EP0752377B1

EP0752377B1 - A packaging for gas cookers

Info

Publication number: EP0752377B1
Application number: EP19960500070
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juan Antonio Armendariz Ramos
Original assignee: Fagor Electrodomesticos SCL
Current assignee: Fagor Electrodomesticos SCL
Priority date: 1995-07-07
Filing date: 1996-06-04
Publication date: 1999-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-04
Also published as: ES1031614Y; DE69602129D1; ES1031614U; EP0752377A2; EP0752377A3

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging for the transport of domestic gas stoves or top cookers where the top burners are individually housed in particular box inside the general packaging for the appliance.

Prior Art

For the transport of gas stoves or top cookers when the burner heads are not secured to the appliance, packaging is known which includes two U-shaped polystyrene foam corner beads completely surrounding the cooker to protect it from impacts, covered entirely by a thermoshrinkable elastic sheet that fits to the surface shapes. Said U-shaped corner beads leave a square opening in the centre of the cooker where the burners are placed in their housings on the cooker tray and are secured to it with adhesive tape. This known packaging has the drawback that the burners are of considerable weight and the adhesive tape does not always withstand their movement during transport, so that some come loose and strike the enamel on the working cooker tray. The adhesives also leave cement on the burner which is difficult to remove merely by rubbing.
Another known package incorporates four corner beads to protect the cooker, each with a cylindrical housing for a burner which is subsequently covered with the thermoshrinkable sheet which wraps it completely. This is a costly solution, requiring a different mould for the production of each corner beads and with the additional drawback that the standard foam material used to make the corner beads releases particles that filter into the flame openings on the burners, creating difficulties.
FR-2607 789 describes a packaging for cooking hobs comprising two parts or half boxes made of polyestyrene, the top one having cavities to house secured the burner heads.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the invention is a packaging for the transport of gas stoves or cookers which includes two or more foam plastic beadings to protect it, a plastic thermoshrinkable sheet wrapping the corner beads and cooker, and means for securing the burners against the cooker plate to ensure that they cannot move during transport. In addition to being economical to make and usable with all size burners, they are easy to fit and remove and do not leave substances or particles on the burners which require cleaning or which subsequently affect combustion.
The means for securing the burners to the cooker to ensure that they do not move during transport are, in a embodiment of the invention, a plastic tray with several cylindrical receptacles of different diameters to house each burner individually, formed peripherally with four vertical hollow sides, in such a way that when placed in the central opening between the corner beads, fit onto the cooker grill through a skirt that extends said peripheral sides downwards, and the burner securing tray is covered together with the corner beads into the thermoshrinkable sheet which fits to the level of the upper edges of the peripheral sides, covering the central opening in the tray without touching the burner heads and preventing the burners from tipping from their housings, since the gap between the burner head and thermoshrinkable sheet is smaller than the diameter of the head.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cooker and the packaging object of the invention, without the thermoshrinkable sheet.
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the cooker and the packing along line I-I in figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the burner securing tray to hold them during transport.
Figure 4 is a cross-section of the tray along line III-III in figure 3.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

With reference to figures 1 - 4 showing a preferred embodiment of the packaging 1 which is the object of the invention for a gas stove on top cooker 2, the packaging comprises two corner beads 3 made of polymeric foam around the four sides of the cooker 2, leaving a central opening 4 where the tray 5 is placed for securing the burners 6, square-shaped and configured with four vertical sides 8 fitted onto the cooker grate 12 and also wrapped up in the thermoshrinkable sheet 7 which, when tightened, presses the upper edges of the peripheral sides 8.
The gas cooker 2 which is flat in the example described has the control panel 11 and the grate 12 for four burners, both covered by the corner beads 3, which enclose the grate at the periphery only. Two supports 13 project from the grate for the cooking vessels.
The tray 5 for securing the burners during transport is made of moulded plastic, such as polystyrene, with a wall of even thickness and thin throughout all its sections, approximately 0.6 mm thick, making it both flexible and resistant. The tray 5 is formed by said hollow vertical sides 8 which extend downwards in an outer skirt 9 which forms their hollow insides 10 into which the grate support protrusions 13 fit tightly, the tray base 14 at the halfway level of said peripheral sides 8, and a number of cavities 15, e.g. four, drawn in the base 14, where the burner heads 6 are fitted without projecting therefrom.
The thermoshrinkable sheet 7 wraps the entire stove assembly 2 and corner beads 3 above the opening in the tray 5, and once shrunk remains at a short gap 16 from the base 14 of the tray, preventing the burners 6 from falling out of their housings 15.
To remove the packing after transport, the securing tray 5 is taken out easily by placing the fingers in the hollows 17 drawn between the cavities 15, and pulling it upward easily because of its material and thickness, the tray wall is relatively flexible.
The thickness of the bottom 18 of the burner containers is the same thickness as the rest of the tray, but its surface is grid-formed to strengthen it to bear the burner head weight.

Claims

A packaging (1) for gas cookers including two corner beads (3) of polymeric foam around the whole of a cooker (2) including the periphery of a grate (12) of the cooker (2) and leaving a central opening (4) between them, a thermoshrinkable plastic sheet (7) around the cooker and corner beads (3), and inside means (5) to secure burner heads (6) to the cooker during transport, characterized in that said inside securing means (5) for the burner heads is a tray (5) made of flexible material shaped with four hollow peripheral sides (8) and a base (14) halfway up said sides and provided with several cylindrical cavities (15) of different diameters to house each burner head individually, said tray (5) being positioned in the central opening (4) between the corner beads (3), fitting on the grate (12) of the cooker by means of said hollow sides (8).
Packaging according to claim 1 wherein the tray (5) for the transport of the burner heads (6) is made of moulded plastic with thin walls of even thickness in all their sections, square shaped and, in its transverse section, rectangular, with the height of the sides (8) rising above the surface of the corner beads (3) so that the thermoshrinkable sheet can fit onto the upper edges of the tray (5) without touching the burner heads (6).
Packaging according to claim 1 wherein the cylindrical cavities (15) for the burners (6) are of a depth which is adjusted to the thickness of the burner heads, and the bottom (18) of the cavities (15) has a grid-formed surface (18) for strengthening.
Packaging according to claim 1 wherein the base (14) of the tray (5) has two central hollows (17) between the cylindrical cavities (15) to remove the tray (5) on unpacking by pulling it.