JP7771566B2 - Storage unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage unit installed facing the rear side of a counter-style kitchen unit, and in particular to the wiring structure of a wiring cord that connects to an external terminal such as an outlet installed in the storage unit.

A face-to-face kitchen unit, which is widely used in residential floor plans, is a kitchen unit consisting of a sink, a counter, and cooking equipment such as a gas stove, and is installed at the boundary between the kitchen and an adjacent room space such as a dining room.

In addition, to make effective use of the space around the kitchen unit, a storage unit that can be accessed from the dining room side is sometimes provided on the rear side of the kitchen unit, i.e., on the dining room side, so that their backs are in contact with the rear of the kitchen unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The storage unit is installed to match the longitudinal length of the kitchen unit, resulting in a relatively long horizontal configuration, and is therefore constructed by combining multiple cabinets (storage shelves) adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction.

Furthermore, to enhance convenience, the storage unit is provided with external terminals such as power outlets that allow electrical appliances, such as cooking appliances, to be used in the kitchen or dining room (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

As exemplified in Patent Document 2, when installing an outlet in a storage unit, it is necessary to raise the wiring cord from the floor of the house and lead it to the outlet, and a dedicated wiring space is provided within the storage unit to accommodate the wiring cord extending within the storage unit.

JP 2017-80248 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-29662

However, providing a dedicated wiring space to house the wiring cords will correspondingly reduce the storage volume of the storage unit. In particular, if the storage unit has multiple outlets located far from each other, providing a separate dedicated wiring space for each outlet through which the wiring cords extend will increase the volume of the dedicated wiring space, further reducing the storage volume available for storage.

In addition, it is a significant burden to perform the wiring work individually in different locations for multiple outlets.

The object of the present invention is to provide a storage unit equipped with multiple external terminals such as power outlets that are installed facing the opposite side (rear side) of a counter-style kitchen unit, thereby minimizing the reduction in storage volume and reducing the burden of wiring work.

The storage unit of the present invention, which achieves the above-mentioned objective, is a storage unit including a first cabinet and a second cabinet arranged opposite a kitchen unit and adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first cabinet has a first back panel that contacts the rear surface of the kitchen unit, a front back panel that is spaced from the first back panel on the front side in the depth direction, and a first side panel that has a side through-hole in the depth direction area between the first back panel and the front back panel, and the depth direction of the storage space of the first cabinet is defined by the front back panel, and the second cabinet is arranged adjacent to the rear surface of the kitchen unit. The cabinet further comprises a second back panel in contact with the first side panel, and a second side panel facing the first side panel and having the side through hole communicating with the first side panel; the depth direction of the storage space of the second cabinet is defined by the second back panel; a first wiring cord and a second wiring cord rising from under the floor extend through a wiring space formed between the first back panel and the front back panel; the first wiring cord connects from within the wiring space to a first external terminal provided on the first cabinet, and the second wiring cord connects from within the wiring space to a second external terminal provided on the second cabinet via the side through hole.

In the above configuration, for example, the second external terminal is provided on a shelf board arranged in the storage space of the second cabinet, and is installed so that the connection port of the second external terminal is exposed within the storage space of the second cabinet.

Also preferably, a fascia board extending downward from the shelf board is attached to the shelf board, the fascia board extends in the longitudinal direction of the shelf board, and the second wiring cord is wired on the back side of the fascia board.

Furthermore, the first external terminal may be provided, for example, on the first back panel at a position higher than the top panel of the kitchen cabinet, with the connection port of the first external terminal exposed toward the outside of the first back panel. Alternatively, the first external terminal may be provided on a shelf or the front back panel arranged in the storage space of the first cabinet, with the connection port of the first external terminal exposed within the storage space of the first cabinet. In this case, the second external terminal may be provided on the second back panel at a position higher than the top panel of the kitchen unit, with the connection port of the second external terminal exposed toward the outside of the second back panel.

The storage unit of the present invention aggregates the wiring cords of multiple external terminals installed in each of the multiple storage cabinets that make up the storage unit, and creates a wiring configuration in which the multiple wiring cords are raised to a predetermined height within the wiring space within a single storage cabinet, thereby minimizing the wiring space in the storage unit and preventing a reduction in storage space.

In addition, by consolidating and wiring the wiring cords for external terminals that are attached to different locations on the storage unit into a single wiring space, on-site work when installing the storage unit can be made more efficient and the workload reduced.

