DE20104114U1 - Dish rack for a dishwasher - Google Patents

Description

Description

Dish basket for a dishwasher

The invention relates to a crockery basket for a dishwasher, the basket frame of which is designed with at least one holder for plates, wherein the plate holder consists of two rows of webs running parallel to one another, each with a plurality of upright basket webs spaced apart from one another, and wherein rows of webs of plate holders are designed to be separately foldable and each fastened to a bearing strut arranged pivotably in the basket base area.

Dish baskets of this type are known in many different ways. In particular, such baskets are used as

&iacgr;&ogr; So-called lower baskets in dishwashers are used to hold large and small plates as well as pots, which are placed on the basket floor in free areas provided for washing. Such free space or storage space for special dishes can be created by folding down the rows of bars on the plate holders, but the rows of bars remain in the lower basket and are a hindrance to the storage of the dishes, especially if the dishes have to be placed in a secure position. Furthermore, there is no possibility of inserting other inserts, for example glass holders or similar, in the dish basket. In order to be able to load a dish basket more variably, a basket is known from German utility model 78 21 547 which can be adapted to hold flat and/or deep plates, bowls, dishes, platters or the like. This is done by means of removable plate holders in the form of individual rigid holding brackets. Removing and reinserting such plate inserts or the like made up of separate holding brackets is, however, time-consuming and inconvenient to handle. Furthermore, the rows of bars on the plate insert cannot be folded down, so that no additional space can be created in the basket. A plate insert of this type removed from the dish basket is also very bulky and can only be placed in a kitchen base cabinet with difficulty.

Starting from a dish basket of the type mentioned at the beginning, the invention is based on the object of optimising the flexibility of the dish basket with regard to the variety of dishes to be washed and of creating the possibility of a stable and safe dish storage.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following subclaims. The invention advantageously provides the customer with simple options for changing the use of the basket with regard to different dishes, in particular large items of crockery.

Embodiments of the invention are shown purely schematically in the drawings and described in more detail below. It shows

Figure 1 shows a crockery basket of a

Dishwasher in top view,

Figure 2 a separate plate insert with foldable rows of bars for the dish basket

according to Fig. 1, in perspective view,

Figure 3 shows the crockery basket according to Fig. 1 with the plate insert in plan view,

Figure 4 the separate plate insert in the unfolded state,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the plate insert in the area of a locking device

for the rows of bridges.

A crockery basket (1) shown in simplified form in Figure 1, in particular a lower basket for a household dishwasher (not shown), is equipped with a permanently installed plate holder (2) for dessert plates as well as for flat large and small plates or soup plates of the place settings to be loaded into the machine. In addition to the plate holder (2), a free basket surface (4) is provided, which is reserved for the storage of large items of crockery, such as pots, lids or the like.

The plate holder (2) consists of two rows of bars (5 and 6) running parallel to one another, each with a plurality of upright basket bars (7) spaced apart from one another, between which the plates placed can rest. If necessary, the rows of bars of the plate holder (2) permanently installed in the crockery basket (1) can also be designed to be foldable in a manner known per se. If necessary, the free basket surface can also accommodate a glass insert (not shown) or can also be used for an additional plate shelf.

In order to achieve the latter, according to the invention a further plate holder (3) with foldable rows of bars (5, 6) is designed as a separate basket insert (10). In this insert, the foldable rows of bars (5, 6) are each attached to a bearing strut (8 or 9) arranged pivotably in the insert. Fig. 3 shows the separate plate insert (3) inserted in the crockery basket (1).

At least one locking device (11) for each foldable row of bars (5, 6) and a clamping device (12) connected to the crockery basket frame (12) according to Fig. 1 are provided on the separate plate or basket insert (10).

A braced support frame (13) made of basket struts is provided. The pivotable bearing struts (8, 9) of the foldable rows of webs (5, 6) are mounted on the support frame (13). Fig. 4 shows the separate plate insert (10) according to the invention in the unfolded state.

