Dish drainer

Abstract

A dish drying apparatus. The dish drying apparatus has two outlet lips, one on each end, both proximal to the same side. The dish drying apparatus also has two user-configurable configurations, such that the dish drying apparatus can be placed to either side of a sink and is capable of draining, through the outlet lip, into the sink.

1 . A dish tray comprising:
 a. a floor, having an underside, a topside, a right edge, a left edge, a front edge, and a back edge, and having a concave shape from said front edge to said back edge;   b. a right endwall extending upwardly from said right edge;   c. a left endwall extending upwardly from said left edge;   d. said left endwall, right endwall, front edge and back edge forming a rim;   e. a gap in said right endwall, forming a right outlet lip, said gap located more proximal to the front edge than to the back edge;   f. a second gap in said left endwall, forming a left outlet lip, said gap located more proximal to the front edge than to the back edge;   g. an elevation means, for elevating one edge of the floor relative to another edge of the floor; and having at least two, user selectable configurations;   h. wherein in the first configuration, when the tray is placed on a horizontal surface, the left edge is higher than the right edge;   i. and wherein in the second configuration, when the tray is placed on a horizontal surface, the right edge is higher than the left edge.   
   
   
       2 . A dish tray comprising:
 a. a floor, having an underside, a topside, a right edge, a left edge, a front edge, and a back edge;   b. a right endwall extending upwardly from said right edge;   c. a left endwall extending upwardly from said left edge;   d. a front sidewall extending upwardly from said front edge;   e. a back sidewall extending upwardly from said back edge;   f. said left endwall, right endwall, front sidewall and back sidewall forming a rim;   g. a gap in said right endwall, forming a right outlet lip, said gap located more proximal to the front edge than to the back edge;   h. a second gap in said left endwall, forming a left outlet lip, said gap located more proximal to the front edge than to the back edge;   i. an elevation means, for elevating one edge of the floor relative to another edge of the floor; and having at least two, user selectable configurations;   j. wherein in the first configuration, when the tray is placed on a horizontal surface, the left edge is higher than the right edge;   k. and wherein in the second configuration, when the tray is placed on a horizontal surface, the right edge is higher than the left edge.   
   
   
       3 . The dish tray of  claim 1 , wherein, in either configuration, the angle of the floor to the surface on which the floor is placed is between 4 and 5 degrees. 
   
   
       4 . The dish tray of  claim 1  wherein the elevation means is a wire support attached to the underside of the floor and capable of rotating from a first position more proximal to the right edge to a second position more proximal to the left edge. 
   
   
       5 . The dish tray of  claim 1  wherein the elevation means is at least one removable foot said foot capable of affixing to a right foot dock located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the right edge than to the left edge, and also capable of affixing to a left foot dock located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the left edge than to the right edge. 
   
   
       6 . The dish tray of  claim 5  wherein the at least one removable foot comprises two removable feet. 
   
   
       7 . The dish tray of  claim 1  further comprising at least one permanent right foot located on an underside of the floor and more proximal to the right edge than to the left edge, and at least one permanent left foot located on an underside of the floor and more proximal to the left edge than to the right edge. 
   
   
       8 . The dish tray of  claim 4  further comprising at least one permanent right foot located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the right edge than to the left edge, and at least one permanent left foot located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the left edge than to the right edge. 
   
   
       9 . The dish tray of  claim 8  wherein the elevation means has a base that is more distal to the floor than a distal end of the permanent right foot and a distal end of the permanent left foot. 
   
   
       10 . The dish tray of  claim 5  further comprising at least one permanent right foot located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the right edge than to the left edge, and at least one permanent left foot located on the underside of the floor and more proximal to the left edge than to the right edge. 
   
   
       11 . The dish tray of  claim 10  wherein the removable foot has a base that is more distal to the floor than a distal end of the permanent right foot and a distal end of the permanent left foot. 
   
   
       12 . A dish drainer comprising:
 a. the dish tray of  claim 1 ;   b. a rack element positioned on the topside of the dish tray;   
   
   
       13 . The dish drainer of  claim 12  wherein the dish tray and the rack element are one piece. 
   
   
       14 . The dish drainer of  claim 12  wherein the dish tray and the rack element are two separate pieces. 
   
   
       15 . The dish drainer of  claim 14  wherein the dish tray and the rack element are removably affixed to one another. 
   
   
       16 . The dish drainer of  claim 12  wherein the rack element comprises:
 a. a rack element floor;   b. a plurality of ribs extending in a generally perpendicular orientation to the floor;   wherein said ribs allow the stacking of dishes in a generally vertical orientation.   
   
   
       17 . The dish drainer of  claim 16  further comprising at least two drain hole in said rack element floor, configured such that, when a wet dish is stacked, water drains through at least one drain hole onto the topside of the dish tray floor. 
   
   
       18 . The dish drainer of  claim 16  wherein the rack element floor and the dish tray floor are the same element. 
   
   
       19 . The dish drainer of  claim 12  further comprising at least one cutlery rack mount on the rack element, said cutlery rack mount capable of being affixed to a cutlery rack. 
   
   
       20 . The dish drainer of  claim 19  wherein the at least one cutlery rack mount comprises a left cutlery rack mount, proximal to the left endwall, and a right cutlery rack mount, proximal to the right endwall. 
   
   
       21 . The dish drainer of  claim 20  further comprising a cutlery rack capable of affixing to the right cutlery rack mount, and, in an alternative configuration capable of affixing to the left cutlery rack mount, said cutlery rack being capable of holding cutlery in a generally vertical orientation, said cutlery rack having at least one cutlery drain hole configured such that, when wet cutlery is placed in said cutlery rack, water drains through the cutlery drain hole onto the topside of the dish tray floor.