JP7591464B2 - Kitchen unit - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a kitchen unit.

Conventionally, electrical appliances are sometimes placed and used on kitchen counters where sinks, cooking appliances, etc. are placed. For this reason, it has been proposed to place a power supply unit capable of supplying power on the back guard of the kitchen counter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-267 A

In the technology of Patent Document 1, the power supply unit is exposed and positioned facing upwards. The placement of the power supply unit on the kitchen counter is required to prevent splashes of water used during cooking and to ensure that it is not easily affected by the heat of the cooking appliance.

The present disclosure relates to a kitchen unit that includes a top plate, a power supply unit that is disposed on the underside of the top plate and is capable of supplying electric power, and a wiring opening that is formed in the top plate and through which electrical wiring connected to the power supply unit can be inserted, thereby allowing the electrical wiring to be routed to the front side of the top plate.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a kitchen unit according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the kitchen unit of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a power supply unit and a power supply unit enclosure of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a kitchen unit according to a second embodiment.

The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the kitchen unit 1 is a so-called island-type system kitchen, and is arranged so that it can be used from either side of the periphery of the kitchen unit 1. The kitchen unit 1 has a kitchen counter 2, a cabinet 3 as a support section, a wire opening 4, a power supply section 5 (see FIG. 2), and a power supply section enclosure section 6 (see FIG. 2). The kitchen unit 1 is configured with the kitchen counter 2 supported on the cabinet 3.

The kitchen counter 2 is a work surface where dishes and ingredients are washed and where ingredients are cooked when cooking. The kitchen counter 2 has a top plate 21 on which a sink 23, a cooking device 24, and a screen 25 are arranged.

The sink 23 has a recess that is open at the top, and is a piece of equipment that can drain hot and cold water discharged from the faucet 23a. The cooking device 24 has a stove for heating a pot for cooking. The screen 25 is a panel that stands upright from the top plate 21 near the cooking device 24. The screen 25 is positioned to prevent the scattering of oil and other substances when cooking with the cooking device 24, to exhaust smoke, and to protect against the wind from the flames, and separates the cooking device 24 from other areas.

The top plate 21 is a thin, roughly rectangular plate. The top plate 21 is composed of a surface material that constitutes the surface and a reinforcing plate that is placed on the back surface of the surface material. In this specification, the surface refers to the upper surface when the kitchen unit 1 is installed. The back surface refers to the lower surface that is placed opposite the surface. As shown in Figure 1, an opening for placing a sink 23 on one side of the top plate 21 in the longitudinal direction and a cooking device 24 on the other side are formed, and the sink 23 and cooking device 24 are fitted and attached. The top plate 21 is formed with a through hole 21a (see Figure 2) that constitutes the wire passage opening 4 described later.

The cabinet 3 is disposed under the kitchen counter 2 and supports the kitchen counter 2. The cabinet 3 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. Inside the cabinet 3, a storage space 300 capable of accommodating items is formed and is partitioned by multiple inner walls, shelves, etc. The cabinet 3 has a top surface portion 35, a bottom surface portion 36, and multiple upright surface portions 30.

The top surface portion 35 is disposed on the underside of the top plate 21 and supports the top plate 21. As shown in FIG. 2, a through hole 35a is formed in the top surface portion 35 and is disposed so as to overlap with a through hole 21a formed on the top plate 21 side. The through hole 35a constitutes a part of the through hole portion 40 of the wire passage opening 4 described later. The bottom surface portion 36 is the lower surface facing the top surface portion 35 and constitutes the lowermost surface of the storage space 300.

The standing surface portion 30 extends from below the side edge of the tabletop 21 toward the installation surface. The standing surface portion 30 has a first surface 31, a second surface 32, a third surface 33, and a fourth surface 34.

The first surface 31 is the surface that is arranged on the side where the user is positioned when using the sink 23 and cooking appliance 24 arranged in the kitchen unit 1. The first surface 31 is arranged along one longitudinal side edge of the cabinet 3. The sink 23 and cooking appliance 24 are arranged on the top plate 21, close to the first surface 31 side. A door 311 is arranged on the first surface 31, which allows access to the storage space 300 from the first surface 31 side.

The second surface 32 is disposed opposite the first surface 31 and is disposed along the other side edge in the longitudinal direction of the cabinet 3. Because the kitchen unit 1 is an island type, a space is also formed on the second surface side of the top plate 21 where a certain amount of work can be performed, and home appliances 9 can be placed therein. A door 321 is disposed on the second surface 32, which allows access to the storage space 300 from the second surface 32 side.

