TITLE OF THE INVENTION: UPRIGHT FOR MODULAR KITCHEN UNIT Technical Field

The present invention relates to an upright for a modular kitchen unit. In particular, the upright is intended to be used, with others, in a self-bearing kitchen unit.

Background Art

GB 2 205 624 describes frame structural components, more particularly vertical angle section bars and connectors that can be easily assembled in a frame. Each angle section comprises at least two rows of spaced engagement holes. Each connector comprises an L-shaped part with a pair of right angle flanges and an arm protruding perpendicularly from them. At least one wedge pin is formed in the L- shaped part, so as to engage in the engagement holes.

The international patent application of the same Applicant WO/2018/041910 describes a modular kitchen unit comprising a plurality of flanked functional elements and including a multiplicity of uprights in the form of section bars having at least one front wing wall and one side wing wall, a multiplicity of upper and lower panels and partitions fixed to the uprights. The uprights have at the top through slots at least in the front wing wall, and the upper panels have hook elements engaging the slots for the assembly of the upper panels on the uprights, so that the modular kitchen unit is self-bearing.

It is known that in the rear of the kitchen unit, ducts of various utilities, such as electricity, gas, water supply and discharge, generally pass. These pipes usually pass outside the uprights. This leads to an increase in size, particularly relevant if the kitchen unit is set against a building wall. It must also be considered that the aforementioned ducts often require compliance with a certain slope: this is the case, for example, of a drain pipe from a sink, where it is necessary to allow proper water drainage.

CH 620 486 A5 describes a method for making dividing walls, containing various pipes, and dividing walls obtained with the same process. In the cited document there are uprights that delimit laterally and support wall panels through which pipes of various provided utilities pass, for example water, gas, electric cables, telephone cables and the like. The uprights are an integral part of the dividing walls and do not serve to support elements of the kitchen unit. The holes in the cores of the uprights are made in positions that allow only a horizontal installation of the pipes.

Summary of the Invention

The objects of the present invention are to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.

The main object of the invention is to provide an upright for a modular kitchen unit that can provide support for a duct, such as a cable or a pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support that does not cause an additional encumbrance with respect to the side profile of the kitchen unit.

A further object is to provide an upright that allows the adjustment of the inclination of a duct.

Yet another object of the invention is to not require additional means for supporting the duct.

In addition, an object of the invention is to provide an upright that allows the fixing of panels and partitions and allows easy attachment of functional elements, such as compartments, drawers and kitchen appliances.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an upright that has an adjustable foot for the leveled assembly of a self-bearing kitchen unit.

The present invention achieves the aforementioned objects by means of an upright for a modular kitchen unit according to the attached claims.

The advantages obtained with the kitchen unit described above are considerable.

The utility ducts have their orderly and stable location, in the desired position and inclination.

Utilities such as electricity, water, gas and drains can reach any point in the kitchen unit without requiring masonry work such as the creation of tracks.

Brief Description of Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become most clear from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an upright for modular kitchen unit, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: - Figure 1 is an axonometric view from the front of a kitchen unit which uses uprights according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a side view from the right hand of the section bar in Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is an axonometric view of one of the uprights used in the kitchen unit of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is an enlarged axonometric view of a detail A in Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is an enlarged axonometric view of a detail B in Figure 3;

- Figure 6 is an axonometric side view showing an upright with foot and a partition fixed to the upright; and

- Figure 7 is an enlarged axonometric view of a detail C in Figure 6.

Detailed description of the invention

Reference initially is made to Figure 1 which is an axonometric view from the front of a kitchen unit according to the present invention.

The kitchen unit is shown in an assembly step, which can be carried out starting from a first column element 1A, for example for a refrigerator. The first column element 1A includes an end side panel 11 and an intermediate side panel 12, both of a height equal to the height of uprights according to the present invention, the uprights being generally indicated as 1. An upper back panel 13 is useful for connecting the two side panels 11 and 12. In this way, thanks to the U-shape of the first column element 1A, the kitchen unit has a stable starting element to which, in the rear panel 12, a first upright 1 can be fixed.

As shown in Figure 1, a first partition 2 is fixed to the intermediate side panel 12 coplanarly thereto and perpendicularly with a spacer 15 to which a second partition 2 with feet 16, 16 is attached, fixed posteriorly to an upright 1.

