BOTTLE RACK FOR DISHWASHERS

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a bottle rack (100) for dishwashers, particularly under counter dishwashers, comprising a bottle holder (102) for receiving a plurality of bottles, said bottle rack (100) comprising a mounting structure (106), particularly a mounting hole, configured to be removably connected to a wash arm pivot of a dishwasher to enable replacement of a wash arm of the dishwasher by the bottle rack (100).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a bottle rack for dishwashers, particularly but not exclusively under-counter dishwashers. The present invention further relates to a dishwasher comprising a bottle rack.

[0002] Common dishwashers are typically built to receive and clean a variety of small to mid-sized crockery and cutlery considering the space and cost constraints that apply to most dishwashers. In an attempt to reduce CO2 emissions, an increasing number of communities require businesses and individuals to recycle as many items as possible, amongst others jars and bottles. In order to reuse such goods, these need to be cleaned well to avoid spreading of disease. However, especially glass bottles often are of a design that is incompatible with known dishwasher baskets and provide challenges in introducing sufficient amounts of water and detergent into the bottles during a normal wash cycle.

[0003] Specialized bottle washing baskets for dishwashers are known. These solutions sometimes require dishwashers that are compatible with such specialised baskets, e.g., by providing a pressurized water hose that may be connected with the bottle washing basket. The bottle basket typically comprises a plurality of pins or posts, which are provided with water nozzles. The bottles are placed over the pins and subjected to pressurized cleaning solution via the nozzle during the cleaning cycle.

[0004] Typically, the bottle cleaning dishwashers and baskets known in the art are highly specialized and thus too expensive for use in both commercial settings or private households. Moreover, these solutions may not always be retrofitted to existing dishwashers, thereby incurring further costs.

[0005] In view of the above, the present invention endeavours to address the problems of the art. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle rack for dishwashers, which may be produced at lower cost and can be used together with existing dishwashers, particularly commercial under-counter dishwashers.

[0006] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a bottle rack for dishwashers, particularly under-counter dishwashers, comprising a bottle holder for receiving a plurality of bottles, said bottle rack comprising a mounting structure, particularly a mounting hole, configured to be removably connected to a wash arm pivot of a dishwasher to enable replacement of a wash arm of the dishwasher by the bottle rack.

[0007] The bottle rack of the present invention may thus also be considered as a specialised wash arm that is configured to hold and wash bottles. The operator may simply remove the standard washing basket and wash arm from their dishwasher and mount the bottle rack onto the now empty wash arm pivot. The bottle rack of the present invention is, therefore, a dishwasher rack that may be retrofitted to a variety of dishwashers and used in a very simple manner.

[0008] In another embodiment, the bottle holder is substantially cylindrical and configured to be rotated on the washarm pivot, when in use. Since the bottle rack is pivotally mounted on the wash arm pivot, it may be used to load and unload bottles without the need to completely remove the bottle rack from the dishwasher. As will be appreciated, unlike smaller crockery, such as cups and glasses, bottles are typically longer and so cannot simply be introduced in an upright fashion into the back of the dishwasher to be loaded onto the bottle rack. Rather, bottle racks typically have to be removed from a dishwasher so that the corresponding bottles can be inserted into the battle rack in a vertical direction, i.e., from above. The rack is then inserted back into the dishwasher at which point the bottles are already received within the rack or basket. According to the present invention, the bottle rack is not required to be pulled out of the dishwasher because the front half of the rack is always accessible from above. Once the front part of the rack is loaded with bottles, the rack may be rotated such that the filled part of the rack is then further at the back of the wash chamber, whereas the empty part is brought forward to the outside and ready for loading more bottles. Producing the bottle rack in a substantially cylindrical manner maximizes the amount of space available for bottles within the rack, whilst still being able to rotate the bottle holder within the wash chamber for access to all parts of the bottle rack.

[0009] In another embodiment, the bottle holder comprises a plurality of posts, each post being adapted to support a bottle. When in use, each of the posts is arranged upwards, such that bottles may be put over the posts in an upside down manner. The posts provide a first support for the bottles preventing the bottles from falling over during the wash cycle. The posts may each comprise a water nozzle used to introduce cleaning fluid into the bottles and thus fulfil a dual functionality in supporting and cleaning the bottles.