This is an oblique view of the general configuration of a storage unit provided on the back of a counter-style kitchen unit in an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the kitchen side. This is an oblique view of the general configuration of a storage unit provided at the back of a counter-style kitchen unit in an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the dining room side. 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit 10 showing a wiring configuration in the present embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit 10 showing a wiring configuration in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in this embodiment. 1 is a side view of a storage unit 10 showing a wiring configuration according to the present embodiment. 1 is a side view of a storage unit 10 showing a wiring configuration according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage unit 10 showing another wiring configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage unit 10 showing another wiring configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to specific drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show the general configuration of a storage unit installed on the back of a counter-style kitchen unit in an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a perspective view from the kitchen side and Figure 2 being a perspective view from the dining side.

The storage unit 10 is installed back-to-back with a facing kitchen unit (hereinafter referred to as the kitchen unit) 20 at a location separating the kitchen and dining room. In other words, the backs of the kitchen unit 20 and the storage unit 10 face each other, and the storage unit 10 is installed integrally with the kitchen unit 20 at the boundary between the kitchen K side and the adjacent room space (e.g., dining room) D side. The front of the kitchen unit 20 faces the kitchen K side, and the front of the storage unit 10 faces the dining room D side, with both fronts open.

The kitchen unit 20 is a cooking facility formed by combining multiple box-shaped, rectangular kitchen cabinets 21 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. Each kitchen cabinet 21 includes, for example, a base cabinet 21a whose countertop 22 serves as a cooking work surface 26; a stove cabinet 21b with a cooking appliance (gas stove, induction cooker, etc.) 24 mounted on the countertop 22; and a sink cabinet 21c with a sink 24 mounted on the countertop 22. These are integrally connected to form the kitchen unit 20. The countertop 22 is a single worktop that spans each kitchen cabinet 21 (the base cabinet 21a, stove cabinet 21b, and sink cabinet 21c may be collectively referred to as kitchen cabinets 21). The area below the countertop 22 of each kitchen cabinet 21 serves as a storage space, with a hinged door or drawer structure opening to the front facing the kitchen K. Cooking utensils, tableware, etc. can be stored within the storage space, and piping connecting to the sink 24 is also provided.

The storage unit 10 is placed opposite the kitchen unit 20, which contains the cooking equipment, and is formed by combining multiple box-shaped, rectangular parallelepiped storage cabinets 11 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction) of the kitchen unit 20. Each storage cabinet 11 corresponds to the kitchen cabinet 21, for example, with a first storage cabinet 11a provided on the back of the base cabinet 21a, a second storage cabinet 11b provided on the back of the stove cabinet 21b, and a third storage cabinet 11c provided on the back of the sink cabinet 21c, all of which are integrally connected to form the storage unit 10.

The multiple storage cabinets 11 that form the storage unit 10 do not have to be arranged to correspond to the kitchen cabinet 21 described above; for example, they may be two storage cabinets that divide the horizontal length of the kitchen cabinet 21 in half, or four storage cabinets that divide the horizontal length of the kitchen cabinet 20 into four.

Storage cabinet 11 (first storage cabinet 11a, second storage cabinet 11b, and third storage cabinet 11c may be collectively referred to as storage cabinet 11) is box-shaped with a top panel, bottom panel, back panel, and left and right side panels, and may be provided with at least one shelf that divides the internal storage space horizontally. The front side facing dining room D may be openable and closable with a hinged door or the like. If part of the front of storage cabinet 11 is closed with a removable panel or the like, the internal space in the depth direction is not used to store items, but this space is also treated as part of the storage space.

The storage unit 10 has at least two storage cabinets 11 that are each provided with a first outlet 12a and a second outlet 12b (sometimes collectively referred to as outlets 12) that serve as external power terminals. Power plugs are inserted into the outlets 12 to connect various electrical appliances, such as cooking appliances, that run on commercial power. Wiring cords that supply power to each outlet 12 extend from the floor through the storage cabinets 11.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the wiring cords of multiple outlets 12 installed in different storage cabinets 11 are consolidated, and the multiple wiring cords corresponding to each outlet 12 are arranged within a single storage cabinet 11 so that they rise to approximately the height of the outlets 12. This minimizes the wiring space required for the wiring cords and prevents a reduction in the storage space of the storage cabinet 11. Furthermore, because the wiring cords of outlets 12 installed in different locations are consolidated and routed, the on-site work burden during installation of the storage unit 10 is reduced.

