EP2156706B1 - Stove top - Google Patents

Description

The invention is based on a hob according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is a hob with a cooking plate having four cooking zones, and known with a control unit, which is designed as a separate module from the cooking plate.

From the publication "Appliances from AEG" [Online] of 21 May 2006 (Electrolux home appliances, XP002487313) are known various glass ceramic cooktops, each with a different arrangement of cooking zones and control units on a hotplate.

The object of the invention is in particular to provide a generic device with improved properties in terms of a more flexible use of the cooking zones and a comfortable operation.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1, while advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims.

The invention is based on a hob with a cooking plate, which has at least four cooking zones, of which at least a first and at least one second are substantially circular, and with an operating unit, which is designed as a different from the cooking plate Baumodul.

The first and second cooking zones each have a diameter of at least about 180 mm. This can be achieved in particular a high ease of use. In particular, it is possible to simultaneously heat two cooking utensils, which have a substantially circular bottom with a diameter of at least approximately 180 mm, in the case of a control unit which can be used flexibly and accordingly requires space. The operating unit preferably has an operating element which is provided for setting a heating power for heating a cookware set up on a cooking zone. If a dimension with "approx." In particular, it should be understood that the actual measure differs by less than ten percent from the specified measure, advantageously deviates by less than five percent, preferably deviates by less than two percent, and more preferably by less than half a percent from the specified measure. A "substantially circular surface" is intended to mean, in particular, a surface which can be covered by a circle of the same size such that at least seventy percent, in particular at least eighty-five percent and particularly advantageously at least ninety-five percent of the circular surface overlap the original surface , The "diameter of a substantially circular surface" should be understood in particular the diameter of this circle. The term "structural module different from the cooking plate" should be understood to mean a constructional unit which is produced separately from the cooking plate prior to assembly of the hob and which is attached to the cooking plate during assembly. For this purpose, the cooking plate, in particular a cooking plate edge, advantageously the configuration of the operating unit is formed accordingly. In the assembled state preferably adjacent to the control unit on the hotplate. In particular, the cooking plate and the operating unit contours, which complement each other in the assembled state at least partially so that meets a bulge in the contour of a component of the same size and the same shaped bulge in the contour of the other component. The operating unit preferably has an operating surface, which is formed separately from the cooking plate. This control surface may have touch elements and / or there may be actuators, such as control buttons, integrated in the control surface. Furthermore, this operating surface may be limited by means of a frame which adjoins the cooking plate in the assembled state of the hob. In addition, the cooking zones and the control surface can lie in a common plane or in different planes. Furthermore, the operating surface may be inclined relative to the cooking plate.

The cooktop comprises a cooking unit protection device having at least one housing unit which forms at least one receiving area for receiving at least one electronic unit associated with the operating unit, and at least one shielding unit attached to the housing unit, which is provided to shield the housing unit from at least one heating element associated with the cooking zones. This can be achieved with a particularly compact design, an advantageous protection of a hob electronics and a cooktop. In particular, by installing the shielding unit on the housing unit a space can be created, which can be used for the arrangement of the first and the second cooking zone, in particular in the region of the operating unit. The electronic unit has in particular electronic switching elements, which are preferably the operating unit for manually setting a parameter by an operator are assigned and serve to forward setting signals to a control unit for controlling an operation of the heating means. A "heating means" in this context is to be understood in particular a means which is provided for heating a cooking utensil placed in a cooking zone. In particular, the heating means may be formed as a radiation body or induction coil. Advantageously, the shielding unit serves as a separating means, which separates an electronics space assigned to the operating unit from a heating space provided below the cooking plate for the heating means. In particular, the shielding unit serves to shield the housing unit and thus the electronic unit arranged in the receiving area from heat generated by the heating means. Advantageously, the housing unit can be protected from heat radiation and / or heat transport by gases, liquids or solids by the shielding unit. Furthermore, the housing unit can be shielded by a shielding unit against a condensate forming in the boiler room. The shielding unit and the housing unit can in each case in particular be produced at least partially from plastic and in particular be produced by a spraying method.

