Stackable Drip Basin for Commercial Dishwasher Rack Water Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial dish and glassware racks used with wash-only dishwashers result in water dripping through the bottom, creating safety hazards and sanitation issues due to pooling on the floor and potential spills, especially when transported on dollies with open frames.
Innovation Solution
A basin with a solid base and sides, designed to interlock with commercial racks, which can be placed under a stack to catch drips and elevate the racks, preventing water from reaching the floor, featuring a square shape matching standard rack dimensions and incorporating circular indentations to trap liquids and handle sections for ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If racks have openings in the bottom and sides to allow water spray penetration during washing, then washing efficiency is improved, but water drips through the bottom onto the floor creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (drip tray or solid bottom panel with drip shield) between the rack and the floor to intercept water before it reaches the floor. This mediator captures the harmful water flow while allowing the rack structure to maintain its washing function with open bottom and sides.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If racks are designed with solid bottoms to prevent water from reaching the floor, then safety hazards are reduced, but water cannot penetrate through during washing reducing cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom structure is segmented into multiple functional zones: open areas for water spray penetration and solid drip shield areas for preventing water from reaching the floor. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of washing efficiency and safety by dividing the bottom surface into regions with different properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the rack bottom have different qualities - some areas remain open for water flow during washing, while other areas (particularly the perimeter or underside) have solid drip prevention structures. This local differentiation allows the rack to fulfill both washing and safety requirements.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple racks are stacked for compact storage, then space utilization is improved, but water from all racks accumulates on the floor increasing safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The drip tray or solid bottom panel acts as a mediator that intercepts water from multiple stacked racks simultaneously. When racks are stacked for compact storage, each rack's intermediary component captures water at its level, preventing accumulation on the floor and reducing safety risks associated with stacked rack storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A basin which stackably interlocks with 20-inch square racks that hold dish and glassware washed in commercial dishwashers. The basin has substantially the exterior configuration of a commercial dishwasher rack and receives a plurality of dishwasher racks stacked above. The basin solid on its base and sides for prohibiting substances which drip down into it from racks stacked above from dripping onto the floor. The basin has circular indentations in the top surface of the base, trapping water and preventing it from sloshing from side to side of the basin when it is carried or moved. The basin may be loaded into a dolly used to transport commercial dishwasher racks, as the dollies typically have an open bottom. Thus, the basin can provide the water-catching function for racks loaded onto a dolly. Grooves in the basin's bottom surface permit stacking on top of a rack or other basins for storage.