GB2221970A

GB2221970A - Mounting one household appliance on top of another

Info

Publication number: GB2221970A
Application number: GB8916709A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Siegmar Schwarz; Klaus Grunert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-08-16
Filing date: 1989-07-21
Publication date: 1990-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2009-07-21
Also published as: DE3827790C2; ES2014377A6; GB8916709D0; IT8921474A0; DE3827790A1; GB2221970B; IT1230803B

Description

1 22-21970 MOUNTING KIT FOR MOUNTING TWO HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES ONE ON TOP

OF THE OTHER The present invention relates to a mounting kit for mounting of a first household appliance on top of a second household appliance, especially a laundry washing machine and a laundry drier, in which the second appliance has a workplate top and the first appliance has height adjustable feet.

A connection mounting for two household appliances pTaced one on top of the other is disclosed in DE-OS 33 29 615, in which arrangement support foot receptacles are mounted on the workplate of the lower appliance. Two of the receptacles define pots which are open at the top and into which the support feet can be inserted from above, and the other two receptacles are constructed for horizontal insertion of the feet. This arrangement, however, is disadvantageous in terms of safety inasmuch as the upper appliance is not sufficiently securely connected with the lower appliance by the pot-like receptacles. If the support feet of the lower appliance, such as a washing machine, are. improperly adjusted, the machine can wobble during operation, for example centrifuging, so that the support feet of the upper appliance may lift out of the pot-like receptacles. Moreover, as the horizontal- ly inserted support feet are not fastened in the respective receptacles, there is a risk that the upper appliance may fall down.

There is thus a need for a kit which may be able to provide a connection, secure against tilting, of an upper applinace to a lower appliance, especially so that falling down of the upper appliance is excluded. Such a kit should preferably be as simple as possible so as to be within the capabilities of skilled D-I-Y workers. Not least, the appliance unit formed with use of such a kit should preferably also have an attractive appearance, in particular with concealment of the intermediate space between the workplate of the upper appliance and the base of the lower appliance.

According to the present invention there is provided a mounting kit for the mounting of a first household appliance with height- adjustable feet on a workplate top of a second household appliance, the kit comprising a plurality of cranked brackets each comprising a mounting plate for mounting on the workplate and a fastening plate for fastening a respective one of the feet, the mounting and fastening plates of each bracket extending substantially parallel to each other and being spaced apart by an amount at least equal to the thickness of a foot plate of the associated one -nf the feet, a plurality of securing elements for securing the mounting plates of the brackets to the workplate and front and side cover panels for covering gaps between the appliances at the front and the sides thereof when the first appli- ance is mounted on the second appliance, the panels being provided at rearward faces thereof with detent elements for locating the panels in position.

Preferably, the kit contains four Z-shaped brackets each with a mounting plate and with a fastening plate parallel thereto at about the spacing of the thickness of a foot plate of the associated one of the f eet, as we] 1 as at 1 east two screws f or each -bracket, and two side panels and a front panel with respective detent elements formed at the rear sides. The brackets can be mounted by means of the screws in a simple manner in a position indicated on the workplate top, whereafter the intermediate space can be closed off flush at the sides and the front by detenting of the side and front panels. The kit can be utilised in particularly simple manner if the workplate top is 1 l i made, for example, of a hard material containing fibres, in which case the screws can conveniently be self-drilling and self-tapping high-speed assembly screws.

Brackets of glvanised steel plate facilitate production and at the same time meet strength requirements.

For the covering of the intermediate space, a front panel with corner portions engaging laterally over the ends of the side panels is particularly suitable. The side panels can then be firmly held in place by the front panel and strong detent elements are required only for the front panel.

Preferably, also, the kit includes an assembly template with a twodimensional size at most equal to that of the workplate top. This template can be stuck to the workplate top before mounting of the brackets. Mounting positions for the brackets and screw holes can be marked, for example printed, on the template and then transferred to the workplate top, for example by means of centre-punching the screw points. Thereafter, the template can be removed from or left on the workplate top.

A marked reference side on the template is particularly advantage- ous in order that the position of the template on the workplate top is reproducible.

In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the brackets mounted in position of use are drawn on the template by the centres of their screw holes. Advantageously, the brackets drawn in position of use point by their fastening plates in direction towards a front edge of the template, which at the same time denotes a front edge of the workplate top. Expediently, the fastening plate of each bracket has a slot which is open towards the front and the width of which is at least equal to the diameter of a shank portion of the foot to be fastened by that fastening plate.

The kit can also contain a tool suitable for adjusting the support feet. If each support foot has a hexagonal foot plate, a tool suitable for this is a flat spanner. The shank porti.on and/or the foot plate can, however, have a blind bore or a through bore transversely to the axis of the shank portion, in which case the tool suitable for adjustment is a round section key, for example a crank key.

