Patent Publication Number: US-11395574-B2

Title: Dish rack and wash assembly for dishwasher

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/927,377, filed Mar. 21, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,716,449, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Household dishwashers typically include one or more dish racks for holding various types of dishes in the dishwasher tub. Traditionally, a dishwasher includes an upper rack that holds glassware and small dishes, and a lower rack that holds larger dishes, such as plates. These two dish racks usually consume most of the space inside the dishwasher tub. Some dishwashers can also include a third dish rack, often for silverware or other low profile utensils. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, the dishwasher including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber receiving dishes for treatment, a spray system providing treating liquid to the treating chamber, a dish rack located in the tub and having a bottom wall and at least a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, with a depending portion extending downwardly from the bottom wall to define a vertical height of the depending portion, the depending portion oriented at an angle to the bottom wall to define an incline angle, and at least one spray tube carried by the dish rack and located within the vertical height of the depending portion below the bottom wall, the at least one spray tube having nozzles emitting spray into the depending portion, wherein the dish rack has a low profile with the height of the side wall being less than the vertical height of the depending portion. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a dishwasher for treating dishes according to an automatic cycle of operation, the dishwasher including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber receiving dishes for treatment, a spray system providing treating liquid to the treating chamber, a dish rack located in the tub and having a bottom wall and at least a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, with a depending portion extending downwardly from the bottom wall to define a vertical height of the depending portion, the depending portion oriented at an angle to the bottom wall to define an incline angle, and at least one spray tube carried by the dish rack and located within the vertical height of the depending portion below the bottom wall, the at least one spray tube having nozzles emitting spray into the depending portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a dishwasher with a low profile rack according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a control system for the dishwasher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the low profile rack of  FIG. 1  according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the low profile rack of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the low profile rack of  FIG. 1  according to a second aspect of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a front cross-sectional view of the low profile rack of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front cross-sectional view of the low profile rack of  FIG. 5  according to a third aspect of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic, cross-sectional view of an exemplary automated dishwasher  10  according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The dishwasher  10  shares many features of a conventional automated dishwasher, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the present disclosure. While the present disclosure is described in terms of a conventional dishwashing unit, it can also be implemented in other types of dishwashing units, such as in-sink dishwashers, multi-tub dishwashers, or drawer-type dishwashers. A chassis  12  can define an interior of the dishwasher  10  and can include a frame, with or without panels mounted to the frame. For built-in dishwashers, outer panels are typically not needed. For dishwashers that are not built into existing cabinetry, the chassis  12  can include the panels mounted to the frame to form a cabinet for the dishwasher  10 . An open-faced tub  14  can be provided within the interior of and mounted to the chassis  12  and can at least partially define a treating chamber  16  for washing or otherwise treating dishes. The open face of the tub  14  defines an access opening for the treating chamber  16 . 
     A closure element, such as a door assembly  18 , can be movably mounted to the dishwasher  10  for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close the treating chamber access opening defined by the open face of the tub  14 . Thus, the door assembly  18  provides accessibility to the treating chamber  16  for the loading and unloading of dishes or other washable items. It should be appreciated that the door assembly  18  can be secured to the lower front edge of the chassis  12  or to the lower front edge of the tub  14  via a hinge assembly (not shown) configured to pivot the door assembly  18 . When the door assembly  18  is closed, user access to the treating chamber  16  can be prevented, whereas user access to the treating chamber  16  can be permitted when the door assembly  18  is open. Alternatively, the closure