GB2493436A - Edge strips for vertically arranged domestic appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

A domestic appliance arrangement 1 comprises a first domestic appliance 4, 5 and at least one second domestic appliance 4, 5, which is arranged vertically above the first domestic appliance 4, 5, so that the front lateral vertical edges 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b of the appliances are above each other and a respective first edge strip 6, 7 is arranged at each of the edges 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b and extends free of interruption over the height of the two domestic appliances 4, 5. The edge strips 6, 7 may be formed of metal and have an L shaped or right angle profile and horizontal edge strips 8, 9, 10, 11 may also be included. The appliances 4, 5 are preferably food preparation appliances such as an oven, microwave or steam cooker.

Description

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE ASSEMBLY WITH TRIMMED APPLIANCE EDGES

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance assembly or arrangement, particularly an assembly with trimmed appliance edges.

A single domestic appliance is known from DE 10 2004 003 117 Al, which has lateral edge strips. These can be L-shaped in cross-section and are fastened by way of separate fastening elements, for example screws, to a front flange of a baking oven muffle. A corresponding appUance is disclosed in GB 23738 S1A A. In modern kitchens it is known to position several domestic appliances for the preparation of foodstuffs directly adjacent to one another. Thus, for example, a baking oven can be arranged near a microwave cooker or a steam cooker. In view of the numerous different functionalities of the individual appliances, kitchens may be equipped with several appliances of that kind. Management and user-friendliness can be enhanced through the directly adjacent positioning of the individual appliances. The user stands quasi at a local position in the space directly in front of the appliances and can thus effectively deal with preparation of cooked items through short movements and rapid actions.

In the known domestic appliance arrangements, however, appliance fronts often appear very uneven, which in addition also have numerous gaps and not just visual disruptions. A very uneven appearance can therefore be present particularly at the front, and, due to the numerous separate frontal components of the appliances, also undesired projections and edges arise at the transitions therebetween. This can have the consequence that a user bumps into them or that dirt and dust collect at these transitions.

It is an object of the present invention to create a domestic appliance arrangement in which in the case of two domestic appliances arranged directly adjacent to one another the above-mentioned disadvantages can at least be reduced.

According to the present invention there is provided a domestic appliance assembly comprising a first domestic appliance and at least one second domestic appliance, the two appliances as considered in vertical direction being arranged one above the other and positioned adjacent to one another, wherein the two appliances are arranged frontally with the lateral vertical edges thereof one above the other and a respective first edge strip, which extends without interruption over the height of the two domestic appliances, is arranged at each of the edges. The two first edge strips are preferably formed integrally.

For preference, the first edge strips are detachably arranged at the appliances.

In particular, the first edge strips can be plugged onto the appliances without further separate fastening elements. In particular, they can be plugged onto housings of the appliances. Alternatively, the edge strips can be fastened to housings of the appliances by separate fastening elements, particularly screws.

For preference, a respective second integral edge strip is arranged at each of an upper horizontal edge of the upper appliance and a lower horizontal edge of the rower appliance, which second strips respectively extend over the width of the appliances.

Preferably, the second edge strips are in strip width and material the same as at least one first edge strip. In particular, the second edge strips can be so arranged that they communicate by the ends thereof with their first edge strips and the end edges of the first edge strips are also arranged at the same height level as the outer edge of the at least one second edge strip., For preference, a respective second horizontally oriented edge strip is arranged at each of the mutually associated horizontal edges of the two appflances, which second edge strips communicate by the ends thereof with the first edge strips. Alternatively, only a single second horizontally oriented edge strip, which communicates by its ends with the first edge strips, is arranged at the mutually associated horizontal edges of the two appliances.

For preference, the first edge strips are of metal. Preferably, also, the second edge strips are made of metal. For preference, the first edge strips are L-shaped in cross-section.

The two appliances can be constructed for, in particular, the preparation of foodstuffs.

By virtue of the two edge strips there is created a quasi completely encircling frame for the entire appliance arrangement. A very unitary impression is thereby achieved and particularly also with respect to the encircling edge a frame, which is constructed with interruptions at fewest possible places, is formed by the edge strips. Undesired edges in number and projections can thereby be avoided. If the second edge strips are the same in strip width and material as the at least one first edge strip an impression which is very much more uniform and higher in quaUty can also be produced with respect to overall appearance.

Construction of at least one first edge strip from metal means that it can be stable and relatively free of wear. For the same reason, the second edge strips can similarly be made from metal.

If at least the first edge strip is L-shaped in cross-section it is possible to carry out mounting particularly simply. In addition a permanent positionally stable positioning of an edge strip relative to other components of the domestic appliance can be achieved. A very compact positioning which minimises constructional space can also be guaranteed by this design.

If the two appliances are constructed for preparation of foodstuffs, at least one of the appliances can be, for example, a baking oven, a steam cooker, a microwave cooker or the like The appliances can be constructed with standard dimensions with, for example, a height of centimetres or a height of 60 centimetres. It can also be provided that one of the appliances has a height of 45 centimetres and a heating drawer is arranged thereunder.

Embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a first embodiment of a domestic appliance assembly embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of a second embodiment of a domestic appliance assembly embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in Fig. 1 a domestic appliance assembly or arrangement 1, which is intended to be recessed into an installation niche 2 of a built-in item 3 of furniture. The arrangement 1 in the embodiment comprises two domestic appliances 4 and 5, which are constructed for preparation of foodstuffs.. The two separate appliances 4 and 5 can be of different design. Thus, at least one of the appliances 4, 5 can be a baking oven, a microwave cooker, a steam cooker or a coffee machine.

The two appliances 4 and 5 are, in this embodiment, constructed with the same width (dimension in x direction). In that regard, they can have a width of, for example, 60 centimetres, which is a conventional appliance width.

The two appliances 4 and 5 are arranged directly one above the other in vertical direction (y direction) and positioned to adjoin one another. They are, in addition, arranged so that the vertical side edges 4a and 4b thereof on one side and Sa and Sb thereof on the other side run in vertical direction one above the other and, in particular, extend so as to pass from one to the other.

As can be seen from the illustration in Fig. 1, a first vertically extending edge strip 6 constructed integrally and without interruption is arranged at the front edges 4a and 4b. A further first edge strip 7 of that kind is arranged at the opposite side at the edges 4b and 5b. The two first edge strips 6 and 7 constructed integrally and without interruption extend over the entire height of the two appliances 4 and 5. In the embodiment they are made of metal.

In addition, a respective second integrally constructed edge strip 8 and 9 is arranged at each of an upper outer horizontal edge 4c of the upper appliance 4 and a lower outer horizontal edge Sc of the lower appliance 5. They are similarly made of metal.

The upper second edge strip 8 communicates by the opposite ends 8a and Sb thereof laterally with the two first edge strips 6 and 7. Upper end edges 6a and 7a of the vertically oriented first edge strips 6 and 7 are at the same height and thus in horizontal direction flush with an outer edge 8c of the upper second edge strip 8a. The same applies to the lower second edge strip 9, so that here, as well, ends 9a and 9b laterally communicate with the first edge strips 6 and 7. The end edges Sb and 7b are similarly arranged at the same height and thus in horizontal direction flushly with an outer edge 9c of the second edge strip 9.

Moreover, in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 mutually facing horizontal edges 4d and 5d of the two appliances 4 and 5 are each provided with a respective edge strip 100111.

These are similarly formed laterally integrally and as separate components and similarly communicate with the vertical first edge strips 6 and 7. The mentioned edges of the appUances 4 and 5 are thus covered by the edge strips 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 so that these said edge strips are also formed as trimming elements or screens. With respect to the first edge strips 6 and ? and the second edge strips 8 and 9 there is quasi formed around the appliances 4 and 5 an encircling frame which is constructed with a minimum number of interruptions or interfaces.

A further embodiment of a domestic appliance assembly or arrangement 1 is schematically shown in Fig. 2. By contrast with the embodiment of Fig. 1, in the region of the mutually facing horizontal edges 4d and 5d merely a single integrally constructed horizontally oriented second edge strip 12 is present.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>PATENT CLAIMS1. A domestic appliance assembly comprising a first domestic appliance and at least one second domestic appliance which as considered in vertical direction is arranged above the first appliance, the first and at least one second appliance being arranged with lateral vertical edges thereof one above the other at the front and a respective upright edge strip arranged at the vertical edges at each side of the appliances to extend without interruption over the height of the appriances.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the edge strips are detachably arranged at the appliances.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. An assembly according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the edge strips are plugged into position without use of further, separate fastening means.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. An assembly according to either claim 1 or cLaim 2, wherein the edge strips are fastened by separate fastening elements to housings of the appliances.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a respective crosswise integral edge strip is arranged at each of an upper horizontal edge of the upper or uppermost one of the appliances and a lower horizontal edge of the lower or lowermost one of the appliances and extends over the width of the appliances.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein all the edge strips have the same strip width and are of the same material.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the crosswise edge strips are so arranged that they communicate by the ends thereof with the upright edge strips and the end edges of the upright edge strips are arranged at the same height as outer edges of the crosswise edge strips.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a respective horizontally oriented edge strip is arranged at each of the mutually facing horizontal edges of the two appliances and communicates by the ends thereof with the upright edge strips.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein a single horizontally oriented edge strip is arranged at the mutually facing horizontal edges of the two appliances and communicates by the ends thereof with the first edge strips 10. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upright edge strips are of metal.11. An assembly according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the crosswise edge strips are of metaL 12. An assembly according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the horizontally oriented edge strip or strips, as the case may be, is or are of metal.13. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upright edge strips are substantLally L-shaped in cross-section.14. An assembly according to any one of claims 5 to 7 and 11, wherein the crosswise edge strips are substantially [-shaped in cross-section.15. An assembly according to any of claims 8, 9 and 12, wherein the horizontally oriented edge strip or strips, as the case may be, is or are substantially L-shaped in cross-section.16. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the appliances are foodstuff preparation appliances.</claim-text>