Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Nicola Sartori

Jeffrey J Krieger

Daniele Turetta

Bruno Minniti

An appliance door latch system is provided that automatically aligns latching components each time an appliance door is closed with a pre-latching catch alignment system. The pre-latching catch alignment system may include a floating catch carrier that is deflected by a door-mounted latch feature to passively reposition a catch to properly align with the striker assembly.

Appliance door latch system with pre-latching catch alignment system

A height adjusting device for shelves of appliances, in particular for dishwasher racks, has a pivoting stop element that can swing on its own weight between an engaged and disengaged position about a pivot point attached to a support. The stop element, when in the engaged position, interacts with a bracket on a shelf as it is raised with respect to the support to engage stop seats on that bracket to set the rack to a given height. When the rack is fully raised, a feature of the bracket tips the pivoting stop element to the disengaged position so that the rack may be lowered.

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Comerio, Italy

Nicola Sartori