Dishwasher with moveable shelf
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional dishwashers face space constraints due to complex shelf assemblies, which limit vertical adjustability and interfere with the movement of upper dish racks, reducing usable space and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The dish rack design incorporates vertically adjustable shelves with guide slots and cross-bars, allowing for simple operation and reduced part counts, enabling shelves to pivot between horizontal and vertical positions without interfering with other racks, thus optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If complex shelf assemblies are used to provide vertical adjustability, then the shelf can be adjusted to different heights, but the shelf assembly becomes bulky and interferes with upper dish racks
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf assembly is divided into separate functional components: the shelf board, the guide slots integrated into the dish rack, and the cross-bar retention mechanism. This segmentation allows the shelf to be adjusted vertically through the guide slots without requiring a bulky integrated assembly, reducing overall volume while maintaining adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf movement is constrained to vertical motion within guide slots rather than requiring complex multi-dimensional adjustment mechanisms. The cross-bar retains the shelf at specific vertical positions, converting potential multi-directional movement into controlled one-dimensional vertical adjustment, reducing the volume required for the adjustment mechanism.
2Volume of moving object
If shelves are stowed in higher positions, then vertical space is maximized, but shelves interfere with the movement of upper dish racks
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf is extracted from fixed positions and made mobile through the guide slot system, allowing it to be moved to lower stowage positions when not in use. This extraction from static high-position mounting enables the shelf to clear the path of upper dish racks during their movement, eliminating interference while preserving vertical space when the shelf is deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf transitions from static to dynamic positioning through the guide slots and cross-bar mechanism. It can be moved vertically to different positions including lower stowage positions, allowing it to adapt its location based on whether it is in use or needs to clear the path for upper rack movement, resolving the conflict between space utilization and operational ease.
3Device complexity
If simple shelf designs are used, then part counts are reduced, but vertical adjustability and non-interference with upper racks are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The guide slots are merged directly into the dish rack structure rather than being separate adjustment mechanisms. The cross-bar is integrated with the shelf and rack system to provide retention at multiple positions. This merging eliminates the need for complex separate adjustment mechanisms while maintaining full vertical adjustability and non-interference capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher having a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber that receives dishes for treatment, a dish rack located in the tub and having a bottom wall and at least a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall including a set of vertical tines and a shelf having a planar body extending along a length and operably coupled to the set of vertical tines and rotatable between a stowed position that is substantially vertical and a deployed position that is substantially horizontal.