[0010] In another embodiment, the plurality of posts are distributed circumferentially around the bottle holder. Choosing a circumferential arrangement of the posts not only makes good use of the space in the dishwasher but also further simplifies rotating the rack and loading new bottles. For example, the posts themselves may be used by the operator in order to rotate the bottle holder with respect to the support structure.

[0011] In another embodiment, the bottle rack comprises a water supply part configured to direct dishwasher fluids from the mounting structure to some or all of the water nozzles. In other words, the nozzles of the bottle rack may be supplied with dishwasher fluids from a single location, namely the mounting structure. The mounting structure thus servers a dual functionality in rotabably attaching the bottle rack to the dishwasher and, at the same time, providing each of the nozzles with dishwasher fluid.

[0012] In another embodiment, the water supply part comprises a substantially cylindrical housing with at least one circular water supply channel, said at least one water supply channel being connected to a first end of each post. The circular arrangement of the water supply part saves space in the dishwasher and provides a simple and reliable way of distributing the dishwashing fluid.

[0013] In another embodiment, the water supply part comprises a plurality of circular water supply channels concentrically arranged with respect to each other, wherein a first water supply channel is configured to receive a first fluid, preferably a dishwashing solution, and wherein a second water supply channel is configured to receive a second fluid, preferably a rinsing solution. The water supply part may thus be used to supply all dishwasher fluids to the nozzles in a save spacing manner without mixing the different fluids.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the bottle holder comprises a plurality of guide openings, each guide opening being adapted to receive a bottle. The guide openings provide a second means for securing the bottles in an upright, upside down fashion with respect to the wash arms. Due to the guide openings, the posts may be constructed in a comparatively small manner without compromising the stability of the bottles within the rack. Being able to reduce the size of the posts also maximizes the amount of water being introduced into the bottles from below, i.e., around the posts.

[0015] According to another embodiment, each of the plurality of posts is axially aligned with one of the plurality of openings. If the openings are arranged above the posts, the guide openings then act to guide the bottles in the right direction before the posts are engaged. The guide openings, therefore, not only help introducing the bottles into the bottle rack in the right manner but also protect the posts from lateral forces that may otherwise be introduced by the operator inadvertently when inserting the bottles (e.g., in an angled manner).

[0016] In another embodiment, the bottle holder comprises a base part and an alignment part, said base part and alignment part being removably connected or connectable to each other. In some embodiments, the base part may include the aforementioned posts, whereas the alignment part includes the aforementioned openings. Constructing the base part and the alignment part as two separate, removable pieces enables the use of the rack without the alignment part. This might be useful if the rack is used to clean bottles of particularly unusual shapes or other containers, such as glass jars that may not fit through the shape of the alignment openings. Accordingly, the bottle rack is applicable to a large variety of different bottles and jars.

[0017] In another embodiment, wherein the alignment part is substantially disk shaped. The disk shape of the alignment part assists rotation of the bottle holder with respect to the support structure and uses the available space within the dishwasher most effectively.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the alignment part comprises the plurality of guide openings, and wherein the alignment part is configured such that each guide opening comprises a first edge and a second edge, said first and second edges being offset from each other along a longitudinal direction of bottle rack. In other words, the bottle rack may include two surfaces that are offset from each other along the longitudinal direction of the bottle rack and connected via a ramp or shoulder portion that intersects each of the openings, thereby dividing the openings into two edges that are arranged at different levels within the dishwasher, when in use. In particular, a first edge may be arranged below a second edge within the dishwasher, thereby further assisting introduction of bottles from the front of the dishwasher, as will be described in more detail below.

[0019] In another embodiment, the base part comprises a plurality of first connector pins, wherein the alignment part comprises a plurality of second connector pins, and wherein each first connector pin is adapted to be connected to one of the second connector pins. The connector pins may be used to removably connect the base part and the alignment part to each other. In one embodiment, the first connector pins and the second connector pins together have a length that is longer than a height of the plurality of posts adapted to support the bottles. Accordingly, the first and second connector pins space the alignment part from the base part in such a way that a gap is provided between the tip of the posts and the openings of the alignment part.

