WO1999037196A1

WO1999037196A1 - Device for suspension of dish washing and cleaning utensils

Info

Publication number: WO1999037196A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/000075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Sundström
Original assignee: Sundstroem Jan
Priority date: 1998-01-26
Filing date: 1999-01-20
Publication date: 1999-07-29
Also published as: SE9800181D0; SE512995C2; SE9800181L; EP1054613A1

Abstract

The present invention comprises a shelf with suspending means for cleaning utensils comprising a vertical contact surface (E), a horizontal bottom plate (C), the bottom plate (C) at its front edge being arranged with an upwardly directed base plate (F) and at least one oblong suspension arm (D) being arranged at the shelf.

Description

Device for suspension of dish washing and cleaning utensils

TECHNICAL FIELD Device for suspension of dish washing and cleaning utensils for kitchen and bathroom which improves the hygiene and collects all utensils in the same place.

PRIOR ART

At dish washing and cleaning of range, sink, cutting-board, kitchen table it is of great importance to be able to suspend the dish washing utensils (dishclothes, dishbrush, and dishsponges) so that a good hygiene is obtained.

It is known to suspend dishclothes over the tap or over the partition wall in the sink but at dish washing of pottery it can splash food scraps on the often wet dishclothes resulting in soured dishclothes and accumulation of microbes.

It is known that the dishbrush, dishsponge, and sink stopper can be placed on the plate rack or be placed in the rack for the cutlery. Also this is unhygienic and unpractical.

It is also known to use shelves with suspension devices for cleaning utensils, comprising a vertical contact surface and a horizontal bottom plate. However, this known device does not solve the problems mentioned above. First of all there is no functional device for suspending dishclothes. Further it lack a safe and hygienic repository for a dishsponge.

US-A-4 390 102 discloses a support for retaining packages of convenience foods. The support is suspendable and movable and provided with hooks for suspending the different types of packages, e.g. a lemonade cup, a bag of chips or a box containing a hamburger.

US-A-3 168 275 discloses a device for boxed cleansing tissues. The device consists of a holder with right angels having open sides and an open front except a downfolded upper and lower edge. The box with cleansing tissues is placed in the box shaped holder by inserting it through one of the open sides.

In GB-A-1 449 942 a dispensing device for a carton containing tissues is described. The dispenser comprises a vertical front plate and a back plate which are assembled and are then forming a rectangular box. In the front plate there is an elliptic hole through which tissues can be taken out. The back plate has horizontal top and bottom sides. The front plate has two vertical sides.

DE-A-39 29 293 Al describes a device for attaching provisions. The device is intended to be an aid for people with a handicap. The device comprises a pin and a fork horizontally attached on a vertical carrier. On some of these attached devices e.g. a potatoe can be attached when it is peeled.

None of the known devices mentioned above solves the problem described above.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to solve the problems mentioned above which is obtained by a shelf with suspension devices for cleaning utensils comprising a vertical contact surface, a horizontal bottom plate, the bottom plate at its front edge being arranged with an upwardly directed base plate and at least one oblong suspension arm being arranged at the shelf. The invention improves the hygiene of the kitchen by collecting the utensils in a separate unit and makes it possible to place the utensils so that unintended contamination is avoided. In addition it is practical to have the washing utensils collected in the same place.

The invention comprises a rack intended to be fasten on a wall or a door of a cupboard. On this rack there are devices on which dish washing utensils, as preferably a dishbrush, a dish sponge, a sink stopper, and dishclothes can be placed.

A suspension device for the dishbrush is placed in the way that dishbrushes of different sizes can be suspended and at the same time prevent that dropping water from said dishbrush wets other dish washing utensils placed on the rack. A good air circulation is also obtained by the placing, shortening the time of drying and obstructing growth of microbes.

The suspension device for the dishsponge comprises a shelf perforated with holes. This shelf is placed between two vertical plates which hold the sponge in place. The holes in the shelf make it possible for the water leaving the sponge to drain off, creating conditions that obstruct growth of microbes in the sponge. Further the holes facilitate the air circulation on the side of the sponge that lies close to the shelf. In this way the creation of local anaerobic conditions, which could give rise to bad smell through influence of the bacteria always existing in dishsponges, is obstructed.

On the underside of shelf on which the dishsponge is placed, the turnable suspension device for the dishclothes is attached. The suspension device comprises at least one, preferably two oblong arms essentially projecting a bit outside the edge of the shelf. In this way a dishcloth suspended on such an arm can avoid being wet by the water draining of the dishsponge. This circumstance, in combination with each arm being turnable, implies that two dishcloths can be suspended on one arm each well separated from each other, reducing their drying time and obstructing the growth of microbes.

On the vertical plate which constitutes the front edge of the shelf, where the dishsponge is placed, a device for suspending the sink stopper is provided. It consists of an oblong circular body with a circular hole in the centre. The construction makes it possible for the two most common types of sink stoppers to be suspended. The probably most common type of sink stopper, the sink stopper with spike, is suspended by putting the spike in the hole of the suspending device. The other common type of sink stopper, lacking spike but having a hollow catchable part, is suspended by threading the hollow catchable part on the outside of the suspending device. The invention also serves its purpose of creating order in addition to improving the hygiene by providing a possibility to suspend the sink stopper together with the other dish utensils.

