BRACKET FOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR USE

Abstract

A bracket is provided for coupling an appliance, such as a household appliance, to a surrounding cabinet where the appliance is positioned within the cabinet, such as a dishwasher. The bracket rotatably couples to the dishwasher when rotated from an unrotated position to a rotated position. A fastener couples the bracket to the cabinet to secure the bracket in the rotated position.

Claims

1. A bracket for coupling an appliance to a cabinet, comprising: a body having an appliance attachment portion and a cabinet attachment portion and an offset connecting the appliance attachment portion to the cabinet attachment portion; and wherein the offset is formed in the body and has a pair of right angles such that a plane defined along the appliance attachment portion is spaced from and parallel with a plane defined along the cabinet attachment portion.

2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the appliance attachment portion comprises a pair of apertures spaced by a bridge extending between the pair of apertures.

3. The bracket of claim 2, wherein a pair of ridges extend from the appliance attachment portion on opposite sides of the pair of apertures.

4. The bracket of claim 2, further comprising a pair of fingers extending from opposite sides of the bridge such that one of the pair of fingers overlies a respective one of the pair of apertures.

5. The bracket of claim 4, wherein one of the pair of fingers extends away from the appliance attachment portion such that the pair of fingers do not position within the pair of apertures.

6. The bracket of claim 5, wherein each finger of the pair of fingers includes a protrusion that extends from the pair of fingers toward the pair of apertures.

7. The bracket of claim 6, wherein the protrusion does not extend into a respective one of the pair of apertures.

8. The bracket of claim 4, wherein the pair of fingers comprises a pair of spring fingers configured to impart a spring force when bent or moved away from an initial position.

9. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the cabinet attachment portion comprises an extension portion extending from the cabinet attachment portion and separated by a channel.

10. The bracket of claim 9 wherein the cabinet attachment portion comprises a first opening and the extension comprises a second opening and a third opening.

11. The bracket of claim 10, wherein the first opening and the second opening are equally spaced from the channel.

12. A method of coupling an appliance having an opening in a sidewall of the appliance to a cabinet with a bracket having a cabinet attachment portion and an appliance attachment portion, comprising: inserting the appliance attachment portion into the opening of the cabinet; rotating the bracket approximately 90 degrees to secure the appliance attachment portion to the appliance; and securing the cabinet attachment portion to a base cabinet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the appliance attachment portion comprises a pair of apertures spaced by a bridge extending between the pair of apertures and comprises a pair of fingers extending from opposite sides of the bridge such that one of the pair of fingers overlies a respective one of the pair of apertures.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in upon rotation of the bracket, the pair of fingers provides a spring force against an interior surface of the appliance cabinet.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the opening further comprises a pair of extensions and wherein the pair of fingers extends through the pair of extensions and upon rotation of the bracket, the pair of fingers engages an inner surface of the cabinet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pair of fingers comprises a pair of spring fingers configured to impart a spring force when bent or moved away from an initial position.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the cabinet attachment portion comprises an extension portion extending from the cabinet attachment portion and separated by a channel.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cabinet attachment portion comprises a first opening and the extension comprises a second opening and a third opening.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the cabinet attachment portion is secured to the cabinet by one of the first opening, second opening and third opening.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising bending the cabinet attachment portion at the channel and securing the cabinet attachment portion though both the first opening and second opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] In the Drawings:

[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an appliance in the form of a dishwasher coupled to a cabinet by a bracket, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the bracket of FIG. 1 exploded from a side panel of the dishwasher having an opening, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the mounting bracket of FIG. 2 having a pair of fingers positioned within the opening of the side panel in an unrotated position, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the mounting bracket of FIG. 3 rotated ninety degrees to a rotated position to secure the bracket to the side panel by the pair of fingers, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 5 is a rear view showing a rear side of the mounting bracket and side panel of FIG. 4 illustrating the pair of fingers attaching to the side panel through the opening, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of FIG. 4 taken along section VI-VI showing the bracket attaching the side panel to the cabinet of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the bracket of FIG. 1 having an extension portion folded to overlap a portion of the bracket to accommodate a smaller cabinet, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] As may be appreciated, based on the disclosure, there exists a need in the art for simple means for securing a housing or a chassis for an appliance to a nearby or surrounding cabinet. Spacing between the chassis for the appliance and the nearby cabinet can be small, making it difficult to secure the appliance within the cabinet due to the limited space. The mounting bracket as described herein provides for a simplified means for connecting to the chassis.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows an appliance provided as a household appliance, and more specifically, as a dishwasher 10 capable of implementing an automatic cycle of operation to treat dishes or other items. As illustrated, the dishwasher 10 has a built-in dishwasher implementation, which is designed for mounting within a cabinet 12. As shown the cabinet 12 has an open top to show the dishwasher 10 within the cabinet 12, while other features, such as a countertop, can be provided on the cabinet 12 above the dishwasher 10. It should be understood that this description is applicable to other dishwasher implementations such as a drawer-type or a sink-type, or other household appliances, such as washing machines, ovens, or stoves which can be mounted within surrounding cabinets or under a countertop, or otherwise requires mounting to an adjacent structure.

[0016] The dishwasher 10 has a housing 14, generally, which houses or includes a chassis 16. The housing 14 may include panels or other exterior walls forming, surrounding, or encasing the chassis 16. The housing 14, for example, can include a base structure 18, a top structure 20, a rear panel 22, and opposing side panels 24, while any housing, panel, or chassis configuration is contemplated.

[0017] The dishwasher 10 includes a door assembly 30 including a door 32 shown in an opened position. The dishwasher 10 has a variety of systems, some of which are controllable, to implement the automatic cycle of operation. The chassis 16 is provided to support the variety of systems needed to implement the automatic cycle of operation. As illustrated, for a built-in implementation, the chassis 16 supports an open-faced tub 34, which at least partially defines a treating chamber 36, for receiving the dishes or other items for treating. The door 32 is pivotally mounted to the chassis 16 for movement between opened and closed positions to selectively open and close the tub 34. Thus, the door assembly 30 provides selective accessibility to the treating chamber 36 for the loading and unloading of dishes or other items.

[0018] The chassis 16, as in the case of the built-in dishwasher implementation, can be formed by other parts of the dishwasher 10, like the tub 34 and the door assembly 30, in addition to a dedicated frame structure, collectively forming a frame to which the variety of systems are supported. In other implementations, like the drawer-type dishwasher, the chassis 16 can be a tub that is slidable relative to a frame, with the closure being a part of the chassis 16 or the countertop of the surrounding cabinetry. In a sink-type implementation, the sink forms the tub and the cover closing the open top of the sink forms the closure.

[0019] The systems supported by the chassis 16, while essentially limitless, can include dish holding system, spray system, recirculation system, drain system, water supply system, drying system, heating system, and filter system. These systems are used to implement one or more treating cycles of operation for the dishes, for which there are many, and one of which includes a traditional automatic wash cycle. A controller can also be included in the dishwasher 10 and operably couples with and controls the various components of the dishwasher 10 to implement the cycle of operation.

[0020] Exemplary dish holders are illustrated in the form of an upper dish rack 40 and a lower dish rack 42, commonly referred to as racks, which are located within the treating chamber 36. The upper dish rack 40 and the lower dish rack 42 are typically mounted for slidable movement in and out of the treating chamber 36 for ease of loading and unloading. Drawer guides/slides/rails are typically used to slidably mount the upper dish rack 40 to the tub 34. The lower dish rack 42 typically has wheels or rollers that roll along rails formed in sidewalls of the tub 34 and onto the door assembly 30, when the door assembly 30 is in the opened position.

