Abstract:
A dishwasher basket for storing at least one valve of toddler training cups in a dishwasher for cleaning. The dishwasher basket is assembled by a top shell and a bottom shell. The dishwasher basket is attached to a top rack of the dishwasher by a basket attachment right above the water jet source, such that cleaning effect is enhanced by the pressure generated by the water jet. In another aspect, a soaking container is disclosed, suitable for soaking the dishwasher basket and its contents. The soaking container has a suction cup affixed to its bottom to thereby anchor the container to a counter top or similar surface. Also, the soaking container has a lid to prevent foreign material from falling into the soaking solution and to limit spillage of the soaking solution. The soaking container advantageously facilitates cleaning of the valves.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10,136,520, filed May 1, 2002, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a storage container, and more particularly, to a basket for storing valves of toddler training cups, suitable for use in a dishwasher.  
           [0003]    As most children go through a stage of throwing or dropping their cups constantly, spillproof training cups are commonly used for children to learn the proper way of drinking from a cup. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical spillproof training cup, also referred as the sippy cup, comprises a hollow cup  10  to contain liquid, a lid  12  with a spout  14  allowing children to sip the liquid contained in the hollow cup  10 , and a valve  16  attached underneath the lip  12  to make the training cup spillproof. The valve  16  is normally made of plastic or silicone, and is difficult to clean due to its shape and structure. Small scrub brushes can be used for hand washing the valve; however, this is very laborious. The valve can also be placed in a dishwasher for cleaning. But the conventional container or rack is inadequate to simultaneously hold the valve of a toddler training cup, while exposing it for proper cleaning in a dishwasher.  
           [0004]    Therefore a substantial need in the art exists to provide a container that can hold the valves in a certain position in a dishwasher, to achieve proper and thorough cleaning of the same. Preferably, such a container exposes the valves to dishwasher cleaning sprays from a multitude of orientations to provide increased cleaning of the valves.  
           [0005]    Furthermore, dirty valves often remain unclean for hours at a time before they can be ultimately cleansed in the dishwasher. Residual liquids on the valve, such as milk or juice, typically dry out before the valve is properly cleaned. Once dried out, the residual liquid leaves a deposit caked onto the valve, thereby making the task of cleaning the valve more difficult. If dirty valves are soaked in a liquid before they are cleaned, such residual fluid would not have an opportunity to dry out. Likewise, soaking tends to dissolve deposits that have previously formed on the valves, thereby ensuring that the valves are cleaner before they enter the dishwasher. Therefore, there is a need for a container within which a toddler cup valve dishwasher basket can soak.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention provides a dishwasher basket for storing at least one valve of toddler training cups in a dishwasher for proper cleaning. The dishwasher basket is preferably composed of a top shell, a bottom shell and a pair of latching means. In one embodiment, the pair of latching means include two snap type latches to releasably connect the top and the bottom shells together at two opposing parts of the peripheries thereof. Alternatively, the pair of latching means includes a hinging structure to permanently hinge one part of the peripheries of the top and the bottom shells, and a snap type latch at the opposing part of the peripheries, such that the dishwasher basket may selectively open for loading and unloading the valve, and close for securely maintaining the valve therein through the dishwasher cycle. The top shell and the bottom shell are substantially symmetrical to each other and preferably formed in cylindrical or semi-spherical shape.  
           [0007]    In one aspect of the present invention, the dishwasher basket includes a plurality of dividers protruding inwardly from the top and bottom shells to define a central area and a storage area about the central area. Also, the dishwasher basket may include a plurality of partitioning walls to partition the storage area into a plurality of compartments. The walls thereby inhibit valves from moving between compartments. Thus, the walls allow for increased cleaning capability.  
           [0008]    The dishwasher basket is preferably attached to a top rack of the dishwasher vertically above the water jet source by a basket attachment, such that complete cleaning is enhanced by the water stream pressure generated by the water jet. The basket attachment comprises an attaching means or mount for attaching to the top rack of the dishwasher, a pedestal or prong engaged with the center of the bottom shell, and an arm extending between the mount and the pedestal. Preferably, the pedestal is snapped in a center aperture of the bottom shell, and the mount comprises a clamp, a clip or a hook selectively engageable with the dishwasher rack. The arm preferably has a length no shorter than the radius of the dishwasher basket. Therefore, during washing cycle of the dishwasher, the dishwasher basket may wobble about and partially or completely axially rotate above the central axis of the pedestal to vary the attack angle of the water jet contacting the valves contained therein and further improve the washing effect of the valves. In one aspect of the present invention, the dishwasher basket includes fins that extend outwardly from the bottom shell. These fins increase the exposed external surface area of the dishwasher basket so that the water jet is more likely to hit the dishwasher basket  20  and make it wobble for more effective cleaning.  
