Appliance pedestal system

Abstract

An appliance pedestal system having: a cabinet defining an enclosure having a front face and an opening through the front face; a drawer comprising an open-topped container movably mounted to the cabinet and configured to slide between a closed position in which a drawer front at a front end of the drawer is adjacent the front face of the cabinet and an open position in which the drawer front is spaced from the front the face of the cabinet; and a trim piece configured to be selectively connected to a bottom of the drawer at a location below the drawer front, or to the front face of the cabinet at a location below the drawer front when the drawer is in the closed position. The drawer may comprise other types of closure, such as a door. A method for installing the pedestal system is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for installing an appliance pedestal system, the method comprising: determining a first distance in a vertical direction between a surface upon which a cabinet is intended to be positioned and a lowermost point on a movable element mounted on the cabinet; determining a second distance in the vertical direction between the surface and a lowermost point on a trim piece when the trim piece is connected to extend downward from the movable element; determining a third distance in the vertical direction between the surface and an uppermost point on an object within a movement path of the movable element; upon determining that the third distance is less the than first distance and the second distance, installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected to the movable element; and upon determining that the third distance is less than the first distance and greater than the second distance, installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece not connected to the movable element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the third distance is greater than the second distance: determining a fourth distance in a horizontal direction between a front of the cabinet and a front of the trim piece when the trim piece is connected to the cabinet at a location below the movable element; determining a fifth distance in the horizontal direction between the front of the cabinet and a nearest point on the object; upon determining that the fifth distance is greater than the fourth distance, installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected on the cabinet at the location below the movable element; and upon determining that the fifth distance is less than the fourth distance, installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece not connected to the cabinet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected on the cabinet comprises attaching the trim piece to the cabinet with one or more fasteners.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise one or more snap-fit fasteners.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise one or more screws, bolts or rivets.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise an adhesive, a double-sided tape or a hook-and-loop fastener.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein attaching the trim piece to the cabinet with one or more fasteners comprises attaching the one or more fasteners at one or more respective predetermined fastener locations on at least one of the trim piece and the cabinet.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein attaching the trim piece to the cabinet with one or more fasteners comprises inserting the one or more fasteners through one or more respective predetermined fastener holes on at least one of the trim piece and the cabinet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected to the movable element comprises attaching the trim piece to the movable element with one or more fasteners.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise one or more snap-fit fasteners.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise one or more screws, bolts or rivets.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more fasteners comprise an adhesive, a double-sided tape or a hook-and-loop fastener.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein attaching the trim piece to the movable element with one or more fasteners comprises attaching the one or more fasteners at one or more respective predetermined fastener locations on at least one of the trim piece and the movable element.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein attaching the trim piece to the movable element with one or more fasteners comprises inserting the one or more fasteners through one or more respective predetermined fastener holes on at least one of the trim piece and the movable element.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the movable element comprises a drawer slidably mounted in the cabinet.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the movable element comprises a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected to the movable element comprises aligning the trim piece such that a front outer surface of the trim piece is flush with and aligned with an outer front surface of a lower end of the movable element.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface upon which the cabinet is intended to be positioned comprises a drip tray, and the object within the movement path of the movable element comprises a perimeter wall of the drip tray.

19. A method for installing a laundry appliance pedestal system having a cabinet, a movable element movably mounted to the cabinet, and a trim piece configured to attach in a first configuration to the movable element and in a second configuration to the cabinet, the method comprising: identifying an installation location on a horizontal surface upon which the laundry appliance pedestal system is to be installed; determining that a protrusion extends vertically from the horizontal surface at a location along a complete travel path of the movable element relative to the cabinet when the cabinet is fixed at the installation location; determining that the trim piece would, when installed in the first configuration, contact the protrusion upon movement of the movable element through the complete travel path; and installing the trim piece in the second configuration.

20. A method for installing a laundry appliance pedestal system having a cabinet, a movable element movably mounted to the cabinet, and a trim piece configured to attach in a first configuration to the movable element and in a second configuration to the cabinet, the method comprising: identifying an installation location on a horizontal surface upon which the laundry appliance pedestal system is to be installed; determining that a protrusion extends vertically from the horizontal surface at a location along a complete travel path of the movable element relative to the cabinet when the cabinet is fixed at the installation location; determining that the trim piece would not, when installed in the first configuration, contact the protrusion upon movement of the movable element through the complete travel path; and installing the trim piece in the first configuration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of inventions will now be described, strictly by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an exemplary appliance pedestal system, shown with the drawer in a closed position.

