The present invention relates to a kitchen island. Kitchen islands are increasingly popular in modern livings. Such kitchen islands stand in the kitchen room at a distance from the walls and usually do not provide the possibility of using upper cabinets. Therefore, storage space is limited with such kitchen islands.

The object of the invention is to provide a kitchen island making efficient use of space for storage without compromising the open nature of the kitchen island.

The object of the invention is achieved with a kitchen island comprising a working surface, a cupboard above the working surface and a guide allowing horizontal movement of the cupboard over at least a part of the working surface, e.g., in a horizontal direction parallel to a front side of the kitchen island.

This way a kitchen island is obtained with substantially more storage space without visually dividing the open kitchen space.

The working surface may typically comprise a cooking range and/or one or more sinks. Below the working surface the kitchen island may be provided with kitchen cabinets and/or kitchen appliances such a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an oven and/or a microwave.

Optionally, the cupboard may be provided with a sidewall extending along a part of one of the sides of the kitchen island. For instance, the cupboard may have two parallel sidewalls extending along opposite sides of the kitchen island, such as a front side and a back side of the kitchen island. Between the sidewalls, the cupboard may for example comprise shelves, cabinets or trays for storage.

Optionally, the sidewalls of the cupboard may comprise wheels or rollers resting on the floor. Alternatively, the cupboard may be carried by the kitchen island and float relative to the floor.

The guide may for example comprise guiding wheels received in corresponding guiding profiles. The guiding wheels may for example be attached to brackets, e.g., attached to an inner side of the sidewalls of the cupboard at a level below the working surface. In this respect, the inner side of the side wall is the side directed to the working surface. The profiles can be hidden from view by vertically extending cover boards. In that case, the brackets can be designed to grip around the lower side of the respective cover board to allow engagement of the guiding wheel with the corresponding guiding profile. Additionally, the brackets can be provided with one or more horizontal guiding wheels on a bottom section of the bracket engaging an inner wall of the cover board. The guiding wheels of the bracket guide horizontal movement of the cupboard in one direction, while preventing movement in any other horizontal direction.

In a specific exemplary embodiment a frame, for instance serving as a light fixture, may be provided for attachment to the ceiling directly above the kitchen island at a distance above the working surface, having a width corresponding to the width of the working surface. The opposite sidewalls of the cupboard may extend to a level above the lower side of the frame to visually enclose the frame sides.

Optionally, the cupboard may be provided with a display in a front side of one of its side walls, such as the display of a tablet computer, a flat screen television or a screen, such as a touch screen, providing a user interface for one or more of the kitchen appliances in the kitchen island.

The kitchen island may for example be provided with a brake system, to limit movement of the cupboard over the working surface. Such a brake system may for example be a soft closing system, typically used for drawers or sliding doors.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• Figure 1: shows an exemplary embodiment of a kitchen island according to the present invention;
• Figure 2: shows in cross section an upper part of a guiding system of the kitchen island of Figure 1;
• Figure 3: shows a lower part of the guiding system of the kitchen island of Figure 1;
• Figure 4: shows a second embodiment in side view having a half-high cupboard;
• Figure 5: shows the kitchen island in cross section along line V - V of Figure 5;
• Figures 6A and 6B: show the kitchen island in horizontal cross section with the cupboard in two different positions.

Figure 1 shows a kitchen island 1 with a counter 2 providing a working surface 3. A cooking range or stove 4 is integrated in the working surface 3. Below the counter 2 the kitchen island 1 comprises a front side 5 presenting a series of kitchen cabinets 6 for storage of utensils, or for housing kitchen appliances like a dish washer, a refrigerator, an oven or a microwave or the like.

The kitchen island 1 is further provided with a moveable cupboard 7 above the working surface 3. The cupboard 7 can be moved horizontally over the working surface 3 in the direction of arrows A in Figure 1, parallel to the front face 5 of the kitchen island 5. The cupboard 7 has a first sidewall 8, partly overlapping the front side 5 of the kitchen island 1, and a second sidewall 11, which is opposite to the first sidewall 8 and which faces a back side of the kitchen island 1. The two sidewalls 8, 11 extend downwardly to a short distance above the floor and rest on wheels 13, shown in detail in Figure 3.

