CN113167010B - Frame assembly for embedding independent household electrical appliance into wall recess and system with same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a frame assembly (2) for embedding a free-standing household appliance (3) in a recess (4) of a wall (6) and to a system (1) having the frame assembly (2) and the free-standing household appliance (3). In order to improve the combination of a free-standing household appliance (3) with at least one piece of furniture with a visual aesthetic, the invention essentially provides a frame assembly (2) for embedding the free-standing household appliance in a furniture group recess (4) mounted or mountable on a wall (6), said frame assembly comprising at least one connection module (22) connecting the free-standing household appliance (3) with a household appliance; wherein the connection module (22) is connected to the household appliance while the free-standing household appliance (3) is connected to the connection module (22) with at least one connection piece (26).

Description

Frame assembly for embedding independent household electrical appliance into wall recess and system with same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a frame assembly for embedding a freestanding appliance into a wall recess and a system having the same.

Background

Combinations of freestanding appliances with furniture sets, for example kitchen furniture sets, are known from the prior art. In combination, the freestanding appliance is placed beside the furniture set.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention addresses the above-mentioned prior art problems of improving the combination of visual aesthetics between a freestanding appliance and at least one piece of furniture.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a frame assembly for embedding a freestanding appliance into a recess of a furniture set that has been placed against a wall or is capable of being placed against a wall; the frame assembly has features of the main aspects of the present application, according to which it comprises at least one connection module connecting a free-standing household appliance with a household appliance; wherein the connection module is connected to the household appliance while being configured to connect the freestanding household appliance to the connection module with at least one connection. In addition, the above problems are also solved by a system having the features of the preferred embodiments of the present application, according to which the frame assembly is designed to be matched to a free standing household appliance such that: in a first connection process, the freestanding appliance can be connected to the connection module by at least one connector, the connector comprising at least one detachable connector; in a subsequent second connection process, these connectors can be connected to a free standing appliance. The preferred embodiments and improvements of the present invention can be obtained from other embodiments.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are, inter alia, an improved visual aesthetic combination between the free-standing appliance and at least one piece of furniture. The invention significantly simplifies the connection of the freestanding appliance to the domestic appliance.

The stand alone appliance may be, for example, a washing appliance, a tumble dryer, a combination washing and drying laundry appliance, or a dishwasher or the like. The furniture set may be, for example, an integral cabinet made up of a plurality of pieces of kitchen furniture, or a plurality of pieces of bathroom furniture in a bathroom space, or the like. The term free-standing appliance should be understood in a broad sense and the construction types of free-standing appliances are plentiful and diverse.

In principle, the at least one connection module can be freely selected within a suitable range depending on the type, working principle, material, size, number and structure. A preferred improvement of the frame assembly provided by the present invention is: the connection module is used for connecting a free-standing household appliance to a household appliance, and the free-standing household appliance is a household appliance with a water carrying function; the connecting module is provided with at least one water supply pipeline and one drainage pipeline; the water supply pipeline is provided with a purified water outlet at the household facility end and a purified water inlet at the independent household appliance end; the drainage pipeline is provided with a sewage inlet at the independent household appliance end and a sewage outlet at the household appliance end. This approach simplifies the connection of a freestanding appliance with water carrying function to the appliance. In addition, the connection module may also be designed for cold water connection and/or hot water connection of a freestanding appliance.

The preferred improvements that the frame assembly of the present invention may also provide in accordance with the above embodiments are: a stop valve is arranged in the water supply pipeline, and the stop valve automatically blocks the supply of purified water to independent household appliances with water carrying function according to the leakage sensing signal. In this way, when the independent household appliance leaks, the supply of water to the independent household appliance can be effectively prevented. In addition, the corresponding safety device can be omitted in the independent household appliance.

In principle, the leakage sensor can be freely selected within a suitable range according to type, operating principle, material, size, number and structure. The leak sensor is preferably mounted on the connection module as an integral part thereof. This enables the function of the connection module to be further optimized.

Another preferred improvement of the frame assembly of the present invention is: the connection module is provided with at least one electrical socket connected with the household appliance for supplying power to the independent household appliance. This way, it is possible to supply the stand-alone appliance with electricity in a particularly simple manner and to optimize the function of the connection module.

A particularly preferred improvement of the frame assembly of the present invention is: the frame assembly is provided with an interior space for accommodating the freestanding appliance, the interior space being limited to the interior of the frame assembly, the connection module being provided outside the interior space. In one aspect, the improvement ensures that freestanding households can be accommodated by the frame assembly without being limited by the connection module. This simplifies the embedding of the freestanding appliance. On the other hand, the space which is necessary for the normal operation of the independent household appliance is reserved between the independent household appliance and the frame assembly provided by the invention. In this manner, for example, vibrations of the freestanding appliance are effectively prevented from being transmitted to the frame assembly of the present invention.

Another preferred improvement of the frame assembly of the present invention is: the connection module is arranged on the frame assembly, so that connection between the connection piece and the connection module at the rear side of the independent household appliance can be realized. Thereby significantly simplifying the connection of the at least one connector on the rear side of the free standing appliance to the connection module. According to the system provided by the invention, the at least one connecting piece is arranged at the rear side of the independent household appliance, so that the combination with visual aesthetic feeling between the independent household appliance and at least one piece of furniture can be improved.

Another preferred improvement of the frame assembly of the present invention is: the frame assembly is provided with a first frame and a second frame which are relatively independent; wherein the first frame is configured to house a freestanding appliance and the second frame is configured to house a connection module; the second frame is connected with the first frame in a mode that the second frame is arranged on the side edge of the first frame at the installation position of the frame assembly. This enables a special construction of the first frame for housing the freestanding appliance and of the second frame for housing the connection module. Furthermore, such a two-part frame assembly is easier to handle even under difficult installation conditions than a frame assembly having only a single frame. Furthermore, the second frame for receiving the connection module can also be designed entirely for connecting other devices or installations, for example washroom devices or the like.

Furthermore, according to a preferred development of the system according to the invention, the frame assembly and the free-standing appliance are designed to match each other such that: in a first connection process, the freestanding appliance can be connected to the connection module by at least one connector, the connector comprising at least one detachable connector; in a subsequent second connection process, these connectors can be connected to a free standing appliance. In this way, only a small installation space is required to connect the at least one detachable connection to the free standing appliance, so that the installation of the free standing appliance in the system of the present invention is improved. Accordingly, the freestanding appliance can be inserted into the recess already before the second connection process.

A preferred improved embodiment of the system of the present invention is: the detachable connection may be designed as a water hose connection between the connection module and a freestanding appliance. The connection of large-size connectors such as hoses is particularly difficult, especially in situations where space conditions are limited. By acting as a detachable connection, the connection of the hose can be significantly improved and simplified even under limited space conditions. This is because according to this improvement, the hose can be connected to the connection module first and then to the freestanding appliance. In this way, the installer can connect the hose to the side of the freestanding appliance even when the freestanding appliance has been embedded in a deep position.

Preferred improved embodiments of the system of the present invention are: the detachable connector and the independent household appliance and/or the detachable connector and the connecting module are respectively provided with quick locking devices corresponding to each other. The connection of the detachable connection to the free-standing appliance and/or the connection module is thereby further simplified. The snap-locking means that mate with each other may be of the type, for example, a male connection or a bayonet lock.

According to a preferred development of the system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, the cover rear of the free-standing appliance is provided with a protruding portion, which is arranged in the installation space formed between the protruding portion of the cover rear and the free-standing appliance rear wall in a state in which the free-standing appliance which has been inserted into the recess is successfully connected to the connection module. In this way it is ensured that at least one of the detachable connections is not squeezed or bent in case the free-standing appliance has been embedded. The detachable connection piece can also effectively prevent the contact between the independent household appliance and the frame assembly or the wall body.

The invention also provides a combination with visual aesthetics between a free-standing household appliance and at least one piece of furniture in a simple structural manner.