[0021] A bracket 50 is provided for coupling the dishwasher 10 to the surrounding cabinet 12. More specifically, at least one of the housing 14, the chassis 16, or one of the panels, such as one of the opposing side panels 24 as shown, can be coupled to the surrounding cabinet 12. A fastener 52, such as by way of non-limiting example a screw, can be used to secure the bracket 50 to the cabinet 12, while a remainder of the bracket 50 couples to the dishwasher 10.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the bracket 50 is shown exploded from one of the opposing side panels 24 being positioned adjacent the cabinet 12. An opening 54 is provided in the one of the opposing side panels 24 and includes a rounded or circular central portion 56 with extensions 58 on either end. The extensions 58 of the opening 54 extending from opposite sides of the central portion 56 and are illustrated, in a non-limiting example, as squared ends. The bracket 50 includes a body 60 having an appliance attachment portion 62 and a cabinet attachment portion 64. The appliance attachment portion 62 is offset from the cabinet attachment portion 64 by an offset 66 formed in the body 60 as a pair of right angles, such that a plane defined along the appliance attachment portion 62 is spaced from and parallel with a plane defined along the cabinet attachment portion 64.

[0023] The appliance attachment portion 62 includes a pair of apertures 70 spaced by a bridge 72 extending between the pair of apertures 70. A pair of ridges 74 extend from the appliance attachment portion 62 on opposite sides of the pair of apertures 70. The pair of ridges 74 extend towards the cabinet attachment portion 64. A pair of fingers 76 extend from opposite sides of the bridge 72 such that one of the pair of fingers 76 overlie a respective one of the pair of apertures 70. The pair of fingers 76 can extend away from the remainder of the appliance attachment portion 62 such that the pair of fingers 76 do not position within the pair of apertures 70. Each finger of the pair of fingers 76 includes a protrusion 78 that extends from the pair of fingers 76 toward the pair of apertures 70. The protrusion 78 can be sized such that it does not extend into the respective one of the pair of apertures 70. The pair of fingers 76 can be a pair of spring fingers configured to impart a spring force when bent or moved away from an initial position.

[0024] The cabinet attachment portion 64 includes a set of openings 80 provided as a first opening 82, a second opening 84, and a third opening 86. An extension 88 is visually separated from the remainder of the cabinet attachment portion 64 by a channel 90 and the second and third openings 84, 86 are provided within the extension 88 although that need not be the case. The first opening 82 and the second opening 84 can be equally spaced from the channel 90 in a non-limiting example.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a portion of the bracket 50 positioned within the opening 54 in an unrotated position. The opening 54 is partially shown in broken line hidden behind the bracket 50. More specifically, the pair of fingers 76 are positioned within the extensions 58 of the opening 54. The central portion 56 (shown in broken line) and the extensions58 can be sized such that the pair of fingers 76 must be inserted into the opening 54 through the extensions 58, while the central portion 56 is too small to accommodate the pair of fingers 76. The appliance attachment portion 62 can position against and contacting one of the opposing side panels 24 such that the pair of fingers 76 extend through the opening 54. In this manner, the profile of the bracket 50 and the opening 54 limit the orientation in which the opening 54 can receive the portion of the bracket 50.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4, in order to secure the bracket 50 to the one of the opposing side panels 24, the bracket 50 is rotated ninety degrees (90) to a rotated position with the cabinet attachment portion 64 positioned along the cabinet 12. As a result of the rotation, the pair of fingers 76 rotate from the extensions 58 (shown in broken line) of the opening to opposite sides of the central portion 56 unoccupied by the extensions 58. Due to the smaller size of the central portion 56 relative to the extensions 58, the pair of fingers 76 position on an interior surface of the one of the opposing side panels 24, while the remainder of the bracket 50 remains exterior of the side panel 24 adjacent an exterior surface 92 of the one of the opposing side panels 24. More specifically, referring to FIG. 5 showing a view of an interior surface 94 of the side panel 24, opposite of that of FIG. 4, it can be appreciated that the pair of fingers 76 position against an interior surface 94 of the one of the opposing side panels 24, while being rotated away from the extensions 58 of the opening 54. The remainder of the appliance attachment portion 62 is illustrated in broken line behind the side panel 24.