As an example, the following describes a configuration in which a storage unit 10 is composed of three connected storage cabinets, in which a first outlet 12a and a second outlet 12b are provided in the first storage cabinet 11a and the second storage cabinet 11b, respectively, and wiring space for multiple wiring cords corresponding to each outlet 12 is formed in the first storage cabinet 11a.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in this embodiment, and Figures 5, 6, and 7 are plan, front, and rear views of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in this embodiment. Furthermore, Figures 8 and 9 are side views of the storage unit 10 showing the wiring configuration in this embodiment, with Figure 8 being a cross-sectional side view taken along line B-B in Figure 7, and Figure 9 being a cross-sectional side view taken along line A-A in Figure 7. Note that in both figures, the wiring portions that are hidden by the components of the storage unit 10 are shown in perspective. Furthermore, Figures 3 and 4 only show shelf 118 of the storage cabinet 11 on which the second outlet 12b (described below) is installed, and the other shelves are omitted from the illustration.

The first wiring cord 30a extending to the first outlet 12a installed in the first storage cabinet 11a and the second wiring cord 30b extending to the second outlet 12b installed in the second storage cabinet 11b both appear on the floor of the same storage cabinet 11 (here, the first storage cabinet 11a as an example). Preferably, the wiring cord 30 (the first wiring cord 30a and the second wiring cord 30b may be collectively referred to as wiring cord 30) extends within the first storage cabinet 11a through a bottom through-hole 70 provided near a position (the innermost position) close to the back panel of the first storage cabinet 11a from the floor.

In the first storage cabinet 11a, another back panel (referred to as the front back panel) 114 is positioned at a distance from the back panel 112a (particularly shown in Figure 9) of the first storage cabinet 11a, on the depthwise front side of the bottom through-hole 70. Between the innermost back panel 112a and the front back panel 114 of the first storage cabinet 11a, a wiring space S surrounded by the side panels, top panel, and bottom panel is formed within the first storage cabinet 11a, and the wiring cord 30 extends within this wiring space S for wiring.

Within the first storage cabinet 11a, the space in front of the front back panel 114 in the depth direction becomes the storage space. In other words, the depth direction of the storage space of the first storage cabinet 11a is defined by the front back panel 114.

In the wiring cord 30, the first wiring cord 30a is connected to the first outlet 12a provided in the first storage cabinet 11a. The first outlet 12a is installed, for example, on the back panel 112a of the first storage cabinet 11a at a position higher than the kitchen cabinet top panel 22, with the connection port into which the power plug is inserted exposed on the outside of the back panel 112a of the first storage cabinet 11a and facing the front of the kitchen cabinet 21. This allows the first outlet 12a to be used from the front side of the kitchen cabinet 21 (kitchen K side).

The first outlet 12a is not limited to being exposed on the front side of the kitchen cabinet 21. It may also be installed on a shelf or the front back panel 114 in the storage space of the first storage cabinet 11a, with the power plug port facing sideways or upward toward the front of the storage unit 10 (toward the dining room D) within the storage space of the first storage cabinet 11a. Furthermore, the first outlet 12a may be installed on the top panel of the first storage cabinet 11a, with the power plug port facing upward. The first outlet 12a can be accessed from above or outside the first storage cabinet 11a. Alternatively, the first outlet 12a may be installed by wiring via a through-hole drilled in the side panels of the adjacent first and second storage cabinets 11a and 11b, with the power plug port facing into the storage space of the adjacent second storage cabinet 11b. Additionally, for the sake of explanation, the drawings show the first outlet 12a protruding from the back panel, but in reality it is embedded in the back panel or shelf and positioned flush. The same applies to the second outlet 12b, described below.

On the other hand, in the wiring cord 30, the second wiring cord 30b is raised to a predetermined height above the floor within the wiring space S of the first storage cabinet 11a and then extends to the adjacent second storage cabinet 11b. Specifically, a side through hole 40 is drilled in the side panel area between the innermost back panel 112a and the front back panel 114 of the side panel that separates the first storage cabinet 11a, in which the wiring space S is formed, from the adjacent second storage cabinet 11b. The second wiring cord 30b extends from the first storage cabinet 11a to the second storage cabinet 11b through the side through hole 40 that connects the first storage cabinet 11a and the second storage cabinet 11b. The side panels separating the first storage cabinet 11a and the second storage cabinet 11b are the side panel 116 of the first storage cabinet 11a and the side panel 117 of the second storage cabinet 11b, which are adjacent to each other and face each other, and a side through-hole 40 is drilled through the two overlapping side panels 116, 117 to communicate with each other.

The second wiring cord 30b extending into the second storage cabinet 11b is connected to the second outlet 12b provided in the second storage cabinet 11b.

The second outlet 12b is installed with its connection port facing the upper surface of a shelf 118, for example, located within the storage space of the second storage cabinet 11b, and the second wiring cord 30b extending to the second storage cabinet 11b extends along the underside of the shelf 118 and is connected to the second outlet 12b.

