Cutlery tray and dishwasher
The cutlery tray's innovative support mechanism with varying tooth distances and protrusions addresses incorrect placement and instability issues, ensuring secure and efficient cutlery support in dishwashers.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WUHU MIDEA SMART KITCHEN APPLIANCE MFG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing cutlery trays in dishwashers often result in incorrect placement of cutlery due to the design of the support mechanism, where the distance between support teeth allows for improper insertion and instability during washing.
The cutlery tray design features support teeth with a larger distance between their bottoms and a smaller distance between their tops, along with oblique extensions and protrusions, to securely hold cutlery and prevent incorrect placement, while also incorporating a removable base for adaptability to different cutlery sizes.
This design effectively supports cutlery, prevents displacement during washing, and enhances user experience by minimizing water retention and facilitating easy loading and unloading.
Smart Images
Figure IMGAF001_ABST
Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priorities to Chinese patent application No. 202310944973.X, titled "CUTLERY TRAY AND DISHWASHER" and filed with China National Intellectual Property Administration on July 27, 2023, and Chinese patent application No. 202322020914.1, titled "CUTLERY TRAY AND DISHWASHER" and filed with China National Intellectual Property Administration on July 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of dishwasher technologies, and more particularly, to a cutlery tray and a dishwasher.BACKGROUND
[0003] A cutlery tray of a dishwasher is generally used to place cutlery such as knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks. The cutlery tray is provided with a support mechanism. The support mechanism includes a plurality of teeth row groups. A receiving cavity is formed between every two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups, and is adapted for cutlery to insert therein. Each of the plurality of teeth row groups includes two vertical pillars. In order to effectively support and position the cutlery, the two vertical pillars are spaced a certain distance apart. The cutlery is easily inserted between the two pillars of the same teeth row group, resulting in incorrect placement of the cutlery.SUMMARY
[0004] The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art. To this end, the present disclosure provides a cutlery tray.
[0005] To achieve the above-described objective, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cutlery tray. The cutlery tray includes a tray bottom and a support mechanism disposed at the tray bottom and including a plurality of teeth row groups. A receiving cavity is formed between every two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups. The receiving cavity is adapted for cutlery to insert therein. Each of the plurality of teeth row groups includes two support teeth. In the same teeth row group, a distance between tops of the two support teeth is smaller than a distance between bottoms of the two support teeth.
[0006] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the same teeth row group, the two support teeth extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top.
[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the two support teeth includes a rod body and a bent head of an upwardly arched curved shape. The bent head is disposed at the rod body.
[0008] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the same teeth row group, the bent heads of the two support teeth face towards each other.
[0009] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a root of the rod body forms the bottom of the support tooth, and the bent head forms the top of the support tooth.
[0010] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bent head includes a neck portion of an upwardly arched curved shape and a beak-shaped portion disposed at the neck portion. The neck portion is disposed at the rod body. The beak-shaped portion has a tip structure extending downwardly.
[0011] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an area of a cross section of the support tooth tapers in a direction from the beak-shaped portion to the rod body via the neck portion.
[0012] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cross section has a bi-conical structure.
[0013] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the same teeth row group, the rod bodies extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top.
[0014] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the support mechanism further includes a protrusion. In a first direction along which the two support teeth of each of the plurality of the teeth row groups face towards each other, the protrusion is disposed at each of two sides of the teeth row group.
[0015] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a height of each protrusion is smaller than a height of the teeth row group.
[0016] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protrusion is located below 1 / 2 of the height of the teeth row group.
[0017] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protrusion includes a first protruding rib and a second protruding rib intersecting with the first protruding rib.
[0018] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the support mechanism further includes a base removably connected to the tray bottom.
[0019] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a distance between two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups is greater than the distance between the tops of the two support teeth of the same teeth row group.
[0020] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a distance between two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups is smaller than the distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth of the same teeth row group.
[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a dishwasher including the above-described cutlery tray.
[0022] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the same teeth row group, the distance between the bottoms of two support teeth is designed to be larger. In this way, when the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity, the two support teeth can form a larger span of contact with the cutlery in a length direction of the cutlery, supporting the cutlery more effectively. In addition, the distance between the tops of the two support teeth is designed to be smaller, which prevents the cutlery from being inserted between the two support teeth of the same teeth row group, avoiding incorrect placement of the cutlery.