It is also proposed that the first and the second cooking zone each have a smaller distance from the operating unit than a third and a fourth cooking zone. This can be heated in particular a large cookware at a small distance to the person operating and thus made easy access to the cookware. By a "distance" between two objects is meant here and throughout the text, in particular, the minimum of the lengths of the links connecting the objects between any point of the first object and any point of the second object.

The ease of use can be further increased if the first and / or the second cooking zone have a diameter of at least about 210 mm. In a further embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that the first and / or the second cooking zone have at least a first cooking surface and a second cooking surface, which surrounds the first cooking surface in an annular manner, whereby an increased application flexibility can be achieved. For operating the cooking surfaces at least two heating means are provided, wherein a cooking surface is preferably assigned in each case a heating means. One of the cooking surfaces, in particular the second cooking surface, can optionally be operated in combination with the other cooking surface.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a third cooking zone is elongated under the four cooking zones, which comprises at least one curved part contour, which has a radius of curvature of at least about 85 mm. In this case, in addition to the substantially circular cooking zones adapted to the heating of a frying pan cooking zone can be achieved. In particular, the partial contour is semicircular. By "elongated" is meant in particular that the cooking zone has a straight main direction of extension.

According to a preferred embodiment, the third cooking zone has a first cooking surface and at least one second cooking surface which is substantially circular and has a smaller distance to at least two cooking zones other than the third cooking zone than the first cooking surface. With the described arrangement of the cooking surfaces can be a space-saving arrangement of components, which are below the hotplate and associated with the third cooking zone, can be achieved. For operating the cooking surfaces at least two heating means are provided, wherein a cooking surface is preferably assigned in each case a heating means. One of the cooking surfaces, in particular the first cooking surface, can optionally be operated in combination with the other cooking surface.

Furthermore, it is proposed that, under the four cooking zones, a further, substantially circular cooking zone has a diameter of at least approximately 145 mm, whereby the ease of use can be further increased.

It is also proposed that the housing unit has a housing remover, which forms the receiving area, and the shielding unit comprises a shielding means, which forms a slot in cooperation with the housing remover. This can be particularly space-saving effective protection of the control unit associated electronic unit can be achieved.

A further space can be saved if the shielding unit has a shielding means, which is formed integrally with the housing unit. It is also proposed that the hob comprises an air flow guide unit, which is provided for guiding an air flow flowing from a heating space provided for the heating means and is integrally formed with the shielding unit. Thus, in particular moisture by means of an air flow in a moisture-insensitive area away from the electronics unit with space-saving means be removed and it can be achieved in a particularly space-saving advantageous, adapted to the first and second cooking zone ventilation effect.

It is further proposed that the hob has a shielding means for shielding the housing unit from the heating means attached to the heating means. As a result, further protection of the housing unit can be achieved with a particularly compact design.

Further advantages emerge from the following description of the drawing. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are shown. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

• Fig. 1 eine Draufsicht auf ein Kochfeld,
• Fig. 2 das Kochfeld mit Unterbau in einem Querschnitt und
• Fig. 3 eine Ansicht des Kochfelds von unten.

Show it:

• Fig. 1 a top view of a hob,
• Fig. 2 the hob with substructure in a cross section and
• Fig. 3 a view of the hob from below.

Fig. 1 shows a hob 11 in a plan view. On its upper side, which is provided for setting up cookware, the hob 11 has a cooking plate 34, which is formed mainly of glass ceramic. A mounting frame 44; which has the shape of a rectangular edge in plan view, lies completely on three of its inner sides and partially on the fourth on the cooking plate 34. To the cooking plate 34 further adjoins an operating unit 15, which is designed as a structural module. The building module has a control surface 110, a connector 96 and more, in FIG. 2 shown substructure elements. The building module is prefabricated prior to assembly of the hob 11. and is attached to the cooking plate 34 during assembly of the hob 11. In particular, the outer contour of the connecting piece 96 corresponds to the embodiment of a recess formed on the cooking plate 34, which serves as a receiving region for receiving the operating unit 15.

