A stacking apparatus and household appliances wherein the same is used

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stacking apparatus (1) which is suitable for use in stacking a lower household appliance (100) and an upper household appliance (101) having two front feet (102) and two rear feet (103), comprising a front support (2) which remains on a front side (F) when the stacking apparatus (1) is placed between the lower household appliance (100) and the upper household appliance (101), and two side supports (3) which extend from the front side (F) toward a back side (B) perpendicularly to the front support (2) and which are connected to the ends of the front support (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a stacking apparatus which enables household appliances placed one above the other to be secured to each other.

[0002] Household appliances, particularly household appliances which perform similar functions, such as washing machines and laundry dryers, are preferably used by being placed in the same room. However, when placed side by side, such household appliances occupy a large floor area and cause dissatisfaction among users. Therefore, the use of stacking apparatuses which allow the household appliances to be stacked vertically is frequently preferred. In cases where the depths of the household appliances to be stacked are different, stacking apparatuses suitable for being connected to household appliances of varying depths have also been developed in order to provide balanced placement. One of the state of the art stacking apparatuses is a slidable rail-type stacking apparatus which allows at least one of the connection points to the household appliances to be adjusted in the depth direction. By means of the ability to be adjusted according to the depths of the household appliances to be placed one above the other, the slidable rail-type stacking apparatuses eliminate the need for different-sized stacking apparatuses with different configurations for each depth, and provide ease of production and storage for manufacturers. However, due to their complex structure, the said slidable configurations result in production difficulty and unnecessary cost in cases where the household appliances to be stacked have the same depth, becoming functionally redundant. Therefore, there is a need for a simple and low-cost stacking apparatus which ensures the stacking of household appliances with different depths.

[0003] In the state of the art European Patent No. EP2941500, a stacking apparatus is disclosed, having a slidable configuration which allows depth adjustment.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a stacking apparatus which is simple in structure and low in cost, and which is suitable for use in stacking household appliances with different depths.

[0005] The stacking apparatus realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the claims, is suitable for use in securing an upper household appliance having two front feet and two rear feet supporting the casing thereof onto the upper side of another lower household appliance, and comprises two side supports which extend in the depth direction from a front foot of the upper household appliance to the rear foot aligned therewith, a front support which connect the side supports to each other at the front side, at least two housing which are positioned on the side supports so as to remain at the back side, each having an aperture in the form of a hole suitable for the insertion of a rear foot of the upper household appliance, and into which the rear feet inserted through the apertures are received, and at least two channels which extend in the depth direction in the side supports toward the front support, which open into the housings at the back side, into which the rear feet, leaving the housings, enter when the upper household appliance is pulled forward, and which support the rear feet from the sides. The rear feet of the upper household appliance are inserted through the apertures into the housings, and by pulling the upper household appliance forward, the rear feet are fitted into the channels. Thus, regardless of the depth of the upper household appliance, the rear feet are retained within the channels in the position the upper household appliance is aligned with the lower household appliance so as to ensure stacking in a simple and secure manner. Consequently, the design of the stacking apparatus used for stacking household appliances of all depths is simplified, and production costs are reduced.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, the top of at least one channel is partially covered by two barriers extending toward each other, and the barriers define an opening therebetween which is narrower than the inner width of the channel. While the opening allows the rear foot to extend into the channel, the barriers support the rear foot from both lateral sides at an upper section thereof and guide the movement of the rear foot within the channel. The barriers also remain above the relatively wider lower part of the rear foot so as to prevent the rear foot from being moving upwards and leaving the channel. Thus, both the alignment of the upper household appliance with the lower household appliance is facilitated, and by entrapping at least one rear foot of the upper household appliance within the channel in the stacking position, the security of the connection is improved.

