Stemware Drying Rack

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to stemware drying racks, and more particularly to stemware drying racks mountable to or on sinks and sink dividers.

[0002] Drying racks are often used to support dishes and glasses while drying following washing. One example of a typical drying rack is positioned on a drain pan adjacent a sink in order to permit water or other such fluids draining from the dishes or glass to collect in the pan and drain into the sink. This can reduce drainage onto the counter or other areas adjacent the sink. However, many drying racks are not specifically configured to support stemware, which can be taller than typical drinking glasses, more fragile or costly than typical drinking glasses and/or more susceptible to tipping over than typical drinking glasses. Racks specifically configured to support stemware are often configured for use in dishwashers or for resting on a counter adjacent a sink, with no provision for collecting drained fluids.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. D518936 discloses a wine glass holder for use with a dish rack. However, the holder is not disclosed as being mountable to a sink or sink divider, or to position stemware over a sink. Thus, provision for collecting drained fluids can be necessary if fluids are not desired to be on the counter or the like.

[0004] Other patents disclose racks for use in dishwashers or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,031, discloses a rack for storing stemmed glassware in pendant position, such as in an automatic glass washer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,556 discloses a holder for use in mounting long stemmed articles, such as glassware, within a dishwasher. The holder has a base that is specifically configured and structured to provide stable support on a conventional rack of a dishwasher. However, the use of such racks or holders can be limited because not all glassware is suitable for use in a dishwasher, a user may not have a dishwasher and/or a user may prefer not to clean glassware using a dishwasher. Moreover, such racks or holders are not disclosed as being mountable to a sink or sink divider, or to position stemware over a sink.

[0005] Some dish or dishcloth drying racks are positioned in or over sinks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,325 discloses a dishcloth drying rack and tool-carrying basket that is attachable to a sink divider using suction cups. U.S. Pat. No. 2,323,454 discloses a guard for a drainboard for the purpose of preventing dishes from sliding or falling from the drainboard. The guard has a portion that fits over a partition of a sink, and the drainboard spans from one side of the sink to the partition. Neither of these patents discloses supporting stemware.

[0006] Drying racks for stemware or other suitable dishware are disclosed herein that are configured to be mountable to or on sinks and sink dividers. The stemware drying racks are configured to support stemware to permit drying of the stemware, and may be configured to position the stemware over a well of a sink to permit drainage of water or the like directly into the well of the sink.

[0007] The stemware drying racks may include a base that is mountable to a sidewall of a sink, such as with suction cups or the like, and/or a base that is configured to rest upon a divider of a sink for support. The base may include one or more pairs of spaced apart prongs for supporting stemware, with the space between the prongs sized to receive a stem of the stemware and support the stemware in an inverted or upright orientation over a well of the sink.

[0008] In one aspect, a stemware drying rack mountable on a sink divider for supporting one or more glasses is provided. The rack includes a base, a pair of spaced apart supports depending relative to the base, a support upstanding relative to the base; and at least one pair of prongs extending outwardly from the upstanding support. The prongs having a gap therebetween for receiving a stem of a glass. The pair of spaced apart depending supports may be spaced apart by a distance sufficient to receive the sink divider therebetween when the rack is mounted on the sink divider.

[0009] The stemware drying rack may include a second pair of prongs extend outwardly from the upstanding support, where the second pair of prongs also have a gap therebetween for receiving a stem of a glass. The second pair of prongs may be facing in the same or opposite direction as the first pair of prongs. The multiple pairs of prongs may be mounted to a common upstanding support, or to different upstanding supports. Ends of the prongs, opposite the upstanding support, are directed either upwardly or downwardly relative to the remainder of the prongs. The base, the upstanding support and the prongs may be formed of plastic, metal, wire or combinations thereof.

[0010] In another aspect, a stemware drying rack is disclosed that is mountable to a sink wall for supporting one or more glasses or other dishware. The rack includes a support, at least one suction cup for adhering the support relative to a sink wall, and at least one pair of prongs extending outwardly from the support, where each pair of prongs may have a gap therebetween to receive a stem of a glass. The base, the upstanding support and the prongs may be formed of plastic, metal, wire or combinations thereof. Ends of the prongs opposite the support may be directed at an angle relative to the remainder of the prongs.

[0011] In yet another aspect, a dryer for stemware is disclosed having a lower portion having a pair of spaced apart supports and an upper portion having an upstanding support and at least one pair of outwardly projecting of prongs, the prongs having a gap therebetween for receiving a stem of a glass.

[0020] Stemware drying racks are disclosed herein and illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 that are configured to be mountable to or on sinks and sink dividers. The stemware drying racks are configured to support stemware to permit drying of the stemware, and may be configured to position the stemware over a well of a sink to permit drainage of water or the like directly into the well of the sink. The stemware drying racks may include a base that is mountable to a sidewall of a sink, such as with suction cups or the like, and/or a base that is configured to rest upon a divider of a sink for support. The base may include one or more pairs of spaced apart prongs for supporting stemware, with the space between the prongs sized to receive a stem of the stemware and support the stemware in an inverted orientation over a well of the sink. Using such stemware drying racks advantageously provides a convenient apparatus for supporting stemware during drying and, in some circumstances, positioning the stemware over the well of a sink.

