Abstract
A storage system for use in a habitat includes at least one compartment housing one or more kitchen item cubbies which are individually and separately sprayed with fluid, and are connected to at least one conduit operably disposed in the habitat to receive and convey fluid to or from the compartment and can be independently operated manually or automatically.
Claims
1. A storage system for use in a habitat, which includes: at least one compartment housing one or more kitchen item cubbies which are individually and separately sprayed with fluid, and are connected to at least one conduit operably disposed in the habitat to receive and convey fluid to or from said compartment.
2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said cubby is configured with at least one device to control the direction of fluid flow as it enters said compartment.
3. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said cubby is configured with at least one device to control the direction of fluid flow as it exits said cubby.
4. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said cubby is configured with at least one device to control the velocity of fluid flow as it enters said compartment.
5. The storage system of claim 1, which includes at least two said conduits, wherein one said conduit is delivering one of fluid and air and interconnects to one of a fluid source and air source and another said conduit takes one of said fluid and said air from said cubby to a disposal area.
6. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said delivering fluid line is operably connected to a fluid/air temperature altering device for altering the temperature of the fluid and or air delivered to the cubby.
7. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said cubby is configured to retain a kitchen item.
8. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said kitchen item is one of a utensil, dish, cup, glass, vegetable and meat.
9. The storage system of claim 1, which further includes a valve connected to said conduit for controlling flow therethrough.
10. The storage system of claim 9, wherein said valve is one of manually and automatically actuated.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0056] FIG. 1 depicts plate, bowl, and cup compartments (from left to right) laid out in a cabinet form (vertical plane compartment layout) 49. Three delivery fluid lines 16 and one drainage conduit 18 connect each compartment 12 to a sink area 63 in a traditional countertop unit 62. In the depicted embodiment, cups are positioned upside down, and bowls and plates are positioned on their side. Depicts a frontal view.
[0057] FIG. 2 is the see-through version of FIG. 1. The dotted lines inside the compartments show plates, bowls, and cups 23 as well as the dish retainers, which suspend the dishes in their compartments.
[0058] FIG. 3 depicts an isometric view of FIG. 1. Notice the cabinets are only one compartment 12 deep, making them shallower than traditional wooden cabinets.
[0059] FIG. 4 depicts a right side view of FIG. 1.
[0060] FIG. 5 depicts FIG. 2, except from an overhead view. Access point handles 26 can be clearly seen, as well as the sink 63 or disposal area where drainage conduit 18 flows into.
[0061] FIG. 6 is the see-through version of FIG. 5. The dotted lines depict outlines of the dishes and dish retainers inside each compartment.
[0062] FIG. 7 depicts a closeup of the compartment system of FIG. 1 excluding the countertop and sink. Note that this layout does not need to be located over a sink and countertop. It can be embedded into the wall itself or located anywhere with access to fluid line(s) 16 and a disposal area.
[0063] FIG. 8 depicts a see-through version of FIG. 7 with empty compartments. Since each compartment 12 is empty, the kitchen item retainers 24 inside are clearly visible.
[0064] FIG. 9 depicts FIG. 8, except with compartments filled with dishes instead of empty.
[0065] FIG. 10 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 7.
[0066] FIG. 11 depicts the right side view of FIG. 7.
[0067] FIG. 12 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 11. Notice the shower head wall grooves 59 in this embodiment, illustrated by the dotted concentric circles.
[0068] FIG. 13 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 7.
[0069] FIG. 14 depicts the overhead see-through view of FIG. 7 with empty cabinets.
[0070] FIG. 15 depicts the overhead see-through view of FIG. 7 with cabinets filled with kitchen items 23.
[0071] FIG. 16 depicts the bottom view of FIG. 7. Notice the delivering fluid lines 16 forking off to each compartment 12.
[0072] FIG. 17 depicts FIG. 7, except with some compartments 12 missing. This illustrates the ability for compartments to be removable and modular, docking and undocking from the backend (frame, delivery fluid lines 16, drainage conduit 18, electrical connection etc.). This way layouts can be customized, and faulty compartments can be removed and repaired or replaced.
[0073] FIG. 18 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 17.
[0074] FIG. 19 depicts a frontal view of the delivery fluid lines 16 and drainage conduits 18 of FIG. 7, without the compartments 12.
[0075] FIG. 20 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 19.
[0076] FIG. 21 depicts nine cup compartments 12 with single compartment hinge lid access points 20 laid out in a vertical plane compartment layout 49. The compartments 12 are filled with cups 23, shown by the dotted lines.
[0077] FIG. 22 depicts the isometric non see-through view of FIG. 21.
[0078] FIG. 23 depicts the frontal view of nine bowl compartments 12 with single compartment hinge lid access points 20 laid out in a vertical plane compartment layout 49.
[0079] FIG. 24 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 23, showing bowls 23 inside with the dotted lines.
[0080] FIG. 25 depicts the isometric see-through view of FIG. 23, with empty compartments 12. The shower head wall grooves 59 are clearly visible in each compartment shown by the dotted lines.
[0081] FIG. 26 depicts a side view of FIG. 23. Notice the three delivering fluid line stem connectors 58 connected to each compartment 12.
[0082] FIG. 27 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 26. The shower head wall grooves 59 can be clearly seen, as well as each compartment's interface housing 45, access point handles 26, and kitchen item retainers 24. Also notice the slight slope 11 of each compartment 12 floor leading to the compartment drainage opening 15.
[0083] FIG. 28 depicts the frontal view of ten plate compartments 12 with single compartment drawer access points 19 laid out in a vertical plane compartment layout 49.
[0084] FIG. 29 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 28 with compartments 12 filled with kitchen items 23.
[0085] FIG. 30 depicts FIG. 28, except with one compartment sliding drawer 53 open (bottom row, second from the right). Notice the open compartment appears elevated slightly from a frontal view, due to the sloped floor 11 of the compartment 12.
[0086] FIG. 31 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 28.
[0087] FIG. 32 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 30.
[0088] FIG. 33 depicts the multi-view orthographic projection of a closed cup compartment 12 with a single compartment hinge lid access point 20. In this embodiment, cups 23 are stored upside-down. This embodiment also has three fluid line stem connectors 58 attached to an interface housing 45 at the front of the compartment 12. This particular interface consists of a wash button 41, a rinse button 42, a temperature control knob 43 with a small screen 44 to display the compartment's current temperature or other information.
