Abstract:
A support system for an appliance includes: a transporting support having a transporting attaching interface that aligns with an appliance attaching interface wherein the transporting attaching interface and the appliance attaching interface are configured to align with each other to allow the transporting support to securely attach to the appliance via the transporting attaching interface and the appliance attaching interface; a temporary support that connects to the appliance at a place different than the appliance attaching interface; and a permanent support having a permanent attaching interface having dimensions substantially the same as the transporting attaching interface such that the permanent support attaches to the appliance at the appliance attaching interface when the transporting support is not attached to the appliance. A method for both transporting and supporting the appliance may also be provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a system and method for moving and securing a household appliance. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method to move a household appliance and then secure the appliance in place with a seismic restraint. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many household appliances could suffer ill effects if the appliance was moved or jostled after installation. For example, combustion devices such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters, gas dryers, or any other household (or commercial appliance) are best fixed in place during installation to prevent moving or jostling of the appliance. 
         [0003]    For example, some areas are prone to have relatively frequent minor earthquakes. These earthquakes could move an appliance after it is installed if the appliance is not properly secured. As a result, some local building codes require seismic restraints for some types of equipment installed in buildings. Manufacturers of these types of equipment usually provide for or allow attachment points on the equipment for seismic restraints. 
         [0004]    These appliances or combustion devices may be very heavy and it may be desirable to modify them so they can be easily moved during installation. Of course, ease of manufacture and the desire to keep the apparatus as simple as possible to reduce costs may discourage manufacturers from elaborate solutions to the above-mentioned problems. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method that will allow an installer to install an appliance using a seismic restraint and also allow the installer to easily move the appliance in position prior to installation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect, an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments will provide a system and method that will allow an installer to install an appliance using seismic restraint and also allow the installer to easily move the appliance in position prior to installation. 
         [0007]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a support system for an appliance is provided. The system may include: a transporting support having a transporting attaching interface that aligns with an appliance attaching interface wherein the transporting attaching interface and the appliance attaching interface are configured to align with each other to allow the transporting support to securely attach to the appliance via the transporting attaching interface and the appliance attaching interface; a temporary support that connects to the appliance at a place different than the appliance attaching interface; and a permanent support having a permanent attaching interface having dimensions substantially the same as the transporting attaching interface such that the permanent support attaches to the appliance at the appliance attaching interface when the transporting support is not attached to the appliance. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of transporting and supporting an appliance may be provided. The method may include: moving the appliance on the transporting support to a desired location; supporting the appliance with a temporary support; removing the transporting support; installing the permanent support in the same place where the transporting support was located; and supporting the appliance with the permanent support. 
         [0009]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a support system for an appliance may be provided. The support system may include: means for transporting and supporting the appliance having a first means for interfacing that aligns with a second means for interfacing located on the appliance wherein the first means for interfacing and the second means for interfacing are configured to align with each other to allow the means for transporting and supporting to securely attach to the appliance via the first and second means for interfacing; means for temporarily supporting the appliance at a place different than the second means for interfacing; and means for immovably supporting the appliance having a third means for interfacing, the third means for interfacing having dimensions substantially the same as the first means for interfacing such that the means for immovably supporting the appliance attaches to the appliance at the second means for interfacing when the means for transporting and supporting the appliance is not attached to the appliance. 
         [0010]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0011]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0012]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a partial side view of an appliance resting on a floor via a wheel in accordance with the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a partial, perspective view of an appliance in accordance with the present disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a partial, bottom view of an attaching interface located on the appliance in accordance with the present disclosure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a partial, perspective, exploded view of an appliance in accordance with the present disclosure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a partial, perspective, view of a seismic restraint. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a partial side view of an appliance attached to the floor with the seismic restraint. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    An example embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure provides a system for attaching a wheel or set of wheels to an appliance to enable the appliance to be easily moved during installation. A temporary support is also provided on the appliance to support the appliance while the wheel is removed and replaced with a permanent support such as a seismic restraint. 
         [0020]    In another embodiment, a method is provided to allow an appliance to be easily moved to a desired location, support the appliance while wheel(s) are removed and place a seismic restraint on the appliance at the place where the wheel was formally located. 
         [0021]    An embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a system  10 . The system  10  includes an appliance  12 . The appliance  12  may be any appliance, but in certain embodiments, it is a combustion device such as, but not limited to, a boiler, a furnace, a hot water heater, or any other combustion device. The appliance  12  may have a housing  13 . The appliance  12  may also have a frame  14 . A support leg system  15  is attached to the frame  14 . The support leg system  15  may provide a temporary supporting function which will be described further later below. 
         [0022]    The support leg system  15  may include a support leg  16  and a support leg extension  18  which may be equipped with threads  20 . In some embodiments, the support leg extension  18  can extend or retract as it is turned due to the threads  20 . In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the threads  20  are located externally to the support leg extension  18  and internally within the support leg  16 . However, in some embodiments these may be reversed and the threads  20  may be externally located on the support leg  16  and internally within the extension member  18 . In other embodiments, the support leg  16  and extension members are not equipped with threads, but may extend and retract using other suitable means. 
