[0001] The present invention relates to a household cooking hob according to the preamble
of claim 1.
[0002] The present invention typically applies to household cooking hobs of the type comprising
a plurality of burners, in particular gas burners, for cooking foods placed in suitable
containers.
[0003] Cooking hobs of this type are known and widespread, in different forms, in every
household kitchen.
[0004] In some cases, said cooking hobs are separate units, i.e. simple cookers; in other
cases, said cooking hobs are add-on components adapted to be flush-mounted in standard-size
apertures obtained in the hob of a sectional kitchen; or, in other cases, said cooking
hobs are the upper portion of a household appliance comprising an oven suitable for
cooking foods.
[0005] Household cooking hobs are generally fitted with a cover that houses a plurality
of cooking points.
[0006] Each cooking point is provided with at least one burner, in particular a gas burner,
which is generally associated with one knob adapted to be operated by a user for turning
on and/or off the burner and for adjusting the heat generated by said burner, said
knob allowing the user to adjust the gas flow, and therefore the heat generated by
combustion.
[0007] Usually the cooking hobs known in the art have a quadrilateral shape and are so conceived
that the burners are arranged according to a standard layout.
[0008] In four-burner cooking hobs the burners are arranged at the four comers of the quadrilateral
delimiting the cooking hob, whereas in five-burner cooking hobs the fifth burner is
typically arranged centrally relative to the other four burners.
[0009] Cooking hobs are also known in the art which comprise at least one burner adjacent
to one side of the cooking hob, in the middle thereof. In particular, in four-burner
cooking hobs each burner is adjacent to the corresponding side of the cooking hob,
substantially in the middle thereof.
[0010] In addition to the cover that houses at least one burner, in particular a plurality
of differently sized burners, the cooking hobs known in the art also include at least
one corresponding support element for laying a cooking container over the burner.
[0011] Said support element, or pan support, may be provided as one piece, thus serving
all of the burners of the cooking hob, or else it may be made up of as many elements
as the number of burners; sometimes, several support elements for different cooking
points are joined together to form a sort of "continuous grate".
[0012] In order to prevent the pan support from translating or moving relative to the cooking
hob when in operation, i.e. when it is supporting a container as food is being cooked,
the cooking hobs known in the art are fitted with coupling means for positioning the
pan support on the cover of the cooking hob and for centering the pan support on the
burner.
[0013] Said coupling means are typically recesses provided on the pan support cover, into
which teeth provided on the pan support engage. Alternatively, if the cover of the
cooking hob is made of glass or glass-ceramic, said coupling means are topically obtained
through a rear profile secured to the cooking hob, which defines a seat which houses
a portion of the pan support grate, holding it by interference. However, said rear
profile has some drawbacks, since it is unsightly, hinders the cleaning of the cooking
hob, and causes a significant increase in the cost of the cooking hob.
[0014] By using the above-described cooking hob moulding technologies, the production of
cooking hobs having different burners arranged in a particular manner or having a
plurality of assemblable cooking elements suitable for providing increased functionality
or innovative and pleasant aesthetic characteristics requires the creation of new
moulds, in particular for cooking hobs having a sheet-metal cover, or changes to the
moulding and/or cutting operations for cooking hobs having a glass or glass-ceramic
cover. This implies the necessity of setting up a whole new production line, as well
as of adapting full machining and production lines to obtain a single new arrangement
of the cooking elements.
[0015] Therefore, the cooking hobs known in the art suffer from the manifest drawback that
they are not very flexible and economical to manufacture when different aesthetic
and/or functional variants are to be obtained.
[0016] Even when the coupling means for locking in place the pan support feet consist of
a plurality of dimples obtained on the cover of the cooking hob, the making of said
dimples in a cooking hob is problematical in that it is particularly costly, especially
when the cooking hob is made of glass.
[0017] Document
GB989,700 discloses a household cooking hob comprising a cover that houses four gas burners,
two pan supports for laying cooking containers over the burners and coupling means
for positioning the pan supports on the cover of the cooking hob, comprising projections
provided on a lower portion of the pan supports adapted to be coupled to holes provided
in the cover.
[0018] This prior art cooking hob however suffers from an accumulation of impurities in
the holes of the cover.
[0019] Document
JP2004-028436 discloses a grate attachment structure for a gas burner, includes a positioning protrusion
provided to the leg section of the grate and engaged with the inside recess of a constriction
section.
[0020] DocumentUS5,372,121 discloses a cooktop including an area recessed downwardly of
the upper surface and surrounding the opening for a gas burner, the recessed area
having a peripheral portion including spaced apart bosses and each of the bosses including
a horizontal grate support surface positioned below the cooktop upper surface.
