Patent Publication Number: US-7909181-B2

Title: Article holders

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/708,860 filed Aug. 17, 2005, the entire disclosure which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to article holders and more particularly to article holders for a dishwasher. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional dishwashers typically include dishwasher racks adapted to support articles during a dishwashing cycle. For example, conventional racks may support pots, pans, plates, bowls, utensils, glassware, drinking vessels (e.g., cups, mugs, glasses, stemware) or other kitchenware. Dishwasher racks are known to include conventional shelves to provide alternative support for articles within an interior area of a dishwasher. There is a need for article holders to provide alternative support portions within the interior area of a dishwasher. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an aspect of the present invention to provide article holders for supporting articles within the interior area of a dishwasher. 
     In accordance with one aspect, an article holder for a dishwasher rack is provided. The article holder comprises a first article support portion and a second article support portion connected to the first article portion and extending at an angle with respect to the first article support portion. The article holder further comprises a first mounting structure configured to engage a portion of a dishwasher rack to allow the first article support portion to support articles in a first orientation with respect to a dishwasher rack. The article holder still further comprises a second mounting structure spaced from the first mounting structure and configured to engage a portion of a dishwasher rack to allow the second article support portion to support articles in a second orientation with respect to a dishwasher rack. 
     In accordance another aspect a dishwasher rack assembly is provided. The dishwasher rack assembly comprises a dishwasher rack including a side wall with a first portion and a second portion. The dishwasher rack assembly further comprises at least one article holder comprising a first article support portion and a second article support portion connected to the first article portion and extending at an angle with respect to the first article support portion. The article holder further includes a first mounting structure engaging the first portion of the side wall to position the article holder in a first orientation. In the first orientation, the second article support portion extends along and engages the side wall and the first article support portion extends away from the side wall for supporting articles with respect to the dishwasher rack. The article holder further comprises a second mounting structure configured to engage the second portion of the dishwasher rack to allow the article holder to be positioned in a second orientation. In the second orientation, the first article support portion extends along the side wall and the second article support portion extends away from the side wall for supporting articles with respect to the dishwasher rack. 
     In accordance still another aspect a dishwasher rack assembly is provided. The dishwasher rack assembly includes a dishwasher rack with a side wall including a first portion and a second portion. The dishwasher rack assembly further includes at least one article holder comprising a first article support portion including a first substantially planar sheet of material with a first set of article receiving apertures. The article holder further includes a second article support portion including a second substantially planar sheet of material with a second set of article receiving apertures. The first planar sheet of material is connected to the second planar sheet of material with the second planar sheet of material extending at an angle from about 90° to about 135° with respect to the first planar sheet of material. The article holder further includes a first mounting structure engaging the first portion of the side wall to position the article holder in a first orientation. In the first orientation, the second planar sheet of material extends along and engages the side wall and the first planar sheet of material extends away from the side wall with the first set of article receiving apertures positioned for supporting articles with respect to the dishwasher rack. The article holder still further includes a second mounting structure configured to engage the second portion of the dishwasher rack to allow the article holder to be positioned in a second orientation. In the second orientation, the first planar sheet of material extends along the side wall and the second planar sheet of material extends away from the side wall with the second set of article receiving apertures positioned for supporting articles with respect to the dishwasher rack. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example dishwasher rack assembly incorporating aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of an article holder in accordance with an example of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the article holder of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a sectional view of portions of the dishwasher rack assembly along line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of portions of another example of a dishwasher rack assembly incorporating aspects of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. Further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are employed for designating the same elements. 
       FIG. 1  depicts one example of a dishwasher rack assembly  200  that may be used in a wide variety of ways before, during and/or after the dishwashing cycle. The dishwasher rack assembly  200  can include a dishwasher rack  100  configured to receive and support a wide range of articles. For example, the dishwasher rack  100  may be designed to receive and support articles such as pots, pans, plates, bowls, utensils (e.g., knives, forks, spoons, spatulas, ladles, etc.), glassware, drinking vessels (e.g., cups, mugs, glasses, stemware, etc.) or the like. The dishwasher rack  100  not only receives and supports the above-referenced articles, but permits cleaning and rinsing fluids to pass through the dishwasher rack  100  during a dishwashing procedure. Although not required in all examples, the dishwasher rack  100  may comprise a plurality of elongated members (e.g., wires) to permit passage of cleaning and rinsing fluids while maintaining a shape for receiving and supporting the articles. 
