DISHWASHER UTILITY BASKET

PANIER TOUT USAGE POUR LAVE-VAISSELLE

English Abstract

A dishwasher utility basket is provided for holding utensils to be washed in a
horizontal orientation. The basket includes a lattice bottom, opposite side
walls, and
opposite end walls. Handles are formed in each of the side walls and end walls
such that
the basket can be picked up by the sides or the ends. Upstanding tines hold
the utensils in
spaced relation for thorough cleaning. Legs on the bottom of the basket
prevent the basket
from sliding within the dishwasher rack. The handles allow the basket to be
easily placed
into the rack and removed from the rack. The basket is also dimensioned so as
to fit within
a standard kitchen cabinet drawer.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A utility basket for holding utensils to be washed in a dishwasher,
comprising: an
elongated tray having a lattice bottom, opposite side walls, and opposite end
walls; a
handle formed in each of the side walls and end walls for lifting the tray by
the sides and by
the ends.
2. The utility basket of claim 1 wherein each handle is defined by an opening
in the
associated side wall and end wall.
3. The utility basket of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of upstanding
dividers
extending across the width of the tray to provide a separate slot for holding
each utensil.
4. The utility basket of claim 3 wherein two rows of dividers are provided
toward each
end of the basket.
5. The utility basket of claim 3 wherein utensils can be placed horizontally
within the
basket.
6. The utility basket of claim 1 wherein the basket is adapted to fit in a
lower rack of
the dishwasher.
7. The utility basket of claim 6 wherein the basket includes legs to engage
the lower
rack and prevent sliding movement of the basket.
8. The utility basket of claim 1 wherein the basket is sized to fit within a
cupboard
drawer.
9. The utility basket of claim 1 wherein the tray holds the utensils in side-
by-side and
end-to-end orientations.
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10. A dishwasher basket for holding utensils to be washed, the utensils having
a utility
end and a handle, the basket comprising: an elongated lattice bottom; side
walls; end walls;
and a plurality of rows of tines extending upwardly from the bottom and
between the side
walls, with a first pair of rows being adjacent one end wall and a second pair
of rows being
adjacent another end wall.
11. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 wherein rows of tines hold the utensils
in side-
by-side and end-to-end orientations.
12. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 wherein the tines hold the utensils in a
horizontal orientation.
13. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 wherein the side walls and end walls are
dimensioned such that the basket is adapted to fit within a standard kitchen
cabinet drawer.
14. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 wherein the basket is adapted to fit in
a lower
rack of the dishwasher.
15. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 wherein the basket is adapted to be
received
within a rack of the dishwasher, and further comprising legs extending
downwardly from
the bottom to engage the rack and prevent sliding of the basket.
16. The dishwasher basket of claim 10 further comprising a handle formed on
each side
wall and each end wall.
17. The dishwasher basket of claim 16 wherein the handles are defined by
openings in
the associated side and end walls.
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Description

CA 02445170 2003-10-16
TITLE: DISHWASHER UTILITY BASKET
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dishwasher utility baskets are well-known for holding utensils to be washed.
The
most common baskets hang on a sidewall of one of the racks, and hold the
utensils in an
upright orientation for washing. One problem with such upright baskets is the
nesting of
silverware, particularly spoons, which may prevent thorough cleaning. Also,
utensils can
be overloaded in the upright baskets, which also inhibits cleaning.
Flat utility baskets are also known, which typically sit within or upon a rack
and
hold the utensils in a horizontal orientation for washing. Such horizontal
utility baskets or
trays may include tines or other dividers to separate the utensils so that the
utensils are not
laying upon each other. The shallow depth of such horizontal baskets typically
precludes
the use of handles for easily removing the basket, as is common on upright
baskets.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is an improved
dishwasher
utility basket.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved
dishwasher utility basket which holds utensils in a horizontal disposition.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved
dishwasher utility basket which maximizes the number of utensils that can be
received and
holds the utensils separate from one another for thorough cleaning.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an
improved
horizontally disposed dishwasher utility basket having handles for easy
removal of the
loaded basket from the dishwasher.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved
dishwasher utility basket adapted to be received on the lowest dishwasher
rack.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved
dishwasher utility basket that fits into a standard kitchen cabinet drawer.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved
dishwasher utility basket which is economical to manufacture and durable in
use.