Assembly can be further simplified if the tool incorporates a gauge for setting the height of the feet, this height being determined by the thickness of the fastening plate of the associated bracket. In that case the feet, if having threaded shank portions, can initially be screwed out from the base of the lower appliance to leave just sufficient space for the fastening plates between the foot plates and the base of the appliance, the extent to which the feet are screwed out being determined through use of the gauge. Thereby, the fitter avoids excessive unscrewing of the feet, because subsequent tightening of the feet with the appliance set up is more laborious, and also avoids insufficient unscrewing, which would mean that the foot plates of the feet could not be pushed below the fastening plates of the brackets.

For safety reasons, the kit can also include a respective cap for the mounting plate of the or each bracket to be disposed adjacent to a rear edge of the workplate top, the dimensions of each cap being matched to the associated mounting plate. Such caps can be provided in order that the metallic and therefore electrically conductive mounting plates are not accessible from the rear, because the kit does i not include a rear cover panel. The fastening screws, if replaced by items other than those provided with the kit, for the mounting plates could exceptionally Project through the workplate top and into the interior of the lower appliance, where they might possibly come into contact with voltage-conducting components. The fitting of the caps is recommended in order to provide protection against -contact with mounting plates.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying draw- ings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of an assembled washer-drier column; Fig. 2 is a view of the individual parts of a mounting kit embodying the invention and for use in assembly of a column such as that of Fig. 1; Fi 9. 3 is a view of a template of the kit, the template being placed on a workplate of the upper machine and screw holes being formed in the workplate with the aid of the template; Fi 9. 4 is a detail view showing the transferred screw hole centres, by reference to the region IV of Fig. 3; Fi 9. 5 is a view showing the mounting of brackets of the kit, and also protective caps for the rear brackets; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the caps on the brackets, by Fi g. 7 Fi 9. 8 A reference to the detail VI of Fig. 5; is a view showing preliminary adjustment of support feet of the lower appliance; is a detail view, by reference to the region VIII of Fig. 7, showing use of the gauge part of a tool of the kit; Fi 9 is a view showing placement of the upper appliance on the workplate of the lower appliance provided with brackets; is a detail view, referring to the region X of Fig. 9, showing the horizontal insertion movement of a foot plate below a fastening plate of a bracket; is a view showing the fastening of the stand feet to the fastening plates of the brackets; is a detail view, referring to the region XII of Fig.

11, showing the fastening of one of the stand feet; is a view showing insertion of side panels of the kit into an intermediate space of the appliances; is a view showing the insertion of a front panel of the kit into the intermediate space; is a detail view, referring to the region XV of Fig.

showing the engaging of a corner portion of the front panel over an end of one of the side panels; is a view showing possibly required mounting of a pedestal front panel of the upper appliance; and Fig. 17 is a view of the template of the kit.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in- Fig. 1 a washer drier column consisting of a washing machine 1 and a laundry drier 2 placed thereon. The washing machine at its upper side 'has a work plate 3 and the intermediate space between this workplate and the not visible base of the drier is concealed by side panels 4 and a front panel 5. The drier is provided in its lower region with a unit, for example a heat exchanger, which must be accessible from the outside Fig. 10 Fig. 11 Fi 9. 12 Fi 9. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fi g. 16 1 and the drier accordingly has a front access shield 6 which must be accessible in spite of the panels 4 and 5.

The principal components of a kit for mounting of the drier 2 on the washing machine 1 are illustrated in Fig. 2. These components consist of four Z-shaped brackets 7, two screws 8 for each bracket, two side panels 4 and a front panel 5. In addition, a simp-le tool 9 and possibly exchangeable pedestal shields 10 and 11 for the pedestal region of the laundry drier are included in the kit. In case it is regarded as necessary, two insulating protective caps 12 can be added to the kit.

The kit further comprises an assembly template 13, which is shown in detail in Fig. 17 and explained further below. As shown in Fig. 3, the template is laid onto the upper side of the workplate 3 of the washing machine. In that case the edges 14 and 15, designated by an arrow, of the template 13 are placed without spacing against the inward sides of upwardly projecting edging strips 16 at the upper side of the workplate 3. Screw hole centres 18 marked on the template are to be transferred to the workplate 3 by use of the supplied screws 8 and a hammer 17. On raising the template 13, the centres are to be seen in the form of centre punch marks 19 on the workplate, as shown in Fig. 4.

