Height adjustment mechanism for rack assemblies for appliances

Abstract

A rack assembly for an appliance is provided. The rack assembly includes a sidewall and a block that defines a series of holes. A shaft extends between the block and an actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism selectively retracts the shaft from the series of holes of the block in order to permit the sidewall to move vertically.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rack assembly for an appliance, the rack assembly defining a vertical direction and a transverse direction, the vertical and transverse directions being perpendicular, the rack assembly comprising:
 a sidewall;   a block positioned adjacent said sidewall and defining a series of holes, each hole of the series of holes being oriented along the transverse direction, the series of holes being spaced apart from one another along the vertical direction; and   a rack adjustment assembly mounted to said sidewall, said rack adjustment assembly comprising:
 a shaft that extends longitudinally between a first end portion and a second end portion along the transverse direction, the first end portion of said shaft received within one of the series of holes of said block; and 
 an actuating mechanism, the second end portion of said shaft coupled to said actuating mechanism, said actuating mechanism configured for selectively sliding said shaft along the transverse direction in order to remove the first end portion of said shaft from the series of holes of said block; 
 wherein said sidewall is moveable along the vertical direction relative to said block when the first end portion of said shaft is removed from the series of holes of said block. 
   
     
     
         2 . The rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said rack adjustment assembly further comprises a base mounted to said sidewall, said actuating mechanism slidably mounted to said base. 
     
     
         3 . The rack assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said actuating mechanism is configured for sliding upwardly along the vertical direction relative to said base in order to remove the first end portion of said shaft from the series of holes of said block. 
     
     
         4 . The rack assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said actuating mechanism defines a channel that receives the second end portion of said shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The rack assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the channel of said actuating mechanism has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the channel extending along both the vertical and transverse directions, the second portion of the channel extending along the vertical direction, the first portion of the channel disposed above the second portion of the channel along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         6 . The rack assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional block positioned adjacent said sidewall and spaced apart from said block along the transverse direction, said additional block defining an additional series of holes, the additional series of holes distributed along the vertical direction, wherein said rack adjustment assembly further comprises an additional shaft that extends longitudinally between a first end portion and a second end portion along the transverse direction, the first end portion of said additional shaft received within one of the series of additional holes of said additional block, the second end portion of said additional shaft coupled to said actuating mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said actuating mechanism comprises a rectangular handle. 
     
     
         8 . The rack assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said sidewall is formed of a series of vertical members fixed to a series of transverse members, said series of vertical members extending longitudinally along the vertical direction and spaced apart from one another along the transverse direction, said series of transverse members extending longitudinally along the transverse direction and spaced apart from one another along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         9 . A dishwasher appliance, the dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the dishwasher appliance comprising:
 a tub that defines a wash chamber; and   a rack assembly for receipt of articles for washing, said rack assembly having opposing sidewalls that are spaced apart along the lateral direction;   a pair of slides mounted to said rack assembly at the opposing sidewalls of said rack assembly, said pair of slides configured for sliding movement of said rack assembly within the wash chamber of said tub;   a plurality of blocks, said plurality of blocks mounted to said pair of slides, each block of said plurality of blocks defining a series of holes facing the transverse direction, the series of holes spaced apart along the vertical direction; and   a pair of rack adjustment assemblies mounted to said rack assembly at the opposing sidewalls of said rack assembly, each rack adjustment assembly comprising:
 a shaft extending longitudinally between a first end portion and a second end portion along the transverse direction, the first end portion of said shaft received within a respective one of the series of holes of said plurality of blocks; and 
 an actuating mechanism carried by said sidewall, the second end portion of said shaft coupled to said actuating mechanism, said actuating mechanism configured for selectively sliding said shaft along the transverse direction in order to remove the first end portion of said shaft from the series of holes of said block; 
 wherein said rack assembly is moveable along the vertical direction relative to said pair of slides when the first end portion of said shaft is removed from the series of holes of said plurality of blocks. 
   
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 9 , wherein each rack adjustment assembly further comprises a base mounted to said opposing sidewalls, said actuating mechanism slidably mounted to said base. 
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 10 , wherein said actuating mechanism is configured for sliding upwardly along the vertical direction relative to said base in order to remove the first end portion of said shaft from the series of holes of said block. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 10 , wherein said actuating mechanism defines a channel that receives the second end portion of said shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the channel of said actuating mechanism has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the channel extending along both the vertical and transverse direction, the second portion of the channel extending along the vertical direction, the first portion of the channel disposed above the second portion of the channel along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 9 , wherein each rack adjustment assembly further comprises an additional shaft that extends longitudinally between a first end portion and a second end portion along the transverse direction, the first end portion of said additional shaft received within one of a series of additional holes defined by said plurality of blocks, the second end portion of said additional shaft coupled to said actuating mechanism. 
     
     
         15 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 9 , wherein said actuating mechanism comprises a rectangular handle. 
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 9 , wherein said opposing sidewalls are formed of a series of vertical members fixed to a series of transverse members, said series of vertical members extending longitudinally along the vertical direction and spaced apart from one another along the transverse direction, said series of transverse members extending longitudinally along the transverse direction and spaced apart from one another along the vertical direction. 
     
     
         17 . A rack assembly for an appliance, the rack assembly defining a vertical direction and a transverse direction, the vertical and transverse directions being perpendicular, the rack assembly comprising:
 a sidewall;   a block positioned adjacent said sidewall and defining a series of holes that is oriented along the transverse direction and distributed along the vertical direction; and   a rack adjustment assembly mounted to said sidewall, said rack adjustment assembly comprising:
 a shaft that extends longitudinally between a first end portion and a second end portion along the transverse direction, said shaft configured for selectively shifting between a first position and a second position; and 
 an actuating mechanism, the second end portion of said shaft coupled to said actuating mechanism, said actuating mechanism configured for selectively shifting said shaft between the first and second positions; 
 wherein the first end portion of said shaft is received within one of the series of holes of said block when said shaft is in the first position in order to hinder said sidewall from moving along the vertical direction relative to said block, the first end portion of said shaft is positioned outside of the series of holes of said block when said shaft is in the second position in order to permit said sidewall to move along the vertical direction relative to said block. 
   
     
     
         18 . The rack assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said sidewall is formed of a series of vertical members fixed to a series of transverse members, said series of vertical members extending longitudinally along the vertical direction and spaced apart from one another along the transverse direction, said series of transverse members extending longitudinally along the transverse direction and spaced apart from one another along the vertical direction.