The third surface 33 and the fourth surface 34 are arranged along the short side edges of the cabinet 3 and connect the first surface 31 and the second surface 32.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cabinet 3 has a storage space 300 divided between a first surface 31 side and a second surface 32 side. The storage space 300 may have any shelf board, drawer, etc., and the internal configuration is not particularly limited. For example, on the first surface 31 side, the storage space 300 may have multiple large drawers (not shown).

2, on the second surface 32 side, the storage space 300 has an upper storage space 301 and a lower storage space 302. The upper storage space 301 is separated from the lower storage space 302 by an upper bottom plate 303 arranged at a position away from the upper surface portion 35 downward. The lower storage space 302 is a space between the lower part of the upper bottom plate 303 and the bottom surface portion 36. The lower storage space 302 is internally separated by a plurality of shelves 304 arranged at a distance in the vertical direction. Each of the upper storage space 301 and the lower storage space 302 has a back wall 305 arranged to separate the storage space 300 formed on the first surface 31 side from the storage space 300 formed on the second surface 32 side. The back wall 305 extends in the vertical direction from the first surface 31 and the second surface 32 to the approximate center of the cabinet 3 in a side view.

The door 321 of the second surface 32 has an upper door 3211 that can be opened and closed, and a lower door 3212 that opens and closes the lower storage space. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper door 3211 of the second surface 32 has an opening 323 that allows access to the insertion portion 51 of the power supply unit 5 described later. The opening 323 is formed by cutting out the upper door 3211.

The wire passage opening 4 is formed in the top plate 21 and the upper surface 35 of the cabinet 3, and communicates between the top plate 21 and the upper storage space 301. The wire passage opening 4 is a hole through which the electrical wiring 90 connected to the power supply unit 5 described below can be inserted, allowing the electrical wiring 90 to be wired on the front surface side of the top plate 21. The wire passage opening 4 is disposed on a plane extending from the rear end of the sink 23 on the top plate 21 toward the second surface 32 of the cabinet 3.

The wire passage opening 4 has a through hole portion 40 and a lid portion 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the through hole portion 40 is formed by overlapping a through hole 21a provided in the top plate 21 and a through hole 35a formed in the upper surface portion 35 of the cabinet 3, and leads from the top plate 21 to the inside of the cabinet 3 described later. The lid portion 41 is arranged on the upper part of the through hole portion 40 so as to open and close the through hole portion 40. The lid portion 41 is attached so as to be able to open and close the through hole portion 40 by sliding in the horizontal direction. The lid portion 41 has a notch 411 and a seal portion 412. The notch 411 is a through hole that allows the insertion of the electrical wiring 90 in a closed state. The seal portion 412 is a packing provided on the periphery of the lid portion 41 and extending to the through hole portion 40, and keeps the space between the lid portion 41 and the through hole portion 40 watertight.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 5 is disposed inside the upper storage space 301 of the cabinet 3 on the back side of the top plate 21. The power supply unit 5 has an insertion section 51 into which a plug 91 of a home appliance 9 or the like can be inserted, and a power supply section 52. The insertion section 51 is configured as a power tap in which multiple two-hole sockets 51a into which the plugs 91 can be inserted are arranged side by side. The insertion section 51 is disposed inwardly from the side edge 211 of the top plate 21, near the wire passage opening 4. The power supply unit 5 is fixed in direct contact with the upper surface section 35 of the cabinet 3. The insertion section 51 is disposed with the socket 51a of the insertion section 51 facing outward from the side edge 211. The power supply unit 52 is composed of an electric wire extending from the plug 51 and an insertion plug (not shown) provided at the end, and can supply power by connecting the plug of the power supply unit 52 to a power supply port (not shown) of the building in which the kitchen unit 1 is installed. In this way, the power supply unit 5 supplies power to the electrical wiring 90 inserted into the socket 51a of the power supply unit 5.

