the basket being provided in the base and side walls thereof with apertures for the passage of liquid.

8. A dishwashing machine provided with an upper crockery basket, a lower crockery basket, a cutlery basket and a support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, the support being mountable on the cutlery basket or insertable into either of the crockery baskets.

The preceding claims have been superseded by the following claims: CLAIMS 1. A dishwashing machine provided with a crockery basket, a boxshaped cutlery basket insertable into the crockery basket and provided in the base and side walls thereof with apertures for the passage of liquid, and an invertible tray which is selectably mountable on the cutlery basket or insertable into the crockery basket and which is provided with openings for insertion of items of cutlery and suspension of such items in one orientation of the tray and with holders or receptacles for items of crockery in the inverted orientation of the tray, the tray being further provided with a pivotable handle.

2. A dishwashing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tray has the form of a lid for the cutlery basket.

3. A dishwashing machine as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the handle is generally U-shaped.

4. A dishwashing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tray is provided with an access opening to permit insertion of articles into the cutlery basket when the tray is mounted thereon.

5. A dishwashing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.