FOLDABLE GLASS-HOLDING RACKS

Abstract: The glass holding rack (1) consists of support wires (2) placed in parallel on the same plane and a connecting wire (3). The locking mechanism (4) which is provided with a fixing recess (8) at one end with a locking recess (7) at the other end, enables the glass-holding rack (1) to move around the fixing wire (5) and then to engage to the locking wire (6) in order to be held fixed by the locking recess (7). The fixing recess (8) located at the lower end of the locking mechanism (4) is bent in a U-shape, in such a manner that it gains a rotational movement around the fixing wire (5) on a plane formed by the support wires (2). The glass holding rack (1) is attached to the basket (11) by engaging the fixing recess (8) to the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11).

Description: FOLDABLE GLASS-HOLDING RACKS The present invention relates to providing the dishwasher baskets with movable glass-holding racks, so that the dishwasher basket is used efficiently. The upper and lower baskets used in the dishwashers are formed by assembling the plastic coated wires, in different shapes. The upper and lower baskets are provided with support rods that are fixed to the wires at the bottom of the basket in such a manner that these support rods are placed perpendicularly or at sloping angles with the plane of the basket bottom, to hold and to space apart the plates and similar kitchen utensils at right or inclined angles, in order to provide an easy and effective structure for washing the said plates and the like. The support wires which are formed as perpendicular or at a certain angle to the bottom plane of the basket, and which are fixed to the basket, provide an increase in the area where such objects as long glasses, goblets, etc. can be placed without tilting. However such a fixed arrangement makes difficult to use particularly the upper basket for washing such kitchen utensils as large pots, pans and the like. In the state of art, this problem has been tried to be solved by providing a holder with the support wires constructed independently from the basket which can be removed as a one piece rack from the basket by the user. However this solution brings out some other problems. Once the user removes the removable rack an extra space is required to store it somewhere outside the dishwasher. So the user either does not use this rack any more after it is removed or the user never removes it from the basket if there is no extra space available. Another state of art is shown in the European Patent Application EP 0797494, wherein the locking mechanism is mounted in the basket, independently from the glass-holding rack and the vertical support wires are formed in a reverse 'V shape so that the holding rack is held vertical. The object of the present invention is provide an improved structure that allows the basket to be used for washing large kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, etc. by folding the glass-holding rack without removing from the basset. The movable glass-holding rack realized in order to attain the object of the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawings; wherein : Figure 1, is the view of the glass-holding rack; Figure 2, is the view showing the glass-holding rack in a vertical position; Figure 3, is the general view showing the basket with the one-piece glass- holding rack in a vertical position; Figure 4, is the general view of the basket with one part of the glass-holding rack in a horizontally folded and the other part, in a vertical, upright position. The reference numerals given to the components shown in the figures 1. Glass-holding rack 2. Support wire 3. Connecting wire 4. Locking mechanism 5. Fixing wire 6. Locking wire 7. Locking recess 8. Fixing recess 9. Obstructing surface 10. Resilience surface 11 . Basket 12 . Guide The upper and lower baskets (11) of the dish washer are formed at the bottom plane by welding the horizontally and vertically arranged wires. By welding the wires with a certain inclination upward from the base, to the horizontally and vertically arranged wires arranged at the base, the crockery and similar kitchen utensils are held at a certain angle. The said horizontally and vertically arranged wires arranged at the bottom plane of the basket (11), are used as the fixmg wires (5) and those arranged in parallel to these fixing wires (5) are used as the locking wires (6). The glass-holding rack (1) consists of the support wires (2) placed in parallel to each other on the same plane and one connecting wire (3). The locking mechanism (4) manufactured as connected to the connecting wire (3) in the glass- holding rack (1), and which is provided with a fixing recess (8) at one end and with a locking recess (7) at the other end, enables the glass-holding rack (1) to move around the fixing wire (5) and then to engage to the locking wire (6) in order to be held fixed by the locking recess (7). The fixing recess (8) located at the lower end of the locking mechanism (4), is bent in a U-shape, rising over the plane formed by the support wires (2), in such a mamier that it gains a rotational movement around the fixmg wire (5). It can also be elliptical, triangular or circular. The glass-holding rack (1) is attached to the basket (11) by engaging the fixing recess (8) to the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11). The glass-holding rack (1) uses the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11) to which it is engaged as a rotational axis and rotates around this axis. The locking recess (7) located at the upper end of the locking mechanism (4), enables the glass-holding rack (1) to be interlocked with the lockmg wire (6) placed in parallel to and above the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11) to which the fixing recess (8) is engaged. The said lockmg recess (7), has an obstructing surface (9) one end of which is bent hi a direction away from the fixing recess (8), a resilience surface (10) being the continuation of the obstructing surface (9) and a guide (12). The obstructing surface (9) is used to prevent the glass-holding rack (1) from passing to a horizontal position under the influence of the forces which are inadvertently applied on the glass-holding rack (1). This obstructing surface (9) may be made by bending it in an L- or N- shape. In a position when the locking recess (7) is seated on the locking wire (6) and the fixing recess (8) is left at the lowermost position with respect to the fixmg wire (5), the glass-holding rack (1) is locked in a vertical or inclined position. In a position when the resilience surface (10) is at the top, in level with the lockmg wire (6) and when the lowest point of the fixing recess (8) is in contact with the fix g wire (5), the glass-holding rack (1) is in a vertical, raised position. Any inadvertent or undesired movement of the glass-holding rack (1) is not possible when it is locked, however it can be put into a horizontal position when it is raised. When the user wants to raise the glass-holding rack (1) that is h a horizontal position, the glass-holding rack (1) is activated and it is enabled to rotate around the fixing wire (5) to which the fixing recess (8) is engaged. When it is brought to a vertical position, the guide (12) located at the end of the lockmg mechanism (4) rests against the locking wire (6) and helps the locking recess (7) in the locking mechanism (4) to engage to the locking wire (6), thus enables the glass-holding rack (1) to be kept fixed at a vertical position by engaging the locking mechanism (4) to the locking wire (6). When the user wants to bring the glass-holding rack (1) from a vertical position to a horizontal position, the user applies a force onto the resilience surface (10) provided at the end of the locking mechanism (4) and by slightly pressing the resilience surface (10) the locking recess (7) is disengaged from the locking wire (6), causes the glass-holding rack (1) to rotate around the fixing wire (5), then to come down the basket (11) bottom level, hi a horizontal position. The glass-holding rack (1) can be made as one-piece, along the basket (11) or may consist of several pieces. By providing the glass-holding rack (1) as consisting of several pieces, the support wires (2) stand in a vertical position in a portion of the basket and a horizontal position in the other portion of the basket, and this arrangement provides a possibility to wash both the large kitchen utensils and small pieces as glasses, goblets, etc. together in the same basket. By means of a glass-holding rack (1) made without using additional components, the user is able to use the basket (11) efficiently, by only moving the glass- holding rack without removing it from the basket. The use of the above described type of glass-holding rack (1), does not require any modification in the basket (11) used in the dishwasher and thus, a single type of basket (11) may be used in all dishwashers. The glass-holding rack may be used as a supplementary accessory component in some dishwasher models, depending on the intention of the manufacturer.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A glass-holding rack (1) comprising support wires (2) preferably placed in parallel on the same plane, a connecting wire (3) to connect said support wires (2) and one or more locking mechanisms (4) connected to the connecting wire (3) from one end; characterized with a fixing recess (8) located at the lower end of the locking mechanism (4), which is bent in a U-shape and which is engaged to the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11), and uses the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11) to which it is engaged, as a rotational axis and rotates around this axis. 2. A glass-holding rack (1), as defined hi Claim 1, characterized with a locking recess (7) located at the upper end of the locking mechanism (4), which consists of an obstructing surface (9), one end of which is bent in a direction away from the fixing recess (8), a resilience surface (10) and a guide (12), and which is interlocked with the locking wire (6) placed in parallel to and above the fixing wire (5) at the bottom of the basket (11) to which the fixing recess (8) is engaged. 3. A dishwasher basket characterized with one or more glass-holding racks (1) as defined in Claims 1 and 2, which are placed in the same direction.

Inventors: BASTUJI CEM, BASTUJI, CEM
Applicants: ARCELIK AS, BASTUJI CEM, ARCELIK A.S., BASTUJI, CEM
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A47L
IPC codes: A47L15