The cupboard 7 comprises shelves 14 extending between the two sidewalls 8, 11. In alternative embodiments, the cupboard 7 may comprise, e.g., cabinets instead of, or in combination with shelves 14. The level of the lowest shelf 14 is sufficiently high to allow passage of the cupboard 7 over objects like pans or bottles standing on the working surface 3 or over a faucet of the kitchen island 1 (not shown).

A rectangular frame 16 with light fixtures 17 hangs down from cables 18 extending from the ceiling directly above the kitchen island 1. The width of the frame 14 corresponds to the width of the kitchen island 1. The two sidewalls 8, 11 extend to a level above the lower side 19 of the light fixture frame 16 and visually enclose the respective sides of the frame 16.

Movement of the cupboard 7 is guided by means of a guide 21, 22 shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3. The sidewall 8 has an inner side 23 facing the front side 5 of the kitchen island 1. A horizontal upper bracket 25 is attached to the inner side 23 of the sidewall 8 of the cupboard 7 at a level just below the working surface 3 (see Figure 2). Similarly, a lower bracket 26 is attached to the inner side 23 of the lower edge of the sidewall 8 of the cupboard 7. The two brackets 25, 26 have a J-shaped cross section comprising a longer vertical leg 27, 28, a shorter vertical leg 29, 30 and a bottom 31, 32 connecting the two vertical legs of the respective bracket 25, 26. The longer vertical legs 27, 28 are attached to the sidewall 8 of the cupboard having the bottom 31, 32 of the bracket 25, 26 pointing in the direction of the opposite sidewall 11 of the cupboard 7.

The bottom 31 of the upper bracket 25 is smaller than the bottom 32 of the lower bracket 22. The longer vertical legs 27, 28 of the brackets 25, 26 are connected to the inner side 23 of the sidewall 8. The upper bracket 25 is positioned at a level just below the level of the working surface 3 and is hidden from view. The lower bracket 26 is positioned at the lower side of the sidewall 8.

As shown in Figure 2, a cover board 33 extends downward from the outer edge of the working surface 3. At a distance behind the cover board 33 is a vertical sidewall 34 of the counter 2. The bracket 25 grips around the lower edge of the cover board 33, with the shorter vertical leg 29 of the bracket 21 extending into a space 36 between the cover board 33 and the sidewall 34 of the counter 2. The shorter vertical leg 29 is provided with a guiding wheel 37 which is received in a horizontally extending guiding profile 38 attached to the sidewall 34 of the counter 2 to form a guide for the horizontal movement of the cupboard 7.

As shown in Figure 3, the kitchen cabinets 6 have a bottom 41 resting on a support beam 42 and a door 43 aligned with the cover board 33 extending from the edge of the working surface 3. A lower cover board 44 extends downward from the front edge of the cabinet's bottom 41. The door 43 has a lower end at the same level as the lower end of the lower cover board 44.

The lower bracket 26 grips around the lower ends of the door 43 and the lower cover board 44. The shorter vertical leg 30 of the lower bracket 26 is provided with a guiding wheel 46 received in a horizontally extending guiding profile 47 connected to the support beam 42.

The shorter vertical leg 30 of the bracket 26 is at a distance from a back side 48 of the lower cover board 44. A rotatable horizontal guiding wheel 49 is attached to the upper side of the bottom 32 of the bracket 26 and engages the back side 48 of the lower cover board 44 to provide further guidance of the horizontal movement by the cupboard 8.

The rear sidewall 11 is provided with a similar guide.

At the front side of the kitchen island the side wall 8 of the cupboard is provided with an integrated tablet computer 50. The tablet can for example be loaded with one or more apps communicating with sensors in one or more kitchen appliances in the kitchen island, such as temperature sensors in an oven or integrated monitoring cameras.