CA 02445170 2003-10-16
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description
of
the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The dishwasher utility basket of the present invention comprises an elongated
tray
S having a lattice bottom, opposite side walls, and opposite end walls, with
handles formed
in each of the side walls and each of the end walls for lifting the tray for
removal from a
dishwasher rack. The handles are defined by openings in the respective side
walls and end
walls. The tray includes a plurality of upstanding dividers extending across
the width of
the tray to provide slots for holding each utensil. Preferably, two rows of
dividers are
provided toward each end of the basket such that two rows of utensils can be
held in spaced
relation to one another for thorough cleaning in the basket. The basket is
adapted to be
received on a lower rack of the dishwasher. Legs are provided on the bottom of
the basket
to engage with the dishwasher rack to prevent sliding movement of the basket
as the rack is
moved in and out of the dishwashing chamber. The basket is sized to fit within
a standard
kitchen cupboard drawer, such that the basket can be removed from the
dishwasher and
placed fully loaded into the drawer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dishwasher having the utility basket of
the
present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the utility basket.
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the utility basket.
Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the utility basket.
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the utility basket.
Figure 6 is an end elevation view of the utility basket.
DETAILED DESCRIPT10N OF THE INVENTION
A dishwasher of the present invention is generally designated by the reference
numeral 10. The dishwasher 10 includes a washing chamber 12 and a door 14
movable
between open and closed positions relative to the washing chamber 12. The
dishwasher 10
includes an upper rack 16, a middle rack 18, and a lower rack 20. The upper
and middle

CA 02445170 2003-10-16
racks 16, 18 include upstanding tines for holding plates, bowls, glasses and
the like in
spaced relation for cleaning. Preferably, the lower rack 20 does not include
tines, so as to
be substantially open.
The above construction of the dishwasher 10 and racks 16, 18 and 20 is
conventional and does not constitute a part of the present invention.
The present invention is directed towards a utility basket or tray 22 adapted
to hold
utensils and similar objects. The utility basket 22 includes a lattice bottom
24, opposite
side walls 26, and opposite ends walls 28. Handles 30 are formed in each of
the side walls
26, and handles 32 are formed in each of the end walls 28. The handles 30, 32
are defined
by openings 34, 36 in the respective side and end walls 26, 28.
The utility basket 22 includes a plurality of upstanding tines or dividers 38
to hold
and separate the utensils for thorough cleaning. The separators 38 prevent
nesting of the
utensils which inhibits cleaning. Preferably, a first pair of tine rows 40, 42
are provided
adjacent one end wall 28, and another pair of tine rows 44, 46 are provided
adjacent the
opposite end wall 28, as best seen in Figure 2. Thus, separate rows of
utensils can be
placed at each end of the basket 22.
The basket 22 is adapted to be received within the lower rack 20 of the
dishwasher
10. Placement in the lower rack 20 is preferred over either the upper rack 16
or the middle
rack 18, since the best cleaning action is achieved near the bottom of the
washing chamber
12. The basket includes a plurality of short legs 48 extending downwardly from
the lattice
bottom 24 so as to prevent the basket 22 from sliding in the lower rack 20.
The handles 30, 32 allow the rack to be picked up on either the sides or the
ends.
The basket 22 can be loaded on a countertop or in a sink and then easily
placed within the
lower rack 20 for washing of the utensils. After cleaning, the basket 22 can
be removed
from the lower rack 20 and unloaded adjacent the kitchen cabinet drawer. Also,
the basket
22 is dimensioned so as to fit within a standard kitchen cabinet drawer,
without unloading.
The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred
embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and
additions
may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention.
From the
foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all
of its stated
objectives.
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Representative Drawing