(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the appliance pedestal system of claim 1, shown with the drawer in an open position with the trim piece attached to the drawer.

(4) FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the appliance pedestal system of claim 1, shown with the drawer in an open position with the trim piece attached to the cabinet.

(5) FIG. 4 is a front isometric exploded view of a drawer front and trim piece.

(6) FIG. 5 is a rear isometric exploded view of the drawer front and trim piece of FIG. 4.

(7) FIG. 6A is a cutaway side view of an appliance pedestal system, shown with the drawer in a partially-opened position and the trim piece attached to the drawer, and resting on a first exemplary drip tray.

(8) FIG. 6B is a cutaway side view of the appliance pedestal system of FIG. 6A, shown with the drawer in a partially-opened position and the trim piece attached to the cabinet, and resting on a second exemplary drip tray.

(9) FIG. 6C is a cutaway side view of an appliance pedestal system of FIG. 6A, shown with the drawer in a closed position and the trim piece removed entirely, and resting on a third exemplary drip tray.

(10) FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative appliance pedestal system, shown with the door in an open position.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(11) It has been determined that improvements to appliance pedestal systems can be made to address problems associated with using an appliance pedestal on a drip tray. Disclosed herein are various non-limiting exemplary embodiments of appliance pedestal systems that provide improve compatibility between the appliance pedestal and a drip tray.

(12) Referring to FIGS. 1-6C, a first embodiment of an appliance pedestal system 100 is shown in various views. In general terms, the pedestal system 100 includes a cabinet 102, a drawer 104, and a trim piece 106.

(13) The cabinet 102 is shaped and dimensioned to provide vertical support for an appliance 108, such as a laundry washing machine. Thus, the cabinet 102 preferably is capable of reliably supporting several hundred pounds of equipment during operation of that equipment. The cabinet 102 preferably comprises a generally cubic structure having flat outer surfaces. Support, such as adjustable feet 122 (see FIGS. 6A-C), may be provided to hold the cabinet 102 on a surface, and additional connectors or supports (not shown) may be provided on the top and/or sides of the cabinet to engage with corresponding connectors or supports on the appliance 108. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cabinet 102 includes a front face 110, which defines an opening 112.

(14) The cabinet 102 may be formed, for example, as folded and welded sheet metal, a metal space frame having a lightweight or non-structural outer skin, a structural polymer, or any other structure or combination of structures. The design and manufacture of such cabinet structures is known in the art and need not be described herein in more detail.

(15) The drawer 104 comprises an open-topped container 114 that may be shaped and sized to hold various objects, such as laundry supplies or the like. The drawer 104 is mounted to the cabinet 102 to move within the opening 112. For example, the drawer 104 may be mounted to the cabinet 102 by drawer slides 116 or the like, such as known in the art. The drawer 104 has a drawer front 118 located at a front end 120 (see FIGS. 6A-C) of the drawer 104. The drawer front 118 may be integrally formed with the front end 120 of the drawer 104, or it may be a part that is formed separately from the open-topped container 114 or other parts of the drawer 104 and attached to form part of the front end 120.

(16) The drawer 104 is movable between a closed position (see, e.g., FIG. 1) in which the drawer front 118 is adjacent the front face 110 of the cabinet 102, and an open position (see, e.g., FIGS. 2-3) in which the drawer front 118 is spaced from front the face of the cabinet. The drawer front 118 preferably is shaped and sized to cover the opening 112 when the drawer 104 is in the closed position, but this is not strictly necessary.

(17) The trim piece 106 is configured to be connected, at the manufacturer's, appliance installer's or user's option, either to the drawer 104 or to the cabinet 102. When connected to the drawer 104, the trim piece 106 is located below the drawer front 118 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In this configuration, the trim piece 106 moves along with the drawer 104 between the open and closed positions. When connected to the cabinet 102, the trim piece 106 is located on the front face 110 at a location below where the drawer front 118 sits when the drawer 104 is in the closed position (see, e.g., FIG. 3). In this configuration, the trim piece 106 remains stationary on the cabinet 102 as the drawer 104 is moved relative to the cabinet 102.

(18) Any suitable connection mechanisms may be used to selectively attach the trim piece 106 to the drawer 104 or cabinet 102. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the trim piece 106 may include a rear face 124 having a first plurality of fastener locations 126, and a top face 128 having a plurality of second fastener locations 130. The first plurality of fastener locations 126 are arranged in a pattern that matches the pattern of a third plurality of fastener locations 132 (FIG. 2) on the front face 110 of the cabinet 102. The second plurality of fastener locations 130 are arranged in a pattern that matches the pattern of a fourth plurality of fastener locations 134 located on the drawer 104. In this example the fourth plurality of fastener locations 132 is on the drawer front 118, but in other cases some or all may be on the bottom of the container 114 or elsewhere.

