EP1266593A1 - Anti-tilt device for household appliance insertable in a recess - Google Patents

Abstract

The microwave oven is supported on feet (30) which project through holes (34) in a separation plate (13) and is secured against overturning when the door is opened by a locking mechanism (50). The mechanism is shaped as a flat rod (52) which passes through an aperture in the rim (13a) of the separation plate and has the adjacent end folded to form a hook. The hook engages with the rear of the oven and the rod is tightened by a screw (55a) Independent claims are also included for the following: A kit of ready to build parts including a stabilising element for installing an oven in a recess. The use of the kit to install an oven

Description

The present invention relates to an anti-tilt device for a household appliance built into a niche.

In general, the invention relates to the embedding of a household appliance such as a cooking oven, and in particular an oven microwave.

Today when such household appliances are placed in a niche, in particular in an equipped kitchen, on a support there is a significant risk of tilting forwards of the household appliance.

This tilting of the device can be observed in particular during the opening of the door which pivots out of the recess.

Some built-in systems include elements in foam to be placed between the upper wall of the appliance and the upper wall of the niche in order to limit the movement of the device in the niche.

In addition to the difficulty of correctly placing these foam elements, a such a system is not completely reliable.

Other installation systems include, at the rear of the support mounting, projecting elements intended to be housed in holes on the back of the cooking appliance.

However, the positioning of the appliance in the mounting bracket, so as to engage with these elements in protruding, is not easy.

In addition, the installation of these projecting elements being carried out at the back of the appliance, it is not easy to check their placement correct place.

The object of the present invention is to resolve the drawbacks mentioned above and to propose an anti-tilt device for a device household appliances of great reliability and easy assembly.

For this purpose, the anti-tip device for household appliances built into a recess on a built-in support, includes a holding member adapted to engage with a housing disposed at the back of the appliance, and an actuating rod mounted on the mounting support, the actuating rod comprising a first end secured to the holding element and a second end comprising means for moving said actuating rod accessible on the front of the appliance.

Thus, the holding element is mobile thanks to the actuating rod on which it is fixed.

This actuating rod can be moved by means of movement accessible at the front of the device, the movement of the maintenance can be performed even when the appliance is already in place in the recess.

The installation of the holding element in engagement with the device household appliances can thus be carried out in a positive way by moving the actuating rod, after positioning the household appliance in the niche.

According to a preferred characteristic of the invention, the rod actuator is mounted in translation on the mounting support, between a holding position in which the holding member is engaged with a housing arranged at the rear of the household appliance, and a position free in which the holding element is detached from the rear of the appliance.

The installation of the anti-tip device is particularly simple to implement, by translation of the actuating rod between a holding position and a free position.

The translational displacement of the rod makes it possible to displace the holding element at the rear of the oven, taking advantage of the existing free space generally between the bottom of the recess and the appliance appliances to ensure the circulation of air around this appliance.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the means for moving the rod are further adapted to fix the rod actuation to the mounting support in a holding position in which the holding element is engaged with a housing arranged at the rear of the household appliance.

Thus, the means of movement have the dual function of moving the actuating rod and fix it in a position in which the retainer engages the rear of the appliance.

According to another aspect of the invention, it also relates to a ready-to-install set of installation elements (or installation kit) of a household appliance in a niche, in particular comprising a support suitable for being placed under the appliance.

According to the invention, this ready-to-assemble set of elements installation includes an anti-tilt device conforming to the first aspect of the invention.

This ready-to-assemble set of built-in elements conforms to the invention is in particular used to embed a microwave oven in a niche.

It has characteristics and advantages similar to those described previously in relation to the compliant anti-tip device to the first aspect of the invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent again in the description below.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée illustrant un ensemble prêt-à-monter d'éléments d'encastrement d'un appareil électroménager conforme à un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 1A illustre schématiquement le montage de pieds modulaires utilisés dans l'ensemble prêt-à-monter de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de l'ensemble prêt-à-monter de la figure 1, en position montée ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de face d'un four à micro-ondes mis en place dans l'ensemble prêt-à-monter d'éléments d'encastrement de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue arrière du four à micro-ondes mis en place dans l'ensemble prêt-à-monter d'éléments d'encastrement de la figure 2 ; et
• les figures 5 et 6 sont des vues en coupe transversale selon la ligne V-V de la figure 3 illustrant la mise en place du dispositif anti-basculement conforme à l'invention.

In the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples:

• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a ready-to-mount assembly of mounting elements of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 1A schematically illustrates the mounting of modular feet used in the ready-to-assemble assembly of FIG. 1;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ready-to-mount assembly of Figure 1, in the assembled position;
• Figure 3 is a front view of a microwave oven set up in the ready-to-mount assembly of recessed elements of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a rear view of the microwave oven in place in the ready-to-mount assembly of recessed elements of Figure 2; and
• Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views along the line VV of Figure 3 illustrating the establishment of the anti-tilt device according to the invention.