In the assembled state, the cooking plate 34 and the operating unit 15 form a rectangle, which is completely surrounded by the inside of the rectangular edge of the mounting frame 44. The side of the rectangular edge, which rests incomplete on the hotplate and in the plan view of FIG. 1 forming the lower side is referred to herein as the "lower" side, the opposite side as the "upper" side. The rectangle is divided by its bisector in four quadrants. The quadrants, which lie in the plan view on the left side of the bisector of the upper side, form a left side, the two remaining one right side. The rectangle formed by the cooking plate 34 and the operating unit 15 has a dimension of 560 mm in a length L which extends parallel to the lower side of the mounting frame 44 and 500 mm in a width B. The connecting piece 96 and the mounting frame 44 surround the contour of the control surface 110 completely. The operating unit 15 has schematically illustrated operating elements 66, which are designed as touch panels and / or as control buttons integrated in the operating surface 110, and a display unit 68. The operating surface 110 is a flat surface, which is parallel to the upper side, ie the footprint of the cooking plate 34, aligned.

The cooking plate 34 includes cooking zones 72, 74, 76, 78, which are provided for setting up and heating cooking utensils. The operating elements 66 can be used for switching on and off and for controlling a heating power of heating means 18. These heating means 18, which are each associated with one of the cooking zones 72, 74, 76, 78 or are arranged below one of the cooking zones 72, 74, 76, 78 (see FIG FIG. 2 ), are each provided for heating by a in a cooking zone 72, 74, 76 and 78 parked cookware. The display unit 68 serves to output information to an operator and in particular to display a heating level of the heating means 18.

The cooking zones 72, 74, 76, 78 are arranged in pairs without overlapping on the cooking plate 34 and shaped differently. Furthermore, each quadrant is assigned a cooking zone. A first cooking zone 72 has a diameter of 180 mm and is associated with the left lower quadrant. A second cooking zone 74 is in the lower right Quadrants arranged. The cooking zones 72 and 74 are arranged in the front region of the cooking plate 34, ie they have a smaller distance to the operating unit 15 than the remaining cooking zones 76, 78. The cooking zone 74 has a diameter of 210 mm. It is formed by two cooking surfaces 92, 94. The cooking surface 92 is formed as a circle and the cooking surface 94 is designed as a circular ring which is arranged concentrically with the circular cooking surface 92. Furthermore, the cooking surfaces 92 and 94 are arranged without overlapping and it is the cooking surfaces 92, 94 each associated with a heating means 18. Here, the cooking surface 92 can be heated either individually or in combination with the cooking surface 94. The third cooking zone 78 is located in the upper left quadrant. The cooking zone 78 is designed as a roaster zone and is formed by cooktops 88 and 90, to each of which a heating means 18 is assigned. Here, the cooking surface 90 can be heated either individually or in combination with the cooking surface 88. The cooking surface 90 is circular in shape with a diameter of 170 mm and has at least a portion which is arranged along a direction parallel to the upper side of the rectangular edge between the bisector of this upper side and the other cooking surface 88. In this case, it has a smaller distance to at least two other cooking zones 74, 76 compared to the first cooking surface 88. The cooking surface 88 completes the cooking surface 90 to a surface which forms the third cooking zone 78. The surface of the cooking zone 78 is swept by the cooking surface 90 in an imaginary displacement parallel to the upper edge of the mounting frame 44 by at least about the simple radius, in particular about 1.2 times the radius of the cooking surface 90, is moved to the left , The fourth cooking zone 76 is also circular in shape with a diameter of 145 mm. All cooking zones are each assigned a sensor unit 80, 82, 84, 86, which is arranged below the cooking plate 34.