Figure 4 shows a second possible embodiment of a kitchen island 60 in side view. Like the embodiment of Figure 1 the kitchen island 60 comprises a counter 61 providing a working surface 62. Below the counter 61 the kitchen island 60 comprises a front side 63 presenting a series of kitchen cabinets 64.

The kitchen island 60 is further provided with a half-high moveable cupboard 66. The cupboard 66 can be moved horizontally over the working surface 62 in the direction of arrows A. The cupboard 66 has a first sidewall 67, partly overlapping the front side 63 of the kitchen island 60, and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall and facing a back side of the kitchen island 60. The two parallel sidewalls 67 extend symmetrically and downwardly to a short distance above the floor.

Figure 5 shows part of the kitchen island 60 in vertical cross section. The working surface 62 is spaced from an upper side of the cabinets 64 by a spacer 68 to create a hollow space 69. This hollow space 69 is partly closed at the front and back sides of the kitchen island 60 by a vertical panel 71 of the working surface 62. In line with the vertical panel 71 of the working surface 62 is a vertical side wall 72 of the cabinets 64. A horizontal split 73 is left between the upper edge of the side wall 72 of the cabinets 64 and the vertical panel 71 of the working surface 62, to provide a passage for a horizontal middle section 74 of a Z-shaped profile 75. In cross section, this profile 75 has one end connected to an inner surface of the adjacent side wall 67 of the cupboard 66. The other end 77 is provided with a vertical guiding wheel 78 rotatably positioned within a matching guiding rail 79 with a C-shaped cross section.

The cabinets 64 have a lower side spaced from the ground by a supporting panel 81 at a distance from the lower outer edge of the cabinet 64. The side wall panel 72 of the cabinet 64 protrudes in downward direction from the bottom of the cabinet 64 to hide a rail 82 with a U-shaped cross section from view. The rail 82 is open at its lower side. A profile 83 with a J-shaped cross section has a long leg 84 attached to the inner surface of the cupboard sidewall 67. The smaller leg 86 of the J-shaped profile 83 is bent outwardly to carry a horizontal guiding wheel 87 rotatably guided within the U-shaped rail 82. The U-shaped rail 82, the horizontal guiding wheel 87, the vertical guiding wheel 78 and the C-shaped guiding rail 79 form a guide for movement of the cupboard 66 over the working surface 62, minimizing play and substantially preventing unwanted relative movement in other directions. It is noted that, although the cross section only shows a single horizontal guiding wheel 87 and a single vertical guiding wheel 78, in practice usually a row of vertical guiding wheels 78 and a row of horizontal guiding wheels 87 will be used.

At its inner surface the side wall of the cupboard 66 is provided with a flush or semi-flush socket outlet 88. The sidewall 67 of the cupboard 66 has double walls 89, with a hollow core 91 forming a hidden passage for an electric cable 92 from the outlet socket 88 to an opening 93 at the lower side of the inner surface of the cupboard side wall 67. There the cable 92 connects to a foldable electrical conductor 94 connecting the cable 92 to a fixed connection to the mains. The foldable conductor 94 rests on an angled profile 96 attached to the support panel 81 below the cabinets 64.

Figures 6A and 6B show a horizontal cross section of the kitchen island 60 along a horizontal plane just above the foldable conductor 94. In Figure 6A the cupboard 66 is moved to the left, while in Figure 6B the cupboard 66 is moved to the right. In the position in Figure 6A the conductor 94 is almost completely stretched. In the position shown in Figure 6B the conductor 94 is folded over its middle.

Returning to Figure 5, the conductor 94 is locked between the angled profile 96 on the one hand and the short leg 86 of the J-shaped profile 83 on the other hand. This way, the two profiles 86, 96 ensure proper repetitive folding and unfolding of the conductor 94.

Returning to Figure 5, the Z-shaped profile 75 carries a brake system 101 limiting movement of the cupboard between the two outer positions shown in Figures 6A and 6B respectively. The brake system comprises a soft closer 102 of the type typically used for drawers or sliding doors.