AU2012331416B2

AU2012331416B2 - Gas burner assembly, gas cooking hob and gas burner appliance

Info

Publication number: AU2012331416B2
Application number: AU2012331416A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Fabio Rasi
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2011-11-04
Filing date: 2012-10-08
Publication date: 2017-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2032-10-08
Also published as: EP2589879B1; RU2014113329A; CN104024739A; WO2013064328A1; AU2012331416A1; EP2589879A1; RU2603312C2; US20140251305A1; ES2621792T3

Abstract

Gas burner assembly, gas cooking hob and gas burner appliance The invention in particular is directed to a gas burner assembly (3). It is proposed that the gas burner assembly (3) comprises a cookware support (4), and further a burner crown (5) and burner cap (6) which are attached to the cookware support (4).

Description

P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017

Gas burner assembly, gas cooking hob and gas burner appliance

Field of the invention

The invention is directed to a gas burner assembly, gas cooking hob and a gas burner appliance.

Background of the invention

Gas cooking hobs are known to be used in household or industrial gas burner or cooking appliances or gas cooking hobs. Such gas cooking hobs as for example known from EP 1 508 001 Bl, DE 100 29 632 A1 or DE 195 05 470 C2 can comprise one or more single gas burners.

In normal use, i.e. during cooking of foodstuff and the like, the cooking hobs and related gas burners will generally be soiled. Therefore, from time to time the cooking hobs and gas burners have to be cleaned. This in general requires removing the gas burners at least partially from the cooking hobs.

Removing the gas burners from the cooking hobs for cleaning purposes and repositioning them on the cooking hobs again after cleaning often is still labor-intensive. Therefore, there is still scope for improvements in particular relating to removal and repositioning of gas burners from/on cooking hobs.

Any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, at the priority date of this application.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a gas burner assembly that can easily be removed from a cooking hob and that 1 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 can easily be repositioned on the cooking hob again. Further, a gas cooking hob and a gas burner appliance shall be provided.

The present invention provides a gas burner assembly is provided which comprises a cookware support, a burner crown and a burner cap. The burner crown is attached to a lower side of the cookware support. Further, the burner cap is fixed or attached between the cookware support and burner crown. The cookware support comprises a plurality of arm-portions intersecting at a centre of the cookware support.

In securing the cookware support, burner crown and burner cap to each other, i. e. by interconnecting the three elements i) cookware support, ii) burner crown and iii) burner cap, these three elements constitute a one-part-piece that can easily be handled. In particular, the proposed gas burner assembly can be removed from a cooking hob in a single movement, not requiring several steps or actions to remove single parts of the gas burner assembly from the cooking hob. In addition, the proposed gas burner assembly can be easily repositioned on the cooking hob again. A cookware support is generally used to support or hold a cookware, a pot or pan for example, on a cooking hob. The term "upper side" of the cookware support shall mean the side on which the cookware is placed in normal use of the gas burner assembly. Hence, the lower side of the cookware support is the side averted from the upper side, facing the cooking hob when the cookware support is placed on the cooking hob. A burner crown is generally used for atmospheric gas burners, and has on an upper side of its outer rim a plurality of recesses facing the burner cap when assembled. In the assembled state, i.e. when the burner cap is positioned on the burner crown, the 2 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 recesses together with the burner cap, acting as a type of cover, make up gas ports through which a gas-air mixture can flow out. In normal use, the gas-air mixture flowing out of these gas ports is ignited and respective gas flames can be used to heat the cookware placed on a respective cookware support.

In an embodiment, the burner crown and, if applicable, the burner cap is/are detachably attached or mounted to the cookware support. In this way single components of the gas burner assembly can be readily exchanged. The burner crown can for example be attached to the cookware support by means of at least one screw, preferably with at least two screws. The at least one screw may pass through aligned openings or holes provided in the burner cap and burner crown, respectively.

