KITCHEN FURNITURE ITEM HAVING A VARIABLE WORKTOP OR TABLETOP

Abstract

The invention relates to a kitchen furniture item having a horizontal worktop or tabletop and a substructure which holds the worktop, wherein the worktop or tabletop is built up in modular fashion from at least two panel parts which are releasably connected to one another along common lateral edges, wherein at least one of the panel parts is a functional panel part which is provided with a treatment. The invention further relates to a method for integrating a functional panel part into a worktop or tabletop of such a kitchen furniture item and to a method for replacing one panel part of a worktop or tabletop of such a kitchen furniture item with another panel part.

Claims

1. A piece of kitchen furniture having a horizontal worktop or tabletop and a subframe that holds the worktop, characterized in that the worktop or tabletop is built up in a modular manner of at least two panel parts that are releasably connected to one another along common side edges, with at least one of the panel parts being a functional panel part that is provided with an application.

2. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one other of the panel parts is a non-functional panel part that is provided with an application.

3. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the worktop or tabletop comprises two or more functional and two or more non-functional panel parts.

4. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the functional panel parts comprise one or more of the following applications: a heating device, a cooling device, lighting, a holding device, a water supply, a tub, holders for kitchen appliances, or guide rails for displaceable elements.

5. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one functional panel part comprises a temperature control panel that preferably has both a cooling function and a heating function.

6. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one functional panel part comprises a tub having holders with removably held accessories.

7. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one functional panel part comprises guide rails for displaceable elements.

8. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the releasable connection between the panel parts of the worktop or tabletop is a shape-matched connection, with provision being made that the common side edges comprise dovetail grooves that are engaged behind by reversibly expandable sliding blocks.

9. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the piece of kitchen furniture is mobile and is a trolley.

10. The piece of kitchen furniture of claim 1, characterized in that the at least two panel parts are connected to one another such that the at least two panel parts are arrangeable or arranged beside one another, below one another, or above one another.

11. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the at least two panel parts are formed from different materials.

12. The method of integrating a functional panel part into a worktop or tabletop of a piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, wherein the functional panel part is connected to at least one further panel part of the table.

13. The method of replacing a panel part of a worktop or tabletop of a piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, having another panel part, wherein the removed and/or inserted panel part is a functional panel part.

14. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a Peltier element coupled to a side of the temperature control panel.

15. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a sensor coupled to the Peltier element and a magnet, the sensor to sense a position of the magnet and to control a temperature of the Peltier element based on the position of the magnet.

16. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 15, wherein the magnet comprises a magnetic rod.

17. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 16, wherein a rotational position of the magnet rod is sensed by the sensor.

18. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 15, wherein the magnet comprises a plurality of magnetic rods.

19. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 18, wherein one of the plurality of magnetic rods is associated with reducing a temperature of the Peltier element and another one of the plurality of magnetic rods is associated with increasing a temperature of the Peltier element.

20. The piece of kitchen furniture in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one functional panel part comprises a temperature control panel that has both a cooling function and a heating function and wherein that at least one functional panel part comprises a tub having holders with removably held accessories.

Description

[0020] Further details and advantages of the invention result from the embodiments discussed in the following with reference to the Figures. There are shown in the Figures:

[0021] FIG. 1: views of a table configured in accordance with the invention that is configured as a preparation table and dining table for sushi;

[0022] FIG. 2: views of the functional panel parts of this table;

[0023] FIG. 3: an individual view of one of these functional panel parts;

[0024] FIG. 4: an individual view of a further one of these functional panel parts with associated accessories; and

[0025] FIG. 5: an individual view of a yet other one of these functional panel parts with associated elements.

[0026] A piece of kitchen furniture configured in accordance with the invention in the form of a sushi table 1 is shown in different views in FIG. 1, with FIG. 1a showing a perspective view, FIG. 1b a plan view, FIG. 1c a side view of the longitudinal side, and FIG. 1d a side view of the short side of the table 1.

[0027] The table 1 generally comprises a tabletop 20 and a subframe 30 in the form of two table legs 31 having a plurality of struts 42 for holding the tabletop 10.

[0028] The tabletop 10 is composed in modular form of a plurality of panel parts, namely of three functional panel parts 110, 120, and 130 and four non-functional parts 210, 220, 230, and 240. Two of the non-functional panel parts 210 and 220 have the form of elongate boards and enclose the three functional panel parts 110, 120, and 130 arranged in series in the manner of a sandwich The two further ones of the non-functional panel parts 230 and 240 terminate the row of functional panel parts 110, 120, and 130 at both sides. The non-functional panel parts 210, 220, 230, and 240 can preferably be produced from wood.

[0029] The non-functional panel parts 210 and 220 are connected along their inwardly disposed longitudinal edges to a respective one longitudinal edge of all three functional panel parts 110, 120, and 130 and to the further non-functional panel parts 230 and 240 in a manner such that a subsequent release is made possible. Provision is made in this connection that the long side edges of all the panel parts 110, 120, 130, 210, 220, 230, and 240 each comprise dovetail grooves that are locally engaged behind at connection sites by sliding blocks that can be reversibly expanded using screws.

[0030] The middle part of the tabletop 10 consisting of the three functional panel parts 110, 120, an 130 arranged in series is shown in isolation in FIG. 2, once with associated accessories and elements (FIG. 2a) and once without (FIG. 2b).

[0031] The row here comprises a first panel part 110 at the left having a temperature control panel 111 that has both a cooling function and a heating function. A module for temperature control that comprises a Peltier element and a sensor element is arranged at the lower side of this panel part 110 in the region of the temperature control panel 111. The Pelter element can be operated both for heating and for cooling the temperature control panel 111 depending on the direction of energization. The sensor serves the control of the Peltier element, with it being able to detect the presence of a magnet in a detection region 112 of the panel surface and being able to energize the Peltier element on detection or after movement of a magnet in this detection region 112. Two magnetic rods 113a are provided as corresponding control elements and their rotational positions are decisive for the direction of the magnetic fields and therefore for the question of whether or by how much the region is heated (magnetic rod 113a) or cooled (magnetic rod 113b). The panel part 110 and one of the three magnetic rods 113 are shown in isolation in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0032] In the middle, the row further comprises a second panel part 120 having a depression 121 for inserting a tub 122 for soy sauce and holders 123 for tools 124 for portioning wasabi. A Peltier element such as described in connection with the first panel part 110 is arranged below the depression 121 to be able to selectively heat or cool the tub 122 and its content. The control of the Peltier element works as described in connection with the first panel part 110, with a control element also being provided in the form of a magnetic rod 135 here. The panel part 120 and the individual accessories 122 and 124 are shown in isolation in FIGS. 4a-c.

[0033] Finally, the row comprises at the right a third panel part 130 having guide rails 131 for displaceable holding elements 132 that can serve the storage of napkins, flatware, or chopsticks. These holding elements 132 can be variably moved into a position easily within reach of all the persons seated at the table by displacement along the guide rails 131. The panel part 130 and an individual one of the holding elements 132 are shown in isolation in FIGS. 5a-c.

[0034] The sushi table 1 has a high degree of flexibility and can be adapted to special needs of a customer both at the manufacturer's side by a specific assembly of the panel parts 110, 120, 130, 210, 220, 230, and 240 and subsequently at the user side by a replacement of one or more panel parts 110, 120, 130, 210, 220, 230, and 240.