Roller retainer for dishwashers

Abstract

A dishwasher appliance roller retainer and a method for producing the roller retainer for a dishwashing appliance. The roller retainer for the dishwashing appliance includes a central element permanently fastened to the dishwasher tub. The invention includes a roller element on the central element for receiving rail elements.

1 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface;   a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and   a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including:
 a central element directly attached to said rinse container and at least partly received in the rail element; 
 a roller element arranged on said central element and being positioned and inserted within the rail element; and 
 a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises rubber. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the seal is reverse drawn. 
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a paste. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises an adhesive such that it is not necessary to fix the central element to the rinse container with a separate fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the rinse container includes a throughbore, and the central element includes a connecting area that extends at least partly though the throughbore, and wherein the seal covers the entire joint between the connecting area and the inside surface of the rinse container. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher of  claim 1 , wherein the rail element has a C-shape cross section with an opening facing the inside surface. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher of  claim 7 , wherein the opening is dimensioned to be less than the diameter of the roller, to secure the rail element relative to the roller. 
     
     
         9 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface;   a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and   a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including:
 a central element attached to said rinse container; 
 a roller element arranged on said central; 
 a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container; and 
   a washer provided on the outside surface of the rinse container.   
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher of  claim 9 , wherein the seal and the washer are made of different materials. 
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher of  claim 10 , wherein the seal comprises rubber. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher of  claim 9 , wherein the seal is provided between the washer and the central element. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher of  claim 12 , wherein the seal is provided on the outside surface of the rinse container, adjacent the washer, and wherein the washer is configured to apply pressure on the seal and the outside surface of the rinse container. 
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher of  claim 12 , wherein the seal is provided on the inside surface of the rinse container. 
     
     
         15 . A dishwasher, comprising:
 a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface;   a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and   a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including:
 a central element attached to the inside surface of said rinse container; 
 a roller element arranged on said central element; 
 a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container; and 
   a fastener having a head provided on the outside surface of the rinse container.   
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher of  claim 15 , wherein the fastener is a screw and the central element includes inner threads to receive threads of the screw. 
     
     
         17 . The dishwasher of  claim 15 , wherein the central element includes a connecting portion that extends at least partly though a through hole in the rinse container, and the connecting portion includes said inner threads.