EP2131700B1

EP2131700B1 - Wire shelf with removable rack, in particular for kitchen furniture

Info

Publication number: EP2131700B1
Application number: EP08709174A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rossano Compagnucci
Original assignee: Compagnucci Holding SpA
Current assignee: Compagnucci Holding SpA
Priority date: 2007-02-28
Filing date: 2008-02-21
Publication date: 2010-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2028-02-21
Also published as: ITMC20070043A1; ATE483379T1; PL2131700T3; DE602008002907D1; EP2131700A1; WO2008104499A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wire shelf with removable dish rack, especially for kitchen cabinets, and specifically for dish rack cabinets, of the type comprising a first part (A) formed of a wire shelf (P) supported by a pair of longitudinal members, a front one (1 ) and a back one (2), which is provided with upper means (4) to support a second part (B) that consists in a dish rack (3) designed to be removably coupled with the first part (A).

Description

The present patent application relates to a wire shelf with removable rack, in particular for kitchen furniture and specifically for dish rack kitchen units, where the shelf of the invention finds its main use.
The removable rack has been designed in order to support a closed series of dishes in edgeways position vertically, the vertical position being, as it is known, the most efficient position to favour rapid uniform drip-drying.
The possibility to remove the wire shelf ensures large versatility of use, since the reticular structure of the wire shelf allows to use it as an ordinary surface to support wet objects to be drip-dried.
For instance, the wire shelf without the dish rack can be used in a dish rack cabinet as a support surface for glasses, cups, pots, pans, etc.
Attention is drawn on the one of the most important advantages of the present invention when used inside a dish rack cabinet traditionally equipped with two wire shelves.
In such a case, the number of dishes or glasses contained in the cabinet can be doubled by using the rack on both shelves.
Moreover, the wire shelf of the invention has been designed in such a way that, if the removable dish rack is not removed, the wire shelf can be used as a support surface for glasses and pans.
In any case, if not coupled with the corresponding dish rack, the wire shelf of the invention can be used as internal shelf or bottom wall in cabinets, as well as bottom in drawers in general, and in particular pot holder drawers.
The novelty and originality of the wire shelf of the invention will become evident by considering that dish-rack cabinets are currently equipped with two wire shelves, a bottom shelf with horizontal direction that is a useful support surface for glasses, cups and pans, and an upper shelf characterised by the presence of a transversal close series of small bridges with vertical direction that support each dish laterally in edgeways position.
Traditional dish racks have a standardised configuration, according to which the close series of transversal small bridges extends astride two longitudinal members, a back one and a front one, which are an integral part of a rectangular bearing frame, whose transversal rods are fixed in internal position on the lower edges of two lateral sides of the cabinet.
The close series of transversal bridges is welded to a pair of longitudinal bars made of metal rod and having a lower centre-to-centre distance than the average diameter of an ordinary dish, being designed to stop and hold the edge of each dish, which would otherwise lack any kind of support in view of the fact that the aforementioned bridges only provide lateral support.
US 4,046,261 discloses a dishwasher rack comprising a plurality of longitudinal extending wire members welded together with a plurality of transversally extending wire members. A front support bracket and a back support bracket are mounted on said rack. A removable fence is mounted on the front support bracket and on the back support bracket. The purpose of the present invention is to innovate the structural configuration to reduce production costs of wire dish racks, with savings both on raw material and assembly processes.
Not least, the purpose of the invention is to innovate the structural configuration of the current models of dish racks, in order to reduce their height and allow packing them in lower-thickness boxes, with savings on storage space and transportation costs.
A further purpose of the invention is to design a new wire shelf, in particular for kitchen cabinets, which is provided with means to house a LED light bar.
Light devices are currently fixed directly to the wall or under the lower bottom of the cabinets that are closed with a bottom wall, using traditional fixing means, such as screws or glue.
In both cases, the fixing means require, mounting and dismounting operations that must be performed by specialised personnel.
When the light devices are removed, indelible marks are left by the screws or the glue on the wall or the bottom of the cabinet.
As mentioned earlier, another purpose of the present invention is to provide a remedy for the latter problem, by devising a new model of wire shelf, in particular for kitchen cabinets, provided with means to house a LED light bar. These and other purposes have been achieved by the present invention, as described in the main claim and in the following dependent or sub-dependent claims.
The wire shelf of the invention is basically formed of two constructive parts that can be easily coupled and uncoupled by means of a simple male-female coupling system.
One of the two parts, which is defined hereunder as first or main part, can be used separately from the second part, which in turn has an auxiliary secondary function with respect to the first part.
The main part is composed of a rectangular flat wire shelf supported by a pair of longitudinal members, a front one and a back one, while the second part consists in a rack designed to be snap-fitted inside a corresponding groove obtained on the upper edge of the back longitudinal member.
According to the present invention, the two longitudinal members are an integral part of a rigid bearing frame, whose transversal rods are designed to be screwed or glued on the internal side of the two lateral sides of the cabinet.
The rack is formed of a parallel close series of small arms with vertical direction, which are regularly spaced and shaped in such a way that they have forward protruding sections to provide lateral support to the dish placed between them in edgeways position.
The main part comprises a corresponding parallel close series of small transversal arms with horizontal direction, which are regularly spaced and shaped in such a way that they have a spaced pair of bent sections to provide lower support to the dish placed between them in edgeways position. More precisely, the flat wire shelf of the first part is formed by the said parallel close series of small transversal arms with horizontal direction, and by two rectilinear longitudinal bars, above which the ends of the said small transversal arms with horizontal direction are welded.
The flat wire shelf rests on the two bearing longitudinal members which are provided with an upper longitudinal groove that exactly houses the two rectilinear longitudinal bars, which are preferably made of a metal bar with circular section.
In conclusion, it can be said that the wire shelf of the invention according to the preferred embodiment is composed of three removable constructive parts: a bearing frame fixed between the sides of the cabinet, a flat dish-rack that is laid and engaged above the said bearing frame and a dish rack that is laid and engaged above the back longitudinal member of the bearing frame. For major clarity the description of the wire shelf of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended purely for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