The power supply unit enclosure 6 is arranged in the upper storage space 301 so as to surround the periphery of the power supply unit 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply unit enclosure 6 is formed in a generally U-shape when viewed from the front, and has a bottom 61 and a pair of side portions 62. The bottom 61 faces the upper surface portion 35 of the cabinet 3 and extends generally parallel to the upper surface portion 35 at a position spaced downward from the upper surface portion 35. The bottom 61 is located below the power supply unit 5 and the wire passage opening 4. The pair of side portions 62 extend upward from both ends of the bottom 61 and are connected to the upper surface portion 35. The bottom 61 and the pair of side portions 62 have their rear ends connected to the rear wall 305 of the upper storage space 301. The front end of the side portion 62 is inclined upward so that the upper side is located closer to the front side than the lower side, i.e., on the second surface 32 side of the cabinet 3, as shown in FIG. 2. The front ends of the bottom 61 and the pair of side portions 62 are located behind the second surface 32. The power supply enclosure 6 protects the electrical wiring 90, and at the same time, the excess portion of the electrical wiring that has passed through the wiring opening 4 can be placed above the bottom 61.

We will now explain how to use the kitchen unit 1. A home appliance 9 can be placed on the kitchen counter 2 of the kitchen unit 1 and used. Any type of home appliance 9 can be used, but it is preferably used to supply power to appliances that are installed and used all the time, such as electric kettles, coffee makers, toasters, etc.

When there is one home appliance 9, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the electrical wiring 90 extending from the home appliance 9 is inserted from the wire opening 4 toward the power supply unit 5. Then, the plug 91 is inserted into the insertion portion 51, and the remaining portion of the electrical wiring 90 can be placed on the bottom 61 of the power supply unit enclosure 6. When there are multiple home appliances 9, the power supply unit 5 has multiple sockets 51a, so multiple plugs can be inserted. At this time, if the cover portion 41 of the wire opening 4 is fully opened, it is also possible to insert multiple electrical wiring 90 into the wire opening 4. On the other hand, the electrical wiring 90 may not be inserted into the wire opening 4, but may be extended from the home appliance 9 placed on the top plate 21 to the second surface 32 side of the cabinet 3 of the kitchen unit 1, and inserted into the power supply unit 5 through the opening 323 formed in the second surface 32.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The kitchen unit 1 is configured to include a top plate 21, a power supply unit 5 arranged on the back side of the top plate 21 and capable of supplying power, and a wiring opening 4 formed in the top plate 21 through which the electrical wiring 90 connected to the power supply unit 5 is inserted, thereby allowing the electrical wiring 90 to be wired to the front side of the top plate 21. Therefore, there is no concern that water droplets scattered during cooking will get on the power supply unit 5. There is also no concern that heat received from the heating cooker 24 will be transmitted to the power supply unit. Therefore, the home appliances 9 used in the kitchen unit 1 can be arranged in a position that is easy to use, and power can be safely supplied. Since the electrical wiring 90 can be inserted from the front side of the top plate 21 to the back side of the top plate 21, it is possible to prevent the electrical wiring 90 from getting tangled around the kitchen unit 1 or getting caught during cooking, and the home appliances 9 can be arranged neatly in appearance.

According to the first embodiment, the power supply unit 5 is surrounded by a power supply unit enclosure 6 in which electrical wiring 90 connected to the power supply unit 5 can be arranged. Since the power supply unit 5 is surrounded by the power supply unit enclosure 6, there is no risk of the power supply unit 5 colliding with or coming into contact with other objects on the back side of the top plate 21 and becoming heated, and the power supply unit 5 can be kept safe. In addition, loose parts of the electrical wiring 90 can be placed on the power supply unit enclosure 6, making it easy to store the electrical wiring 90.

According to the first embodiment, the configuration further includes a cabinet 3 that supports the top plate 21 and in which the power supply unit 5 is disposed. The power supply unit 5 is disposed inside the cabinet 3 that supports the top plate 21. This makes it difficult for the electrical wiring 90 to be seen, and allows the power supply unit 5 to be disposed safely.