[0020] In another embodiment, the plurality of first connector pins extends substantially in parallel with the plurality posts, and/or wherein the plurality of first connector pins are interspersed between the plurality posts. This exemplary design is particularly space saving and stable, due to the closely arranged location of the pins and posts.

[0021] In another embodiment, the support structure comprises a handles for removably attaching the bottle rack to a corresponding guide structure of a dishwasher, wherein the water supply part is arranged in such a way that the bottle holder is suspended above a standard wash arm of the dishwasher, when in use. To this end, the handles may have a substantially U-shaped structure with a height that is comparable to the height of standard dishwasher baskets. The bottle rack of the present invention may thus be used as a direct replacement for existing dishwasher baskets, thereby allowing a standard use of the dishwasher and facilitating a dedicated bottle washing function simply by replacing one of the washing baskets with the bottle rack of the present invention.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the support structure comprises a preferably disc shaped water supply part, said water supply part comprising at least one circular water supply channel for guiding rotary movement of the bottle holder with respect to the support structure. Implementing the support structure with a disc shaped water supply part including one or more circular water supply channels will stabilize the rotary movement between the bottle holder and the support structure, thereby avoiding damage to bottles already loaded onto the bottle holder.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dishwasher, preferably a commercial dishwasher, comprising one of the aforementioned battle racks.

[0024] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the illustrations shown in the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1

shows a schematic, perspective side view of a bottle rack according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2

shows an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3

shows another perspective side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4

shows a perspective top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5

shows a perspective bottom view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of a bottle rack according to the embodiment of the present invention. The bottle rack 100 comprises a bottle holder. The bottle rack 100 comprises a mounting structure 106, which is shown as mounting hole extending in a longitudinal direction L of the bottle rack 100. The mounting structure is configured to receive a washarm pivot (not shown) of a dishwasher and allows rotation of the bottle holder 102 with respect to said washarm pivot around longitudinal axis L. Accordingly, the bottle rack 100 may be used to (temporarily) replace a conventional washarm. The mounting structure 106 is configured to be removably attached to the washarm pivot.

[0026] As will be discussed in more detail with respect to FIG. 2 below, the bottle rack 100 comprises handles 108 and a water supply part 110. The handles 108 and the water supply part 110 are connected to each other.

[0027] The bottle holder 102 is substantially cylindrical. The bottle holder 102 comprises a base part 112 and an alignment part 114. The base part 112 is removably connected to the alignment part 114 as will be described in more detail below. Together, the base part 112 and the alignment part 114 function to support bottles in an upside-down orientation during the wash cycle.

[0028] Turning to FIG. 2, there is shown an exploded view of the embodiment of the bottle rack shown in FIG. 1. Starting with the handles 108, FIG. 2 shows that the handles 108 comprise a substantially U-shaped structure that is designed to partly receive at least the base portion 112 of the bottle holder 102.

[0029] The disc shaped water supply part 110 is provided with a plurality of circular water supply channels 116. The circular water supply channels 116 shown in FIG. 2 is a circumferential circular water supply channel, which is adapted to receive washing fluids via the washarm pivot (not shown), such as dishwashing solutions and rinse solutions. The water supply part 110 is aligned with the bottle holder 102. The mounting hole extends through both the bottle holder 102 and the water supply part 110, such that the washarm pivot extends into both the bottle holder 102 and the water supply part 110, when in use.

[0030] The water supply part 110 shown in FIG. 2 is a water supply collar comprising a plurality of circular water supply channels 116. The water supply channels 116 are concentrically arranged to each other. Each water supply channel 116 is connected to the mounting structure 106 of the bottle rack 100 via bridges 108. The bridges 108 are arranged in a cross-shaped manner between the mounting structure 106 and the water supply channels 116. Each of the bridges 118 comprises a plurality water distribution channels. The number of water distribution channels of each of the bridges 118 corresponds to the number of water supply channels 116. Accordingly, different dishwasher fluids (washing solution, rinse solution) may be provided to the water supply channels individually, that is without mixing them.

[0031] The bridge-shaped distribution channels and the circular water supply channels 116 can be used to provide water from the mounting structure 106 (mounting hole) towards a plurality of posts 126a to 126h, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0032] The water supply part 110 comprises a plurality of windows 120 extending through the water supply part 110 in a longitudinal direction. The plurality of windows 120 extend between the circular water supply channels 116 and the bridges 118. The plurality of windows 120 enable water to drain to the bottom of wash chamber of the dishwasher.