[0021] In this frame, it is the main object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned
drawbacks by providing a cooking hob comprising specially designed coupling means
for positioning the pan support on the cover of the cooking hob, said coupling means
being adapted to ensure a higher degree of versatility in designing said cooking hob.
[0022] It is a further object of the present invention to allow to manufacture new cooking
hob variants and typologies in a simple and easy manner, without having to adapt entire
production lines for that purpose and, consequently, without involving the costs thereof.
[0023] It is another object of the present invention to provide considerable cooking hob
production flexibility with enhanced production modularity, lower costs and wider
possibilities of stylistic customisation.
[0024] Finally, with particular respect to the cooking hob described in
GB989,700, current invention aims to simplify the cleaning of the cooking hob.
[0025] Said objects are achieved by the present invention through a cooking hob comprising
specially designed coupling means for positioning the pan support on the cover of
the cooking hob incorporating the features set out in the appended claims, which are
intended as an integral part of the present description.
[0026] Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
from the following detailed description and from the annexed drawings, which are supplied
by way of non-limiting example, wherein:
- Fig. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a cooking hob according
to the present invention;
- Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the cooking hob of Fig. 1, in particular a perspective
view of the lower portion of the pan support and a perspective view of the upper portion
of the cover of the cooking hob of Fig. 1.
[0027] Said description and said drawings are to be considered as non-limiting examples.
[0028] Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates as a whole a household
cooking hob of the type comprising:
- a cover 20 that houses at least one burner 30, in particular a gas burner,
- at least one corresponding support element or pan support 40 for laying at least one
cooking container (not shown in the drawings) over said at least one burner 30.
[0029] As shown in the embodiment of Fig. 1, said at least one burner 30 comprises a plurality
of burners 30, more precisely four or five burners 30, preferably having different
size and calorific power, which can be used as necessary with pots, pans and jugs
having different dimensions and suitable for cooking different types of foods. Said
burners 30 may be manufactured by using any technology, e.g. the "Flat Thin Gas Hob"
technology as described in patent application
WO2007/036772 by the present Applicant.
[0030] In particular, in the embodiment of Fig. 1 four burners 30 are arranged at the four
comers of the quadrilateral that delimits the cooking hob 10, whereas a fifth burner
30 is arranged centrally relative to the other four; it is however clear that the
layout of the burners 30 on the cooking hob 10 may be different from that shown in
Fig. 1.
[0031] Said burners 30 may be without distinction of the type taking primary air above or
below the cooking hob 10 whereon they are mounted. It is also clear that each burner
30 may be fitted with an ignition spark plug and/or a thermocouple for checking if
the burner 30 is on; neither said ignition spark plug nor said thermocouple are shown
in the drawings.
[0032] In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the pan support 40 is made up of a plurality of support
elements joined together to form some sort of "continuous grate". It is apparent that
the pan support 40 may be made as one piece, thus serving all the burners 30 of the
cooking hob 10.
[0033] The cooking hob 10 also comprises a plurality of knobs 50 adapted to be operated
by a user for both turning on and/or off each of said burners 30 and adjusting the
heat generated by each of said burners 30, said knobs 50 allowing the user to adjust
the gas flow, and therefore the heat generated by combustion by the burners 30.
[0034] The cooking hob 10 further comprises coupling means for positioning the pan support
40 on the cover 20 of the cooking hob 10.
[0035] As shown in Fig. 2, according to the present invention said coupling means comprise:
- at least one indentation 21 provided on an edge 22 of the cover 20 of the cooking
hob 10;
- at least one projection 41 provided on a lower portion 40I of the pan support 40,
said projection 41 being adapted to be coupled to said indentation 21.
[0036] For the purposes of the present invention, the term "indentation" refers to shaping
at least one edge 22 of the cover 20 of the cooking hob 10 in a manner such as to
obtain a recess, said recess being suitable for receiving a matching projection 41.
[0037] The coupling between the indentation 21 and the projection 41 prevents the pan support
40 from accidentally translating or moving relative to the cooking hob 10 when in
operation, i.e. when it is supporting a food container as food is being cooked, especially
when moving a food container from one burner 30 to another. Also, such a coupling
ensures an optimal and stable positioning of the pan support 40 with respect to the
burners 30.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the cover 20 of the cooking hob 10 has the shape of a
quadrilateral and comprises a plurality of indentations 21 on two opposite sides of
said quadrilateral.