           [0009]    In another aspect of the present invention is a container suitable for holding a soaking fluid as well as a training cup valve dishwasher basket. The container has an aperture at its top end through which the training cup valve dishwasher basket can be positioned into the container. In one embodiment, the container also has at least one suction cup attached to its bottom surface useful for releasably attaching the container to a counter top or similar surface. Moreover, in one embodiment, the container includes a lid that can be attached at the top end to substantially cover the aperture, to thereby reduce spillage of the soaking fluid. The container allows the valves to soak before being washed in the dishwasher, and this pre-soak facilitates the subsequent cleansing of the valves.  
           [0010]    In one embodiment, the container is sold with the dishwasher basket. In this regard, one aspect of the present invention is a valve cleaning system that includes two dishwasher baskets, one basket attachment, and one container. As such, one dishwasher basket can be placed inside a dishwasher to clean valves while another dishwasher basket can soak inside the container, thereby adding convenience to the valve cleaning process.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a prior art toddler training cup;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 illustrates a dishwasher basket for holding valves of toddler training cups according to the present invention depicted in an open configuration;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a dishwasher basket in a closed configuration holding a valve of toddler training cup therein and a hook for attaching the dishwasher basket to a rack of a dishwasher according to the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 shows a dishwasher basket attached to a rack of a dishwasher by means of a hook, and illustrates the water flow of the dishwasher according to the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 shows a top view of a dishwasher basket disposed in a dishwasher during a cleaning cycle illustrating the movement of the basket relative to the water jet;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 shows a side view of a dishwasher basket disposed in a dishwasher during a cleaning cycle illustrating the movement of the basket;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a dishwasher basket suitable for holding valves of toddler training cups according to the present invention depicted in an open configuration; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 shows a section view of a soaking container suitable for holding the dishwasher baskets shown in FIGS.  2 - 7 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 illustrates a dishwasher basket  20  provided by the present invention. The dishwasher basket  20  includes two substantially symmetrical hollow shells  21 ,  22  formed in a substantially semi-spherical or cylindrical shape. The dishwasher basket  20  is made of heat-resistant material, including heat-resistant polymer/plastic. Both of the shells  21  and  22  have a plurality of openings such that water can flow through and clean the articles stored in the dishwasher basket  20 . At one part of the peripheries, the shells  21  and  22  are connected to each other, preferably, permanently hinged to each other. At an opposing part of peripheries of the shell  21  and  22 , a latching means  24 , preferably snap type latch, is formed allowing the basket  20  to open for loading/unloading one or more valve  16 , and be closed after the valves  16  are loaded/unloaded. Alternatively, the shells  21  and  22  can also connected by a pair of latching means, such as snap type latches to allow the basket  20  to partially open, or a complete separation of the shells  21  and  22  for loading/unloading the valves  16 . In another embodiment, the shells  21  and  22  are partially threaded, and the shell  21  can screw onto and off of the other shell  22 .  
         [0021]    The dishwasher basket  20  further comprises a plurality of dividers  25  protruding inwardly from the shells  21 ,  22  to define a central area  27 , and a storage area  28  of the valve  16  about the central area  27 . In the storage area  28 , each of the shells  21 ,  22  further comprises a plurality of partition elements  26  to partition the storage area  28  into a plurality of compartments. The partitioning elements  26  comprise a plurality of wire frames protruding inwardly from the shells  21 ,  22 . For example, n-shaped wire frames are formed as the partitioning elements  26  in this embodiment. Therefore, each of the valves  16  is disposed in a specific compartment without moving to the other compartment. Therefore, the adverse cleaning effect caused by crowding the valves  16  together is avoided.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the shells  21  and  22  are indented at the central area  27 . At the indented central area  27 , an aperture  29  is formed at the center of at least one of the shells  21  and  22  to provide proper attachment to the rack of the dishwasher (as shown in FIG. 2). Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a basket attachment  30  is used to attach the dishwasher basket  20  to a rack of the dishwasher. In FIG. 3, The dishwasher basket  20  is closed and a valve  16  is stored therein. The basket attachment  30  comprises a rack mount  31 , an arm  32  extending from the rack mount  31 , and a pedestal  33  at the end of the arm  32 . In this embodiment, the rack attachment means  31  includes a clamp, a clasp or a clip. It will be appreciated that other mount such as a hook, a snap-type latch and the like can also be used to provide the similar attaching effect. The pedestal  33  is inserted, preferably snapped into the aperture  29  to firmly engage with the dishwasher basket  20  at the central axis thereof. Preferably, the arm  32  has a length no less than the distance between the periphery to the center of the dishwasher basket  20 , that is, the radius of the dishwasher basket  20 .  
         [0023]    The dishwasher basket  20  can be attached at any rack at any desired position of the dishwasher to obtain a water stream injected to the valve  16  in a specific direction. For example, the basket  20  can be horizontally aligned with the water jet to provide a water stream vertically injected toward the valves  16 . Preferably, the dishwasher basket  20  is placed in the top shelf or rack and aligned over the water jet source in a dishwasher. In FIG. 4, a valve  16  is stored in the dishwasher basket  20 , and the dishwasher basket  20  is attached to the top rack  40  of the dishwasher by the basket attachment  30 . During cleaning cycle, the valve  16  is washed by the water flow injection indicated by the arrows. The pressure generated by the water flow injection from various directions is thus applied to various parts of the valve to result in thorough cleaning.  
