GB2256362A - Dishwashing machine dispenser with a rapid fixing arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser device for substances, in a domestic dishwasher, comprises a casing (1) for containing said substances, with an external surface (3) which includes a cover (not shown) which is openable within the washing tub, and means for introducing and locking said casing in a suitable recess provided in the secondary door (5) of the dishwasher, which are formed by a plurality of preferably metal brackets (9, 10, 11, 12, 13). The brackets are capable of being permanently inserted into as suitable cavity (8) which surrounds said casing (1) at the opening of said recess, said cavity (8) being provided between the side walls of said casing and a ring (6) which surrounds said walls at a certain spacing, said ring (6) preferably being integral with the external surface (3). <IMAGE>

Description

DISXWASHING MACHINE DISPENSER WITH A RAPID FIXING ARRANGEMENT The present invention concerns an arrangement for fixing the dispenser for detergent and/or other substances to the internal secondary door of a preferably domestic dishwashing machine.

When hereinafter reference is made to the term 'detergents', that will be interpreted as also including all other substances which are used in the complete washing cycle for various purposes.

The present trend in the design of domestic electrical appliances is towards the use of increasingly automated production technology and that tends towards the elimination of the preliminary operations for preparing the domestic electrical appliance for fitting of the various components, which includes the detergent dispenser, by replacing those operations by an automatic procedure which is carried out with special devices which are specifically designed for that purpose.

At the present time dishwashing machines are designed for a feed of detergents in powder or liquid form into the washing tub, using a conventional detergent dispenser which is connected to the tub and which is subdivided into different separate and independent compartments for containing the respective detergents. In that way, predetermined amounts of the respective detergents in powder and liquid form are poured beforehand into the various compartments of the distributor and those amounts of detergent are directly or indirectly carried away by the water of the tub.

The system which is most widely used at the present time for fixing the dispenser to the door of the dishwasher is that of using metal brackets which are fitted to the interior of the door and self-tapping screws or other connecting means, in any case always using means for fitting to the interior of the door.

The use of such means is fairly secure and simple but it does require each time an additional operation to be carried out manually and with the due degree of attention; that naturally involves economic burdens and risks in terms of quality.

Dishwashing machines are known, which have different structures for rapid attachment purposes, provided integrally with the plastics bowl or basin and using different shapes and methods of attachment; the only common component is the presence of teeth of plastics material which are in one piece with the material of the body.

However the presence of teeth of plastics material, while satisfactorily permitting the desired economy to be achieved, suffers from the disadvantage of affording a low degree of reliability since the teeth are made of the same 'poor' material of the body: generally polypropylene with a greater or lesser amount of filler.

As a consequence, vibration or in general the normal conditions of use of the machine result in rapid rupture of the teeth and thus the need to replace the entire dispenser.

A further disadvantage arises out of the fact that the progressive degradation and loosening of the material of which the teeth are made has as a consequence in the course of time a loss of sealing integrity between the door and the dispenser, with the possible infiltration of water into the space between the inside and outside portions of the door and the resulting risk of damage or short-circuits to the electrical components which are installed therein.

It would thus be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to provide a detergent dispenser such as to permit easy and possibly automatable fitting without nonetheless involving the use of any suitable fixing means fitted to the internal door portion, which provides a high level of reliability while naturally retaining a high level of economy and structural simplicity and which is removable, of a simple design configuration, easy to use and can be produced using the normal processes.

According to the present invention, there is provided ( ] The invention will be better appreciated from the following description given solely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view in cross-section of a detergent dispenser according to the invention; Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show orthogonal projections of a fitting bracket included in the preceding detergent dispenser, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the detergent dispenser with the fitting brackets already installed.

The detergent dispenser is composed of a casing 1 which provides a detergent loading space 2.

The outward surface 3 (which is directed inwardly of the washing tub of the machine, not shown) of the casing 1 closes the space 2 and is extended on the outside and sideways by means of a first external rim portion 4 which runs all around the side walls 16 of the casing 1 and which bears against the surface of the internal door portion 5, at a certain spacing from the side walls of the casing 1, thus forming a narrow cavity between the rim portion 4 and the side walls 16 of the casing 1.

The upper surface of the casing 3 includes a removable cover (not shown) for refilling the dispenser.

A second rim portion 6 which is completely parallel to the main rim portion 4 also runs around the casing 1 in the interior of the above-described cavity.

The height of rim portion 6 is smaller than that the height of the rim portion 4 so as to leave a space for a seal 14 which is inserted between the end of the rim portion 6 and the door portion 5, as shown in Figure 1.

The second rim portion 6 which is inside the rim portion 4 in turn creates a smaller cavity 8 with the side wall 16 of the casing 1.