To solve this problem, the present invention provides a frame assembly for embedding a freestanding appliance into a recess of a furniture set, the furniture set being placed against a wall or being capable of being placed against a wall; the frame assembly comprises two bottom guide rails which are arranged in parallel and used for guiding the support legs on two sides of the independent household appliance in the embedding process, and the bottom guide rails can be fixed on the wall body through at least one supporting piece. In this way, a visually attractive combination of a free-standing household appliance and at least one piece of furniture can be realized in a structurally simple manner.

The combination of the independent household appliance and at least one piece of furniture (namely, the furniture set which is placed by the wall body or can be placed by the wall body) with visual aesthetic feeling means that the independent household appliance and the furniture set are integrated into a whole in appearance. It is therefore necessary to precisely embed the free-standing appliance in the recess reserved for the free-standing appliance by the furniture group. This is achieved in a simple construction by the frame assembly according to the invention. The individual household appliances can be guided safely and accurately into the reserved recesses by means of mutually parallel bottom rails. By means of the at least one support, two bottom rails parallel to each other can be fastened to the wall, so that a spatially precise adaptation of the individual household appliance to the recess for which the furniture set is intended can be achieved in a particularly simple manner in terms of construction.

The term freestanding appliance should be understood in a broad sense and the freestanding appliance may carry legs of various configurations that place the freestanding appliance on the ground. For example, the feet themselves may be rollers or a configuration with rollers. The roller may be at least partially locked to prevent the freestanding appliance from rolling off during operation. The legs may also be configured in other ways. The legs of the individual appliances may also be a hybrid of different configurations. The bottom rail of the frame assembly of the present invention for guiding the stand alone appliance feet during the insertion process can have a variety of configurations.

In principle, the at least one support can be chosen freely within a suitable range according to type, working principle, material, size, number and structure. For example, each rail is associated with a support by means of which the respective bottom rail can be fastened to the wall with the other bottom rail. According to a further preferred development of the frame assembly according to the invention, the at least one support is provided as a common support for the two bottom rails. The support is thereby realized in a particularly simple manner. But also greatly simplifies the precise positioning of the two bottom rails relative to each other. The material and effort required to install the two bottom rails (i.e., to be fixed to the wall) is also reduced.

An advantageous development of the frame assembly shown in accordance with the previous embodiment is, for example, a U-shaped bracket between the support and the bottom rail. In this way, the effort and the structural effort for fixing the two bottom rails to the wall by means of the at least one support element are further reduced.

A particularly advantageous development of the frame assembly according to the invention is that the bottom rail has an end stop at its wall-side end and/or that at least one support has an end stop, which can define an insertion position of the individual household appliance in the direction of the wall. Therefore, when the independent household appliance is embedded into the preset concave part, the independent household appliance can be accurately positioned along the wall body direction and the direction perpendicular to the wall body by virtue of the two bottom guide rails which are parallel to each other. This can further improve the accuracy of the independent household electrical appliance fitting into the wall recess.

According to an advantageous development of the system provided by the invention comprising the frame assembly and the free-standing appliance, the frame assembly is arranged as described above and the at least one end stop is constructed and arranged to allow a certain spacing between the free-standing appliance embedded in the recess and the rest of the frame assembly and the wall, so as to prevent self-vibrations of the free-standing appliance in various operating conditions from being conducted to the frame assembly or the wall. This can effectively prevent noise from being generated when the independent household appliance is operated by a simple structure.

A preferred development of the frame assembly according to the invention is that the bottom rail is arranged to integrate the bottom rail into the bottom or bottom cover. Thereby further increasing the overall visual aesthetics of the freestanding appliance. Furthermore, the bottom rail does not extend beyond the plane formed by the bottom or bottom cover, such as the tile plane.

According to a further particularly preferred development of the frame assembly according to the invention, the at least one support element can be connected to the wall via a pivot shaft, so that the bottom rail can be switched from a rest state, in which the bottom rail is arranged in a space-saving manner on the rest of the frame assembly, to a use state, in which the bottom rail is arranged next to the bottom of the wall or on the bottom cover, in order to guide the legs of the free-standing appliance. In this way, the frame assembly can be turned over in a space-saving and ergonomic manner while the two bottom rails are in rest, so that the frame assembly according to the invention can be stored, transported and used in an improved manner according to the present embodiment.

According to an advantageous development of the frame assembly according to the invention, the support element is connected by means of a swivel shaft to a fixed cross member of the frame assembly, which can be connected to the wall. In this way, the at least one support element can be connected to the wall body by means of the pivot shaft in a particularly simple manner. Furthermore, the fixed cross beam enables a simple positioning of the at least one support with respect to the wall.

A further particularly advantageous development of the frame assembly according to the invention is, for example, the use of a support and/or a fixing rail for fixing the front wall. In this way, the front wall can be fixed to the wall body in addition to the bottom rail without adding additional structure. Thereby reducing the effort as a whole. For example, the front wall is useful when the depth of the furniture set is less than the depth of the freestanding appliance. For example, bathroom furniture is typically 45cm deep, whereas standard freestanding appliances are typically 60cm deep. Accordingly, the independent household appliance can be placed at a position flush with the furniture set by utilizing the frame assembly provided by the invention. This can be achieved particularly easily with the above-described embodiments of the frame assembly according to the invention; the remainder of the freestanding appliance may be received in the space formed between the front wall and the wall body such that the surfaces of the freestanding appliance and the furniture set embedded in the recess remain substantially flush as a whole.

A further advantageous development of the frame assembly according to the invention is that the height of the frame assembly is adjustable, so that the interior space of the frame assembly for accommodating the freestanding appliance is not affected in size by the height adjustment; among these, a frame assembly with an adjustable overall height is preferable. In this way it is ensured that the interior space accommodating the freestanding appliance is not affected by the height adjustment. In addition, by means of the overall height adjustment of the frame assembly, it is possible to achieve that the frame assembly can be adapted to different installation conditions, for example bottoms of different heights, without the need for additional auxiliary fittings, and with a simple work.

An advantageous development of the frame assembly provides that the frame assembly has a height adjustment device which is stepped or stepless to the frame assembly and which can lock a predetermined height. This allows the overall height of the frame assembly to be adjusted in a simple manner.

According to one advantageous development of the aforementioned frame assembly, the height adjustment device has at least two leg parts, which are each arranged in a cavity of the frame assembly. In this way, a space-saving, structurally simple height adjustment device can be realized.

Drawings

The drawings show embodiments of the invention by way of illustration only, with the following details.

FIG. 1 is a view from the right front of an embodiment of the frame assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a second view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 from a left front perspective;

FIG. 3 is a third view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 from an oblique rear perspective without the wall;

FIG. 4 is a fourth view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 from an oblique rear perspective with a wall;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an embodiment of the system of the present invention without walls;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 with a wall;

FIG. 7 is a view from the right front of an embodiment of the frame assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a rear left view of another embodiment of a frame assembly with a data processing system.

List of reference numerals

100. Independent household electrical appliance

200. Frame assembly

300. Furniture set

400. Concave part

500. Support leg

600. Wall body

700. Connection module

800. Bottom rail

900. Edge of the sheet

1000. Support member

1100. Household appliance

1200 U-shaped bracket

1300. Rotating shaft

1400. Fixed cross beam

1500. Leakage sensor

1600. Bottom part

1700. Stop valve

1800. Rack

1900. Height adjusting device

2000. Water supply

10000. A first compartment

10100. A second compartment

10200. Supporting device

10300. Electronic component

10400. Water guide component

10500. Module coupling device

10600. Damping element

10700. Lateral blank area

10800. Remote control unit

10900. Data processing system

11000. Processor and method for controlling the same

11100. Computer program product

11200. Consumption meter

11300. An outlet

11400. Filter device

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a view from the right front of one embodiment of a frame assembly 2 of the present invention that embeds a freestanding appliance 3 into a recess 4 of a furniture set that is or can be placed against a wall 6. The free standing appliance 3 is only shown in fig. 5 and 6; the independent household appliance is a household appliance with a water carrying function, and the cleaning equipment is taken as an example. The cleaning device 3 has a standard depth of 60 cm. The furniture unit has a plurality of bathroom furniture (not shown) placed side by side along the wall 6. In this way, the furniture groups form a furniture row, and recesses 4 for embedding the individual household appliances 3 are reserved in the furniture row. The standard depth of each bathroom piece of furniture is 45 cm.