[0089] FIG. 34 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 33 filled with cups. See the shower head wall grooves 59 on the floor, wall and ceiling of the compartment 12. In this embodiment, fluids spray up from the floor and down from the ceiling of the compartment through cone shaped nozzle holes 30 towards the cup 23.
[0090] FIG. 35 depicts FIG. 33, except a cup 23 is inside the compartment 12 and the compartment hinge lid 20 is open. Notice with this cup compartment hinge lid design, the lid does not need to swing open the full 90 degrees (only about 25-50 degrees) for the cup to be retrieved or dropped.
[0091] FIG. 36 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 35. Notice in this embodiment the kitchen item retainer 24 holding the cup consist of just two wires protruding from the hinge lid.
[0092] FIG. 37 depicts the multi-view orthographic projection of a closed bowl compartment 12 with a single compartment hinge lid access point 20.
[0093] FIG. 38 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 37, with empty compartments.
[0094] FIG. 39 depicts FIG. 37, except the compartment hinge lid 20 is open and the compartment 12 is empty. Notice in this embodiment, the kitchen item retainer 24 is more complex, consisting of a rolling frame that slides forwards and backwards as the lid opens and closes.
[0095] FIG. 40 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 39.
[0096] FIG. 41 depicts FIG. 39, except the compartment 12 contains a bowl 23. Notice how the rolling cage 24 holds the bowl, and slides in and out of the compartment 12 as the hinge lid 20 is opened and closed.
[0097] FIG. 42 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 41.
[0098] FIG. 43 depicts a close up isometric view of a closed bowl compartment 12. Notice the interface housing 45 with a wash button 41, a rinse button 42, and a temperature control knob 43 with a screen 44 to display temperature. Also notice the little handle 26 on the top of the hinge lid 20.
[0099] FIG. 44 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 43. Notice the hollow shower head wall grooves 59 visible as concentric circles on the left and right walls.
[0100] FIG. 45 depicts FIG. 43, except with the hinge lid 20 in the open position and the compartment 12 empty. Notice the kitchen item retainer 24 structure on wheels which rolls out onto the lid, and outside the compartment 12 as the lid is opened. Notice the tiny circles visible on the far inside wall of the compartment. These are the cone shaped spray holes 30. FIG. 46 shows the interior structure of the wall behind the spray holes 30.
[0101] FIG. 46 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 45.
[0102] FIG. 47 depicts FIG. 45, except filled with a bowl.
[0103] FIG. 48 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 47.
[0104] FIG. 49 depicts a right side see-through view of the bowl compartment of FIG. 43. The compartment 12 is empty and closed.
[0105] FIG. 50 depicts the compartment of FIG. 49, except the compartment lid 20 is open.
[0106] FIG. 51 depicts a right side view of the bowl compartment of FIG. 43, with an open lid 20 and a bowl 23 in the kitchen item retainer 24 cart. Notice the advantage of a rotating bottom hinge lid design 20 over a drawer design 19, is that the access area is larger since both the front side and top side are unblocked. Drawers can only be accessed from the top side, not the front side. This is why drawers are more suited for waist level and below (e.g. below countertop), and cabinets are more suited for higher levels (e.g. above countertop).
[0107] FIG. 52 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 51. Note that the fluid direction control device 48 (e.g. solenoid valve) is in the interface housing 45 connecting the fluid line stem connectors 58 with the interface buttons and knobs 41, 42, 43.
[0108] FIG. 53 depicts the multi-view orthographic projection of a plate compartment 12 with a single compartment drawer access point 19. Notice the U-shaped handle 26 on the front door of the compartment and the interface 45 similar to the interface in FIG. 33.
[0109] FIG. 54 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 53.
[0110] FIG. 55 depicts FIG. 53, except with the drawer 53 in the open state and empty. Notice the slope of the drawer 11 in the side views, for fluids to be directed into the compartment drainage opening 15.
[0111] FIG. 56 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 55. Notice the grooves in the walls 59 for fluids to travel.
[0112] FIG. 57 depicts FIG. 55, except there is a plate 23 loaded and sitting in the open drawer's kitchen item retainer 24.
[0113] FIG. 58 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 57.
[0114] FIG. 59 depicts a frontal view of a set of compartments 12 oriented in a horizontal line layout 50. The hinge lid 20 is missing from this drawing to showcase the dishes inside the compartments.
[0115] FIG. 60 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 59.
[0116] FIG. 61 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 59.
[0117] FIG. 62 depicts the right side view of FIG. 59.
[0118] FIG. 63 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 59.
[0119] FIG. 64 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 63.
[0120] FIG. 65 depicts a close up of the countertop embodiment of FIG. 59, excluding the traditional countertop 62 and sink 63. The hinge lids 20 are visible and in the closed position in this figure.
[0121] FIG. 66 depicts a see-through version of FIG. 65, with all the compartments empty.
[0122] FIG. 67 depicts a see-through version of FIG. 65, with all the compartments 12 filled with dishes 23.
[0123] FIG. 68 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 65.
[0124] FIG. 69 depicts the left side view of FIG. 65. Notice how in this design, the fluid lines and valves 48 forking off the delivering fluid line 16 can be positioned at different angles. Also notice the drainage assistance valve (left bottommost valve) 48, which flushes out any lodged debris down the drainage conduit 18.
[0125] FIG. 70 depicts an overhead see-through view of FIG. 65, with empty compartments 12. The drainage assistance valve 48 is the leftmost valve in the drawing. The dotted outlines of the kitchen item retainers 24 can also be seen in this drawing.
[0126] FIG. 71 depicts FIG. 70, except with filled compartments.
[0127] FIG. 72 depicts the back view of FIG. 65.
[0128] FIG. 73 depicts a shared compartment 14 designed to house multiple smaller items such as utensils or straws 23. The compartment's shared hinge lid access point 21 (side hinge door) is open, and the compartments are empty. Two fluid line stem connectors 58 are visible, one connected to each double-sided wall on the left and right side. The fluid line stem connectors connect to a T connector which then connects to a valve 48 and then the delivering fluid line 16. This shared compartment 14 is a unique variation to all other compartments, since it contains more than one item. All items in the compartment are sprayed at the same time. Admittedly, this design does bring back the very type of bottleneck this invention is trying to avoid. For example if all the forks are currently being washed, users will need to wait for the mini wash cycle to complete before being able to open the lid and grab a fork. Users will likely also wait to complete a wash cycle until all or most of the forks inside are dirty. Clean forks may also be washed several times again. However, this variation is still contemplated to reduce the number of separate compartments, valves and connectors required for small items. This added simplicity may be worth the pain point of a small bottleneck. Of course it's also possible for each small item (e.g. fork, butter knife, straw) to have its own compartment 12, such as the straw compartment shown in FIG. 59.