At least at locations around the periphery of the wall 6 where the fitting brackets are to be installed, wall portions 7 parallel to the wall 6 and attached thereto by stand-offs are provided, to define gaps between these wall portions 7 and the wall 16 of the casing to accommodate the fitting brackets.

The door portion 5 terminates at a position corresponding to the recess which is to accommodate the casing 1, with two inwardly bent edges 15, said edges 15 being of a suitable depth as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show a flexible, typically metallic fitting bracket which is composed of a first portion--9, a second portion 10 which is slightly inclined with respect to the first portion, a third portion 11 which slopes in opposite by inclined relationship to the portion 10 and with a substantially more accentuated angle of inclination, a further portion 12 which is coplanar with the first portion 9 and aligned with same, and a final portion 13 of short length, which is bent at a right angle with respect to the portion 12 in the half-space in which the portions 10 and 11 and disposed.

Returning now to Figure 1, shown therein is the way in which two of the fitting brackets are fitted to the casing 1. The are inserted with their final portion 13 into the above-mentioned cavity 8 to the desired depth so that, on the basis of the reciprocal dimensions, the portions 13 have to bend in order to pass into the cavity 8.

In that way the brackets are definitively locked within the respective cavities since, if there is a wish for them to be removed, the rearwardly bent portions 13 would dig definitively into the rim portion, preventing their removal.

At that point the casing which is completed in that way can be easily fitted into its seat; in fact the slight slope of the portions 10 produces a low degree of resistance against the flat internal edge portion 15 upon insertion of the casing until the point of flexure with the portion 11 is easily overcome and then the large angle of opposite slope of the portion 11, against the inward end of the edge portions 15, automatically causes to move forwardly to the point at which the door portion 5 presses to an ever increasing degree against the seal 14 to compress it to such a degree that at a certain point is opposes further displacement of the casing 1.

That ensures sealing integrity as between the interior of the tub and the internal spacing within the door.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the various components can be so selected that, when the casing 1 stops, the rim portion 4 finishes precisely in a condition of abutment against the edge portions 15 of the door portion 5 and the inward end of the internal edge portions 15 of the door portion 5 are also in pressure contact against the portion 11 of the bracket to guarantee fixing of the casing 1 without play or unreliability.

It will now be clearly apparent how the casing is fitted into its recess: it is simply positioned to correspond with the opening which accommodates it and is pressed to the depth at which the resilient pressure of the portion 10 of the bracket automatically 'swallows' it, locking it in a stable fashion.

In contrast, if the casing 1 is to be removed it is only necessary to act from the interior of the internal door portion and press against the locking brackets, at the same time moving the casing outwardly so as to free it from the locking action of the brackets and thus expel it from its recess.

Preferably, to produce a uniform and sufficiently strong locking action on the casing it is advisable but not necessary for the locking brackets to be regularly distributed around its perimeter, in particular at the corners of the rim portion 4, as shown in Figure 3 and positions 20.

Claims (9)

1. A dishwashing machine having an access door, a washing tub accessible via said door and a dispenser device for substances, mounted on the inner wall of the door, the dispenser comprising a casing for containing said substances, an external surface containing a cover which is openable within the washing tub, means for locking said casing in a suitable recess provided on said inner wall of the door of the dishwashing machine, wherein said means comprise a plurality of flexible brackets which are permanently inserted into a suitable cavity which is stably associated and which surrounds the side wall of said casing at a position corresponding to the opening of said recess, said brackets being adapted to be removably locked against the edge portion which is directed to the interior of the body of the door.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the brackets are made of stainless steel.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said cavity is provided between the side walls of said casing and an annular edge which surrounds said walls at a certain spacing.

4. A machine according to claim 3 wherein said edge is integral with the external surface.

5. A machine according to claim 3 or 4 wherein said brackets are composed of a first portion, a second portion which is slightly inclined with respect to the first portion, a third portion which slopes in opposite relationship with respect to the second portion, a further portion which is coplanar with the first portion and aligned with same, a final portion of short length which is bent at a right angle with respect to the third portion in the space in which the second and third portions are disposed, and that said brackets are force-fitted with the fourth portion within said cavity in such a way as to bend rearwardly said portion which thrusts against said annular edge.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein a second external ring portion, preferably integral and in sealing relationship with the external surface of said casing, surrounds said ring portion with a depth in an inward direction which is slightly greater than the latter, and a seal is fitted to the end edge of said ring portion.

7. A machine according to claim 6 where, in its fitted and locked position, said seal is contained and compressed between the end edge of the ring portion, the prolonged part of the ring portion, the surface of the door portion and the side wall of said casing.

8. A machine according to claim 7 wherein, in its fitted and locked position said bracket applies a resilient pressure with its third portion against the inward end of the edge portion which is bent inwardly of the surface of the door portion, and that the terminal edge of the rim portion bears under pressure against the surface of the door portion.

9. A dishwashing machine constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.