In order to accurately place the freestanding appliance 3 in the recess 4 reserved for it, the present invention provides a frame assembly 2 with two mutually parallel bottom rails 8 for guiding the legs 5 on both sides of the freestanding appliance 3 during insertion of the freestanding appliance 3 into the recess 4. The feet 5 of the free-standing household appliance 3 are only partially shown in fig. 6. The bottom rail 8 is fixed to the wall 6 by means of a common support 10, on the outer edges of said bottom rail 8 a raised edge 9 is provided each for guiding the feet 5 of the free-standing appliance 3 laterally during the insertion of the free-standing appliance 3 into the recess 4.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a U-shaped bracket 12 is provided between the two bottom rails 8 and the support element 10, which is connected to a fixed cross member 14 of the frame assembly 2 by means of two rotational shafts 13, said fixed cross member 14 being connectable to the wall 6. Furthermore, the U-shaped brackets 12 may have end stops (not shown) which may define the insertion position of the free-standing household appliance 3 in the direction of the wall 6 and may be provided on each bottom rail 8. The defined arrangement should be based on the free standing appliance 3 so that the free standing appliance 3 does not conduct vibrations to the frame assembly 2 or the wall 6 in every operating state. For example, it can be provided that the end stops provided on the support or bottom rail of the frame assembly according to the invention can be adjusted relative to the support or bottom rail, so that the respective end stop can be adjusted individually according to different requirements. It is also possible to provide corresponding end stops on the support or bottom rail so that a number of stand alone appliances in the market are not in operation transmitting vibrations to the frame assembly or wall.

The U-shaped bracket 12, which consists of the support 10 and the two bottom rails 8, can be connected to the wall 6 by means of the fixed cross beam 14 and the swivel shaft 13, so that the bottom rails 8 are switched from a rest state (not shown in fig. 1 to 4) in which the bottom rails 8 can be arranged in a space-saving manner on the rest of the frame assembly 2, to a use state (shown in fig. 1 to 4) in which they can be arranged in the immediate vicinity of the bottom 16 of the wall 6 for guiding the feet 5 of the free-standing household appliance 3. In the rest position (not shown), the U-shaped support 12 consisting of the support element 10 and the two bottom rails 8 can be turned upwards by means of the swivel axes 13, so that in the rest position of the bottom rails 8 the frame assembly 2 according to the invention according to this embodiment can be stored in a space-saving manner, transported and simply handled. The U-shaped bracket 12 may be connected to the fixed cross member 14 by means of, for example, at least one permanent magnet fitting.

Fig. 1 to 4 show embodiments of the frame assembly 2 according to the invention at different angles.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the fixing beam 14 of the frame assembly 2 according to the present invention is provided for fixing a front wall (not shown) according to the embodiment. For this purpose, a frame-shaped frame 18 is provided on the fixed cross member 14, which frame can be connected to the base 16 or supported on the base 16 on the one hand, and can be connected to the wall 6 on the other hand. For example, a threaded connection 20 is provided for this purpose. The height of the fixed cross member 14 can be adjusted by means of the frame-shaped frame 18, so that the U-shaped support 12 consisting of the fixed cross member 14 and the two bottom rails 8 can be adjusted according to the different heights of the bottom 16. Thus, the frame 18 is provided with a height adjustment device 19. For example, the height adjustment means 19 of the frame 18 may be provided as a frame 18 consisting of segmented male pipes which can be moved relative to each other and which can be locked in a stepwise or stepless manner to each other in a predetermined position. With this arrangement, the tubular structure of the frame 18 can also be provided as a leg member 21 at the same time.

By means of the front wall, an intermediate space (not shown in detail) can be formed between the wall body 6 and the front wall, which intermediate space can accommodate, for example, parts of a household appliance and/or connections between the free-standing household appliance 3 and the household appliance. As shown in the present embodiment, the intermediate space can also be used to partially accommodate the freestanding appliance 3 in the depth direction, thereby enabling, for example, the freestanding appliance 3 embedded in the recess 4 to be kept flush with the piece of furniture.

For the above-described connection of the free-standing household appliance 3 to the household appliance, the frame assembly 2 comprises at least one connection module 22 which can connect the free-standing household appliance 3 to the household appliance; wherein the connection module 22 is configured to connect at least one connector of a freestanding appliance to the connection module while simultaneously connecting the connection module 22 to the household appliance. Please refer to fig. 5 and 6. The at least one connection is in this embodiment provided as a power cord 24 with a plug 26, two water purification hoses (not shown) for cold and hot water, and one sewage hose (not shown). The water purifying hose and the sewage hose are respectively provided as detachable connectors and can be respectively connected with the independent household appliance 3 by means of the quick locking device. So configured, the freestanding appliance 3 is provided with quick lock devices 28, 30 and 32.

The connection module 22 may be configured to connect the stand-alone appliance 3 with water carrying function to a household appliance; wherein the connection module 22 has a water supply line 34 for cold water, a water supply line 40 for hot water, and a water drain line 46; the water supply pipeline for cold water is provided with a cold water purified water inlet 36 at the household facility end and a cold water purified water outlet 38 at the independent household appliance 3 end; the water supply pipeline for hot water is provided with a hot water clean water inlet 42 at the household facility end and a hot water clean water outlet 44 at the independent household appliance 3 end; the drain line is provided with a sewage inlet 48 at the free standing appliance 3 side and a sewage outlet (not shown) at the appliance side. Shut-off valves 52, 54 are provided in the two water supply lines 34, 40, respectively; wherein the shut-off valves 52, 54 automatically block the supply of purified water to the free-standing home appliance 3 with water-carrying function according to a signal from a leakage sensor (not shown). The leakage sensor may be provided, for example, on a base or base cover on which the freestanding appliance 3 is to be placed. In addition, a plurality of leak sensors may also be provided on the bottom or bottom cover. The leak sensor may also be integrally mounted to the connection module. Furthermore, the connection module 22 has three electrical sockets 50 connected to the household appliance, which can be used to supply power to, for example, a freestanding household appliance 3.

As best shown in fig. 1 to 6, and in particular in fig. 5 and 6, the frame assembly 2 is provided with an interior space 56 for housing the freestanding appliance 3; the interior space is limited to the interior of the frame assembly 2 and the connection module 22 is disposed outside of the interior space 56 of the frame assembly 2. The connection module 22 is provided on the frame assembly 2, and the connection member of the free-standing home appliance 3, such as a power cord 24 with a plug 26, a hose for cold water, a hose for hot water, a hose for waste water, etc., may be provided at the rear side of the free-standing home appliance 3 and can be connected with the connection module 22.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the frame assembly 2 is provided with a separate first frame 58 and second frame 60; wherein the first frame 58 is configured to house a freestanding appliance 3 and the second frame 60 is configured to house a connection module 22; the second frame 60 is connected to the first frame 58 in a manner (fig. 5 and 6) such that the second frame 60 is mounted on the side of the first frame 58. The first frame 58 is provided to have a structure capable of accommodating the internal space 56 of the independent home appliance 3. The two frames 58, 60 of the frame assembly 2 can be screwed to each other in a manner known to those skilled in the art.

By means of the height adjustment device 19, the frame assembly 2 with the two frames 58, 60 can be height-adjustable. The second frame 60 is arranged in a similar manner to the first frame 58 and accordingly reference is made to the embodiments described above in relation to the first frame 58 and the height adjustment device 19. In this way, the frame assembly can be adapted to different installation conditions, for example under the bottom of different heights, without additional auxiliary materials and effort. In order to adjust the overall height of the frame assembly 2, it is only necessary to connect the first frame 58 and the second frame 60 of the frame assembly 2 in advance in the above-described manner.

