Elevate
Elevate is a dishwasher/sink combination appliance designed for tiny living space environments
Features
Sink Basin
The user begins by pre-rinsing the dirty dishes in the sink basin. The stationary sink features a dual compartment style basin providing organization while washing, a standardized food trap and drain, and customizable faucet options.
Front Door
Next, the user opens the door, which is held by pivot hinges, detented at 90 and 180 degrees, and is rated to hold up to 100 lbs. These specifications were chosen to hold above the weight of a full load of dishes comprised of 4 place settings and a days worth of cookware. The handle grab bar is located at hip height.
Main Rack
The user then pulls out the main rack attaching it to the slider on the door which holds at 90 degrees. The slider that the rack sits on has wheel guides that self-locate the rail carriage to the door slider. A water catch on the slider and underneath the bottom rack prevents water from getting onto the user’s floor as they load.
Ease of Use
The user is then able to slide the main rack up the door with the help of two gas cylinders. These are actuated by pressing one of two release levers on the slider on either end of the rack. Having cylinders and supporting rails for the slider help to prevent buckling if it is loaded unevenly and keeps the weight distributed.
Loading Capacity
After the door has been fully opened, the user can easily load the main bottom rack. Due to its proximity to the sink, it ensures that no drippage will hit the floor and prolonged and frequent bending is not required. The bottom rack is optimized to hold 4 place settings in addition to a full day's worth of cooking dishes.
Loading Capacity cont.
Additionally, the user has two upper racks specifically designed for cups, and utensils. These racks slide out on their own rail system - similar to that of existing dishwashers. The cup rack is designed to hold standard cups and wine glasses up to 9” high, and the utensil rack can hold standard length flatware and utensils.
User Interface
Once the user is done loading, they can drop their detergent into the detergent hatch next to the interface. This hatch is similar to existing detergent hatches and features a rinse aid section and standard sized detergent section. The detergent then drops into the machine through the back and falls to the washing floor.
Water Re-Use
Pressing start on the dial interface begins the dishwashing process. Water is recycled in the appliance as it first enters through standardized PEX intake plumbing through PEX plumbing and into the sink and drain. If any material such as a solvent or oil enters the drain, sensors release it to the sewer straight down the overflow drain. If the water is usable it is sent to the four stage UV filtration system. The system is able to handle sediments, organic, pharmaceutical, and bacterial waste. Once past the filters, the water is stored in a 3 gallon reservoir until the dishwasher uses it. Our dishwasher uses 1.5 - 2 gallons per cycle so no virgin water is required. After a cycle, it exits into the P-trap and is drained through the standardized PVC Plumbing.
Tri Jet System
The tri jet system works to ensure that every dish gets clean! The top rainfall jets stream water down throughout the entire tub, while the cup jets shoot upwards towards the roof. Finally, the industry leading linear jets push a wall of water from front to back soaking the entire washing basin cleaning the dishes.
Maintenance
Since elevate connects the plumbing from the sink to the dishwasher, the pump, the filtration system, and water shut-off valves needed to be accessible. A rear door in the dishwashing tub ensures access to these items. To make sure elevate could easily be installed, with as minimal alteration to an existing environment as possible. It is anticipated that Elevate will be inserted into newly built tiny kichens however it was designed to slot into the smallest standardized kitchen sink profile, so only the sink and front cabinetry will need to be removed if it is to be retrofitted to an already extisting tiny kitchen.