We will first describe with reference to Figures 1 and 2 a ready-to-assemble assembly of appliance mounting elements home appliance.

This ready-to-assemble set, commonly called the installation kit, includes several elements that are assembled inside a niche made for example in a kitchen cabinet.

Here, by way of nonlimiting example, the household appliance is a built-in microwave oven.

This installation kit first includes a support 10 adapted to be fixed in the niche, under the oven.

It also includes a bottom plate 11 intended to come to the back of the oven and an upper plate 12 disposed above the oven recessed.

This bottom plate 11 and this upper plate 12 will not be described in more detail here.

The mounting bracket firstly includes a plate partition 13 which extends between a lower wall P of the niche and a wall lower part 40a of the household appliance 40 (see FIG. 3).

This separation plate 13 thus forms a double bottom between the lower wall P of the niche and the lower wall of the oven so as to regulate the cooling air flow circulating around the oven.

In particular, this separation plate 13 includes an edge 13a folded at right angles to the oven on its side intended to come into the bottom from the niche.

The opposite side 13b intended to come in front of the niche, includes a central part 13b ′ forming a wing folded towards the lower plane P of the niche and two side parts 13b "also forming a folded wing, perpendicular to the plane of the separation plate 13, but directed towards the oven.

To ensure its attachment to the lower wall P of the niche, two fixing brackets 15 allow the separation plate 13 to be fixed on its lateral sides 13c, 13d.

These brackets 15 form means for adjusting the height of the separation plate 13 relative to the lower wall P of the niche.

Each bracket 15 has a first part 15a intended to be fixed to the lower wall P of the niche, for example by screws, and a second part 15b intended to be fixed to the separation plate 13.

The first and second parts 15a, 15b are arranged at an angle law.

In order to allow the height adjustment of this plate separation 13, this second part 15b of each bracket 15 comprises at at least two locations for fixing the separation plate 13 designed to be arranged at different distances from the bottom wall P of the niche.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, these brackets 15 thus extend from on either side of the separation plate 13 and are substantially perpendicular to the front of the appliance 40.

Each lateral edge 13c, 13d of the separation plate 13 is formed of a wing folded towards the lower wall P of the niche, perpendicular to the plan of the separation plate 13.

These lateral edges 13c, 13d include orifices 16 intended for allow the fixing of each of the edges 13c, 13d to the second part 15b of each square 15. Here, each square 15 also has two series orifices 17, 18 intended to come opposite the orifices 16 of the lateral edges 13c, 13d of the separation plate 13.

These two orifices 17, 18 correspond to two locations of fixing of the separation plate 13 so that it can be disposed at a greater or lesser distance from the lower wall P of the niche.

This installation kit also includes a series of 30 feet which are suitable for supporting the household appliance on the lower wall P of the niche.

Thus, the household appliance is not directly carried by the separation plate 13 but by means of feet 30.

These feet 30 are adjustable in height, independently of the adjustment in height of the separation plate 13.

Here, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, these feet 30 are made up modular elements that fit together so that the total height of the foot can be adjusted.

For example, a single modular element 30 can be used when the niche at a height of 350 mm, while two modular elements nested one inside the other can be used to form feet in a 360 mm high niche.

These feet 30 adjustable in height ensure a centered positioning of the household appliance in the niche whatever or the height of the latter.

To allow the nesting of these feet 30, each foot is consisting of a first cylindrical portion 31 and a second portion cylindrical 32 of smaller diameter.

These two cylindrical portions 31, 32 are arranged so coaxial against each other.

The first cylindrical portion 31 includes a central bore cylindrical 33 adapted to accommodate a second cylindrical portion 32 of smaller diameter of a second leg 30.

The fitting of the feet 30 can thus be carried out easily and on a greater or lesser height of modular elements 30.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the appliance, here a oven 40, is placed on four feet 30 respectively arranged at the four corners of the bottom wall 40a of the device.

An insulating foam element 41 is further disposed between the separation plate 13 and the bottom wall 40a of the device.

The purpose of this foam element 41 is to channel the hot outgoing air by the base of the oven so that it evacuates to the outside, at the level of the central 13b 'on the side 13b intended to come in front of the niche. The passage fresh air is produced on the contrary at the level of the lateral parts 13b "of the separation plate 13, between the separation plate 13 and the base of the oven, and on the two lateral sides of the oven as well as between the separation plate 13 and the lower wall P of the niche.

Is channeled by the foam element 41 at the level of the plate separation 13, the hot air outlets while leaving free as much as possible fresh air intakes.

This prevents the return of hot air outlets to the inlets fresh air.

In order to allow the passage of the feet 30, the separation plate 13 has four holes 34 for the passage of these feet 30, such so that the oven 40 is supported above the separation plate 13.

This installation kit includes, in accordance with the invention, a anti-tip device 50 which makes it possible to avoid the tip-over of the the household appliance after its installation in the niche.

