EP0501934A2

EP0501934A2 - Housing for control devices of built-in cooking hobs

Info

Publication number: EP0501934A2
Application number: EP92830088A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Roberto Bertazzoni
Original assignee: Smeg SpA
Current assignee: Smeg SpA
Priority date: 1991-02-28
Filing date: 1992-02-27
Publication date: 1992-09-02
Also published as: EP0501934A3; ITMI910157U1; IT221701Z2; ITMI910157V0

Abstract

A housing (6) is provided for control devices of built-in cooking hobs (1), such control devices comprising a set of buttons, for instance of the touch type, timing and signal controls, indications of the working state of the cooking hob itself, light and/or acoustic safety devices. Inside a housing which has shape and size suitable to allow the maximum aesthetical adaptation, there are arranged movable or stationary, electronic or electromechanical devices necessary for the working of said controls which are mounted on the external surface (9) of the housing or even arranged therein. Such devices are connected, through holes formed in the cooking hob edge, to the apparatuses usually placed below the plane.

Description

The present invention relates to a housing for control devices of built-in cooking hobs, improved in the sense that the set of parts forming an interface with the outside, i.e. buttons and the like or light displays, signals etc., is arranged in a housing which allows a more free aesthetical personalization of the article, while realizing at the same time a greater safety for the user.
It is known that the controls, like knobs etc. for both gas and electric built-in cooking hobs, with electric or vitroceramic plates, are usually mounted on a side of the hob itself, at the same level thereof, possibly divided from the burners or electric plates by means of a simple protection tubular element. This does not prevent the possibility of domestic accidents due to direct burnings on the heat sources or in consequence of overturnings of the pots placed on the burners, which can occur when the user's hand has to approach said controls thus interfering with the cooking area.
By arranging said controls on the front side of the cooking hob, the possibility of such accidents is largerly avoided, but there increases the accessibility of the controls themselves by the children that can cause undesired switchings of the electric plates or dangerous gas emissions. In addition further difficulties of construction arise, as well as in arranging the controls which must be placed in a rather low position, so as to allow the respective actuating devices driven thereby, to be housed in the hollow in which the underlying oven is embedded, thus avoiding to make further holes in the external structure of the supporting piece of furniture. The consequence is an arrangement substantially level for the controls of both the cooking hob and the oven, which naturally is not advisable in order to avoid possible confusions by the user.
Thus from the above explained reasons it is seen that it is preferable to have the actuating controls of the cooking hob, as well as the corresponding timers, signals and the like, and generally everything can be defined as "interface" with the outside, placed in a position which is quite apart from the cooking points, scarcely accessible, especially by children, and which does not involve constructive difficulties, particularly modifications of the wooden structure in which the cooking hob has to be embedded, what would require the intervention of a joiner during the installation.
According to the present invention the ignition and regulation controls, as well as the corresponding signals, are mounted on a housing of any shape fixed on one of the three sides of the hob frame (the rear one is excluded), suitable to house the real actuating devices and not only the interface with the outside, without requiring modifications or additional holes on the piece of furniture, there being sufficient, for the passage therethrough of the connecting wires, holes which are already provided by the manufacturers on the metal frame of the hob itself.
In a preferred embodiment said housing consists of a tubular element similar to the one usually employed for dividing the controls from the burners area, also with an anti-overturning function.
The object of the present invention will be better explained by the following detailed description given as a non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a partial sectional view in the frame zone of the cooking hob, in which a box for controls according to the present invention is provided;
FIGURE 2 shows a perspective view of a support-housing for controls, having a tubular shape; and
FIGURE 3 shows again the same view of Fig. 2 with a tubular element portion removed to show the holes for fixing it to the frame and how the connecting wires pass therethrough.

