Installation Assembly for Kitchen or Kitchen Area

- DOMETIC GMBH

A piece of furniture 1 for a kitchen or a kitchen area, for a kitchen or a kitchen area, respectively, of a leisure vehicle in particular, forms a unit including at least two technical apparatuses 2, 3, 4. Therein, a cooling unit with two compartments is provided for in particular, a first compartment 2 forming the cooling chamber of a refrigerator and a second compartment 3 forming a freezing chamber. The apparatus 4 can e.g. be an oven. Said apparatuses 2, 3, 4 are operated using a panel 5.

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Description

The invention pertains to a piece of furnishing for a kitchen or a kitchen area, for a kitchen or a kitchen area, respectively, of a leisure vehicle.

Traditional kitchen furnishings of leisure vehicles, the technical installments in particular, are made available as individual apparatus and are installed in a suitable position in a kitchen area of a leisure vehicle. During installation the apparatuses, each, are arranged in the kitchen area and are connected to the required supply lines. Corresponding supply line terminals have beforehand to be arranged in the leisure vehicle in sufficient number such that in the given arrangement of the individual apparatuses each can be supplied with the required energy, e.g. current and/or gas. This requires an increased expenditure in the inner furnishings of the leisure vehicle. In addition, installation is comparatively expensive, as for each apparatus terminals are required and each apparatus is connected separately.

In addition to the terminals at least the backside of each of the apparatuses (of the oven and the refrigerator in particular) has to be sealed off against the wall of the leisure vehicle separately.

Based thereon, it is an object of the present invention to make available an improved conception for installation of kitchen apparatuses into a kitchen or a kitchen are, for a kitchen or a kitchen area, respectively, of a leisure vehicle in particular.

Said object is solved by a piece of furniture in accordance with claim 1,

that said piece of furniture (1).

The piece of furniture in accordance with the present invention, for a kitchen or a kitchen area, for a kitchen or a kitchen area, respectively, of a leisure vehicle in particular, forms a unit including at least two technical apparatuses.

Said technical apparatus may be refrigerators, freezing units, ovens, microwave ovens, but also dish-washers and the like. The most important technical components which are required in a leisure vehicle can be integrated in said piece of furniture.

Due to the fact that said piece of furniture forms a unit of several kitchen apparatuses, installation into a leisure vehicle is simplified substantially. The unit can be arranged as entity in a suitable position in the interior of the leisure vehicle. This saves working steps during installation of the kitchen apparatuses in the leisure vehicle. In addition, one single sealing between said piece of furniture and the vehicle wall is sufficient.

The first of said technical apparatuses will include a cooling means in particular.

The cooling means can comprise a refrigerator and/or a freezing apparatus and/or a freezing chamber.

The second technical apparatus con comprise a meal preparation apparatus, an oven in particular. The meal preparation apparatus could, however, also be a microwave oven or the like. A combination, e.g. of cooling component and meal preparation component (oven), can be integrated into the leisure vehicle using simple measures.

Said piece of furniture preferably comprises common supply terminals for the supply of at least two of the technical apparatuses. This relates to the supply with energy, e.g. electrical current or gas, in particular. For example, however, also common water supply terminals can be provided for given components. As far as disposal is required, said piece of furniture can correspondingly be equipped with common disposal terminals. E.g. a common ventilation and/or deaeration can be made available for several of the components integrated in the unit. The energy supplied is distributed between the individual components within the unit by an inner line system or via direct connections.

Said piece of furniture can comprise a common panel by means of which at least two of the technical apparatuses of said piece of furniture can be operated. In addition to saving room this means the possibility of a central operation of all technical components integrated in the unit using one operating unit. Apart from that it is conceivable to provide for not only a common operating unit but also a common control unit for several or all components of said piece of furniture.

Two or more of the technical apparatuses of said piece of furniture can be arranged one on top of the other in particular. Thus, e.g. an oven can be mounted on the top side of a cooling device.

Two or more of the technical apparatuses of said piece of furniture can be accommodated in a common housing. An integration of several components of the unit in a common housing is particularly favorable, since thereby a common sealing of the backside of said housing against the wall of the leisure vehicle is rendered possible.

Several of the components of said piece of furniture can be connected to one another. For this purpose, e.g. a rail system can be mounted at one component of the unit, with which a corresponding rail system mounted on the second component can be brought into mesh by pushing. The connection can be effected prior to installation into the leisure vehicle already. The entire piece of furniture then is installed as unit. In principle, all possible fixation methods between the apparatuses of the unit are conceivable.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of a preferred embodiment. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a piece of furniture in accordance with the present invention in a front view;

FIG. 2 shows the piece of furniture in a lateral view;

FIG. 3 shows the piece of furniture in a rear view;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of gas supply of the piece of furniture; and

FIG. 5 shows a lateral view of a piece of furniture installed in a leisure vehicle.

In FIG. 1 the piece of furniture 1 in accordance with the present invention is shown. It consists of a cooling means with two compartments, wherein compartment 2 can form the cooling chamber of a refrigerator and compartment 3—a freezer chamber. On top of said cooling components 2, 3 an oven 4 is arranged.