The second outlet 12b may be installed facing either upward or sideways. When facing upward, the second outlet 12b is attached to the top surface of the shelf 118; when facing sideways, it is attached to the back panel 112b of the second storage cabinet 11b above the shelf 118.

In order to hide the second wiring cord 30b extending inside the second storage cabinet 11b when viewed from the front, a closure board 60 is preferably installed that hangs downward from the shelf board 118. The second wiring cord 30b is wired on the back side of the closure board 60 when viewed from the front. By hiding the wiring cord 30b with the closure board 60, the wiring cord 30b inside the second storage cabinet 11b is not visible, ensuring the aesthetic appearance of the storage space, and since items stored inside the second storage cabinet 11b do not come into contact with the wiring cord 30b, the risk of damage is reduced. Furthermore, since users are less likely to come into contact with the wiring cord 30b, the risk of electric shock, etc. is reduced.

The flap board 60 is a strip-shaped board that extends longitudinally along the shelf board 118 in front of the back board 112b (particularly shown in Figure 8) of the second storage cabinet 11b. It can be several centimeters to 10 centimeters wide enough to hide the second wiring cord 30b. Its installation position in the depth direction can be approximately 1 cm to 10 cm in front of the back board, without substantially reducing the storage volume of the second storage cabinet 11b.

Furthermore, since the wiring space S provided in the first storage cabinet 11a is shared for wiring the second wiring cord 30b, there is no need to provide another wiring space in the second storage cabinet 11b, so the second outlet 12b can be installed in the second storage cabinet 11b without reducing the storage volume of the second storage cabinet 11b.

Also, like the installation example of the first outlet 12a, the second outlet 12b may be installed on the back panel 112b of the second storage cabinet 11b at a position higher than the top panel 22 of the kitchen cabinet, with its connection port facing the outside of the back panel 112b, i.e., toward the front of the kitchen cabinet. Furthermore, like the installation example of the first outlet 12a, the second outlet 12b may be installed on the top panel of the second storage cabinet 11b, with the connection port into which the power plug is inserted facing upward. The second outlet 12b can be accessed from the top or outside of the second storage cabinet 11b.

In the above example, one of three connected storage cabinets has a wiring space S for the wiring cord to run up, and the wiring cord is then distributed from there to another storage cabinet, with outlets installed in both storage cabinets. However, it is of course also possible to distribute the wiring cord from the wiring space S of one storage cabinet to three storage cabinets, and install outlets in each of the three storage cabinets.

Furthermore, among the three connected storage cabinets, the storage cabinet in which the wiring space S is provided does not have to be the central storage cabinet. Alternatively, a wiring space may be provided in the storage cabinet at one end on the left or right side, with an outlet 12 installed in the storage cabinet 11 at that end, and a wiring cord distributed from there to the central storage cabinet and the storage cabinet at the other end, with an outlet installed in each storage cabinet.

10 and 11 are perspective views of a storage unit 10 illustrating another wiring configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the alternative wiring configuration shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a wiring cord is extended to a separate storage cabinet that is spaced apart from the storage cabinet in which the wiring space S is formed, and an outlet is disposed therein. For example, as shown, the wiring space S is formed in the third storage cabinet 11c, a first outlet 12a connected to a first wiring cord 30a is attached to the rear side of the third storage cabinet 11c facing the front side of the kitchen unit 20, a second wiring cord 30b extends through the first storage cabinet 11a to the second storage cabinet 11b, and a second outlet 12b connected to the second wiring cord 30b is attached to the second storage cabinet 11b. In this case, the second wiring cord 30b passes through through-holes 41 provided in the side surfaces of the third storage cabinet 11c and the adjacent first storage cabinet 11a, crosses the first storage cabinet 11a, and then passes through through-holes 40 provided in the side surfaces of the first storage cabinet 11a and the adjacent second storage cabinet 11b, and extends into the second storage cabinet 11b. In addition, in the area of the first storage cabinet 11a where the second wiring cord 30b crosses, a fascia board (not shown) is preferably installed that hangs downward from a shelf (not shown) located within the storage space of the first storage cabinet 11a to conceal the wiring portion, and the second wiring cord 30b may be routed across the back side of the fascia board. Even in the above configuration example, by forming wiring space S only in the third storage cabinet 11c, outlets can be installed in multiple storage cabinets.

