Dishwasher retaining device

A resilient retaining device includes a base member which is adapted to engage and removably attach itself to a dishwasher rack prong and has extending from it a shaft and hook portion. The hook portion releasably engages and retains a cup or article with slight pressure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to retention devices. More particularly, 
it relates to a retaining device for removably securing cups and the like 
within the rack of a dishwasher. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A commonly recognized problem associated with washing cups and the like in 
an automatic dishwasher is that cups and cup-shaped articles placed within 
the dishwasher racks often have a tendency to shift and tip over during 
the wash cycle. Regardless of the cause of such movement, it is not 
desirable. Cups and the like which are tipped over during the wash cycle 
will, quite obviously, collect water and other debris which is normally 
intended to be washed away. In the case of fine china and other fragile 
dinnerware, such shifting can result in chipping and even breaking of the 
pieces. 
Some prior devices have attempted to deal with these problems by providing 
article holders to retain the cups and the like in a fixed position within 
the dishwasher rack. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,854 to Kauffman 
illustrates an article retaining device in the form of a clip which 
secures one side of a cup to a dishwasher rack prong. Similarly, U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,927,033 to Patera et al shows another removable article holder in 
the form of a curvilinear biasing member which is intended to be attached 
to a horizontally extending tine of the dish rack. Both of these prior 
devices accomplish the holding of the cups by utilizing contact points 
within the cup which is begin held. 
It is, in the experience of this inventor, advantageous to avoid the 
securing of any cups or the like by using contact points within the cup. 
Such contact points tend to create a "trap" for dishwasher debris and 
soap. Such a trap can create just as undesirable of a cleaning result as 
an overturned cup will. That is, any point-to-point contact within the cup 
is to be avoided. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a new, 
useful and uncomplicated device for securing a cup or the like within a 
dishwasher rack which eliminates any contact point within the cup and 
which minimizes the size of the external contact point thereby realizing 
maximum sanitation of cups. It is another object of this invention to 
provide such a device which requires only a minimal number of elements and 
which requires only a minimal number of steps to utilize. It is still 
another object to provide such a device which can be used with most 
commercially available dishwashers and which is adjustable so as to be 
capable of washing cups of different sizes. It is yet another object to 
provide such a device which can be easily removed from the dishwasher rack 
and which will not, under use or non-use conditions, become dislodged from 
the dishwasher rack and fall into the bottom of the dishwasher and thereby 
become difficult to retrieve or come into contact with the dryer elements. 
The present invention has obtained these objects. It provides for a 
resilient retaining device which is removably attachable to a dishwasher 
rack prong. The retaining device has a base which is functionally adapted 
to engage a dishwasher rack prong. From the base extends a resilient shaft 
and a hook portion. The hook portion is intended to engage the cup to be 
held under slight pressure from the shaft. The base is removably attached 
to the prong to firmly hold the cup in place. The foregoing and other 
features of the device of the present invention will be further apparent 
from the description which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a dishwasher 
retaining device, generally identified 10, constructed in accordance with 
the device of the present invention. As shown, the retaining device 10 is 
functionally adapted to be attached to any one of the many prongs 2 of a 
dishwasher rack 5. It is also adapted to releasably secure a cup 6 placed 
within the rack 5. 
The retaining device 10 has a base 11 from which extends an upwardly 
projecting shaft 17. At the opposite end of the shaft 17 is a hook portion 
18. See FIGS. 2 through 6. In the preferred embodiment, the base 11, shaft 
17 and hook portion 18 are formed from a single piece of thermoplastic 
injection molded polypropolene-type material. It is to be understood that 
the retaining device 10 may be molded or formed from one of several 
commercially available and resilient materials having mold or form 
"memory", the significance of which will become more apparent later in 
this detailed description. 
The base 11 of the retaining device 10 has a generally flat top surface 12 
and a generally flat bottom surface 13 between which extends a generally 
vertical and circular base aperture 14. To one side of the aperture 14, 
and, in particular, the side closest to where the shaft 17 projects from 
the base 11, extends a first generally vertical semi-circular groove 15 
defined within the outer surface of the aperture 14. See FIG. 6. A second 
generally vertical semi-circular groove 16 is defined within the outer 
surface of the aperture 14 and which is opposite the first groove 15. The 
significance of these opposing grooves 15, 16 will likewise become 
apparent later in this detailed description. 
In application, the user places the retaining device 10 such that the base 
11 is downward in relation to the hook portion 18 of the retaining device 
10. The base aperture 14 is then aligned with a prong 2 of the dishwasher 
rack 5 at or near the cup 6 which is to be held in place. The base 11 is 
passed over the end of the prong 2. It should be noted that, as an 
important feature of the preferred embodiment, the circular base aperture 
14 is functionally adapted to accept and pass over the prongs of any 
number of commercially available automatic dishwasher racks. In this 
position, the base 11 is moved downwardly along the prong 2 to the point 
that the distal end 19 of the hook 18 comes into contact with the bottom 
surface of the upside-down cup 6. The base 11 is then urged downwardly 
such that the base 11 becomes slightly cocked. 
With this movement, two things happen. First, the shaft 17 of the retaining 
device 10 becomes flexed and gently puts pressure on the cup 6 at the 
point of the distal hook end 19. This results in slight deformation of the 
shaft 17. It also results in the firm holding of the cup 6 in place. 
Secondly, the prong 2, which generally comprises a vinyl coated metal rod, 
is grasped by the first aperture groove 15 at or near the base top surface 
12 and by the second aperture groove 16 at or near the base bottom surface 
13. This results, more or less, in the base 11 "locking on" to the prong 
vinyl and prevents movement of the base 11 during the washing cycle. 
To remove the retaining device 10 from the prong 2, the hook 18 and the 
shaft 17 are flexed sufficiently to remove the cup 6 from under the distal 
hook end 19. With the cup 6 removed, the retaining device 10 will "relax" 
thereby allowing the base 11 to be cocked back and releasing the prong 2 
from the base aperture grooves 15, 16. The retaining device 10 may then be 
removed from the prong 2 or left on it for use during the next wash cycle. 
With the retaining device 10 slidably attached to the prong 2, the user 
need not worry about the retaining device 10 falling off into the bottom 
of the washer thereby making it difficult to retrieve or exposing it to 
dryer elements. 
From the foregoing detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of 
the invention set forth herein, it will be apparent that there has been 
provided a new, useful and uncomplicated device for securing a cup or the 
like within a dishwasher rack; which eliminates any contact point within 
the cup; which minimizes the size of the external contact point and 
thereby realizes maximum sanitation of cups; which requires only a minimal 
number of elements; which requires only a minimal number of steps to 
utilize; which can be used with most commercially available dishwashers; 
which is adjustable so as to be capable of washing cups of different 
sizes; which can be easily removed from the dishwasher rack; and which 
will not, under use or non-use conditions, become dislodged from the 
dishwasher rack and fall into the bottom of the dishwasher and thereby 
become difficult to retrieve or come into contact with the dryer elements.