[0039] Preferably, said plurality of indentations 21 are provided on a first 23A and a second
23B side portions of said quadrilateral when the knobs 50 are arranged near a front
portion 24A of the cooking hob 10. Furthermore, the indentations 21 provided on the
first side portion 23A may be offset relative to the indentations 21 provided on the
second side portion 23B with reference to a first median line X of the cooking hob
10, said first median line X being substantially parallel to said first side portion
23A and/or to said second side portion 23B.
[0040] As an alternative, the indentations 21 may be asymmetrical relative to said first
median line X and symmetrical relative to a second median line Y, said second median
line Y being substantially parallel to a front portion 24A and/or to a rear portion
24B of said quadrilateral; in this way, if the pan support 40 is made up of a plurality
of support elements, the indentations 21 can be used as a reference for mounting each
of said support elements correctly, thus preventing any mistake when installing the
support elements.
[0041] According to a further alternative, the indentations 21 may be symmetrical relative
to both the first median line X and the second median line Y.
[0042] In Fig. 2, said first X and second Y median lines are represented by means of a dashed-dotted
line.
[0043] It is clear that said plurality of indentations 21 may be obtained on said front
portion 24A and on said rear portion 24B of said quadrilateral. Such a configuration
is to be preferred when the knobs 50 are arranged laterally on the cooking hobs 10.
Alternatively, said plurality of indentations 21 may be provided on all four sides
of the cooking hob 10, e.g.: two on the first side portion 23A, two on the second
side portion 23B, one on the front portion 24A, and one on the rear portion 24B.
[0044] Moreover, said indentations 21 may either be totally covered by the projections 41
of the pan support 40 or remain at least partly visible.
[0045] As can be seen in the perspective view from below of the pan support shown in Fig.
2, said projections 41 are provided on a first 42A and a second 42B side ledges, in
a manner such that they can be coupled to the indentations 21 provided on said side
portions 23A, 23B. However, it is clear that said projections 41 may also be provided
on at least one front ledge 43A and on at least one rear ledge 43B, in a manner such
that they can be coupled to any indentations 21 provided on said front portion 24A
and on said rear portion 24B.
[0046] In accordance with the present invention, said plurality of indentations 21 have
a rounded shape; this allows to attain a proper coupling between each indentation
21 and the respective projection 41 while at the same time keeping down the costs
for making said indentations 21. In particular, it can be seen in Fig. 2 that each
indentation 21 substantially has the shape of an arc of circumference.
[0047] Preferably, each projection 41 is covered with an element made of elastic material,
in particular silicone rubber, for the purpose of limiting as much as possible any
friction between each projection 41 and the respective indentation 21, i.e. between
the cover 20 and the pan support 40.
[0048] Preferably, when the cover 20 of the cooking hob 10 is made of glassy material, said
indentations 21 may be obtained by grinding; otherwise, when the cover 20 of the cooking
hob 10 is made of sheet-metal or a similar material, said indentations 21 may be obtained
by drawing.
[0049] The features and advantages of the cooking hob according to the present invention
are apparent from the above description.
[0050] In particular, the present invention allows to provide a cooking hob comprising coupling
means for positioning the pan support on the cover of the cooking hob which are adapted
to ensure a higher degree of versatility in designing said cooking hob.
[0051] In addition, the particular design of said coupling means allows to manufacture new
cooking hob variants and typologies in a simple and easy manner, without having to
adapt entire production lines for that purpose and, consequently, without involving
the costs thereof.
[0052] A further advantage of the present invention is that the coupling means provide considerable
cooking hob production flexibility with enhanced production modularity, lower costs
and wider possibilities of stylistic customisation.
[0053] It is however clear that many changes may be made to the cooking hob according to
the present invention, and that in its practical implementation the various components
may have different shapes and arrangements or be replaced with other technically equivalent
elements without departing from the claims.
[0054] One of the many possible variants (not shown in the annexed drawings) envisages the
following:
- at least one seat on the lower portion 401 of the pan support 40;
- at least one projection on an edge 22 of the cover 20 of the cooking hob 10, said
projection being adapted to be coupled to said seat.
[0055] The scats on the lower portion 401 of the pan support 40 and the projections on the
edge 22 of the cover 20 may be provided as an alternative or in addition to the elements
shown in Figs. 1 and 2, i.e. the indentations 21 on the edge 22 and the projections
41 on the lower portion 401.
[0056] It can therefore be easily understood that the present invention is not limited to
the above-described cooking hob, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements
or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the inventive
idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.