In addition, the frame assembly 2 is designed to be height-adjustable in the present embodiment so that the size of the interior space 56 of the frame assembly 2 for accommodating the free-standing appliance 3 is not affected by the height adjustment. In this way, it is ensured that the interior space 56 of the frame assembly 2 for accommodating the freestanding appliance 3 is not affected by the height adjustment.

The frame assembly 2 and the independent household appliance 3 form the system 1 of the invention; wherein, the connection mode of matching between frame assembly 2 and the stand alone type household electrical appliances 3 can realize: the free-standing appliance 3 is connected to the connection module 22 by at least one detachable connection, such as hoses for cold water, hot water and waste water; and in a subsequent second connection process one or both of these connections, for example the aforementioned hose, can be connected to the free standing appliance 3. As shown in fig. 6 in particular, the cover of the free-standing appliance 3 is provided at the rear with a protruding portion 62, wherein, after successful connection of the free-standing appliance 3 to the connection module 22 (shown in fig. 5 and 6), a detachable connection, such as a hose for cold water, hot water and sewage, can be provided in the mounting space 66 formed by the protruding portion 62 and the rear wall 64 of the cover at the rear. For ease of identification, the plug 26 is schematically depicted as reference 26 in fig. 6. In practice, in the state in which the free-standing appliance 3 has been embedded, the plug 26 is inserted into one of the sockets 50 of the connection module 22 in the manner described above.

The working principle of the frame assembly and system according to the invention will now be described in detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying figures 1 to 6.

A user (not shown) first installs the frame assembly 2 according to the invention in a recess 4 reserved for a freestanding appliance 3 for a furniture group that can be placed against a wall 6. For this purpose, the user connects the first frame 58 of the frame assembly 2 to the wall 6 on the one hand and to the base 16, for example to the frame 18 of the fixed cross beam 14, by means of the screw connection 20. The necessary height adjustment can be achieved between the fixed cross beam 14 and the U-shaped support 12 formed by the support element 10 connected by means of the pivot and the bottom rail 8, as well as between the support element and the bottom 16, by means of a height adjustment device 19 provided on the frame 18 of the fixed cross beam 14; in this way, the interior space 56 of the frame assembly 2 for housing the freestanding home appliance 3 can be unaffected in size.

Similarly, the user can secure the second frame 60 of the frame assembly 2 and connect the frames 58 and 60 together in a manner known to those skilled in the art. First, the connection module 22 of the second frame 60 is connected with the home appliance. Accordingly, in a manner known to those skilled in the art, the cold water clean water inlet 36 of the water supply line 34 for cold water is connected to the cold water line of the domestic appliance, the hot water clean water inlet 42 of the water supply line 40 for hot water is connected to the hot water line, the sewage outlet of the sewage line 46 (not shown) is connected to the sewage line of the domestic appliance, and the electrical outlet 50 is connected to the electrical grid of the domestic appliance.

The user then secures the front wall (not shown) to the frame 18 of the fixed cross member 14 and secures the front wall to the second frame 60 in a similar manner. Next, the user turns the U-shaped support 12, which is composed of the support element 10 and the two bottom rails 8, by means of the swivel axis 13 from the fixed cross member 14 in the direction of the bottom 16 until the two bottom rails 8, which are parallel to one another, are laid on the bottom 16. In this way, the two bottom rails 8 can be switched from the rest state to the use state shown in fig. 1 to 4.

The user connects the free-standing appliance 3 with the connection module 22; wherein the user first connects the detachable connection piece, for example designed as a hose for cold water, to the clean water outlet 38 in the cold water supply line 34 in a first connection process; for example, when it is designed as a hose for hot water, a clean water outlet 44 in the water supply line 40 connected to the hot water is connected; for example, which is designed as a hose for sewage, is connected to a sewage inlet 48 in the drain line 46. The user connects the plug 26 of the power cord 24 of the stand-alone household appliance 3 to one of the electrical sockets 50 of the connection module 22. The user inserts the free-standing appliance 3 with the feet 5 as deep as possible into the recess reserved for the free-standing appliance 3 via the two bottom rails 8, leaving only a few installation gaps after the insertion. The free standing appliance 3 is moved in a direction parallel to the bottom rail 8, which is from the front left to the rear right from the view of fig. 1. On the one hand, the two bottom rails 8 ensure that the free-standing household appliance 3 can be inserted into the recess 4 without effort, while being free from the limitation of the bottom material. On the other hand, when the free-standing household appliance is pushed into the recess 4, the two bottom rails 8 can, by means of the raised edges 9 of the rails, provide the necessary lateral guidance of the free-standing household appliance 3, so that the free-standing household appliance 3 is positioned accurately with respect to the recess 4 and the furniture group and the wall 6.

In a second connection process, which follows the first connection process, the user connects the hoses for cold water, hot water and sewage to the corresponding quick-locking means 28, 30 and 32 of the free-standing appliance 3 by means of the quick-locking means mounted on the respective hose.

The user then inserts the freestanding appliance 3 as far into the recess 4 as possible until the feet 5 of the freestanding appliance 3 reach a position against the end stops (not shown) of the two bottom rails 8. In this way, on the one hand, a transverse accurate positioning of the free-standing household appliance 3 in the recess 4 along the direction of the wall 6 is achieved, and on the other hand, an accurate positioning of the free-standing household appliance 3 in the direction perpendicular to the wall 6 is achieved. Whether in the direction of the wall 6 or perpendicular to the wall 6, is very important for accurate positioning. In this way, on the one hand, vibrations are effectively prevented from being transmitted from the freestanding appliance 3 to the frame assembly 2, wall or furniture set. Thereby, it is possible to achieve, for example, protection against wear or at least functional damage of the furniture group as well as of the freestanding household appliance 3. On the other hand, noise emitted by the free-standing household appliance 3 during operation can be prevented or at least reduced. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, in a state in which the independent home appliance 3 has been embedded, the power cord 24 and hoses for cold water, hot water and sewage are accommodated in an installation space 66 formed by the protruding portion 62 and the rear wall 64 of the cover body rear portion.

Subsequently, the user stands the furniture in the furniture group to which the furniture embedded in the free standing appliance 3 belongs on a level with the free standing appliance 3 which has been embedded in the recess 4 along the front wall (not shown) to form a neat furniture row, whereby the free standing appliance 3 together with the furniture of the furniture group forms a visually unified whole by means of the frame assembly 2 and the system 1 according to the invention. The embodiment of the frame assembly 2 according to the invention enables: the free-standing household appliance 3, for example, embedded in the recess 4, forms an integral plane that is flush with the furniture piece as the free-standing household appliance 3, which is 15cm deeper than the furniture piece of the furniture piece, can be embedded in the space formed between the front wall and the wall body 6; wherein the furniture placement position of the furniture set is based on the front wall; the frame assembly 2 obtained according to an embodiment of the invention is fixed to said wall.

The invention is not limited to the examples given. For example, free standing appliances and furniture groups may be selected within a wide range. Furthermore, embodiments without a front wall are also possible. This embodiment without a front wall is suitable, for example, for the case of identical constructional depths of at least one piece of furniture of the furniture set and of the freestanding appliance. Accordingly, no frame for fixing the front wall is required in this embodiment. Two mutually parallel bottom rails can also be connected to the wall in other ways. Different ways of connection to the spindle are also possible. It is also conceivable to arrange the pieces of furniture of the furniture unit along the wall or front wall beforehand before the individual household appliances are inserted into the recesses reserved for the furniture unit. Accordingly, the stand alone appliance can also be later embedded in a furniture set by means of the frame assembly provided by the present invention. The same applies to maintenance, service or repair of freestanding appliances, which can be easily pulled out of the recess of the furniture set by the frame assembly and system provided by the invention, which is in close contact with the wall or front wall, and reinserted into the recess after maintenance or repair.

The two mutually parallel bottom rails of the frame assembly provided by the invention can be placed on the bottom of the immediately adjacent wall without fixation. The bottom rail may also be attached to the bottom. Furthermore, the bottom rail may also be provided such that it is integrated with the bottom or bottom cover. Thereby further increasing the overall visual aesthetics of the freestanding appliance. Furthermore, the bottom rail does not extend beyond the plane formed by the bottom or bottom cover, such as the tile plane.