The brackets 7 are now mounted on the workplate 3 by means of the screws 8, which are self-drilling and self-tapping, With the use of a screwdriver 20 (Fig. 5). In that-case, fastening plates 21 of the brackets 7 must point to the front of the workplate; these plates 21 have fork-shaped portions defining slots 22. After the brackets 7 have been mounted, the caps 12 are pushed from the rear onto mounting A plates 39 of the rear brackets 7. The caps serve to protect the mounting plates from being touched when the washer-drier column is in use. The intermediate space is not covered rearwardly by any panel and the brackets 7 are accessible. Since the fastening screws - if instead of the supplied screws matched to the thickness of the workplate, correspondingly longer ones are used could theoretically- pass right through the workplate 3, such screws could come into contact with voltage- conducting components in the interior of the washing machine, in which case the bracket 7 concerned would be live. The ready mounted cap 12 is shown in Fig. 6.

The next assembly steps apply to the drier to be placed on the washing machine. Figs. 7 and 8 show that threaded feet 25 at the drier must first be screwed out from its base plate by a certain amount. For this purpose, the drier 2 is tilted slightly and the tool 9 - an angled tommy-bar - is inserted into a transverse bore 23 of a foot plate 24 of each foot 25. In normal rotational screw direction, the feet 25 are screwed out of or into the base plate by means of the tool 9. The amount by which the feet 25 are screwed out depends on the thickness of the fastening plate 21 of a bracket 7. Pref erably, the spacing B from the foot plate 24 to the base plate of the drier is set to be somewhat greater than the thickness of the plate 21 so that the drier can be easily pushed onto the fastening plate. The extent of screwing out can be gauged by an angled gauge limb 26.of the tool 9. When the tool 9 is laid against a screwed-out foot 25 (according to Fig. 8), the gauge limb 26 allows the amount of screwing out to be checked.

Subsequently, the drier 2 can be lifted onto the washing machine 1 and, as shown in Fig. 9 be pushed from the front up to the fastening plates 21 of the brackets 7. The drier is then pushed so far to the rear, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 9 and 10, that the threaded shanks 27 of the feet 25 are received in the slots 22 of the brackets 7. For this purpose, the slots 22 are at least as wide as the diameter of the shanks 27.

After the drier 2 has been moved into a position aligned with the washing machine 1, the foot plates 24 of the feet 25 are, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, screwed back into the base plate of the drier by the tool 9 until the foot plates 24 are pressed against the fastening plates 21. In this manner, the drier 2 is fastened, secure against tilting, on the workplate 3 of the washing machine 1. The intermediate space between the workplate 3 and the drier is now laterally covered by the side panels 4. The panels 4 are provided at their inward sides by detent elements in the form of detent springs 28 at the upper edge and detent hooks at the lower edge. The detent springs 28 have kinked portions which lie below corresponding corrugations of the dri er base plate, whilst the detent hooks 29 engage behind the strips 16 at the side edges of the workplate 3. 20 As shown in Fig. 14, the front panel 5 is now placed at the front of the intermediate space between the washing machine and the drier, wherein the detent elements of the front panel similarly engage the workplate 3 of the washing machine and the profile of the drier base plate. Upwardly directed detent hooks 30 and downwardly directed detent shoes 31 are provided for this purpose.

During the application of the front panel shield 5, care is to be taken (Fig. 15) that the lateral corners 32 of the front panel 5 engage over the ends of the side panels 4, these ends being set back somewhat in this region. Thereby, the side panels 4 receive additional security against detaching from in front of the intermediate space.

During the assembly operation, the front shield, for example shield 6, forming part of the standard equipment of the drier was removed.

Finally, the drier can be provided in its pedestal region either with its original pedestal shield 6 or with a pedestal shield 10 according to Figs. 2 and 16, the shield 10 being particularly adapted to the washer-drier column. If the drier 2 has a standard pedestal shield which, according to the field 7A of the template illustrated in Fig. 17, has a recessed foot strip that might interrupt the closed front surface of the washer-drier column, then it is of aesthetic advantage if the pedestal shield 10 is included in the kit. Such a pedestal shield can, however, be a part to be ordered specially.

If on the other hand the drier has a standard pedestal shield which, according to the field 78 of the template illustrated in Fig. 17, is constructed as a recessed foot strip that might also interrupt the closed front surface of the washer-drier column, then in correspond- ence with the afore-described example a pedestal shield 11 in the manner of a foot strip according to Fig. 2 can be included in the kit or be obtainable as part to be specially ordered. A narrow pedestal shield 11 of that kind can be fitted in corresponding manner to the shield 10 after assembly of the washer-drier column (see field

10B of the template 13).