The at least one screw may be screwed into the cookware support from the lower side thereof. If screw holes in the cookware support and respective holes in the burner cap and burner crown are properly aligned, all three components, i. e. the cookware support, the burner cap and burner crown, can automatically be aligned by screwing the at least one screw in a respective screw hole. Notches, pins or other elements for proper alignment of all three elements can be provided in addition.

In a further embodiment, the cookware support has at least three, preferably at least four, arm-portions, extending in radial direction from a center of the cookware support. Preferably, the arm-portions lie in a common plane and angles between adjacent arm-portions are all the same, i. e. that the arm-portions are equally distributed in said plane . 3 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 end lying distant to the center g-portion proj ecting from the arm-port ion. Prefer ably, each end distant from a respective igned as a bumper or shock-element .

Each arm-portion has on its of the cookware support a le lower side of the respective leg-portion has on its free arm-portion an end-piece des absorber and/or positioning

Note that the screws mentioned above can be screwed into the arm-portions preferably near or at the center of the cookware support.

Further, the geometry, in particular length, of the arm-portions and leg-portions is such that they spread and extend, with respect to the axial and lateral dimensions, beyond the burner cap and burner crown. This means that the cookware support is a supporting structure for the burner cap and burner crown. In other words, the cookware support carries or holds both the burner cap and burner crown from above, while burner cap and burner crown extend downwards from the lower side of the cookware support. In particular, since the arm-portions and leg-portions spread beyond the burner cap and burner crown in axial direction, the level of the burner cap and burner crown relative to the underlying cooking hob on which the gas burner assembly will be placed can be adjusted by adequately selecting the length of the leg-portions and/or end-pieces.

The bumpers and/or positioning elements can be designed such that the gas burner assembly, in particular cookware support, will not cause or leave scratches on scratch-sensitive cooking hobs, such as for example cooking hobs made from glass ceramic, stainless steel, aluminum and others. Bumpers or shock absorbers can for example be made from heat-resistant plastics or rubber materials. 4 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017

Cooking hobs, on which the gas burner assembly will be placed can comprise respective counterpart elements designed to interact with respective end-pieces, in particular bumpers and/or positioning elements, preferably for proper alignment of the gas burner assembly on the cooking hob .

In a yet further embodiment, the burner crown, which is preferably of circular or cylindrical shape, has a gas inlet, preferably a gas inlet flange projecting from the lower side of the burner crown. The gas inlet is preferably centered with respect to the lateral dimension of the burner crown. The gas inlet flange projecting from the lower side can easily be coupled with a corresponding gas outlet, probably a flange or opening provided on, in or at the cooking hob, when the gas burner assembly is put and aligned on the cooking hob. Preferably, coupling of the gas inlet and outlet is automatically achieved upon positioning the gas burner assembly to the gas cooking hob.

The present invention also provides a gas cooking hob. The gas cooking hob comprises at least one section to which a gas burner assembly as described above, including any embodiments thereof, is coupled to. Preferably, the cooking hob, more preferably, the at least one section, comprises a gas outlet, a gas outlet flange or opening for example, coupled to or at least adapted to be coupled to the gas inlet, in particular gas inlet flange, of the burner crown.

In an embodiment of the gas cooking hob, a number of positioning elements, preferably depressions, adapted and designed to at least partially couple to, preferably receive, a leg-portion and/or end-piece of the cookware support of 5 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 burner assem-ligned rela-alignment is embly, in more ng hob such respective the gas burner assembly. In this way, the gas bly can properly and quasi automatically be a tive to the cooking hob. In particular proper obtained by simply placing the gas burner ass detail the cookware support, on the gas cooki that leg-portions and/or end-pieces couple to positioning elements. urner appli s described ages and ad , reference th er P r ovid on e ga s coo di me nt s . As g as b u rner n ab o V e es a gas b king hob a to advant appliance

The present invention fur ance comprising at least above, including any embo vantageous effects of the is made to the descriptio

Brief description of the drawings

Examples of the invention will now be described in connection with the annexed figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a gas burner appliance;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective side view of a gas burner assembly;

Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the gas burner assem bly; and

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the gas burner as sembly positioned on the gas cooking hob.

Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments

Fig. 1 shows a household gas burner appliance 1 having a gas cooking hob 2 with several gas burner assemblies 3. Note that the gas burner appliance 1 and gas cooking hob 2 6 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 will be described only insofar as is necessary for understanding the invention.

The cooking hob2 comprises in total four gas burner assemblies 3 arranged in the top section of the gas burner appliance 1. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of one of the gas burner assemblies 3.

The gas burner assembly 3 comprises a cookware support 4, a burner crown 5 and a burner cap 6. The cookware support 4 has a type of a four-footed x-shape body. In more detail, the cookware support 4 has four arm-portions 7 extending in radial direction from a center 8 of the cookware support 4. The arm-portions 7 are approximately evenly distributed in a common plane spanned by the four arm-portions 7. In the present case, the arm-portions 7 are offset from each other by about 90°.

Each arm-portion 7 has on its end lying distant from the center 8 a leg-portion 9. The leg-portions 9 extend downwards beyond the lowest level of the burner cap 5.

Each leg-portion 9 has on its free end, i. e. on its end distant from the respective arm-portion 7, a rubber bumper e1ement 10.

With the gas burner assembly shown in fig. 2, the burner crown 5 is attached to the cookware support 4, wherein the burner cap 6 is interposed between the burner crown 5 and cookware support 4 and, by the attachment of the burner crown 5, the burner cap 6 is also attached to the cookware support 4. 7 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017

Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of the gas burner assembly 3. Here it can be seen, that the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6 are removeably attached to the cookware support 4 by two screws 11. The screws 11 are screwed in from the lower side into respective arm-portions 7. The screws pass respective holes provided in mutual alignment in the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6. In all, by screwing in the screws 11, the burner crown 5 and the burner cap 6 are attached in proper alignment to th e cookware support 4 .

By attaching the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6 to the cookware support 4, these three elements can be handled as a one-piece part. Hence, if the gas burner assembly 3 has to be removed from the gas cooking hob 2, the gas burner assembly 3 can be taken away in a single motion. It is not required to remove individual parts of a gas burner unit from the gas burner cooking hob 2. Similarly, if the gas burner assembly 4 has to be placed on the gas cooking hob 2 again, it can be placed and positioned in a single motion. In addition, mounting and assembly of the gas burner assembly is comparatively easy.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the gas burner assembly 3 positioned on the gas cooking hob 2. As can be seen, the rubber bumper elements 10 are in contact with the cooking hob 2. As the rubber bumper elements 10 are made from a comparatively flexible material, scratching of the upper surface of the cooking hob 2 can be prevented.

Further, the rubber bumper elements 10 also help to properly align the gas burner assembly 3 relative to the cooking hob 2 as they engage or lie in respective depressions. The depressions are arranged and designed such that the gas burner assembly 3 is automatically and properly aligned 8 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017 when the rubber bumper elements 10 lie or engage the depressions .

As can be seen from Fig. 4, a gas inlet flange 12 projecting from the burner crown 5 lower side (see also Fig. 3) is coupled to a gas outlet (not shown) of the cooking hob 2. Proper coupling of the inlet flange 12 and gas outlet is automatically obtained by adequately placing the gas burner assembly 3 onto the cooking hob 2.

In the present examples, the crown is of circular, cylindrical shape with the gas inlet flange being centered on the bottom side thereof. The upper rim of the burner crown 5 facing the burner cap 6 has a plurality of, in the present case different sized, recessions 13. The recessions 13 in combination with the burner cap 6 make up gas ports through which a gas-air mixture flows out from a chamber enclosed by the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6. The gas-air mixture flowing out of the gas ports in general is ignited, with respective lambent gas flames heat cookware placed on the cookware support 4.

In the example configuration described in connection with the figures, the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6 are attached to the cookware support 4 via screws 11. It shall be mentioned that any other type of connection is possible. In particular detachable fixing or fastening elements can be used .