(19) During installation or use, the user can determine whether to connect the trim piece 106 to the cabinet 102 using the first and third fastener locations 126, 132, or to the drawer 104 using the second and fourth fastener locations 130, 134. Of course, the user may also opt not to install the trim piece 106 at all.

(20) Each fastener location may comprise any suitable structure for receiving or acting as a fastener element. For example, the fastener locations may comprise round or square holes that are dimensioned to receive screws, bolts, snap-fit fasteners 140 (see, e.g., FIGS. 6A and 6B), rivets, or the like. The fastener locations also may comprise structures such as dimples, detents or markings that identify where the user should drill or punch holes to receive fasteners. The fastener locations also may simply comprise portions of the facing surfaces (e.g., surface 124 and surface 110) at which an adhesive or double-sided tape can be positioned to hold the parts together. The fastener locations also may comprise corresponding portions of integral or pre-mounted fastener elements. For example, the first fastener locations 126 may comprise snap-fit connectors (e.g., posts with enlarged ends), and the third fastener locations 130 may comprise receptacles configured to receive and hold the snap-fit connectors via resilient deformation of the receptacle (e.g., a pliable rubber cup or the like). As another, the different fastener locations may comprise hook and corresponding loop portions of a hook-and-loop fastening system. It is also considered that the fastener locations may be used for factory installation of the trim piece 106 on the drawer 104 or cabinet 102 in accordance with a customer order, or as variations of a line of appliance models. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

(21) The trim piece 106 may be configured to match the shape of the drawer front 118. For example, the trim piece 106 might be shaped to define a front trim boundary 136 having a first cross-sectional shape as viewed along a vertical axis V, and the drawer front 118 might be shaped to define a front drawer boundary 138 having a second cross-sectional shape as viewed along the vertical axis V that is the same as the first cross-sectional shape. When the trim piece 106 is attached to the drawer 104, or when the trim piece 104 is attached to the cabinet 102 and the drawer is in the closed position, the front trim boundary 136 and the front drawer boundary 138 may overlap to provide a continuous and smooth transition, with the outer front surface of the trim piece 106 flush with and aligned with the outer front surface of the lower end of the drawer front 118, such as shown in FIG. 1.

(22) Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 6A-6C, the appliance pedestal system 100 also may include a drip tray 600. The drip tray 600 includes a generally planar lower surface 602 and a perimeter wall 604 that extends upwards from the lower surface 602 to surround a portion of the cabinet 102. The lower surface 602 may be entirely flat, or it may include corrugations or a textured surface or the like. The perimeter wall 604 is dimensioned to provide some degree of protection against liquids spilling out of the drip tray 600. The drip tray 600 may be provided as a portable part, such as an injection molded plastic tray or the like. Alternatively, the drip tray 600 may be formed as a building installation, such as a waterproof (e.g., concrete) bed and retaining wall that forms a shallow tray area for holding appliances, and having a drain for removing any liquid that might spill from the machines. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

(23) The drip tray 600 in FIG. 6A is dimensioned such that the upper edge 606 of the perimeter wall 604 at a location below the drawer front 118 is positioned below the lower edge of the trim piece 106. This may be accomplished by having the entire perimeter wall 604 extend to a uniform height that lies below the trim piece 106, or by forming only a portion of the perimeter wall 604 at this height with the remainder of the perimeter wall 604 being higher (or lower). In this case, the trim piece 106 can be attached to the drawer 104 to move with the drawer 104 without contacting the drip tray 600.

(24) In FIGS. 6B and 6C, the drip tray 600 is dimensioned such that the upper edge 606 of the perimeter wall 604 is above the lower edge of the trim piece 106, but below the bottom of the drawer 104 at the drawer front 118. This may be accomplished by having the entire perimeter wall 604 extend to a uniform height that lies below the drawer 104, or by forming only a portion of the perimeter wall 604 at this height with the remainder of the perimeter wall 604 being higher (or lower). In FIG. 6B, the trim piece 106 is attached to the cabinet 102, which is possible because the perimeter wall 604 is dimensioned to surround the lower portion of the cabinet 102 and the trim piece 106. In FIG. 6C, the perimeter wall 604 is not sufficiently large to surround both the cabinet 102 and the trim piece 106, so the trim piece 106 is omitted. In either case, the drawer 104 can move between the closed and open positions without contacting the drip tray 600.