[0033] The base portion 112 of the bottle rack 100 comprises a disc shaped structure that corresponds to the shape of the water supply part 110. In particular, the disc shaped base portion 112 comprises a circumferential collar 122 with support struts 124 connecting the inner sides of the circumferential collar. The circumferential collar 122 and the support struts 124 of the base portion 112 are shaped in much the same way as the water supply channels 116 and the bridges 118 of the water supply part 110 such that the water supply part 110 and the base portion may together define a water supply structure.

[0034] The base portion 112 comprises a plurality of posts 126a to 126h. Each of the posts 126a to 126h extends in the longitudinal direction L of the bottle rack 100. Each of the posts 126a to 126h has a first end connected to the circumferential collar 122 of the base portion 112 and an opposite, second free end. The posts 126a to 126h each act as a support for a single bottle, which can be placed upside down over the second end of each respective post 126a to 126h. The first end of each post 126a to 126h is connected to each of the water supply channels 116.

[0035] Each of posts comprises a water nozzle at its second free end. A duct (not shown) extends between the first end of each post 126a to 126h and the water nozzles to direct dishwashing fluids from the water supply channels to the nozzles and thus into the bottles to be cleaned. Accordingly, each post 126a to 126h has a dual functionality in supporting and cleaning the bottles. Water for the posts 126a to 126h is supplied via a single source, i.e. via the mounting structure 106, which also acts as a pivot for rotation of the bottle rack 100 within the wash chamber, e.g. for loading bottles onto the rack.

[0036] The base portion 112 further comprises a plurality of first connector pins 128a to 128d. The connector pins 128a to 128d each have a first end connected to the circumferential collar 122 of the base portion 112 and an opposite, second end that is free. The plurality of first connector pins 128a to 128d extend in parallel with the longitudinal direction L of the bottle rack. The plurality of first connector pins 128a to 128d are circumferentially interspersed between the posts 126a to 126h.

[0037] The base portion 112 of the bottle holder 102 comprises a plurality of windows 130, which correspond to the plurality of windows 120 of the water supply part 110. The windows 130 are shaped in a substantially identical manner to the windows 120 of the water supply part 110.

[0038] The alignment part 114 of the bottle holder 102 is substantially disc shaped. The disc shaped alignment portion 114 comprises an annular collar 131 with a central opening 132. The alignment portion 114 comprises a plurality of guide openings 134a to 134h. Each of the guide openings 134a to 134h extends in the longitudinal direction L through the annular collar 131 of the alignment part 114.

[0039] Each of the guide openings 134a to 134h (shown in FIG. 4) is concentrically aligned with one of the posts 126a to 126h of the base portion 112.

[0040] The alignment portion 114 comprises a plurality, particularly four, second connecting pins 136a to 136d. Each second connecting pin 136a to 136d is adapted to be removably connected to one of the plurality of first connecting pins 128a to 128d of the base portion 112. The number of first connecting pins 128a to 128d corresponds to the number of second connecting pins 136a to 136d. Each of the second connecting pins 136a to 136d comprises protrusions 137 extending radially from the pins 136a to 136d and adapted to be received within a corresponding groove 129 of each of the first connecting pins 128a to 128d (Fig. 3). In some examples, the connecting pins 128a to 128d, 136a to 136d may be removable from each other. In other examples the connecting pins 128a to 128d, 136a to 136d may not be removed without destroying the protrusions 137 of the second connecting pins 136a to 136d.

[0041] The collar 131 of the alignment portion 114 comprises two surfaces 138, 140, which are offset from each other along the longitudinal direction L of the bottle rack 100. The first and second surfaces 138, 140 are connected by shoulder portions 142 extending between the openings 134a to 134h. Each of the guide openings 134a to 134h extends partly through the first surface 138 and partly through the second surface 140 of the alignment portion 114. Accordingly, each guide opening 134a to 134h comprises two edges, namely a first edge 144 within the first surface 138 and a second edge 146 within the second surface 140. The first and second edges 144, 146 are shown as an example in guide opening 134C of FIG. 2. In particular, the guide opening 134C comprises a first edge 144 extending through the first surface 138 and a second edge 146 extending through the second surface 140 of the alignment portion 114. It follows that the first and second portions 144, 146 are spaced from each other along the longitudinal direction L of the bottle rack 110.