For example, the fixed cross member can be connected directly or indirectly to the wall or the base by means of a frame constructed or arranged on the fixed cross member. Furthermore, it is also possible to fix the two bottom rails to the wall solely by means of at least one support. Thus, a fixed cross beam is not necessary.

In the frame assembly of the present invention, the at least one support member may be connected to the wall using a shaft, and the at least one end stop may be provided as the at least one shaft, or as a portion of the shaft. Thereby, the functionality of the at least one shaft is enhanced and the design of the frame assembly provided by the invention is further simplified, said frame assembly having at least one shaft which can be used for connecting at least one support with the wall.

Unlike the purely exemplary embodiments, the frame assembly provided by the present invention may also comprise only a single frame on which a portion is provided with an interior space for receiving a freestanding appliance and another portion is provided with a connection module.

In principle, at least one connection module can be selected freely within a suitable range according to type, working principle, material, size, number and structure. For example, the leak sensor may be provided as an integrated component of the connection module, unlike the described embodiments.

The at least one connection module may be provided as a standard connection module which is suitable for a plurality of individual household appliances which differ from one another. For example, such a standard connection module may be used for both stand-alone appliances with water-carrying capability and for connecting stand-alone appliances without water-carrying capability.

Fig. 7 is a view from the right front of one embodiment of a frame assembly 200 provided by the present invention for embedding a freestanding appliance 100 into a recess 400 of a furniture set 300 that is placed against a wall or that can be placed against a wall 600. The stand-alone household appliance 100 may be a household appliance with a water-carrying function such as a washing appliance. The cleaning apparatus had a standard depth of 60 cm. The furniture unit 300 has a plurality of bathroom furniture pieces standing side by side along the wall 600. The furniture group 300 thus forms a furniture row, and recesses 400 are reserved in the furniture row for embedding the individual household appliances 100. The standard depth of each piece of bathroom furniture is 45 cm.

In order to accurately place the freestanding appliance 100 in the recess 400 reserved for it, the present invention provides a frame assembly 200 with two mutually parallel bottom rails 800 for guiding the legs 500 on both sides of the freestanding appliance 100 during insertion of the freestanding appliance 100 into the recess 400. The bottom rail 800 is fixed to the wall 600 by means of a common support 1000, and on the outer edges of said bottom rail 800 there is provided a raised edge 900 each for guiding the feet 500 of the free standing appliance 100 laterally during the insertion of the free standing appliance 100 into the recess 400.

In this embodiment, a U-shaped bracket 1200 is formed between the two bottom rails 800 and the support 1000, and is connected to a fixed cross member 1400 of the frame assembly 200 by means of two rotation shafts 1300, and the fixed cross member 1400 can be connected to the wall 600. In addition, the U-shaped bracket 1200 is provided with an end stop (not shown) at each of the two bottom rails 800, which can define the insertion position of the freestanding appliance 100 in the direction of the wall 600. The U-shaped bracket 1200, which consists of the support 1000 and the two bottom rails 800, can be connected to the wall 600 by means of the fixed cross beam 1400 and the rotation shaft 1300, so that the bottom rails 800 can be switched from an idle state (not shown), in which the bottom rails 800 can be arranged in a space-saving manner on the rest of the frame assembly 200, to a use state, shown in fig. 7, in which they can be arranged next to the bottom 1600 of the wall 600 for guiding the legs 500 of the free-standing appliance 100. In an idle state (not shown), the U-shaped bracket 1200 composed of the support 1000 and the two bottom rails 800 may be turned upward by the rotation shaft 1300, so that the frame assembly 200 can be stored, transported and simply used in a space-saving manner in the state where the bottom rails 800 are idle.

As shown in fig. 7, the embodiment provides a fixed cross member 1400 configured to secure a front wall (not shown). For this purpose, a frame-shaped bracket 1800 is provided on the fixing rail 1400, which bracket can be connected to the base 1600 or supported on the base 1600 on the one hand, and can be connected to the wall 600 on the other hand. Such as a threaded connection 2000 provided for this purpose. The height of the fixed cross member 1400 can be adjusted by means of the frame-shaped frame 1800, so that the U-shaped bracket 1200 consisting of the fixed cross member 1400 and the two bottom rails 800 can be adjusted according to different heights of the bottom 1600. Thus, the rack 1800 is provided with a height adjusting device 1900. For example, the height adjustment device 1900 of the rack 1800 may be provided as a rack 1800 consisting of segmented inserted tubes which can be moved relative to each other and which can be locked to each other in a stepwise or stepless manner in a preset position. By means of the front wall, an intermediate space (not shown in detail) can be formed between the wall body 600 and the front wall, which intermediate space can accommodate, for example, parts of the domestic appliance 1100 and/or connections between the free-standing domestic appliance 100 and the domestic appliance 1100. The intermediate space may also be used to partially house the freestanding appliance 100 in its depth direction, thereby enabling, for example, the freestanding appliance 100 embedded in the recess 400 to be kept flush with the piece of furniture.

The principle of operation of the frame assembly for embedding the stand-alone appliance 100 will be described below by way of example.

A user (not shown) first installs the frame assembly 200 provided by the present invention in a recess 400 reserved for a freestanding appliance 100 for a furniture group that can be placed against a wall 600. To this end, the user connects the frame assembly 200 to the wall 60 on the one hand and to the base 1600, such as the frame 1800 of the stationary cross beam 1400, by means of the threaded connection 2000. With the height adjustment means 1900 provided on the frame 1800 of the fixed cross member 1400, the necessary height adjustment can be achieved between the fixed cross member 1400 and the U-shaped bracket 1200 formed by the support 1000 and the bottom rail 800 connected by means of the rotation shaft, and also between the bottom 1600.

The user then secures the front wall (not shown) to the frame 1800 of the stationary cross beam 1400. Next, the user turns the U-shaped bracket 1200, which is composed of the support 1000 and the two bottom rails 800, from the fixed cross member 1400 toward the bottom 1600 by means of the rotation shaft 1300 until the two bottom rails 800, which are parallel to each other, are laid on the bottom 1600. In this way, the two bottom rails 800 can be switched from the idle state to the use state. The user interfaces the freestanding appliance 100 with the home appliance 1100 and embeds the freestanding appliance with the feet 500 into the recess 400 reserved for the freestanding appliance 100 by means of the two bottom rails 800. The freestanding home appliance 100 is moved in a direction parallel to the bottom rail 800, the direction of movement being from the front left to the rear right from the perspective of fig. 7. On the other hand, the two bottom rails 800 can ensure that the freestanding home appliances can be inserted into the recess 400 without requiring much effort, and are not limited by the material of the bottom. On the other hand, the two bottom rails 800, during the insertion of the freestanding appliance into the recess 400, enable the necessary lateral guidance of the freestanding appliance by means of the rail raised edges 900, thus achieving a precise positioning of the freestanding appliance 100 relative to the recess 400 and the furniture set 300 and the wall 600.

The user embeds the freestanding appliance 100 as deep as possible into the recess 400 until the feet 500 of the freestanding appliance 100 reach a position against the end stops (not shown) of the two bottom rails 800. In this way, on the one hand, a lateral accurate positioning of the free-standing household appliance 100 in the recess 400 along the direction of the wall 600 is achieved, and on the other hand, an accurate positioning of the free-standing household appliance 100 in the direction perpendicular to the wall 600 is achieved. In this way, on the one hand, vibration is effectively prevented from being conducted from the freestanding appliance 100 to the frame assembly 200 or furniture set 300. Hereby it is achieved that for example wear or at least functional damage of the furniture set 300 as well as the freestanding household appliance 100 is prevented. On the other hand, noise emitted by the stand-alone appliance 100 during operation can be prevented or at least reduced.