In general, this anti-tilt device 50 comprises a holding member 51 adapted to engage at the rear of the apparatus appliances and an actuating rod 52 mounted on the support installation 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the holding element 50 is adapted to engage in a housing 42 disposed at the rear of the device appliances 40.

This housing 42 may correspond to a pre-existing boss at the back of the device and on which are fixed inside the body of the electrical components.

More specifically, this holding element 51, as well illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, consists of a portion of an L-shaped rod, one branch of which 51a is integral with a first end 52a of the actuating rod 52 and the other branch 51b is adapted to engage in the housing 42 at the rear of the household appliance 40.

Here, the actuating rod 52 and the holding member 51 are formed in one piece.

In order to allow the movement of the holding element 51 to the rear of the device, the rear edge 13a of the separation plate 13 is provided with a slot 13 'through which the translation can slide actuating rod 52 near its first end 52a.

The actuating rod 52 has a second end 52b comprising means 55 for moving the rod 52, these means displacement 55 being accessible on the front of the household appliance 40.

Here, these means 55 for moving the rod 52 comprise a screw 55a cooperating with a nut 55b.

The screw 55a is adapted to be mounted in orifices 56, 57 aligned with the folded wing 13b "of the mounting bracket 10 and the second end 52b of the rod 52.

To this end, the second end 52b of the rod 52 is formed of a curved wing intended to be substantially parallel to the folded wing 13b "of the separation plate 13 so that the orifices 56, 57 of the second end 52b and the folded wing 13b "can be arranged opposite one of the other and crossed by the screw 55a.

The screw 55a as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is accessible from the front of the appliance so that the placement of the anti-tip device can be implemented once the appliance 40 positioned on the mounting support 10.

For this purpose, when mounting the installation kit, the screw 55 is pre-mounted on the folded wing 13b "and the second end 52b of the rod actuator 52 in a free position as illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the holding element 51 is detached from the rear of the device appliances 40.

The subsequent screwing of the screw 55 in the nut 55b is then adapted to move the second end 52b of the actuating rod 52 towards the wing folded 13b "from the mounting support 10.

The actuating rod 52 is thus animated by a movement in translation on the mounting support 10 so that, at the end of the race, as illustrated in figure 6, the anti-tilt device is located in a holding position in which the holding element 51 is engaged with the housing 42 disposed at the rear of the household appliance 40.

The actuating rod 52 is thus mounted substantially perpendicular to the front of the appliance 40.

The means for moving the rod, here consisting of a screw 55a and of a nut 55b, are further adapted to fix the actuating rod 52 to the installation support 10 in the holding position as illustrated in the figure 6.

It is thus easy to maintain the device on the installation support 10, once this appliance is positioned in the niche Recessed.

The installation kit as described above thus allows in particular to embed a microwave oven in a niche.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

In particular, the anti-tilt device 50 described above could be mounted on a different mounting bracket than the one described previously.

Claims (8)

Anti-tip device for household appliance (40) built into a recess on a built-in support (10), characterized in that it comprises a holding element (51) adapted to engage with a housing (42) arranged at the rear of the household appliance (40) and an actuating rod (52) mounted on the mounting support (10), the actuating rod (52) comprising a first end (52a) integral with the 'holding element (51) and a second end (52b) comprising means for moving (55a, 55b) of said actuating rod (52) accessible on the front of the household appliance (40). Anti-tilt device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating rod (52) is mounted in translation on the mounting support (10), between a holding position in which the holding element (51 ) is engaged with a housing (42) arranged at the rear of the household appliance (40) and a free position in which the holding element (51) is detached from the rear of the household appliance (40 ). Anti-tilt device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the means of displacement (55a, 55b) of said rod (52) are further adapted to fix said actuating rod (52) to the support embedded (10) in a holding position in which the holding element (51) is engaged with a housing (42) disposed at the rear of the household appliance (40). Anti-tilt device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the means for moving the rod (52) comprise a screw (55a) cooperating with a nut (55b) and adapted to be mounted in orifices (56, 57) aligned with a portion (13b ") of embedding support (10) and the second end (52b) of rod (52), the screwing of the screw (55a) in the nut (55b ) being adapted to move the second end (52b) of the actuating rod (52) towards said portion (13b ") of the mounting support (10). Anti-tilt device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the holding element (51) consists of a portion of an L-shaped rod, one branch (51a) of which is integral with the first end ( 52a) of the actuating rod (52) and the other branch (51b) is adapted to engage with a housing (42) at the rear of the household appliance (40). Anti-tilt device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the actuating rod (52) and the holding element (51) are formed in one piece. Ready-to-wear set of elements for embedding a household appliance (40) in a niche, comprising in particular a built-in support (10) adapted to be placed under the household appliance (40), characterized in that that it comprises an anti-tilt device (50) according to one of claims 1 to 6. Use of a ready-to-assemble set of elements in accordance with claim 7 for embedding a microwave oven in a niche.

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