[0023] Other advantages of the present disclosure will be provided in part in the following description, or will in part become apparent from the following description or be learned from practicing of the present disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] In order to clearly explain technical solutions according to embodiments of the present disclosure or in the related art, drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the related art are briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings as described below are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on these drawings, other designs can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cutlery tray according to some embodiments (a support mechanism is in a disassembled state). FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part marked as A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cutlery tray according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part marked as B in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a support mechanism according to some embodiments. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part marked as C in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a side view of a support mechanism according to some embodiments. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a support mechanism according to some embodiments (viewed from a top view).
[0025] Description of reference numerals of the accompanying drawings: cutlery tray 1000; tray bottom 2100, first rib 2110, second rib 2120, tray wall 2200; support mechanism 3000; base 4000, mounting groove 4100, buckle group 4200, first buckle 4210, hook portion 4211, abutting edge 4212, second buckle 4220, hook portion 4221, clamping cavity 4230; teeth row group 500, support tooth 5100, rod body 5110, root 5111, bent head 5120, neck portion 5121, beak-shaped portion 5122, receiving cavity 5200; protrusion 6000; first protruding rib 6100, second protruding rib 6200.
[0026] The realization of objectives, functional features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Technical solutions according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in combination with accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments of the present disclosure. On a basis of the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
[0028] It should be noted that, each orientation indication (such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, ...) in the embodiments of the present disclosure is used only for explaining a relative positional relation, movements, etc., between components in a particular pose (as illustrated in the figures). If the particular pose is changed, the orientation indication is changed accordingly.
[0029] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, terms such as "connect", "fix", and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection or a detachable connection or connection as one piece; mechanical connection or electrical connection or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate; internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above-described terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0030] In addition, description related to "first", "second", and the like in the present disclosure is only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features associated with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. Further, combinations can be performed on the technical solutions according to various embodiments, but these combinations must be based on the fact that they can be realized by those of ordinary skilled in the art. When a combination of the technical solutions is contradictory or unattainable, the combination of the technical solutions neither exists nor falls within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present disclosure.
[0031] A dishwasher includes an inner tank, which defines a washing chamber. A slidable dish rack is mounted within the washing chamber, where large tableware such as bowls, plates, and pots are placed. A spray arm is also mounted within the washing chamber, which sprays water to rinse the tableware at the dish rack, cleaning the tableware placed at the dish rack. In addition to the large tableware such as bowls, plates, and pots, the tableware also includes small cutlery, such as knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks. These small items are not conveniently loaded at the basket, and therefore a cutlery tray is designed to facilitate loading these small items. To facilitate loading the small items such as knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks (hereinafter referred to as the cutlery), the present disclosure provides a cutlery tray.
[0032] As illustrated in FIG.1, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cutlery tray 1000 includes a tray bottom 2100 and a support mechanism 3000. The support mechanism 3000 includes a plurality of teeth row groups 5000. Each of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 includes two support teeth 5100. In the same teeth row group 5000, a distance between bottoms of the two support teeth 5100 is greater than a distance between tops of the two support teeth 5100. In this way, when the cutlery is inserted into a receiving cavity 5200, the two support teeth 5100 can form a larger span of contact with the cutlery in a length direction of the cutlery, supporting the cutlery more effectively. In addition, the distance between the tops of the two support teeth 5100 is designed to be smaller, which prevents the cutlery from being inserted between the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000, avoiding incorrect placement of the cutlery. In some embodiments, a distance between two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 is greater than the distance between tops of the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000, but is smaller than the distance between bottoms of the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000. It should be noted that, the distance between the two support teeth 5100 in this paragraph refers to a distance between surfaces of the two support teeth 5100 facing each other.
[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the tray bottom 2100 of the cutlery tray 1000 forms a support foundation for the entire cutlery tray 1000 and has a mesh-like hollow structure, which facilitates passage of water. For example, the tray bottom 2100 may be integrally formed through injection molding. In addition, the tray bottom 2100 is provided with a tray wall 2200 around a periphery of the tray bottom 2100. The tray wall 2200 and the tray bottom 2100 may be integrally formed, and a loading space is formed between the tray wall 2200 and the tray bottom 2100 to enable loading of the cutlery. Generally speaking, slide rails or other structures are disposed at two opposite sides of the tray wall 2200 to cooperate with the inner tank, enabling a push-pull configuration.
