US3084702A - Front opening dishwasher with improved dish rack arrangement - Google Patents

Description

April 9, 1963 M. NASSER 3,084,702

FRONT OPENING DISHWASHER WITH IMPROVED DISH RACK ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MITCHELL NASSER ms ATTORNEY April 9, 1963 M. NASSER 3,084,702

FRONT OPENING DISHWASHER WITH IMPROVED DISH RACK ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M|TC HELL NASSER WWW I-HS ATTORNEY United States The present invention relates to dishwashing machines of the type having a front opening and dish racks which slide out, and more particularly to a particular combination of liquid circulating means and dish rack formation which provides optimum effectiveness for such machines.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved dishwashing machine of the type having a front opening to the tub wherein the liquid circulating means extends, in part, up above the level of a lower dish rack, and the lower dish rack is formed so that it may slide out over the circulating means. In addition the dish rack is formed so as to provide, at the same time, reinforcement across the recirculating means and an added intermediate level for receiving dishes to be washed.

In one aspect of my invention, I provide a dishwasher which has a substantially rectangular tub whose open front is closable by a door movable between a closed position where it seals the access opening and an open postion. Within the tub, I provide first and second substantially rectangular dish racks which are respectively mounted at an upper level and at a lower level by appropriate mounting means, so that the dish racks may slide horizontally between .a first position where they are fully within the tub and a second position where they are substantially out of the tub. Within the tub, for effecting a washing operation, I provide water circulating means below the second dish rack but which, for optimum effectiveness in washing, includes an upstanding member which extends substantially above the bottom of the second dish rack, but substantially below the bottom of the first dish rack. In addition, the upstanding member is substantially removed from the back and sides of the second dish rack, being preferably near the center thereof so as to have optimum effectiveness in reaching all parts of the tub with recirculation flow.

To permit the second dish rack to slide out without interference from the upstanding member, I provide in the second dish rack a passage which extends from the upstanding member to the back of the dish rack. The passage is bridged for structural strength, by .a number of wire members formed as inverted Us spaced along the passage and joining the opposite sides thereof. The wire members are, of course, formed to clear the upstanding member so that when the dish rack moves forward they will pass over the upstanding member. As an important aspect of my invention I provide, extending up from the top of the inverted U-shaped members, a number of wire fingers which form dish receiving compartments at a third intermediate level in the tub, thereby increasing the dish receiving capacity of the tub through use of the same structure which provides the necessary rigidity in a tub having multi-level Washing. Of course, the word dish is used here in the same sense as in dish washer, i.e., it includes all types of food preparing and food serving structures rather than just those which are dish shaped.

The subject matter which I regard as my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. My invention, l owever, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

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In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a dishwasher embodying my invention, partly in section and partly broken away so as to illustrate details; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view along line 22 in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown a dishwasher of the type wherein a cabinet 2 is provided, the cabinet including a stationary back 3, side walls 4 and 5, and a top portion 6. The back, top, and

- walls, together with a front door section 7, form a generally rectangular enclosure or tub 8 within which are positioned a pair of generally rectangular racks 9 and 10 respectively located at an upper level and a lower level of the tub. Each of the racks is made of wire parts suitably secured together and formed in the conventional manner with upstanding fingers 11 to provide compartments for receiving and holding the dishes to be washed.

In order to gain access to the enclosure, the door section 7 is grasped by an upper handle portion 12 and pivoted downwardly about pivot members such as that shown at 13 until it has substantially horizontally. The lower rack It) is provided with rollers 14 at each side thereof, a track 15 (FIGURE 2) being formed so that the rack 10 is movably horizontally by rolling of rollers 14 on track 15. When the door is open in its horizontal position, it forms a guide, so that when the lower rack 10 is rolled out it will roll forward on the door 7 which thus constitutes an extension of the track 15. In this manner, the rack 10 may be moved horizontally entirely out of the tub 8 by the mounting arrangement shown.

In the case of the upper rack 9, a suitable mounting arrangement, generally indicated by the numeral 16, is provided so as to permit the rack 9 to be similarly moved in a horizontal plane so as to slide forward out of the tub 8 when door 7 is open. A suitable structure for effecting this particular purpose is fully described and illustrated in copending application Serial No. 146,106, filed October 19, 1961, by Norman L. Kendt and assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention. Very briefly, the structure includes rollers 17 mounted on the side walls 4 and 5 so as to support on each side wall a slide member 18 having slots 19 within which rollers 20 secured to the rack member 9 itself may roll. Thus, the slide 18 may move partly out of the tub 8 when door 7 is opened, and the rack 9 may then move forward on the slide 18 so as to be entirely outside the enclosure.