The assembly of the kitchen unit continues substantially in the same way with the upper panels 3 which act as crosspieces hooked by coupling elements known from WO/2018/041910 on the respective uprights 1.

Mounted on the partitions 2 is a shelf 4, in which there are seats 5 and 6 respectively for a hob and a sink, both not shown. Ducts for the utilities pass behind the partitions 2, such as a gas pipe 7, hot and cold water supply ducts 8c, 8f and a sink drain pipe 9. These ducts will be most visible in the following figures. Referring also to Figures 2 and 3, where a right side view of the profile in Figure 1 and a perspective view of the upright 1 are shown, it can be seen that the upright 1 is in the form of a U-shaped metal section bar. The upright 1 has a core wall 20 and wing walls 21, 22. The wing walls 21, 22 are provided with openings 23 suitable for receiving, as is known from WO/2018/041910, hooks fixed to the flanked functional elements and to the series of panels 3 for their assembly on the uprights 1.

According to the invention, the upright core wall 20 has a plurality of cutouts 24, 25 for the passage of utility ducts of the modular kitchen unit. In particular, as shown in Figure 2, the cutouts 24 have a predetermined size and are preferably rectangular in shape. As an example, pipes for sanitary water pass through the lower rectangular cutout 24. The cutouts 25 are elongated for the passage of a drain pipe 9 and pipes 8c for hot water and 8f for cold water. As shown in greater detail in Figure 4 and Figure 5, which show the enlarged details A and B of Figure 1 and Figure 3 respectively, the elongated cutout 25 has long sides 30 bordering the wing walls 21, 22 of the section bar and sides short 31 partially concave.

The elongated cutout 25 has a short lower side bordering a core wall area consisting of consecutive removable sectors 32. These sectors are fins in the shape of a circular crown. Each sector 32 is separated from the adjacent ones by an incision or a pre-cut 33 made for example with a laser beam. Removal with a suitable tool, such as pliers, can allow to adjust the slope of the discharge pipe 9 passing through the elongated cutout 25.

Figure 5 also shows that the wing walls 21, 22 are provided with a succession of pairs of openings formed by a port 26 and a row of holes 27. The succession of pairs of openings is obtained in the wing walls 21, 22 so that a port 26 on a first wing wall 21 faces the row of holes 27 on the second wing wall 22. This is visible in particular in Figure 3 and Figure 6. Figure 6 is a side axonometric view showing an upright 1 and a partition 2. The arrangement of openings described above is such that screws (not shown), for butt joining the partition 2 to the upright 1, can be screwed through the holes 27 of the second wing wall 22 on the lateral edge of the partition 2 by inserting a screwdriver through the opening 26 that is obtained frontally to the holes 27 in the first wing wall 21. With reference to Figure 6 and to its enlargement of Figure 7 in an arrangement rotated by 90°, it can be noted that the upright 1 has a foot 28 adjustable in height. In one embodiment, the foot 28 is constituted by a C-platform 29 of dimensions such as to fit between the upright wing walls 21, 22 to be arranged orthogonally to the upright 1. A screw 34 passes through a hole in the C-platform 29 to connect to an L- shaped element 35, the ends of which are inserted in a slit 36 formed on the wing walls 21 and 22. The screw 34 allows to adjust the position of the C-platform 29 with respect to the upright 1.

The upright 1 has modular dimensions but can be modified in its length by connecting a first U-shaped metal section bar to a second U-shaped metal section bar or extension section bar, of the same dimensions as the first one by means of a third U-shaped metal section bar, or connection section bar, compliant to the first and the second metal section bars, but of reduced dimension.

For this purpose, a through hole 37 (figure 3) is obtained in the core wall 20 of the first U-shaped metal section bar near one of its ends. A connection section bar (not shown) compliant but smaller in size than those of the upright has a pair of holes formed in its core wall for connection by bolts with the extension section bar, also not shown. The extension section bar is equally perforated as the first U-shaped metal section bar of which it has the same shape and the same dimensions. The simplicity of this extension requires no further illustrations and details.

It should be understood that the upright described above is particularly useful for a self-bearing modular kitchen unit because functional elements, partitions and panels can be attached to a series of uprights, and the assembled assembly can be subsequently moved where desired, even in contact with a building wall. In fact, the utility ducts do not bother because they pass through the uprights and do not give additional bulk compared to the profile of the kitchen unit. The position and inclination of the utility ducts can be chosen at will or according to needs.