Technical Field

The present invention relates to a household appliance which comprises a movable stopper apparatus for stopping a rack, especially a drawer-type rack.

Background of the Invention

Household appliances with various functions are widely used to facilitate our daily life, and dishwashers are one of these appliances. A dishwasher comprises at least one chamber; at least one door for controlling access to the chamber, which is capable of rotating around an axis so as to be in an open position in which the door is parallel to the base of the chamber; and at least one rack in the form of a drawer, which is located at the chamber for placing the dishes to be cleaned, wherein when the door is in the open position, at least one part of the rack moves on the door such that the rack protrudes from an opening of the chamber, thereby enabling a user to access therein, wherein the dishes placed in the rack are cleaned in the chamber.

The rack can move into or out of the chamber through an opening of the chamber, by means of a plurality of movement elements (e.g. wheels) thereon and a movement mechanism, preferably a rail located in the chamber and on the door, on which said movement elements are provided. When the rack moves out of the chamber, at least a part thereof is positioned on the door (in other words, outside the chamber) which is in the open position, so that the user can easily access the rack. Such an outward position of the rack allows the user to place dirty dishes in the rack or receive the cleaned dishes from the rack. However, during the movement of the rack out of the chamber, the user may pull the rack excessively, in which case the rack may be disengaged from the movement mechanism. This causes the rack to destabilize and tip over. In this case, the dishes in the rack may be damaged. In the state of the art, stopper apparatuses are provided to limit the outward movement of the rack from the chamber. Said stopper apparatuses are generally fixed to the rack. Fixed stopper apparatuses may prevent the rack from moving smoothly, thereby leading to difficulty for the user to move the rack.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising at least one body which, in turn, comprises at least two first walls located opposite each other, at least a second wall located between the first walls perpendicular to the first walls, at least one chamber created between the first walls and the second wall, at least a first movement section located on the second wall close to the intersection of the first walls and the second wall, and at least one connecting piece located on one side of the second wall; at least one door for controlling access into the chamber, which is capable of rotating around an axis, wherein if the opening is closed, a side of the door is positioned on the connecting piece provided at the body, wherein as a result of the rotational movement, the door can move to an open position in which it is parallel to the base of the chamber, and said side of the door is disengaged from the connecting piece such that a distance is formed between the second wall and said side; and at least one rack in the form of a drawer, which is located at the chamber for placing the dishes to be washed, and comprises at least a first bar extending horizontally, at least a second bar extending vertically to said first bar, at least one base formed by the first bar and the second bar, and a plurality of movement elements, wherein when the door is in the open position, at least one part of the rack can move on the door such that the rack protrudes from an opening of the chamber, thereby allowing the user to access the rack. Said household appliance further comprises at least one stopper apparatus comprising: at least one apparatus body, and at least one slot in the form of a channel, which is located on one surface of said apparatus body, in at least a part of said surface, and into which either the first bar or the second bar is inserted, wherein the stopper apparatus is attached to any of the first bar or second bar by means of said slot so as to be located on the side of the rack facing into the chamber, wherein the stopper apparatus moves up and down on any of the first bar or the second bar by means of the slot so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the open door and/or the second wall, and limits the movement of the rack by contacting the side of the door facing the chamber; and at least one ramp element forming an inclined surface so that the stopper apparatus moves downwards slowly while said rack moves through an opening of the chamber towards the door and that the stopper apparatus moves upwards slowly without being caught on the side of the second wall while the rack moves back into the chamber, wherein one side of the ramp element is connected with the second wall and another side thereof stands on said connecting piece at an angle when the door is in the open position and stands vertically when the door is in the closed position.

Thanks to the household appliance according to the present invention, the rack can be pulled towards the door safely, such that clean or dirty dishes are prevented from being damaged. Since the stopper apparatus is movable, the movement of the rack in the chamber and on the door is facilitated. Thanks to the ramp element, it is ensured that the stopper apparatus can be aligned with the first movement elements without any intervention by the user, especially when pushing the rack back into the chamber. This makes it easier to push the rack into the chamber.

Object of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance comprising a movable stopper apparatus for stopping the rack, especially of the drawer type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance comprising a stopper apparatus capable of moving up and down on the bar of the rack upon the movement of the rack.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance that facilitates the movement of the rack and the stopper apparatus.