[0034] The support mechanism 3000 functions to cooperate with the tray bottom 2100 to achieve secure placement of the cutlery. During an operation of the dishwasher, water spraying against the cutlery may easily cause the cutlery to move. Through the support mechanism 3000, displacement of the cutlery can be prevented. The support mechanism 3000 is disposed at the tray bottom 2100. The support mechanism 3000 and the tray bottom 2100 may be integrally formed, or the support mechanism 3000 and the tray bottom 2100 may be two separate components connected to each other, or the support mechanism 3000 and the tray bottom 2100 may be connected together in a removable manner.
[0035] Generally speaking, in a household environment, sizes of a same type of cutlery may vary. The support mechanism 3000 may be designed to be removably connected to the tray bottom 2100. This design allows adaptive adjustment for the cutlery of different sizes (that is, the tray bottom 2100 has a plurality positions for mounting of the support mechanism 3000), which is more convenient to use and meets requirements for placing the cutlery.
[0036] The support mechanism 3000 includes the plurality of teeth row groups 5000. For example, the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 are arranged at intervals in a left-right direction of the cutlery tray 1000. Thus, the receiving cavities 5200 formed between adjacent teeth row groups 5000 of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 are also arranged in the left-right direction. When the cutlery needs to be placed, the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200 in a front-rear direction of the cutlery tray 1000, thereby being supported by two adjacent teeth row groups 5000. To maximize utilization of a space in the left-right direction of cutlery tray 1000, the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200 in a sideways orientation. Taking spoons as an example, when placed sideways, not only can more spoons be placed in the left-right direction, but also residual water can be prevented from forming at the spoons, avoiding water stains.
[0037] When the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200, two sides of the cutlery are constrained by two adjacent teeth row groups 5000. In order to improve stability of the cutlery so that the cutlery is less likely to displace under an impact of a water flow, each of the plurality of teeth row groups includes two support teeth 5100. In the same teeth row group 5000, the distance between bottoms of the two support teeth 5100 is greater than the distance between tops of the two support teeth 5100. When the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200, the cutlery is inserted into a bottom of the receiving cavity 5200 under an action of gravity. The distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth 5100 is designed to be larger, in such a manner that the two support teeth 5100 can achieve contact with the cutlery over a larger span in the front-rear direction of the cutlery, achieving more effective restraint on the cutlery and preventing the cutlery from displacement under the impact of the water flow. In particular, in the same teeth row group 5000, the distance between two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 is designed to be smaller than the distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth 5100. In this way, more teeth row groups 5000 can be provided within a limited length while achieving effective support for the cutlery, allowing more pieces of cutlery to be placed.
[0038] The receiving cavity 5200 formed by two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 is open upwards. Therefore, when loading the cutlery, the cutlery needs to be inserted into the receiving cavity 5200 from top to bottom. Each of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 includes the two support teeth 5100, and the tops of the two support teeth 5100 are separated from each other. Therefore, for each of the plurality of the teeth row groups 5000, the distance between the tops of the two support teeth 5100 is designed to be smaller, that is, an opening between the two support teeth 5100 is not easily inserted by the cutlery. In this way, in a process of loading the cutlery, a user is prompted, in such a manner that the cutlery is less likely to be inserted between the two support teeth 5100 of each of the plurality of the teeth row groups 5000, avoiding the incorrect placement of the cutlery. In particular, the distance between two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 is designed to be greater than the distance between the tops of the two support teeth 5100 of each of the plurality of the teeth row groups 5000. That is, an opening between two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 is greater than an opening between the two support teeth 5100 of each of the plurality of the teeth row groups 5000. In this way, a more obvious visual prompt can be provided to the user, allowing the user to insert the cutlery between two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000, rather than between the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000.
[0039] As can be seen from the above description, by optimizing structures of the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000, support for the placement of the cutlery is achieved, and the incorrect placement of the cutlery is avoided.
