Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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2920
WORRTOP
The invention relates to a worktop on which can be carr~ed
out 'dry' and 'wet' activities, built up of elements o~ modular di-
mensions that are made o~ a polymer composition that does not shrink
when hardened.
A worktop is a horizontal top on which work can be carried
out. The~e activities are distingui~hed into ~dryV and 'wet' activi-
ties, i'or the latter o~ which the worktop is provided with one or
; more sinks, optio~ally with a drip section or drip tray. The 'dry'
activities are carried out on the remainder oi' the worktop, the part
between the sink(s) and the cooking appliance being called the main
work suri'ace and the other parts rei'erred to as work suri'aces. Parts
with such small dimensions that no activities can be periormed on
them are called laying suriaces.
A kitchen ge~erally has a worktop with, underneath it, a
; 15 number o~ base cabinets and kitchen appliance~, such as a baking
appliance and a re~rigerator. In larger kitchen~ these may be supple-
mented with a dishwasher, a deepireeze, etc. The worktop comprises
one or more sinks, possibly with a drip tray and a spillage tray ~or
the cooker. The sinks and drip tray, and al~o the spillage tray,
~ereina~ter re~erred to simply as 'trays', can be moulded~together with
the rest oi the worktop i'rom the same material, such as, in particu-
lar, metal.
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Although modular build-up systems i'or kitchens have made
their advent, the systems are in most cases restricted to base cabi-
nets, cooking appliances and the worktops ~or wet activities and the
cooking sections. The worktops for dry activities are as much as
possible mounted in one piece, made to measure, in order to reduce
the number oi' joints in the worktop.
The wide:range o~ aesthetic and technical requirements
which the worktop and trays have to satisiy has given rise to a need
~or greater ireedom o~ choice-with regard to the materials to be
used, which has had the result that in many cases the worktop and
trays nowadays consist oi diiierent materials. As a rule the work-
top is made oi coloured or uncoloured metal, plastic, wood, compres-
sed wood covered with a hard plastic layer (e.g. Formica), or a
stone-like material (e.e. Ocriet), and the trays oi stainless steel
or enamelled sheet steel. The worktop has holes in it in which the
trays are later i'itted. The trays rest with a i'langed top edge on
the top ~ur~ace oi the worktop or are iastened to the underside of
the worktop.
Despite the greater ireedom oi choice attained with regard
to the material, the worktops which are customary at present still
display one or more o~ the iollowing disadvantages:
1. The worktops are made in one piece, so that ii damage or wear
occurs locally they have to be renewed in their eintirety;
2. The worktops have only a limited $1exibility of arrangement. A
modi~ied kitchen layout irequently renders the worktop unusable;
3. Shi~ting the position oi' appliances usine water or energy with
respect to the connecting points ior water, gas and electricity
entalls high expenditure ior structural alterations and line installa-
tion;
3. The worktops do now allow oi connecting them to each other rigid-
ly, with a good seal, and almost invisibly;
4. The worktops are not resistant to heat, humidity or domestic
chemicals;
5. The cutting-out oi' holes means not only an extra operation but
also a loss of material;
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6. The worktops are not dimensionally stable, or cannot be manufactured
dimensîonally stable, which is a disadvantage particularly with modular
systems;
7. The corners formed by the flanged edges of the trays and the worktop are
difficult to clean and form a barrier when liquid is wiped towards the tray.
If the trays are fastened to the underside of the worktop, the same cleaning ~-
problem arises. Getting the top of the trays to the same height as the top
of the worktop demands a special process. This process is difficult to
carry out with sufficient accuracy and in the case of worktops covered with
hard plastic it is not even very desirable.
The object of the invention is to provide a worktop which shows
none of the above-mentioned disadvantages and additionally provides a
solution to the accommodation of lines.
Surprisingly, this has proved possible by combining three
factors, namely the design, the mode of fabrication, and the properties of
the starting material, which, inseparably combined, contribute to the
formation of a worktop that meets the technical, economic and aesthetic
requirements set.
It is considered a special feature of the invention that the
total conception comprises not only the upper surface but also the underside
of the worktop.