Continuing the description of the dishwasher, it incorporates suitable washing means in the form of a rotatable water ejecting member 21 positioned within tub 2 beneath lower rack 10 and having a number of outlets such as those shown at 22 so as to eject upwardly streams of liquid during operation of the dishwasher. It has been found that for optimum washing effect, the member 21 should further be provided with an upwardly extending portion 23 located substantially centrally of the tub 8, and extending upwardly far enough so that it ejects water from a position above at least the major part of lower dish rack 10. This is effected, in the present case, by providing member 23 with a telescoping part 24 which moves up to an operative position (shown in dotted outline) when under the influence of water pressure, and also provides sprays of water as to improve substantially the washing effect provided by the lower rotatable member 21.

Both for member 23 and member 21, the intent is that water be ejected from them against the dishes and other utensils in the racks with considerable force so as to effect cleansing of the articles. With respect to member 23, a suitable structure therefor is shown and described in copending application Serial No. 107,987 filed on May 5, 1961, by Lauren W. Guth and assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention.

In addition to the members 21 and 23, the washing means may further include an upper rotatable Water ejecting member 25. All three of the members may be fed from a pumping assembly generally indicated by numeral 26 positioned at the very bottom 27 of the tub 8 in a sump [formed therein. The assembly 26 receives its water through appropriate inlet means 28 positioned in the sump 27, and is normally driven by a motor 259 in the conventional manner. For instance, the motor 29 may, when rotated in one direction, cause the pumping assembly 26 to force liquid up through members 21, 23 and 2-5 for dishwashing purposes and, when reversed, may cause the pumping assembly to pass liquid out to a drain (not shown).

It will be understood that with such a structure a dishwashing operation may readily be provided by means of a conventional sequence control assembly (not shown) which controls in suitable sequence the entry of water and washing materials, the spraying of the dishes, and other utensils. to be washed, and the removal of the water. In addition, 'for drying the dishes and other utensils after they have been cleansed, a suitable electric heating element 30 may be provided in the conventional manner, with the intent being that element 31} also be under the control of the sequence control assembly so as to be energized at the end of the washing operation, and during the washing operation if so desired to assist in heating water.

It will readily be seen that while the upwardly extending member 23, with its extensible portion 24, constitutes an element of substantial importance in obtaining an op timum washing effect, it necessarily provides some problems insofar as the sliding lower rack is concerned. Necessarily, in order for the rack to be able to move forward horizontally without interference [from member 23, a passage must be provided extending from the member 23 itself to the back of the rack so as to permit it to move entirely out of the dishwasher. This passage is denoted by the numeral 31 in FIGURE 2, and as can be seen, the provision of such a passage provides a division between the two sides of the dish rack 10. In view of the fact that the disk rack 10 is formed of wire, this creates a structural problem of rigidity.

In the present case, as part of my inventive concept, the necessary rigidity of rack '10 is retained by joining the free ends 32 of the bottom of the rack adjacent member 23 by inverted U-shaped members 33 which are secured to the ends 32 in the usual manner. As best seen in FIGURE 1, a number of these U-shaped members 33 is preferably provided; members 33 may be reinforced by generally horizontally extending wire members 34 secured to the U-shaped members 33 along approximately the center points of the vertical legs 35. The U-shaped members are formed with their legs 35 long enough so that, as the rack 10 slides forward (because the rollers 14 move on tracks the flat base portion 36 of each U- shaped member passes over the top of extensible member 24 when it is in the retracted position. Of course, member 24 assumes this position during periods of no water circulation, that is, at least whenever door 7 is open.

As an important feature of my invention, I provide fingers 37 extending upwardly from each side of the base, or top, 36 of the inverted U-shaped members 34. This is done by providing a pair of horizontally extending wire members 38 secured along the bases 36 and then securing the fingers 37 to the members 33. This particular feature may readily be seen in FIGURE 1, viewed in combination with FIGURE 2. It will further be seen that fingers 37 may have an appropriately bent center portion 39, and may be spaced in a desired manner as shown. Because the fingers 37 extend upwardly from the base 36 of the inverted U-shaped members 33, and because this base of the U-shaped member is above the remainder of rack 10, the fingers 37 cooperate with each other and with members 38, as best seen in FIGURE 1, to provide dish receiving compartments at a level which is above the level of the remainder of rack it but below the level of rack 9. Preferably, this is effected by providing an equal number of fingers 37 on each side of base 36, the fingers being arranged in pairs, each pair forming a line generally perpendicular to the movement of rack 10.

For further rigidity, if so desired, a pair of wires 40 and 41 may be provided extending across the back of rack 10 at a height sufficient to clear the top of member 24 in its retracted position. The provision of such added strengthening means is, of course, a function of the rigidity desired, wire gauge used for the rack, etc.

