Device for adjusting the height position of a dishware basket which can be pulled out from the rinsing container of a dishwasher

A height adjustment device for a dishware basket which can be removed from the rinsing container of a dishwashing machine. The height adjustment device is mounted on the dishware basket and includes at least one basket support plate mounted on the dishware basket. A swivel-mounted handle is mounted on the support plate for moving the dishware basket between an upper and a lower position.

The invention relates to a device for adjusting the height position of a dishware basket which can be pulled out from the rinsing container of a dishwashing machine according to the preamble of Claim1.

German disclosure document DE 195 12 128 discloses a device for adjusting the height position of a dishware basket which can be pulled out from the rinsing container of a dishwashing machine, which has a basket support plate mounted on the side wall of the dishware basket formed by horizontally and vertically extending basket struts, fitted with rollers and capable of moving vertically on the basket struts, which can be fixed via an adjustment lever at different height positions on the dishware basket. The adjustment lever linked to a separate lever mounting has at one handle end a handle part and at its other handle end a detent, which lie opposite several latches or support protrusions at various heights on the basket support plate, into which the adjustment lever has to be pivoted by the user with its detent.

German disclosure document DE 44 01 259 also discloses a device for adjusting the height position of a dishware basket which can be pulled out from the rinsing container of a dishwashing machine, in which a basket support plate provided with rollers is arranged on the basket struts and can be adjusted and fixed separately by means of an adjustment lever. The adjustment lever mounted to operate on the exterior of the basket support plate moves a locking element, such that it can be moved vertically between the basket struts fitted with latch positions and can be stopped in each of the latch positions by positive locking.

German disclosure document DE 42 28 954 likewise discloses a device for adjusting the height position of a dishware basket which can be pulled out from the rinsing container of a dishwashing machine, in which a basket support plate provided with rollers is arranged on the basket struts and can be adjusted and fixed separately via an adjustment lever. The adjustment lever is designed as a catch lever accessible from the dishware basket upper side and from the dishware basket exterior hinged in the dishware basket for the basket support plate mounted to move vertically on the dishware basket.

The disadvantages of the known devices are that either the adjustment lever requires a separate lever mounting for adjusting the height position of the basket support plate or it has to shift a separate locking element for this same purpose. This means several, device elements arranged separately from one another, which must cooperate with one another. But above all, all solutions require several catch positions or support projections, into which the adjustment lever is moved by the user corresponding to the various height positions.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovedescribed type, by which adjustment of the height position of an extensible dishware basket is improved.

This task is solved according to the present invention by the characteristics of Claim1. Further developments of the invention are specified in the sub-claims.

Starting from the basket support plate arranged on the side wall of the dishware basket, provided with rollers and mounted vertically displaceably on the basket struts, and which can be fixed via an adjustment lever at different height positions on the dishware basket, the adjustment lever is attached according to the object of the invention on the basket support plate and is swivel-mounted with its handle end in a recess of the basket support plate. Furthermore, a catch hook oriented to the basket interior, and located in the recess, is arranged on the handle end, by means of which the adjustment lever and the basket support plate automatically engage after the dishware basket moves from a lower height position into an upper height position on a horizontally extending basket strut, and by means of which the adjustment lever and the basket support plate disengage after actuation of a handle part arranged on the other handle end in the direction of the basket interior from the horizontally extending basket strut, and the dishware basket moves automatically from an upper height position into a lower height position.

The object of the invention results advantageously in a self-contained adjustment device, that is, the adjustment lever with catch hook and the basket support plate with corresponding recess form a single unit. The result of this is that all elements required for adjusting the height position of the pull-out dishware basket are arranged directly on the basket support plate. Special elements, such as lever mounting or locking element, spatially separated from the basket support plate can be omitted. The adjustment device according to the object of the present invention enables extremely simple mounting on the dishware basket and prevents crockery from coming into contact with the adjustment device. Latches or support projections located opposite a detent can be dispensed with in the adjustment device according to the object of the present invention, as the adjustment lever and the basket support plate engage automatically on a horizontally extending basket strut via the catch hook when the height position of the dishware basket is altered from below upwards or disengage from above downwards, and the dishware basket moves automatically to the new height position. Another advantage of the invention compared to known adjustment devices is that due to the orientation of the adjustment lever with the catch hook in the basket support plate itself this lever always remains at the same place with respect to the dishwashing machine, that is, it does not alter its position by adjusting the height position of the pull-out dishware basket. This considerably improves the stability of the adjustment device.