         [0023]    In other embodiments, the support leg system  15  uses a leg  16  with no extension member  18 . In some embodiments, the support leg extension  18  may be equipped with a support foot  22 . The support foot  22  will contact the floor when the appliance  12  is being supported by the support leg system  15 . An example of when the appliance  12  will be supported by the report leg system  15  is when other support mechanisms are being removed and are installed onto the appliance  12  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0024]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the appliance  12  may also, at least initially, be equipped with a wheel assembly  24 . The wheel assembly  24  may provide ease in transporting the appliance  12  to a desired location. In some embodiments, an appliance  12  may be equipped with multiple wheel assemblies  24  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates an appliance  12  equipped with four wheel assemblies  24  as well as four support leg systems  15 . For the sake of clarity, only a lower portion of the frame  14  below is shown rather than the housing  13  and any other portion of the appliance  12  located above the lower portion of the frame  14 . It will be understood that many appliances  12  can be easily maneuvered when they are supported by four wheel assemblies  24  as shown. While four sets of wheel assemblies  24  and four sets of support legs  16  are shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that appliance  12  may have more or fewer sets of wheel assemblies  24  and support legs  16  in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         [0026]    Returning to  FIG. 1 , the wheel assembly  24  may include a bracket  26  which allows a wheel  28  to attach to the bracket  26  by an axle bolt  30 . The bracket  26  may also be equipped with an attaching plate  32  which allows the wheel assembly  24  to attach to an attaching interface  33  on the appliance  12 . The wheel assembly  24  may, in some embodiments, include a lock plate  34  which allows a user to depress or lift up on the lock plate  34  to respectively engage or disengage a brake for the wheel  28 . Such locking mechanisms are commonly known with casters and will not be described in further detail herein. 
         [0027]    The wheel assembly  24  can be attached to the appliance  12  by attaching bolts  36 . A broken away portion  37  of the housing  13  allows for illustration of the attaching bolts  36  extending through the attaching plate  32  and attaching interface  33 . The attaching bolts  36  may attach the wheel assembly  24  with attaching nuts  38  located on a threaded shaft  40  as shown. While bolts and nuts are shown, in other embodiments, other suitable attachable mechanisms may also be used. In some embodiments, the attaching mechanisms will be removable for reasons that will be stated further below. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  illustrates a partial, bottom view of the attaching interface  33  located on the underside of the frame  14  of the appliance  12 . The holes  46  in the frame  14  are shown. It is also understood that the attaching interface  33  is relatively flat. The attaching interface  33  thereby has a corresponding contour with the attaching plate  32  which acts as an interface for the wheel assembly  24 . While the attaching interface  33  and the attaching plate  32  are shown to be flat, other contours may also be used if those contours correspond to permit the attaching plate  32  to securely attach the wheel assembly  24  to the attaching interface  33  on the appliance  12 . 
         [0029]    Once an appliance  12  has been moved to a desirable location, the support leg extension  18  may be extended from the support leg  16  to cause the support foot  22  to engage the floor  42  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The attaching bolts  36  may be removed to allow the wheel assembly  24  to be removed from the attaching interface  33  on the appliance  12 .  FIG. 4  also shows the holes  44  in the attaching plate  32  and holes  46  in the frame  14 . In some embodiments, the attaching bolts  36  extend through both the holes  44  in the attaching plate  32  and holes  46  in the undersurface of the frame  14 . Another view of the lock plate  34  is also seen. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of a seismic restraint  48 . The seismic restraint  48  is also equipped with an interface plate  50  which is dimensioned similar to the attaching plate  32  on the wheel assembly  24  shown in  FIG. 4 . The interface plate  50  on the seismic restraint  48  is equipped with holes  52  which are dimensioned to align with the holes  46  in the underside of the frame  14  shown in  FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the distance between the holes as illustrated by reference character A is about 2.95 inches. The dimension illustrated by reference character B is about 1.75 inches. These example dimensions are exemplary and in no way limit the scope of the claims. In other embodiments, other dimensions for holes could also be used. Further, more or fewer holes than the four illustrated may also be used in accordance with this disclosure. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates a partial side view of the appliance  12  where the seismic restraint  48  is installed onto the floor  42 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the wheel assembly  24  has been removed. The seismic restraint  48  has been installed at the same place, at the attaching interface  33 .  FIG. 6  illustrates that the attaching bolts  36  are attached to attaching nuts  38  on the threaded shaft  40  of the attaching bolts  36 . These attaching bolts  36  and attaching nuts  38  securely secure the seismic restraint  48  to the appliance  12 . The seismic restraint  48  is also bolted to the floor  42 . The seismic restraint  48  is equipped with a floor plate  54  which has holes  56  through which bolts  58  secure the seismic restraint  48  to the floor  42 . While bolts are described and illustrated, one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure will understand the other fasting methods and systems that may be used in accordance with this disclosure. 
         [0032]    The seismic restraint  48  acts as a permanent support for the appliance  12 . The support leg extension  18  has been retreated up into the support leg  16  causing the support foot  22  to disengage from the floor  42 . In other embodiments, the support foot  22  may also engage the floor  42 , as well as the seismic restraint  48 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  6  illustrate a method for installing the appliance  12 . First, the appliance  12  is wheeled to a desired location. The support leg extension  18  is then extended and may lift the wheel assembly  24  off of the floor  42  (not shown). Then, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the wheel assembly  24  may be removed. Then, the seismic restraint  48  may be installed at the attaching interface  33  that was previously occupied by the wheel assembly  24 . The seismic restraint  48  is also secured to the floor  42  and then the support leg extension  18  may be moved to retreat into the support leg  16  to thereby disengage with the floor  42  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0034]    In some embodiments, the feature of providing a common attaching interface  33  for both the wheel assembly  24  and the seismic restraint  48  reduces the need for duplication of parts and reduces the need for the seismic restraint  48  and the wheel assembly  24  to attach at different locations on the appliance  12  creating a large attaching footprint. 
         [0035]    The inclusion of the support leg  16  and support leg extension  18  to provide a built-in temporary support of the appliance  12  during the removal of the wheel assembly  24  and the installation of the seismic restraint  48 . In some embodiments, the appliance  12  is equipped with the wheel assembly  24 , the attaching interface  33 , the support leg  16 , and support leg extension  18  altogether as a kit so that someone installing the appliance  12  can have all the necessary parts altogether in a convenient and easy to install package. 
         [0036]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.