Subsequently, the user stands the furniture embedded in the furniture group 300 to which the furniture of the independent household appliance 100 belongs on a level with the independent household appliance 100 embedded in the recess 400 along a front wall (not shown) to form a neat furniture row; thus, with the frame assembly 200 provided by the present invention, the freestanding appliance forms a visually unified whole with the furniture of the furniture unit 300. Embodiments of the frame assembly 200 of the present invention can be implemented as follows: the freestanding appliance 100, e.g. embedded in the recess 400, forms a flush, integral plane with the furniture set 300, since the freestanding appliance 100 15cm beyond the furniture depth of the furniture set 300 can be embedded in the space formed between the front wall and the wall body 600; wherein the furniture placement of the furniture set 300 is based on the front wall, the frame assembly 200 is fixed to the wall.

Fig. 8 schematically illustrates another embodiment of a frame assembly 200 from a view behind (from the wall).

The frame assembly 200 has a housing 1800, the housing 1800 having two side-by-side compartments, the first compartment 10000 for housing the freestanding appliance 100, the second compartment 10100 being provided with various support means 10200 for various electronic components 10300, and various support means 10200 for the water guiding member 10400. The second compartment 10100 or the support means 10200 therein is used, for example, for securing a (hot and/or cold water) interface of a lavatory, which lavatory may also extend to the surface or inside the second compartment 10100. A socket for a sensor device and/or a lighting device for use in a lavatory may also be provided. It is also possible to install the consumption meter 11200 at the (hot and cold) water pipe where the supporting means 10200 is fixed, in the lower visible region of the second compartment 10100. The electrical current required for the operation of the electronics of the connection module 700, consumption meter 11200, temperature sensor, pressure or flow sensor or water guide 10400 can also be supplied to the respective components in a safe manner.

The support means 10200 are at least movable (longitudinally) in the second compartment 10100. The frame assembly 200 comprises a rack 1800 on which module coupling means 10500 are provided, by means of which two racks 1800 of substantially identical construction or dimensions can be connected to each other (aligned) so as to realize a structure in which the two compartments are adjacent to each other.

A plurality of damping elements 10600 may be provided in the region of at least one bottom rail 800 and (not explicitly shown here) on the machine frame 1800.

In addition, as shown in the drawing, the frame 1800 leaves at least one lateral blank area 10700 for the water guiding member 10400 near the bottom. Thus, the water guide 10400 can pass through the rack 1800 within the lateral void 10700 and/or can be integrated onto the rack 1800. In this way, the outlet 11300 may be provided on one side of the domestic appliance in a space-saving manner, or at least the water guiding component may be integrated partly on the housing 1800. Either way, a (micro) filter 11400 for filtering out microplastic may be provided at the outlet.

The frame assembly may also be provided with a data processing system 10900 having a processor 11000 that may be configured to perform the following steps:

a) Supplying at least energy (current) and water to the freestanding appliance 100 through the connection module 700;

b) By means of the connection module 700, at least energy and water are supplied according to the needs of the free-standing appliance 100 (simultaneously and/or staggered in time or according to need);

c) Monitoring the consumption of at least energy or water by the free-standing appliance 100 (e.g., by means of a consumption meter 11200); and is also provided with

d) When an abnormality in the consumption amount is found in step c), the supply of energy or water through the connection module 700 is stopped (or a shut-off valve is activated).

In the case where the consumption amount is found to be abnormal in step c), an alarm signal sent to the remote control unit 10800 is created.

To this end, a computer program product 11100 with instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform at least some of the above-described steps of the method may be loaded into a data processing system.

Summarizing: the first example describes a frame assembly (2) for embedding a freestanding appliance (1) into a recess (4) of a furniture group (3) placed against a wall (6) or capable of being placed against a wall; the frame assembly comprises two mutually parallel bottom rails (8) for guiding the feet (5) on two opposite sides of the free-standing appliance (1) during the embedding of the free-standing appliance (1); wherein the bottom rail (8) can be fixed to the wall (6) by means of at least one support (10) and further comprises at least one connection module (7) for connecting the free-standing appliance (1) to a household appliance (11); wherein the connection module (7) is arranged to connect the connection module (7) to the domestic appliance (11) simultaneously with the connection of the free standing domestic appliance (1) to the connection module (7).

A second example describes the frame assembly of the first example, wherein the connection module (7) is arranged to connect a free standing appliance (1) with water carrying function with a domestic appliance (11).

A third example describes the frame assembly of either the first or second example, wherein at least one leakage sensor (15) is provided, wherein preferably the shut-off valve (17) is capable of automatically blocking the flow of water supply (20) to a free standing appliance (1) provided as a water carrying appliance, depending on the signal output by the leakage sensor (15).

A fourth example describes the frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to third examples, wherein a leak sensor (15) is arranged at the at least one bottom rail (8).

A fifth example describes a frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to fourth examples, wherein a rack (18) is provided having at least two compartments (100, 101), the first compartment (100) for housing a freestanding appliance (1) comprising a bottom rail (8), and the second compartment (101) having at least one support means (102) for an electronic component (103), or at least one support means (102) for a water guiding member (104).

A sixth example describes a frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to fifth examples, wherein at least one support means (102) is movable relative to the second compartment (101).

A seventh example describes a frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to sixth examples, wherein a rack (18) is provided, which is provided with a module coupling device (105), and at least one rack (18), at least one compartment (100, 101) or at least two bottom rails (8) of another free standing appliance (1) is provided.

An eighth example describes the frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to seventh examples, wherein one damping element (106) is provided in at least one bottom rail (8) or in at least one frame (18).

A ninth example describes the frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to eighth examples, wherein the mutually parallel bottom rails (8) are telescopic.

A tenth example describes a frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to ninth examples, wherein a frame (18) is provided, which leaves at least one lateral blank area (107) for the water guiding member (104).

An eleventh example describes a method of operation of the free standing appliance (1) within a frame assembly (2) according to any one of the first to tenth examples, the method of operation comprising the steps of: (a) -supplying at least energy or water to the free standing household appliance (1) through the connection module (7); (b) -supplying at least energy or water through said connection module (7) according to the requirements of said free-standing household appliance (1); (c) -monitoring said free-standing household appliance (1) at least in terms of energy or water consumption; (d) When abnormal consumption is found in step c), stopping supplying at least energy or water to the free standing appliance (1) through the connection module (7).

A twelfth example describes the method according to the tenth example, wherein upon finding an abnormal consumption in step c), an alarm signal is created that is sent to the remote control unit (108).

A thirteenth example describes a data processing system (109) comprising a processor (110) arranged to perform the method of any one of the tenth to eleventh examples.

A fourteenth example describes a computer program product (111) comprising instructions which, when the computer executes the program, cause the computer to perform at least the steps of the method of any one of the tenth to eleventh examples.

In another aspect, the present invention also provides a frame assembly for embedding a freestanding appliance into a wall recess as described below.

Combinations of freestanding appliances with furniture sets, for example with kitchen or bathroom furniture sets, are known from the prior art. In combination, the freestanding appliance is located beside the furniture set. In this case, the freestanding appliance is often not compatible with the living environment.

At the same time, it should also be noted that more and more free standing appliances are used in combination with each other in living or kitchen spaces. On the one hand, this results in floor steps and/or recess spaces of the wall often being required for the arrangement of the above-mentioned appliances in order to be able to set them up (together). But this also comes with the problem of how water and/or current is supplied. Furthermore, due to the higher likelihood of wear in living or bathroom areas, it is desirable to be able to flexibly locate and reliably monitor the function of the free standing appliance and its connections.

It is therefore an object of a further aspect of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems of the described prior art and in particular to enable a simple construction of a free-standing household appliance with at least one piece of furniture with a visually attractive effect and/or a more stable combination.

These problems are solved by a method and device with the technical features described in the embodiments described below. It must be pointed out that the technical features described in each case in the examples can be combined with one another in any technically significant manner and constitute further aspects of the invention. Furthermore, the technical features which are given in the embodiments are explained and explained in more detail in the description, wherein further preferred embodiments of the invention are described.