FIG. 2 shows the hob 11 with a base 13 in a cross section perpendicular to the cooking plate 34. The base 13 is located below the cooking plate 34 and is completed by the mounting frame 44 to the environment of the hob 11, for example, to a worktop out. Furthermore, the base 13 is delimited by a cover 38 down. The substructure 13 has two subspaces, namely a heating chamber 48 and an electronics compartment 50. In the heating chamber 48, the heating means 18 and further components 17, shown schematically in the FIGURE, are arranged, while the electronics compartment 50 is assigned to the operating unit 15 is. The hob 11 is provided with a cooking unit protection device 9, which serves to the electronics compartment 50 relative to the heating chamber 48, in particular against in a cooking process of the heating means 18 heat and moisture generated, protect. For this purpose, the cooking unit protection device 9, a shielding unit 16 which separates the heating chamber 48 and the electronics compartment 50 from each other. The shielding unit 16 comprises a shielding element 20 and a shielding means 26. A housing unit 10 is arranged in the electronics space 50. The housing unit 10 has a housing remover 22 which forms a receiving area 12 for receiving an electronic unit 14. The remodeling means 22 is H-shaped in cross-section. Upper legs 54, 56 of the H-shape point upwards. Lower legs 58, 60 of the H-shape point downwards. The upper leg 54 is located on the heating chamber 48 side facing the H-shape, the upper leg 56 is located on the side facing away from the heating chamber 48 side of the H-shape. Accordingly, the lower leg 60 is located on the heating chamber 48 side facing the H-shape, the lower leg 58 is located on the side remote from the heating chamber 48 side of the H-shape. A connecting piece 62 connects the legs 54, 56, 58, 60. The two upper legs 54, 56 of the H-shape are compared to the two lower legs 58, 60 shortened.

The shielding means 26 extends perpendicular to the cooking plate 34 in a straight manner. The shielding means 26 and the upper leg 54 are connected via a connecting piece 64. The shielding means 26 and the lower leg 60 are parallel to each other. The shielding means 26 forms together with the connecting piece 64 and the lower leg 60 a slot 24 which extends perpendicular to the cooking plate 34. The shielding means 26 and the sheathing means 22, in particular the legs 54, 60, form a double wall of the housing unit 10 facing the heating chamber 48. The shielding means 26 and the sheathing means 22 respectively cover the receiving area 12 in a substantially horizontal direction towards the heating means 18.

The remover 22, the connector 64 and the shielding 26 form a one-piece unit. The remodeling means 22 and the shielding means 26 may in particular be made of one piece. In an alternative embodiment variant, the shielding means 26 and the housing unit 10 may be made separate from one another as different building units. In this case, the shielding means 26 is advantageously fastened to the housing unit 10 prior to assembly in the substructure 13 of the hob 11.

In addition, an additional shielding means 106 is attached to the heating means 18. Among the components 17, a non-illustrated insulating layer is further provided in the form of an insulating ring, which serves in particular to further protect the Umhausungseinheit 10. The insulating ring has a cross-section of a thickness of about 2 cm.

The upper leg 54, the connecting piece 62 and the upper leg 56 encase a receiving space 28. The receiving space 28 is U-shaped in cross section open at the top and is covered at the top by a control surface 110 forming the plate 108 of the control unit 15. The receiving space 28 is sealed by the shielding member 20 against the surrounding space and especially against the heating chamber 48 and protected from heat generated during a cooking process. The shielding element 20 is formed as a silicone foam. The lower legs 58, 60 and the connector 62 envelop the receiving area 12. This is U-shaped in cross-section downwardly open and is covered by the cover 38 down. The receiving area 12 and the receiving space 28 are from the shielding unit 16 and the housing remover 22 from heat from the heating chamber 48, which is developed in a cooking process, and against moisture, which is condensed during a cooking process in the heating chamber 48 and partially transported by a stream of air, protected. A subset of the moisture may be dissipated downwardly through apertures 42 in the cover means 38 by an air flow guided by an air flow guide unit 36 integrally formed with the shield unit 16 (see also Figs FIG. 3 ). The air flow guide unit 36 is formed by portions of the shielding unit 16, namely the shielding means 26, each projecting into one of the openings 42 and, as also FIG. 3 can be seen, protrude from the cover 38. Furthermore, condensed moisture can run down the air flow guide unit 36 and in particular be transported away from the air flow.

With the help of a tab 46, the remodeling means 22 is connected to the mounting frame 44. In this case, the shielding element 20 is pressed against the underside of the plate 108 by a clamping force. The shielding member 20 is adhered to the plate 108 without sticking. The shielding element 20 is mounted on the housing unit 10 and in particular on the connecting piece 64 and the upper leg 56.

