Lift and load silverware basket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458202-B2
Application number	US-202418592875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2024
Priority date	Mar 1, 2024
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

In one embodiment, a dishwasher silverware container includes a basket with a front wall and an opposing rear wall. The basket also includes a first side wall and an opposing second side wall. The walls meet to collectively define an interior space of the basket. The basket includes at least one cam track defined within an interior surface of the basket. The dishwasher silverware container also includes a loading tray positionable about the basket. The loading tray includes a cell cover and at least one leg extending from a first side of the cell cover. Each leg has a coupling element positioned on a distal end of the leg such that the coupling element is positioned within the at least one cam track to allow vertical movement of the loading tray with respect to the basket.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A dishwasher silverware container, comprising:
a basket further comprising a front wall and an opposing rear wall, and a first side wall and an opposing second side wall, wherein each of the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall comprises an interior surface such that each interior surface collectively define an interior space; at least one cam track defined within one interior surface of the basket, the cam track comprising an entrance point configured to removably receive a loading tray within the cam track; and the loading tray positionable about the basket, the loading tray further comprising:
a cell cover; and
at least one leg extending from a first side of the cell cover, wherein said at least one leg has a coupling element positioned on a distal end thereof such that the coupling element is positioned within the at least one cam track to allow vertical movement of the loading tray with respect to the basket.

2 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cam track further comprises a first cam track positioned within an interior surface of the first side wall and a second cam track positioned within an interior surface of the second side wall.

3 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 2 , wherein the at least one leg further comprises a first leg that is coupled with the first cam track via a first coupling element and a second leg that is coupled with the second cam track via a second coupling element.

4 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 3 , wherein each of the first cam track and the second cam track is angled such that each cam track has a terminal point positioned proximate the rear wall and the entrance point positioned in a center of the first or the second side wall so that the distance between the entrance point and the front wall is smaller than the distance between the terminal point and the front wall.

5 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein the coupling element further comprises a rolling element selected from wheels, rollers, ball bearing systems, or pins, to permit vertical movement of the loading tray along the cam track.

6 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein the loading tray further comprises a handle extending from a second side of the cell cover opposite the first side.

7 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein one or more of a bottom surface, the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, and the cell cover each define a plurality of apertures therethrough to permit fluid communication through the basket to the interior space.

8 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein the cell cover is positionable at an upper edge of each of the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall to partially enclose the interior space.

9 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 1 , wherein the cell cover defines a plurality of slots extending from a first edge to a second edge opposite the first edge, wherein each slot in the plurality of slots is open proximate the first edge and closed proximate the second edge.

10 . The dishwasher silverware container of claim 9 , each slot comprising a series of alternating longitudinal and transverse portions, wherein each longitudinal portion extends parallel to a first side edge and a second side edge of the cell cover and each transverse portion extends perpendicular to the longitudinal portions.

11 . A silverware container, comprising:
a basket comprising a front wall and an opposing rear wall and a first side wall and an opposing second side wall, wherein each of the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall comprises an interior surface such that each interior surface collectively define an interior space; a first cam track defined within the interior surface of the first side wall and a second cam track defined within the interior surface of the second side wall, each of the first cam track and the second cam track comprising an entrance point configured to removably receive a loading tray within the cam track; and the loading tray positionable about the basket, the loading tray further comprising:
a cell cover;
a first leg configured to be coupled with the first cam track via a first coupling element, and a second leg configured to be coupled with the second cam track via a second coupling element, to enable vertical movement of the loading tray with respect to the basket; and
at least one hook extending approximately perpendicularly from the first leg or the second leg, wherein the loading tray can be movable between two positions, wherein in a first mode the at least one hook interfaces with the basket to maintain the loading tray in a loading/unloading position such that the cell cover is vertically spaced above the basket, and in a second mode the at least one hook is disengaged from the basket and disposed within the interior space to maintain the loading tray in a washing position such that the cell cover is positioned proximate the basket to partially enclose the interior space.

12 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein:
the at least one hook comprises a first hook and a second hook, the first leg further comprises the first hook positioned at a distal end of the first leg, extending perpendicularly from the first leg toward the front wall, and wherein the second leg comprises the second hook positioned at a distal end of the second leg, extending perpendicularly from the second leg toward the front wall.

13 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein each of the first cam track and the second cam track are angled such that each cam track has a terminal point positioned proximate the rear wall and the entrance point positioned in a center of the first side wall or the second side wall so that the distance between the entrance point and the front wall is smaller than the distance between the terminal point and the front wall.

14 . The silverware container of claim 13 , wherein each cam track further comprises a lateral portion that permits the loading tray to move approximately parallel relative to a bottom surface to position each hook proximate the front wall.

15 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein the loading tray is free to pivot about the first coupling element or the second coupling element such that each hook is configured to interface with an upper edge of the front wall to fix the loading tray in the loading/unloading position.

16 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein each hook is a telescoping hook comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, such that the inner tube is configured to extended relative to the outer tube to interface with the front wall.

17 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein each hook comprises a retaining element extending from a terminal end of the hook configured to interact with an upper edge of the front wall.

18 . The silverware container of claim 11 , the loading tray further comprising a cross member extending between the first leg and the second leg and each of the first leg and the second leg further comprises a foot below the cross member, wherein each of the first coupling element and the second coupling element extends from each foot.

19 . The silverware container of claim 11 , wherein each of the first coupling element and the second coupling element comprises a rol

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boyer Joel

Classifications

• A47L15/502 Primary

  Cutlery baskets · CPC title