     The dishwasher rack  100  can include a wide range of configurations to receive and support articles and facilitate passage of cleaning and rinsing fluids during the dishwashing procedure. In one example, the dishwasher rack  100  can include a base  106  and a side wall  102  extending away from the base  106 . The side wall  102  include a length “L 3 ” extending in a direction along the base  106  of the dishwasher rack  100 . Optionally, the dishwasher rack  100  can also include one or more further side walls in addition to the side wall  102 . In the illustrated example, the dishwasher rack  100  includes four side walls including the side wall  102  and another side wall  103  partially shown in  FIG. 1 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the side walls  102 ,  103  are located at approximately 90° with respect to one another although other angles may be employed in further embodiments incorporating aspects of the invention. For example, each side of a four-sided dishwasher rack may be located at approximately 90° with respect to an adjacent side wall to form a rectangular shaped dishwasher rack  100  defining an interior area  104 . In further examples, sides of the dishwasher rack may be located at other angles with respect to an adjacent side wall to obtain alternative dishwasher rack configurations. 
     To further support articles, such as articles mentioned above, one or more article holders may be provided to increase the capability of supporting such articles. The article holders herein may be formed by a wide variety of materials and methods. In one example, the article holders are formed by an injection molding or forming process. It is also contemplated that the article holders may be formed from a metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel), plastic (e.g., polypropylene, etc.), resin, composite material or other material type capable of supporting articles within a dishwasher environment. 
     The figures illustrate an example of an article holder  10  for a dishwasher rack  100  in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The article holder  10  can include a first article support portion  12  and a second article support portion  20 . The first and second article support portion may comprise a wide variety of configurations and shapes. In the illustrated example, the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  comprise a substantially planar sheet of material. In further examples, one or more of the article support portions may comprise nonplanar material or may comprise a grill, lattice, framework or other configuration designed to support articles. In one example, one or both of the article support portions may define a receptacle designed to hold articles therein. Example receptacles may comprise a basket (e.g., silverware basket), tray, clips, article inserts (e.g., designed to be inserted into an interior portion of an article) or the like. 
     One or both of the article support portions may also include a plurality of article receiving apertures. For example, as shown both the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  include article receiving apertures. Providing article receiving apertures, for example, may allow supporting articles (e.g., utensils) in a vertical orientation. Supporting the articles in a vertical orientation can increase the number of utensils capable of being supported by the holder at one time. Further, the upright position of the utensils can facilitate draining of wash water from the utensils, thus potentially reducing undesirable water spots created during drying. Even further, the apertures can inhibit, such as prevent, utensils from sliding or falling off of the article support portion and onto the heating coils of the dishwasher during the wash cycle. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first article support portion  12  comprises a plurality of article receiving apertures  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d . Likewise, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the second article support portion  20  includes a plurality of apertures  22   a ,  22   b . Article receiving apertures may comprise a variety of shapes and sizes and may be arranged in different patterns. In some examples, one aperture type may be provided by the first article support portion and a second aperture type may be provided by the second article support portion. For instance, larger apertures may be provided by the first article support portion to accommodate larger articles (e.g., utensils) while smaller apertures may be provided on the second article support portion to accommodate smaller articles (e.g., utensils). Thus, by switching orientations of the article holder, a consumer may select from at least two different article receiving aperture types. Alternatively, as shown, the article receiving apertures  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c  and  22   a  comprise various shaped oblong enclosed apertures while article receiving apertures  14   d  and  22   b  comprise oval shaped enclosed apertures. In further examples, the apertures may comprise other shapes such as circular, square, triangular, or other geometric or curvilinear shape. Still further, although the article receiving apertures are shown as enclosed apertures, it is contemplated that the apertures may be open to one edge of the article support portion. For example, one or more of the article receiving apertures may comprise a slot that is open to an edge of the article support portion to support the stem of stemware hanging in an inverted fashion with respect to the article support portion. 