[0007] In another embodiment of the present invention, the barriers extend along the length of the channel. The barriers extend entirely over the channel and define an opening which extends along the channel and which is narrower in width than the channel. Thus, the rear foot is enabled to be guided along the channel.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of housings are provided on each of the two side supports and a plurality of channels are provided, each extending from a housing toward the front support. Each housing and channel pair allows for the placement of a rear foot independently and reduces the distance by which the upper household appliance must be pulled forward to reach the stacking position, thereby providing ease of placement.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the channels is configured to connect two housings to each other in the depth direction. In a preferred version of this embodiment, all housings which are aligned on the side supports are connected to each other by means of a channel such that the continuity of the housings and channels in the depth direction on the side supports is ensured. Thus, by allowing the upper household appliance to be pushed forward and backward during stacking, the stacking process is facilitated.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, at least two holders are provided on the side supports, each configured in the form of a recess into which the front feet of the upper household appliance are placed in the stacking position. By means of the arrangement of the holders and the housings on the side supports, the continuous alignment of the rear feet and front feet is ensured, and the upper household appliance is prevented from being placed in a skewed manner relative to the lower household appliance.

[0011] In the household appliance pair stacked one above the other by means of the stacking apparatus according to the present invention, the lower household appliance is a washing machine and the upper household appliance is a laundry dryer.

[0012] By means of the present invention, a stacking apparatus is realized, which is simple in structure and low in cost, and which enables the household appliances with different depths to be connected to each other in a quick and practical manner.

[0013] The stacking apparatus realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where: Figure 1 - is the partial view a stacking apparatus, a lower household appliance and an upper household appliance in the state of the art. Figure 2 - is the perspective view of the stacking apparatus related to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 - is the view of the housings and the channels on a side support of the stacking apparatus related to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 - is the view of a side support of the stacking apparatus related to another embodiment of the present invention, showing the different positions of a rear foot in the channels.

[0014] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows: 1. Stacking apparatus 2. Front support 3. Side support 4. Aperture 5. Housing 6. Channel 7. Barrier 8. Opening 9. Holder 100. Lower household appliance 101. Upper household appliance 102. Front foot 103. Rear foot F: Front side B: Back side

[0015] The stacking apparatus (1) is suitable for use in stacking a lower household appliance (100) and an upper household appliance (101) having two front feet (102) and two rear feet (103), and comprises a front support (2) which remains on a front side (F) when the stacking apparatus (1) is placed between the lower household appliance (100) and the upper household appliance (101), and two side supports (3) which extend from the front side (F) toward a back side (B) perpendicularly to the front support (2) and which are connected to the ends of the front support (2). The stacking apparatus (1) comprises two side supports (3) which extend in the depth direction of the household appliances (100, 101) from the front side (F) to the back side (B), and a front support (2) which extends in the width direction of the household appliances (100, 101) and which connects the side supports (3) at the front side (F). The stacking apparatus (1) is placed on top of the lower household appliance (100) and is secured to the lower household appliance (100). The upper household appliance (101) is placed on top of the stacking apparatus (1) such that the stacking apparatus (1) remains between the upper household appliance (101) and the lower household appliance (100).

