WO2003063676A1

WO2003063676A1 - A detachable covering part for household appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2003063676A1
Application number: PCT/SE2003/000001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernt Svensson
Original assignee: Asko Cylinda Ab
Priority date: 2002-01-07
Filing date: 2003-01-02
Publication date: 2003-08-07
Also published as: SE0200058L; SE520922C2; DK1469768T3; EP1469768B1; EP1469768A1; SE0200058D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a detachable covering part of a household appliance. The covering part covers gap between the front edge of the appliance and the surface on which the appliance rests, and consists of a covering plate (3) and an attachment device for attaching the covering plate to a body part appliance. The attachment device consists of one or several fastening consoles which protrude forwards from the body part, and which each exhibits a fastening part attached to the body part. The fastening consoles exhibit a front support and engagement part (12) intended to form a support against the inside of the covering plate and to be in engagement with a corresponding support and engagement part (24) arranged on the inside of the covering plate (3) in order to detachably position-retain the covering plate at a chosen distance from the body part. The front support and engagement portions (12) of the fastening console or consoles have a respective corresponding support and engagement portions (24) in such mutual engagement that the covering part in its entirety is supported and retained in position in height by the surface (53).

Description

TITLE

A detachable covering part for a household appliance

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a detachable covering part for a household appliance, according to the preamble of appended claim 1.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Household appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines etc. are generally provided with a covering plate or kick plate which fills the gap between the machine and the surface that supports the machine, and forms an aesthetically pleasant unified front surface which often connects to a unified floor base in, for example, a kitchen interior. The previously known covering plate is equipped with two vertical long holes for fastening-screws, usually metal screws that are screwed into a screw hole in a body part of the machine. Screws with long holes disrupt the aesthetical total impression and are difficult to handle due to, for example, a difficult working position, often close to the floor. This known plate is thus adjustable in height and depth to compensate for various set positions of a household appliance, but is not adjustable sideways.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above stated drawbacks, and to create a covering part which can easily be position- adjusted to the surrounding surfaces, and which gives a clean and aesthetically appealing front surface.

The said purpose is obtained by means of the covering part according to the present invention, the characteristics of which will become apparent from the appended claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will in the following be described in more detail by means of an example of an embodiment, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the covering part according to the invention, at a front angle,

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the covering part at an angle from behind,

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 in a slightly larger scale show the covering plate from the side, from straight behind, in a straight front view and in a straight top view,

Figs. 7 and 8 in exploded views show, at front and rear angles respectively, the covering part and a body part of the household appliance, while

Figs. 9 and 10 in corresponding perspective views show a partially exploded detail view of the covering part in an assembled position.

A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Since all of the views show the covering part, either separately or in connection to the body part of the household appliance to which it is attached, reference will be made more or less to all of the figures during the description.

The covering part 1 according to the invention consists of two main parts which in turn are divided into a number of components, both a covering plate 3 and a fastening device 4. The name covering plate 3 is used due to old habit, but it can of course be made in a material other than sheet metal, i.e. metal, for example plastic. The plate 3 is in the example shown essentially a so-called kick plate which is intended to be placed at the bottom part of a household appliance, for example a dishwasher, and forms a base which in an aesthetically appealing way connects to a surface such as a floor 53 which is suggested in Figs. 3, 4 and 6 with dotted lines. In more detail, the covering part 1 is arranged to, at the bottom part of the front surface of the household appliance, cover a gap between the rest of the front surface of the machine and the surface which the machine is supported by, i.e. the gap between the hatch 9 and the surface.

