Dishwasher Rack with Adjustable Loading Space for Variable Dish Sizes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwasher racks are inefficient in accommodating dishes of various shapes and sizes, leading to wasted space and inability to load certain dishes due to fixed sizes.
Innovation Solution
A rack with a variable space loading unit that can be adjusted by a lifting mechanism, allowing for increased or decreased loading space through a system of inclined slots and slide protrusions, coupled with a middle partition rib to optimize dish placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-size racks are used in the dishwasher, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the dish loading space cannot be efficiently used for dishes of various shapes and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The rack structure is made dynamically adjustable through a lifting mechanism that allows the rack to move between raised and lowered positions. This dynamic adjustment enables the rack to adapt to different dish sizes and shapes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack's loading space parameters (height, volume) are changed by moving the rack between raised and lowered positions. This parameter change allows the same rack structure to accommodate various dish configurations, achieving adaptability without requiring multiple different rack designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rack loading space is increased to accommodate larger dishes, then more dish types can be loaded, but the space is wasted when loading smaller dishes
Solution Approach 1:
The rack loading space is made dynamically adjustable by lifting and lowering the rack. When loading smaller dishes, the rack is raised to reduce the loading space and eliminate wasted volume. When loading larger dishes, the rack is lowered to increase the available space, thus adapting to different dish sizes without permanent waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective loading space volume is changed by altering the rack's vertical position. This parameter change allows the system to match the loading space to the actual dish size requirements, preventing space waste when loading smaller dishes while still accommodating larger dishes when needed.
3Productivity
If the rack structure is made more complex with adjustable components, then dish loading efficiency improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism is designed to be operated by the user through simple manual action, making the system self-adjusting based on user needs. The user can easily lift or lower the rack without complex controls, maintaining ease of operation while achieving improved loading efficiency through the adjustable configuration.
Data Source
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AI summary
A dishwasher is disclosed. The dishwasher includes a washing tub for defining a washing space, a rack provided in the washing tub so as to be withdrawn from the washing tub for receiving dishes, and a plurality of spraying units for spraying wash water to the rack. The rack includes an outer edge rib for defining a space in which dishes are loaded, a variable space loading unit upwardly and downwardly movably provided at the inside of the outer edge rib, and a lifting unit provided at the outer edge rib for upwardly and downwardly moving the variable space loading unit to decrease and increase the loading space of the variable space loading unit.