FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to rack assemblies for appliances, such as dishwasher appliances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various appliances have slidable rack assemblies for holding articles therein. For example, a dishwasher appliance is typically provided with one or more rack assemblies into which various articles may be loaded for cleaning. The rack assemblies may include features such as, for example, tines that hold and orient the articles to receive sprays of wash and rinse fluids during the cleaning process. The articles to be cleaned may include a variety of dishes, cooking utensils, silverware, and other items.

The size of the articles can vary significantly. For example, glasses are available in a variety of different heights. Dishes are manufactured with various diameters between large and small. Pots used for cooking can have different depths.

In order to accommodate the larger articles, some dishwasher appliances include an upper rack assembly of a dishwasher appliance with features for height adjustment of the rack assembly. Such adjustability allows for movement of the upper rack assembly along a vertical direction V. By moving or lifting the upper rack to a higher vertical height setting, larger articles can be accommodated in, for example, a lower rack assembly positioned beneath the upper rack assembly. Conversely, by lowering the upper rack to a lower vertical height setting, larger articles can be accommodated in, for instance, the upper rack assembly.

Certain adjustment features have been proposed for providing height adjustability for a rack assembly. Typically, these features include multiple moving parts that may require the user to engage or move both the rack assembly and the adjustment features at the same time as the user lifts or lowers the rack assembly. For certain users, these adjustment features can be difficult to operate.

Some conventional adjustment features for rack assemblies require a rack to move uniformly from one height to the next. Specifically, the rack is forced to remain horizontal as it is raised or lowered. Nonetheless, certain articles may be difficult to load in such an orientation, irrespective of the height.

Accordingly, a rack assembly for an appliance that can be easily adjusted to different vertical positions would be useful. Moreover, a rack assembly for an appliance that can be easily adjusted to different vertical positions while being tiltable to accommodate various articles would be advantageous.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a rack assembly is provided. The rack assembly may include a rack, a front bracket, a rear bracket, and a joiner bar. The rack may include a sidewall having a transverse rail. The rack may be slidable in a transverse direction between an extended position and a retracted position. The front bracket may be attached to the sidewall. The front bracket may extend vertically between a fixed end secured to the sidewall and a free end laterally pivotable apart from the transverse rail to permit vertical movement of the rack relative to the front bracket. The rear bracket may be attached to the sidewall rearward from the front bracket. The rear bracket may extend vertically from a fixed end secured to the sidewall to a free end laterally pivotable apart from the transverse rail to permit vertical movement of the rack relative to the rear bracket. The joiner bar may extend along the transverse direction from the front bracket to the rear bracket. The joiner bar may be vertically offset from the fixed end of the front bracket. The joiner bar may be laterally translatable relative to the transverse rail to motivate the free end of the front bracket.

In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a dishwashing appliance is provided. The dishwashing appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, and an elevated rack assembly. The tub may define a wash chamber within the cabinet, The elevated rack assembly may be mounted to the tub. The elevated rack assembly may include a frame, a rack, a front bracket, a rear bracket, and a joiner bar. The frame may be positioned within the wash chamber. The rack may include a sidewall having a transverse rail. The rack may be mounted to the frame to receive articles for washing. The rack may be slidable along the frame in a transverse direction between an extended position and a retracted position. The front bracket may be attached to the sidewall. The front bracket may support the rack on the frame. The front bracket may extend vertically between a fixed end secured to the sidewall and a free end laterally pivotable apart from the transverse rail to permit vertical movement of the rack relative to the front bracket. The rear bracket may be attached to the sidewall rearward from the front bracket. The rear bracket may support the rack on the frame. The rear bracket may extend vertically from a fixed end secured to the sidewall to a free end laterally pivotable apart from the transverse rail to permit vertical movement of the rack relative to the rear bracket. The joiner bar may extend along the transverse direction from the front bracket to the rear bracket. The joiner bar may be vertically offset from the fixed end of the front bracket. The joiner bar may be laterally translatable relative to the transverse rail to motivate the free end of the front bracket.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

