Dishwasher Utensil Rack Wave Profiles for Cleaning and Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional utensil racks in dishwashers often fail to provide optimal cleaning and drainage for utensils, particularly knives, spoons, and forks, as they lack the necessary design features to securely hold and position items effectively during the wash cycle.
Innovation Solution
The utensil rack features wave profiles with varying crest spacings to create distinct sections for stemware and cutlery, allowing for better liquid circulation and preventing utensils from falling, with a stemware section having wave crests spaced a first distance and a cutlery section with wave crests spaced a second distance less than the first, enhancing cleaning and drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional utensil racks use uniform spacing between support elements, then manufacturing is simple, but cleaning and drainage effectiveness is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the spacing between wave profile crests in different sections of the rack. The stemware section has wider spacing between crests to accommodate larger items and allow better liquid circulation, while the cutlery section has narrower spacing to securely hold smaller utensils. This non-uniform spacing optimizes cleaning and drainage effectiveness for different types of utensils without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wave profiles have widely spaced crests, then large items like stemware can be accommodated, but small items like cutlery may fall through
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the utensil rack into distinct sections with different wave profile characteristics. The stemware section uses wave profiles with wider crest spacing to accommodate larger items, while the cutlery section uses wave profiles with narrower crest spacing to securely hold smaller utensils. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function, ensuring both versatility and reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform wave profiles are used throughout the rack, then manufacturing is easier, but liquid circulation and drainage are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by designing different wave profile sections with varying crest spacings optimized for their specific functions. The stemware section has wider spacing to promote liquid circulation and drainage for larger items, while the cutlery section has narrower spacing for secure positioning. This approach maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving cleaning efficiency through optimized liquid flow patterns in each section.
Data Source
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AI summary
A utensil rack (100) for a dishwasher (10) has a set of wave profiles (114, 116). One subset of wave profiles (114) has wave crests (115) spaced from each other a first distance and a second set of wave profiles (116) has wave crests (117) spaced from each other a second distance less than the first distances. The utensil rack (100) can be in the form of tray. A stemware section (150) has one subset of wave profiles (114) and a cutlery section (160) has a second subset of wave profiles (116).