figure 1 is an axonometric view of a dish rack cabinet equipped with two wire shelves of the invention, of which one complete with dish rack;
figure 2 is an axonometric view of the wire shelf that is the flat support surface of the shelf of the invention;
figure 3 is an axonometric view of the dish rack that can be provided on the wire shelf of the invention;
figure 4 is a side view of the wire shelf of the invention, provided with dish rack, which shows two dishes placed between the arms of the dish rack; figures 4A and 4B are enlarged views of two details of fig. 4;
figure 5 is the same view as fig. 4, except for the absence of dishes and the fact that the various parts are shown with an exploded view to better identify the housings used to couple the various parts;
figures 5A and 5B are enlarged views of two details of fig. 5;
figure 6 is an axonometric exploded view of the LED light bar.

With reference to fig. 1, the wire shelf (G) of the invention comprises two constructive parts (A and B) that are coupled by means of a simple male-female coupling system.
The first part (A) is formed of a wire shelf (P) supported by two longitudinal members, a front one (1) and a back one (2), which are an integral part of a rigid bearing frame, whose transversal rods (C) are designed to be screwed or glued on the internal side of the two lateral sides (F) of the cabinet (M). The second part (B) consists in the dish rack (3) formed of a parallel close series of small arms with vertical direction (3a), which are regularly spaced and shaped in such a way that they have forward protruding sections (3b) to provide lateral support to a dish (E) placed between them in edgeways position.
As shown in fig. 3, the parallel close series of small vertical arms (3a) is welded to only one ordinary rectilinear longitudinal bar (3c) that intersects each arm (3a) near the base, which is provided with an ending section (3d) with perfectly rectilinear vertical direction, designed to be inserted into a groove (4) suitably provided on the upper back of the back frame member (2), as shown in fig. 4B.
The same figure shows that the rectilinear longitudinal bar (3c) touches the back frame member (2) when all the ending sections (3d) of the small arms (3a) are inserted deeply into the groove (4) with suitable width to receive the ending sections (3d) in such a way to guarantee the stable stop of the dish rack (3) in vertical position.
An innovative structural configuration has been given to the wire shelf (P) to improve the general efficiency of the wire shelf (G) of the invention, with special reference to the version provided with dish rack (3).
With reference to fig. 2, the wire shelf (P) comprises a parallel closed series of small transversal arms (5) with horizontal direction, which are regularly spaced and identical to the series of small vertical arms (3a) of the dish rack (3) in terms of number and centre-to-centre distance.
Each arm (5) is shaped in such a way that it has a spaced pair of bent sections (5a) designed to provide lower support to a dish (E) placed between them in edgeways position, as shown in fig. 4.
A first portion of the dish (E1) penetrates between two adjacent arms (5) of the shelf (P) and receives lower support from an opposite pair of bent sections (5a) that stop and hold the dish at its end-of-travel position, while a second portion of the dish (E2) penetrates between two adjacent arms (3a) of the dish rack (3) and receives lateral support in vertical position.
In addition to the parallel close series of transversal arms (5) with horizontal direction, the wire shelf (P) of the invention comprises two rectilinear longitudinal bars (6), above which the ends of the transversal arms (5) are welded.
The wire shelf (P) is laid on the two bearing longitudinal members (1 and 2) which are provided with an upper longitudinal groove (7) that exactly houses the two rectilinear longitudinal bars (6), which are preferably made of a metal bar with circular section, as shown in fig. 5.
The front longitudinal member (1), preferably made of aluminium, is provided with a lower longitudinal groove (8) that exactly receives a LED light bar (9) of known type.
The front longitudinal member (1) is provided on the front with a longitudinal groove (10) that houses a gasket (11) for the door (S) of the cabinet (M), as shown in fig. 4A.
The LED light bar (9) is formed of two parts, consisting in a strip (9a) of known type that supports a close series of LED's (L) and relevant electrical circuit, with on/off switch (9b), and an innovative case (9b) preferably moulded from plastic material, designed to receive, cover, insulate and protect the strip (9a).
The case (9b) is suitably shaped and dimensioned in order to be snap-fitted inside the longitudinal groove (8).
The case (9b) has a U-shaped cross-section, with a horizontal base (LO) and two lateral borders (SL).
As shown in fig. 6, the horizontal base (LO) is provided with a closed series of holes (F) that receive the corresponding closed series of LED's (L) and the relevant on/off switch (I).
A longitudinal tooth (D) is obtained in external position on the edge of the lateral borders (SL), being designed to engage inside a longitudinal groove (8e) obtained on the two bottom corners of the groove (8), as shown in figs. 5A and 5B.