Referring to the drawings, in fig. 1 it is shown a sectional view of a cooking hob 1, e.g. made of vitroceramics, placed on a metal support 2 thereof which has a frame 3 and is embedded in a wooden piece of furniture 4. On one of the two sides along which frame 3 is mounted on the piece of furniture 4 at the edges of an embedding hollow 5, a housing 6 of any shape is provided for the control devices, thus allowing a more free aesthetical personalization of the whole, but represented as box-shaped in the drawing. Such a housing 6 preferably extends bridging both frame 3 and wooden part 4, thus having on the latter, as far as it is possible from the burners, the controls to be operated i.e., as above said, the "interface" part of the controls themselves which comprises knobs, buttons possibly of the touch type, programmers, light and acoustic signalling devices both of the working state of the cooking hob and warning ones etc. The housing 6 contains also the real actuating devices driven by the outside and all those devices suitable to receive information from both the burners and the electric plates of the cooking hob and to signal the same to the outside again on said interface. The devices of both the types can be naturally of either electronic-static or electromechanical kind, as it is well known in the art. In any case the wires connecting said devices and the cooking areas of hob 1 will pass through suitable holes 7 provided on frame 3, again inside said housing 6, which can be possibly employed for fixing the housing itself.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said housing consists of a tubular element 6a arranged along at least one of the three working sides of the cooking hob and, as it is shown in figs. 2 and 3, along all such three sides. It can be mounted on frame 3 of hob 1 by means of support studs 8 in through holes 7a, as seen in fig. 3, which serve for fixing the tubular housing and passing the connecting wires, while having also an anti-overturning function.
It is obvious that the controls and generally the interface considered in the above can be placed on a surface portion 9, for instance a flat one as shown in a detail of fig. 2, especially if these are touch controls, displays and the like, all substantially bidimensional, while said both external-internal and internal-external actuating devices can be housed within a tubular portion 6a. As an alternative, surface 9 can form the lid whose opening causes the interior of tubular housing 6a to be accessible, which contains the controls and the like, and generally the so-called "interface", and also can contain the real actuating devices intermediary between the interface with the outside and the cooking hob.
It should be noticed that the signal and control interface could be concentrated on only one of the three sides, while the electronic and electromechanical operating devices could be arranged on the other two sides, or also the interface elements themselves could be arranged along all three sides of tubular support-housing 6a. Also in the case of the box-shaped housing 6 in fig. 1 the interface can be provided on the external surface thereof, or the whole can be closed and protected by a lid to improve the safety.
From the above the advantages of aesthetical and functional kind and concerning the safety are clear, which derive from the adoption of a housing according to the present invention for the controls of a cooking hob, which advantages could be improved at a greater extent with regard to the children's safety, by employing key operated lockings or the like for said protection lids.

Claims

A housing for the regulation and ignition controls, as well as the signalling devices and the like, generally for the so-called "interface" between the outside and a cooking hob (1) being gas operated or having electric or vitroceramic plates, with a peripheral frame (3) employed on a supporting piece of furniture (4) at the edges of an embedding hollow (5), characterized in that it is mounted in correspondence of at least one of the three sides of said frame (3), the rear one being excluded, suitable to house also the devices operated by said "interface" and intermediary between this one and the cooking hob, holes (7) being provided on said frame (3) for passing therethrough the wires which connect said intermediary devices and cooking areas of said hob (1).
A housing according to claim 1, substantially box-shaped (6) fixed to bridge both said frame (3), along a sufficient length thereof to cover said through holes (7), and an adjacent portion of the embedding piece of furniture (4) near the hollow (5) in which said cooking hob (1) is embedded.
A housing according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a tubular shape (6a) and is mounted along at least one side of said frame (3) on studs (8) inside which through holes (7a) are provided for passing the wires of connection with said intermediary devices.
A housing according to claim 3, in which the elements of said interface are placed on a portion (9) of external surface of at least one of three sides of the housing (6a) suitable to house said intermediary devices therein.
A housing according to claim 2 or 3, comprising a lid surface portion suitable to enclose and protect therein the housing itself (6, 6a), the interface elements and said intermediary devices.