[0042] The above, staggered design of the collar 131 increases the stability of the alignment portion 114 and helps introduce the bottles in an upside-down manner into their respective guide openings 134a to 134h.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a perspective bottom view of the bottle rack 100 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1. As illustrated, the handles 108 comprise a first bar 150 and a second bar 152. The first bar 150 runs substantially in parallel with the second bar 152 across a back surface of the disc shaped water supply part 110. In particular, each of the two bars 150, 152 is attached to the back surface of the water supply part 110 via clips 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, 164. The first bar 150 is secured to the water supply part 110 via first, second and third clips 154, 156, 158. The second bar 152 is secured to the water supply part 110 via fourth, fifth and sixth clips 160, 162, 164. The handles 108 may be removable from the water supply part 110, by pulling the handles 108 out of the clips 154 to 164.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but may be in any combination of features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. Bottle rack (100) for dishwashers, particularly under counter dishwashers, comprising a bottle holder (102) for receiving a plurality of bottles, said Bottle rack (100) comprising a mounting structure (106), particularly a mounting hole, configured to be removably connected to a washarm pivot of a dishwasher to enable replacement of a washarm of the dishwasher by the Bottle rack (100).

2. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 1,
wherein the bottle holder (102) is preferably cylindrical, and wherein the bottle rack (100) is configured to be rotatable on the washarm pivot, when in use.

3. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 1 or 2,
wherein the bottle holder (102) comprises a plurality of posts (126a to 126h), each post (126a to 126h) being adapted to support a bottle.

4. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 3,
wherein each post (126a to 126h) comprises a water nozzle.

5. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 4,
wherein the bottle rack (100) comprises a water supply part (110) configured to direct dishwasher fluids from the mounting structure (106) to some or all of the water nozzles.

6. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 5,
wherein the water supply part (110) comprises a substantially cylindrical housing with at least one circular water supply channel (116), said at least one water supply channel (116) being connected to a first end of each post (126a to 126h).

7. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 6,
wherein the water supply part (110) comprises a plurality of circular water supply channels (116) concentrically arranged with respect to each other, wherein a first water supply channel is configured to receive a first fluid, preferably a dishwashing solution, and wherein a second water supply channel is configured to receive a second fluid, preferably a rinsing solution.

8. Bottle rack (100) of any one of Claims 3 to 7,
wherein the plurality of posts (126a to 126h) are distributed circumferentially around bottle holder (102).

9. Bottle rack (100) of any one of Claims 1 to 8,
wherein the bottle holder (102) comprises a plurality of guide openings (134a to 134h), each guide opening being adapted to receive a bottle.

10. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 8 when dependent on claim 3,
wherein each of the plurality of posts (126a to 126h) is axially aligned with one of the plurality of guide openings (134a to 134h).

11. Bottle rack (100) of any one of Claims 1 to 10,
wherein the bottle holder (102) comprises a base part (112) and an alignment part (114), said base part (112) and alignment part (114) being removably connected or connectable to each other.

12. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 11,
wherein the alignment part (114) is substantially disk shaped.

13. Bottle rack (100) of Claim 11 or 12, when dependent on Claim 8,
wherein the alignment part (114) comprises the plurality of guide openings (134a to 134h), and wherein the alignment part (114) is configured such that each guide opening (134a to 134h) comprises a first edge (144) and a second edge (146), said first and second edges being offset from each other along a longitudinal direction (L) of the bottle rack (100).

14. Bottle rack (100) of any one of Claims 11 to 13,

wherein the base part (112) comprises a plurality of first connector pins, wherein the alignment part (114) comprises a plurality of second connector pins, and wherein each first connector pin is adapted to be connected to one of the second connector pins, and

wherein the plurality of first connector pins extend substantially in parallel with the plurality posts (126a to 126h), and/or wherein the plurality of first connector pins are interspersed between the plurality posts (126a to 126h).

15. Dishwasher, preferably commercial dishwasher,
comprising the Bottle rack (100) of any one of Claims 1 to 14.

Drawing