The invention relates to a connection system for connecting a built-in appliance to a furniture unit, in particular to a furniture recess, and a furniture unit arrangement, in particular a kitchen range, comprising a plurality of furniture units, with the furniture unit arrangement comprising at least one furniture unit with a recess and at least one built-in appliance built into the recess.
It is known to build built-in appliances or under-worktop appliances into a recess of a furniture unit wall and to secure them there to the furniture unit wall. For this, the built-in appliance itself can have connecting elements such as, for example, protruding sheet-metal strips, which are screwed on or in the furniture recess.
With this type of securing, problems occur in particular when the built-in appliance has slightly different dimensions than those provided by the furniture recess so that the built-in appliance has to be arranged at least partially with a space from an inner wall of the recess.
To resolve this problem, as a rule, the furniture recess is packed or reduced, but this usually requires further joinery or requires a comparatively long amount of time to produce special connecting elements which fit.
In addition, as a rule, the gap between the built-in appliance and the furniture recess has to be lined with paneling. The paneling is usually installed independently of the actual securing of the built-in appliance separately on the recess. Once again, this requires a significant amount of assembly work to produce suitable paneling which fits and to secure it on the recess.
It is the object of the present invention, to specify a connection system for connecting a built-in appliance to a furniture unit, in particular to a furniture recess, and a furniture unit arrangement, in particular a kitchen range, so that the built-in appliance can be reliably installed in or on a furniture unit with little time expenditure only, even if the dimensions of the built-in appliance and of the furniture unit do not match.
This object is achieved by the connection system for connecting a built-in appliance to a furniture unit and by the furniture unit arrangement as disclosed in the respective independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments and developments, which can each be used individually or optionally combined in a suitable way with each other are the subject matter of the respective dependent claims.
The connection system according to the invention for connecting a built-in appliance to a furniture unit, in particular to a furniture recess, comprises a securing strip with first securing elements for securing to the furniture unit side and with second securing elements for securing to the appliance side, and at least one cover strip, with the securing strip having at least one receptacle for securing the cover strip.
The securing strip is used to connect the built-in appliance to the furniture unit, in particular to the furniture recess in a reliable, solid and mechanically stable way. For this, the securing strip is in particular made of a metal. The securing strip is secured with the first securing elements on the furniture unit and with the second securing elements on the built-in appliance. The securing strip can be secured on the furniture unit side and/or appliance side by means of screws, hooks, clip elements, rivets, nails or other means.
The securing strip can be arranged vertically or horizontally between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit arranged thereabove, therebelow or adjacent thereto.
The built-in appliance can be a washing machine, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a cooker, an oven, a microwave, an extractor hood, a stove or another kitchen appliance. The built-in appliance can also be provided as an under-worktop appliance, that is as an appliance which is not fully inserted into a furniture recess, but stands independently on the floor.
The securing strip has at least one receptacle in order to secure the cover strip. The cover strip is used to cover the junction between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit.
The covering strip has, on the one hand, an optical function in order to cover the junction between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit and, on the other, it should prevent the penetration of dirt, dust and other contaminants into the intermediate space between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit, in particular into the gap between them. Therefore, both optically and functionally, the connection system performs the function of paneling.
The cover strip can be made of plastic and/or metal. It can also comprise wooden elements.
Advantageously, at least two cover strips are provided and the securing strip has at least two receptacles for securing the two cover strips.
The versatility of the paneling can be increased by means of at least two cover strips. In particular, two cover strips can be used to cover gaps of different widths between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit or junctions of different widths. For this, the cover strips are secured parallel to each other and at least partially overlapping on the securing strip, with the degree or the size of the overlapping region between the two cover strips being dependent upon or selected according to the gap to be bridged or the size of the junction area to be covered.
The cover strips are secured on the securing strip, with the cover strips being preferably hooked-in, inserted, clipped on or clamped.
Advantageously, at least one of the two cover strips has connecting elements, in particular latching elements, by means of which the cover strips can be connected to each other. The connectability of the cover strips to each other achieves an additional stabilization of the cover strips. The cover strips are preferably connected directly to each other and along a line. Preferably, the cover strips rest along a line. It is also possible for the cover strips only to be connected to each other in regions or by point contact. The cover strips can be hooked to each other, inserted in one another, clipped to each other or clamped.
The two cover strips are preferably arranged with an overlap, in particular according to a groove and tongue principle. The overlap extends in particular along a longitudinal side of the covering strips.