     The second article support portion  20  can be connected to the first article support portion  12  at an angle with respect to the first article support portion  12 . In one example, the angle of the second article support portion with respect to the first article support portion is less than 180°. In another example, the angle of the second article support portion with respect to the first article support portion is from about 90° to less than 180°. For instance, as shown in  FIG. 4A , the angle A 1  of the second article support portion  20  with respect to the first article support portion  12  is about 90°. Providing an angle of about 90° can be beneficial to allow the first and second article support portion to extend approximately perpendicular to the side wall  102 . Indeed, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in a first orientation  10   a , the first article support portion  12  extends approximately 90° from the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  100 . Similarly, in a second orientation  10   b , the second article support portion  20  extends approximately 90° from the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  100 . In still further examples, the angle of the second article support portion with respect to the first article support portion is from about 90° to about 135°. In yet another example, the angle of the second article support portion with respect to the first article support portion is from about 100° to about 120°. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the angle A 2  of the second article support portion  320  with respect to the first article support portion  312  of an article holder  310  is about 105°. Providing an angle between the second article support portion and the first article support portion of greater than 90° can be beneficial to allow the first article support portion to act as a shelf. Indeed, as shown in  FIG. 4B  the first article support portion  312  is located at an acute angle with respect to the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  100 . It will therefore be appreciated that, due to gravity, glasses or other articles placed on the first article support portion  312  will tend to propagate toward the side wall  102  and abut the side wall  102  rather than fall of an opposed edge of the first article support portion  312 . Still further, during the dishwashing cycle, such as the drying cycle, the article holder  310  may be required to endure an increased temperature. Increased temperature may cause temporary sagging of the first article support portion  312  with respect to the second article support portion  320 . However, as the angle A 2  is greater than 90°, the increased angle can offset any adverse effects of sagging of the first article support portion  312  during increased temperature conditions. Thus, articles supported on the first article support portion  312  will continue to propagate toward the side wall  102  without sliding off the opposed end of the first article support portion  312 . 
     The second article support portion  20  can be connected to the first article support portion  12  in a wide variety of ways. For example, the second article support portion may be integrally connected to the first article support portion by being integrally formed together during an injection molding process, forming process, or other fabrication technique. In further examples, the second article support portion may be integrally connected to the first article support portion by sonic welding, adhesive, or other process. Furthermore, the second article support portion may be nonintegrally connected to the first article support portion in further examples. For instance, the second and first article support portions may be interlocked together. In further examples, a brace, angle or other connection may be used to connect the second article support portion to the first article support portion. In addition, optional bracing structures may be provided to increase the structural integrity of the article holder  10 . For example, as shown, the article holder  10  may include side braces  30  extending between the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  to inhibit relative bending and/or increase the structural integrity of the article holder  10 . 
     The article holder  10  can also include a first mounting structure configured to engage a portion of the dishwasher rack  100  to allow the first article support portion  12  to support articles in the first orientation  10   a  with respect to the dishwasher rack  100 . For example, the first mounting structure can comprise a first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  configured to simultaneously engage a first horizontal rung  110  of the dishwasher rack. Indeed, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4A , in the first orientation  10   a , the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  are configured to simultaneously engage the first horizontal rung  110  while the second article support portion  20  extends along and engages the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  100 . Thus, the pair of the engagement hooks  32 ,  34 , together with the engagement of the second article support portion  20  with the side wall  102 , allows the first article support portion  12  to extend away from the side wall  102  to provide support for articles. As shown further shown in  FIG. 4A , the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  can be open in a first direction  35  extending substantially parallel to the second article support portion  20  to facilitate hanging of the engagement hooks  32 ,  34  from the first horizontal rung  110 . Likewise, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the first pair of engagement hooks (see  334  in  FIG. 4B ) can also extend in a first direction substantially parallel to the second article support portion  320 . 