[0040] In the same teeth row group 500, the distance between the tops of the two support teeth is designed to smaller, and the distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth is designed to be larger. As illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the same teeth row group 5000, the two support teeth 5100 extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top. Since the two support teeth 5100 extend obliquely towards each other, formation of a corner can be avoided. Even if the user touches the support teeth 5100 when placing the cutlery, a touch feeling is softer.
[0041] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the two support teeth 5100 includes a rod body 5110 and a bent head 5120. The rod body 5110 extends upwardly from bottom. The bent head 5120 is disposed at the rod body 5110. For example, the rod body 5110 and the bent head 5120 are integrally formed. The bent head 5120 extends downwardly from the rod body 5110 and is curved in an upwardly arched shape as a whole. The bent head 5120 forms the top of the support tooth 5100, and a root 5111 of the rod body 5110 forms the bottom of the support tooth 5100. By designing the top of the support teeth 5100 as the bent head 5120, water can be easily discharged downstream when sprayed onto the bent head 5120, preventing residual water from forming at the bent head 5120. In addition, since the bent head 5120 is curved and extended downwardly, when the user is placing the cutlery, even if the user touches the bent head 5120, the user can perceive a relatively soft touch feeling. Such a design avoids a sharp touch feeling to the user and enhances user experience.
[0042] By providing the bent head 5120 extending downwardly from the rod body 5110, water droplets at a top of the bent head 5120 flow downwardly under the action of gravity. Due to adhesiveness of water itself, the water droplets flowing down along the bent head 5120 adhere to water droplets attached to the rod body 5110, and are discharged together to the outside of the cutlery tray 1000 under the action of gravity. Thus, a design of the bent head 5120 effectively solves a water hanging problem of the teeth row group 5000.
[0043] If the two support teeth 5100 are connected together, water tends to hang on at a connection part of the two support teeth 5100. If the connection part of the two support teeth 5100 is designed as a tip structure extending upwardly, although the water hanging problem is solved, support for an upper part of the cutlery becomes extremely unstable. Therefore, the present disclosure simultaneously addresses both stability of the support for the upper part of the cutlery and the water hanging problem through the above-described structure.
[0044] In addition, the bent heads 5120 of the two support teeth 5100 of the same teeth row group 5000 face towards each other, that is, the bent head 5120 of one of the two support teeth 5100 is curved downwardly towards a direction where the other support tooth 5100 of the two support teeth 5100 is located, and the bent head 5120 of the other support tooth 5100 of the two support teeth 5100 is curved downwardly towards a direction where one of the two support teeth 5100 is located. In this way, while ensuring that the distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth 5100 is constant, the distance between the tops of the two support teeth 5100 can be small enough.
[0045] In the same teeth row group 5000, a design of the two support teeth 5100 extending obliquely towards each other is achieved through the following solution. As illustrated in FIG. 7, two rod bodies 5110 of the same teeth row group 5000 are in straight-rod shapes, and extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top, which enables the two support teeth 5100 to extend obliquely towards each other. As illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bent head 5120 includes a beak-shaped portion 5122 and a neck portion 5121. The neck portion 5121 is disposed at the rod body 5110 and extends from the rod body 5110 to form an upwardly arched curved shape. The neck portion 5121 is in a curved shape, so that the entire bent head 5120 is in a curved shape. The beak-shaped portion 5122 is disposed at the neck portion 5121 and extends downwardly from the neck portion 5121 to form a tip structure. When water splashes onto bent head 5120, the water flows downwardly along neck portion 5121 under the action of gravity, and then flows to the beak-shaped portion 5122. Since the beak-shaped portion 5122 has the tip structure, the water is more likely to drip off the beak-shaped portion 5122 under the action of gravity, and is less likely to form water hanging, in such a manner that drying performance is enhanced. It should be understood that the so-called tip structure is a configuration in which the beak-shaped portion 5122 gradually tapers downwardly from the neck portion 5121.
[0046] In summary, water droplets attached to the neck portion 5121 may flow towards the beak-shaped portion 5122 or the rod body 5110. In this way, thanks to a curved structure of the neck portion 5121 itself and the tip structure of the beak-shaped portion 5122, a water hanging problem the support tooth 5100 is effectively solved.
