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(11) | EP 0 260 109 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Cooking hob |
| (57) Installation for the manufacture of cooking hobs comprising: a workstation (3) for
combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least one heating
location, the workstation including means for receiving hob elements of at least two
different pre-determined widths, and means for fixing together at least two hob elements
held at the workstation; a workstation (4) for applying control means to the hob elements
combined at the combing workstation; a workstation (5) for effecting connection between
gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports
as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated
control means and gas/electric connections. |
[0001] The present invention relates to an installation for the manufacture of cooking hobs, to a method of manufacturing cooking hobs, and to a cooking hob itself.
[0002] Numerous manufacturers of cooking hobs currently market two-ring hobs for incorporation, whether single or in combination, within kitchen units such that the hobs are not above an oven or a grill. Each such two-ring hob has its own control unit, supply connections and base cover, and accordingly forms an integral unit which operates independently of any other hob unit that may be installed.
[0003] The present invention provides an installation for the manufacture of cooking hobs, the installation comprising:
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least one heating location, the workstation including means for receiving hob elements of at least two different pre-determined widths, and means for fixing together at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation for applying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appriopriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with asssociated control means and gas/electric connections.
[0004] In this way, the installation can be used in the manufacture of a range of different width hobs by appropriate combination of the types of hob elements; thus for example if the combination workstation can receive two types of hob elements each type having a particular but differing width, the installation is capable of manufacturing a range of three different width cooking hobs. The installation enables there to be fast and simple switching between the manufacture of one type of hob in the range to another type of different width.
[0005] Clearly, the installation may be used to combine hob elements of three or more different widths into pairs or threes, in which case the range of possible hobs is substantially increased.
[0006] The present invention also provides an installation for the manufacture of working hobs, the installation comprising:
a first workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
a second workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first workstation, each hob element of the second workstation comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements from one or both of the first and second workstation, the combining workstation including means for receiving hob elements from the first and second workstations as specified, and means for fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation for supplying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accommodating an oven and/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the conbined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
[0007] Preferably, the installation includes a workstation to effect testing of a hob sub-assembly prior to operation of the application workstation.
[0008] Preferably, the installation has means to fit sealing means intermediate two hob elements for combination. The sealing means may constitute an elongate resilent member with a cross-section of substantially T-shape.
[0009] Preferably, the installation has means to produce and/or supply hob elements with heating locations of differing capacity, type and/or fuel supply, and means to effect combination of such hob-elements together, or with hob elements having identical heating locations, in a plurality of different orientations. Thus, for example, with hob elements having one large electrical heater and one small electrical heater, the installation can readily manufacture hobs with two front small heaters, and hobs with two rear small heaters, and hobs with one small heater at the front and one at the back.
[0010] The present invention also provides a method for the manufacture of cooking hobs, the method comprising:
combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least one heating location, including receiving hob elements of at least two different predetermined widths, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
applying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
[0011] The present invention also provides a method for the manufacture of cooking hobs, the method comprising:
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first predetermined width, each hob element of the second predetermined width comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements having one or both of the predetermined widths, including receiving hob elements of the first and second widths as specified, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
supplying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and /or electrical supplies and the heating location of the combined hob elements;
applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accomodating an oven andss/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
[0012] The present invention also provides a cooking hob produced by any installation as hereinbefore defined and/or manufactured by any method as hereinbefore defined.
[0013] Another aspect of the present invention provides a cooking hob comprising two or more hob elements fixed together, each hob element having a top-plate with at least one heating location, at least two of the hob elements being of different predetermined widths.
[0014] Preferably the cooking hob includes sealing means between each pair of hob elements fixed together. Preferably the cooking hob has a single control unit to operate the heating locations of all the hob elements. Preferably the cooking hob has an elongate front strut member attached to two hob elements and an elongate back strut member attached to those two hob elements, thereby to fix the hob elements together. One or both of the strut members have one or more apertures to provide venting to the atmosphere.
[0015] Preferably the sealing means comprises an elongate resilient member with a cross-section substantially in the shape of the letter T. Additionally or alternativelys, there may be provided (between two fixed hob elements) an elongate joiner panel having means to provide venting to atmosphere from below, and/or input means to an odour-filter and means to suck air towards the odour-filer from above the hob, and/or lighting means.