According to the first embodiment, the cabinet 3 is configured to include a cabinet 3 capable of storing items inside. The cabinet 3 is configured to include a rising surface portion 30 extending from below the side edge 211 of the top plate 21 toward the installation surface, and an opening 323 that allows access to the power supply unit 5 is formed in the rising surface portion 30. The opening 323 is formed in the second surface 32 of the rising surface portion 30. This makes it possible to extend the electrical wiring 90 extending from the home appliance 9 placed on the top plate 21 to the outside of the top plate 21 without passing through the wire passage opening 4, and to connect it to the power supply unit 5 in the cabinet 3 through the opening 323. Therefore, it is possible to place multiple home appliances 9 on the top plate 21 and connect the electrical wiring 90 to the power supply unit 5 according to the arrangement, thereby improving convenience. When multiple electrical wiring 90 can be connected to the power supply unit 5, it is possible to use both a case where the electrical wiring 90 is connected to the power supply unit 5 from the wire passage opening 4 side and a case where the electrical wiring 90 is connected to the power supply unit 5 from the outside of the top plate 21 through the opening 323, thereby improving convenience.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. In the above embodiment, the wire opening 4 and the power supply unit 5 are arranged near the sink 23. However, the positions of the wire opening 4 and the power supply unit 5 are not particularly limited. For example, the wire opening 4 and the power supply unit 5 may be arranged near the cooking device 24, or may be arranged near both the sink 23 and the cooking device 24. In the above embodiment, the wire opening 4 is exemplified as being formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the lid portion 41 is substantially circular. However, the shapes of the wire opening and the lid portion are not limited to this. The lid portion may be rectangular, and the wire opening may extend in a rectangular cylindrical shape.

The kitchen unit 1A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 has an extension portion 213 where the top plate 21 of the kitchen counter 2 extends without being supported by the cabinet 3A. The extension portion 213 is continuous horizontally with other parts of the top plate 21, and has an upper surface 213a and a lower surface 213b.

The areas of the top surface 35A and bottom surface 36A of the cabinet 3A are smaller than those of the top surface 35 and bottom surface 36 of the first embodiment. The second surface 32A of the cabinet 3A is recessed toward the first surface 31A, and the upper storage space 301 and the lower storage space 302 are not formed as in the first embodiment. The cabinet 3A has a top plate support portion 37 that supports the second surface 32A and the lower surface 213b of the extension portion 213 of the top plate 21.

The tabletop support part 37 is a long member that is formed into a generally rectangular cross section and is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the tabletop 21. The tabletop support part 37 is fixed so that one side 37a of the two sides that sandwich the right angle abuts against the second surface 32A, and the other side 37b of the two sides abuts against the lower surface 213b of the tabletop 21. The tabletop support part 37 is hollow and cylindrical. Both longitudinal ends of the tabletop support part 37 are covered with end caps 371.

The configuration of the wire passage opening 4 is the same as in the first embodiment. The power supply unit 5 is directly fixed to the back surface of the top plate 21, i.e., the lower surface 213b of the extension portion 213. Other configurations of the power supply unit 5 are the same as in the first embodiment. The position of the power supply unit enclosure 6 is the same as in the first embodiment. Compared to the top plate support portion 37, the power supply unit enclosure 6 has a larger depth dimension from the second surface 32A toward the side edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the extension portion 213. Therefore, the power supply unit enclosure 6 protrudes further forward in the depth direction of the top plate 21 than the top plate support portion 37, and the side portion 62 of the power supply unit enclosure 6 is exposed from the top plate support portion 37.

According to the second embodiment, the top plate 21 is configured to include an extension portion 213 that extends without being supported from the cabinet 3, and the power supply unit 5 is disposed on the underside 213b of the extension portion 213. This allows the electrical wiring 90 to be connected to the power supply unit 5 through the wire passage opening 4 downward from the top plate 21 even in a counter type kitchen unit 1A. This makes it possible to wire the electrical wiring 90 safely and freely even in a counter type kitchen unit 1A.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 kitchen unit, 3 cabinet (supporting portion), 21 top plate, 30 standing surface portion, 4 wire passage opening, 5 power supply portion, 6 power supply portion enclosure portion, 90 electrical wiring, 213 extension portion, 323 opening

Claims (5)

The top plate and
A power supply unit that is arranged on the back side of the top plate and is capable of supplying power;
A kitchen unit comprising: a wire passage opening formed in the top plate through which electrical wiring connected to the power supply unit can be inserted, thereby enabling the electrical wiring to be wired to the surface side of the top plate. The kitchen unit according to claim 1, which has a power supply unit enclosure that surrounds the power supply unit and in which the electrical wiring connected to the power supply unit can be arranged. The kitchen unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a support part that supports the top plate and in which the power supply part is disposed. The support portion has a cabinet capable of storing an item therein,
The cabinet has an upright surface portion extending from below a side edge of the top plate toward an installation surface,
The kitchen unit according to claim 3 , wherein the standing surface portion has an opening through which the power supply unit can be accessed. The top plate has an extension portion that extends without being supported by the support portion,
The kitchen unit according to claim 3 , wherein the power supply unit is arranged on a rear surface of the extension portion.

Images