[0021] The stemware 1 may include a bowl 3 spaced from a foot 7 by a stem 5, as illustrated in FIG. 1. However, the stemware drying racks disclosed herein may be used to support other suitable glassware and dishware.

[0022] Sinks typically have one or more wells. As illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1, a sink 2 may include a pair of wells 10 and 12 separated by a divider or dividing wall 4. The dividing wall 4 has a pair of generally parallel side walls 6 and 8 connected by a top wall 14. In the embodiments of stemware drying racks illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 and 8, the racks include a base having a pair of depending supports spaced by a platform. The depending supports are spaced apart by a distance sufficient to permit each of the supports to be adjacent to one of the side walls 6 and 8 of the sink divider 4, with the platform resting on the top wall 14 of the sink divider 4. In the embodiments of the stemware drying racks illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, suction cups or the like are provided to secure the racks to a wall of the well of the sink.

[0023] Turning now to the details of a first embodiment of a stemware drying rack 20, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rack includes a base for mounting the rack 20 on a divider 4 between two wells 10 and 12 of a sink 2 and two pairs of spaced apart prongs 30 and 40 for supporting the stemware over one of the wells 10 or 12 of the sink 2 in an inverted orientation to permit drainage of water or the like from the stemware into the well 10 or 12 of the sink 2. The base includes a pair of depending supports 24 and 26, as illustrated in FIG. 2, that are attached at their upper ends to a platform 22. The depending supports 24 and 26 are spaced a distance w apart, where the distance w is selected to permit insertion of a sink divider 4 between the depending supports 24 and 26. Another support 28 extends upwardly from the platform 22. One end of the upwardly extending support 28 is connected to the platform 22, and the other end of the support is connected to the pairs of spaced apart prongs 30 and 40. The pairs of prongs 30 and 40 are spaced apart by a gap g₂. The upwardly extending support may be connected along an edge of the platform 22, such as generally planar with one of the depending supports 26 as illustrated in FIG. 2, or may be positioned elsewhere along the platform 22. Each of the pair of prongs 30 and 40 are similar or identical in construction. Thus, the configuration of each of the pairs of prongs 30 and 40 will be described with reference to one of the pair of prongs 30. The pair of prongs 30 includes outwardly extending segments 31 and 32 spaced apart by a gap 34 having a gap distance g₁. Although the segments 31 and 32 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as being generally parallel, they may also be either diverging or converging. One end of each of the segments of the prongs 31 and 32 is connected to the upwardly extending support 28, while the opposite and outwardly ends of the segments 31 and 32 of the prongs may optionally include upturned tips 36 and 38. The upturned tips 36 and 38 can restrict removal, such as inadvertent removal, of stemware from the rack 20.

[0024] To use the stemware drying rack 20, the base of the rack 20 may placed on a divider 4 between two wells 10 and 12 of a sink 2. More specifically, the divider 4 is positioned between the depending supports 24 and 26 and the platform 22 rests on the top 14 of the divider 4. This can provide a stable position when the rack 20 is supporting stemware 1 in an unbalanced configuration, such as when the stemware is positioned only over one well 10 of a sink 2. Once positioned on the divider 4, the stem 5 of the stemware 1 can be inserted into the gap 34 between the segments 31 and 32 of one of the pairs of prongs 30 or 40. The stemware 1 can be inserted between the segments 31 and 32 of the pairs of prongs 30 or 40 in either an inverted position or an upright position. In the inverted position, the foot 7 rests against the upwardly facing surfaces of the segments 31 and 32. In the upright position, the bottom of the bowl 3 rests against the upwardly facing surfaces of the segments 31 and 32. Lateral movement of the stemware 1 is restricted by the segments 31 and 32. Positioning the stemware drying rack 20 on the divider 4 of the sink 2 advantageously permits fluid from the surfaces of the stemware 1 to drain into a well 10 of the sink 2.

[0025] Depending upon the width of the sink divider 4 that the rack 20 is configured to be used with, the distance w between the depending supports 24 and 26 may vary. For example, if the types of sinks that the rack 20 is designed to be used with have a typical width of the sink dividers 4 of about 4 inches, then the distance w may be selected to accommodate such a width. Alternatively, the distance w between the depending supports 24 and 26 may be variable, such as by having an adjustable platform 22 or spring-loaded or otherwise inwardly biased supports 24 or 26. The gap distance g₁ is selected to accommodate the width of a stem 5 of stemware 1. Similarly, however, the gap distance g₁ can vary, such as by having non-parallel segments 31 and 32 or inwardly biased segments 31 and 32. Also, the gap distance g₂ can vary, such as by having movable prong pairs 30 and 40, whether slidable or rotatable relative to the base.