element can be slidable relative to the chassis  12 , such as in a drawer-type dishwasher, wherein the access opening for the treating chamber  16  is formed by an open-top tub. Other configurations of the closure element relative to the chassis  12  and the tub  14  are also within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Dish holders, illustrated in the form of upper, middle, and lower dish racks  20 ,  22 ,  24 , can be located within the treating chamber  16  and receive dishes for treatment, such as washing. The upper, middle, and lower racks  20 ,  22 ,  24  are typically mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber  16  for ease of loading and unloading. Other dish holders can be provided, such as a silverware basket, separate from or combined with the upper, middle, and lower racks  20 ,  22 ,  24 . As used in this description, the term “dish(es)” is intended to be generic to any item, single or plural, that may be treated in the dishwasher  10 , including, without limitation, dishes, plates, pots, bowls, pans, glassware, and silverware. While the dishwasher  10  is illustrated herein as having three dish racks  20 ,  22 ,  24 , it will be understood that any suitable number and configuration of dish racks is also within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     A spray system can be provided for spraying liquid in the treating chamber  16  and may be provided in the form of, for example, an upper spray assembly  26 , a middle spray assembly  28 , and a lower spray assembly  30 . The upper spray assembly  26 , the middle spray assembly  28 , and the lower spray assembly  30  are located, respectively, above the upper rack assembly  20 , beneath the middle rack assembly  22 , and beneath the lower rack assembly  24  and are illustrated as rotating spray arms by example but are not limited to such positions and sprayer type. The spray system can further include a rack spray assembly  32  coupled to the upper dish rack  20 ; the rack spray assembly  32  will be discussed in further detail below. Furthermore, the spray system can include additional and/or alternative spray assemblies. For example, a distribution header or spray manifold can be located at the rear of the tub  14  at any vertical position. An exemplary spray manifold is set forth in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,513, issued Sep. 29, 2009, and titled “Multiple Wash Zone Dishwasher,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     A recirculation system can be provided for recirculating liquid from the treating chamber  16  to the spray system. The recirculation system can include a sump  34  and a pump assembly  36 . The sump  34  collects the liquid sprayed in the treating chamber  16  and can be formed by a sloped or recess portion of a bottom wall of the tub  14 . The pump assembly  36  can include both a drain pump  38  and a recirculation pump  40 . The drain pump  38  can draw liquid from the sump  34  and pump the liquid out of the dishwasher  10  to a household drain line (not shown). The recirculation pump  40  can draw liquid from the sump  34 , and the liquid can be simultaneously or selectively pumped through a supply conduit or tube  42  to each of the spray assemblies  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  for selective spraying. The liquid supply tube  42  extends along a wall of the tub  14  and fluidly connect the pump assembly  36  to the spray assemblies  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 . While not shown, a liquid supply system can include a water supply conduit coupled with a household water supply for supplying water to the treating chamber  16 . 
     While the pump assembly  36  is illustrated herein as having separate drain and recirculation pumps  38 ,  40 , in an alternative aspect, the pump assembly  36  can include a single pump configured to selectively supply wash liquid to either the spray system or the drain line, such as by configuring the pump to rotate in opposite directions, or by providing a suitable valve system. 
     A heating system including a heater  44  can be located, for example, within the sump  34  for heating the liquid contained in the sump  34 . The heater  44  can also heat air contained in the treating chamber  16 . Alternatively, a separate heating element (not shown) can be provided for heating the air circulated through the treating chamber  16 . A filtering system (not shown) can be fluidly coupled with the recirculation flow path for filtering the recirculated liquid. 
     A control system including a controller  46  can also be included in the dishwasher  10 , which can be operably coupled with various components of the dishwasher  10  to implement a cycle of operation. The controller  46  can be located within the door assembly  18  as illustrated, or it can alternatively be located somewhere within the chassis  12 . The controller  46  can also be operably coupled with a control panel or user interface  48  for receiving user-selected inputs and communicating information to the user. The user interface  48  can include operational controls such as dials, lights, switches, and displays enabling a user to input commands, such as a cycle of operation, to the controller  46  and receive information. 