1. A household cooking hob (10), of the type comprising:
- a cover (20) that houses at least one burner (30), in particular a gas burner,
- at least one corresponding support element or pan support (40) for laying at least
one cooking container over said at least one burner (30),
- coupling means (21, 41) for positioning the pan support (40) on the cover (20) of
the cooking hob (10),
- at least one projection (41) provided on a lower portion (401) of the pan support
(40),
said coupling means (21, 41) comprising at least one indentation (21) provided on
an edge (22) of the cover (20) of the cooking hob (10), said projection (41) being
adapted to be coupled to said indentation (21),
said cover (20) having the shape of a quadrilateral and comprising a plurality of
indentations (21) on two opposite sides of said quadrilateral, characterized in that said indentations (21) are arranged on the external perimeter of the cover (20).
2. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said plurality of indentations (21) are provided on a first (23A) and a second (23B)
side portions of said quadrilateral.
3. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 2 , characterised in that the indentations (21 ) provided on the first side portion (23 A) are offset relative
to the indentations (21) provided on the second side portion (23B) with reference
to a first median line (X) of the cooking hob (10), said first median line (X) being
substantially parallel to said first side portion (23A) and/or to said second side
portion (23B).
4. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that said projections (41) are provided on a first (42A) and a second (42B) side ledges
of the pan support (40), in a manner such that they can be coupled to the indentations
(21) provided on said side portions (23A, 23B).
5. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said indentations (21) are asymmetrical relative to a first median line (X) and symmetrical
relative to a second median line (Y), said first median line (X) being substantially
parallel to said first side portion (23A) and/or to said second side portion (23B),
and said second median line (Y) being substantially parallel to a front portion (24A)
and/or to a rear portion (24B) of said quadrilateral.
6. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said indentation (21) has a rounded shape, in particular said indentation (21) having
substantially the shape of an arc of circumference.
7. A cooking hob (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said projection (41) is covered with an element made of elastic material, in particular
silicone rubber, for the purpose of limiting as much as possible any friction between
said projection (41) and the respective indentation (21).
8. A cooking hob (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said indentations (21) are totally covered by the projections (41) of the pan support
(40).
9. A cooking hob (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said indentations (21) remain at least partly visible.
1. Haushalts-Kochfeld (10) des Typs, welcher umfasst:
- eine Abdeckung (20), welche wenigstens einen Brenner (30), insbesondere einen Gasbrenner,
beherbergt,
- wenigstens ein/einen entsprechendes/entsprechenden Trageelement oder Pfannenträger
(40) zum Ablegen wenigstens eines Kochgefäßes über dem wenigstens einen Brenner (30),
- Kopplungsmittel (21, 41) zum Positionieren des Pfannenträgers (40) an der Abdeckung
(20) des Kochfelds (10),
- wenigstens einen Vorsprung (41), welcher an einem unteren Abschnitt (401) des Pfannenträgers
(40) bereitgestellt ist,
wobei die Kopplungsmittel (21, 41) wenigstens eine an einem Rand (22) der Abdeckung
(20) des Kochfelds (10) bereitgestellte Vertiefung (21) umfassen, wobei der Vorsprung
(41) dazu eingerichtet ist, mit der Vertiefung (21) gekoppelt zu werden,
wobei die Abdeckung (20) die Form eines Vierecks aufweist und eine Mehrzahl von Vertiefungen
(21) an zwei gegenüberliegenden Seiten des Vierecks umfasst, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vertiefungen (21) an dem äußeren Umfang der Abdeckung (20) angeordnet sind.
2. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Mehrzahl von Vertiefungen (21) an einem ersten (23A) und einem zweiten (23B)
Seitenabschnitt des Vierecks bereitgestellt sind.
3. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die an dem ersten Seitenabschnitt (23A) bereitgestellten Vertiefungen (21) relativ
zu den an dem zweiten Seitenabschnitt (23B) bereitgestellten Vertiefungen (21) bezüglich
einer ersten Medianlinie (X) des Kochfelds (10) versetzt sind, wobei die erste Medianlinie
(X) im Wesentlichen parallel zu dem ersten Seitenabschnitt (23A) oder/und dem zweiten
Seitenabschnitt (23B) ist.
4. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vorsprünge (41) an einem ersten (42A) und einem zweiten (42B) Seitenabsatz des
Pfannenträgers (40) bereitgestellt sind, derart, dass sie mit den an den Seitenabschnitten
(23A, 23B) bereitgestellten Vertiefungen (21) gekoppelt werden können.
5. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vertiefungen (21) asymmetrisch bezüglich einer ersten Medianlinie (X) und symmetrisch
bezüglich einer zweiten Medianlinie (Y) sind, wobei die erste Medianlinie (X) im Wesentlichen
parallel zu dem ersten Seitenabschnitt (23A) oder/und dem zweiten Seitenabschnitt
(23B) ist, und die zweite Medianlinie (Y) im Wesentlichen parallel zu einem vorderen
Abschnitt (24A) oder/und einem hinteren Abschnitt (24B) des Vierecks ist.
6. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vertiefung eine abgerundete Form aufweist, wobei insbesondere die Vertiefung
(21) im Wesentlichen die Form eines Umfangsbogens aufweist.
7. Kochfeld (10) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Vorsprung (41) mit einem aus einem elastischen Material, insbesondere Silikongummi,
hergestellten Element bedeckt ist, zu dem Zweck, jegliche Reibung zwischen dem Vorsprung
(41) und der jeweiligen Vertiefung (21) so weit als möglich zu begrenzen.
8. Kochfeld (10) nach einem oder mehreren der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vertiefungen (21) vollständig von den Vorsprüngen (41) des Pfannenträgers (40)
bedeckt sind.
9. Kochfeld (10) nach einem oder mehreren der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Vertiefungen (21) wenigstens teilweise sichtbar bleiben.
1. Plaque de cuisson domestique (10), du type comportant :
- un habillage de couverture (20) qui loge au moins un brûleur (30), en particulier
un brûleur à gaz,
- au moins un élément de support correspondant ou un support d'ustensile de cuisine
(40) permettant de poser au moins un récipient de cuisson sur ledit au moins un brûleur
(30),
- des moyens de couplage (21, 41) pour positionner le support (40) de l'ustensile
de cuisine sur l'habillage de couverture (20) de la plaque de cuisson (10),
- au moins une partie en saillie (41) prévue sur une partie inférieure (401) du support
de l'ustensile de cuisine (40),
lesdits moyens de couplage (21, 41) comportant au moins une indentation (21) fournie
sur un bord (22) de l'habillage de couverture (20) de la plaque de cuisson (10), ladite
partie en saillie (41) étant conçue pour être couplée à ladite indentation (21),
ledit habillage (20) présentant la forme d'un quadrilatère et comportant une pluralité
d'indentations (21) sur deux côtés opposés dudit quadrilatère, caractérisée en ce que lesdites indentations (21) sont disposées sur le périmètre extérieur de l'habillage
de couverture (20).
2. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite pluralité d'indentations (21) est fournie sur une première (23A) et sur une
seconde (23B) parties latérales dudit quadrilatère.
3. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que les indentations (21) fournies sur la première partie latérale (23A) sont décalées
par rapport aux indentations (21) fournies sur la seconde partie latérale (23B) en
faisant référence à une première ligne médiane (X) de la plaque de cuisson (10), ladite
première ligne médiane (X) étant essentiellement parallèle à ladite première partie
latérale (23A) et/ou à ladite seconde partie latérale (23B).
4. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce que lesdites parties en saillie (41) sont fournies sur un premier (42A) et sur un second
(42B) rebord latéral du support de l'ustensile de cuisine (40), d'une manière telle
qu'elles puissent être couplées avec les indentations (21) fournies sur lesdites parties
latérales (23A, 23B).
5. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que lesdites indentations (21) sont asymétriques par rapport à une première ligne médiane
(X) et symétriques par rapport à une seconde ligne médiane (Y), ladite première ligne
médiane (X) étant essentiellement parallèle à ladite première partie latérale (23A)
et/ou à ladite seconde partie latérale (23B), et ladite seconde ligne médiane (Y)
étant essentiellement parallèle à une partie avant (24A) et/ou à une partie arrière
(24B) dudit quadrilatère.
6. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite indentation (21) présente une forme arrondie, en particulier, en ce que ladite indentation (21) présente la forme d'un arc de circonférence.
7. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite partie en saillie (41) est recouverte d'un élément constitué d'un matériau
élastique, en particulier de caoutchouc au silicone, dans le but de limiter autant
que possible une quelconque friction entre ladite partie en saillie (41) et l'indentation
respective (21).
8. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon l'une ou plusieurs des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que lesdites indentations (21) sont entièrement recouvertes par les parties en saillie
(41) du support de l'ustensile de cuisine (40).
9. Plaque de cuisson (10) selon l'une ou plusieurs des revendications précédentes, caractérisée en ce que lesdites indentations (21) restent visibles, au moins partiellement.