The combination which is claimed as the invention herein is a
worktop on which can be carried out "dry" and "wet" actiyities, built up
of elements of modular dimensions that are made of a polymer composition
that does not shrink when hardened. The worktop is characterized in that
it comprises planar elements with holes in them for the accommodation of
sinks, drip trays and kitchen appliances, and planar elements with a
continuous surface. The elements have downturned flanges round all or part
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of their perimeter, to which adjoining elements can be connected rigidly
and with a good seal. The elements are made of a material consisting of
a fine-grained inorganic substance bound with not more than 25% by weight
of a thermosetting resin and incorporating, in random distribution, 1-5%
by weight of g'ass fibres. The elements are produced by moulding to the
desired final shape in a compression mould. The thickness of the material
is at least 3 mm. In the elements with holes in them, a recess may be
provided round the top of the holes so that the tops of flanged edges of
sinks, drip trays and kitchen appliances fit accurately into the tops of
the elements. The tops of the continuous-surface elements may be profiled.
Other structural adaptations are specifically referred to in the claims.
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By giving the holes at their top a circumferential recess oi'
such dimensions that the tops oi' the i'langed edges of sinks, drip
trays and kitchen appliances inserted in the holes fit accurately in-
to the top suri'ace oi' the worktop, the relevant technical requirements
are also satisi'ied.
The worktop built up o~ elements make~ it possible to renew
parts that are damaged or worn, while considerable flexibility oi'
srrangement between the various parts oi the kitchen is obtained,
which means a great advantage in the case oi conversion or renovation.
The continuous-suri'ace elements can, ii' so desired, have a
proi'iled suriace. Thi~ may also mean that, i'or example, bases ~or
small kitchen appliances are moulded into the element during the
moulding process.
The ~act that the worktop elements have downward edges round
the whole or part oi' their perimeter gives, even with the minimum
thickness o~ the worktop of 3 mm, the visual suggestion Or attracti-
ve worktop thickness; ln addition, the downward edges o~i'er excellent
possibilities i'or connecting the elements to each other with a good
seal. Not only are the downward edges at least so high that, taking
the role oi' a ~lange, tbey allow oi' r~gidly connecting the elements,
they are also so hlgh that the service lines normally used can be
accommodated in the space under the worktop The downward edges can
be provided at suitable places with pu9h-outg i'or leading through
lines. The accommodation oi' lines and i'ittings in the space under
worktops according to the invention makes them easier to i'it and gives
greater ~reedom in the matter o~ locating kitchen appliances using
water and/or energy in relation to the connecting points ~or water,
gas and electricity, while there is no loss oi' space behind base
` cabinets.
A particularly ~avourable design is that in which the down-
~; ward edges to be placed against each other in assembling are bevelled
in such a way that their bottom lines meet. This creates between the
elements a dimensionally stable joint in which sealing cement is
introduced.
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Making the underside of the worktop serviceable within the modular
system, in combination ~ith the related requirements of high three-dimensional
stability, calls for a finely through-out choice offabrîcation technique and
starting material.
Although any moulding compound consisting of a fine-grained
inorganic substance bound wîth not more than 25 % by weight of a thermosetting
resin can be used, it is preferred to employ a particular moulding compound,
which, in addition to having good shrinkage properties, is particularly well
suited for application in worktops. This is a moulding compound consisting
of an unsaturated pol~ester resin, 80 to 95 % by weight of inorganic filler
with a grain size mainl~ between 0 and 500 microns, 1 to 5 % by weight of
glass fibres, in relation to the total mixture, of which glass fibres at least
3/4 are less than 15 mm long, randoml~ distributed chiefly as monofilaments,
and 0.5 to 5 % b~ ~eight o~ magnesium oxide in relation to the unsaturated
palyester resin, which mixture, before moulding, is thickened until it is
compact and practicall~ air-free. The compound i5 moulded in such a way that
one or more glass tissues are also incorporated in the surface, preferably with
a decorative effect. The use of this moulding compound means that a large
number o~ requirements which a worktop has intrinsically to meet, such as
scratch-resistance, impact-resistance, grease-resistance and resistance to
heat, humidit~ and household chemicals, can be satis~ied, whilst this compound
is moreoVer an inexpensive and very highly mouldable starting material.
; Starting material and moulding technique make it possible, by
adding a colorant to the moulding compound and adapting the mould, to give
the worktop a variety of colours and decorative patterns, which means that
it can be giVen an attractiYe appearance without expensive further operations
being needed. For example, the joints between the worktop elements can be
absorbed unobtrusively in a decorative pattern imparted to the moulding
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compound. In that case, of course, the decorati~e pattern, e.g. a tile
pattern, must be adapted to the modular dimension, and separations between
chosen parts to the width of a joint between the elements.