[0047] Optionally, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a direction from the beak-shaped portion 5122 to the rod body 5110 via the neck portion 5121 is defined as an extension direction of the support tooth 5100. In the extension direction of the support tooth 5100, a cross-sectional area of the support tooth 5100 tapers, and a cross section of the support tooth 5100 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the support tooth 5100. By designing the cross section to taper, structural strength of the support tooth 5100 is enhanced from top to bottom, and the whole support tooth 5100 exhibits certain elasticity. When slightly larger cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200, the support tooth 5100 may undergo elastic deformation to a certain extent, further improving compatibility with the cutlery of different sizes.
[0048] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 8, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to enhance drying performance of the support tooth 5100, the cross section is designed as a bi-conical structure. It should be understood that a conical structure is a structure with one end pointed and the other end thick, while the bi-conical structure is a structure in which thick ends of conical structures connected together. In this way, the bi-conical structure has four tips, one of which faces upward (including obliquely upward) and the other faces downward (including obliquely downward). Therefore, when water splashes onto the support tooth 5100, the water can be discharged more easily to avoid residual water.
[0049] As illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in order to further improve support stability of the cutlery, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the support mechanism 3000 further includes a protrusion 6000. In a first direction along which the two support teeth 5100 of each of the plurality of the teeth row groups 5000 face towards each other, the protrusion 600 is disposed at each of two opposite sides of the teeth row group 5000. In this way, the two opposite sides of each of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 are provided with the protrusions 600. When the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200, only a part of the cutlery is inserted into the receiving cavity 5200, and the rest of the cutlery extends out of the receiving cavity 5200. By providing the protrusions 6000 at the two opposite sides of the teeth row group 5000, the protrusions 6000 corresponding to two adjacent teeth row groups 5000 can position and clamp the part of the cutlery extending out of the receiving cavity 5200, improving the support stability of the cutlery.
[0050] In addition, in the case where the protrusion 6000 is provided, a height of the protrusion 6000 is designed to be smaller than a height of the teeth row group 5000 to prevent the protrusion 6000 from occupying excessive space. In addition, since the user needs to align the cutlery with the receiving cavity 5200 and insert the cutlery into the receiving cavity 5200 when placing the cutlery, the height of each protrusion 6000 is designed to be smaller. In this way, the user only needs to align the cutlery with the receiving cavity 5200. In a process of inserting the cutlery into the receiving cavity 5200 and continuing to move, the cutlery can be easily placed between the protrusions 6000 due to constraints and guidance of the plurality of teeth row groups 5000 at both sides.
[0051] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protrusion 6000 is designed below 1 / 2 of the height of the teeth row group 5000. Since the teeth row group 5000 form a main support for the cutlery, while the protrusion 6000 functions as an auxiliary support, such an arrangement can further reduce a space occupied by the protrusion 6000.
[0052] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 6, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the protrusion 6000 includes a second protruding rib 6200 and a first protruding rib 6100. The second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 intersect each other. For example, the second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 intersect each other vertically to form a cross structure, in such a manner that a structure formed by the second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 has a high structural strength. Further, the second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 extend obliquely downwardly from an intersection between the first protruding rib 6100 and the second protruding rib 6200 towards peripheries of the first protruding rib 6100 and the second protruding rib 6200. In this way, water splashed onto the second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 may flow obliquely downwardly under the action of gravity, preventing water stains from forming at the protrusion 6000 and enhancing drying performance of the protrusion 6000. Furthermore, since the second protruding rib 6200 and the first protruding rib 6100 extend obliquely downwardly from the intersection between the first protruding rib 6100 and the second protruding rib 6200 towards the peripheries of the first protruding rib 6100 and the second protruding rib 6200, a V-shaped cavity is formed between the protrusions 6000 corresponding to two adjacent teeth row groups 5000, further facilitating the placement of the cutlery.
[0053] Optionally, as mentioned above, designing the support mechanism 3000 to be removable facilitates the placement of the cutlery. As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the support mechanism 3000 includes a base 4000. The plurality of teeth row groups 5000, the protrusion 6000, etc., are disposed at the base 4000, for example, are integrally formed with the base 4000. By providing the base 4000, the support mechanism 3000 can be easily constructed as a separate component, and the base 4000 can be removably connected to the tray bottom 2100. Removable connection can be achieved in various ways, such as snap connection, screw connection, etc.
