System consisting of kitchen appliance housing units and/or kitchen units

• US 5,957,557 A
• Filed: 08/04/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bulthaup GmbH & Company Küchensysteme
• Original Assignee: Bulthaup GmbH & Company Küchensysteme
• Inventors: Langer, Otto, Haberl, Thomas, Heizinger, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A
• Application Number:
  US08/905,596
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 312/198, 312/223.6, 312/287, 312/107, 312/223.1, 220/4.26, 220/4.27, 220/4.28, 220/23.6, 220/4.02, 174/50, 174/65, 174/52.1, 361/727, 361/724
• US Class Current: 312/223.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/08 for incorporating apparatus operated by power, including water power; for incorporating apparatus for cooking, cooling, or laundry purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/02 stackable ; stackable and linkable by means of separate corner elements being in common with both the vertical and horizontal parts, e.g. corner bars for panels, nodes for rods A47B47/0016, A47B47/0025
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/08 Foundations or supports plates; Legs or pillars; Casings; Wheels tops, e.g. hot plates F24C15/10

Abstract

The invention relates to a system consisting of kitchen appliance housing units and/or kitchen units which can be stacked on top of each other and combined with each other. According to the present invention the housing units and/or kitchen units are all provided with a service channel in a predetermined and fixed location, through which service pipes and cables, for example, electricity, gas, water, waste water, run. The housing units and/or kitchen units all have a stacking support structure and are linked together by coupling elements which also allow them to be separated.

Claims

1. System comprising at least one of kitchen appliance housing units and kitchen units which are arranged to be stacked on top of each other and combined with each other, wherein

the units are all provided with a service channel in a fixed location, through which service pipes and cables run,

the units are linked up together by means of coupling elements which enable the units to be detached, and

each housing unit for said system comprises (1) a usable area, (2) an area for at least one of energy supply units and control elements, and (3) said service channel, said areas (1)-(3) being physically separated from one another in each said housing unit.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the service channel is located in an area of a back panel of the units.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the service channel is designed as a recess which is accessible from the back panel of the housing units and/or kitchen units and can be closed with a cover.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the service pipes and cables in the service channel are arranged in a predetermined order and can be connected up via a connecting socket system between the units.

5. System according to claim 3, wherein the housing units and/or kitchen and/or kitchen units have a support structure which permits stacking.

6. Housing unit for a system according to claim 3, wherein it has, physically separate from each other, a usable area, an area for the energy supply units, control elements, etc. and a service channel.

7. System according to one of claim 1, wherein the service pipes and cables and cables in the service channel are arranged in a predetermined order and can be connected up via a connecting socket system between the units.

8. System according to claim 7, wherein the housing units and/or kitchen units have a support structure which permits stacking.

9. System according to claim 2, wherein the service pipes and cables and cables in the service channel are arranged in a predetermined order and can be connected up via a connecting socket system between the units.

10. System according to claim 2, wherein the units have a support structure which permits stacking.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the units have a support structure which permits stacking.

12. System according to claim 11, wherein the stacking support structure is based on a system of load-bearing tubes.

13. System according to claim 11, wherein the stacking support structure is composed of self-supporting side panels with coupling points.

14. Housing units for a system according to claim 7, wherein it has, physically separate from each other, a usable area, an area for the energy supply units, control elements, etc. and a service channel.

15. A housing unit according to claim 1, wherein said unit is arranged to accommodate an oven, an air conditioning fan, a warming compartment, a dishwasher, an extractor fan, an air conditioning unit, a washing machine, a drier, a refrigerator or a freezer.

16. System according to claim 1, additionally comprising insulation situated about (1) said usable area.

17. System according to claim 1, comprising controls mounted upon a front panel of each said unit and coupled to said energy supply units/control elements in (2) said area therefor.

18. System according to claim 1, wherein said coupling elements include coupling feet on the bottoms of respective units and coupling recesses on the tops of respective units, such that said respective units can be stacked one on top of the other.

19. System according to claim 1, comprising at least one refrigerator.

20. System according to claim 1, additionally comprising said control elements/energy supply units situated in (2) said area therefor.

21. System according to claim 1, comprising at least one fluid conduit situated in said service channel.

22. System according to claim 21, wherein said fluid conduit is coupled to at least one of a waste water pump and a continuous flow water heater.

23. System according to claim 1, wherein said units are structured and arranged to be joined and fixed together but still remain detachable by a provision of a common support structure which is fitted with coupling elements.

24. System according to claim 1, additionally comprising socket systems arranged at coupling points between said units for distributing energy between individual modules housed in said respective units.

25. A housing unit for a system comprising at least one of kitchen appliance housing units and kitchen units which are arranged to stacked on top of each other and combined with each other, wherein

the units are all provided with a service channel in a fixed location, through which service pipes and cables run,

the units are linked up together by means of coupling elements which enable the units to be detached,

each said housing unit comprises (1) a usable area, (2) an area for at least one of energy supply units and control elements, and (3) said service channel, said areas (1)-(3) all being physically separated from one another in each said housing unit, and

three separate areas are arranged one behind the other between front and back panels of the units, such that the (1) usable area occupies an area nearest to the front panel, (3) the service channel occupies an area nearest the back panel, and (2) the area for the energy supply units/control elements occupies the intermediate area.

26. Housing unit according to claim 25, wherein said unit is arranged to accommodate an oven, an air conditioning fan, a warming compartment, a dishwasher, an extractor fan, an air conditioning unit, a washing machine, a drier, a refrigerator or a freezer.

27. Housing unit according to claim 25, additionally comprising said control elements/energy supply units situated in (2) said intermediate area.

28. Housing unit according to claim 25, additionally comprising controls mounted upon a front panel of each said unit and coupled to said energy supply units/control elements situated in (2) said intermediate area.

29. Housing unit according to claim 25, additionally comprising insulation situated about (1) said usable area in each said unit.