Dishwasher with adjustable dish rack tines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dishwasher tine adjustment methods require users to bend or exert significant force on tines, leading to potential bending or loosening, resulting in inadequate support for dishes.
Innovation Solution
A tine angle adjustment assembly featuring an adjuster plate and adjuster pins that allow for upward and downward movement, coupled with an adjusting arm, enabling rotational positioning of tines without bending, ensuring stability and reduced force requirement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the user bends the tine to reposition it, then the tine angle can be adjusted, but the tine may be bent or stressed and become loose
Solution Approach 1:
An adjusting arm serves as an intermediary mechanism between the user's manual input and the tine structure. The adjusting arm transfers and amplifies the user's rotational motion into precise angular adjustments of the tine, eliminating the need to directly bend the tine while maintaining adjustment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The direct mechanical bending action on the tine is replaced by a lever-based adjusting mechanism. The adjusting arm acts as a lever that converts small rotational movements at the adjuster pin into controlled angular changes of the tine, substituting a fragile direct-bend system with a robust mechanical advantage system
2Ease of operation
If the user exerts significant force on the tine, then the tine can be repositioned, but excessive force may cause the tine to loosen or fail
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting mechanism transforms the static, force-intensive bending operation into a dynamic rotational operation. The adjuster plate can be moved to different positions, and the adjusting arm rotates smoothly to reposition the tine, converting a high-force static task into a low-force dynamic task that maintains structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment operation transitions from a linear bending motion (requiring force along the tine's length) to a rotational motion in a different dimensional plane. The adjuster pin engages with the adjusting arm to create rotational movement, changing the dimension of the applied force and reducing stress on the tine structure
3Ease of operation
If the tine is not firmly held in position, then adjustment is easy, but the tine remains loose and cannot support dishes
Solution Approach 1:
The adjuster plate provides a feedback mechanism where its position relative to the dish rack directly indicates the tine angle setting. As the adjuster plate is moved to different positions, it provides tactile and visual feedback to the user about the current tine configuration, ensuring the tine is firmly held at the desired angle while maintaining ease of adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The adjuster plate is pre-positioned at specific locations that correspond to optimal tine angles for different dish types. This preliminary positioning system allows the user to quickly select the appropriate setting without trial and error, ensuring both ease of operation and stable, supported positions for the tines
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber. At least one dish rack defines an interior and is located in the treating chamber. At least one set of tines is located within the interior of the dish rack. A tine angle adjustment assembly includes an adjuster plate movably coupled to the at least one dish rack. The adjuster plate includes at least one adjuster pin. An adjusting arm operably couples the set of tines to the at least one adjuster pin.