Description of the Drawings

Exemplary embodiments of a household appliance comprising the stopper apparatus according to the invention are illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the rack of the household appliance according to the invention, while moving towards the door.

Figure 2 is a side view of the rack of the household appliance according to the invention, after moving towards the door.

Figure 3 is a side perspective view of the rack and the stopper apparatus of the household appliance according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a side perspective view of the stopper apparatus of the household appliance according to the invention.

All the parts illustrated in figures are individually assigned a reference numeral and the corresponding terms of these numbers are listed below:

Household appliance (B)

First wall (B1)

Second wall (B2)

Chamber (B3)

First movement section (B4)

Connecting piece (B5)

Door (K)

Second movement section (K1)

Rack (1)

First bar (1a)

Second bar (1b)

First movement element (1c)

Stopper apparatus (2)

Apparatus body (2a)

Slot (2b)

Second movement element (2c)

Ramp element (3)

Description of the Invention

A dishwasher, one of the household appliances, comprises at least one chamber; at least one door for controlling access to the chamber, which is capable of rotating around an axis so as to be in an open position in which the door is parallel to the base of the chamber; and at least one rack in the form of a drawer, which is located at the chamber for placing the dishes to be cleaned, wherein when the door is in the open position, at least one part of the rack moves on the door such that the rack protrudes from an opening of the chamber, thereby enabling a user to access therein. Said rack can move through an opening of the chamber to the inside of the chamber or out of the chamber by means of multiple movement elements positioned thereon and a movement mechanism, preferably in the form of a rail, which is located in the chamber and on the door, on which said movement elements are located. However, during the movement of the rack out of the chamber, the user may pull the rack excessively, in which case the rack may be disengaged from the movement mechanism and tip over. Moreover, a stopper apparatus in the known-state of the art that is developed to limit the movement of the rack out of the chamber can make the movement of the rack difficult, thereby leading to difficulty for the user to move the rack, since it is generally fixed to the rack. Therefore, the present invention provides a household appliance for solving said problem.