     As illustrated schematically in  FIG. 2 , the controller  46  can be coupled with the heater  44  for heating the wash liquid during a cycle of operation, the drain pump  38  for draining liquid from the treating chamber  16 , and the recirculation pump  40  for recirculating the wash liquid during the cycle of operation. The controller  46  can be provided with a memory  50  and a central processing unit (CPU)  52 . The memory  50  can be used for storing control software that can be executed by the CPU  52  in completing an automatic cycle of operation using the dishwasher  10  and any additional software. For example, the memory  50  can store one or more pre-programmed cycles of operation that can be selected by a user and completed by the dishwasher  10 . A cycle of operation for the dishwasher  10  can include one or more of the following steps: a wash step, a rinse step, and a drying step. The wash step can further include a pre-wash step and a main wash step. The rinse step can also include multiple steps such as one or more additional rinsing steps performed in addition to a first rinsing. The amounts of water and/or rinse aid used during each of the multiple rinse steps can be varied. The drying step can have a non-heated drying step (so called “air only”), a heated drying step or a combination thereof. These multiple steps can also be performed by the dishwasher  10  in any desired combination. 
     The controller  46  can also receive input from one or more sensors  54 . Non-limiting examples of sensors that can be communicably coupled with the controller  46  include a temperature sensor and turbidity sensor to determine the soil load associated with a selected grouping of dishes, such as the dishes associated with a particular area of the treating chamber  16 . 
     The dishwasher  10  can include all of the above exemplary systems, a selection of the above exemplary systems, and/or other systems not listed above as desired. Further, some of the systems can be combined with other systems and/or can share components with other systems. Examples of other systems that the dishwasher can further include are a dispensing system that supplies one or more treating agents or chemistries to the treating chamber  16  and an air supply system that can provide air, which can be heated or not heated, to the treating chamber  16 , such as for drying and/or cooling the dishes. An exemplary air supply system is set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/959,673, filed Dec. 3, 2010 and published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0138106 on Jun. 7, 2012, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary upper rack assembly  120  with at least one rotatable sprayer  132  according to a first aspect of the present disclosure. The upper rack assembly  120  can be constructed of a wire frame forming opposing side walls  122 , front wall  124 , rear wall  126 , and a bottom wall  128  that together define an open-top holding compartment  130  with the side walls  122 , front wall  124 , and rear wall  126  extending upwardly from the bottom wall  128 . While the bottom wall  128  is illustrated as flat, the bottom wall  128  can have a constant profile or can have a varied profile comprising any combination of inclined, curved, or flat sections or plurality of sections. The varying profile can be utilized to support various dishes as will be described in more detail below. Additionally or alternatively, a plurality of supports such as panels, tines, or other structures, can extend upwardly from the bottom wall  128  and/or the side walls  122 , or the front and rear walls  124 ,  126  to support various dish items, such as, by way of non-limiting example, a short tumbler  133  and a tall tumbler  134  ( FIG. 4 ). 
     The upper rack assembly  120  can be particularly configured to hold drinking vessels or other low profile items, such as, for example, tall and short tumblers, including old fashioned glasses and highballs, stemware, such as wine glasses, martini glasses, and tulip and saucer champagne glasses, snifters, goblets, bottles, mugs, bowls, containers, and the like, which are hereinafter referred to as “dish items” with it being understand that “dish items” includes those exemplary dishes listed above in addition to others not listed herein. The dish items can be made of any suitable material, including glass, ceramics, plastic, and metals and are not limited to glass materials. In an exemplary aspect, the upper rack assembly  120  can be located near the top of the tub  14  as the uppermost dish rack in the tub  14 , which is commonly provided as a low profile rack compared to the other, lower dish racks, because the low profile rack can be sized to hold silverware on its edge. However, it will be understood that the upper rack assembly  120  need not be the uppermost dish rack in the tub  14  and is only heretofore and hereinafter referred to as “upper” for convenience. 
     The upper rack assembly  120  can be equipped with the at least one rotatable sprayer  132  adapted to provide treating liquid to dish items placed on the upper rack assembly  120 . Each of the at least one rotatable sprayers  132  can be selectively rotatable about an axis of rotation  136 . The axis of rotation  136  can be parallel to the bottom wall  128 . In an exemplary aspect, the rotatable sprayer  132  includes a body in the form of a rod that has a longitudinal axis, which is the longitudinal axis of rotation  136  about which the rotatable sprayer  132  is selectively rotatable. While the sprayers  132  are illustrated herein as being rotatable, it will be understood that the sprayers  132  are not required to be rotatable. 
