U-Shaped Upright System for Modular Kitchen Duct Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular kitchen units face challenges in accommodating utility ducts without increasing the unit's size, as these ducts often require specific slopes and cannot be easily supported within the uprights, limiting flexibility and requiring additional masonry work for installation.
Innovation Solution
The upright system features U-shaped metal section bars with rectangular and elongated cutouts for utility ducts, allowing adjustable slopes and integrated foot adjustments for level assembly, along with modular extensions and secure attachment of panels and partitions, enabling ducts to pass through without additional bulk and allowing for flexible positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If utility ducts pass outside the uprights, then duct installation is simple, but the kitchen unit size increases and additional masonry work is required
Solution Approach 1:
The utility ducts are nested within the hollow core of the uprights, allowing ducts to be contained inside the structural elements rather than passing externally. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for external duct routing while maintaining installation simplicity and avoiding additional masonry work.
Solution Approach 2:
The uprights serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the kitchen unit and simultaneously house the utility ducts within their hollow cores. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate external duct routing, reducing the overall unit size while maintaining ease of duct installation.
2Ease of manufacture
If utility ducts pass outside the uprights, then duct routing is straightforward, but additional masonry work for tracks is required
Solution Approach 1:
The ducts are nested within the pre-formed hollow cores of the uprights, eliminating the need for additional masonry work to create external tracks. The uprights themselves serve as the duct conduits, resolving the contradiction by integrating duct routing into the structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural function of the uprights and the duct conduit function are merged into a single element. The hollow core of each upright serves both as structural support and as the pathway for utility ducts, eliminating the need for separate masonry tracks.
3Reliability
If fixed slope ducts are used, then drainage is effective, but adjustment flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The duct routing within the uprights is designed to be adjustable, allowing the slope to be dynamically modified during installation and maintenance. This resolves the contradiction by enabling both effective drainage through proper sloping and flexibility to adjust the slope as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct path within the upright is divided into adjustable segments, allowing individual sections to be positioned at different angles. This segmentation enables effective drainage slopes while providing flexibility to adjust the configuration for different installation requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
An upright (1) for modular kitchen unit is described. The kitchen unit has a plurality of flanked functional elements, a plurality of partitions (2), a series of panels (3), and a multiplicity of uprights (1) in the form of U-shaped metal section bars. Each upright (1) has a core wall (20) and a first and second wing wall (21, 22) both equipped with openings (23) suitable for receiving hooks fixed to the flanked functional elements and to the series of panels (3) for assembly on the uprights. The upright core wall (20) has a plurality of cutouts (24; 25) for the passage of utility ducts of the modular kitchen unit.