In the receiving space 28, an electronics unit 31 is arranged. The electronics unit 31 comprises the display unit 68, which has an operating stage of the cooking zones 72, 74, 76, 78 for display a user visibly. For this purpose, the plate 108 is formed transparent at least in the region of the display unit 68. In addition, the electronic unit 31 has capacitive components 70 which register the operation of a control element 66 designed as a touch element and forward it to control electronics for controlling the heating means 18. The receiving area 12 has an electronics unit 14, which is designed as a relay unit with a printed circuit board.

FIG. 3 shows a view of the hob 11 from below. The cover means 38 covers the heating chamber 48, which is indicated by an arrow, and the electronics compartment 50, which is also indicated by an arrow. From the cover 38, a set of openings 42 is recessed along the circumference of the electronics compartment 50, which are separated from each other for reasons of stability. Through these openings 42 protrude, as above with reference to FIG. 2 described, continued portions of the shielding unit 16, which form the air flow guide unit 36. reference numeral 9 Cooking unit protector 56 upper leg 58 lower thigh 10 Umhausungseinheit 60 lower thigh 11 hob 62 joint 12 reception area 64 joint 13 substructure 66 operating element 14 electronics unit 68 display unit 15 operating unit 70 capacitive component 16 shielding 72 cooking zone 17 module 74 cooking zone 18 heating 76 cooking zone 20 shielding 78 cooking zone 22 housing means 80 sensor unit 24 slot 82 sensor unit 26 screening 84 sensor unit 28 accommodation space 86 sensor unit 31 electronics unit 88 Cooktop 34 hotplate 90 Cooktop 36 Airflow unit 92 Cooktop 38 covering 94 Cooktop 42 opening 96 joint 44 mounting frame 106 screening 46 flap 108 plate 48 boiler room 110 operating surface 50 electronics compartment L length 54 upper leg B width

Claims (11)

1. Stove top having a hotplate (34) which has at least four cooking zones (72, 74, 76, 78), of which at least one first cooking zone and at least one second cooking zone are designed to be substantially circular in shape, wherein the first and the second cooking zone (72, 74) each have a diameter of at least approx. 180 mm, and having a control unit (15), characterised in that the control unit (15) is designed as a module which is different from the hotplate (34) and which represents a unit which was manufactured separately from the hotplate (34) before the assembly of the stove top and was attached to the hotplate during the assembly, and that the stove top comprises a cooking unit protective device (9) with at least one housing unit (10) which forms at least one receiving region (12) for receiving at least one electronics unit (14) associated with the control unit (15), and at least one shield unit (16) attached to the housing unit (10), said shield unit (16) being provided to shield the housing unit (10) from at least one of the heating means (18) associated with one of the cooking zones (72, 74, 76, 78).
2. Stove top according to claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the first and the second cooking zone (72, 74) are each a smaller distance away from the control unit (15) than are a third and a fourth cooking zone (76, 78).
3. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the first and/or the second cooking zone (72, 74) have a diameter of at least approx. 210 mm.
4. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first and/or the second cooking zone (72, 74) have at least a first cooking surface (92) and a second cooking surface (94) which annularly surrounds the first cooking surface (92).
5. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a third cooking zone (78) is designed to be elongated and comprises at least one curved partial contour having a radius of curvature of at least approx. 85 mm.
6. Stove top according to claim 5,
   characterised in that
   the third cooking zone (78) has a first cooking surface (88) and at least a second cooking surface (90) which is designed to be substantially circular and is a smaller distance away from at least two cooking zones (74, 76) different to the third cooking zone (78) than is the first cooking surface (88).
7. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a further substantially circular cooking zone (76) has a diameter of at least approx. 145 mm.
8. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing unit (10) has a housing means (22) which forms the receiving area (12), and the shield unit (16) comprises a shield means (26) which interacts with the housing means (22) to form a slot (24).
9. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the shield unit (16) has a shield means (26) which is formed in one piece with the housing unit (10).
10. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by an air flow guide unit (36) which is provided for guiding an airflow flowing out of a heating chamber (48) provided for the heating means (18) and which is formed in one piece with the shield unit (16).
11. Stove top according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by a shield means (106) for shielding the housing unit (10) from the heating means (18) and which is attached to the heating means (18).

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