EP0331647A2

EP0331647A2 - A modular kitchen with an integrated safety system

Info

Publication number: EP0331647A2
Application number: EP19890830074
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Borello
Original assignee: Salvarani Industrie SpA
Current assignee: Salvarani Industrie SpA
Priority date: 1988-03-03
Filing date: 1989-02-23
Publication date: 1989-09-06
Also published as: GR900300004T1; IT214088Z2; JPH01310604A; IT8852937V0

Abstract

A modular kitchen comprises a set of units (2, 3) and electric household appliances (4, 5, 7, 8, 9) which are integrated with each other so as to form a matching furnishing assembly. The kitchen further includes: a central panel (10) for controlling the electric household appliances, which has a single connection (11) to the electricity supply system and a plurality of supply cables (4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b) connecting the panel (10) to the various electric household appliances (4, 5, 7, 8, 9), a common automatic safety switch (15) integral with the control panel (10) and interposed in the connection (11) between the supply system and the electric household appliances, a plurality of auxiliary automatic switches (16, 17, 18, 19, 20) interposed in the connection between the common automatic switch (15) and the individual electric household appliances, the auxiliary automatic switches also being integral with the control panel (10), and a plurality of guide ducts (13) for the cables (4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b) connecting the electric household appliances to the control panel, fitted into the rear wall of the assembly.

Description

The present invention relates to modular kitchens of the type including a series of units and electric household appliances which are integrated with each other so as to form a matching furnishing assembly.
The object of the present invention is to produce a modular kitchen which provides a high degree of safety for the user in the kitchen environment and which at the same time is particularly functional and is quick and easy to fit and assemble.
The main characteristic of the modular kitchen according to the invention lies in the fact that it includes:
a central panel for controlling the electric household appliances, which has a single connection to the electricity supply system and a plurality of supply cables connecting the panel to the various electric household appliances,
a common automatic safety switch integral with the control panel and interposed in the connection between the supply system and the electric household appliances,
a plurality of auxiliary automatic switches interposed in the connection between the common automatic switch and the individual electric household appliances, the auxiliary automatic switches also being integral with the control panel, and
a plurality of guide ducts for the cables connecting the electric household appliances to the control panel, fitted into the rear wall of the assembly.
The control panel according to the invention is also intended to be integral with the furnishing assembly and, moreover, is preferably provided with a series of ancillary members and devices, such as, for example, additional electrical sockets, a TV socket, and auxiliary safety devices, such as a gas-leakage detector with acoustic and visual indicators, possibly connected to a device for cutting off the gas supply at the main gas supply outlet, a smoke detector with acoustic and visual indicators, etc.
The use of the auxiliary automatic switches enables the switching off of the electrical supply to just the electric household appliance which is damaged, its identity being indicated simultaneously on the front of the control panel.
Devices may also be provided for the control of internal and external functions, such as, for example, a liquid-crystal daily-weekly electronic programmer with a reserve load which enables the switching on and off of auxiliary devices, such as an independent heating device, electric lights outside the dwelling, an air-conditioning device, an oven or electric hot-plate, or possibly even a video control system composed of a miniaturised liquid-crystal video and a plurality of miniature television cameras for the visual control of one or more areas (selectable by means of a selector device provided on the control panel).
Auxiliary services may also be provided, such as a quartz digital clock, a maximum-current-usage indicator, a continuous brightness regulator, an electronic timer with continuous adjustment, and an independent emergency torch which can be removed from the control panel.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, provided by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a modular kitchen according to the invention,
Figures 2 and 3 show the details indicated by the arrows II and III of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale, and
Figure 4 is a schematic frontal view of the control panel which forms part of the kitchen according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a furnishing assembly, generally indicated 1, constituting a kitchen. The assembly 1 includes floor units 2, suspended units 3, and a plurality of electric household appliances which are integrated with the units so as to form a matching assembly. In particular, the embodiment illustrated is provided with a refrigerator 4, a dishwasher 5 fitted under the sink 6, a series of rings including an electric plate 7, an oven 8 provided with an electrical supply, and an electric fume-extractor hood 9.
Each of the electric household appliances is provided with a respective supply lead 4a, 5a, 7a, 8a, 9a with a plug. The electrical plugs of the various electric household appliances are associated with respective end sockets of supply cables 4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b which lead from a central control panel 10 integral with the furnishing assembly. In the embodiment illustrated, the control panel 10 is fixed to a suspended unit 3. Alternatively, terminals of some type, fixed to the rear wall of the assembly, could be provided for the connections between the cables of the electric household appliances and those of the control panel.
The control panel 10 is provided with a single cable 11 having an electrical plug 12 for connection to the electrical supply system. The whole assembly thus forms a sort of single electric household appliance provided with a single electricity supply cable. The supply cables which connect the various electric household appliances to the control panel 10 are guided in ducts 13 of plastics material which are fitted into seats 14 formed in the rear edges of the sides of the floor units 2 (Figure 2) or are fixed above the suspended units 3 (Figure 3). Each duct has an open cross-section to enable easy fitting of the cables and is closed by an auxiliary cover 14 which can be snap-engaged over the longitudinal flanges of the duct (see Figures 2, 3).
Figure 4 shows schematically the duct 10 with a cable 11 for connection to the electrical supply system. A common automatic safety switch 15 of the differential type is integrated in the control panel 10. The output of the automatic switch is connected to the supply cables 4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b, with the interposition of further auxiliary automatic switches 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, for example, of the thermomagnetic type.
The front wall of the control panel 10 also has auxiliary electrical sockets 21, a TV socket 22, a programmer 23 of the type described above, and a gas-leakage detector device 24.
It is clear from the above description that the kitchen according to the invention has advantages both from the point of view of the ease and rapidity of its assembly, and from the point of view of its safety and convenience of use for the user.

Claims

1. A modular kitchen comprising a set of units (2, 3) and electric household appliances (4, 5, 7, 8, 9) which are integrated with each other so as to form a matching furnishing assembly, characterised in that it includes:
a central panel (10) for controlling the electric household appliances, which has a single connection (11) to the electricity supply system and a plurality of supply cables (4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b) connecting the panel (10) to the various electric household appliances (4, 5, 7, 8, 9),
a common automatic safety switch (15) integral with the control panel (10) and interposed in the connection (11) between the supply system and the electric household appliances,
a plurality of auxiliary automatic switches (16, 17, 18, 19, 20) interposed in the connection between the common automatic switch (15) and the individual electric household appliances, the auxiliary automatic switches also being integral with the control panel (10), and
a plurality of guide ducts (13) for the cables (4b, 5b, 7b, 8b, 9b) connecting the electric household appliances to the control panel, fitted into the rear wall of the assembly.

2. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the common automatic switch (15) is a differential switch.

3. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the auxiliary automatic switches are thermomagnetic switches.

4. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the central control panel is provided with a plurality of auxiliary electrical sockets (21).

5. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the central control panel (10) is provided with a TV socket.

6. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the central control panel is provided with auxiliary safety devices, such as a gas-leakage detector and a smoke detector, with acoustic and visual indicators.

7. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the central control panel includes a series of auxiliary devices, such as a liquid-crystal daily-weekly electronic programmer for the switching on and off of auxiliary equipment such as an independent heating device, electric lights outside the dwelling, an air-conditioning device, an electric oven or hot plate, or a video control system.

8. A modular kitchen according to Claim 1, characterised in that the central control panel (10) includes a series of supplementary services, such as a quartz digital clock, a maximum-current-usage indicator, a continuous brightness regulator, an electronic timer with continuous adjustment, and an independent emergency torch which can be removed from a support integrated in the central panel.