[0016] The stacking apparatus (1) of the present invention comprises at least two housings (5) which are provided on the side supports (3), each having an aperture (4) of suitable width for the insertion of a rear foot (103), which are configured in the form of a recess wherein the rear foot (103) passing through the aperture (4) is fitted; and at least two channels (6) which are provided on the side supports (3), which open into the housings (5), which are in the form of a groove extending from the housing (5) toward the front side (F) and which are configured so as to receive the rear feet (103) when the upper household appliance (101) is pulled toward the front side (F) while the rear feet (103) are inside the housings (5). At least one housing (5) is provided on each of the side supports (3), aligned with each other, having an aperture (4) of suitable width for the insertion of a rear foot (103), and configured in the form of a recess wherein the rear foot (103) passing through the aperture (4) is fitted. The ends of the housings (5) facing the front side (F) open into the channels (6) configured in the form of a groove extending toward the front side (F) in the side support (3). The rear feet (103) of the upper household appliance (101) are inserted into the housings (5) through the apertures (4) of the housings (5) provided on the side supports (3), and the upper household appliance (101) is then pulled toward the front side (F) such that the rear feet (103) leave the housings (5) and enter the channels (6). The channels (6) bear against the sides of the rear feet (103) so as to guide the movement of the rear feet (103) and prevent the same from moving sideways, in other words in the width direction of the household appliances (100, 101). The channels (6) allow for the placement such that the front side of the upper household appliance (101) is aligned with the front side of the lower household appliance (100), regardless of the depth of the upper household appliance (101), in other words, regardless of the distance between the front feet (102) and the rear feet (103) in the depth direction. Thus, the rear feet (103), regardless of the position thereof, are enabled to be held and centered by the channels (6) in the position to which the upper household appliance (101) is pulled forward until the front side thereof is aligned with that of the lower household appliance (100). Consequently, after being placed on the stacking apparatus (1) such that the rear feet (103) are inserted into the housings (5), the upper household appliance (101) is automatically centered relative to the stacking apparatus (1) by being pulled forward so as to be aligned with the lower household appliance (100) in the width direction, and the rear feet (103) are securely held in the channels (6) regardless of the distance between the rear feet (103) and the front feet (102) in the depth direction.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the stacking apparatus (1) comprises at least two barriers (7) which extend from the upper edges of at least one of the channels (6) toward each other so as to partially cover the channel (6), and at least one opening (8) which is provided between the barriers (7) and which is narrower in width than the aperture (4). The upper side of the channel (6), facing the upper household appliance (101), is partially covered by at least two barriers (7) which extend from the edges of the channel (6) toward the center of the channel (6) towards each other, and the gap between the barriers (7), being narrower than both the aperture (4) and the channel (6), defines the opening (8). Thus, as the rear feet (103) of the upper household appliance (101) move inside the channels (6), the broad lower end of the rear foot (103), which forms the load-bearing surface, slides in the channel (6), while the elongated portion thereof above the lower end slides in the opening (8). When the upper household appliance (101) is lifted upward, the barriers (7) bear against the rear feet (103) from above and prevent the rear feet (103) from leaving the channel (6). Consequently, while the upper household appliance (101) is lifted from the front side and pulled forward, the rear feet (103) are prevented from leaving the channels (6), and after the placement of the upper household appliance (101), the rear feet (103) are entrapped in the channels (6) so as to ensure the secure connection of the upper household appliance (101) to the stacking apparatus (1).

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the barriers (7) extend along the channel (6). The barriers (7) extend along the length of the channel and define an opening (8) extending along the channel (6). Thus, when the upper household appliance (101) is aligned with the lower household appliance (100) at the front side, the rear foot (103) is securely held in the channel (6), regardless of the position thereof in the channel (6). This embodiment is particularly advantageous in that the stacking apparatus (1) can be adapted to all possible distances between the front feet (102) and rear feet (103) of the upper household appliance (101), which may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of housings (5) and a plurality of channels (6), each extending from a housing (5) toward the front side (F), are provided on each side support (3). On each side support (3), at least two housing (5) and channel (6) pairs are arranged in succession in the depth direction from the back side (B) toward the front side (F). In cases where the depth of the upper household appliance (101) is small, the rear feet (103) are placed into suitable housings (5) which are located closer to the front side (F), and by pulling the upper household appliance (101) forward, the rear feet (103) are enabled to leave the respective housings (5) and enter the respective channels (6) extending toward the front side (F). Thus, instead of a single long channel (6) extending from a housing (5) toward the front side (F) on the side supports (3), a plurality of housings (5) and relatively shorter channels (6), each extending from a housing (5) toward the front side (F), are configured in the depth direction. When the depth of the upper household appliance (101) is small, the rear feet (103) are inserted into a suitable housing (5) located more toward the front, rather than the housing (5) located at the rear end of the side supports (3), thereby reducing the distance that the upper household appliance (101) needs to be pulled forward to be aligned at the front side with the lower household appliance (100). Thus, during the connection of the upper household appliance (101) to the stacking apparatus (1), the positioning can be achieved without shifting the center of gravity thereof away from that of the lower household appliance (100), enabling the stacking process to be carried out easily and securely.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, the stacking apparatus (1) comprises at least one channel (6) of which each end opens into a housing (5). One of the channels (6) extending from a housing (5) located at the rear side (B) of the side support (3) towards the front side (F) opens into another housing (5) located in the front thereof, providing a continuous path between the two housings (5). Thus, in cases where a suitable housing (5) cannot be selected during the stacking of the upper household appliance (101), it becomes possible to proceed with an approximate selection of a housing (5) for the placement of the rear feet (103), and then pull the upper household appliance (101) towards the front side (F) to be aligned with the lower household appliance (100) at the front such that the rear feet (103) enter the channel (6) extending in front of the next housing (5), or push the same backward so as to ensure that the rear feet (103) enter the channel (6) in front of the previous housing (5). Consequently, even if an unsuitable housing (5) is selected during stacking, the rear feet (103) do not need to be removed from the current housing (5) and channel (6) pair in order to be placed into another housing (5) and channel (6) pair located forward or backward, enabling quick and easy positioning.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the stacking apparatus (1) comprises at least two holders (9) which are provided on the side support (3), each in the form of a recess suitable for receiving a front foot (102). At least two holders (9) in the form of a recess suitable for receiving the front feet (102) of the upper household appliance (101) are provided on the side supports (3), and when the upper household appliance (101) is brought to the final position so as to be aligned with the lower household appliance (100) at the front side (F), the front feet (102) are inserted into the holders (9). The holders (9) are positioned in alignment with the channels (6). Thus, the upper household appliance (101) is enabled to be also fixed in place from the front feet (102), and the rear feet (103) and the front feet (102) are always held in alignment in the depth direction.