The invention provides a frame assembly for embedding a free-standing household appliance in a recess of a furniture set, which is placed against a wall or can be placed against a wall, comprising two bottom rails which are arranged parallel to each other for guiding legs on both sides of the free-standing household appliance during the embedding process, which bottom rails can be fastened to the wall by means of at least one support element. Furthermore, at least one connection module is provided for connecting the free-standing household appliance to the household appliance; wherein the connection module is connected to the household appliance at the same time as the free-standing household appliance is connected to the connection module.

The advantage that can be achieved is that the combination of the free-standing household appliance and the at least one piece of furniture with a visual aesthetic is improved in a constructively simple manner. The combination with visual aesthetic feeling between the independent household appliance and at least one piece of furniture means that the independent household appliance and the furniture group are integrated into a whole in appearance; the furniture set is the furniture set which is placed by the wall body or can be placed by the wall body. It is therefore necessary to precisely embed the free-standing appliance in a recess reserved for the free-standing appliance by the furniture group. This is achieved in a constructionally simple manner by the frame assembly provided by the invention.

By means of mutually parallel bottom rails, the free-standing household appliance can be guided safely and accurately into the reserved recess. By means of the at least one support, two bottom rails parallel to each other can be fastened to the wall, so that a spatially exact adaptation of the individual household appliance to the recess for which the furniture carcass is reserved can be achieved in a particularly simple manner in terms of construction.

The stand alone appliance may be, for example, a washing appliance, a tumble dryer, a combined appliance for washing and drying laundry, or a dishwasher or the like. The furniture set may be, for example, an integrated kitchen cabinet composed of a plurality of kitchen utensils, or may be a plurality of bathroom furniture in a bathroom space.

The term "freestanding appliance" should be understood in a broad sense and has a plurality of structural types of feet thereon that place the freestanding appliance on the floor. For example, the feet themselves may be rollers or a configuration with rollers. The roller may be at least partially lockable to prevent the freestanding appliance from rolling off during operation. The legs may also be provided in other forms. The legs of a single freestanding appliance may also be a hybrid arrangement of different configurations. The bottom rail of the frame assembly provided by the invention for guiding the stand alone appliance feet during the embedding process can have a variety of configurations.

In addition, at least one connection module is provided in the frame assembly for connecting the free-standing appliance to the domestic appliance, wherein the connection module is connected to the domestic appliance at the same time as the free-standing appliance is connected to the connection module.

This can significantly simplify the connection structure of the stand-alone home appliance and the home appliance. In principle, the at least one connection module group can be freely selected within a suitable range according to type, working principle, material, size, number and structure.

It follows that the problems described at the outset can be solved by such a connection module alone. In order to solve the problems described at the outset, at least one connection module is provided in the frame assembly for connecting the free-standing household appliance to the domestic appliance, wherein the connection module is provided on the one hand for connecting the free-standing household appliance to the connection module and on the other hand for connecting the connection module to the domestic appliance. In particular, the frame assembly may be modified by water or energy conducting members, sensors, racks, data processing systems, etc., as described again herein, rather than necessarily by bottom rails that are parallel to one another.

The at least one connection module may be provided as a standard connection module which is suitable for a plurality of individual household appliances which differ from one another. For example, such a standard connection module may be used to connect either a stand-alone appliance with a water-carrying function or a stand-alone appliance without a water-carrying function.

An advantageous development provides for the connection module to be used for connecting a free-standing household appliance to a household appliance, which is provided as a water-carrying household appliance. This simplifies the connection of the water-conducting household appliance to the household appliance. The connection module can be configured here for a cold water connection and/or a hot water connection of a free-standing household appliance.

In an advantageous development, the connection module has a shut-off valve and/or (at least) one leakage sensor; among them, it is preferable that the shut-off valve is capable of automatically blocking the flow of water supply to the independent household appliance, which is provided as a household appliance with a water-carrying function, according to a signal outputted from the leakage sensor (electric or electronic). Therefore, when the independent household appliance leaks, the independent household appliance can be effectively prevented from being continuously supplied with water. The corresponding safety device can also be omitted in a stand-alone household appliance.

Further, the frame assembly may comprise (at least) one leakage sensor, which is provided at least at the at least one bottom rail. Leak sensors may also be provided at both bottom rails. In particular, a sensor for detecting water can be provided at the bottom rail, for example as a capacitive sensor for detecting water. To this end, the bottom rail may be provided in a form that is partially electrically conductive and partially electrically insulating. The bottom rail can be connected in particular to a power source and/or to an element for measuring the metering.

In the frame assembly, a rack having at least two compartments may be provided; wherein the first compartment comprises a compartment for housing a freestanding appliance (with a bottom rail) and the second compartment has at least one electronic component support or at least one water guiding component support. A "compartment" is understood here to mean, for example, a window or a space, which is formed by a rack, for example of the type of rack which partly or completely (optionally with the bottom) encloses the compartment, or of another rack type. The compartment should in particular be kept parallel to the wall. A first compartment in the housing is capable of at least partially housing a freestanding appliance therein. Preferably, more compartments (left and right) can be arranged adjacent to each other and independently in the housing area. The compartments may be of substantially the same size, but are not required. The second compartment comprises at least one support means on which the electronic components and/or the water guiding members can be (firmly) mounted and/or fixed. The support device may be provided with a plurality of mounting locations for electronic components and/or water guiding elements, whereby a mounting suitable for various space conditions may be achieved. The support means may in particular be a cross beam (at least partially covering or penetrating the second compartment) or a beam frame with a mounting opening, for example a mounting clamp, a support frame or a housing or the like. The electronic components may be sensors, power supplies, plugs, data processing systems, etc. The water guiding means may be water pipes (e.g. (rigid) pipes and/or (flexible) hoses etc.), valves and reservoirs etc.

At least one support means is movable relative to the second compartment. This means, for example: the frame has a plurality of connection or mounting locations for one or more support devices. In this case, "movable" means in particular that the support device can be detached (at least partially) from the first predetermined position of the frame and can be fixed in a further second predetermined position. A guide element may be provided for this purpose.

A module coupling device may be provided in the housing, and at least one housing, at least one compartment and/or at least one pair of bottom rails of another freestanding appliance may also be provided. The rack is thus modularly expandable, in particular in such a way that a plurality of compartments is formed. This may provide, for example, another compartment for a lavatory, another compartment for a toilet, etc. The module coupling means are provided in particular for the same or the same type of mounting system as the other components of the machine frame and/or the frame assembly; the mutually adjoining components are often provided with corresponding plug connectors, screw systems, form-locking devices, etc. The module coupling means may also be constructed as a separate module which can be mounted on the rack or frame assembly (at a predetermined location).

The damping element may be mounted in/on the at least one bottom rail or in/on the at least one frame. Damping may reduce (vibratory) motion (e.g., shaking of the cleaning device) and/or noise (subsequently generated, or emitted by a stand alone appliance). In particular, at least one damping element may be inserted into a slit or gap between the freestanding appliance and the frame assembly and/or the chassis. This avoids direct contact between the freestanding appliance and the frame assembly, thereby enabling the frame assembly to remain in a substantially fixed position relative to the wall during operation of the appliance. The connection structure of one end of the home appliance can be simplified. The experience of operating such free standing appliances in living areas can thereby be further improved.

The mutually parallel bottom rails can be designed to be telescopic. This means in particular that the length of the bottom rail can be extended and retracted in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the insertion direction of the individual household appliance), the sections of the bottom rail being insertable into one another and lockable into one another in predetermined positions, if desired. In this way, the frame assembly can be adapted to different freestanding appliances and/or space conditions.

The frame may be configured to leave a lateral void area for routing the water guide member. By "transverse" is meant herein, in particular, that the remaining void area is (at least also) laterally adjacent to the compartment or substantially perpendicular to the compartment. Preferably, the lateral void area is intersected or (directly) contiguous with the plane of the compartment. The lateral void area may be located on the lower half of the frame near the bottom. It is even possible to arrange the lateral blank area below the position of the bottom rail. The blank area may be provided in the housing itself, or in a connector on the housing, depending on the type of opening. The void area may house, enclose and/or secure the water guiding member. The connection of the blank area and the water guiding component can be fixed (such as by welding) or detachable. This can be achieved, for example: the water pipe is led to the compartment and no space is wasted.