Each locking device (11) of the basket insert (10) consists of a resilient locking element (11a) connected to the associated bearing strut (8 or 9) of the row of webs (5 or 6) and of a rigid locking web (11b) formed at an angle on the support frame (13). The locking element (11a) of the locking device (11) is arranged, as shown in more detail in Fig. 5, at the end of the web row (18) of the associated bearing strut (8 or 9) behind the last basket web (7) of the row. When the row of webs (5, 6) is folded up, the locking element (11a) is releasably connected to the rigid locking web (11b) via a locking recess (14) and is designed like a hook. The locking element (11a) has a raised web part (15) attached to the bearing strut (8, 9) in the manner of a basket web, onto which a spring-loaded locking bar (16) is formed. If the locking bar (16) is pressed down by hand, the locking web (11b) comes out of the locking recess (14) and releases the row of webs (5 or 6) for folding over. In the other case, the locking bar (16) of a raised row of webs (5 or 6) presses against the locking web (11b), whereupon the latter springs back so that the web falls into the locking recess (14) and securely locks the holder (3) for a plate rack.

The plastic locking element (11a) of the locking device (11) is connected behind the last basket web (7) to a shortened web of the row of basket webs in a force-locking and/or form-locking manner, or is preferably plugged onto this shortened web (7). At the foot end of the hook-like web part (15) of the locking device (11), one or more clamping parts (17) are formed which engage the bearing strut (8 or 9) in a form-locking manner.

A plate insert (10) removed from the crockery basket (1) can be easily unfolded for convenient, space-saving storage in a kitchen cupboard or similar. On the other hand, the unfolded plate insert (10) in the crockery basket installation (Fig. 3) offers the possibility of creating the free basket area (4) as shown in Fig. 1. If the insert is required for additional plate storage, the rows of bars (5, 6) can be put back upright and securely locked using the locking device (11). If delicate special crockery is to be placed on the free basket areas (4), a removed plate insert creates a safe, flat surface for the dishes to be washed.

Claims (7)

1. Dish basket for a dishwasher, the basket frame of which is designed with at least one holder for plates, wherein the plate holder consists of two rows of webs running parallel to one another, each with a plurality of upright basket webs spaced apart from one another, and wherein rows of webs of plate holders are designed to be separately foldable and each fastened to a bearing strut arranged pivotably in the basket base area, characterized in that the plate holder ( 3 ) with the foldable rows of webs ( 5 , 6 ) is designed as a separate basket insert ( 10 ). 2. Dish basket according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate holder ( 3 ) is designed as a basket insert ( 10 ) with at least one locking device ( 11 ) for each foldable row of bars ( 5 or 6 ) and with a support frame ( 13 ) that can be braced with the dish basket frame ( 12 ), and that the pivotable bearing struts ( 8 , 9 ) of the foldable rows of bars ( 5 , 6 ) are mounted on the support frame ( 13 ). 3. Crockery basket according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the locking device ( 11 ) consists of a resilient locking element ( 11a ) connected to the bearing strut ( 8 or 9 ) of the row of webs ( 5 or 6 ) and of a rigid locking web ( 11b ) angled at the support frame ( 13 ), which comes into operative connection with the locking element ( 11a ) when the row of webs ( 5 or 6 ) is pivoted upwards. 4. Crockery basket according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking element ( 11 a) is arranged at the web row end ( 18 ) of a bearing strut ( 8 , 9 ) following the last basket web ( 7 ) of the row. 5. Dish basket according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking element ( 11a ) is hook-like with a web part ( 15 ) fastened to the bearing strut ( 8 , 9 ) and raised like a basket web, and consists of a resilient locking bracket ( 16 ) formed on the web part ( 15 ), which releasably connects to the rigid locking web ( 11b ) when the row of webs ( 5 or 6 ) is folded up. 6. Crockery basket according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking element ( 11 a) of the locking device ( 11 ) is connected in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner to a shortened web on the bearing strut ( 8 , 9 ) behind the last basket web ( 7 ), preferably plugged onto the latter. 7. Crockery basket according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the locking element ( 11a ) consists of plastic, and that at the foot end of the hook-like web part ( 15 ) one or more clamping parts ( 17 ) are formed which engage positively over the bearing strut ( 8 or 9 ).