     The article holder  10  can also include a second mounting structure configured to engage a portion of the dishwasher rack  100  to allow the second article support portion  20  to support articles in the second orientation  10   b  with respect to the dishwasher rack  100 . For example, the second mounting structure can comprise a second pair of engagement hooks  36 ,  38  configured to simultaneously engage a second horizontal rung  112  of the dishwasher rack  100 . Indeed, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in the second orientation  10   b , the second pair of engagement hooks  36 , 38  are configured to simultaneously engage the second horizontal rung  112  while the first article support portion  10  extends along and can engage the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  100 . Thus, the second pair of the engagement hooks  36 ,  38 , together with the engagement of the first article support portion  10  with the side wall  102  (or the juncture between the first and second article support portion), allows the second article support portion  20  to extend away from the side wall  102  to provide support for articles. Although not required, as shown, the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  may also be designed to engage the first horizontal rung  110  in the second orientation  10   b . As shown further shown in  FIG. 4A , the second pair of engagement hooks  36 ,  38  can be open in a second direction  39  extending substantially parallel to the first article support portion  12  to facilitate hanging of the engagement hooks  36 ,  38  from the second horizontal rung  112 . Likewise, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the second pair of engagement hooks (see  338  in  FIG. 4B ) can also extend in a second direction substantially parallel to the first article support portion  312 . 
     Although not required, the first and second mounting structure of the article holder may be both attached to the first article support portion. For example, as shown the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  and the second pair of engagement hooks  36 ,  38  are both attached to the first article support portion  12 . Moreover, if provided with two pairs of hooks, the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  can be open in the direction  35  extending substantially parallel to the second article support portion  20  and the second pair of engagement hooks  36 ,  38  can be open in the direction  39  extending substantially parallel to the first article support portion  12 . 
     It is contemplated that either pair of engagement hooks may be designed to engage any horizontal rung of the side wall  102 . For example, the first pair of engagement hooks  32 ,  34  may be engaged with the second horizontal rung  112  to hang longer articles by way of the article receiving apertures  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d . In another example, the second pair of engagement hooks  36 ,  38  may be engaged with the first horizontal rung  110  to lower the article holder  10 . Moreover, although the first and second mounting structures are illustrated as pairs of engagement hooks, it is contemplated that a single engagement hook or more than two engagement hooks for each mounting structure may be used. Furthermore, other mounting structures may be used in still further examples. For instance, a clip, interlock structure, or other arrangement may be used to engage horizontal and/or vertical rungs of the dishwasher rack. Brackets, fasteners, clamps and/or other arrangements may also be used for one or both of the mounting structures in further examples. Providing hooks, however, may be beneficial to allow the article holder to be quickly removed from the dishwasher rack, quickly switched between first and second orientations  10   a ,  10   b , quickly repositioned at different elevations of the side wall, and/or be quickly repositioned between different side walls of the dishwasher rack. 
     The first and second article support portion  12 ,  20  can have similar or different widths depending on the preferences of the consumer. For example, although not shown, it is contemplated that the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  may have the same width. In such embodiments, the article holder may be moved between the first and second orientation to provide alternate article support characteristics. In still further examples, the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  may have different widths. For example, as shown, the first article support portion  12  can extend a first width W 1  that is larger than a second width W 2  of the second article support portion  20 . Providing different widths can provide a multi-functioning article holder  10  that can be used to support articles while also accommodating other items being supported by the dishwasher rack. For example, the article holder  10  may be positioned in the first orientation  10   a  such that the first article support portion  12  extends at a larger width W 1  in instances the extra extension of the first article support portion  12  does not interfere with items supported within the dishwasher rack  100 . Alternatively, the article holder  10  may be positioned in the second orientation  10   b  such that the second article support portion  20  extends at a smaller width W 2  in instances where additional space is needed to support items in the dishwasher rack. 
