Dishwasher rack with movable fence
AssigneeWhite Consolidated Industries, Inc.
InventorStephen H. Friskney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rack in a household dishwasher has a folding fence movable between a folded position adjacent the bottom of the rack and an erect or operating position. The fence has a base wire extending along the bottom of the rack and a plurality of projecting wires or pins extending upwardly therefrom. The fence is mounted on a plurality of brackets which snap over lateral wires on the rack at a bend therein so that the brackets are secured against rotation. The brackets provide a journal bearing to allow the base wire of the fence to both rotate and move axially, and the brackets also provide a dentent in the form of a U-shaped wall member which engages one of the projecting wires by axial movement of the fence to hold the fence in the upright position.
Claims14
A dishwasher rack assembly comprising wire members secured together to form a generally horizontal bottom wall, a fence pivotally mounted on said bottom wall for movement between a folded horizontal position and an erect vertical position, said fence having a base wire member defining an axis and a plurality of projecting wires secured to said base wire member and extending at an angle to said axis, means journaling said base wire member for both rotational and longitudinal movement with respect to said axis, and detent means secured to said rack engageable with one of said projecting wires for holding said fence in said erect position, said one projecting wire being engageable and disengageable with said detent means by longitudinal movement of said fence along said axis.
In a dishwasher rack assembly having longitudinal and lateral wire members secured together to form a generally horizontal bottom wall and a hinged fence pivotally mounted on said bottom wall for movement between a folded horizontal position and an erect vertical position, the improvement comprising at least two brackets secured to said bottom wall, said fence having a base wire member defining an axis and a plurality of projecting wires secured to said base wire member and extending at an angle to said axis, means journaling said base wire member in each of said brackets for both rotational and longitudinal movement with respect to said axis, and detent means on at least one of said brackets for holding said fence in said erect position, said fence being engageable and disengageable with said detent means by longitudinal movement of said fence along said axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.