Wire dishware and cutlery rack for dishwasher
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional third, top washware racks in dishwashers are limited in capacity, flexibility, and versatility due to a bulky plastic insert that restricts spacing and hinders drying performance.
Innovation Solution
A wire-made top washware rack that eliminates the bulky plastic insert, providing increased spacing between the rack and the dishwasher compartment wall, allowing for better accommodation of specialty items and enhanced drying performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a bulky plastic insert is used to form the basket of the top washware rack, then the rack structure is complete and items can be held, but the spacing between the rack and the top wall is reduced and drying performance is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bulky plastic insert from the top washware rack, extracting only the essential wire frame structure. This elimination of unnecessary components increases the spacing between the rack and the top wall while still maintaining the rack's ability to hold items through its wire construction and positioning mechanism.
2Device complexity
If a bulky plastic insert is used to form the basket of the top washware rack, then the rack structure is complete, but water retention increases and drying performance is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the plastic insert that caused water retention, allowing water to drain freely through the wire rack structure. This extraction of the harmful component (plastic insert) directly improves drying performance by preventing water accumulation while maintaining structural integrity through the wire frame design.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire rack structure inherently provides porosity and permeability, allowing water to pass through the gaps between wires. This porous construction prevents water retention and enhances drying performance, contrasting with the solid plastic insert that trapped water.
3Volume of moving object
If the spacing between the top rack and top wall is reduced, then the rack structure is compact, but the capacity and versatility for specialty items is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the bulky plastic insert, the patent increases the spacing between the top rack and the top wall, creating additional volume and headroom. This extra space enables the rack to accommodate specialty items such as stemmed wine glasses and other tall or irregularly shaped objects that would not fit in a compact configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A dishwasher, including: a dishwashing compartment having a loading opening; a door configured to close the loading opening; a bottom washware rack configured for movement out of and into the dishwashing compartment; a middle washware rack configured for movement out of and into the dishwashing compartment; and a top washware rack configured for movement out of and into the dishwashing compartment. The top rack is formed of wire thereby to hold washware including cutlery and to enhance drying performance. The spacing between an inner surface of a top wall of the dishwashing compartment and an upper surface of a deepest portion of the top rack is in a range of 79.0 mm to 83.0 mm. The top rack is formed with a notch section along at least one side in a bottom portion thereof, and include an angled portion to hold bowls at a slight tilt with respect to horizontal.