         [0024]    As mentioned above, the dishwasher basket  20  is supported by the basket attachment  30  at the center  29  of the bottom shell  21 . Therefore, the dishwasher basket  20  can wobble, bounce, shake, gyrate and partially or completely rotate about the central axis during the washing cycle. The movement of the dishwasher basket  20  is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 5, the horizontal movement is illustrated, while in FIG. 6, the vertical movement is shown. The movement and orientation of the valves varies the attack of angle of the water jet injection relative to the valves, such that cleaning effect is further improved.  
         [0025]    Although FIGS.  3 - 6  show the basket attachment  30  attached to a horizontal member of the top rack  40  of the dishwasher, it is appreciated that one skilled in the art could clip the basket attachment  30  to a vertical or diagonal member of the top rack  40  without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such an attachment allows the dishwasher basket  20  to be positioned in a wider variety of orientations for more effective cleaning.  
         [0026]    Turning now to FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of the dishwasher basket  20  is depicted. The dishwasher basket  20  illustrated is substantially similar to the dishwasher basket  20  illustrated in FIGS.  2 - 6 ; however, the dishwasher basket  20  of FIG. 7 includes fins  180 . The typical fin  180  comprises a thin, triangularly shaped protrusion extending outward and normal from the shell  21 . The fins  180  are preferably spaced evenly around the circumference of the shell  21 . The fins  180  collectively increase the exposed external surface area of the dishwasher basket  20 . By increasing the external surface area, the fins  180  provide more surface for dishwasher sprays to contact, thereby causing more rotation, shaking, and wobble of the dishwashing basket  20  during the dishwasher cycle. Thus, the fins  180  advantageously allow for more effective cleaning of the valves  16 .  
         [0027]    Moreover, the dishwasher basket  20  of FIG. 7 includes partition elements  26  that are similar to the partition elements  26  of FIGS.  2 - 6 . However, the partition elements  26  of FIG. 7 are formed as solid walls. In the embodiment shown, each partition element  26  extends inward and normal from the shell  21 , and the partition elements  26  are spaced according to the spacing of the fins  180  described hereinabove. Valves  16  loaded into the dishwasher basket  20  of FIG. 7 are likely to remain in place because of the solid wall configuration of the partition elements  26 . Thus, the valves  16  are more likely to remain separated for more effective cleansing.  
         [0028]    Turning now to FIG. 8, a soaking container  100  is shown. In the embodiment shown, the soaking container  100  is hollow and semi-spherical so as to define a shell  102  with a relatively flat bottom side  104 . The soaking container  100  also includes an opening  106  at a top end  105  which is preferably large enough to allow the dishwasher basket  20  to fit therethrough. Also in the preferred embodiment, the shell  102  is taller than the dishwashing basket  20 . Furthermore, the shell  102  preferably is able to hold a soaking fluid (not shown), such as a water and soap solution.  
         [0029]    Thus, a user can load dirty valves  16  into the dishwashing basket  20 , and then soak the same in the soaking container  100 . Preferably, the dishwashing basket  20  is fully immersed by the soaking fluid to increase cleaning effectiveness. As such, the dirty valves  16  remain moist and are unlikely to dry out and form caked-on deposits of dried milk, juice, or other liquid on the valve  16 . Similarly, dirty valves  16  that have dried out also benefit from such soaking because the soaking loosens the deposits formed when the valve  16  dried out. In either case, the valves  16  can be cleaned more easily when the dishwashing basket  20  is pre-soaked in the soaking container  100 .  
         [0030]    In one embodiment, a suction cup  108  is attached to the bottom side  104  of the soaking container  100 . The suction cup  108  is widely known in the art for being able to removably attach to flat surfaces. Thus, the suction cup  108  can be used to anchor the soaking container  100  to a counter top or like surface, and since many counter tops often get wet, the suction cup  108  inhibits the soaking container  100  from otherwise sliding or falling off of the slippery counter top. It is understood that multiple suction cups  108  could be used in another embodiment, without departing from the spirit of invention.  
         [0031]    Moreover, in the embodiment shown, the soaking container  100  comprises a lid  112 . The lid  112  is flat and approximately the same shape and size as the opening  106 . The lid  112  is hingedly attached to the top end  105 , and as such, the lid  112  can cover the opening  106  and prevent foreign particles from entering the soaking solution. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the lid  112  includes a clasp  123 , and once clasped, the lid  112  seals soaking solution inside the soaking container  100  to thereby reduce spillage.  
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the soaking container  100  is sold with the dishwasher basket  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the soaking container  100  is sold with two dishwasher baskets  20  and the basket attachment  30 . As such, one dishwasher basket  20  can soak in the soaking container  100  while the other dishwasher basket  20  is inside the dishwasher, thereby adding convenience to the valve cleaning process.  
         [0033]    Indeed, each of the features and embodiments described herein can be used by itself, or in combination with one or more of other features and embodiment. Thus, the invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiment but is to be defined by the following claims when read in the broadest reasonable manner to preserve the validity of the claims.