[0129] FIG. 74 depicts FIG. 73, except that the shared items compartment 14 is filled with utensils 23.
[0130] FIG. 75 depicts a right side see-through view of the FIG. 73 with empty compartments. Notice each compartment 14 has two cone shaped nozzle holes 30, which are all connected to one shared groove pathway 59 in the shower head wall. Typically two or more compartments cannot be connected to the same valve, but this variation makes that exception for reasons explained in FIG. 73. The sloped floor 11 of the compartment and the compartment drainage opening 15 are also shown in this drawing.
[0131] FIG. 76 depicts FIG. 75, except the shared items compartment 14 is filled with spoons 23. This helps to visualize where the cone spray nozzles 30 could make contact on a utensil 23.
[0132] FIG. 77 depicts an isolated close up view of the large utensil compartments 12 shown in FIG. 59. The lids are missing in this drawing to showcase the dishes 23 and other internal elements. This drawing helps to illustrate that a large variety of kitchen items-beyond just the basic cups, bowls, plates, and regular utensils-can have their own compartments as well.
[0133] FIG. 78 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 77. Dotted outlines of the cross-shaped shower head wall grooves 59 are visible as well as the fluid line stem connectors 58 connecting to each cross. Five cone-shaped nozzles 30 are cut into the bottom interior wall of each compartment-one on each of the four corners of the cross and one in the center. The compartments' kitchen item retainers 24 consist of the squiggly wires at the base of each utensil, and the horizontal dowels passing through the compartments above.
[0134] FIG. 79 depicts an isolated close up view of the compartment 12 housing a whisk 23 in FIG. 77. The side hinge lid 20 and whisk are visible, and the lid is in the open position.
[0135] FIG. 80 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 79 with the lid 20 in the closed position.
[0136] FIG. 81 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 79.
[0137] FIG. 82 depicts the right side see-through view of FIG. 80.
[0138] FIG. 83 depicts the frontal view of a single cup compartment 12 of FIG. 59, with an open lid 20 and a cup inside. Notice the single vertical fluid line stem connector 58.
[0139] FIG. 84 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 83.
[0140] FIG. 85 depicts the frontal view of a single bowl compartment 12 of FIG. 59, with an open lid 20 and a bowl 23 inside. Notice the double horizontal fluid line stem connectors 58.
[0141] FIG. 86 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 85.
[0142] FIG. 87 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 85, with a closed lid 20.
[0143] FIG. 88 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 87.
[0144] FIG. 89 depicts the right side view of FIG. 88.
[0145] FIG. 90 depicts the frontal view of a single plate compartment 12 of FIG. 59, with an open lid 20 and a plate 23 inside. Notice the tall thin shape of the compartment and double horizontal fluid line stem connectors 58.
[0146] FIG. 91 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 90.
[0147] FIG. 92 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 91 with a closed lid 20.
[0148] FIG. 93 depicts the right side view of FIG. 92.
[0149] FIG. 94 depicts the isometric view of an in-sink design laid out in a horizontal grid formation 51 with a shared hinge lid access point 21. The lid is open and the shared items compartment 14 is filled with kitchen items 23.
[0150] FIG. 95 depicts the same kitchen storage system 10 from FIG. 94, without the traditional countertop 62 or sink 63 included in the drawing. Notice the compartments 14 in this embodiment are not removable or modular. Rather each compartment is permanently attached to the others around it, sharing walls.
[0151] FIG. 96 depicts the isolated shared items compartment 14 of FIG. 95, with no dishes 23, fluid delivery lines 16, or spinning sprayers 57. The kitchen item retainers 24 are visible along with the drainage conduits 18 running through the bottom center of each row. Notice these compartments are not removable, they are fixed and attached to one another, sharing walls.
[0152] FIG. 97 depicts a right side see-through view of FIG. 95. The slope 11 of each drain conduit 18 and some of the spinning spray arms 57 can be seen with the dotted lines. The fluid velocity altering device 38 and temperature altering device 40 are also visible.
[0153] FIG. 98 depicts an overhead see-through view of FIG. 95.
[0154] FIG. 99 depicts the internal components of FIG. 95 without the shared items compartment 14. This includes the delivering fluid line 16, solenoid valves 48, spinning sprayers 57, fluid velocity altering device 38, fluid temperature altering device 40, soap tank 37, soap injector 39, and central processing unit 36.
[0155] FIG. 100 depicts FIG. 99 except with kitchen items 23 in place to visualize how the spinning sprayers 57 are positioned either beside or underneath each dish 23. Notice the angled nozzles 30 on the spinning sprayers 57.
[0156] FIG. 101 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 100.
[0157] FIG. 102 depicts a frontal view of a vertical plane drawer layout 52 kitchen storage system 10, which consists of a grid of sliding drawers 53, each functioning as a separate drawer access point 19.
[0158] FIG. 103 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 102.
[0159] FIG. 104 depicts FIG. 103, except with five sliding drawers 53 open. The open sliding drawers house utensils, mugs, bowls, plates, and a pot 23.
[0160] FIG. 105 depicts a right side view of FIG. 104. Notice the slope 11 of the drainage conduit 18 at the base of each sliding drawer 53.
[0161] FIG. 106 depicts the see-through view of FIG. 105.
[0162] FIG. 107 depicts the same kitchen storage system 10 in FIG. 102, without the traditional countertop 62 visible.
[0163] FIG. 108 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 107.
[0164] FIG. 109 depicts FIG. 104, except without the traditional countertop 62 visible.
[0165] FIG. 110 depicts a side see-through view of FIG. 108.
[0166] FIG. 111 depicts a side view of FIG. 109.
[0167] FIG. 112 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 111.