In this way, a storage unit consisting of multiple connected storage cabinets has a wiring space formed in only one storage cabinet. Within that wiring space, multiple wiring cords corresponding to multiple outlets are raised to a predetermined height, and the wiring cords are led to another storage cabinet through side through-holes provided in the side surface that serves as the connecting surface. This allows outlets to be installed in multiple storage cabinets without having to provide a wiring space for each storage cabinet. Because the wiring cords corresponding to multiple outlets are consolidated within a single storage cabinet, wiring work is more efficient and the workload is reduced.

The above example illustrates the wiring configuration of a wiring cord connected to a power outlet installed in a storage cabinet, but it is not limited to an outlet and may also be another external terminal, such as a communications network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or an external communications terminal for transmitting signals between information processing devices such as computers. The wiring cord connects to the external communications terminal provided in the storage cabinet using the above-mentioned wiring configuration of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and of course, includes design changes, including various modifications and alterations that would occur to a person with ordinary skill in the art, as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

10: Storage unit, 11 (11a, 11b, 11c): Storage cabinet, 12 (12a, 12b): Outlet (external terminal), 20: Kitchen unit, 21 (21a, 21b, 21c): Kitchen cabinet, 30: Wiring cord, 40: Side through-hole, 60: Curtain board, 70: Bottom through-hole, 112a: Back panel, 112b: Back panel, 114: Front back panel, 116: Side panel, 117: Side panel, 118: Shelf, S: Wiring space

Claims (7)

A storage unit including a first cabinet and a second cabinet arranged on opposite sides of a kitchen unit and adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction,
The first cabinet includes:
a first back panel that contacts the back surface of the kitchen unit;
a front back plate provided at a distance from the first back plate on the front side in the depth direction;
a first side plate having a side through hole in a depth direction region between the first back plate and the front back plate;
the depth direction of the storage space of the first cabinet is defined by the front-side back panel,
The second cabinet comprises:
a second back panel that contacts the back surface of the kitchen unit;
a second side plate facing the first side plate and having the side surface through-hole communicating with the first side plate;
the depth direction of the storage space of the second cabinet is defined by the second back panel,
a first wiring cord and a second wiring cord rising from under the floor extend through a wiring space formed between the first back panel and the front back panel;
the first wiring cord is connected to a first external terminal provided on the first cabinet from within the wiring space;
The storage unit is characterized in that the second wiring cord is connected from within the wiring space through the side through-hole to a second external terminal provided on the second cabinet. The storage unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the second external terminal is provided on a shelf board arranged in the storage space of the second cabinet, and the connection port of the second external terminal is exposed within the storage space of the second cabinet. The storage unit described in claim 2, characterized in that a fascia board extending downward from the shelf board is attached to the shelf board, the fascia board extends along the length of the shelf board, and the second wiring cord is wired on the back side of the fascia board. A storage unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first external terminal is provided on the first back panel at a position higher than the top panel of the kitchen unit, and the connection port of the first external terminal is exposed toward the outside of the first back panel. The storage unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the first external terminal is provided on a shelf board or the front back panel arranged in the storage space of the first cabinet, and the connection port of the first external terminal is exposed within the storage space of the first cabinet. The storage unit described in claim 1 or 5, characterized in that the second external terminal is provided at a position on the second back panel that is higher than the top panel of the kitchen unit, and the connection port of the second external terminal is exposed toward the outside of the second back panel. A storage unit including a third cabinet, a first cabinet, and a second cabinet arranged on an opposite side of the kitchen unit and adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction,
The third cabinet comprises:
a third back panel that contacts the back surface of the kitchen unit;
a front back plate provided at a distance from the third back plate on the front side in the depth direction;
a third side plate having a first side through-hole provided in a depth direction region between the third back plate and the front back plate;
the depth direction of the storage space of the third cabinet is defined by the front-side back panel,
The first cabinet includes:
a first back panel that contacts the back surface of the kitchen unit;
a first one-side side plate facing the third side plate and having the first side surface through-hole communicating with the third side plate;
a first other -side side plate facing a side surface of the second cabinet and having a second side surface through-hole formed therein;
the depth direction of the storage space of the first cabinet is defined by the first back panel,
The second cabinet comprises:
a second back panel that contacts the back surface of the kitchen unit;
a second side plate facing the first other-side side plate and having the second side surface through-hole communicating with the first other- side side plate,
the depth direction of the storage space of the second cabinet is defined by the second back panel,
a first wiring cord and a second wiring cord rising from under the floor extend through a wiring space formed between the third back panel and the front back panel;
the first wiring cord is connected from within the wiring space to a first external terminal provided on the third cabinet,
A storage unit characterized in that the second wiring cord passes from within the wiring space through the first side through hole, then crosses the first cabinet, passes through the second side through hole, and connects to a second external terminal provided on the second cabinet.