The household appliance (B) according to the present invention, which is illustrated in figures 1-4, comprises at least one body which, in turn, comprises at least two first walls (B1) (side walls) located opposite each other, at least a second wall (B2) located between the first walls (B1) perpendicular to the first walls (B1), at least one chamber (B3) created between the first walls (B1) and the second wall (B2), at least a first movement section (B4) located on the second wall (B2) close to the intersection of the first walls (B1) and the second wall (B2), and at least one connecting piece (B5) located on one side of the second wall (B2); at least one door (K) for controlling access into the chamber (B3), which is capable of rotating around an axis, wherein if the opening is closed, a side of the door (K) is positioned on the connecting piece (B5) provided at the body, wherein as a result of the rotational movement, the door (K) can move to an open position in which it is parallel to the base of the chamber (B3), and said side of the door (K) is disengaged from the connecting piece (B5) such that a distance is formed between the second wall (B2) and said side, the door (K) preferably comprising at least a second movement section (K1); and at least one rack (1) in the form of a drawer, which is located at the chamber (B3) for placing the dishes to be cleaned, and comprises at least a first bar (1a) extending horizontally, at least a second bar (1b) extending vertically to said first bar (1a), at least one base formed by the first bar (1a) and the second bar (1b), and a plurality of movement elements (1c), wherein when the door (K) is in the open position, at least one part of the rack (1) can move on the door (K) such that the rack (1) protrudes from an opening of the chamber (B3), thereby allowing the user to access the rack (1). Said household appliance (B) further comprises at least one stopper apparatus (2) comprising: at least one apparatus body (2a), which is preferably rectangular, and at least one slot (2b) in the form of a channel, which is located on one surface of said apparatus body (2a), in at least a part of said surface, and into which either the first bar (1a) or the second bar (1b) is inserted, wherein the stopper apparatus (2) is attached to any of the first bar (1a) or second bar (1b) by means of said slot (2b) so as to be located on the side of the rack (1) facing into the chamber (B3) (i.e. behind the rack (1)), wherein the stopper apparatus (2) moves up and down on any of the first bar (1a) or the second bar (1b) by means of the slot (2b) so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the open door (K) and/or the second wall (B2), and limits the movement of the rack (1) by contacting the side of the door (K) facing the chamber (B3); and at least one ramp element (3) forming an inclined surface so that the stopper apparatus (2) moves downwards slowly while said rack (1) moves through an opening of the chamber (B3) towards the door (K) and that the stopper apparatus (2) moves upwards slowly without being caught on the side of the second wall (B2) while the rack (1) moves back into the chamber (B3), wherein one side of the ramp element (3) is connected with the second wall (B2) and another side thereof stands on said connecting piece (B5) at an angle when the door (K) is in the open position and stands vertically when the door (K) is in the closed position.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, if dirty dishes are placed in the household appliance (B), e.g. the dishwasher, so as to be washed, or the dishwasher is desired to be emptied, the door (K) is moved to the open position. In that case, the ramp element (3) is located at an angle on the connecting piece (B5). The rack (1) is pulled by the user towards the door (K) which is in the open position. Such a pulling movement results in the first movement elements of the rack (1C) moving on the first movement section (B4) and door (K). When the basket (1) is pulled towards the door (K), the stopper apparatus (2) at the back of the rack (1) moves downwards (in other words, towards the connecting piece (B5)) while passing over the ramp element (3). In other words, the stopper apparatus (2) moves downwards such that any of the first bar (1a) or the second bar (1b) that are attached to the slot (2B) and located in the stopper apparatus (2) moves towards the farthest end of the slot (2b) relative to the second wall (B2). Then, when the rack (1) reaches exactly the door (K), the stopper apparatus (2) contacts the edge of the door (K) to stop the rack (1). Therefore, the rack (1) can stop without destabilizing when it is pulled out of the chamber (B3). Afterwards, when the rack (1) is desired to be pushed back into the chamber (B3), the rack (1) is moved backward, and the stopper apparatus (2) passes over the ramp element (3) to move upwards slowly and becomes aligned with the first movement elements (1C) to be on the first movement section (B4). In other words, the stopper apparatus (2) moves upwards such that any of the first bar (1a) or the second bar (1b) that are attached to the slot (2B) and located in the stopper apparatus (2) moves towards the nearest end of the slot (2b) relative to the second wall (B2). Thus, the stopper apparatus (2) is aligned with the first movement elements (1C). When the rack (1) is placed exactly in the chamber (B3), the door (K) is closed, and at the same time, the ramp element (3) reaches a vertical position on the connecting piece (B5), thereby allowing the door (K) to be closed.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one end of the first bar (1a) extending towards the back of the rack (1) is open. The first bar (1a), especially the side having the open end of the first bar (1a) is attached to the slot (2b). Therefore, the stopper apparatus (2) moves up and down on the first bar (1A) without any obstacle (for example, another element of the rack).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a movement direction of the stopper apparatus (2) and a movement direction of the rack (1) are perpendicular to each other. In this way, when the rack (1) is pulled towards the door (K) or pushed back into the chamber (B3), the stopper apparatus (2) does not interfere with the movement of the rack (1).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stopper apparatus (2) comprises at least a second movement element (2c), preferably a wheel, which is located at one end of the apparatus body (2a), especially at one end of another surface perpendicular to the surface that the slot (2B) is provided. Therefore, it is easier for the stopper apparatus (2) to move on the first movement section (B4), door (K), and ramp element (3). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stopper apparatus (2) is made of a plastic material. Thus, during the movement of the rack (1), it does not damage the household appliance (B), nor make additional noise.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ramp element (3) is made of a plastic material. In this way, during the movement of the ramp element (3) on the connecting piece (B5), the ramp element (3) does not damage the connecting piece (B5).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second movement section (K1) is in the form of a rail to ensure the continuation of the first movement section (B4). Therefore, when the rack (1) is pulled from the chamber (B3) towards the door (K), the rack (1) can move towards the door (K) without losing balance.

Thanks to the household appliance (B) according to the present invention, the rack (1) can be pulled towards the door (K) safely, such that clean or dirty dishes are prevented from being damaged. Since the stopper apparatus (2) is movable, the movement of the rack (1) in the chamber (B3) and on the door (K) is facilitated. Thanks to the ramp element (3), it is ensured that the stopper apparatus (2) can be aligned with the first movement elements (1c) without any intervention by the user, especially when pushing the rack (1) back into the chamber (B3). This makes it easier to push the rack (1) into the chamber (B3).