Appliance Mounting System

1. Field of the Invention.

The present invention relates to a mounting system for suspending an appliance from an overhanging structure and particularly, to a mounting system for suspending an appliance from and beneath a wall mounted cabinet.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

Modern electrical appliances are increasing in number and description. The proliferation of kitchen appliances, in particular, poses a problem in that they are often difficult, if not impossible, to store between uses (microwave ovens, for example) while nearly all require countertop space during use. In some instances, this has been addressed by mounting a microwave oven above a conventional oven by brackets extending from the conventional oven. In other instances, electric coffee makers and other similar items have been suspended beneath the cabinets of the kind typically found within a kitchen. In the latter case, the brackets are required to suspend only fairly light items. In contrast, the smallest microwave oven may have a weight of approximately one hundred pounds.

The present invention provides a mounting system for suspending an appliance from an overhanging structure such as a kitchen cabinet. The mounting system has particular application for mounting microwave ovens although it is easily adaptable to the suspension of other appliances. In any case, by suspending the appliance from an overhanging structure such as a wall kitchen cabinet, counter space is freed for use during food preparation and/or the support or storage of another appliance.

The mounting system of the present invention is intended for use with an appliance of the type having a housing including an upper surface and projecting rims extending from the housing at opposite edges of the upper surface. A first bracket is adapted for attachment to the overhanging structure and includes a first lip for supporting one of the upper surface rims. A second bracket is in telescoping relation with the first bracket and includes a second lip for supporting the other of the upper surface rims. Springs, or other resilient members, urge the first and second lips toward each other while the relative movement between the first and second brackets is regulated. Regulation of the relative bracket movement may include a restriction in that the relative movement through the use of stops and/or a lock to prevent that relative movement. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, relative movement restriction and locking is accomplished with a single mechanism.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, and partial cutaway, of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 includes a cross section taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 1 and illustrates the movement restricting/locking feature of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative configuration of a portion of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 4 which, in some instances, may be preferred to that illustrated in FIG. 4.

A mounting system in accordance with the present invention for mounting an appliance 10, such as a microwave oven, for example is illustrated in FIG. 1. The appliance 10 is of the type having a housing including an upper surface 11 with rims 12 and 13 extending away from the housing in forward and rearward directions, respectively. The rims are described more fully below with reference to FIG. 3.

The mounting system for the appliance 10 includes two channels 14 and 15 which are adapted for securement to an overhanging structure such as a kitchen wall cabinet. The bottom wall of such cabinets provided planar surface to which the mounting system is attached. In some instances, it may be necessary or desirable to employ a mounting plate within the cabinet to distribute the weight over the bottom wall and the same is illustrated in FIG. 1 at 16.

As will be described more fully below, the channels or rails 14 and 15 are interconnected to form a bracket by a rear support 17 which extends between them and is secured to them, as by welding, for example. In use, the rear support 17 is at or adjacent to the wall on which the overhanging structure (cabinet) is typically mounted. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear support includes a lip 18 which defines a groove and provides a supporting surface 19 which will engage and support the rim 13 of the appliance 10, in a manner to be described more fully below.

Another bracket is formed of rails 20 and 21 which are telescoping relation to the channels 14 and 15, respectively. Extending between the rails 20 and 21, and interconnecting them, is a front support 22 which is secured to the rails in any desired manner, as by welding, for example. Front support 22 is configured to provide a lip 23 and groove similar in construction to the lip 18 and groove of rear support 17 to engage and support the rim 12 of the appliacnce 10. The two brackets, as defined above, are provided with springs 24 and 25 which extend between the supports 17 and 22 to urge both supports, and their associated lips, toward each other. The lips are within a plane that is generally parallel with the bottom wall of a cabinet to which the mounting system is attached, as are their associated grooves.

FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred form by which the rims 12 and 13 may be formed. As illustrated, an extension of the upper surface 11 is "folded" or "rolled" with the corresponding extension of the front surface 26 of the appliance to form the rim 12, in known manner. A lip 23 of support 22 is illustrated in FIG. 3 to show its cooperation with rim 12. Cooperation between the rim 13 and the lip 18 of support 17 may also be illustrated in FIG. 3.

The mounting system described to this point may be used, without enhancement, to suspend an appliance such as a microwave oven. To mount the appliance 10, the channels 14 and 15 are first secured to the overhanging structure, with or without the mounting plate 16, as desired or necessary. The appliance 10 is then lifted and the rim 12 inserted into the groove defined by the lip 23 of support 22 and pulled outwardly against the tension of the springs 24 and 25. The rear of the appliance 10 may then be elevated and the force on the springs 24 and 25 released causing the rim 13 to be supported within the groove defined by the lip 18 of support 17. In this configuration, the appliance 10 may be adequately supported. However, during installation, the force applied against the springs 24 and 25 may cause the rails 21 and 22 to be withdrawn from the channels 14 and 15 respectively. Thus, some limit or restriction on the relative movement between the rails 20 and 21 the channels 14 and 15 is desired. Additionally, once mounted, a force imparted to the appliance 10 as by the opening of a door, for example, may result in a force on the support 22 causing it to move against the urging of the springs 24 and 25 and a withdrawal of the rim 13 from the groove defined by the lip 18. A mechanism by which the two brackets may be locked to prevent relative movement between them is therefore also desirable.

A mechanism by which the relative movement of the two brackets which form a mounting system in accordance with the present invention may be regulated is illustrated in FIG. 4. While FIG. 4 illustrates this mechanism in the context of channel 14 and rail 20, it is to be understood that the same mechanism may be employed in association with the channel 15 and rail 21. Relative motion between the two brackets may be restricted by providing a slot 27 through the side wall 28 of the channel 14 (see also FIG. 1). A threaded member, such as a thumb screw 29 is provided and is configured to extend through the slot 27 and into a threaded member 30 carried by the upstanding leg of the rail 20. In this manner, with the threads of the thumbscrew 29 in engagement with the threaded member 30 through the slot 27, relative motion between the channel 14 and rail 20, as well as channnel 15 and rail 21, is limited or restricted to the extent of the slot 27. This relative motion restriction allows the support 22 to be moved away from the support 17 during mounting of the appliance 10 without withdrawal of the rails 20 and 21 from the channels 14 and 15, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the slot 27 includes an enlarged portion 31 which functions, in association with the thumbscrew 29 and threaded member 30, to prevent relative movement between the supports 17 and 22 and, thus, provides a lock mechanism. This is accomplished through a shoulder 32 provided on thumscrew 29 which is configured to engage the enlarged portion 31 of slot 27. When the thumbscrew is inserted through the slot 27 sufficiently such that the shoulder enters the enlarged portion 31 relative movement between the supports 17 and 22 is prevented and the two brackets are locked.

In many instances, it may be desirable to facilitate the relative movement between the channels 14 and 15 and the rails 20 and 21, respectively. Such a system is also illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a roller 33 is supported for rotational movement about an axle 35, the axle 35 being secured, in any desired manner, to the rail 20. As many rollers of the type illustrated in FIG. 4 as are desired may be employed. As illustrated, the lower leg of the channel 14 provides a race for the rollers 33.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of above teachings. For example, relative movement between the channels and rails may be facilitated by other anti-friction devices such as bearings, nonslip surfaces, etc. In all cases, one bracket will provide a surface along which the other bracket moves. That surface is referred to herein as a race. Further, in some applications it may be desirable to employ a member configured as illustrated in FIG. 5 at 36 in place of the channels 14 and 15. Both configurations may be referred to herein as channels. FIG. 5 illustrates the alternative member configuration as it would be viewed in cross section taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 1 with the upper leg 37 providing means for securement to the overhanging structure, the upper surface of the lower leg 38 providing the race and the intermediate wall or leg 39 having the slot 27 and enlarged slot portion 31 therethrough. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described.