(25) FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of an appliance pedestal system 700. Here, the pedestal comprises a cabinet 702, a door 704, and a trim piece 706. The pedestal system 700 differs from the previous embodiment primarily in that the drawer has been replaced by a door 704 that is mounted to the cabinet 702 on hinges 708. The door 704 is movable between a closed position in which it covers a cabinet opening 710, and an open position (as shown) in which it does not cover the opening 710. The trim piece 706 may be alternatively and selectively connected to the bottom of the door 704, or to the front face 712 of the cabinet 702 at a location below the door 704 when the door is in the closed position. The cabinet 702 may include shelves 714, a sliding drawer, or other features for storing goods therein. As with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, the appliance pedestal system 700 may also include a drip tray, and the trim piece 706 may be selectively installed to account for the position of the drip tray relative to the opening path of the door 704.

(26) Embodiments of appliance pedestal systems such as the examples described herein may provide various benefits. For example, the trim piece may be selectively positioned on either the closure or the cabinet depending on whether the trim piece would interfere with nearby objects, such as the perimeter wall of a drip tray, a carpet, a floor step, or the like. Such repositioning may also be done as a matter of aesthetic preference. Furthermore, configuring the trim piece to be installed on the cabinet or the door allows the appliance pedestal to maintain a uniform outer appearance in multiple different configurations.

(27) Furthermore, it is not necessary for all embodiments to have a single trim piece that is alternately connectable to both the closure and the cabinet. For example, an embodiment may provide a trim piece that is only connectable to either the closure or the cabinet, or it may be provide two different trim pieces, with one being connectable to the closure, and the other being connectable to the cabinet. Thus, some embodiments may provide only selective attachment of a trim piece to the closure or the cabinet, while others provide a trim piece that can be alternately attached selectively to either the closure or the cabinet.

(28) While the shown embodiments illustrate a drawer and a simple pivoting door, other closures may be used. For example, a door may be mounted on a slider that moves laterally with respect to the cabinet to open the cabinet enclosure. Other alternatives and variations will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.

(29) The decision of whether to install the trim piece to the closure or the cabinet may be made using any suitable method. For example, the appliance pedestal might be provided with written or illustrated instructions explaining how to determine whether and where to install the trim piece, or instructions may be distributed by other resources such as online videos or instructions. In one example, instructions are provided for the user to: determine a first distance in a vertical direction between a surface upon which a cabinet is intended to be positioned and a lowermost point on the movable drawer (or other closure or movable element); determine a second distance in the vertical direction between the surface and a lowermost point on the trim piece when the trim piece is connected to the drawer (or other movable element); and determine a third distance in the vertical direction between the surface and an uppermost point on the drip tray or any other object (e.g., a carpet) within a movement path of the movable element. The distances may be measured by the user, or provided as data with the instructions (e.g., a user manual indicating the predetermined distances (or range of distances) between the bottoms of the cabinet feet and the drawer and trim piece).

(30) Upon determining the three distances, the user then determines whether the third distance is less than both the first distance and the second distance, and if so, the user can install the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece connected to the drawer without the trim piece contacting the object as the drawer is opened and closed. If, however, the third distance is less than the first distance and greater than the second distance, the user is instructed to install the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece not connected to the movable element to avoid contact between the trim piece and the object. If the third distance is greater than the first distance, then the drawer will not be openable past the object.

(31) If it is determined that the trim piece should not be connected to the drawer to avoid contacting the objects (i.e., the third distance is greater than the second distance), the instructions may include further directions to determine whether to install the trim piece on the cabinet. For example, the instructions may direct the user to determine: a fourth distance in a horizontal direction between a front of the cabinet and a front of the trim piece when the trim piece is connected to the cabinet at a location below the drawer; and a fifth distance in the horizontal direction between the front of the cabinet and a nearest point on the object. If the fifth distance is greater than the fourth distance, there is sufficient room to install the trim piece on the cabinet, and the instructions may suggest doing so. If the fifth distance is less than the fourth distance, there is not enough room to fit the trim piece, and the instructions may include directions to install the cabinet on the surface with the trim piece not connected to the cabinet.

(32) Of course, other methods may be used, and such methods may be applied at any desired time (e.g., during manufacture, distribution, sale or installation of the appliance pedestal system).

(33) The present disclosure describes a number of inventive features and/or combinations of features that may be used alone or in combination with each other or in combination with other technologies. The embodiments described herein are all exemplary, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. It will also be appreciated that the inventions described herein can be modified and adapted in various ways, and all such modifications and adaptations are intended to be included in the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.