[0027] The pair of fingers 76 provides a spring force against the interior surface 94 of the one of the opposing side panels 24 in order to secure the bracket 50 to the one of the opposing side panels 24. The spring force provided by the pair of fingers 76 pulls the appliance attachment portion 62 against the exterior surface 92 (FIG. 4) and squeezes the one of the opposing side panels 24 between the pair of fingers 76 and the appliance attachment portion 62, thereby securing the bracket 50 to the one of the opposing side panels 24. The spring force provided by the pair of fingers 76 can be great enough to maintain the bracket 50 in the rotated position shown in FIG. 4. The protrusions 78 provided on each finger of the pair of fingers 76 can be sized to further bend the pair of fingers 76 away from the one of the opposing side panels 24 in order to generate a sufficient spring force to maintain the rotated position for the bracket 50.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 6, showing a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 taken along section VI-VI, the bracket 50 can be secured to the cabinet 12. The fastener 52 can be a screw, for example, which can secure the bracket 50 to the cabinet 12 through one or more of the set of openings 80. While shown with the fastener 52 positioned in the first opening 82, one or more fasteners 52 can be provided any or all of the first opening 82, the second opening 84, and the third opening 86. The pair of fingers 76 secures the appliance attachment portion 62 (partially shown in broken line) to the one of the opposing side panels 24 and the cabinet attachment portion 64 secures to the cabinet 12 with the fastener 52, thereby coupling the dishwasher 10 to the cabinet 12. When the cabinet attachment portion 64 is attached to the cabinet 12, the bracket 50 is secured in the rotated position, securing the pair of fingers 76 in a position away from the extensions 58 (FIG. 5) of the opening 54, preventing separation of the bracket 50 from the one of the opposing side panels 24. Therefore, the spring force provided by the pair of fingers 76 can only be great enough to hold the bracket 50 in the rotated position to permit attachment of the cabinet attachment portion 64 to the cabinet 12, while not being too great that it is difficult for a user to rotate the bracket 50 from the unrotated position into the rotated position by hand (i.e., rotated from FIG. 3 to FIG. 4).

[0029] Referring to FIG. 7, in another example, the cabinet attachment portion 64 can be bent 180 degrees (180) along the channel 90, such that the extension 88 overlays the remainder of the cabinet attachment portion 64. The equal spacing of the first and second openings 82, 84 from the channel 90 provides that the second opening 84 aligns with the first opening 82, permitting the fastener 52 to extend through both of the first and second openings 82, 84. Such bending of the extension 88 can be utilized when the extension 88 extends beyond the cabinet 12. In a non-limiting example, the extension 88 can be broken or separated from the remainder of the cabinet attachment portion 64 along the channel 90.

[0030] The bracket 50 described herein facilitates installation and connection of an appliance to a surrounding cabinet 12 or similar environment. The rotation-style attachment of the bracket 50 to the dishwasher 10 (FIG. 1) facilitates connecting of the bracket 50 to the dishwasher 10 and provides an improved user experience for a user installing an appliance within a cabinet 12. The spring force connection secures the bracket 50 to the dishwasher 10 and orients the bracket 50 in a rotated position to facilitate attachment of the bracket 50 to the adjacent cabinet 12. The use of the pair of fingers 76 removes the need for a traditional fastener type of connection, which can be difficult with limited space between the appliance and the surrounding cabinet 12, as well as having limited space within the appliance to accommodate other types of attachment methods.

[0031] The bracket 50 can further be utilized with existing appliances that have similar types of openings as the opening 54 in the one of the opposing side panels 24. This permits retrofitting or replacing existing brackets with the bracket 50 described herein.

[0032] To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various aspects can be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature cannot be illustrated in all of the aspects is not meant to be construed that it cannot be but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects can be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not the new aspects are expressly described. Combinations or permutations of features described herein are covered by this disclosure.

[0033] This written description uses examples to disclose aspects of the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice aspects of the disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. While aspects of the disclosure have been specifically described in connection with certain specific details thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the disclosure, which is defined in the appended claims.