[0168] FIG. 113 depicts the shell of the kitchen storage system 10 of FIG. 108, with all but the bowl drawer 53 hidden from view. The bowl drawer access point 19 is open and the internal horizontal shelf 55 is visible. The horizontal shelf housing 55 contains one or more sliding drawer housings 54, which each contain a sliding drawer compartment 53. The sliding drawer compartment contains one or more partitions, each containing a kitchen item 23 (in this case a bowl). Fluid delivery lines 16 and valves 48 can also be seen, as well as nozzle holes 30 connected to the internal wall grooves 59.
[0169] FIG. 114 depicts the shell of the embodiment of FIG. 108, with just one internal horizontal shelf 55 visible. In this drawing a matrix of valves 48, delivering fluid lines 16, and drainage conduits 18 are visible, which run under, behind and around the drawers. In the bottom right corner or the drawing the central control units are visible, including the fluid velocity altering device 38, fluid temperature altering device 40, soap tank 37, soap injector 39, and central processing unit 36.
[0170] FIG. 115 depicts an isolated close up of the utensil drawers of FIG. 108, both in the open position. The smaller sliding drawer 53 on the left houses regular utensils 23 (forks, spoons, knives), and the larger sliding drawer 53 on the right houses larger kitchen utensils 23 (spatula, whisk, tongs, salad fork, salad spoon, cutting knife, metal spatula).
[0171] FIG. 116 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 115.
[0172] FIG. 117 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 115, except with the drawer closed.
[0173] FIG. 118 depicts the overhead view FIG. 115.
[0174] FIG. 119 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 118.
[0175] FIG. 120 depicts FIG. 119, except with the drawer closed.
[0176] FIG. 121 depicts the right side view of FIG. 115.
[0177] FIG. 122 depicts an isolated close up of the cup drawers of FIG. 108, all three sliding drawers 53 are in the open position. Note that despite being a subset of FIG. 108, this drawer unit on its own could be considered a kitchen storage system 10 oriented in a vertical plane drawer layout 52.
[0178] FIG. 123 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 122.
[0179] FIG. 124 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 122.
[0180] FIG. 125 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 124.
[0181] FIG. 126 depicts FIG. 125 with the drawer closed.
[0182] FIG. 127 depicts a left side see-through view of FIG. 122.
[0183] FIG. 128 depicts an isolated close up of the mug drawer 53 and water bottle drawer 53 of FIG. 108. Both drawers are in the open position.
[0184] FIG. 129 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 128.
[0185] FIG. 130 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 128.
[0186] FIG. 131 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 130.
[0187] FIG. 132 depicts FIG. 131 with the drawer closed.
[0188] FIG. 133 depicts a right side view of FIG. 128.
[0189] FIG. 134 depicts an isolated close up of the bowl and tupperware drawers of FIG. 108. All sliding drawers 53 are in the closed position.
[0190] FIG. 135 depicts FIG. 134, except with all bowl and tupperware drawers 53 in the open position.
[0191] FIG. 136 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 135.
[0192] FIG. 137 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 136.
[0193] FIG. 138 depicts the right side see-through view of FIG. 134.
[0194] FIG. 139 depicts the right side see-through view of FIG. 135.
[0195] FIG. 140 depicts a frontal view of the plate, pot, and pan drawers of FIG. 108. These are the bottommost and largest drawers in that embodiment. All drawers are in the closed position.
[0196] FIG. 141 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 140, filled with dishes.
[0197] FIG. 142 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 140 with all drawers open.
[0198] FIG. 143 depicts the overhead view of FIG. 142.
[0199] FIG. 144 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 143. In the top right corner of the drawing there is extra space for the control units 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. In this embodiment, the pot and pan are just single drawers in order to make room for this control unit behind them.
[0200] FIG. 145 depicts the right side view of FIG. 142.
[0201] FIG. 146 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 145.
[0202] FIG. 147 depicts the right side see-through view of FIG. 140, filled with dishes 23.
[0203] FIG. 148 depicts an exploded view of the various components that make up a shared drawer system for cups. These include the sliding drawer 53, the drawer housing 54, the fluid delivery lines 16, and solenoid valves 48. The solenoid valves and input fluid lines are housed inside the drawer housing on the bottom, underneath the drawer housing drainage slope 11.
[0204] FIG. 149 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 148.
[0205] FIG. 150 depicts an exploded view of the various components that make up a shared drawer system for bowls. The bowls are sitting inside the sliding drawer 53.
[0206] FIG. 151 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 150.
[0207] FIG. 152 depicts an exploded view of the various components that make up a shared drawer system for plates 23.
[0208] FIG. 153 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 152.
[0209] FIG. 154 depicts the frontal see-through view of an empty cup compartment 12. The shower head wall grooves 59 in the top and bottom walls as well as the right side wall can be seen, along with the cone shaped nozzle holes 30. The fluid line stem connector 58 is also visible.
[0210] FIG. 155 depicts an isometric view of FIG. 154. In this view the path for the fluids to travel from the bottom wall through the grooves 59 up the side wall to the top wall can be clearly seen.
[0211] FIG. 156 depicts the frontal see-through view of an empty bowl compartment 12. The shower head wall grooves 59 in the left and right walls are visible, along with several cone shaped nozzle holes 30. Two fluid line stem connectors 58 are also visible.
[0212] FIG. 157 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 156.
[0213] FIG. 158 depicts the side view of a single shower head wall piece. The fluid line stem connector 58, grooves 59, and cone shaped nozzles 30 are all visible.
[0214] FIG. 159 depicts an exploded view of the example wall in FIG. 158.
[0215] FIG. 160 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 159.
[0216] FIG. 161 depicts the multi-view orthographic projection of FIG. 158 (not see-through).
[0217] FIG. 162 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 161.
[0218] FIG. 163 depicts one embodiment of the spinning dish cleaning method. In this embodiment the kitchen item 23 (in this case a bowl) is placed upside down on a rotating kitchen item retainer 24, which sits on top of a thrust bearing 60. Two static spray nozzles 30 (typically with a flat spray pattern) target both sides of the bowl 23 from the top and bottom at a slight angle, causing the bowl to spin.
[0219] FIG. 164 depicts another embodiment of the spinning dish cleaning method. In this design, the bowl 23 sits on top of wheel bearings 61, which allow the bowl to freely spin in place when sprayed by the static spray nozzles 30.
[0220] FIG. 165 depicts an isometric view of a compartment 12 with a rotating lid access point 22 in the closed position.