[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a removable connection solution is optimized through the following solution. The tray bottom 2100 includes a first rib 2110 and a second rib 2120. A plurality of first ribs 2110 are provided, and a plurality of second ribs 2120 are also provided. The plurality of first ribs 2110 and the plurality of second ribs 2120 are arranged in a crisscross pattern. In this way, the tray bottom 2100 has a plurality of mesh holes, through which water can pass through the tray bottom 2100.
[0055] The support mechanism 3000 has a mounting groove 4100 at the base 4000 of the support mechanism 3000. When mounting the support mechanism 3000 to the tray bottom 2100, the mounting groove 4100 and the first rib 2110 cooperate with each other and are inserted into each other, and the entire base 4000 is assembled to the first rib 2110 and is constrained. Based on this, through connection between a buckle group 4200 at the base 4000 and the first rib 2110, fixed connection between the base 4000 and the tray bottom 2100 is achieved, making the base 4000 to be less likely separated from the tray bottom 2100. Further, a second buckle 4220 and a first buckle 4210 of the buckle group 4200 are arranged in a staggered manner, which avoids interference between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 and allows the first rib 2110 to be thinner on the basis of effectively clamping the first rib 2110.
[0056] The support mechanism 3000 includes the base 4000. In order to facilitate removable connection between the support mechanism 3000 and the tray bottom 2100, the base 4000 has the mounting groove 4100 and the buckle group 4200. Through the mounting groove 4100 and the buckle group 4200, not only can the removable connection of the support mechanism 3000 relative to the tray bottom 2100 be achieved, but also stability of the support mechanism 3000 during mounting can be enhanced.
[0057] When mounting the support mechanism 3000 to the tray bottom 2100, the mounting groove 4100 at the base 4000 of the support mechanism 3000 is aligned with the first rib 2110 and moved. The first rib 2110 and the mounting groove 4100 cooperate with each other until the first rib 2110 is inserted into the mounting groove 4100. At this time, the two opposite side walls of the mounting groove 4100 are constrained by the first rib 2110, and the entire support mechanism 3000 is not prone to shaking. In addition, based on the mounting groove 4100 and the first rib 2110 cooperating with other, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 of the buckle group 4200 are arranged at two opposite sides of the first rib 2110, in such a manner that the first buckle 4210 and the second buckle 4220 cooperate with each other to clamp the first rib 2110 and prevent the base 4000 from being separated from the first rib 2110. As a result, the support mechanism 3000 is fixed at the first rib 2110. Based on the mounting groove 4100 and the first rib 2110 cooperating with each other, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are firmly fastened to the first rib 2110 without being actively disassembled by the user. In this way, fixation of the support mechanism 3000 is achieved, which is neither easy to shake nor easy to be separated from the first rib 2110.
[0058] Since the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are arranged at the two opposite sides of the first rib 2110, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 face towards each other and fasten the first rib 2110. In order to avoid mutual interference between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210, a thickness of the first rib 2110 may be designed to be relatively large, in such a manner that the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 may not contact and interfere with each other when fastening the first rib 2110. In this way, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are ensured to be tightly fastened to the first rib 2110. However, when the thickness of the first rib 2110 is designed to be relatively large, residual water is easily formed at the first rib 2110, which may reduce drying performance of the cutlery tray 1000. Therefore, the first rib 2110 needs to be designed to be as thin as possible. Based on this, in order to enable the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 to effectively fasten the first rib and avoid interference between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are designed to be staggered in a thickness direction of the first rib 2110. The so-called staggered arrangement means that when the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 fasten the first rib 2110 in the thickness direction of the first rib 2110, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 do not interfere with each other.
[0059] Through the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210, the support mechanism 3000 can be prevented from being separated from the first rib 2110 as a whole. It is because the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are arranged at the two opposite sides of the first rib 2110, a force applied by the first buckle 4210 on the first rib 2110 is directed towards the second buckle 4220, and a force applied by the second buckle 4220 on the first rib 2110 is directed towards the first buckle 4210. In this way, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 can fasten the first rib 2110, and a contact area between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 and the first rib 2110 is maintained, ensuring stable connection.
[0060] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a clamping cavity 4230 is formed between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210. A hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 is located below the clamping cavity 4230, and a hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 is also located below the clamping cavity 4230. When mounting the support mechanism 3000, the first rib 2110 is engaged into the clamping cavity 4230, and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 and the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 are engaged at a lower edge of the first rib 2110, preventing the support mechanism 3000 and the first rib 2110 from being separated.