     Rotation of the rotatable sprayer  132  can be driven by a single drive mechanism that is coupled directly to the rotatable sprayer  132 . It will also be understood that rotations of a plurality of rotatable sprayers  132  can be driven concurrently by a single unified drive mechanism that can control the rotation of multiple rotatable sprayers  132  by the use of, for example, a series of gears that connects the rotatable sprayers  132  and drives them all to rotate in parallel. The mechanism of actuator for driving the rotation of the rotatable sprayers  132 , either in series or individually, can be any suitable driving mechanism, non-limiting examples of which include an electric or hydraulic motor selectively operable to directly drive rotation of one or more rotatable sprayers  132  or a gear assembly, which could be provided in the form of a worm gear assembly, spur gears, etc. 
     The rotatable sprayers  132  can be carried by the upper rack assembly  120  and located below the bottom wall  128  and can be fixedly mounted to the upper rack assembly  120  for movement therewith when the upper rack assembly  120  is slid relative to the tub  14 , as illustrated, or the rotatable sprayers  132  can be fixedly mounted to the tub  14  so as to retain its position relative to the tub  14  upon movement of the upper rack assembly  120 . In the former case, the rotatable sprayers  132  can dock with the supply tube  42  ( FIG. 1 ) or other structure of the liquid supply and/or recirculation systems when the upper rack assembly  120  is slid to its most rearward position in the tub  14  to establish fluid communication with the liquid supply and/or recirculation systems. By example, the illustrated rotatable sprayers  132  include a connector  96  located at the rear end of the rotatable sprayers  132  and adapted to mate or dock with a receiver  98  in the tub  14 . The receiver  98  can be mounted at the rear of the tub  14 , such as to the supply tube  42  ( FIG. 1 ), or in any other suitable location. 
     The rotatable sprayers  132  have been illustrated in the form of a rod or tube sprayer, but it will be understood that the rotatable sprayers  132  can have any suitable cross-sectional shape, such as, by way of non-limiting example, circular, oval, hexagonal, trapezoidal, etc. A plurality of spray nozzles  138  that collectively form an outlet of the rotatable sprayer  132  can also be included along at least a portion of a length of the tube. The spray nozzles  138  can be positioned to spray treating liquid onto the dish items contained within the holding compartment  130  of the upper rack assembly  120 . The spray nozzles  138  can be provided along the length of the rotatable sprayer  132  in any suitable configuration, which can be linear or non-linear. By rotating the rotatable sprayer  132 , treating liquid can be sprayed in multiple spray angles and trajectories from a single one of the plurality of spray nozzles  138 . The nozzles  138  can be provided on the surface of the rotatable sprayer  132 , or they can be indented or recessed into the surface of the rotatable sprayer  132 . The volume and velocity of the treating liquid emitted from the spray nozzles  138  can be based on the type of dish item contained within the upper rack assembly  120 , can be generic for all types of dish items, and/or can be variable from one treating cycle of operation to another and/or within a single treating cycle of operation. Additionally, the spray nozzles  138  can spray liquid alternately (e.g., between rows—one row at a time wherein the rows are sequenced on and off, within rows—sets of nozzles  138  within a row sequenced on and off, where a set refers to any suitable number of nozzles  138 , including only one nozzle  138 ), continuously, and/or intermittently. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of the upper rack assembly  120  and the at least one rotatable sprayer  132 . The bottom wall  128  of the upper rack assembly  120  can include a depending portion  142  that depends downwardly from the bottom wall  128  and is oriented at an angle relative to the bottom wall  128  to define an incline angle. While the remaining portion of the bottom wall  128 , outside of the depending portion  142 , is illustrated herein as being substantially horizontal, it will be understood that the bottom wall  128  need not be horizontal or flat, but can have other shapes or profiles. By way of non-limiting example, the bottom wall  128  can accommodate low profile dish items such as utensils, serving spoons, or a silverware basket  144 . In an exemplary aspect, the upper rack assembly  120  can be a low profile dish rack assembly, such that the vertical height of the depending portion  142  is greater than the height of the side walls  122  of the upper rack assembly  120 . Additionally, the height of the side walls  122  can be selected to be commensurate with a low profile utensil, such as a spoon or a spatula, placed on its side on the bottom wall  128 . 