[0221] FIG. 166 depicts the compartment of FIG. 165, but with the rotating lid 22 partially open and a bowl 23 inside. Notice the kitchen item retainer 24 is connected to the rotating lid.
[0222] FIG. 167 depicts the compartment of FIG. 165, but with the rotating lid 22 in the open position.
[0223] FIG. 168 depicts a left side see-through view of FIG. 165. The lid is closed, meaning there is an opening between the compartment and the drainage conduit area.
[0224] FIG. 169 depicts FIG. 168, except with the lid 22 partially open. Notice the compartment 12 has partial access to the drainage opening area 15.
[0225] FIG. 170 depicts FIG. 168, except with the lid 22 fully open. Notice how the lid 22 conveniently blocks the compartment drainage opening 15 when the lid is in the open position.
[0226] FIG. 171 depicts a cylindrical compartment 12 with a rotating lid 22 in the closed position.
[0227] FIG. 172 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 171. Notice the drainage conduit opening 15 is unblocked.
[0228] FIG. 173 depicts the compartment of FIG. 171 with the rotating lid 22 in the open position. Notice the drainage opening 15 is conveniently blocked when the rotating lid 22 is open. The kitchen item retainers 24 are also visible along with a static spray nozzle 30.
[0229] FIG. 174 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 173.
[0230] FIG. 175 depicts a frontal view of a spinning nozzle sprayer 57, shaped like a disc.
[0231] FIG. 176 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 175.
[0232] FIG. 177 depicts the isometric view of FIG. 175.
[0233] FIG. 178 depicts the see-through version of FIG. 177.
[0234] FIG. 179 is a schematic illustrating a current task cycle performed within a kitchen. The current dishwashing cycle using a normal dishwasher. Notice the many bottlenecks and additional tasks that are needed for the user to complete compared to FIG. 180. Each location (cabinet, sink, and dishwasher) represents a separate bottleneck, where dishes accumulate over time, creating more future work for the user.
[0235] FIG. 180 is a schematic illustrating a current task cycle performed within a kitchen using the invention. An improved dishwashing cycle for doing the dishes and managing a kitchen. This flow is much simpler. Users can drop a dirty dish or pick up a clean dish whenever they desire with no additional bottlenecks in the system. Food or drinks can also be grabbed and dropped off in these compartments, and the compartments can be rinsed when they are full with food (ex: vegetables) or washed out when they are empty. To summarize, the sink is the first bottleneck where dishes tend to accumulate. Depending on user competence, dishes are moved from the sink into the dishwasher in intervals. This process must be repeated until the dishwasher is adequately full to be worth starting. This incentivizes users to use more dishes than they need, just to fill a big box (the dishwasher). Then users must wait, and return back to the task (which takes additional energy and inertia) of unloading the dishwasher back into the cabinets. Compare that system with the proposed system, where users simply drop a dirty dish into a stack or a compartment, and pick it up after a few minutes when the machine is finished. Note, not all dishes will always be used at once, so most of the time a compartment with a clean dish will be waiting and ready to go (meaning the user won't need to wait for the dish they just dropped to finish, they can just grab another one).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0236] Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a kitchen storage system. Which is generally designated with the numeral 10. The kitchen storage system 10 includes one or more compartments responsible for storing kitchen item(s) 23. Three types of compartments are contemplated: fixed single item compartment 12, fixed shared items compartment 14, and sliding drawer compartment 53. Fixed shared items compartment 14 and sliding drawer compartment 53 can house more than one kitchen item 23 separated by partitions. Each individual storage space for a kitchen item 23 is called a kitchen item cubby 27. There can be no more than one kitchen item 23 per kitchen item cubby 27. Fixed single item compartment 12 contains only one cubby. Fixed shared items compartment 14 and sliding drawer compartment 53 can contain multiple kitchen item cubbies 27.
[0237] Every kitchen item cubby 27 includes a sloped floor 11, a drainage opening 15 leading into a drainage conduit 18, a designated fluid direction control device 48, an access point (19, 20, 21, or 22), a kitchen item retainer 24, and an associated fluid spraying mechanism (defined in section [0245]).
[0238] Three kitchen item cubby 27 layouts are contemplated: vertical plane cubby layout 49, horizontal line cubby layout 50, and horizontal grid cubby layout 51. Horizontal implies that the access point handle 26 is generally on top of the compartment (top access) as shown in FIG. 85, while vertical implies the access point handle 26 is generally on the side of the compartment (side access) as shown in FIG. 45. Sliding drawer compartment 53 orients cubbies in a horizontal line layout 50 (FIG. 128, 148). Two or more sliding drawer compartments 53 can be laid out in a vertical plane drawer layout 52, to create a 3D grid of cubbies (FIG. 104).
[0239] Two main configurations for the delivering fluid line 16 are contemplated. There can be a single shared delivering fluid line 16 used for all fluids (FIG. 68, 99), or a separate delivering fluid line 16 for each fluid type (FIG. 19, 20). The advantage of a single shared fluid line 16 is that it requires less materials, less space, and simpler valves 48. However, with a shared line 16, two separate cubbies 27 cannot receive different types of fluids at the same time, and it may take extra time to flush out an old fluid and replace it with a new fluid. Using a separate fluid line 16 for each fluid is faster, and allows for multiple kitchen item cubbies 27 to be sprayed by different fluids at the same time. However, this would require more complex valves 48 to connect multiple fluid lines to a single output targeting each cubby 27 (such as a 3 way 2 position valve or a selector valve).
[0240] Each kitchen item cubby 27 is associated with a spray mechanism, which targets the cubby 27 with fluid originating from the delivering fluid line 16. Five spray mechanisms are contemplated: static nozzle spray mechanism 65, internal grooves spray mechanism 59, spinning nozzle spray mechanism 57, spinning kitchen item spray mechanism 56, and moving nozzle spray mechanism 64. A combination of spray mechanisms can also be employed. For example, a moving spray nozzle 64 may stop to spin a bowl 23 sitting on thrust bearing 60 in a kitchen item cubby slot 27 of a fixed shared items compartment 14.
[0241] The static nozzle spray mechanism 65 simply employs one or more fixed nozzles pointed towards the kitchen item 23 inside the cubby 27 (FIG. 173). However this can take up space, and result in only partial coverage.