The attachment device 4 exhibits two fastening consoles 5, 6 which protrude from a body part 7 of a household appliance 8 which is suggested in part with dotted broken lines in Fig. 3, for example the lower end of an appliance door 9 and an adjustable foot 10. Two adjustable feet are, for example, arranged at the front and bottom part of the machine for adjustable height setting of the machine. When changing the height this way, the body part 7, the door 9 and the fastening consoles 5, 6 are thus brought along. Each fastening console 5, 6 is thus arranged to protrude forwards from the body part 7 and exhibits both a fastening portion 11 for adjustable fastening to the body part 7 and a gripping and supporting part 12 arranged in front of the fastening part 11 for support against the covering plate and engagement with an engagement part on the inside of the covering plate 3. The fastening part 11 of the console is designed as an elongated rail with two flanges 13, 14 facing away from each other, one of which faces upwards and the other one downwards, in the example shown essentially in the same vertical plane. They can of course also be at an angle towards each other and towards the vertical plane. Between the flanges in a mid-section 15, there is arranged a number of locking recesses 16 for interaction with a sideways, in more detail essentially perpendicular towards the longitudinal direction of the mid-section 15, locking element 17 which will be described in more detail below. The support and engagement part 12 of the console 5 consists of a portion 18 which is sideways directed from the front end of the elongated rail. This sideways portion 18 is in the example shown thus placed crosswise relative to the longitudinal direction of the rail, in the example at a straight angle to it and will thus connect to the inside 19 of the covering plate 3 and form a supporting surface against it. From the sideways or crossways directed supporting part 18 there is at an angle inwards towards the body part, i.e. away from the covering plate 3 a backwards directed supporting part 20. This exhibits a backwards directed supporting edge 54. From the sideways directed supporting part 18 there extends a backwards directed contact tongue 55 which in the example shown is punched out and bent down from the part 18. The covering plate 3, apart from a front surface 21 , exhibits two opposite side edge portions 22, 23 which exhibit supporting and engaging portions 24 which are arranged to interact with the supporting and engaging portions 5, 6 of the fastening consoles. The engagement portions 24, 25 of the covering plate 3 are formed by each side edge portion 22, 23 being folded twice inwardly so that it forms an open channel 26 with a U-shaped cross section formed by the inside 19 of the covering plate 3 and by a first perpendicularly backwards folded edge portion 27, and also by a further folded portion 28. This portion 28 forms a supporting flange which does not extend across the entire height of the covering plate 3, see for example Fig. 4, but ends upwards with a cross edge 29 about one centimetre from the upper edge 30 of the covering plate and at a larger distance with a cross edge from the lower edge 32 of the covering plate. In order to facilitate assembly and disassembly, the cross edge 31 is shaped with an end tab 33 which is at a slight angle outwards. Both the upper edge 30 and the lower edge 32 exhibit inwards folded edge portions. At the lower part, a part of the cross edges 34, 35 are straight without edges being folded in, in order to facilitate assembly and disassembly. The supporting edge 54 is in the example straight and vertical and forms a support towards the folded portion 28. This in turn exhibits a contact edge 56 which, with suitable tolerances, interacts with the contact tongue 55. Figs. 7-10 best show how the fastening consoles 5, 6 are attached to the body part 7 of the household appliance. The covering part, at each corner 36 of the appliance, exhibits two plates arranged crosswise relative to each other, a front plate 37 and a side plate 38. The front plate 37 at each of its front corners exhibits a specially formed opening 39, see Figs. 7 and 8, through which the fastening portion 11 of the console 5 is intended to extend in the assembled state of the fastening device 4 essentially at a perpendicular angle towards the front plate 37, and along the side plate 38 in more detail at its inside parallel to it. It is shaped with guiding organs 40 which form a guide for the console 5 so that this can be displaced into respectively out of the body part, and be held at a desired distance from the front plate 37. The guide organ 40 is in the example shown made of punched out tongues 41 , 42 which have been pressed and bent so that they, in interaction with the inside of the side plate, can form a guide for the console by means of interaction with its two opposing flanges 13, 14. The opening 39 or the recess in the front plate 37 is dimensioned, in the example shown, with two opposing grooves 43, 44 which advantageously are dimensioned to form guides for the two flanges 13, 14 of the console.