     In an exemplary aspect, the depending portion  142  comprises two side walls, an outer side wall  146  and an inner side wall  148 , as well as a sprayer supporting portion  150  extending downwardly from the inner side wall  148 , and a curved support portion  147  provided between the outer and inner side walls  146 ,  148 . The outer and inner side walls  146 ,  148  can be provided at any angled suitable for supporting items to be washed, such as the short tumbler  133  and tall tumbler  134 . While the curved support portion  147  is illustrated herein as having an inverted u-shape, it will be understood that any suitable curved profile is acceptable such that the curved support portion  147  can provide support for items to be washed and can accommodate the rotatable sprayer  132 . The angle and relative positions of the outer and inner side walls  146 ,  148  and the curved support portion  147  can be selected to optimize the angle at which treating liquid is sprayed from the rotatable sprayers  132  into dish items provided on the upper rack assembly  120 , and specifically the depending portion  142 . Further, at least the depending portion  142 , or the depending portion  142  together with the bottom wall  128  can define a nook located vertically below the bottom wall  128  within which the rotatable sprayer  132  can be located. By way of non-limiting example, the nook can be formed by the curved support portion  147 , the sprayer supporting portion  150 , or the incline angle of the depending portion  142  relative to the bottom wall  128 . 
     Another rotatable sprayer  132  can be accommodated within the sprayer supporting portion  150  such that the wires of the upper rack assembly  120  are provided about the rotatable sprayer  132 . In an exemplary aspect, both the rotatable sprayers  132  accommodated within either the curved support portion  147  or the sprayer supporting portion  150  are provided vertically at or above the lowermost point of the depending portion  142  such that the rotatable sprayers  132  are provided within the vertical height of the upper rack assembly  120 , rather than exterior to the vertical height of the upper rack assembly  120 . More specifically, the rotatable sprayers  132  can be provided within the vertical height of the depending portion  142 . By way of non-limiting example, one rotatable sprayer  132  can be provided within the vertical height of the curved support portion while the other rotatable sprayer  132  can be provided within the vertical height of the sprayer supporting portion  150 , such that neither of the rotatable sprayers  132  requires additional vertical space beyond the height of the upper rack assembly  120 . In an exemplary aspect, the rotatable sprayer  132  provided within the curved support portion  147  can provide treating liquid to dishes placed within the depending portion  142 , while the rotatable sprayer  132  provided within the sprayer supporting portion  150  can provide treating liquid to dishes placed on the bottom wall  128 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary upper rack assembly  220  and sprayer  232  according to a second aspect of the present disclosure. The upper rack assembly  220  can be constructed of a wire frame forming opposing side walls  222 , front wall  224 , rear wall  226 , and a bottom wall  228  that together define an open-top holding compartment  230 . The bottom wall  228  can have a varied configuration comprising any combination of inclined, curved, or flat sections or plurality of sections. The varying profile can be utilized to support various dishes as will be described in more detail below. Additionally or alternatively, a plurality of supports such as panels, tines, or other structures, can extend upwardly from the bottom wall  228  and/or the side walls  222 , or the front and rear walls  224 ,  226  to support various dish items, such as, by way of non-limiting example, a tumbler  234  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The upper rack assembly  220  can be particularly configured to hold drinking vessels or other low profile items, such as, for example, tall and short tumblers, including old fashioned glasses, rocks glasses, and highballs, stemware, such as wine glasses, martini glasses, and tulip and saucer champagne glasses, snifters, goblets, bottles, mugs, bowls, containers, and the like, which are hereinafter referred to as “dish items” with it being understand that “dish items” includes those exemplary dishes listed above in addition to others not listed herein. The dish items can be made of any suitable material, including glass, ceramics, plastic, and metals and are not limited to glass materials. While the upper rack assembly  220  can be located near the top of the tub  14 , the upper rack assembly  220  need not be the uppermost dish rack in the tub  14  and is only heretofore and hereinafter referred to as “upper” for convenience. 
