GB2303055A

GB2303055A - Cutlery basket for dishwashers

Info

Publication number: GB2303055A
Application number: GB9613188A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Flavio Campagnolo
Original assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1995-07-12
Filing date: 1996-06-24
Publication date: 1997-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-24
Also published as: FR2736534A1; ES1034677Y; ITPN950031V0; DE29609973U1; ES1034677U; GB2303055B; FR2736534B3; IT238857Y1; GB9613188D0; ITPN950031U1

Description

1 CUTLERY BASKET FOR DISHWASHERS 2303055 The present invention relates to

a cutlery basket for dishwashing machines.

As is known the cutlery baskets for dishwashers are normally designed as described for example in IT-A-1078236, with a substantially parallelepipedic grill structure composed of compartments which are disposed side-by-side and in which the cutlery is disposed casually in substantially erect (inclined) positions, supported by the bottom of the basket. In order to prevent the cutlery, especially cutlery of small dimensions, from protruding through the bottom of the basket, the bottom itself must be made with relatively narrow meshes. As is known however that prevents the jets of water from correctly passing into the basket and thus compromises the result in terms of washing of the cutlery. Drying the cutlery is also found to be unsatisfactory since the cutlery has points of contact with the bottom of the basket and with each other; drops of water which compromise the drying of the cutlery are formed at each point of contact.

Various solutions have been proposed for minimising such disadvantages. In GB-A-2238234 for example a first basket with a substantially open bottom has a an upper rack in which the cutlery items of small dimensions can be suspended, while the cutlery items of larger dimensions can be inserted into a separate basket with a bottom having relatively wide meshes which allow for a good flow of the jets of washing water therethrough. 30 That solution however is not satisfactory insofar as the cutlery basket is of limited versatility in use and has to be made in two separate parts which are different from each other. A cutlery basket for dishwashers has also been proposed, having a cover which is hinged in such a way as to be switchable between a horizontal operative position and a raised position. In the horizontal position the cover 2 supports cutlery items such as forks and spoons, suspended in suitable slots, while in the raised position it permits the basket to be filled in conventional manner with any type of cutlery (including knives and ladles which do not lend themselves to being suspended). In this construction also the bottom of the basket has to be made with undesirably narrow meshes, for the reasons indicated above.

The main aim of the present invention is that of providing an improved cutlery basket for dishwashers, with which a substantial proportion of the cutlery can be washed and dried in an optimum manner.

Another aim of the invention is that of providing a basket of the type referred to, which is of a particularly simple and versatile structure suitable for containing even cutlery of non-standardised shapes and/or dimensions.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cutlery basket for dishwashers comprising a perforated bottom wall, a perforated side surface and a perforated cover having a plurality of openings whose edges are capable of supporting respective items of cutlery in an erect position in the basket, wherein said cover and a first portion of the bottom wall are made with wider meshes than a second complementary portion of the bottom wall, at least a part of the cover being capable of being removed to be fastened to the basket, at a position corresponding to the bottom wall, in such a way as to form therewith a combined support surface for the cutlery, of meshes with dimensions substantially corresponding to those of said second complementary portion.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cutlery basket in which parts of the cover are omitted and another part of the cover is shown in the removed position; 3 Figure 2 is a basket of Figure 1 in a Figure 3 is a the basket of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a basket of Figure 1 in a Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view from below into the first operative condition; diagrammatic view in cross-section of diagrammatic view from below of the second operative position; and diagrammatic view in cross-section of the basket of Figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, the cutlery basket for dishwashers is preferably of a parallelepipedic configuration with a perforated side surface, a perforated bottom wall and a perforated cover. In a preferred embodiment the side surface is formed by a pair of larger walls 6 and a pair of smaller walls 7, between which extend divider walls 8,9 for subdividing the interior of the basket into suitable compartments for the cutlery items.

The bottom wall 12 of the basket (Figure 2) has a portion 10 which extends substantially at a position corresponding to at least one of the compartments, and perforated with meshes of predetermined dimensions which are not greater than the section of an item of cutlery of standard small dimensions. A complementary portion 11 of the bottom wall 12 (that corresponds to the remaining compartments of the basket) is perforated with larger meshes than the portion 10.

