Movable toekick for convertible dishwasher
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorBernard J. Brezosky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A movable toekick panel is utilized in a front loading dishwasher in substitution of the usual immobile toekick panel. The disclosure is directed to a decorative toekick panel for a dishwasher which utilizes a stabilizing support structure that advances relatively forward of the dishwasher when the dishwasher is moved rearwardly. A pivotal or flexible toekick panel is described which swings forward with the advance of the horizontally rotatable casters or other front supports of the dishwasher as the dishwasher is moved rearwardly. The caster can be positioned further forward under the dishwasher than conventional casters with such a movabe toekick panel. A method for assembly of the toekick panel is also disclosed.
Claims11
A movable toekick arrangement for a domestic appliance having a cabinet, and an access door at the front of the cabinet, said arrangement comprising:
- support members mounted to the cabinet near the front thereof and rotatable between a forward position and a rearward position, in the forward position said support members intersecting the vertical plane of the front of the cabinet;
- a toekick panel movably mounted to the cabinet at the lower front thereof for pivotal movement between a first position generally in the frontal plane of the cabinet and a second position projecting outwardly and upwardly from the cabinet at an angle to the frontal plane, said panel being operative to substantially hide said support members from view;
- said support members being operative to engage said toekick panel in its first position and to pivotally move said toekick panel to its second position as said support members rotate from their rearward position to their forward position.
A movable toekick arrangement for a domestic appliance having a cabinet, and an access door at the front of the cabinet, said arrangement comprising:
- support members mounted to the cabinet near the front thereof and rotatable between a forward position and a rearward position, in the forward position said support members intersecting the vertical plane of the front of the cabinet;
- a toekick panel formed of a flexible material and rigidly mounted to the cabinet at the lower front thereof for flexing movement between a first position generally in the frontal plane of the cabinet and a second position projecting outwardly from the cabinet at an angle to the frontal plane, said panel being operative to substantially hide said support members from view;
- said support members being operative to engage said toekick panel in its first position and to move said toekick panel, by flexing of the panel itself, to its second position as said support members rotate from their rearward position to their forward position.
A pivotable toekick arrangement for a domestic appliance having a cabinet with an access door at the front of the cabinet, said arrangement comprising:
- casters mounted to the cabinet near the front thereof and rotatable between a forward position and a rearward position, in the forward position said casters intersecting the vertical plane of the front of the cabinet;
- a toekick panel pivotally attached to the cabinet at the lower front thereof for pivotal movement between a first vertical position generally in the frontal plane of the cabinet and a second canted position projecting outwardly and upwardly from the cabinet at an angle to the frontal plane, said panel being operative to substantially hide said casters from view;
- a pivot assembly comprising two male pivot members, having generally "T" shaped cross-sections, which are affixed to the upper edge of said toekick panel and two pivot apertures situated in the lower front of the appliance cabinet, wherein said male pivot members are pivotally engaged in said pivot apertures to pivotally support said toekick panel on said cabinet;
- said casters being operative to engage said toekick panel in its first position and to pivotally move said toekick panel to its second position as said casters rotate from their rearward position to their forward position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.