In order to additionally ensure the positioning of the consoles 5, 6 and thus also the desired depth position of the covering plate 3, the fastening device comprises the above-mentioned locking elements 17. These are, in the example shown, designed as sliding bolts which are mobile crosswise relative to the longitudinal direction of the corresponding console between a locking position and a release position. In the locking position the sliding bolts are moved by means of a locking hook 45 into a locking aperture which in the position in question of the console is immediately in front of the locking hook, said aperture being one in a row of locking apertures or recesses. The locking bolts 17 run in guiding organs on the front plate 37. These, in the example shown, consist of edge portions 46, 47 of a recess of the front plate which in the example shown is the same recess 39 which is intersected by the respective console 5, 6. The sliding bolt 17 is advantageously made of plastic, and is shaped with guiding flanges in the form of hook-like elements which interact with the opposing edge portions 46, 47 of the recess 39 in the front plate 37. In addition, each sliding bolt exhibits a gripping organ 50 intended for gripping by a person for being displaced between a release position and a locking position, see the direction of the double arrows 57. To ensure the two end positions, there are arranged positioning organs 51 both on the body part 7 and on the sliding bolt 17. Said positioning organ 52 in the example shown consists of a minor abutment in the shape of a semi-sphere on the rear side of the locking bolt which is slightly flexible and interacts with protrusions in the opposing edge portions 46, 47 of the recess 39.

In the assembled state, the two consoles 5, 6 thus protrude through the respective opening 39 in the front plate 37, and can possibly be supported by the grooves 43, 44 of the opening but at least by the guide organs 40, i.e. the guiding flanges 41 , 42 in the side plate 38. The consoles in their longitudinal direction essentially extend horizontally, i.e. straight out from the appliance, suitably essentially parallel to the surface 53 on which the machine rests with its feet 10. With the combined support and gripping organs 12 in interaction with the gripping organs 24 of the cover plate 3, the cover plate is essentially kept in position regarding the depth direction, i.e. essentially in the horizontal direction relative to the distance from the body part 7. The position retainment in the height direction is in the example shown defined by the surface 53, i.e. the cover plate with its lower edge 32 rests on the surface 53, i.e. the same surface as the machine rests on, and will thus automatically adjust according to it. The guiding or the position retainment sideways, i.e. essentially along the main plane of the cover plate 3, i.e. the plane of the front surface is in a similar manner ensured by means of the supporting and gripping organs with allowance for minor tolerances for adjustment to the sideways position of the machine relative to the surrounding surfaces, for example adjacent floor bases. The position retainment in the depth direction is in more detail ensured, see for example Fig. 5 and Fig. 10, both by the forwards facing supporting surface 18 on the supporting gripping part 12 of the consoles 5, 6 by means of support against the inside 19 of the covering plate 3, and by the backwards directed edge 54 of the supporting part 20 in interaction with the inwards folding part 28 of the covering plate. The guiding or position retainment in the sideways direction is in the example shown ensured by the tongue 55 in the portion 18. Since the length of the tongue or the distance to the portion 18 exceeds the depth of the channel 26 or in other words the distance between the inside 19 and the portion 28, the tongue forms a contact surface for the vertically inwards facing contact edge 56 of the portion 28. A sideways tolerance is thus obtained by means of the edge 56 being positioned at a shorter distance from the edge portion 27 than the distance of the tongue 5 from the edge portion 20. Stability against sloping of the kick plate 3 is obtained by means of these supporting and gripping portions of the console having an extension in height of at least one or up to two or three centimetres at a covering edge which has a height extension in the order of size of about 10-15 cm. A suitable height ratio can be from approximately 1 :4 to approximately 1 :2.

By means of the above described covering part with its cover plate 3 and fastening device 4, a simple and aesthetically appealing retainment of the cover plate 3 is made possible. It can easily be taken out by being raised in the heightwise direction until the tab 33 has passed the gripping and supporting organs of the consoles. Adjustment of the cover plate 3 in the depth direction is made by means of the user pressing with a finger on the manoeuvring organ 50 of the locking bolts 17 in the sideways inwards direction towards each other, thus making the locking hook 45 leave its locking position in one of the locking openings 16, and a console 5 can be pushed in or pulled out along corresponding guide organs 40, following which the locking bolt 17 is pressed to the locking position. In this position, the cover plate 3 can also withstand blows and kicks. Following an adjustment of the appliance heightwise by rotation of adjustment organs on the feet 10, for example a bolt on a shaft with grooves, the covering part will automatically adjust in the height direction by means of the engagement organs 24 of the cover plate 3 allowing the gripping organs 18 of the console to glide along the channel 26 formed, while the covering plate 3 rests with its lower edge 32 on the surface 53.