[0016] A cooking location of a hob element may incorporate any of the following: a solid hotplate, a radiant spiral, a ceramic smooth-top electric heater, a gas burner, a tungsten-halogen lamp, an induction heater or any other appropriate heater known in the art.
[0017] Preferably, a working hob has a single support structure (which may comprise two elongate members attached together in cruciform arrangement halfway along their lengths), the support structure arranged on the sub-assembly to support the mass of the hob elements and to hold the supply conduits (whether gas pipe and/or electric cable) to the heating location.
[0018] Preferably, in a cooking hob with at least one heating location with a gas burner, the heating location is supplied with gas by means of standard gas piping, part of the periphery of which has been flattened in the region of the heating location, there being an aperture in the flattened wall to allow passage of gas to a burner at the heating location, and means to secure the gas piping at the flattened region against the gas burner and/or a gas tap to inhibit leakage of gas. Such an arrangement eliminiates the need for a die cast gas rail which is an expensive item, and enables variance in the pitch and angle of gas knobs to be accommodated easily and quickly. The arrangement may also include a clinched venturi with the gas jet attached.
[0019] In order that the invention may more readily be understood, a description is now given, by way of example only, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a block schematic diagram of a factory manufacturing installation embodying the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cooking hob during production in the installation of Figure 1;
Firgure 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of the hob of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of the hob of Figure 2 mounted in a cooker, and
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a gas connection in the hob of Figure 2.
[0020] There is shown in Figure 1 a factory installation for the manufacture of a range of cooking hobs of various widths and incorporating various forms of heaters.
[0021] Factory installation 1 has a number of workstations 2 to 7, at each of which a stage of manufacture is effected. Thus, at production workstation 2, each type of hob element is made up at a separate location and stored until a hob of that type is called for by combiner workstation 3. A hob element consists of a shaped enamelled top plate having two heating locations, and installation 1 is shown as having eight production locations 8 to 15 to provide eight different types of hob element being as follows: location 8 produces 250 mm width hob elements with electric ceramic heaters, location 9 produces 300 mm width hob elements with electric ceramic heaters, location 10 produces 250 mm width hob elements with electric pad heaters, and so on as indicated, whereby "G" refers to gas burners.
[0022] Combiner workstation 3 can call for hob elements from any one or more of production locations 8 to 15 for combination together to form a hob. In order to fix two hob elements together, the workstation 3 applies an elongate rubber silicone strip 16 (see Figure 2 and 3) against one long side of a hob element 17, brings up the appropriate long side of the other hob element 18 to contact the strip 16, secures them together with a clip 19, and then fixes front and rear struts 20 and 21 to the hob elements 17 and 18. Rear strut 21 has vent apertures 22.
[0023] A hob can be formed from any number of hob elements and can consist of any permutation of types. It is evident that the installation 1 can produce hobs of three different widths, namely 500 mm, 550 mm and 600 mm, by appropriate choice of hob elements.
[0024] A seals supply store 23 and a struts supply store 24 feed appropriate parts to combiner workstation 3 when the latter calls for them.
[0025] In a modification wherein a production location makes hob elements having heating locations with differing heat output capacities, the combining workstation 3 also has a gripper to re-orient, where necessary, any hob elements from the production locations in order to form a hob with a particular arrangement of the different sized heaters, e.g. one large heater and one small heater on the left, and likewise on the right.
[0026] A supply store 25 for control units 26 supplies parts for controls - application workstation 4 upon request. Accordingly, at workstation 4, the control unit 26 is attached to front strut 20 and the hob elements 17 and 18. Then at workstation 5 the support structure and supply conduits (whether gas pipes and/or electric cabling) are attached to, and connected with, the other parts of the hob. The support structure consists of two channel sections arranged and fixed in cruciform arrangement with appropriate recess and/or apertures against which gas pipes and/or electric cabling can be held. The support structure is intended for use with any combination of types of hob element. The support structure and fuel conduits are fed to workstation 5 separately from appropriate stores 27 and 28. In a modification, particularly suited to fuelling by gas, the support structure and conduits may be assembled together before combining with the hob.
[0027] The workstation 5 produces a hob sub-assembly which is fully operational, and therefore it can be stringently tested at a test workstation 6 by testing equipment 29, before incorporation in a cooker housing (fed from a supply store 30)at workstation 7. At this stage, a front facia panel may be applied to hide any gap between the control unit and the cooker housing.