The cover of the basket is preferably made up of a plurality of complementary parts 13, each for an associated compartment of the basket. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 shows only two parts 13 of the cover; one part 13 is shown fitted in the operative position while the other is shown n the position of being disengaged from the basket. In each case the cover 13 is provided with a plurality of openings 14 which (in per se known manner) are arranged for supporting respective items of cutlery in an erect (vertical) position mutually spaced in the basket. As shown in Figure 3 in particular the openings 14 are such as to support forks 15, spoons 16, small spoons 18 and similar items of cutlery which 4 can be suspended. In addition the openings 14 support in position, only in the compartment of the basket which is provided with the bottom portion 10 of smaller meshes, long slender items of cutlery such as knives 17 which rest on the bottom 10.

It should be noted that the wide meshes of the portion 11 of the bottom wall 12 permit better washing of the items of cutlery which are disposed at positions corresponding to the portion 11.

The cover 13 can be made in a single piece. In any case, similarly to the portion 11 of the bottom wall 12, the perforated cover 13 is designed with larger meshes than the portion 10 of the bottom wall 12.

The cover 13 is fitted in position on the basket in selectively releasable manner. In the embodiment described herein each part 13 of the cover is provided with lateral edges 19 which are shaped with a recessed (or projecting) section in such a way as slidably to co- operate with complementary corresponding ribs (or recess configurations) 20 provided on the upper edges of the lateral walls and/or the divider walls of the basket. Obviously the cover 13 may be fixed in position by way of equivalent means, for example by means of snap-action fastening means.

At least one part 13 of the cover is capable of being selectively removed from its normal operative position and being fastened to the basket at a position corresponding to the bottom wall 12, in such a way as to form therewith a combined support surface for the items of cutlery, involving meshes of dimensions substantially corresponding to those of portion 10 with smaller meshes. For that purpose the parts 13 of the cover can be fastened to the bottom 12 of the basket by way of snap-action fastening means (know per se and not shown) or in a similar manner to that achieved with the recess configurations and ribs 19,20 described above.

In the situation wherein the cover 13 is in a single piece, it can be fastened to the bottom wall 12 whereby the latter is completely provided with narrow meshes, as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5 therefore the basket according to the invention is transformed into a basket of conventional type, whereby it will be possible to insert into all the compartments, in random loose arrangement, all types of items of cutlery, including any items of cutlery of dimensions which are larger than the standard dimensions. At any rate the cutlery will be supported in an erect (inclined) position and support on the bottom of the combined bottom wall 10,11,13. In the preferred case in which the cover comprises a plurality of parts 13, it will be appreciated that one or more parts 13 may be fastened to the bottom wall 11 at positions corresponding to the respective compartments, thereby permitting particularly versatile use of the basket and corresponding positioning of the cutlery in the manner which is best suited to the requirement involved. It will be appreciated that the cutlery basket described hereinbefore may be the subject of many modifications which fall within the scope of the invention. 20 For example the edge of the openings 14 of the cover 13 is preferably shaped of variable height (as shown in Figure 1 for example) to permit the cutlery (when they are suspended as in Figure 3) to orient themselves and to position themselves in the optimum manner such as to minimise the possible points of contact between the items of cutlery.

6

Claims

1. A cutlery basket for dishwashers comprising a perforated bottom wall, a perforated side surface and a perforated cover having a plurality of openings whose edges are capable of supporting respective items of cutlery in an erect position in the basket, wherein said cover and a first portion of the bottom wall are made with wider meshes than a second complementary portion of the bottom wall, at least a part of the cover being capable of being removed to be fastened to the basket, at a position corresponding to the bottom wall, in such a way as to form therewith a combined support surface for the cutlery, of meshes with dimensions substantially corresponding to those of said second complementary portion.

2. A cutlery basket according to claim 1, wherein the cover is made up of a plurality of complementary separate removable parts each disposed at a position corresponding to a respective compartment defined by divider walls and capable of being selectively fastened to said first portion of the bottom wall.

3. A cutlery basket according to claim 1 wherein the edges of the openings of the cover are shaped with variable heights in such a way as to permit the cutlery to be suspended to the edge in a position and oriented such as to minimise the possible points of contact as between the items of cutlery.

4. A cutlery basket constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. A dishwasher incorporating a cutlery basket according to any one of the preceding claims.