Claims

Wire shelf especially for kitchen cabinets, which comprises a first part (A) formed of a wire shelf (P) and a second part (B) that consists in a dish rack (3) designed to be removably coupled with the first part (A),
characterised in that
said wire shelf (P) is supported by a pair of longitudinal members, a front one (1) and a back one (2), which are an integral part of a rigid bearing frame, whose transversal rods (C) are designed to be screwed or glued on the internal side of the two lateral sides (F) of the cabinet (M), and
the back frame member (2) is provided with support means (4) to support said second part (B) longitudinally disposed on said back frame member (2).
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that
- the said support means (4) consist in a longitudinal groove (4) and

- the dish rack (3) is formed of a parallel close series of small vertical arms (3a) welded to only one ordinary longitudinal bar (3c) that intersects each arm (3a) near the base provided with an ending section (3d) with perfectly rectilinear vertical direction, the ending sections (3d) of the arms (3a) being inserted deeply inside the groove (4) with suitable width to receive the ending sections (3d) firmly.
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that
- said wine shelf (P) comprises a parallel close series of small transversal arms (5) with horizontal direction and two rectilinear longitudinal bars (8), above which the ends of the horizontal transversal arms (5) ane welded, and

- the two bearing longitudinal members (1 and 2) are provided with an upper longitudinal groove (7) that exactly houses the two rectilinear longitudinal bars (6) wire shelf (P).
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in anyone of the above claims, characterised in that the dish rack (3) is formed of a parallel close series of small vertical arms (3a) regularly spaced and shaped in such a way to have forward protruding sections (3b) to provide lateral support to a dish.
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed In any of the above claims, characterised in that the wire shelf (P) comprises:
- a parallel close series of small transversal arms (5) with horizontal direction, which are regularly spaced and identical to the series of small vertical arms (3a) of the dish rack (3) in terms of number and centre-to-centre distance, and
two rectilinear longitudinal bars (6), above which the ends of the horizontal transversal arms (5) are welded
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in the above claim 5, characterised in that each arm (5) is shaped in such a way that it has a spaced pair of bent sections (5a) designed to provide lower support to a dish (E) placed between them in edgeways position.
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in one or more of the above claims, characterised in that the front longitudinal member (1) is provided with a lower longitudinal groove (8) that exactly houses a LED light bar (9).
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in the above claim 7, characterised in that the LED light bar (9) is formed of two parts, that is to say a strip (9a) that supports a close series of LED's (L) and relevant electrical circuit, with on/off switch (9b), and a case (9b) designed to receive, cover, insulate and protect the strip (9a).
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in the above claim 8, characterised in that the case (9b) has a U-shaped cross-section, with a horizontal base (LO) and two lateral borders (SL), where the horizontal base (LO) is provided with a closed series of holes (F) that receive the corresponding closed series of LED's (L) and the relevant on/off switch (I).
Wire shelf for cabinets as claimed in the above claim 9, characterised in that a longitudinal tooth (D) is obtained in external position on the edge of the lateral borders (SL), being designed to engage inside a longitudinal groove (8e) obtained on the two bottom corners of the groove (8).