Said cooling components 2, 3 as well as said oven 4 are operated via a common operation panel 5. Thus e.g. controls for adjusting the temperature of said cooling components 2, 3 as well as for operating the oven 4 can be provided for.

In addition, supply terminals (e.g. a plug socket ) for supply of external apparatuses with energy, e.g. gas or water, can be mounted. Said supply terminals are fed by a corresponding line system within said piece of furniture 1.

FIG. 2 shows a lateral view of said piece of furniture 1. Said cooling components 2, 3 are accommodated in a common housing. The inner compartments can be separated from one another by a wall or an insert and be accessible by separate doors 2a, 3a.

Said oven 4 in practice is put onto said cooling unit and fixed thereto. In particular, a rail system using plastic rails can be used for fixation, for pushing said oven 4 prior to installation of said piece of furniture into said leisure vehicle from one side, e.g. from the front side, onto said cooling unit (comprising cooling components 2 and 3). An insulation (e.g. needle-felt material) is located between said oven 4 and said cooling unit.

Said supply connections between said cooling components and said oven are established either already by a suitable positioning of said oven 4 on said unit 2, 3, by mounting additional external lines, e.g. for the current, or by a connection between terminals provided for within said components 2, 3, 4.

The rear view under FIG. 3 again shows said cooling unit 2, 3 and said oven 4 arranged on top thereof. All components of said piece of furniture 1 comprise a common terminal for supply with electrical power (e.g. 12 V d.c.) supplying energy to said oven 4 as well as to the consumer of said cooling unit 2, 3 (e.g. the generator of an absorption refrigerator). Selectively or in alternative thereto, the consumers in said components 2, 3, 4 can also be supplied with gas which as well is supplied to said piece of furniture 1 through a gas terminal 7 common for all apparatuses or components 2, 3, 4, respectively. For distribution of energy, said piece of furniture 1 comprises a suitable line system 8 by which the corresponding consumers are supplied. Also within said housing of said piece of furniture 1, within the frame of the invention, e.g. cables can be provided for between said apparatuses or components, respectively, for supplying energy to all components.

FIG. 4 shows a detail of said line system 8. Via a T-piece 9 the gas can reach said oven 4 via a terminal 10 and/or can be led via another outlet of said T-piece to said refrigerator 2, 3.

In FIG. 5 a piece of furniture 1 in accordance with the present invention, mounted in a leisure vehicle is shown. In assembled condition said piece of furniture 1 is aligned with its backside against a wall 11 of said leisure vehicle. In said wall 11 in this example ventilation openings 12 and 13 are provided for said cooling unit as well as for said oven 4. In the region of the roof 14 a roof fan 15 is provided for, by which in principle combustion gases of the various components of said piece of furniture 1 can be disposed of.

Said piece of furniture 1, as has already been described, comprises common energy supply terminals for all technical apparatuses integrated into said piece of furniture 1. In this way said piece of furniture 1 already pre-assembled prior to installation into said leisure vehicle can be installed in simple manner. In particular, it can be done without equipping the leisure vehicle with a series of terminals for the different apparatuses. During installation only the required connections between said installation of said leisure vehicle and said piece of furniture 1 are established and subsequently it is brought in its designated position. The entire unit consisting of said cooling components 2, 3 and said oven 4 can operated in use through said common operation panel 5.

Within the scope of the invention it is of course to be possible that alternatively or additionally to the described apparatuses further important components required in a leisure vehicle are integrated.

Claims

1. A piece of furniture (1) for a kitchen or a kitchen area, for a kitchen and/or kitchen area of a leisure vehicle in particular,

characterized in that
said piece of furniture (1) forms an unit comprising at least two technical apparatuses (2, 3, 4).

2. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in claim 1,

characterized in that
the first of said technical apparatuses includes a cooling means (2, 3).

3. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in claim 2,

characterized in that
said cooling means (2, 3) comprises a refrigerator and/or freezing device and/or a freezing chamber.

4. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
the second technical apparatus (4) includes a meal preparation apparatus, an oven in particular.

5. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
said piece of furniture (1) comprises common supply terminals (6,7) for supply of at least two of said technical apparatuses (2, 3, 4).

6. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
said piece of furniture (1) comprises a common panel by which at least two of said technical apparatuses (2, 3, 4) of said piece of furniture (1) can be operated.

7. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
two or more of said technical apparatuses (2, 3, 4) of said piece of furniture (1) are arranged one on top of the other.

8. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
several of said technical apparatuses (2, 3, 4) of said piece of furniture (1) are accommodated in a common housing.

9. The piece of furniture (1) as defined in one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that
several of said components (2, 3, 4) of said piece of furniture (1) are mutually connected.
Patent History
Publication number: 20070220913
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 26, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2007
Applicant: DOMETIC GMBH (57074 Siegen)
Inventors: Manfred Lorek (Siegen), Joachim Kinscher (Wilnsdorf)
Application Number: 11/569,325
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 62/261.000; 126/19.00R
International Classification: F25D 23/12 (20060101); F24C 15/18 (20060101);