According to a favourable development of the invention the adjustment lever is coupled to a spring, by means of which the adjustment lever can be swung back in the opposite direction after the handle part is pivoted in one direction. After the dishware basket is uncoupled from the basket support plate—by actuation of the handle part—the adjustment lever is not swung back by the user but does so automatically.

According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention the catch hook is provided with an undercut, by means of which the actuation force for adjusting the pull-out dishware basket automatically adapts to its load state, which can range from partially to fully loaded.

According to another favourable configuration of the invention the adjustment lever is attached to the basket support plate together with the rollers, resulting in an even more compact and easier-to-mount adjustment device, because it has as many elements as possible.

It has also proven beneficial if the adjustment lever is swivel-mounted near the upper edge of the basket support plate in the recess, since the least actuation force is to be expended by the user to uncouple the dishware basket from the basket support plate, by actuating the handle part.

It has also proven advantageous if the basket support plate is provided at its ends with guide elements, which at least partially engage basket struts of the side wall of the dishware basket. In this way, the adjustment device provided with several elements has a strong grip on the side wall of the dishware basket.

FIG.1—with an external view facing a rinsing container wall of a dishwashing machine—and FIG.2—with an inner view facing the basket interior of a dishware basket10of the dishwashing machine—show the device according to the present invention for adjusting the height position of the dishware basket10, which is arranged in a rinsing container of a dishwashing machine for dishes—not illustrated in greater detail here, but described in e.g. DE 195 12 128. At the same time the dishware basket10can be pulled out of the rinsing container, to facilitate loading with dishes for the user. Modern adjustment devices enable adjustment of the height position of the dishware basket10directly on the dishwashing machine, without the basket having to be taken out of the appliance for this purpose. In addition, adjusting the height position also works in an already loaded dishware basket10.

The adjustment device has a basket support plate1, which are arranged on the side wall of the dishware basket10formed out of horizontally and vertically extending basket struts, seeFIG. 3, and is provided with preferably several rollers5—a total of three in the example—on the side facing the rinsing container. These rollers5move as the dishware basket10is pulled out on a basket guide rail—see e.g. reference numeral13inFIG. 5and FIG.6—, which is usually located near the rinsing container wall. The basket support plate1is mounted vertically displaceably on the basket struts and can be fixed via an adjustment lever2at different height positions on the dishware basket10. The adjustment lever2is attached according to the present invention on the basket support plate1and is swivel-mounted with its handle end2′ in a recess3of the basket support plate1. Arranged on this handle end2′ is a catch hook6oriented to the basket interior—that is, on the rear—located in the recess3, seeFIG. 2. Preferably, the catch hook6is designed as a triangle and is located on the edge of the recess3, to cause disengaging of the basket support plate1from the dishware basket10, that is, from the horizontally extending basket strut, in which it is fixed by swivelling the adjustment lever2as early as possible and with minimal effort. Due to the triangular shape of the catch hook6, as evident in the additional side view of the catch hook6inFIG. 2, there results a large stop bevel6′ of the catch hook, enabling the dishware basket10to be adjusted from the lower height position to the upper height position without actuating the adjustment lever2. The adjustment device according to the present invention thus represents a compact and self-contained unit, as the elements necessary for adjusting the height position of the pull-out dishware basket10, in particular the adjustment lever2with catch hook6swivel-mounted in the basket support plate1with corresponding recess3, are arranged directly on the basket support plate1. The adjustment device according to the object of the present invention is therefore extremely easily mounted on the dishware basket10and prevents dishes coming into contact with the adjustment device.

After the adjustment device is mounted on the dishware basket10the adjustment device is fixed on the dishware basket10by caulking a safety clip1′, illustrated inFIG. 1only, punched out of the basket support plate1in the direction of the basket interior, by means of which the adjustment device without an additional part is secured against unintentional dislodging from the dishware basket10and leads to further simplification in assembly.