The assembly template 13 as illustrated in Fig. 17 preferably has the size of the surface of the workplate within-the framing 1 - 11 provided by the edging strips 16. Because of inevitable tolerances, it may be advantageous if the template is slightly smaller in dimension than the workplate surface. The template has two reference edges 35 and 36 marked by arpows 33 and 34. It is recommended to lay the template by its edges 35 and 36 against the corresponding inward edges of the workplate surface. The corners marked in black can be cut off so that inexact internal corners ofthe strips 16 do not cause difficulties during laying of the template.

The four brackets 7 mounted in position of use are drawn, with dashed lines and including the centres 18 of the intended screw holes, on the template. The marked fastening plates of the mounted brackets point in direction towards the front edge 37 of the template, which at the same time denotes the front side of the washing machine. The slots 22 of the fastening plates 21 are also marked on the template. Apart from the illustrated assembly instructions representing the individual assembly steps, the template includes a text field 37 in which additional instructions are given in the languages of those countries inwhich the kit is to be marketed.

Self-tapping high-speed assembly screws are particulary suitable as the fastening screws 8 for the kit when the workplate consists of a hard material containing fibres, for example a pressed laminate material or chipboard. The brackets 7 are preferably made of galvanised steel plate. In that case, the assembly plate 39 (Fig. 5) and the fastening plate 21 have such a spacing from each other that, when the bracket is mounted on the workpl.ate 3, the spacing between the plate 21 and the surface of the workplate corresponds to at least the thickness F of the foot plate 24 (Fig. 8). This spacing should not be substantially greater, however, as the support surfaces of the foot plates 24 should still be permitted to bear on the surface of the workplate 3 in the case of slight springing-in of the fastening plates 21.

The side panels 4 and the front panel 5, as well as the pedestal shields 10 and 11, preferably consist of a plastics material with matt-shiny surface finish in the colour of the two appliances.

The tool 9 can also be a flat fixed spanner for engagement with the hexagonal foot plates 24 of the support feet. The gauge part of such a tool can be constructed in similar manner to the limb 26 in Fi g. 8.

Apart from the normal centres 18 of the brackets, alternative centres can be marked on the template, as evident from Fig. 17. This is of advantage particularly in cases where the screws may fail to grip in the material of the workplate. A second attempt can then be made by the fitter, for which purpose a second set of holes is provided in each bracket 7 (Fig. 2).

1

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A mounting kit for the mounting of a first household appliance

with height-adjustable feet on a workplate top of a second household appliance, the kit comprising a plurality of cranked brackets each comprising a mounting plate for mounting on the workplate and a fastening plate for fastening a respective one of the feet, the mounting and fastening plates of each bracket extending substantially parallel to each other and being spaced apart by an amount at least equal to the thickness of a foot plate of the associated one of the feet, a plurality of securing elements for securing the mounting plates of the brackets to the workplate and front and side cover panels for covering gaps between the appliances at the front and the sides thereof when the first appliance is mounted on the second appliance, the panels being provided at rearward faces thereof with detent elements for locating the panels in position.
2. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing elements comprise self-drilling and self-tapping screws.
3. A kit as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the brackets is made of galvanised steel plate.
4. A kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front panel has corner portions for engaging over ends of-the side panels.
5. A kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an assembly template having twodimensional measurements A not exceeding given two-dimensional measurements of the workplate top.
6. A kit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the template has at least one marked reference side.
7. A kit as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the template is provided with markings for the location of the securing elements.
8. A kit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the markings are disposed for positioning of the brackets with the fastening plates thereof facing towards an edge of the template representing a front edge of the workplate top, the fastening plate of each bracket defining a slot which extends from the edge portion thereof furthest from the associated mounting plate and the width of which is at least equal to a given diameter of a shank portion of the foot to be fastened by that fastening plate.
9. A kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a tool for adjusting the height of the feet.
10. A kit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tool comprises a gauge for setting of the height position of the foot plates of the feet relative to the underside of the first appliance, the height position being determined by the thickness of a portion of the respective fastening plate to be inserted between each foot plate and the appliance underside.

C - 15
11. A kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a respective protective cap for the mounting plate of the or each bracket intended to be disposed adjacent to a rearward edge of the workplate top.
12. A mounting kit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A household appliance unit comprising a first household appli ance with height adjustable feet and mounted on a workplate top of a second household appliance by means of a kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
14. A unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein one of the appliances is a laundry washing machine and the other appliance is a laundry drier.

1 Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House. 6671 High Holborn. London WC1R4TP. Further copies maybe obtainedfrom The PatentOffice. Sales Branch. St Mary Cray. Orpingtor- Kei.t BR5 3RLI- Pr,red by TA11:1plex techniques lta. St Mary Cray. Kent. Con L'87