Whirlpool Corporation

Matthew M Hansen

Ronald M Nowell, Jr

Joseph T Ferencevich

Daniel W Southworth

Richard Lawrence Kretz

Kapil Gupta

Harshal J Bhajak

Kevin T Kutto

Sujay Sunil Dabade

Ronald M Nowell

A dishwasher has an interior with a tub and a dish rack slidably attached to the tub. The dish rack has vertically-oriented side rail and a height adjustment system. The adjustment system includes height adjustment mechanisms alongside the walls of the dish rack for vertically shifting the dish rack between lowered and raised positions relative to the tub. Each of the adjustment mechanisms includes an adjuster arm fixed vertically relative to the tub, with a locking boss at the first end, and a locking clip on the adjuster arm having at least one locking tab adapted to couple with the locking boss to prevent the rack from shifting vertically relative to the adjuster arm. The locking clip has a pair of interference ribs engaging a pair of side rails to prevent rotational movement of the rack with respect to the dishwasher.

Stable height adjuster mechanism

A rack assembly for an automatic dishwasher having opposing side portions, at least two axles extending outwardly from each of the opposing side portions, and a roller wheel mounted to each axle. Each roller wheel roller wheel has a hub adapted to be fixedly attached to the axle, and a wheel rotatably mounted to the hub. A plurality of separators that define pockets is integrally molded with one of the hub or the wheel. Each pocket is adapted to contain one ball bearing such that no two adjacent ball bearings make contact.

Rack assembly for a dishwasher

In one aspect, a dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and defining an access opening, a dishrack, and a guide rail assembly slidably mounting the dishrack to the tub. The guide rail assembly has a guide rail mounted to the dishrack or to the tub and has upper and lower tracks, which are spaced from each other by a predetermined height, and at least one pair of wheels comprising upper and lower wheels, which are rotatably mounted to the other of the dishrack or the tub.

Dishwasher guide rail assembly

A dish rack is supported for vertical movement relative to a dishwasher tub between lowered and raised positions. To raise the rack, spring biased locking levers provided on side walls of the dish rack are pivoted to cause wing members of the locking levers to release locking tabs, extending in a cantilevered fashion from locking straps secured to the rack, from locking openings provided in adjuster arms which are fixed vertically relative to the tub, thereby disengaging the locking straps from the adjuster arms to enable the rack to be lifted to the raised position. To lower the rack, the locking levers are again pivoted to reposition support members of the locking straps into positions offset from the adjuster arms, thereby enabling the rack to be guided to the lowered position where the locking tabs automatically engage the adjuster arms.

Dishwasher with vertically adjustable dish rack

An apparatus for the rack assembly of a dishwasher that includes opposing side portions, at least two axles extending outwardly from each of the opposing side portions, and a roller wheel mounted to each axle, wherein each roller wheel has ball bearings that enable at least a portion of the roller wheel to rotate about the axle. The rack assembly apparatus may be used for the upper or lower rack of the dishwasher. In case of the lower rack, the assembly may roll on the surface of the door. In case of the upper rack, the assembly may roll along guide rails.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Joseph, MI, United States of America

Matthew M Hansen