Advantageously, the overlap is adjustable in different ways, in particular adjustable in steps. For this, at least one of the cover strips can be made shorter or narrower. In particular, the covering strip can be made narrower. The connecting elements are advantageously designed to enable securing with different overlaps. This enables the cover strips to be secured to each other if the widths of the junction between built-in appliance and furniture recess are different. The cover strips can in particular be spaced at different widths from each other. Gaps of different widths between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit can be bridged or covered by a suitably selected spacing of the cover strips, with the overlap of the cover strips ensuring that the paneling provides a seal and is free of gaps.
Advantageously, the cover strip has cover-strip-side latching elements for a latching connection of the cover strip to the securing strip. The cover-strip-side latching elements enable an, in particular detachable, securing of the cover strip on the securing strip. The cover strip is, for example, clipped or clamped on the securing strip. The securing of the cover strip on the securing strip in particular does not involve any screws.
The securing strip has in particular securing-side latching elements for the latching connection of the cover strip to the securing strip. The securing-side latching elements, that is the latching elements provided on the securing strip, prevent the unintentional detachment of the cover strip from the securing strip. Advantageously, however, the cover strip can be detached from the securing strip and replaced. The securing-side latching elements are advantageously provided as a counterpiece to the cover-strip-side latching elements so that the securing-side and cover-strip-side latching elements interact and enable a solid and in particular detachable securing of the at least one cover strip on the securing strip.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the securing strip has at least one appliance-side recess to create an appliance-side groove between the securing strip and the built-in appliance. The cover strip can be inserted into the appliance-side recess. The appliance-side recess on the securing strip interacts in particular with the built-in appliance in order to form a receptacle for the cover strip. The appliance-side recess can, for example, be formed by a projection on the securing strip, with the projection being supported on the built-in appliance. This projection serves in particular to secure the securing side on the built-in appliance. The gap formed between the securing strip and the built-in appliance next to the projection, which forms the appliance-side recess, can then serve as a receptacle for the cover strip.
The securing strip advantageously has at least one furniture-unit-side recess to create a furniture-unit-side groove between the securing strip and the furniture unit, into which the cover strip can be inserted. In the same way as the appliance-side recess, the furniture-unit-side recess creates a gap between the furniture unit, which can serve as a receptacle for the cover strip. In a similar way as the appliance-side recess, the furniture-unit-side recess can be formed from a projection on the securing strip extending toward the furniture unit, with the projection being supported on the furniture unit and the projection in particular being secured to the furniture unit. The furniture-unit-side recess is located in a corresponding way between the securing strip and the furniture unit and hence offers the possibility of the securing of the cover strip.
Advantageously, the securing elements have holes for screws.
In a special embodiment of the invention, the securing strip has a flat-ribbon shape and a longitudinal direction and has at least one, preferably at least two, folding lines extending parallel to the longitudinal direction for setting an overall height of the securing strip. In particular, the folding line enables a different overall height in a range of 1-20 mm, preferably in a range of 1-10 mm, to be set. The overall height generally substantially corresponds to the distance between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit to be bridged by the securing strip. This makes it possible, to build the built-in appliance solidly into a (slightly over-dimensioned) furniture recess, which is not optimally adapted to the built-in appliance. For example, a built-in appliance with the securing strip can still be built into the recess if there is a gap of 15 mm between the built-in appliance and the recess. The securing strip with the folding lines means no further measures are required to bridge the gap between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit.
The folding lines enable the securing strip to be bent in a suitably simple way in order to achieve the adaptation of the overall height. An installer can adapt the securing strip by simply bending the securing strip along the folding lines and rapidly create a reliable securing of the built-in appliance on the furniture unit or on the furniture recess for different widths of the junction between the built-in appliance and furniture unit. This is in particular also possible if the built-in appliance is arranged at a comparatively wide distance from furniture unit.
The folding lines can be formed by cut-outs, in particular punched-out portions.
