GB2419083A

GB2419083A - The modular-basket intergrated dishwasher

Info

Publication number: GB2419083A
Application number: GB0422826A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Morris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-10-14
Filing date: 2004-10-14
Publication date: 2006-04-19
Also published as: GB0422826D0

Abstract

Dishwashing machines can remove one of the more irritating burdens of modern domestic life. However, unloading a conventional dishwasher is often seen as irritating in its own right. The modular-basket integrated dishwasher is a solution to this problem. This integrates the dishwasher with kitchen storage cupboards in a new and deeper sense than is effected in a conventional fitted kitchen. At the heart of this integration is a modular basket that fits into the dishwasher (a washer might hold perhaps four of these at one time) and also into the kitchen storage cupboards. These baskets hold utensils both whilst they are in the dishwasher and whilst they are in storage in the kitchen cupboards.

Description

241 9083

MODULAR-BASKET INTEGRATED DISHWASHER

DESCRIPTION

The problem - we don't like unloading the dishwasher Dishwashing machines can remove one of the more irritating burdens of modern domestic life. However, the release is imperfect! The dishwasher having completed its wash, it is necessary to unload it, returning clean pots, pans and cutlery to the kitchen cupboards in which they are stored. This task is often seen as irritating in its own right and is put off. Many have found that this tendency should not be fought but indulged, unloading then taking the form of items being removed from the dishwasher as- required. This practice brings difficulties, however. The dishwasher being part full of cleaned pots and pans, it is not really possible to reload it with newly used crockery as this becomes ready, resulting in the generation of a pile of unwashed items elsewhere in the kitchen. Ultimately, the last stragglers must be removed manually from the dishwasher and unpleasant task of loading a heap of 'maturing' unwashed crockery tackled.Various solutions have been sought to this difficulty, including the (inefficient and environmentally damaging) 'wash the stragglers again' approach, and even the (expensive in space and hardware costs) 'install two dishwashers" approach. Neither of these approaches, nor any others known to date, are, in fact, wholly satisfactory. The modular-basket integrated dishwasher, described herein, is a wholly satisfactory solution to this problem.

The solution - the modular-basket integrated dishwasher The modularbasket integrated dishwasher concept recognises that there is utility in not artificially separating the functions of utensil washing and utensil storage (which is what is effectively being done above); but that it is inefficient to effect this by using the dish washer as a storage place. The concept is implemented by integrating the dishwasher with kitchen storage cupboards in a new and deeper sense than is effected in a conventional fitted kitchen. At the heart of this integration is a modular basket that fits into the dish washer (a washer might hold perhaps four of these at one time) and also into the kitchen storage cupboards. These baskets hold utensils both whilst they are in the dishwasher and whilst they are in storage in the kitchen cupboards.

The advantage of this approach is that dishwasher unloading does not require anything more than lifting a modestly-dimensioned modular basket of clean items out of the dishwasher and placing it into a made-tomeasure slot in one of the storage cupboards. Dishwasher loading can always take place directly, 'pot by pot', as items become ready except during times when the dish washer is actually running; even then, a single modular basket can be loaded up outside the machine and then placed, as a unit' inside directly the wash is complete. The essence of the solution lies in the use of modular dishwasher baskets and in the integration in the kitchen of dishwasher with kitchen storage units designed around the modular baskets. The baskets must be small enough to lift whilst full (ie of about a quarter the volume of a conventional dishwasher) and must be used in numbers greater than that required to fill the dishwasher (so that there will be some baskets outside the machine acting as storage).

The concept works best when kitchen storage units are designed explicitly with modular baskets in mind and optimised to contain them. Overall, this solution is termed the modular-basket integrated dishwasher concept.

Claims

1 A dishwashing machine with associated baskets for holding pots or pans or cutlery such that the baskets are intended to hold these items both whilst they are being washed in the machine and also whilst they are being stored.

2 A dishwashing machine with associated baskets for holding pots or pans or cutlery, and kitchen storage units such that the baskets are intended to hold these items both whilst they are being washed in the machine and also whilst they are being stored in the storage units.

3 A dishwashing machine with associated baskets for holding pots or pans or cutlery such that normal practice would be to unload the machine by removing a basket and its contents as a unit.

4 A dishwashing machine with associated baskets for holding pots or pans or cutlery such that normal practice would be to unload the machine by removing a basket and its contents as a unit, and kitchen storage units such that the baskets are intended to hold these items both whilst they are being washed in the machine and also whilst they are being stored in the storage units.

Baskets intended for use in a dishwashing machine for holding pots or pans or cutlery such that normal practice would be to unload the machine by removing a basket and its contents as a unit.

6 Storage units intended to accommodate baskets for holding pots or pans or cutlery, these same baskets being intended for use in a dishwashing machine such that normal practice would be to unload the machine by removing a basket and its contents as a unit and place basket and contents in the storage unit.

7 As claim 1 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

8 As claim 2 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

9 As claim 3 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

As claim 4 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

11 As claim 5 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

12 As claim 6 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

13 A 'modular-basket integrated dishwasher', defined as any system satisfying any valid claim ofclaims 1 to 12.

14 A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine to a machine as described in claim 1.

A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine and storage units to a machine and storage units as described in claim 2.

16 A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine to a machine as described in claim 3.

17 A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine and storage units to a machine and storage units as described in claim 4.

I 8 A kit intended to be used to provide baskets for use as described in claim 5.

19 A kit intended to be used to convert storage units to storage units as described in claim 6.

A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine to a machine as described in claim 1 21 A kit intended to be used to convert a dishwashing machine to a machine as described in claim 1 22 As claim 14 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

23 As claim 15 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

24 As claim 16 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

As claim 17 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

26 As claim 18 but where the text 'a dishwashing machine' used in claim 5 (referred to in claim 18) is replaced with the text 'a domestic dishwashing machine'.

27 A kit to create, or make a conversion to, a 'modular-basket integrated dishwasher', defined as any system satisfying any valid claim of claims 1 to 12.