Further, the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6 are shown to have a circular configuration. It shall however be mentioned, that other geometrical shapes come into question. 9 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017

Last but not least, the cookware support in the present example has four arm-portions 7, which shall not restrict or limit the number of arm-portions 7 to four. Any other configuration of the cookware support, probably also without single arm-portions and leg-portions, may be considered as well, as far as the burner crown and burner cap can be attached to such a configuration in a similar way.

As can be seen from fig. 2 and fig. 4, the cookware support 4 rests via its rubber bumper elements 10 on the cooking hob 2. The leg-portions 9 and rubber bumper elements 10 are designed such that the burner crown 5 and burner cap 6 are respectively positioned at proper height levels relative to the surface of the gas cooking hob 2. As a consequence, the burner crown 5 can be properly positioned without the need for additional spacers. Such spacers are necessary with known gas burners and generally project from the burner crown lower side, in order to keep the burner crown at appropriate levels above the cooking hob surface. In omitting the spacers, which is possible with the proposed configuration, the mass of the burner crown can be reduced. A further advantage of the proposed gas burner assembly 3 is that it can be designed with low overall construction height. In addition, burner body bowls required with known configurations for proper alignment of the burner crown can now be omitted leading to smooth and easy to clean cooking hob surfaces. Furthermore, burner caps and burner crowns as already in use can in principle be used without requiring major amendments and reconstruction work. As a further advantage it can be mentioned, that with the proposed gas burner assembly it is possible to implement burners from low nominal power to high nominal power. 10 P4710AU00 2012331416 11 Jan 2017

Where ever it is used, the word "comprising" is to be understood in its "open" sense, that is, in the sense of "including", and thus not limited to its "closed" sense, that is the sense of "consisting only of". A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words "comprise", "comprised" and "comprises" where they appear.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein

List of reference numerals 1 gas burner appliance 2 gas cooking hob 3 gas burner assembly 4 cookware support 5 burner crown 6 burner cap 7 arm-portion 8 center 9 leg-portion 10 bumper element 11 screw 12 gas inlet flange 13 recess 11

Claims

Claims

1. A gas-burner assembly comprising a cookware support, a burner crown and a burner cap, wherein the burner crown is attached to a lower side of the cookware support, and wherein the burner cap is fixed between the cookware support and burner crown, wherein the cookware support comprises hast at least three arm-portions, extending in radial direction from a centre of the cookware support, and wherein each arm-portion has on its end lying distant to the centre of the cookware support a leg-portion projecting from the lower side of the respective arm-portion.
2. A gas-burner assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the burner crown is detachably attached to the cookware support.
3. A gas-burner assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the burner cap is detachably attached to the cookware support.
4. A gas burner assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the burner crown is attached to the cookware support by means of at least one screw.
5. A gas-burner assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the burner crown is attached to the cookware support by means of at least two screws.
6. A gas burner assembly as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the or each screw passes through aligned openings provided in the burner cap and burner crown.
7. A gas burner assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, each leg-portion has on its free end distant from a respective arm-portion an end-piece designed as a bumper and/or positioning element.
8. A gas burner assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cookware support has at least four arm-portions .
9. A gas burner assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the burner crown has a gas inlet projecting from the lower side of the burner crown.
10. A gas burner assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said burner crown is of circular or cylindrical shape.
11. A gas burner assembly as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said gas inlet is a gas inlet flange.
12. A gas assembly as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the gas inlet is centered with respect to the lateral dimension of the burner crown.
13. A gas cooking hob, comprising at least one section to which a gas burner assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 is coupled.
14. A gas cooking hob as claimed in claim 13, having a number of positioning elements, adapted and designed to at least partially couple to or receive a leg-portion and/or end-piece of the cookware support of the gas burner assembly, respectively.
15. A gas cooking hob as claimed in claim 14, wherein said positioning elements are depressions.
16. A gas burner appliance comprising at least one gas cooking hob as claimed in any one of claims 14 and 15.