EP0697187A1

EP0697187A1 - Cutlery basket for dishwashers

Info

Publication number: EP0697187A1
Application number: EP95111662A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuseppe Schena
Original assignee: Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Priority date: 1994-07-29
Filing date: 1995-07-25
Publication date: 1996-02-21
Also published as: IT232512Y1; ITTO940165V0; ITTO940165U1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular cutlery basket (1) for dishwashers; the main characteristic of the basket according to the invention consists in that the basket may consist of one or more modular portions being substantially equal which can be snap fitted together whenever necessary.

According to another important characteristic, the described cutlery basket comprises one or more metallic or metallised parts.

Description

The present inventions relates to a modular cutlery basket for dishwashers.
A modular cutlery basket for dishwashers is known from the Italian utility model application n. PN91U000015; in such application a cutlery basket for dishwashers is described comprising two parallelepiped portions of different sizes, of a plastic material, apt at being coupled in a releasable manner along respective coinciding faces, the first portion having a substantially double capacity regards the second; a flexible handle is provided equipped with grooves by way of which it is able to hook itself to a couple of adjacent uprights of the side portions of the basket.
According to the solution described in the mentioned utility model application, given that one of the given portions is twice that of the other, the basket thus made up remains unbalanced respect the handle, which is unsatisfactory for the user; the handle also has the tendency of becoming unhooked when the basket is full of cutlery, due to the weight.
Moreover the described embodiment has to provide for two different moulds, or in the case of a single mould it is necessary to throw away the small piece when not needed.
The main aim of the present invention is that of indicating how it is possible to obtain a basket that is more versatile than that proposed, without having its drawbacks.
For allowing such aim the present invention has as its subject a modular cutlery basket for dishwashers characterised in that the basket may consist of one or two modular portions being substantially equal that can be snap fitted together, whenever necessary.
Further aims and advantages of the present invention shall result in being clear from the following detailed description and annexed drawings supplied purely as an explanatory and non limiting example, wherein:

figures 1, 2 and 3 schematically represent a side, rear and a plan view of a portion of a basket according to the invention;
figure 4 schematically represents a prospective view the portion of the basket, according to the invention previously represented in figures 1-3;
figure 5 schematically represents a side view of a basket according to the invention consisting of two portions as those of figure 1, being the same and coupled;
figure 6 schematically represents a prospective view of the basket according to the invention of figure 5,
figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 represent particulars of the basket according to the invention.

In figures 1-4, that schematically represent different views of a portion of the basket according to the invention, reference number 1 indicates as a whole a portion of the basket, of a substantially square plan, defined by four lateral walls and by a base; as in the known art, such side walls and base have a series of apertures, for instance defined by small crossed bars, so as to allow the passage of the washing water.
The basket portion 1, that is advantageously made of a plastic material and obtained by moulding, is divided in four parts, by way of two dividing walls, indicated with 2.
A handle is indicated with 3, shaped as an upturned L, also realised in a plastic material; such handle 3 can for instance provide hooking means, of a type in itself known and therefore for simplicity not represented, for the snap fitting to a lateral wall of the portion 1.
The basket according to the invention is in practice made up of two portions 1, both being the same, coupled in a manner so to obtain a basket being twice the size of that of figure 1.
As can be seen, in particular in figures 2 and 4, the mutual coupling means between two identical basket portions are constituted in the specific case by male elements, indicated with 4, and female elements, indicated with 5, and by a snap fitting means indicated with 6; such mutual coupling means 4, 5 and 6 are obtained on the rear wall of the basket portion 1, that in following the coupling becomes the common wall of the basket. It is to be noted that, although the mutual coupling means 4-6 are located in the same position for both portions, being as that they are identical, when the two rear walls are united "back to back" such elements 4-6 are facing each other for their coupling.
In figures 5 and 6, 1A indicates a first portion and 1B a second identical portion, coupled so as to obtain the basket being twice the size of that of figures 1-4.
As can be seen, in following the coupling of the two portions 1A and 1B, the handles 3 also result in being face to face, as a single handle; with such an aim the handles can be provided with coupling means, indicated with 7 and 8 in figures 1-4.
The characteristics of the described basket result in being clear from the description and annexed drawings, as do the advantages of the cutlery basket for dishwashers subject of the present invention. In particular they are represented in:

a high level of standardisation for producers of household appliances: in a "small" dishwasher only a single portion (figure 4) shall be used, whereas in a larger machine a basket made up of two coupled portions (figure 6) shall be used;
flexibility of use for the user, as, in the case of a double basket, when required such basket can be divided in two portions by the user, so as to put to a better use the available space in the crockery baskets of the machine;
simplicity and low production costs, as only a single mould is necessary for the realisation of the two portions of the described basket, without any waste of materials.

