Abstract:
A tine block assembly for a dishwashing appliance is provided that can be repositioned within and/or removed from a rack assembly. A user can, for example, reverse the direction of the tine assembly based upon the location of a dishwasher in the kitchen. The tines can be moved relative to the side or wall of the rack assembly to accommodate different article sizes. The tines can also be completely removed from the rack assembly to accommodate a large article. Additionally, a degree of modularity is provided in that the same rack assembly may be provided with different tine assembly configurations so as to e.g., simplify the manufacturing process.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The subject matter of the present disclosure relates generally to an assembly for holding articles in a rack assembly of a dishwashing appliance. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Modern dishwashers typically include a wash chamber where e.g., detergent, water, and heat can be applied to clean food or other materials from dishes and other articles being washed. Often an upper rack assembly is disposed close to the top of the wash chamber and is used to hold glasses, cups, and other small items. Typically, a lower rack assembly is positioned near the bottom of the chamber and a considerable distance below the upper rack. This provides vertical clearance to place dishes and platters on edge (i.e. a vertical orientation) and to place food preparation bowls and pots up-side-down on the lower rack for washing. 
         [0003]    Each rack normally is supplied with an array of spaced apart, generally vertical tines or members, which support and separate the individual items. These vertical members support and fix the position of various articles during the washing process. More specifically, it is desirable to position an article, such as a dish, so that water and detergent can access all surfaces during cleaning while also preventing movement of the dish that could lead to breaking, chipping, or other damage. 
         [0004]    Articles that may be placed in a dishwasher can vary substantially in size and type. Dishes, pots, pans, glasses and the like can differ in both shape and size. The same wash load may include a variety of these differently shaped and sized articles. 
         [0005]    The vertical tines can be provided with features in an effort to accommodate such variations in the articles. For example, tines that can be folded between various positions can provide for adjustment to different shapes and sizes. Tines can also be shaped in configurations that help accommodate variations as well. 
         [0006]    Typically, the position of the tines within a rack assembly of a dishwasher is fixed. More particularly, the rack assembly is usually constructed of elongated metal rods that are joined together by e.g., welding. The tines are also permanently affixed to the elongated rods of the rack assembly. 
         [0007]    Such permanent positioning of the tines can be undesirable for several reasons. For example, where individual tines are each configured with an offset to one side the dishwasher, the consumer may wish to change the direction of the offset. Depending on the location of the dishwasher in a kitchen relative to e.g., the sink, the consumer may wish to rotate the direction of the offset of the tines for more convenience in loading and unloading articles. Also, the overall position of the tines within the rack assembly relative to e.g., the sides the rack assembly may not provide a good fit for certain articles from being placed into the rack. In addition, where a manufacturer wishes to provide different rack assemblies having different configurations of tines, each such configuration can require a separately manufactured rack assembly. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
         [0009]    The present invention provides an assembly of tines for a dishwashing appliance that can be repositioned within and/or removed from a rack assembly. For example, a user can reverse the direction of the tine assembly based upon the location of a dishwasher in the kitchen. The tines can be moved relative to the side or wall of the rack assembly to accommodate different article sizes. The tines can also be completely removed from the rack assembly if needed to accommodate a large article. Additional, a degree of modularity is provided in that the same rack assembly may be provided with different tine assembly configurations so as to e.g., simplify the manufacturing process. 
         [0010]    For example, in on exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a removable tine block assembly for a dishwasher appliance. The tine block assembly defines longitudinal and lateral directions. The assembly includes a pair of elongated base members extending parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction. A plurality of tines extend vertically from the elongated base members and are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction and arranged in corresponding pairs along the lateral direction. A pair of transverse members extends along the lateral direction and connecting the base members. The transverse members define a pair of hooks that face along the longitudinal direction and are configured for removable attachment to a laterally extending member of a dishwasher rack assembly. 
         [0011]    In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a dishwasher rack assembly that includes a bottom wall formed of a first set of elongated spaced apart rods crossed by a second set of spaced apart rods to define an open lattice structure. A tine block assembly is removably attached to the bottom wall. The tine block assembly includes a pair of elongated base members extending parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction; a plurality of tines extending vertically from said elongated base members, the tines spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction and arranged in corresponding pairs along the lateral direction; and a pair of transverse members extending along the lateral direction and connecting the base members, the transverse members defining a pair of hooks that face along the longitudinal direction and are configured for removable attachment to at least one of the rods of the bottom wall. 
         [0012]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  provides a front, perspective view of an exemplary dishwashing appliance of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  provides a side, cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  provides a front, elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of a rack assembly that includes an exemplary embodiment of a tine assembly of the present invention. 