Due to the catch hook6arranged on the pivoting handle end2′, oriented to the basket interior, located in the recess3, the adjustment lever2and the basket support plate1engage automatically on a horizontally extending basket strut, after the dishware basket10moves from a lower height position into an upper height position. After actuation of a handle part2″ arranged on the other handle end in the direction of the basket interior the adjustment lever2and the basket support plate1disengage from the horizontally extending basket strut, and the dishware basket10moves automatically from an upper height position into another height position. With the adjustment device according to the present invention latches or support projections located opposite a usual detent can be dispensed with advantageously, which means fewer parts and mutual cooperation. An additional advantage of the invention compared to known adjustment devices is that this lever2always remains in the same place, that is, it does not alter its position—with the exception of the intended position in a vertical direction—when the height position of the pull-out dishware basket10is adjusted, owing to the position of the adjustment lever2with catch hook6directly in the basket support plate1itself with respect to the dishwashing machine. This considerably improves the stability of the adjustment device.

The adjustment lever2is coupled to a spring engaging on the handle end2′—of which inFIGS. 1 and 2only the spring legs4are visible, while the spring body is incorporated in the pivoting handle end2′—by means of which the adjustment lever2can be swung back in the opposite direction after actuating the handle part2″ in the direction of the basket interior, and thus after the dishware basket10is uncoupled from the basket support plate1—by actuating the handle part2″—the adjustment lever2is not swung back by the user into the start position, but does so automatically.

The catch hook6is advantageously provided with an undercut9, by means of which the actuation force for adjusting the pull-out dishware basket10is adapted automatically to its load state—which can range from partially to fully loaded. Preferably, the adjustment lever2is attached together with the rollers5on the basket support plate1, resulting in an even more compact and more easily mounted adjustment device—because it has as many elements as possible. It has also proven beneficial if the adjustment lever2is swivel-mounted near the upper edge of the basket support plate1in the recess3, because the least effort to uncouple the dishware basket10from the basket support plate1is needed by the user, by actuating the handle part2″. The basket support plate1also has at its ends several guide elements7, which at least partially enclose the vertically extending basket struts of the side wall of the dishware basket10. In this way, the adjustment device provided with several elements has a stable grip on the side wall of the dishware basket10. Also provided at one of the ends of the basket support plate1is at least one additional guide element8for guiding a horizontally extending basket strut of the side wall belonging to the dishware basket10.

FIGS. 3 and 4show the abovedescribed, compact and self-contained adjustment device according to the present invention in the external view ofFIG. 1, as well as in the inner view ofFIG. 2after attachment to one of both side walls of the dishware basket10, respectively formed by horizontally and vertically extending basket struts11and12. For secure and stable fixing to the dishware basket10the basket support plate1has the guide elements7placed on both sides of the basket support plate1, which engage vertical basket struts11, of which one basket strut preferably forms the last strut of the side wall. The adjustment lever2with handle part2″ is attached according to the present invention to the basket support plate1and swivel-mounted with its handle end2′ in the recess of the basket support plate1. The rollers5movably mounted on a basket guide rail are arranged on the sheet metal together with the adjustment lever2.

FIG. 5andFIG. 6show the adjustment device according to the present invention attached to the side wall of the dishware basket10on an enlarged scale, with an indication of the movement of the dishware basket10when its height position is changed, recognisable by the enlarged arrows in a vertical direction. InFIG. 5the dishware basket10is shown in a lower height position. If the dishware basket10is now moved by a user from the lower height position into an upper height position—see the arrow pointing upwards—, for which purpose the adjustment lever2does not have to be actuated owing to the abovedescribed long stop bevel6′ of the catch hook6, then the adjustment lever2and the basket support plate1engage automatically via the catch hook6arranged on the rear side of the pivoting handle end2′ on a horizontally extending basket strut—for example on the strut12—, and the dishware basket10is reset at a new height position. The basket support plate1with integrated adjustment lever2travels upwards along the vertically extending basket struts11stably mounted in the guide elements7, without the lever needing to alters its position as the height position is being adjusted, which again considerably improves the stability of the adjustment device in the assembled state.

InFIG. 6the dishware basket10is in an upper height position. When the handle part2″ is actuated in the direction of the basket interior—see the arrow pointing horizontally inwards—the adjustment lever2and the basket support plate1disengage via the catch hook on the handle end2′ oriented to the basket interior, located in the recess on one of the horizontally extending basket struts12, on which it is fixed by means of the undercut of the catch hook, and the dishware basket10moves automatically from an upper height position into a lower height position—see the arrow pointing downwards. The basket support plate1with integrated adjustment lever2travels downwards along the vertically extending basket struts11stably mounted in the guide elements7, without the lever needing to alters its position as the height position is being adjusted, which again considerably improves the stability of the adjustment device in the assembled state.