[0026] Instead of having a pair of prongs 30 and 40 on one side of the stemware drying rack 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, pairs of prongs 130 and 140 may be positioned facing in one direction from the drying rack 120, and pairs of prongs 150 and 160 may be positioned facing in opposite directions from the drying rack 120, as illustrated in a second embodiment of the drying rack 120 in FIG. 3. The base and prongs of the drying rack 120 of FIG. 3 are similar in construction to those of the rack 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2, discussed above, having a pair of depending supports 124 and 126 connected to a platform 122. However, two upstanding supports 128 and 142 are provided, each with outwardly extending prongs 130, 140 and 150, 160. Thus, stemware can be positioned on either or both sides of the divider 4 of the sink 2. Ribs 144 may be provided to strengthen the prongs relative to the upstanding supports 128 and 142, as such may be used in other embodiments disclosed herein. Although two upstanding supports 128 and 142 are illustrated in FIG. 3, a common upstanding support could alternatively be used.

[0027] The stemware drying racks 20 and 120 of FIGS. 1-3 disclose two and four pairs of prongs. However, other quantities of pairs of prongs can also be used, subject in part to the limitations imposed by the span of the divider. For example, FIG. 4 discloses a third embodiment of a stemware drying rack 220 having six pairs of prongs 230, 240, 250, 260, 270 and 280, with three facing in one direction and three facing in an opposite direction. Also by way of example, FIG. 5 discloses a fourth embodiment of a stemware drying rack 320 having two pairs of prongs 330, 360, with one facing in one direction and the second facing in an opposite direction.

[0028] The details of construction of the stemware drying racks 220 and 320 of FIGS. 4 and 5 are similar to those discussed hereinabove. Specifically, the stemware drying rack 220 of FIG. 4 includes a base having a pair of opposing, depending supports 224 and 226 connected to a platform 222. A pair of upstanding supports 228 and 242, which could be replaced by a common support, as discussed above, have pairs of prongs 230, 240, 250, 260, 270 and 280 connected at their upper ends and positioned to support stemware over wells 10 and 12 of a sink 2. Ribs 244 may optionally be included to stiffen various locations of the rack 220. Similarly, the rack 320 of FIG. 5 includes a pair of depending supports 324 and 326 connected to a platform 322. Upstanding supports 328 and 342 each support a pair of prongs 330 and 360, with optional ribs 344 for stiffening.

[0029] The stemware drying racks may be formed of plastic, such as by using injection molding techniques. However, some or all of portions of the racks may be formed of wire, which can be plastic, metal, plastic-coated metal, or other materials. For example, a seventh embodiment of a stemware drying rack 620, illustrated in FIG. 8, includes a base made of one material and upstanding supports with integral, outwardly extending prongs made of wire. The base is similar to the bases discussed above, having a pair of spaced apart depending supports 623 and 624 attached to a platform 622. However, the platform 622 is adapted to be connected to ends of the prongs. For instance, the platform 622 can include a cross-piece 626 having sockets 628 for receiving ends of legs 632 and 634 of the prongs. Two pairs of prongs 630 and 640 are provided facing in a common direction, although other numbers and configuration of prongs can be utilized. The prongs 630 and 640 are similar or identical in construction, including the legs 632 and 634, which are connected to outwardly extending segments 636 and 638 having a gap 646 therebetween and upturned ends 642 and 664. The wire forming the prongs 630 and 640 may be shaped in a continuous manner, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0030] As an alternative to racks that mount over the divider 4, as discussed above, stemware drying racks 420 and 520 may be configured to mount to surfaces of a sink 2, such as a sidewall 6 or 8 or other wall of a well 10 or 12 of the sink 2. The racks may be made of plastic or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 6, or from wire or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the fifth embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 6, the rack 420 has an upstanding support 422 is provided, having suction cups 424 mounted toward one end and another end with outwardly extending pairs of prongs 430 and 440. Similarly, in the sixth embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 7, the rack 520 has a support 522 with suction cups 524 mounted toward on end and outwardly extending pairs of prongs 530 and 540 at the other end. The pairs of prongs 530 and 540 may each include a pair of segments 531 and 532 spaced by a gap 534 and having upturned ends 536 and 538, similar to the wire prongs discussed above. This embodiment also illustrates that the lengths of the prongs can differ.

[0031] The suction cups can be mounted on either side of the support for the racks 420 and 520, depending upon the particular intended uses. For instance, the suction cups may be mounted on either side of the support if the rack 420 and 520 is to be mounted to a divider 4. However, if the suction cups are mounted on the same side as the prongs 540, which can advantageously cause the support to abut against the sidewall 6 or 8 of the divider 4, then the prongs may be longer to extend to the other side of the divider 4. If the rack 420 and 520 is to be mounted to both a divider 4 or other internal walls of the wells 10 or 12, then the suction cups may be attached to a side of the support opposite the direction the prongs extend. The suction cups may also be moveable between sides of the support.

[0032] The drawings and the foregoing descriptions are not intended to represent the only forms of the stemware drying racks in regard to the details of construction. Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents, are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient; and although specific terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purposes of limitation.