[0242] The internal grooves spray mechanism 59 (a.k.a. shower head wall method) employs one or more hollow walls in the cubby or compartment, which are either fully hollow or have grooves running through the inside of the wall for fluids to flow through. The side of the wall facing the kitchen item 23 (interior side) then has nozzle holes 30 over where the wall is hollow or the grooves are located, similar to a flat shower head. The holes 30 are typically cone shaped for wider coverage. The fluid delivery line 16 connects to the fluid direction control device 48, which connects to the fluid line stem connector, which connects to the hollow part of the wall (filling it with fluid), which then travels out the holes 30 and towards the kitchen item 23 (FIGS. 154-162). The advantage of this method is there are no moving parts, the walls can be thin taking up little space, and wide coverage can be maintained.
[0243] The spinning nozzle spray mechanism 57 utilizes fluid pressure to spin a spray arm (FIGS. 99, 175-178), flat disc (FIGS. 175-178), hemisphere-shaped nozzle, or other nozzle device directed towards the kitchen item 23. This is very similar to how regular dishwasher spray arms work, only on a smaller scale, and just targeting a single kitchen item 23. The advantage to this method is the compartment or cubby walls are simpler to make, however there are moving parts involved which could fail with time. Spinning motion is utilized to ensure 100% coverage of the kitchen item 23.
[0244] The spinning kitchen item spray mechanism 56 involves one or more fixed nozzles (typically flat spray nozzles) positioned towards the kitchen item 23, typically at a slight angle. The kitchen item 23 sits on top of one or more bearings, causing the kitchen item 23 to spin when fluid shoots out of the nozzles. Two types of spinning dish bearing designs are contemplated, the thrust bearing 60 design (FIG. 163) and the wheel bearing 61 design (FIG. 164). The advantage of this method is the nozzles can be in a fixed position (simpler design), while also ensuring 100% coverage of the dish as it spins. However bearings may wear and tear over time and dishes must be strictly standardized to fit on the bearing(s) mounts 24.
[0245] The moving nozzle spray mechanism 64 employs a spray head (usually holding one or more nozzles 30), which can be mounted on a rail, which can slide back and forth in either one or two axes/directions (i.e. it can move in a single line back and forth or in a grid like the X and Y axes of a 3D printer). The spray head's plane of movement can be either vertical or horizontal depending on how the kitchen storage system 10 is oriented (e.g. top access or side access). The mechanism which moves the spray head can be a timing belt, threaded rod, gear on a track, or other type of actuator.
[0246] A flexible waterline can be connected to the moving spray head, which can be managed as the spray head moves around, so that the line does not interfere with operations or become tangled. Another option is for the fluid to pass through the rail itself or a rigid tube in a future design, so that managing a separate delivering fluid line 16 is not needed. In this design, only a single moving electronically actuated valve 48 would be needed, instead of a separate valve 48 for each kitchen item cubby 27 which could be expensive. However, the additional moving parts involved to move the valve 48 around and manage fluid lines 16 may also be expensive and extra complex.
[0247] Each spray mechanism can be configured with one or more device 30, a nozzle for example, to control the direction or characteristics of fluid flow (specially to increase velocity) as it enters the kitchen item cubby 27.
[0248] Each kitchen item cubby 27 can preferably include a retainer 24 for retaining the received kitchen item 23 in a desired manner for a predetermined application, such as washing, rinsing, heating, or cooling. The retainer 24 can be disposed to suspend the kitchen item 23 and in this way better accommodate the desired action desired.
[0249] Each compartment or cubby 27 when connected to the backend, can preferably have a mechanism of blocking access to the drainage conduit 18 (although this may not be totally necessary for simpler designs). Both top access and side access designs can implement this drainage blocking mechanism. This way, steam and/or waste from other cubbies 27 which are in the process of being washed at the same time, cannot contaminate clean cubbies 27. Vents and airflow control with negative pressure can also solve this issue alone. A flap which opens and closes can be employed for controlling access between waste drain and each individual cubby 27. This flap can also be connected to the access point mechanism, so that the opening and closing of the access point opens up or closes off access to the drainage conduit area 18. Drainage blocking mechanisms can include the type seen in FIGS. 168-170, or the concentric tubes shown in FIGS. 171-174. In the mentioned examples, the lid itself blocks the drainage access opening, however, it can also be an intermediate mechanism connected to the lid or access point which controls the opening and closing of access to the drainage area.
[0250] In another embodiment, the delivering fluid line conduit 16 can be operably connected to a fluid/air temperature altering device 40 for altering the temperature of the fluid and or air delivered to the kitchen item cubby 27. For example, such temperature control in action can include introduction of heat to heat plates before lunch, or adding an electric cooler such as a Peltier cooler, i.e., a thermoelectric cooling device being able to chill a few wine glasses before dinner by actuation of one or more electrically operated button or by turning a knob 43 on the desired compartment interface. Similarly, for cubbies 27 containing food, the temperature in each cubby 27 can be tailored to that food item in particular. For example, the optimal temperature to store vegetables may be different from the optimal temperature to store certain meats. It is contemplated that the cubby 27 could be introduced with sufficiently hot air to cook food items therein. Each cubby 27 can have its own dedicated interface to manage temperature control or other functions (preferred method for maximum customizability), or groups of compartments could also share interfaces. The temperature of each kitchen item cubby 27 can be controlled by air lines 16 or heating elements which can either be built into the backend or be a part of the cubby 27 itself (e.g. built into the kitchen item retainer 24). For example, the interface 45 in FIG. 43 displays a temperature control knob 43 for controlling temperature, which is displayed on screen 44.
[0251] Every fixed single item compartment 12 contains one and only one kitchen item cubby 27 (FIG. 45). This makes the design more modular. In the drawings, compartment 12 is shown having three possible types of access points: drawer access point 19 (FIG. 55), single cubby hinge lid access point 20 (FIG. 47), and rotating lid access point 22 (FIGS. 165-174). The compartment 12 may also include an interface 45 (FIG. 43) and can be configured in a variety of geometric shapes, such as rectangular (FIG. 39) or cylindrical (FIG. 171) for example. In an embodiment, there can be multiple conduits 16, 18 where conduit 16 delivering fluid line can removably interconnect to a water line, such as a kitchen sink faucet (not shown), and the compartment 12 delivering water to the compartment 12 and another conduit 18, which can be a pipe or trough, removably connected to compartment 12 removing fluid and/or waste from the compartment 12 to a disposal area, such as a sink 63 or a drain (not shown).