The invention is not limited to the example of an embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, but can be varied within the scope of the appended claims. For example, it is not necessary to provide the consoles with separate locking organs. The consoles can slide in their guiding organs using friction or on nibs which create locking positions. It is in principle possible for the engagement organs of the cover plate to consist of specially arranged elements on the inside of the cover plate instead of the bent edge portions. The number of consoles can be larger than two. The cover plate can be used on other household appliances than dishwashers or washing machine, for example refrigerators, freezers, stoves, ovens, ovens with frames where the floor or the surface is replaced by a lower edge or upper edge in the decoration of the kitchen for example surrounding carpentry. It is in principle possible for the engagement organs of the covering plate to exhibit some form of tab which protrudes forwards above the gripping organs of the console in order to support the covering plate 3 in the height direction, i.e. above the supporting surface without necessarily resting on it.

Claims

1. A detachable covering part (1) for a household appliance (8), which covering part is arranged to cover a gap between the front surface of the appliance and the surface (53) on which the appliance rests, consisting of a covering plate (3) and an attachment device (4) for fastening of the covering plate to a body part (7) of the appliance, with the attachment device consisting of one or several protruding attachment consoles (5, 6) which protrude from the body part (7) and which each exhibits a fastening part (11) attached to the body part, with the fastening console or consoles (5, 6) exhibiting a front support and engagement portion (12) intended to form a support against the inside of the covering plate and to be in engagement with a corresponding support and engagement part (24) arranged on the inside of the covering plate (3) in order to detachably hold the covering plate in position at a chosen distance from the body part, characterized in that the front support and engagement parts (12) of the fastening console or consoles (5, 6) and the respective corresponding support and engagement part (24) of the covering plate (3) are in such mutual engagement that the covering part is in its entirety supported and fixed in its height position by the surface (53).

2. Detachable cover part (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening consoles (5, 6) are at least two and in that the support and engagement portions (24) of the covering plate (3) are formed by at least two angled edge portions (22, 23) attached to the inside of the covering plate, inside of which the support and engagement part (12) of the fastening console is arranged to hold the covering plate in position by support against and engagement with said edge parts.

3. Detachable cover part according to claim 2, characterized in that the angled edge portions (22, 23) are edge portions of the covering plate which have been folded inwards.

4. Detachable cover part (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening consoles (5, 6) and thus the covering plate (3) are adjustable in depth relative to the body part (7).

5. Releasable covering part (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fastening portion (11) of the fastening consoles (5, 6) is designed as a rail arranged to be displaced along a guide (40) in the body part (7).

6. Detachable cover part (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the attachment device (4) exhibits a locking element (17) for each fastening console (5, 6).

7. Detachable cover part (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking element (17) consists of a sliding bolt (45) arranged to protrude into a recess (16) in the rail in the locking position.

8. Detachable cover part (1) according to claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the guide (40) for the rail is arranged in a side plate (38) of the body part (7) and in that the locking element (17) is displaceable in a guide (46, 47) in a front plate (37) of the body part.

9. Detachable covering part (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the inwards folded edge portions (22, 23) of the covering plate (3) form two open channels (26) which face each other and which have a U-shaped cross section with an inwardly facing surface (19), and a contact edge (28) which forms the support and engagement part (24) of the covering plate for position retainment of the covering plate (3) in the depth direction and in the sideways direction with the covering plate being supported in the height direction by the surface (53) which supports the appliance (8).

10. Detachable covering part (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the supporting and engaging part (12) of each fastening console (5, 6) is formed by a sideways directed portion (18) in the front end of the rail which exhibits a supporting surface, which in the channel (26) forms support against the inside of the covering plate (3) and exhibits a contact tongue (55) which forms a stop part in interaction with the contact edge (28) on the edge part (22, 23) of the covering plate.

11. Detachable covering part (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the channel (28) extends along a limited part of the height of the covering plate (3).