IP Library Granted Patent US 7,032,604
Granted Patent B2
US 7,032,604 · App. 10/156,414 · Granted Apr 25, 2006

Three rack dishwasher

Assignee: Maytag Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,032,604
App. No.
10/156,414
Granted
Apr 25, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

An improved dishwasher is provided with a lower rack, a middle rack, and an upper rack. Each rack has a spray arm associated therewith. A fourth spray arm may also be provided for enhanced cleaning of objects in the racks. The lower rack is a low profile tineless rack for holding flat and shallow objects. The middle and upper racks have bottom portions sloping in opposite directions so as to accommodate larger items, such as dinner plates, in each rack. The middle and upper racks are independently vertically adjustable with respect to one another.

Claims (50)

1. A dishwasher comprising:

a lower rack;

a middle rack;

an upper rack;

wherein the middle and upper racks each being rectangular and each having opposite sides with lower edges located at different elevations so as to define sloped bottoms;

a rotatable lower spray arm associated with the lower rack;

a rotatable middle spray arm associated with the middle rack; and

a rotatable upper spray arm associated with the upper rack.

2. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the spray arms are located beneath the respective racks and are spaced in close proximity to the respective racks.

3. The dishwasher of claim 2 further comprising a fourth spray arm located above the upper rack.

4. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the lower rack is without tines.

5. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the sloped bottoms include a plurality of steps.

6. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the bottoms of the middle and upper racks are sloped in opposite directions.

7. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein the middle and upper spray arms are sloped substantially similarly to the slope of the bottoms of the middle and upper racks, respectively.

8. The dishwasher of claim 1 wherein each of the middle and upper racks are vertically adjustable, independent of one another.

9. A dishwasher comprising:

a washing chamber;

a lower rack;

a middle rack;

an upper rack;

the racks each extending substantially across the washing chamber;

the middle and upper racks, each being rectangular and each having opposite sides with lower edges located at different elevations so as to define bottoms sloped in opposite directions from one another.

10. The dishwasher of claim 9 further comprising lower, middle and upper spray arms associated with the lower, middle and upper racks, respectively.

11. The dishwasher of claim 10 wherein the spray arms are located beneath the respective racks and are spaced in close proximity to the respective racks.

12. The dishwasher of claim 10 further comprising a fourth spray arm located above the upper rack.

13. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the lower rack is without tines.

14. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein each of the middle and upper racks are vertically adjustable, independent of one another.

15. The dishwasher of claim 9 wherein the middle and upper spray arms are sloped substantially similarly to the slope of the bottoms of the middle and upper racks, respectively.

16. A dishwasher comprising:

a flat lower rack without tines;

a middle rack;

an upper rack,

the middle and upper racks being rectangular and each having opposite sides with lower edges located at different elevations so that the racks are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane; and

the upper rack being positioned over the middle rack.

17. A dishwasher of claim 16 further comprising a lower spray arm, a middle spray arm, an upper spray arm, the lower, middle and upper spray arms being associated with the lower, middle and upper racks, respectively.

18. The dishwasher of claim 17 wherein the spray arms are located beneath the respective racks and are spaced in close proximity to the respective racks.

19. The dishwasher of claim 18 wherein the middle and upper racks are inclined in opposite directions.

20. The dishwasher of claim 19 wherein the middle and upper spray arms are inclined substantially similarly to the incline of the bottoms of the middle and upper racks, respectively.

21. The dishwasher of claim 18 further comprising a fourth spray arm located above the upper rack.

22. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein each of the middle and upper racks are vertically adjustable, independent of one another.

23. The dishwasher of claim 16 wherein the middle and upper racks have inclined portions which are stepped.

24. A dishwasher comprising:

a wash chamber;

a pair of rectangular racks positioned one above the other, and each having opposite sides with lower edges located at different elevations so as to define sloped bottoms; and

the bottoms being sloped in opposite directions.

25. The dishwasher of claim 24 further comprising spray arms located beneath each of the racks, and each spray arm being sloped to match the slope of the adjacent rack bottom portion.

26. The dishwasher of claim 24 further comprising a third rack beneath the pair of racks.

27. The dishwasher of claim 24 wherein each bottom has a plurality of steps.

28. The dishwasher of claim 24 wherein the racks each extend substantially across the wash chamber.

29. The dishwasher of claim 24 wherein the racks each roll into and out of the wash chamber.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTION OF ERROR IN RECORDED COVER SHEET Recorded Aug 1, 2003
From: WELCH, RODNEY M.
To: MAYTAG CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 013853/0083 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2002
From: WELCH, RODNEY M.
To: MAYTAG
Reel/Frame 012871/0899 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20030226580A1 · Dec 11, 2003