[0022] The household appliance pair of the present invention comprises a lower household appliance (100), which is a washing machine, and an upper household appliance (101), which is a laundry dryer, stacked one above the other by means of at least one stacking apparatus (1) as described above.

[0023] By means of the present invention, a stacking apparatus (1) is realized, which has a simple structure and which enables an upper household appliance (101) to be stacked on a lower household appliance (100) in an easy and secure manner regardless of the depth of the upper household appliance (101).

Claims

1. A stacking apparatus (1), which is suitable for use in stacking a lower household appliance (100) and an upper household appliance (101) having two front feet (102) and two rear feet (103), comprising a front support (2) which remains on a front side (F) when the stacking apparatus (1) is placed between the lower household appliance (100) and the upper household appliance (101), and two side supports (3) which extend from the front side (F) toward a back side (B) perpendicularly to the front support (2) and which are connected to the ends of the front support (2), characterized by at least two housings (5) which are provided on the side supports (3), each having an aperture (4) of suitable width for the insertion of a rear foot (103), which are configured in the form of a recess wherein the rear foot (103) passing through the aperture (4) is fitted; and at least two channels (6) which are provided on the side supports (3), which open into the housings (5), which are in the form of a groove extending from the housing (5) toward the front side (F) and which are configured so as to receive the rear feet (103) when the upper household appliance (101) is pulled toward the front side (F) while the rear feet (103) are inside the housings (5).

2. A stacking apparatus (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by at least two barriers (7) which extend from the upper edges of at least one of the channels (6) toward each other so as to partially cover the channel (6), and at least one opening (8) which is provided between the barriers (7) and which is narrower in width than the aperture (4).

3. A stacking apparatus (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by the barriers (7) extending along the channel (6).

4. A stacking apparatus (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a plurality of housings (5) and a plurality of channels (6), each extending from a housing (5) toward the front side (F), which are provided on each side support (3).

5. A stacking apparatus (1) as in Claim 4, characterized by at least one channel (6) of which each end opens into a housing (5).

6. A stacking apparatus (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by at least two holders (9) which are provided on the side support (3), each in the form of a recess suitable for receiving a front foot (102).

7. A household appliance pair characterized by a lower household appliance (100), which is a washing machine, and an upper household appliance (101), which is a laundry dryer, stacked one above the other by means of at least one stacking apparatus (1) as in any one of the above claims.

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