A flat-ribbon shape means that the securing strip is substantially a tape which is at least three times as long as it is wide. The width of the securing strip is in particular in a range of 15 mm-100 mm, in particular in a range of 20 mm-50 mm. The length of the securing strip is in particular at least 100 mm, in particular at least 300 mm, preferably at least 600 mm. The thickness of the securing strip, that is the thickness of the material used, in particular of the sheet used, is in particular in a range of 0.5-2 mm, in particular in a range of 1 mm-1.5 mm.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the securing strip has a flat-ribbon shape and a longitudinal direction, with the securing strip having at least one transverse folding line extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction for securing the securing strip on a surface extending transverse to the longitudinal direction, in particular on a side wall of the furniture recess. The transverse folding line enables a part of the securing strip to be bent transverse to longitudinal direction so that the securing strip can be secured to this part on an adjacent furniture unit or the side wall of the recess. The folding angle in the plane perpendicular to the transverse folding line can lie in a range of 0° to 180°. With adjacent vertical surfaces and a horizontally arranged securing strip, the folding angle is approximately 90°.
The transverse folding lines are in particular formed by formed by cut-outs, in particular punched-out portions.
Advantageously, the cover strip has a longitudinal side, the width of which can be reduced by means of a break-off edge. The reduction of the width enables the cover strip to be adapted to the width of a junction to be covered. This makes the cover strip narrower. The break-off edge simplifies the reduction of the width of the cover strip so that the cover strip can be made narrower in a simple and rapid way by breaking off a part of the cover strip along the break-off edge. The break-off edge extends in particular along a longitudinal direction of the cover strip. In cases where two cover strips are provided which are arranged with an overlap, it is advantageous for the break-off edge to be provided on the one cover strip which is covered by the other cover strip so that, after the breaking-off of a part of the one cover strip, the break-off edge is no longer visible and is covered by the other cover strip.
The furniture unit arrangement according to the invention, in particular a kitchen range, comprising a plurality of furniture units, with at least one furniture unit having a recess, and with at least one built-in appliance, with the built-in appliance being built into the recess, provides that the built-in appliance is connected to the furniture unit by the connection system according to the invention.
The use of the connection system according to the invention means the furniture unit arrangement is particularly simple to install and has particularly high reliability and stability with respect to the connection between the built-in appliance and the furniture unit. The connection system according to the invention provides a versatile covering concept for any kitchen environment offering a high degree of comfort for the installer and hence reducing installation costs. The connection system has a tolerance-compensating function requiring only a comparatively low level of complexity.
The use of a cover strip with a reducible width enables different clearances between the built-in appliance and an adjacent furniture unit, in particular a wall cupboard arranged thereabove, to be compensated.
Further advantageous details and special embodiments, which can each be used individually or combined with each other in a suitable way will be described with reference to the following drawings which are not intended to restrict the invention but only to illustrate it by way of example and which show:
The invention relates to a connection system 1 for connecting a built-in appliance 2 to a furniture unit 3, in particular to a furniture recess 4, comprising a securing strip 5 with first securing elements 9 for securing to the furniture unit side of the securing strip 5 and second securing elements 8 for securing to the appliance side of the securing strip 5 and at least one cover strip 6 which can be attached on the securing strip 5, with the securing strip 5 having at least one receptacle 11, 12 for securing the cover strip 6, 6′ and the securing strip 5 and a furniture unit arrangement 10, in particular a kitchen range comprising a plurality of furniture units 3, with at least one furniture unit 3 having a recess 4, and at least one built-in appliance 2, with the built-in appliance 2 being built into the recess 4, with the built-in appliance 2 being connected by the connection system according to the invention 1 to the furniture unit 3. The invention is characterized by the fact that this makes it possible to obtain a mechanically solid connection which is simple, rapid and reliable and which fulfils a paneling function between the built-in appliance 2 and the furniture unit 3 even when there is a misalignment between the furniture unit 3 and the built-in appliance 2.
1 Connection system
2 Built-in appliance
3 Furniture unit
4 Furniture recess
5 Securing strip
6, Cover strip
7 First securing elements
8 Second securing elements
9 Screws
10 Furniture unit arrangement
11 First receptacle
12 Second receptacle
13 Connecting elements
14 Latching elements
15 Overlap
16 Cover-strip-side latching elements
17 Securing-side latching elements
18 Appliance-side recess
19 Appliance-side groove
20 Furniture-unit-side recess
21 Furniture-unit-side groove
22 Folding lines
23 Transverse folding lines
24 Cut-outs
25 Surface
26 Longitudinal side
27 Break-off edge
28 Part to be separated
29 Side wall
30 Gap
31 Strap
32 Bending section
33 Projection
34 Second strap
35 Door
L Longitudinal direction
H Overall height
B Width
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2005 057 144.1 | Nov 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2006/067665 | 10/23/2006 | WO | 00 | 5/27/2008 |