In other words, an intermediate level for racking a number of dishes is provided, and it has been found that this is most convenient for racking saucers and small serving plates such as those shown in dotted outline in both FIGURES 1 and 2. It will be seen, in this connection, that the shape of fingers 37 is appropriate to rigid retention of the dishes during washing operations. By this means, additional capacity is achieved for the dishwasher by a structure which, at the same time, solves a problem created by the desire to provide the most effective washing structure possible and by the fact that such a structure incorporates a member extending up through the lower rack to a level above the bottom thereof.

In this manner, what initially appeared to be a problem and a possible disadvantage has been turned by my invention into a ready solution combined with an additional advantage not previously recognized, that of an increased capacity and a highly desirable location for saucers, small plates (or other items which will fit into the space provided) to be washed.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not desire my invention to be limited to the precise construction disclosed, and I intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dishwasher comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular tub having an open front forming an access opening;

(b) a closure member mounted for movement between a closed position wherein it seals said access opening and an open position;

(c) first and second substantially rectangular wire dish racks respectively mounted at upper and lower levels of said tub and formed to provide dish receiving compartments at said levels;

(d) first and second mounting means respectively mounting said dish racks for horizontal sliding motion, each of said dish racks being movable between a first position in which it is fully within said tub and a second position in which it is substantially out of said tub;

(e) water circulating means within said tub beneath said second dish rack, said circulating means including an upstanding member extending substantially above the bottom of said second dish rack and substantially below the bottom of said first dish rack at a point substantially removed from the back and sides of said second dish rack;

(1) said second dish rack having a passage formed therein from said upstanding member to the back of said second dish rack thereby to permit sliding of said second dish rack without interference from said upstanding member;

(g) a plurality of wire members shaped as inverted :Us spaced along said passage and joining the opposite sides thereof, said wire members being formed to clear said upstanding member when said second dish rack moves forward; and

(h) a plurality of wire fingers extending upwardly from the tops of said U-shaped wire members, said wire fingers forming dish receiving compartments at a third intermediate level in said tub and thereby increasing the dish receiving capacity of said tub.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said water circulating means is located substantially at the center of said second dish rack.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said upstanding rnernber has a telescoping section, said telescoping section moving upwardly during operation to an extended position which is still below said upper level.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein straight horizontal wire members are secured to the top of said inverted U-shaped Wire members at each side thereof, and 15 3,009,

ti an equal number of said Wire fingers are provided extending upwardly from each of said horizontal wire members, said wire fingers being located so'as to form pairs in a line substantially perpendicular to the movement of 5 the dish racks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS O 13. 27,603 Scott Aug. 31, 1897 2,710,617 James June 14, 1955 2,910,207 Andrew Oct. 27, 1959 2,971,652 Getchell Feb. 14, 1961 Zurek NOV. 21, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A DISHWASHER COMPRISING: (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR TUB HAVING AN OPEN FRONT FORMING AN ACCESS OPENING; (B) A CLOSURE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN IT SEALS SAID ACCESS OPENING AND AN OPEN POSITION; (C) FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR WIRE DISH RACKS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED AT UPPER AND LOWER LEVELS OF SAID TUB AND FORMED TO PROVIDE DISH RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS AT SAID LEVELS; (D) FIRST AND SECOND MOUNTING MEANS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTING SAID DISH RACKS FOR HORIZONTAL SLIDING MOTION, EACH OF SAID DISH RACKS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH IT IS FULLY WITHIN SAID TUB AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF SAID TUB; (E) WATER CIRCULATING MEANS WITHIN SAID TUB BENEATH SAID SECOND DISH RACK, SAID CIRCULATING MEANS INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND DISH RACK AND SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST DISH RACK AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM THE BACK AND SIDES OF SAID SECOND DISH RACK; (F) SAID SECOND DISH RACK HAVING A PASSAGE FORMED THEREIN FROM SAID UPSTANDING MEMBER TO THE BACK OF SAID SECOND DISH RACK THEREBY TO PERMIT SLIDING OF SAID SECOND DISH RACK WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM SAID UPSTANDING MEMBER; (G) A PLURALITY OF WIRE MEMBERS SHAPED AS INVERTED U''S SPACED ALONG SAID PASSAGE AND JOINING THE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, SAID WIRE MEMBERS BEING FORMED TO CLEAR SAID UPSTANDING MEMBER WHEN SAID SECOND DISH RACK MOVES FORWARD; AND (H) A PLURALITY OF WIRE FINGERS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE TOPS OF SAID U-SHAPED WIRE MEMBERS, SAID WIRE FINGERS FORMING DISH RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS AT A THIRD INTERMEDIATE LEVEL IN SAID TUB AND THEREBY INCREASING THE DISH RECEIVING CAPACITY OF SAID TUB.

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