     The upper rack assembly  220  can be equipped with the sprayer  232  adapted to provide treating liquid to dish items placed on the upper rack assembly  220 . The sprayer  232  can be provided as a static tube, though it will be understood that the sprayer  232  can also be rotatable. The sprayer  232  can be carried by the upper rack assembly  220  and located below the bottom wall  228  and can be fixedly mounted to the upper rack assembly  220  for movement therewith when the upper rack assembly  220  is slid relative to the tub  14 , as illustrated, or the sprayer  232  can be fixedly mounted to the tub  14  so as to retain its position relative to the tub  14  upon movement of the upper rack assembly  220 . In the former case, the sprayer  232  can dock with the supply tube  42  ( FIG. 1 ) or other structure of the liquid supply and/or recirculation systems when the upper rack assembly  220  is slid to its most rearward position in the tub  14  to establish fluid communication with the liquid supply and/or recirculation systems. By example, the illustrated sprayer  232  includes a connector  96  located at the rear end of the spray tube  90  and adapted to mate or dock with a receiver  98  in the tub  14 . The receiver  98  can be mounted at the rear of the tub  14 , such as to the supply tube  42  ( FIG. 1 ), or in any other suitable location. While the upper rack assembly  220  is illustrated herein as containing one sprayer  232 , it will be understood that any suitable number of sprayers  232  can be provided with the upper rack assembly  220 . 
     The sprayer  232  has been illustrated in the form of a rod or tube sprayer, but it will be understood that the sprayer  232  can have any suitable cross-sectional shape, such as, by way of non-limiting example, circular, oval, hexagonal, trapezoidal, etc, as will be discussed in more detail below. A plurality of spray nozzles  238 A,  238 B that collectively form an outlet of the sprayer  232  can also be included along at least a portion of a length of the tube. The spray nozzles  238 A,  238 B can be positioned to spray treating liquid onto the dish items contained within the holding compartment  230  of the upper rack assembly  220 . The spray nozzles  238 A,  238 B can be provided along the length of the sprayer  232  in any suitable configuration, which can be linear or non-linear. The nozzles  238 A,  238 B can be provided on the surface of the sprayer  232 , or they can be indented or recessed into the surface of the sprayer  232 . The volume and velocity of the treating liquid emitted from the spray nozzles  238 A,  238 B can be based on the type of dish item contained within the upper rack assembly  220 , can be generic for all types of dish items, and/or can be variable from one treating cycle of operation to another and/or within a single treating cycle of operation. Additionally, the spray nozzles  238 A,  238 B can spray liquid alternately (e.g., between rows—one row at a time wherein the rows are sequenced on and off, within rows—sets of nozzles  238 A,  238 B within a row sequenced on and off, where a set refers to any suitable number of nozzles  238 A,  238 B, including only one nozzle  238 A,  238 B), continuously, and/or intermittently. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the upper rack assembly  220  and sprayer  232 . The bottom wall  228  of the upper rack assembly  220  can include a depending portion  242  that depends downwardly from the bottom wall  228  and is oriented at an angle relative to the bottom wall  228  to define an incline angle. While the remaining portion of the bottom wall  228 , outside of the depending portion  242 , is illustrated herein as being substantially horizontal, it will be understood that the bottom wall  228  need not be horizontal or flat, but can have other shapes or profiles. By way of non-limiting example, the bottom wall  228  can accommodate low profile dish items such as utensils, serving spoons, or a silverware basket. In an exemplary aspect, the upper rack assembly  220  can be a low profile dish rack assembly, such that the vertical height of the depending portion  242  is greater than the height of the side walls  222  of the upper rack assembly  220 . Additionally, the height of the side walls  222  can be selected to be commensurate with a low profile utensil, such as a spoon or a spatula, placed on its side on the bottom wall  228 . 