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Without loss of material the moulding technique makes it
possible to provide holes and, in combination with the starting mate-
rial, to ensure a dimensiona~ly stable shape of the recesses round
the holes. The intrinsically dimensionally stable sinks and drip
trays, as well as other kitchen appliances, can be inserted with a
close i'it in the worktop, so that the tops o~ their ~langed edges
are received practically jointlesslg in the top sur~ace o~ the work-
top. A solution is thus e~i'ectively and inexpensively obtained to
the cleaning and draining problems o~ present-da~ worktops with
holes, thereby contributing to increased kitchen hygiene.
The invention will now be ~urther explained with re~erence
to an embodiment shown in the drawing. In this drawing
Fig. 1 is a top view oi a worktop according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a ~ront view o~ a worktop ~itted over a number oi' base
cabinets and a kitchen appliance;
Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III in ~ig. 1 on a larger scale;
Fig. 4 is a partial section in which, in accordance with the known
state oi the art, the ilanged edge rests on the worktop;
Fig. 5 is a perspective ~iew o~ a worktop element with a hole in
accordance with the invention;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view oi' a continuous worktop element in
accordance with the invention;
Fig. 7 is a section along line VII-VII in ~ig. 1 on a larger scale.
Figs. 1 and 2 show a worktop consisting oi' elements 1 to 6
25 i'itted over a number oi base cabinets 7 to 11, 12 and 13, and a
; baking appliance 14. The worktop in this example has a main work
sur~ace (3, 4) between the sink element 2 and the cooking element 5.
Work sur~aces are i'ormed by elements 1 and ~. Figs. 1 and 2 show the
modular build-up oi' the worktop as a whole. The modular width o~ the
; 30 elements in this example is equal to that o~ base cabinet 7. The two
worktop elements 3 and 4 are each two modular widths wide, the coo-
king worktop element is three wide, and the sink worktop element i~our.
The sides ot' the elements always coincide with sides oi the cabinet~
; and kitchen appliances under them, so that units are formed which
; 35 are interchangeable.
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Elements 2 and 5 have holes in which sinks 15 and spillage
tray 16, respectively, are accommodated as shown in section in ~ig. 3,
where sink 15 is accommodated in hole 17 in sink element 2. Along the
top of the edges of hole 17 there is a recess 18 in element 2, in
which the i'langed edge 19 o~ sink 15 iits closely, the top surface o$
the ~langed edge being accommodated so as to be ~lush with the top
suriace 20 o~ worktop element 2. This means that there are no
difi'icult-to-clean corners between the ~langed edges and the worktop,
unlike the situatlon arising with the ~amiliar placement oi' sinks
(see iig. 4), when the ~langed edge 21 rests on the top o~ worktop
22, with a seaIing strip 23 in between.
Fig. 5 i~ a perspective view o~ a worktop element containing
a hole, while i'ig. 6 presents a perspective view o~ a continuous
surface worktop element on which kitchen activities can be carried
out. The worktop elements are placed at the same height in relation
to each other with the aid o~ dowel-and-hole connections, i'or which
purpose holes 24 as shown in ~igs. 5 and 6 are provided in the sides
o~ the worktop elements. The seal between the elements can be made
in a known ~ashion by means oi' a sealing cement or adhesive.
All elements possess downward edges along all or part oi
their perimeter, as indicated in iig. 3 by reierence number 25, so
that, in addition to the possibilitg oi' creating rigid connections
between the elements, spaces are created under the worktop elements
~or the accom~odation o~ lines and ~itting~. For the purpose oi
connecting these spaces, the downward edges between the worktop ele-
ment~ have push-outs (not shown). Push-outs are considerably thinned
~: parts oi edges which can be removed bg hand or by a light hammer blow.
Fig. 7 shows a special embodiment oi' the invention in which
the contacting edges 26 and 27 o~ worktop elements 3 and 4, respecti-
vely, are bevelled, so that their bottom lines meet at 28, creating
between eleme~ts 3 and 4 a dimensionally stable joint 29 ior the
introduction o~ a sealing cement or adhesive 30. By 31 a sectional
; representation is indicated oi' a 'joint'-moulded into the worktop
as part oi' a pattern and having the same colour, width and depth as
the i'illed joint 29. Dimension 'a' is a submultiple oi' the modular
dimension.
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The vertical edges 32 at the rear o~ the worktop elements (see
~ig. 3) can be raised to form connecting edges and/or splash edges.
This raised edge is also suitable ~or accommodating a soap dish, a
rack or cuchlike provisions.
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