Tub defining integral rack guides in a dishwasher appliance

Abstract

A dishwasher appliance includes a tub defining a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and a guide assembly defined by the tub and including an upper guide and a lower guide spaced apart along the vertical direction to define a support groove having a retention geometry proximate a front opening of the tub. A rack is positioned within the support groove and is slidable along the transverse direction between a retracted position and an extended position, the rack defining a rear retention member that engages the upper guide at the retention geometry when the rack reaches the extended position.

1 . A dishwasher appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the dishwasher appliance comprising:
 a tub defining a guide assembly comprising an upper guide and a lower guide spaced apart from the upper guide along the vertical direction to define a support groove having a retention geometry proximate a front opening of the tub, wherein the retention geometry comprises a downward protrusion defined in both of the upper guide and the lower guide; and   a rack positioned within the support groove and being slidable along the transverse direction between a retracted position and an extended position, the rack defining a rear retention member that engages the upper guide at the retention geometry when the rack reaches the extended position, and wherein the rack defines two lateral support wires, each of the lateral support wires defining an upward protrusion proximate a front of the lateral support wires for engaging the downward protrusion defined on the upper guide when the rack is in the retracted position.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the tub defines a sidewall and a top wall joined by an arcuate corner, and wherein the upper guide and the lower guide are defined at least partially within the arcuate corner. 
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the tub further defines a standoff that is positioned in the arcuate corner and defines a vertical face, wherein the upper guide and the lower guide extend from the vertical face along the lateral direction. 
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the upper guide and the lower guide are formed on the sidewall of the tub. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the support groove is configured to receive at least one of a lower rack, a middle rack, or a third rack. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the tub comprises two sidewalls spaced apart along the lateral direction, and wherein each of the two sidewalls defines at least two pairs of guide assemblies at different positions along the vertical direction for supporting separate dishwasher racks. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the guide assembly comprises a rear stop proximate a rear end of the tub for engaging the rear retention member to prevent sliding the rack past the retracted position. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the rear stop comprises a tapered extension of the upper guide that decreases a height of the support groove. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the rack is removable from the support groove by pivoting a front end of the rack upward when in the extended position and guiding the rear retention member around the downward protrusion. 
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises a plurality of wires that are formed from metal and coated in nylon. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the tub and the guide assembly are integrally formed as a single monolithic component. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the tub and the guide assembly are injection molded as a single piece. 
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the tub and the guide assembly are stamped from a single piece of stainless steel. 
     
     
         15 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the two lateral support wires are connected by a plurality of interwoven interior wires, wherein the lateral support wires have a larger diameter than the plurality of interwoven interior wires. 
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the tub defines a tub width measured along the lateral direction and the rack defines a rack width measured along the lateral direction, and wherein the rack width is greater than 90% of the tub width. 
     
     
         17 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the rack width is greater than 95% of the tub width. 
     
     
         18 . A tub for a dishwasher appliance, the tub comprising:
 a first sidewall and a second sidewall spaced apart along a lateral direction; and   a guide assembly integrally formed on each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall, each guide assembly comprising an upper guide and a lower guide spaced apart from the upper guide along a vertical direction to define a support groove having a retention geometry proximate a front opening of the tub, wherein the retention geometry comprises a downward protrusion defined in both of the upper guide and the lower guide, the downward protrusion being configured to engage an upward protrusion defined on a front of lateral support wires of a dishwasher rack.   
     
     
         19 . The tub of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a top wall that is joined to each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall by an arcuate corner, and wherein the upper guide and the lower guide of each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall are defined at least partially within the arcuate corner.   
     
     
         20 . The tub of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a standoff defined within the arcuate corner and defining a vertical face, wherein the upper guide and the lower guide extend from the vertical face along the lateral direction.   
     
     
         21 . The dishwasher appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of protrusions defined on a top surface of the lower guide and extending upward along the vertical direction to engage the lateral support wires.