     In an exemplary aspect, the depending portion  242  comprises two side walls, an outer side wall  246  and an inner side wall  248 . The inner side wall  248  can include a detent  250  for supporting dish items such that the opening of the dish items is oriented toward the sprayer  232 . The outer and inner side walls  246 ,  248  can be provided at any angled suitable for supporting items to be washed, such as the tumbler  244 . The angle and relative positions of the outer and inner side walls  246 ,  248  can be selected to optimize the angle at which treating liquid is sprayed from the sprayer  232  into dish items provided on the upper rack assembly  220 , and specifically the depending portion  242 . The sprayer  232  can be provided vertically at or above the lowermost point of the depending portion  242 , such that the sprayer  232  is provided within the vertical height of the upper rack assembly  220 , rather than exterior to the vertical height of the upper rack assembly  220 . More specifically, the sprayer  232  can be provided within the vertical height of the depending portion  242 . Further, at least the depending portion  242 , or the depending portion  242  together with the bottom wall  228  can define a nook located vertically below the bottom wall  228  within which the sprayer  232  can be located. By way of non-limiting example, the nook can be formed by the incline angle of the depending portion  242  relative to the bottom wall  228 . 
     In an exemplary aspect, the sprayer  232  can have a non-circular cross-sectional shape as shown in  FIG. 6 . Such a cross-sectional shape can allow for appropriate distribution of the treating liquid through the nozzles  238 A,  238 B. By way of non-limiting example, the nozzles  238 A can be provided on a portion, or a first face, of the sprayer  232  such that treating liquid exiting the nozzles  238 A is sprayed as a jet  252 , such as by stream nozzles, into dish items placed on the depending portion  242 , though it will be understood that other liquid spray patterns, such as a fan spray, are also contemplated. The nozzles  238 B can be provided on a different portion, or a second face at a different orientation from the first face, of the sprayer  232  than the nozzles  238 A, such that treating liquid exiting the nozzles  238 B is sprayed as a fan  254  ( FIG. 7 ), such as by stand nozzles, towards dish items placed on the bottom wall  228 , though it will be understood that other liquid spray patterns are also contemplated. The positions of the nozzles  238 A,  238 B can be selected to optimize the spraying of treating liquid onto dish items placed on the upper rack assembly  220 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary aspect of the sprayer  232  in which the sprayer  232  has the non-circular cross-sectional shape of a hexagon. As in the aspect of  FIG. 6 , the nozzles  238 A,  238 B are provided on at least two different faces of the sprayer  232 , the faces provided at different orientations to each other, such that treating liquid exiting the nozzles  238 A is sprayed as a jet  252 , such as by stream nozzles, toward the depending portion  242 , while treating liquid exiting the nozzles  238 B is sprayed as a fan  254 , such as by stand nozzles, toward the bottom wall  228 . Specifically, the placement of the nozzles  238 B at a corner of the hexagonal shape allows for fanning of the treating liquid toward the bottom wall  228 . 
     The aspects described herein can be used to provide a low profile rack and wash assembly for a dishwasher for improved use of space and improved washing performance within the dishwasher. While traditional sprayers, such as rotating spray arms, must be provided outside the vertical height of a dish rack and result in the use of additional vertical space for the sprayer that could otherwise be used for dishes, the low profile rack and wash assembly of the present disclosure integrates a rotating or static sprayer tube within the vertical height of the dish rack, so that no additional vertical space is required for the spray assembly beyond the vertical space occupied by the dish rack. Further, by integrating the sprayer within the vertical height of the dish rack, the sprayer and the contours of the dish rack can be strategically placed relative to one another for optimal dishwashing performance. Specifically, for example, the curved support portion holds dish items securely, and also prevents a user from mis-loading the dish rack such that the dish items would be oriented away from the water jets of the sprayer. 
     It will also be understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. By way of non-limiting example, although the present disclosure is described for use with a wire dish rack, it will be recognized that the rack height adjustment assembly can be employed with various rack constructions, including molded racks, such as racks molded of plastic. 
     To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various aspects may be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be illustrated in all of the aspects is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects may be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not the new aspects are expressly described. All combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure. 
     While the present disclosure has been specifically described in connection with certain specific aspects thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure which is defined in the appended claims.