[0028] Advantageously the facia panel has, on its back face, a plurality of grooves extending along its length and parallel to one edge,such that sections of the panel can be snapped off along the grooves to form panels of various widths. In this way, the facia panel can be made the width appropriate to any gap.
[0029] Figure 4 shows an edging strip 40 for connecting a hob chassis 41 to the side panels 42 of a cooker such that no screws or other fasteners are visible. The strip is held in position by a number of clips 43 spaced along its length. This arrangement has an additional advantage in that it provides a pocket of static air 44 which acts as an effective heat insulation layer.
[0030] Figure 5 shows a gas connection between a supply conduit common to a working hob and a gas tap for a specific heating location, the conduit consisting of standard gas piping 50 whose cross-section has been flattened in a region local to the heating location and an aperture 51 drilled in the flattened region. The inlet 52 of gas tap 53 is inserted into aperture 51 and the arrangement is held together by a block 54 retained by screws 55.
1. An installation for the manufacture of cooking hobs, the installation comprising:
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least on heating location, the workstation including means for receiving hob elements of at least two different pre-determined widths, and means for fixing together at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation for applying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least on heating location, the workstation including means for receiving hob elements of at least two different pre-determined widths, and means for fixing together at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation for applying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
2. An installation for the manufacture of working hobs, the installation comprising:
a first workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location.
a second workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first workstation, each hob element of the second workstation comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location; a workstation for combining at least two hob elements from one or both of the first and second workstations, the combining workstation including means for receiving hob elements from the first and second workstations as specified, and means for fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation from supplying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accommodating an oven and/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
a first workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location.
a second workstation for the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first workstation, each hob element of the second workstation comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location; a workstation for combining at least two hob elements from one or both of the first and second workstations, the combining workstation including means for receiving hob elements from the first and second workstations as specified, and means for fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
a workstation from supplying control means to the hob elements combined at the combining workstation;
a workstation for effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements;
a workstation for applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accommodating an oven and/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
3. An installation according to claim 2 including a workstation to effect testing
of a hob sub-assembly prior to operation of the application workstation.
4. An installation according to claim 2 or claim 3 including means to fit sealing
means intermediate two hob elements for combination.
5. An installation according to claim 4 wherein the sealing means is an elongate resilient
member having a cross-section of substantially T-shape.
6. A method of the manufacture of cooking hobs, the method comprising:
combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least one heating location, including receiving hob elements of at least two different predetermined widths, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
applying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements; and
providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
combining at least two hob elements, each having a top-plate with at least one heating location, including receiving hob elements of at least two different predetermined widths, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
applying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating locations of the combined hob elements; and
providing a hob sub-assembly with a protective base and/or supports as appropriate, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
7. A method for the manufacture of cooking hobs, the method comprising:
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first predetermined width, each hob element of the second predetermined width comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements having one or both of predetermined widths, including receiving hob elements of the first and second widths as specified, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
supplying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating location of the combined hob elements; and
applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accommodating an oven and/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width, each hob element comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
the production and/or supply of hob elements of a predetermined width differing from that of the hob elements of the first predetermined width, each hob element of the second predetermined width comprising a top-plate with at least one heating location;
a workstation for combining at least two hob elements having one or both of predetermined widths, including receiving hob elements of the first and second widths as specified, and fixing at least two hob elements held at the workstation;
supplying control means to the combined hob elements;
effecting connection between gas and/or electrical supplies and the heating location of the combined hob elements; and
applying a hob sub-assembly to a cooker housing for accommodating an oven and/or a grill, the hob sub-assembly comprising the combined hob elements with associated control means and gas/electric connections.
8. A cooking hob produced by any installation according to anyone of claims 1 to 6
with method of claim 6 or claim 7.
9. A cooking hob comprising two or more hob elements fixed together, each hob element
having a top-plate with at least one heating location, at least two of the hob elements
being of different pre-determined widths.
10 A hob according to claim 9 including an elongate front strut member attached to
two hob elements and an elongate back strut member attached to the said two hob elements,
thereby to fix the hob elements together.
11. A hob according to claim 10 wherein at least one of the strut members includes
at least one aperture to provide venting to atmosphere.