[0061] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the clamping cavity 4230 is formed between the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210, the first rib 2110 may be engaged into the clamping cavity 4230, which eliminates a need to set a clamping hole at the first rib 2110, reducing manufacturing difficulty of the first rib 2110. For example, when the support mechanism 3000 moves from top to bottom, the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 come into contact with the first rib 2110, causing the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 to deform until the first rib 2110 is inserted into the mounting groove 4100. It means that the first rib 2110 is engaged into the clamping cavity 4230 formed by the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210, and the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 form an engagement with the lower edge of the first rib 2110, achieving the fixation of the support mechanism 3000.
[0062] It should be understood that when the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 include the hook portion (4221 / 4211), since the hook portion (4221 / 4211) need to hook the lower edge of the first rib 2110, only the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 may be designed to be staggered, and the rest of the second buckle 4220 and the rest of the first buckle 4210 may not be staggered, and thus the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are also regarded as being staggered.
[0063] The hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 are arranged in a staggered manner, in such a manner that the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 can be as close as possible to the two opposite sides of the first rib 2110, enhancing a fixing effect. As illustrated in FIG. 7, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, in an extension direction of the first rib 2110 (a left-right direction illustrated in FIG. 5), the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 at least partially overlap, in such a manner that the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 can completely block the clamping cavity 4230 and more reliably hook the lower edge of the first rib 2110. For example, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are arranged at two opposite sides of the mounting groove 4100. In a process of mounting the support mechanism 3000, the first rib 2110 pushes apart the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 until the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 slide into the mounting groove 4100 and the clamping cavity 4230. The hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 recover from deformation and hook the lower edge of the first rib 2110. In this way, the first rib 2110 can be designed to be thinner as much as possible, while also achieving stable connection of the support mechanism 3000.
[0064] Optionally, since the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 at least partially overlap, in order to facilitate insertion of the first rib 2110 into the mounting groove 4100 and the clamping cavity 4230, a guide surface is designed at the hook portion (4221 / 4211). A guide surface of the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and a guide surface of the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210 extend obliquely towards each other and present an inverted V-shaped structure. When mounting the support mechanism 3000, a top edge of the first rib 2110 comes into contact with the guide surface of the hook portion (4221 / 4211), easily pushing apart the hook portion 4221 of the second buckle 4220 and the hook portion 4211 of the first buckle 4210.
[0065] As can be seen from the above description, by providing the buckle group 4200 and the mounting groove 4100 at the base 4000, the support mechanism 3000 can be tightly fixed to the first rib 2110. In order to further limit the support mechanism 3000, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first buckle 4210 is designed to abut with the second rib 2120. Since the second rib 2120 and the first rib 2110 are arranged in a staggered manner, the support mechanism 3000 is not easily displaced in a length direction of the first rib 2110. Since the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 are arranged in a staggered manner, only the first buckle 4210 may be designed to abut with the second rib 2120. In other embodiments, the second buckle 4220 and the first buckle 4210 may also be designed to abut with the second rib 2120.
[0066] Taking the first buckle 4210 abutting with the second rib 2120 as an example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the first buckle 4210 has an abutting edge 4212, and the so-called abutting edge 4212 is a structure for abutting with the second rib 2120. The abutting edge 4212 of the first buckle 4210 is vertically arranged, in such a manner that there is no inclined component force between the first buckle 4210 and the second rib 2120, enabling the mounting of the support mechanism 3000 to be more stable.
[0067] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 5, since the support mechanism 3000 needs to simultaneously support pieces of cutlery, the support mechanism 3000 has a certain length. To effectively fix the support mechanism 3000, at least two buckle groups 4200 are provided. Taking two buckle groups as an example, the two buckle groups 4200 are distributed in the length direction of the first rib 2110, located at both ends of the support mechanism 3000 in the length direction, effectively fixing the support mechanism 3000. Adjacent sides of the first buckles 4210 in the two buckle groups 4200 form a beveled edge, while opposite sides form the abutting edge 4212, in such a manner that the first buckles 4210 of the two buckle groups 4200 form a kicking shape, improving aesthetics of a product.