[0252] Every fixed shared items compartment 14 contains two or more kitchen item cubbies 27 (FIG. 95). A compartment 14 can lay out kitchen item cubbies 27 in either a 1D line or a 2D grid pattern. FIG. 95, for example, depicts a shared compartment 14 in a horizontal grid cubby layout 51. The shared compartment 14 is less modular than the single compartment 12, since multiple cubbies 27 are associated with a single immutable housing with shared walls between cubbies 27.
[0253] Every sliding drawer compartment 53 contains two or more kitchen item cubbies 27 (FIG. 150). A compartment 53 can lay out kitchen item cubbies 27 in either a 1D line or a 2D grid pattern. FIG. 150, for example, depicts a sliding drawer compartment 53 in a horizontal line cubby layout 50. Each sliding drawer compartment 53 slides in and out of a drawer housing 54, which contains the fluid delivery lines 16, fluid direction control devices 48, and the spray mechanisms for each cubby slot 27 (FIG. 113). One variation to this design is to house the fluid delivery lines 16, fluid direction control devices 48 and spray mechanisms inside the sliding drawer compartment 53 itself instead. This would make repairing or replacing faulty valves 48 easier, however it would also require a push connect component to connect and disconnect the delivering fluid line(s) 16 and any electrical wires with a connector, each time the drawer is accessed. Multiple drawer housings 54 can be laid out side by side, often in a drawer housing shelf 55. Multiple shelves can then be stacked to form a grid of drawers on a vertical plane 52 (FIG. 109).
[0254] Four main embodiments are presented in the drawings: a cabinet kitchen storage system 10 (FIG. 1), a countertop kitchen storage system 10 (FIG. 59), an in-counter kitchen storage system 10 (FIG. 94), and a sub-counter kitchen storage system 10 (FIG. 103). All four embodiments consist of a plurality of compartments of various types 12 14 53, each compartment housing one or more kitchen item cubbies 27, each of which may house one kitchen item 23. Each kitchen item cubby 27 has access to one or more spray mechanisms 56 57 59 64 65, which connects to a fluid line stem connector 58, which connects to a fluid direction control device 48, which connects to one or more shared fluid delivery line(s). Each kitchen cubby 27 also has access to a drainage conduit 18, through a drainage opening 15, and a sloped floor 11.
[0255] The cabinet style embodiment shown in FIG. 3 consists of 28 fixed single item compartments 12 oriented in a vertical plane cubby layout 49. From left to right, there are 10 plate compartments (FIG. 29), 9 bowl compartments (FIG. 24), and 9 cup compartments (FIG. 21). The plate compartments have drawer access points 19 (FIG. 57), while the bowl and cup compartments have single cubby hinge lid access points 20, with a bottom hinge lid to catch falling waste when open (FIG. 33, 47). Each compartment 12 is equipped with an interface 45, consisting of a wash button 41, rinse button 42, temperature control knob 43, and a screen 44 (FIG. 43). There are three delivering fluid lines (FIG. 19, 20) that connect to each compartment 12one for hot water, one for soapy water, and one for air. This means that each compartment's fluid direction control device 48 intakes three types of fluid (one for each fluid line), and outtakes just one fluid type through the fluid line stem connector(s) 58. The fluid then travels through internal grooves 59 in the compartment wall(s) and out the nozzle holes 30. Each compartment 12 also connects to a multi-level drainage conduit 18 (FIG. 19, 20). Notice the differences in the kitchen item retainers 24 of each compartment type.
[0256] The countertop style embodiment shown in FIG. 59 consists of 14 fixed single item compartments 12 oriented in a horizontal line cubby layout 50. From left to right, the compartments house: chopsticks, spatula, metal spatula, whisk, salad spoon, straw, cups, bowls, plates, spoons, and forks. This kitchen storage system 10 sits on top of a countertop 62 next to a sink 63 for disposal access. This embodiment contains a single delivering fluid line 16 and a single drainage conduit 18 (FIG. 63, 65). On the end wall of the drainage conduit 18 there is an internal groove spray mechanism 59 which connects to its own fluid line stem connector 58 and ball valve 48. The purpose of this sprayer is to be able to flush out any lingering waste in the drain. Each compartment 12 utilizes an internal grooves spray mechanism 59, which connects to a mechanically actuated ball valve 48 through a fluid line stem connector 58. The ball valve 48 is then connected to the single fluid delivery line 16. The compartments 12 of this embodiment are positioned at an angle, tilted slightly towards the user. The purpose of this tilt is to ensure that the hinge lid 20 does not encroach on counter space, while also ensuring any overhanging cabinets don't interfere with accessing kitchen items 23. Despite the tilt, this design is still considered a horizontal line cubby layout 50, since it more closely relates to a top access access point, the way it catches waste without help from a lid or a drawer. The compartment interface 45 in this design is simply the ball valve 48 itself. There is also a control unit box 36, shown in FIG. 72 responsible for regulating temperature 40, pressure 38, and storing 37 and injecting soap 39 into the delivering fluid line 16.
[0257] The in-counter or in-sink style embodiment shown in FIG. 94 is a fixed shared items compartment 14 (FIG. 96) oriented in a horizontal grid cubby layout 51 with a shared hinge lid access point 21 (FIG. 95). This kitchen storage system 10 contains a single delivery fluid line 16 (FIG. 99), and drainage conduits 18 (FIG. 96), both laid out in a horizontal grid pattern underneath the compartments. This design employs a spinning nozzle spray mechanism 57, involving one or two spinning spray arms targeting each cubby 27.
[0258] The sub-counter or traditional dishwasher style embodiment shown in FIG. 102 is conveniently located in the same space where traditional dishwashers are located underneath the countertop 62. This embodiment consists of multiple drawer housing shelves 55 stacked on top of one another, each shelf 55 containing one or more drawer housings 54, which each contain a sliding drawer compartment 53, which contains one or more kitchen item cubby 27.