Further, based on another perspective, there is also provided a method of operation for a freestanding appliance, the method comprising at least the steps of:

a) Supplying at least energy or water to the freestanding appliance through the connection module;

b) Supplying at least energy or water through the connection module according to the needs of the free-standing appliance;

c) Monitoring the consumption of the free standing appliance in terms of at least energy or water;

d) When an abnormality in the consumption is found in step c), the supply of energy or water through the connection module is stopped.

The steps presented herein may be performed sequentially in time in the order a), b), c), d), but need not be operated exactly in this order. In particular, at least part of these steps may be performed simultaneously or overlapping each other in time.

According to step a), at least energy and/or water can be supplied to the free standing appliance via the connection module. This means that the energy and/or water-conducting connection means of the household appliance are led to the individual household appliance and can be switched off or on there.

According to step b), if the free standing appliance requires energy and/or water to operate, the appliance can be switched on, providing energy and/or water through the connection module. In particular, the valves and/or switches may be operated as desired.

According to step c), the consumption of energy and/or water by the freestanding appliance may be monitored, which may be performed simultaneously with steps a) and/or b) or/and at intervals of a certain period of time. For this purpose, consumption meters, sensors and measuring systems, etc., which are for example directly comprised in the preferred embodiment, can be used.

For example, consumption values specifically set for and/or predetermined for use (prior, stored and/or analyzed) by the stand-alone appliance may be used. These values may be entered in advance or saved/stored in the data processing system. During the performance of step c), or within the scope of step c), it may be checked (repeatedly) whether the measured consumption deviates from a predetermined, expected and/or conventional consumption value. In this case, a tolerance value or deviation (fixed) can also be preset, which can be classified as predictable and acceptable.

However, if an abnormal consumption is found in step c), the supply of energy and/or water to the freestanding appliance through the connection module is stopped or interrupted according to step d). This can be achieved in particular by actuating at least one (central) switch and/or at least one (central) valve. In particular, blocking can be achieved in the connection module and/or in the section between the connection module and the domestic appliance.

Before step d) ends and step a) can be started again, it may be necessary to set up further operations. However, step c) may still be continued.

With this method, it is possible in particular to find accidents of abnormal (stationary) current consumption and/or water leakage.

In the case where the consumption amount abnormality is found in step c), an alarm signal sent to the remote control unit 10800 is created. This step may involve comparing predetermined/expected and/or usual consumption, and may also involve taking into account the actual demand for energy and/or water. In case an intolerable large deviation is found, a signal to send an alarm may be created before, during and/or after performing step d). The signal may be created in a form that can be transmitted to a remote control unit, e.g. a wireless signal may be sent via a transmitting unit to a remote control unit (spatially) remote and/or indoors. The wired and/or wireless signals may then be forwarded. Wireless communication standards may be used, for example, using Wi Fi, 5G, LTE, etc. The remote control unit may be arranged to display an alarm message and/or activate and/or deactivate the connection module, the electrical component, the water guiding component and/or the remote operation of the household appliance components. In particular, the blocking state in step d) may be determined, reinforced and/or released (manually).

Preferably a data processing system comprising a processor configured to (at least stepwise) perform the provided method. The system or processor may be located within and/or outside the area of the frame assembly, for example, within a building in which the home facility is located.

Furthermore, a computer program product is provided which comprises instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, enable the computer to carry out at least some or all of the steps of the method provided. The computer program product can also be loaded and/or stored in an updated electronic form or provided on a corresponding data processing system.

The various descriptions of the frame assembly and its operation may describe in more detail (respectively) methods associated with data processing and/or computer program products, and vice versa.

With respect to the method, the data processing system and the computer program product, it should also be noted that these may also be used for a frame assembly having at least one connection module for connecting a free standing appliance to a household appliance, wherein the connection module is arranged for connecting the free standing appliance to the connection module and the connection module to the household appliance. In particular, the frame assembly may be modified by water or energy conducting members, sensors, racks, data processing systems, etc., as described again herein, without having to provide bottom rails that are parallel to each other.

The front wall assembly (frame assembly) that can be expanded in a modular manner according to the invention is particularly equipped with an integrated blocking member for the cold water line or with a supply device for renewable energy sources, such as a consumption meter. The front wall assembly provides energy and monitors for appliances such as washing equipment/dryers, toilets, and washpools that are connected to the bathroom area and allows these appliances to be operated more easily. With this extension, the cleaning device can be integrated in a space-saving manner in the front wall assembly (approximately 15 cm) and an overall unification of the simple installation module on the external surface is achieved. Thus, the cleaning equipment and the bathroom furniture are integrated visually in a mode of being integrally unified with an external surface. It is therefore preferred that the connection is located in an adjoining technical component (second compartment) with integrated WPS (water protection system) instead of behind the washing apparatus (first compartment).

Claims (12)

1. A frame assembly (2) for embedding a freestanding appliance into a recess (4) of a furniture set, said furniture set being placed against a wall or being capable of being placed against a wall; the frame assembly comprises at least one connection module (22) connecting the free-standing household appliance (3) with the household appliance; wherein the connection module (22) is connected to the domestic appliance while being arranged to connect the free standing domestic appliance (3) to the connection module (22) with at least one connection;

The frame assembly (2) is provided with a first frame (58) and a second frame (60) which are independent; wherein the first frame (58) is arranged for housing a freestanding appliance (3) and the second frame (60) is arranged for housing a connection module (22); the second frame (60) and the first frame (58) are connected in the frame assembly (2) in such a way that the second frame (60) is mounted on the side of the first frame (58).

2. The frame assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein: the connecting module (22) is used for connecting the independent household appliance (3) with the water carrying function with the household appliance; the connection module (22) has at least one water supply line (34, 40) and one water drain line (46); the water supply pipeline is provided with a purified water inlet (36, 42) at the household facility end, and a purified water outlet (38, 44) at the independent household appliance (3) end; the drainage pipeline is provided with a sewage inlet (48) at the independent household appliance (3) end and a sewage outlet at the household appliance end.

3. The frame assembly (2) of claim 2, wherein: a shut-off valve (52, 54) is arranged in the water supply line (34, 40); wherein the shut-off valve (52, 54) automatically blocks the supply of purified water to the independent household appliance (3) with the water carrying function according to the output signal of the leakage sensor.

4. A frame assembly according to claim 3, wherein: the leakage sensor is integrally mounted on the connection module.

5. The frame assembly (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the connection module (22) has at least one electrical socket (50) for connection to a household appliance for supplying power to a free-standing household appliance (3).

6. The frame assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein: the frame assembly (2) is provided with an interior space (56) for housing a freestanding appliance; the interior space is limited to the frame assembly (2), and the connection module (22) is arranged outside the interior space (56).

7. The frame assembly (2) according to claim 1, wherein: the connection module (22) is arranged on the frame assembly (2) to connect the connection piece on the rear side of the independent household appliance (3) to the connection module (22).

8. A system (1) with a frame assembly (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a freestanding appliance (3).

9. The system (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that: the matching connection mode between the frame assembly (2) and the independent household appliance (3) is as follows: in a first connection process, the free-standing appliance (3) is connected to the connection module (22) by at least one connection piece, said connection piece comprising at least one detachable connection piece; in a second connection process, the connection is connected to a free standing household appliance (3).

10. The system (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that: the detachable connection piece is arranged as a water guide connection hose between the connection module (22) and the independent household appliance (3).

11. The system (1) according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that: quick locking means (28, 30, 32) are provided between the detachable connection and the free-standing appliance (3) and/or between the detachable connection and the connection module, which means are mutually matched.

12. The system (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that: the lid rear part of the independent household appliance (3) is provided with a protruding part (62), and in a connected state of the independent household appliance (3) embedded in the concave part and the connecting module (22), the detachable connector is arranged in an installation space (66) formed between the protruding part (62) of the lid rear part and the independent household appliance rear wall (64).

Images