Easy loading silverware basket

Abstract

A dishwasher system for cleaning dishes may include at least one rack configured to receive a silverware basket, the basket including a plurality of partitions creating a plurality of cavities within the basket for receiving utensils for washing, where each cavity includes a separate and distinct base at a bottom of the basket that is vertically movable within the cavity, a camshaft fixed to the rack and operable by a gearbox configured to rotate the camshaft with respect to the rack, the camshaft arranged below the silverware basket, and a plurality of cams extending along the camshaft, at least one cam being arranged below each cavity, wherein upon rotation of the camshaft by the gearbox, each cam affects the height of the respective base to allow the utensils in the respective cavity to be intermittently lifted and exposed to spray from sprayers within the dishwasher.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dishwasher system for cleaning dishes, comprising:
 at least one rack configured to receive a silverware basket, the basket including a plurality of partitions creating a plurality of cavities within the basket for receiving utensils for washing, where each cavity includes a separate and distinct base at a bottom of the basket that is vertically movable within the cavity,   a camshaft fixed to the rack and operable by a gearbox configured to rotate the camshaft with respect to the rack, the camshaft arranged below the silverware basket, and   a plurality of cams extending along the camshaft, at least one cam being arranged below each cavity, wherein upon rotation of the camshaft by the gearbox, each cam affects the height of the respective base to allow the utensils in the respective cavity to be intermittently lifted and exposed to spray from sprayers within the dishwasher.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cavities form a row of adjacent cavities configured to receive utensils. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher system of  claim 2 , wherein the cams are arranged at alternating relative orientations along the camshaft to lift silverware in at least one of the cavities to exposed utensils for greater exposure to the spray without the utensils being blocked by other utensils within adjacent cavities. 
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher system of  claim 1 , wherein each cam has an elliptical shape. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher system of  claim 1 , wherein each cam includes a lever portion configured to lift the base of the respective cavity when the cam is rotated to the top of the camshaft. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher system of  claim 5 , wherein the lever portion of the at least one cam arranged below a base is arranged below the camshaft when the lever portion of the at least one cam arranged below an adjacent base is arranged above the camshaft. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher system of  claim 5 , where the lever portion of one of the cams is unaligned with the lever portion of any adjacent ones of the cams such that the bases of adjacent cavities are continually arranged at different heights. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher system of  claim 1 , wherein the gearbox includes a manifold gear. 
     
     
         9 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the gearbox includes a Pelton wheel driven by a jet stream created by a feed tube. 
     
     
         10 . A utensil tray for a dishwasher for housing utensils during washing, comprising:
 a utensil basket including a plurality of partitions creating a plurality of cavities within the basket; and   a separate and distinct base arranged at a bottom of the basket that is vertically movable within the cavity to selectively lift utensils arranged therein in response to a cam arranged along a rotating camshaft below the basket affecting the height of the base.   
     
     
         11 . The utensil tray of  claim 10 , further comprising a camshaft arranged below the basket and rotatable by a gearbox configured to rotate the camshaft. 
     
     
         12 . The utensil tray of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of cams extending along the camshaft, one cam being arranged below each cavity, wherein upon rotation of the camshaft by the gearbox, each cam affects the height of the respective base to allow the utensils in the respective cavity to be intermittently lifted and exposed to spray from sprayers within the dishwasher. 
     
     
         13 . The utensil tray of  claim 12 , wherein the partitions define a row of adjacent cavities configured to receive utensils. 
     
     
         14 . The utensil tray of  claim 13 , wherein the cams are arranged at alternating positions along the camshaft to lift silverware in non-adjacent cavities to exposed utensils in alternating cavities for greater exposure to the spray without the utensils being blocked by other utensils within adjacent cavities. 
     
     
         15 . The utensil tray of  claim 12 , wherein the cams each have an elliptical shape. 
     
     
         16 . The utensil tray of  claim 12 , wherein each cam includes a lever portion configured to lift the base of the respective cavity when the cam is rotated to the top of the camshaft. 
     
     
         17 . The utensil tray of  claim 16 , wherein the lever portion of one of the cams is arranged below the camshaft when the lever portion of an adjacent one of the cams is arranged above the camshaft. 
     
     
         18 . The utensil tray of  claim 16 , where the lever portion of one of the cams is unaligned with the lever portion of any adjacent ones of the cams such that the bases of adjacent cavities are at continually arranged at different heights. 
     
     
         19 . The utensil tray of  claim 12 , wherein the gearbox includes a manifold gear. 
     
     
         20 . The utensil tray of  claim 12 , wherein the gearbox includes a Pelton wheel driven by a jet stream created by a feed tube.