Dishwasher Cutlery Basket With Fold-Out Lid and Side Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cutlery baskets in dishwashers require users to touch sharp edges to remove items, potentially causing injury and may not efficiently support small cutlery during cleaning, leading to suboptimal cleaning results and resource inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cutlery basket design featuring large openings for easy access and loading/unloading without a cover, a lid that can be folded outside for expanded space, and structural enhancements like offset borders and flexible materials to ensure accessibility and durability, while maintaining rigidity and supporting cutlery pieces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover is provided on the cutlery basket, then cutlery is protected during cleaning, but accessibility for loading and unloading small cutlery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into a first cover portion and a second cover portion that can be separated from each other. The first cover portion remains attached to the basket while the second cover portion can be removed or folded away, allowing users to access cutlery through the separation space without removing the entire cover structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover transitions from a flat planar structure to a three-dimensional configuration where the second cover portion can be folded along a hinge axis. This dimensional change creates additional access space while maintaining the protective function of the cover when closed.
2Strength
If the cutlery basket has a closed structure, then structural integrity is maintained, but accessibility for removing cutlery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The basket structure is segmented with a first wall containing a first opening and a second wall containing a second opening. These openings are positioned at different locations and orientations, allowing users to access cutlery from multiple directions without compromising the overall structural integrity of the basket.
Solution Approach 2:
Different walls of the basket are assigned different opening characteristics - the first wall has a first opening configuration while the second wall has a second opening configuration. This local differentiation allows optimized access for different types of cutlery while maintaining structural strength in critical areas.
3Reliability
If small openings are provided in the basket walls, then cutlery support is improved, but cleaning water flow is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The basket walls are designed with locally differentiated properties - certain areas contain openings for cutlery support while adjacent areas remain open or have different permeability characteristics. This allows water to flow freely through regions without openings while cutlery is supported in regions with openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket structure incorporates porous or permeable wall sections that allow cleaning water to pass through while still providing mechanical support for cutlery. The porosity enables water flow maintenance while the structural design of the porous sections retains cutlery effectively.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention describes a cutlery basket (100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800) for a dishwasher that facilitates the use of a cutlery basket in particular allowing easier loading and unloading of cutlery into and out of the cutlery basket by providing a large opening on an outer upright wall of the cutlery basket. Preferred embodiments of the cutlery basket comprise movable lids (110, 340, 350, 355, 420, 730, 740) that can be flipped parallel inside of the cutlery basket or flipped outside to provide extra space for storing cutlery.