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(11) | EP 2 995 867 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A COOKING DEVICE WITH AN ELECTRICALLY GROUNDED UPPER PLATE |
| (57) The invention relates to an electrically grounded upper plate for use in ovens and
in cooktop ovens, and an electrical cooking device having said plate, and a production
method for said upper plate. Said electrically grounded upper plate comprises a profile,
which is suitable for matching with a grounding terminal, on at least one edge thereof.
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[0001] The present invention relates to an electrically grounded low-cost upper plate for use in electrical cooking devices like ovens and cooktop ovens, and moreover, the present invention relates to cooking devices having such a plate.
[0002] Electrically grounding of upper plates of ovens and cooktop ovens prevents electric shock to the user when the user contacts metallic surfaces in case there is electrical leakage on the device and moreover prevents arc formation in case gas is accumulated. Typically, the sheet, provided on the upper section of a cooking device, can be named as upper plate, and it shall be electrically grounded since it is made of metal.
[0003] A conductive extension is formed at a region of said plates where there is no user contact during use, and the grounding connections are fastened to said extension and thereby electrical grounding is provided. In order to realize grounding in some cases in the known state of the art, an additional socket is point welded to the cooktop plate and afterwards the grounding terminal is fixed to the protrusion obtained.
[0004] Again in the known state of the art, said extension is obtained by means of selecting a section of the plate where the user cannot reach during use and by means of cutting this section so as to permit bending and by means of bending the section, which is partially cut in periphery, after said cutting step. An exemplary drawing for the known state of the art is given in Figure 1. In order to provide this, a cut-out is formed on the plate sheet obtained as a plane, and afterwards, said plate is carried to the bending region in order to realize the bending process which is an additional production process, and after the bending process, the grounding extension is formed, and afterwards, the following steps of the production are applied. Reduction in the number of process steps is very important in terms of cost. In order to form only a grounding end on the upper plate of the cooking device, an additional production step shall be realized, and this leads to extension of the production process and increase in cost.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages, existing in the known state of the art, in electrically grounded upper plates for use in ovens and in cooktop ovens.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to produce an electrically grounded upper plate with reduced number of process steps compared to the known state of the art.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooking device having an electrically grounded upper plate, which can be produced with a lower cost than the devices of the known state of the art, for use in ovens and cooktop ovens.
[0008] In the subject matter invention, an electrically grounded upper plate made of metal sheet for use in electrical cooking devices is disclosed. Said grounded upper plate comprises a grounding profile which is an integrated part of said upper plate and formed on an edge of the plate so as to protrude outwardly therefrom during the first cutting of the sheet which forms the upper plate. There may be one or more than one hole on said profile used for grounding. The present invention also relates to an electrical cooking device having upper plate comprising grounding profile, and moreover, it relates to a production method for said upper plate. According to this production method, a planar plate sheet is cut so as to include an integrated profile in an outwardly protruding manner from one edge, and afterwards, at least the edge of said plate sheet which comprises the grounding profile is bent.
[0009] The subject matter grounded upper plate, for use in ovens and cooktop ovens, has been shown in the annexed figures for providing a clear understanding, and said figures are annexed only for explaining the subject matter in a better manner, and they do not restrict the present invention.
Figure 1 is a grounded upper plate used in ovens and cooktop ovens and existing in the known state of the art.
Figure 2 is (a) a grounded upper plate according to the present invention and (b) the grounding profile detail of said grounded upper plate for use in ovens and cooktop ovens.
[0010] In the present invention, an improvement is provided for eliminating the production steps in the known state of the art and thus for reducing the production duration and cost and for reducing the economic losses. The present invention provides a shortened production process for the preparation of the grounding ends of upper plates used in electrical cooking devices.
[0011] For providing grounding, the position of a profile (3) which is suitable for assembly is selected on a lower surface of the grounded upper plate (1) where the user cannot easily reach or contact. The suggested position for said part can be any edge (2) of the upper plate (1) made of sheet as can be seen in Figure 2 (a). Here, when an upper plate having the subject matter profile (3) is mounted to an oven or a cooktop oven, the profile (3) is prepared at a position which cannot be reached by the end user. The grounding cable of the cooking device is connected to said profile (3) which is present on the upper plate (1).
[0012] The grounding profile (3) is positioned so as to make an outward protrusion on an edge (2) of the plate during the first cutting of the sheet which forms said grounded upper plate (1). By means of this, the grounding profile (3) can be produced in an easier and lower cost manner so as to be an integrated part of said upper plate (1).
[0013] According to the subject matter improvement, during the production of a grounded upper plate (1), a planar plate sheet is cut such that there is for instance the profile (3) having an extension as can be seen in Figure 2(b). In a single step, the profile (3) is formed as an extension integrated to the upper plate on the upper plate (1) during cutting the sheet, which forms the upper plate (1), for instance by means of press. Afterwards, preferably a hole (4) can be formed on said profile (3). Said hole can be used for connecting the grounding cable of the cooking device to the profile (3) in a tighter manner. On the other hand, when the plate sheet which is in planar form after the first cutting is bent as can be seen for instance in Figure 2(a), said profile (3) and the hole (4) provided thereon can be matched with a male grounding terminal (not illustrated in the figures) and it can be brought into a form which is suitable for use. Since the profile is formed on the upper plate during the first cutting of the sheet which will form the upper plate, there remains no need for additional cutting and bending steps for forming the grounding extension (5) after the upper plate is produced. The elimination of a step of the production steps provides elimination of the labor and production equipment required in said step, and thereby reduces the production cost.
[0014] Thus, in the present invention, a grounded upper plate (1) is provided for use in electrical cooking devices, where the production process comprises less number of steps and production process is easier and has lower production cost, and moreover, a production method is provided for the production of said plate, and a cooking device produced by means of said method and having an upper plate is provided.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
1. An electrically grounded upper plate (1) made of metal sheet for use in electrical
cooking devices, characterized by comprising:
a grounding profile (3) which is an integrated part of said upper plate (1) and formed on an edge (2) of the plate so as to protrude outwardly therefrom during the first cutting of the sheet which forms the upper plate (1).
2. An electrically grounded upper plate (1) according to claim 1; wherein one or more
than one hole (4) is/are provided on the profile (3).
3. An electrical cooking device comprising an upper plate (1) according to any one of
the preceding claims.
4. A production method for an electrically grounded upper plate (1) for use in electrical
cooking devices, said method is characterized by comprising:
- cutting a planar plate sheet so as to include an integrated profile (3) in an outwardly protruding manner from one edge (2),
- bending the edge of said plate sheet which comprises the grounding profile (3).