           [0017]    A perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tine assembly of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The same exemplary tine assembly is also present in the exemplary rack assembly shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]    A side view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a top down view of the exemplary rack assembly of  FIG. 3  incorporating the exemplary embodiment of a tine assembly as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is another top down view of another exemplary embodiment of a tine assembly of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken long line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  while  FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a top down view of another exemplary embodiment of a tine assembly of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an exemplary clip feature as may be used within the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  illustrates a portion of another exemplary of a tine block assembly of the present invention particularly showing the use of a clip feature. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict an exemplary domestic dishwasher  100  that may be configured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. For the particular embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the dishwasher  100  includes a cabinet  102  having a tub  104  therein that defines a wash chamber  106 . The tub  104  includes a front opening (not shown) and a door  120  hinged at its bottom  122  for movement between a normally closed vertical position (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), wherein the wash chamber  106  is sealed shut for washing operation, and a horizontal open position for loading and unloading of articles from the dishwasher. Latch  123  is used to lock and unlock door  120  for access to chamber  106 . 
         [0027]    Upper and lower guide rails  124 ,  126  are mounted on tub side walls  128  and accommodate roller-equipped rack assemblies  130  and  132 . Each of the rack assemblies  130 ,  132  is fabricated into lattice structures including a plurality of elongated members  134  (for clarity of illustration, not all elongated members making up assemblies  130  and  132  are shown in  FIG. 2 ). Each rack  130 ,  132  is adapted for movement between an extended loading position (not shown) in which the rack is substantially positioned outside the wash chamber  106 , and a retracted position (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) in which the rack is located inside the wash chamber  106 . This is facilitated by rollers  135  and  139 , for example, mounted onto racks  130  and  132 , respectively. A silverware basket (not shown) may be removably attached to rack assembly  132  for placement of silverware, utensils, and the like, that are otherwise too small to be accommodated by the racks  130 ,  132 . 
         [0028]    The dishwasher  100  further includes a lower spray-arm assembly  144  that is rotatably mounted within a lower region  146  of the wash chamber  106  and above a tub sump portion  142  so as to rotate in relatively close proximity to rack assembly  132 . A mid-level spray-arm assembly  148  is located in an upper region of the wash chamber  106  and may be located in close proximity to upper rack  130 . Additionally, an upper spray assembly  150  may be located above the upper rack  130 . 
         [0029]    The lower and mid-level spray-arm assemblies  144 ,  148  and the upper spray assembly  150  are fed by a fluid circulation assembly  152  for circulating water and dishwasher fluid in the tub  104 . The fluid circulation assembly  152  may include a pump  154  located in a machinery compartment  140  located below the bottom sump portion  142  of the tub  104 , as generally recognized in the art. Each spray-arm assembly  144 ,  148  includes an arrangement of discharge ports or orifices for directing washing liquid onto dishes or other articles located in rack assemblies  130  and  132 . The arrangement of the discharge ports in spray-arm assemblies  144 ,  148  provides a rotational force by virtue of washing fluid flowing through the discharge ports. The resultant rotation of the lower spray-arm assembly  144  provides coverage of dishes and other dishwasher contents with a washing spray. 
         [0030]    The dishwasher  100  is further equipped with a controller  137  to regulate operation of the dishwasher  100 . The controller may include a memory and microprocessor, such as a general or special purpose microprocessor operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with a cleaning cycle. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. 
         [0031]    The controller  137  may be positioned in a variety of locations throughout dishwasher  100 . In the illustrated embodiment, the controller  137  may be located within a control panel area  121  of door  120  as shown. In such an embodiment, input/output (“I/O”) signals may be routed between the control system and various operational components of dishwasher  100  along wiring harnesses that may be routed through the bottom  122  of door  120 . Typically, the controller  137  includes a user interface panel  136  through which a user may select various operational features and modes and monitor progress of the dishwasher  100 . In one embodiment, the user interface  136  may represent a general purpose I/O (“GPIO”) device or functional block. In one embodiment, the user interface  136  may include input components, such as one or more of a variety of electrical, mechanical or electro-mechanical input devices including rotary dials, push buttons, and touch pads. The user interface  136  may include a display component, such as a digital or analog display device designed to provide operational feedback to a user. The user interface  136  may be in communication with the controller  137  via one or more signal lines or shared communication busses. 
         [0032]    It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular style, model, or other configuration of dishwasher, and that the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is for illustrative purposes only. For example, instead of the racks  130 ,  132  depicted in  FIG. 1 , the dishwasher  100  may be of a known configuration that utilizes drawers that pull out from the cabinet and are accessible from the top for loading and unloading of articles. Other configurations may be used as well. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6 , an exemplary embodiment of a removable tine block assembly  200  in exemplary rack assembly  226  is illustrated. Tine block assembly  200  includes a pair of elongated base members  202  and  204  that extend parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction L and are spaced apart from each other along the transverse or lateral direction T. A plurality of tines  206  extend vertically from base members  202  and are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction L. Tines  206  are arranged in corresponding pairs such as pairs  208 ,  210 . The space between tines  206  along the longitudinal direction allows for the placement of e.g., dishes, glasses, and other articles for washing with appliance  100 . Tines  206  also include an offset  216  (sometime referred to as a “dog leg”) that allows for the tilting of articles such as plates so as reduce the amount of vertical space required. 