It is clear that numerous variants are possible by the skilled man, to the basket described as an example, without for this departing from the range of the novelty principles inherent in the innovation.
Such variants could for instance regard the shape of the elements described and illustrated above; for example:

the handles could in fact be of a different shape than that illustrated, for instance each having a semicircular shape;
the shape of the basket portion 1 could be modified, for instance by rounding the corners;
the basket could be made up of more than two identical coupled portions.

It is likewise clear that the materials used for the realisation of the basket may be changed.
In such light, in figures 7-10 a particularly advantageous embodiment of the base of the cutlery basket according to the invention is illustrated, apt at improving the drying quality.
For such aim it is proposed to use for the realisation of the cutlery basket a metallic sheet plate, advantageously in stainless steel, holed for instance for realising the base of the basket. Metal, apart from a greater superficial smoothness, has a much better level of thermal conductivity which favours the drying, avoiding the tendency of the cutlery remaining wet in the lower part, where the rest on the base of the basket within which they are contained.
In figures 7,8 and 9 preferred types of sheet plate are represented; in figure 7 a sheet plate with hexagonal holes, for instance of 7 mm from side to side; in figure 8 a stretched sheet plate having diamond shaped holes; in figure 9 a stretched sheet plate having substantially square holes.
It is to be noted that circular holes have not been proposed; in fact such type of holes are those which hinder the flow of water, whereas those having corners tend to fracture the water droplets thus favouring the flow.
Obviously also the lateral and dividing walls of the basket can be realised in a metallic material.
Furthermore, rather than using metallic sheet plate a non metallic material could be used, the surface of which being metallised with known procedures, for example the galvanic type.
In any case the base need not be flat, but for example wavy or saw tooth or having ridges, still for facilitating the flow of water, avoiding its settlement, which is damaging for a complete drying of the cutlery.
Regarding the realisation of the proposed basket, the metallic base can be moulded with the basket, i.e. snap fitted in place after moulding, as illustrated in figure 10; in view of this it is therefore possible to provide two or more bases which can be interchangeable, having different types of apertures, according to the constructive requirements of the producers (depending on the market to be served) or on the use by the user (according to the type of cutlery).

Claims

Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers characterised in that the basket may consist of one (figures 1-4) or more modular portions being substantially equal (figures 5-6), equipped with mutual coupling means (4-8) for their joining whenever necessary.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claim 1, characterised in that every portion (1, 1A, 1B) has a handle (3), in particular supplied with snap fitting means.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claim 1, characterised in that every portion comprises a basket having a substantially square plan (1, 1A, 1B) divided in a plurality of sections.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claim 1, characterised in that every portion (1, 1A, 1B) has means (4-8) for coupling to another portion (1, 1A, 1B), said coupling means in particular comprising at least one male element (4) and one female element (5) for the mutual coupling, and/or a snap hook (6).
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claims 2 and 4, characterised in that even the handles (3) of every portion (1, 1A, 1B) has mutual coupling means (7,8).
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to at least one of the previous claims, characterised in that said mutual coupling means (4-8) are located at the same position on each portion (1, 1A, 1B).
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to at least one of the previous claims, characterised in that said portions are obtained by way of the same mould.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, characterised in that it comprises one or more metallic or metallised parts.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to at least one of the previous claims, characterised in that it has a base and/or some walls in holed metallic plate, in particular stainless steel (figures 7-9).
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claim 9, characterised in that said holed metallic plate has holes with corners, such as in particular hexagonal, or substantially square or diamond shaped (figures 7-9).
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that said metallic plate is wavy and/or folded in a saw tooth manner and/or has ridges.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that said metallic plate (figures 7-9) is moulded together with a basket of a plastic material or snap fitted to the basket of a plastic material, after the moulding of the latter.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, according to claims 1 or 8, characterised in that it has the base and/or some walls in a metallised plastic material.
Modular cutlery basket for dishwashers, characterised in that it has two or more bases, supplied with apertures of a different type, said two or more bases being interchangeable according to the realisation necessities of the producer or use of the user.