[0068] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the support mechanism 3000 also has a certain size in an extension direction of the second rib 2120. To this end, at least two buckle groups 4200 are also provided in the extension direction of the second rib 2120. For example, four buckle groups 4200 are provided, two of which are spaced apart from each other along one of the first ribs 2110, and the other two buckle groups 4200 are spaced apart from each other along the other first rib 2110. The two buckle groups 4200 of the former and the two buckle groups 4200 of the latter are arranged at intervals along the second rib 2120 to achieve the stable connection of the support mechanism 3000.
[0069] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a groove wall of the mounting groove 4100 is provided with limit ribs (not illustrated in the figures). For example, the limit ribs are disposed at the groove walls at two opposite sides of the mounting groove 4100. When the first rib 2110 is inserted into the mounting groove 4100, the first rib 2110 abuts with the limit rib, achieving an interference fit. Since the cutlery tray 1000 needs to be placed into the washing chamber, and the washing chamber is in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment during the operation of the dishwasher, the limit rib is provided to prevent fit clearance between the mounting groove 4100 and the first rib 2110 from being excessively large due to material deformation, preventing loosening.
[0070] Optionally, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, bottoms of the second rib 2120 and the first rib 2110 have downward conical structures, in such a manner that when water flows along the second rib 2120 and the first rib 2110, the water can easily separate from the bottom, avoiding a phenomenon of water hanging.
[0071] The present disclosure further provides a dishwasher including the cutlery tray 1000 of the above-described embodiments. It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the cutlery tray 1000 of the dishwasher adopts the technical solutions of the above-described embodiments, and therefore has at least beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-described embodiments, which will not be repeated here.
[0072] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments. Any equivalent structure transformation made within the concept of the present disclosure using the contents of the specification and the accompanying drawings of the present disclosure, or any direct or indirect application of the contents of the specification and the accompanying drawings of the present disclosure in other related fields, shall fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A cutlery tray, comprising: a tray bottom; and a support mechanism disposed at the tray bottom and comprising a plurality of teeth row groups, wherein: a receiving cavity is formed between every two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups, the receiving cavity being adapted for cutlery to insert therein; and each of the plurality of teeth row groups comprises two support teeth, wherein in the same teeth row group, a distance between tops of the two support teeth is smaller than a distance between bottoms of the two support teeth.
2. The cutlery tray according to claim 1, wherein in the same teeth row group, the two support teeth extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top.
3. The cutlery tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the two support teeth comprises: a rod body; and a bent head of an upwardly arched curved shape, the bent head being disposed at the rod body, wherein in the same teeth row group, the bent heads of the two support teeth face towards each other, a root of the rod body forming the bottom of the support tooth, and the bent head forming the top of the support tooth.
4. The cutlery tray according to claim 3, wherein the bent head comprises: a neck portion of the upwardly arched curved shape, the neck portion being disposed at the rod body; and a beak-shaped portion disposed at the neck portion, the beak-shaped portion having a tip structure extending downwardly.
5. The cutlery tray according to claim 4, wherein an area of a cross section of the support tooth tapers in a direction from the beak-shaped portion to the rod body via the neck portion.
6. The cutlery tray according to claim 5, wherein the cross section has a bi-conical structure.
7. The cutlery tray according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein in the same teeth row group, the rod bodies extend obliquely towards each other from bottom to top.
8. The cutlery tray according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the support mechanism further comprises a protrusion, wherein: in a first direction along which the two support teeth in the same teeth row group face towards each other, the protrusion is disposed at each of two sides of the teeth row group, a height of the protrusion being smaller than a height of the teeth row group.
9. The cutlery tray according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion is located below 1 / 2 of the height of the teeth row group.
10. The cutlery tray according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the protrusion comprises a first protruding rib and a second protruding rib intersecting with the first protruding rib.
11. The cutlery tray according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the support mechanism further comprises a base removably connected to the tray bottom.
12. The cutlery tray according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a distance between two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups is greater than the distance between the tops of the two support teeth of the same teeth row group.
13. The cutlery tray according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a distance between two adjacent teeth row groups of the plurality of teeth row groups is smaller than the distance between the bottoms of the two support teeth of the same teeth row group.
14. A dishwasher, comprising the cutlery tray according to any one of claims 1 to 13.