     Although not required, the illustrated first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  are both configured to support articles (e.g., utensils) in a substantially vertical orientation. Due to the larger width W 1  of the first article support portion  12 , more article receiving apertures  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d  can be formed in the first article support portion  12  to permit a relatively larger number of articles (e.g., utensils) to be supported by the first article support portion  12  when compared to the articles (e.g., utensils) capable of being supported by the article receiving apertures  20   a ,  20   b  of the second article support portion  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the first article support portion  12  can have a length L 1  and the second article support portion  20  can have a length L 2  that is substantially the same length as the length L 1 . Providing the first and second article support portion  12 ,  20  with lengths L 1 , L 2  that are substantially the same can maximize the support capabilities of the article holder  10 . Although not shown, it is also contemplated that the first and second article support portion may have different lengths. For example, the length L 1  of the first article support portion  12  can be less than the length L 2  of the second article support portion  20 . In further examples, length L 2  of the second article support portion  20  can be less than the length L 1  of the first article support portion  12 . In such examples, the article holder may be oriented in one orientation such that the article support portion with the longer length extends from the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  12  to maximize the usable area available to support articles. On the other hand, if less area is necessary to support articles, the article holder may be oriented in another orientation such that the article support portion with the shorter length extends from the side wall  102  of the dishwasher rack  12 . Orienting the article support portion with the shorter length may be desirable to provide additional room for supporting items within the interior area  104  of the dishwasher rack  100  while orienting the article support portion with the longer length may be desirable in situations where additional room in the interior area  104  of the dishwasher rack  100  is not necessary. 
     Example methods of installing the article holder  10  to the dishwasher rack  100  to form a dishwasher rack assembly  200  will now be described. In one example, the article holder  10  may be positioned in the first orientation  10   a  by engaging the first pair of hooks  32 ,  34  with either the first or second horizontal rung  110 ,  112  such that the first article support portion  12  extends away from the side wall  102  and the second article support portion  20  engages the side wall  102 . If the first pair of hooks  32 ,  34  are engaged with the first horizontal rung  110 , the article holder  10  can support utensils in the vertical orientation while also supporting beverage containers in an upside-down position. In such an example, portions of the utensils may be received in the interior of the inverted beverage containers to increase space for articles loaded in the dishwasher. Moreover, since the first pair of hooks  32 ,  34  are engaged with the lower, first horizontal rung  110 , a receiving area is formed for articles wherein portions of the articles (e.g., beverage containers) may rest on the top surface of the first article support portion  12  while also resting against the side wall  102  extending above the first article support portion  12 . Furthermore, in addition or alternatively, utensils may be supported lengthwise along the length L 1  of the first article support portion  12 . On the other hand, if the hooks  32 ,  34  are engaged with the second horizontal rung  112 , the area available underneath the first article support portion  12  is increased; thereby, allowing the article holder  10  to support longer utensils and/or provide increased loading space for the dishwasher rack underneath the article holder  10 . 
     In a further example, the article holder  10  may be moved from the first orientation  10   a  to the second orientation  10   b  with the second article support portion  20  extending away from the side wall  102  by engaging the second pair of hooks  36 ,  38  with either the first or second horizontal rung  110 ,  112  with the first article support portion  12  extending along the side wall  102 . In such an example, the first article support portion  12  may also engage the side wall  102  or the junction between the first and second article support portions  12 ,  20  may engage the side wall  102  to help orient the second article support portion  20  to extend away from the side wall  102 . Providing the article holder  10  in the second orientation  10   b  may be desirable to increase the lateral loading area of the dishwasher rack  100 . 
     Various article holders may be used in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Article holders, for example, may be provided in various shapes and sizes and may be used individually and/or used together as a plurality of article holders. If a plurality of article holders are used (e.g., a pair of article holders), the article holders may be positioned along the same side wall or different side walls at the same or different elevations. In one example, a plurality of article holders may be positioned adjacent one another to increase the overall effective length of the article holders. Providing a single or a plurality of article holders can allow a consumer to customize the dishwasher rack area to provide a desirable loading configuration. Moreover, if a plurality of article holders are employed, one or more of the article holders may be positioned in different orientations to different article types within the dishwasher rack. Still further, if a plurality of article holders are employed, the article holders may be substantially identical or different from one another. In the illustrated example shown in  FIG. 1 , the dishwasher rack assembly  200  includes article holders  10  that are substantially identical to one another. It will be appreciated that the article holders may be designed for mounting on any side wall of a dishwasher rack. Therefore, depending on desired loading arrangement, the article holder can be positioned in the optimum location for increasing the overall loading space of the dishwasher rack. 
     From the above description of the invention, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be covered by the appended claims.