         [0034]    Tine block  200  includes a pair of transverse members  212  and  214  that extend along the lateral direction T and are attached at respective ends between base members  202  and  204 . By way of example, transverse member  214  may be welded to base member  202  at connection point  218 . The transverse members  212  and  214  each define a hook  220  and  222 , respectively, positioned mid-way along the lateral direction. As shown e.g., in the side views of  FIGS. 3 ,  5 , and  6 , hooks  220  and  222  have a j-shaped profile as viewed along the lateral direction T. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , rack assembly  226  includes a bottom wall  274  surrounded by side walls  234 . Walls  243  and  274  are formed from a first set of elongated rods  236  crossed by a second set of elongated rods  238  so as to define an open lattice structure. Typically, the rods  236  and  236  are welded together at their intersections and are coated with a protective material. Wheel assemblies  228 ,  230  are provided on opposing sides of rack assembly  200  to facilitate sliding in and out of the wash chamber  106  of appliance  100 . As will be understood using the teaching disclosed herein, the configuration of rack assembly  200  is provided by way of example only and other constructions may be used as well. 
         [0036]    Continuing with  FIGS. 3 and 6 , hooks  220  and  222  are removably attached to elongated rods  236  of rack assembly  226 . More particularly, hooks  220  and  222  face along the longitudinal direction L and partially wrap around rods  236 . For this particular embodiment, hooks  220  and  222  face away or outwardly from each other along the longitudinal direction L. When in the position shown, hooks  220  and  222  prevent removal of tine block assembly  200  from rack assembly  226 . 
         [0037]    However, assembly  200  may also be readily removed from and/or repositioned within rack assembly  226  as well. By moving base members  202  and  204  outwardly from each other as indicated by arrows E in  FIG. 6 , hooks  212  and  214  are released from rods  236 . As such, tine block assembly  200  can be removed from rack assembly  226  to allow for placement of articles onto rack assembly  226  that might otherwise be blocked by tines  206 . In addition, tine block assembly  200  can be repositioned on rack assembly  226  differently form that shown. For example, the user may wish to rotate assembly  226  by 180 degrees or move it more towards the center of rack assembly  226 . In addition, for a manufacture seeking to provide tine block assemblies in various configurations (e.g., not just the shape and configuration shown for block  200  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), modularity is provided in that rack assembly  226  (or other rack assemblies) may be used with a variety of different configurations of tine block assembly  200 . Additionally, multiple tine block assemblies having different configurations can be sold with appliance  100  so that the user can select a configuration based on e.g., the particular articles placed in chamber  106  for a given wash cycle. Other advantages may also be realized with the removable tine block assembly of the present invention as well. 
         [0038]    As stated, the present invention is not limited to the particular exemplary configuration of tine block assembly  200  shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . For example,  FIG. 7  provides another exemplary embodiment of tine block assembly in which the same or similar reference numerals identify the same or similar features as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . For the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 7 , transverse member  214  of tine block assembly  200  includes a tab  232  positioned at a mid-point along the lateral direction T. Tab  232  extends outwardly along the longitudinal direction L from transverse member  214 . As such, tab  232  is configured for aiding the removal of tine block  200  from rack assembly  226 . By way of example, a user can lift up vertically on tab  232  to help remove hook  220  from rod  236 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 8 and 9  provide cross-sectional views taken along lines  8 - 8  and  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7 , respectively. As stated previously, hooks  220  and  222  releasably secure tine block assembly  200  to rack assembly  226  by partially wrapping or hooking rods  236  of rack assembly  226 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 10  illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a tine block assembly of the present invention where in which the same or similar reference numerals identify the same or similar features as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 . For this exemplary embodiment, tine block assembly  200  includes transverse members  242  and  244  having hooks  246  and  248 , respectively. Unlike the exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 3-6 , hooks  246  and  248  are oriented along the longitudinal direction but the same way along the longitudinal direction as shown in  FIG. 10 . Hooks  246  and  248  are releasably attached or wrapped around rods  236 . 
         [0041]    In order to further secure tine block assembly  200  to rack assembly  226 , a clip  252  is attached to both. Referring now to  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , clip  252  includes a pair of hooks  258  and  260  that positioned on a first end  254  of clip  252 . Hooks  258  and  260  are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction L to define a first slot  262  therebetween. Hooks  258  and  260  are configured for receipt of an elongated member or rod  238  of rack assembly  226  while first slot  262  is configured for receipt of elongated member or rod  236 . 
         [0042]    Clip  252  includes a second end  256  defining a second slot  270  positioned between legs  266  and  268  extending along the transverse direction T from an arcuate portion  264 . Second slot  270  is configured for the receipt of elongated member or rod  236  while arcuate portion  264  is configured for attachment to an elongated base member  202  (or  204 ). Accordingly, in order to remove tine block assembly  200  for removal from, or repositioning in, rack assembly  226 , the user would rotate clip  252  along the direction of arrow R ( FIG. 12 ). Then, the user would shift tine block assembly in the direction or arrow S ( FIG. 10 ) to release hooks  246  and  248 . Tine block assembly  200  can then be removed or repositioned as previously described. 
         [0043]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.