Further characteristics and aspects of the invention are evident from the claims and the following description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description of a preferred embodiment it will be referred to the enclosed drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a suspension device according to the invention seen obliquely from the front,

Fig. 2 shows the suspension device from one side,

Fig. 3 shows the suspension device from below,

Fig. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the suspension device obliquely from the front,

Fig. 5 shows the preferred embodiment of the suspension device obliquely from below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First with reference to Fig. 1, a first embodiment of the invention is shown obliquely from the front. The suspension device comprises a rear vertical contact surface E, a front, somewhat lower and narrower vertical base plate F and a horizontal perforated bottom plate C which connects the contact surface E with the front base plate F.

The suspension device can in a suitable way be connected at a wall by means of the contact surface E. On the vertical front plate F a sink stopper receiver B is placed. The sink stopper receiver consists of a projecting round peg which projects at a right angle from the vertical base plate F. In the centre of the front part of said sink stopper receiver there is a hole G. This hole makes it possible for the sink stopper receiver to fit two different types of sink stoppers, sink stopper with spike which is inserted in the hole G which is situated on the sink stopper receiver, and sink stopper without spike which is threaded on the sink stopper receiver. On the underside of the bottom plate C two oblong cylindrical suspending arms D are tumably attached to a pin directed downwards and preferably being integrated with the plate C. A screw or another suitable device is locking the arms in axial position. Said suspension arms are protruding outside the front base plate F. They are reciprocally freely movable which means that they are turnable from one side to the other side, together or individually. On these suspending arms dishcloths and cleaning cloths be suspended. The rear contact surface E is wider than the bottom plate C and the front base plate F. On this protruding part, in relation to bottom plate C and base plate F, a hook A is situated. This makes it possible for a long object, e.g. a dishbrush, having a length that exceeds the height of the contact surface, to freely hang down when it is suspended on the hook A.

With reference to Fig.2 the suspension device is shown with suspension means from the side. Here the shelf formed by the horizontal bottom plate C is shown, which is provided between the front base plate F and the rear contact surface E. The bottom plate C forms right angels with the contact surface E and the front base plate F. On the upper part of the contact surface E the hook A is attached having an upwardly directed front end.

With reference to Fig. 3 the suspending device is shown from below. The bottom plate C is a shelf intended for a dish/cleaning sponge. Along the entire extension of the bottom plate C there are drainage holes. The drainage holes are suitably arranged in several rows, e.g. in two parallel rows, but are placed in a zigzag pattern in relation to each other as is shown in the figure. On the underside of the bottom plate C two suspending arms D are provided. On the bottom plate C the suspending arms are turnable attached at the same pin and are provided at their inner end with a sleeve section which is threaded over the pin and is fixed in axial direction therewith by means of a screw having a head with a larger diameter than the hole in the sleeve section of the arm. Alternatively a smaller screw head is used in combination with a washer of suitable size. The arms are then provided in such a way that they are laterally turnable to desired position.

With reference to Fig. 4 a preferred embodiment of the suspension device is shown obliquely from the front. The contact surface E and the front base plate F have in this embodiment rounded corners and the hook A is placed further down on the contact surface E. Further the suspending arm D consists of only one bar. Further it is shown that the suspension arm D is attached by a screw J and a washer K, the diameter of which is about as large as the diameter of the sleeve section of the suspension arm.

With reference to Fig. 5 the suspension device according to Fig. 4 is shown obliquely from below. The drainage hole H in the bottom plate C and the attachment in the form of a peg I are shown. In the peg I there is a hole for a screw J used to tumably attach one or several suspending arms around the peg I.

The invention is not limited to the shown embodiments but can be varied within the scope of the following claims. Consequently, ribs or slots can be provided instead of drainage holes H on the underside of the bottom plate C to achieve the same effect as said drainage holes. Further, it should be understood that the placement of the hook A and the sink stopper receiver B can be varied on the contact surface E and the front base plate F. It is also conceivable to place the sink stopper receiver B on the contact surface E and the hook A on the front base plate F. The peg I to tumably attach one or several suspending arms D is not restricted to the placing shown in the embodiments. The peg I can e.g. be placed on the upper side of the bottom plate C near its outer end. Further it is possible to enlarge the suspending device with for example clips for suspending dish and cleaning gloves.

Claims

1. A shelf with suspension devices for cleaning utensils comprising a vertical contact surface (E), and a horizontal bottom plate (C), characterised in that the bottom plate (C) at its front edge is arranged with an upwardly directed base plate (F) and at least one oblong suspension arm (D) being arranged at the shelf.

2. Shelf according to claim 1, characterised in that the bottom plate (C) comprises a perforated plain surface with drainage holes.

3. Shelf according to claim 1, characterised in that the contact surface (E) is broader than the bottom plate (C) and the base plate (F).

4. Shelf according to claim 3, characterised in that a hook (A) is placed on the broader part of the contact surface (E) protruding towards the side outside the bottom plate (C) and the base plate (F).

5. Shelf according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a peg (B) with a circular hole (G) on the short side, which peg is adjusted to fit two types of sink stoppers, with and without spike, the diameter of the hole (G) preferably being about 0,5 x diameter (D) of the peg (B).

6. Shelf according to claim 1, characterised in that said suspending arm (D) is turnable in the horizontal plane.

7. Shelf according to claim 6, characterised in that said suspending arm (D) for the dishcloth is tumably attached on the underside of the bottom plate (C).

8. Shelf according to claim 7, characterised in that the arm (D) is tumably provided at a downwardly directed peg, preferably being integrated with the bottom plate (C).

9. Shelf according to claim 8, characterised in that two suspending arms are tumably provided around said peg and that they are turnable at least 180 ┬░ and turnable independently of each other.

10. Shelf according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact surface (E), the bottom plate (C), the base plate (F), the peg for the arm (D), and the peg for the sink stopper are manufactured as one integrated unit.