[0259] To further understand the invention I will present a hypothetical example scenario describing a user interacting with the kitchen storage system 10. Imagine the following situation. A family with three children (five people in total) wants to eat a stir fry with vegetables and noodles. A parent starts by preparing the meal. During meal preparation the parent grabs zucchini 23 from one compartment, peppers from another compartment 12, and bok choy 23 from another. Before grabbing the bok choy, the parent presses a quick rinse button 42 on the bok choy compartment 12 to clean the bok choy leaves off. The zucchini and peppers were already previously rinsed. The parent chops up the vegetables, throws them in the stir fry and continues meal preparation until finishing. While cooking, the parent turns a temperature control knob 43 to the right on each of the five plate compartment interfaces 45 to preheat five plates. The parent then turns the knobs 43 to the left on each wine glass compartment interface 45 to chill two wine glasses before dinner. Once finished with cooking, the parent grabs five clean cups 23 from five cup compartments 12 for the whole family to drink water, two clean and chilled wine glasses 23 for the two parents to drink wine, and the five (now hot) clean plates 23 from the five plate compartments 12. The parent also grabs five clean forks 23 and five clean knives 23 from ten utensil compartments 14. The table is then set and the family has dinner. After dinner a parent instructs each child to put away their own dishes 23. The first child brings his/her dirty plate, fork, knife and cup to the appropriate compartment 12. He/she drops his/her dirty plate in an empty plate compartment 12 (there should be at least five available), his/her dirty fork and dirty knife in two separate empty utensil compartments (there should be at least ten available), and his/her dirty cup in an empty cup compartment 12 (there should be at least five available). The child then closes all four compartments 12. The other two children do the same as the first child, followed by each parent. The parents have the extra task of putting their two dirty wine glasses in two empty wine compartments 12 and closing the access points doors 20. The family can now go about their day. Depending on the specific design variation, the system 10 will either 1) wash each dirty dish simultaneously immediately once the lid/door 20 has been closed, or 2) wash each dish one by one in a queue. The former would be faster than the latter, but either way, all the dishes will be clean and sitting where they were placed in a matter of minutes. The next time the family wants to eat or drink they can simply open a compartment 12 and grab a clean dish 23. There are no dirty dishes 23 from dinner sitting on the counter, no dirty dishes stacked in the sink 63, no clean dishes drying in a drying rack beside the sink, and no traditional dishwasher to load or unload into cabinets and drawers. Also it's important to note that in most scenarios, there would be more dishes than people. For example, there may be eight plate compartments 12, each housing a separate plate 23. This would mean that, going back to the scenario above, even before the dirty dishes from dinner are finished being cleaned, there would still be three clean plates 23 to grab from the other three remaining ready compartments 12. To provide feedback to the user, an indicator light 46, like the glowing interface 45 in FIG. 43, on each compartment 12 could display the status of the dish in that compartment 12 (e.g. red for dirty, blue for washing, and green for clean and ready to grab).
[0260] While a one kitchen item per compartment solution is presented, a stack to stack design is contemplated which involves feeding a dirty stack of dishes (one or more dirty dishes) into the top of a system. Such a system contemplates three types of dirty stacks: a bowl stack, a plate stack, and a cup stack. However, this design will involve many moving compartments which takes up a significant amount of space, so the one item per compartment concept is preferred.
[0261] It's important to note that the stack to stack design also adheres to the same user interaction flow described in FIG. 180, where a dirty dish 23 can simply be dropped, and a clean dish 23 can be taken, without the usual added bottlenecks involved in the traditional system of FIG. 179. However, if the kitchen item 23 is excessively dirty (eg: a full bowl of soup), it may need to be rinsed in the sink 63 first, in order not to interfere too much with the stacking and dispensing mechanisms.
[0262] Stacks are very space efficient. However, transferring one stack to another and cleaning each dish 23 in a shared space one at a time requires several moving parts and mechanisms, and most importantly a good deal of space or volume. With the same amount of space, it was found that one could simply create several little static cubbies or compartments where each dish 23 lives. This requires less moving parts, and seems simpler and cheaper to build.
[0263] A common denominator for the kitchen storage system 10 is that a user can simply drop a dirty kitchen item 23 into an appropriate empty available cubby 27 housed in a compartment (e.g. single item compartment 12), and then grab a clean kitchen item 12 at his/her convenience. In these initial prototypes, the user may need to manually control a valve 48 associated with each compartment. Ideally the user would only need to worry about opening and closing an access point (e.g. hinge lid access point 20), and possibly interacting with an interface 45 (e.g. buttons, knobs) to control various settings (e.g. temperature, rinse, wash etc). In envisioned embodiments, users may not have to worry about managing an interface at all. A lid detector 35 and a kitchen item detector 47 (FIG. 52) could work in tandem for example to detect the presence of a new dirty kitchen item 23 in a compartment 12, and automatically begin the wash cycle once the lid sensor 35 detects the lid is closed (FIG. 49, 95). This doesn't need to be an electronic process either, the closing of the lid 20 (access point) itself could also physically actuate some mechanical valve 48, which is self closing.
[0264] The instant invention aims to solve the problem of doing the dishes and also provides a way to store other kitchen items 23 such as food and drinks in controlled isolated specialized cubbies 27 housed by compartments. The idea is that at a given moment, an empty cubby 27 will be available to drop a dirty dish 23 off, and at a given moment, a clean dish 23 will be available to take from a cubby 27 (except for the few minutes it might take to wait for a cubby to be cleaned if all cubbies are in a not ready state at the same time). Kitchen item cubbies 27 are independent from one another, meaning that for example, one cubby 27 can exist in a totally different state from the cubby 27 right next to it. This eliminates the typical bottleneck problem involved in doing the dishes 23, since one dish 23 is not dependent on the state of another to be processed. The cubbies 27 can be laid out in one of several possible orientations in 1D, 2D or 3D space. Kitchen item cubbies 27 can also share walls with adjacent cubbies 27 in a shared items compartment 14. Compartment 12 can optionally be modular, meaning it can be connected or removed from the frame, delivering fluid line(s) 16 and drainage conduit(s) 18. The two main parts of the backend are 1) fluid input 16: the fluid which can have temperature and pressure controls built in and 2) fluid output 18: a drainage pipe or channel for waste fluids to be discarded.
[0265] All in all, this invention combines together the functionality of the large boxy appliances we have gotten so used to using in kitchens all across the world, and drastically reduces the amount of user work that goes into maintaining a kitchen (especially in doing the dishes). Note that earlier stack to stack designs and prototypes are also included in this writeup, since they follow the same principles of the drop and go and grab and go concept of FIG. 180, however they are not the primary design being worked on at this time (compared to the one dish per compartment design).
