EP2241824A1

EP2241824A1 - Unit comprising a cooking or grilling plate and a controlling field

Info

Publication number: EP2241824A1
Application number: EP10171635A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jürgen Leikam; Alwin Neukamm; Fabian Gauss; Dieter Förster
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2007-01-19
Filing date: 2007-01-19
Publication date: 2010-10-20
Also published as: EP1947390B1; EP1947390A1; ES2350405T3; DE602007008196D1; ATE476630T1

Abstract

The invention relates to a unit (1) comprising a cooking or grilling plate (2) for a kitchen and a controlling field (3), wherein the cooking or grilling plate (2) and the controlling field (3) are connected and wherein the unit (1) is arranged in a reception (4) of a kitchen's worktop (5). To facilitate the mounting of the unit into the reception of the kitchen's worktop, the invention is characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate (2) and the controlling field (3) are arranged on at least one carrier element (6), which has at least one support area (7) for the cooking or grilling plate (2) and at least one support area (8) for the controlling field (3).

Description

The invention relates to a unit comprising a cooking or grilling plate for a kitchen and a controlling field, wherein the cooking or grilling plate and the controlling field are connected and wherein the unit is arranged in a reception of a kitchen's worktop.
For some applications in the kitchen units of the mentioned kind are used. This is especially the case when a grilling appliance is employed which needs to have some control elements. In this case, a controlling field is arranged adjacent to the grilling plate itself. Both elements - the grilling plate and the controlling field - are put together and inserted as the mentioned unit into a reception which is machined into a kitchen's worktop.
It is quite complicated to assemble both parts, i. e. the grilling plate and the controlling field into the reception as it is necessary to handle different heights of the elements which in spite have to be hold in a firm position relatively to another.
Thus, the assembly and also the disassembly of the unit is quite labour intensive. So, the costs for assembly and disassembly are relatively high.
A further problem with existing grilling plates of the kind defined above is that heat and tensions are transferred from the grilling plate to the controlling field. This can cause damages.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to further develop an unit of the kind mentioned above which allows to mount and to dismount the unit in a reception of a kitchen's worktop in an easy way, so that mounting and dismounting costs can be reduced. Furthermore, it is aimed to become easier to exactly position the components of the unit relatively to another and in the reception. Finally, it is aimed for that the grilling plate and the controlling field are decoupled with regard to heat transfer and mechanical tensions.
The solution of this object according to the invention is characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate and the controlling field are arranged on at least one carrier element, which has at least one support area for the cooking or grilling plate and at least one support area for the controlling field.
Preferably, the carrier element consists of a sheet metal part, wherein the support areas are formed by edge bending of parts of the sheet metal part.
Advantageously, the carrier element has a base part which extends substantially in vertical direction when in use, wherein the support areas are arranged substantial perpendicular to the base part. Furthermore, the vertical heights of the at least two support areas can be equal or different. So, an exact relative position can be obtained in an easy way. The support areas can extend to different sides of the base part.
The unit can have two carrier elements, which are arranged at opposing sides of the unit.
The cooking or grilling plate is preferably connected to the carrier element by welding or by soldering. A further possibility of the connection of the parts is gluing.
The controlling field - preferably designed as an operating glass - can comprise a flat glass plate or ceramic plate. It can be connected to the carrier element by gluing.
Preferably, the unit is longer as the width of the reception in the kitchen's worktop. In this case an easy arrangement of the unit can be established if the cooking or grilling plate is arranged with its side regions on the kitchen's worktop; also the controlling field can be arranged with its side regions on the kitchen's worktop.
To eliminate the possibility that heat and/or mechanical tensions are transferred from the grilling plate to the controlling field a preferred embodiment of the invention suggests that a sealing element is arranged between the cooking or grilling plate and the controlling field. The sealing element consists preferably of silicone.
By the suggested design it becomes possible to easy mount and dismount the grilling plate as well as the controlling field as a unit, wherein the grilling plate as well as the controlling field are born (with one of the respective sides) on the kitchen's worktop. This can be done in that way that different heights of the mentioned components can be established.
An exact positioning of the grilling plate relatively to the controlling field is guaranteed. Also the suggested carrier elements ensure a high stiffness of the unit. This is especially the case when the grilling plate and the controlling field are arranged on two parallel carrier elements - working as frame parts - which are located in the side regions of the components.
In the drawings an embodiment of the invention is depicted.

FIG 1: shows a cross sectional view through a kitchen's worktop which has a reception in which an unit is inserted consisting of a grilling plate, a con- trolling field and a carrier element,
FIG 2: shows in perspective view a carrier element of the unit,
FIG 3: shows the carrier element according FIG 2 with attached grilling plate and controlling field and
FIG 4: shows the controlling field carried by two carrier elements arranged at the sides of the controlling field.

FIG 1 shows a sectional view through a kitchen's worktop 5. The worktop 5 has a cutout or reception 4 for receiving an unit 1 comprising a grilling plate 2 and a controlling field 3 (operating glass) for controlling the grilling plate 2. The length L_R of the reception 4 (only the left region of the worktop 5 and of the unit 1 is depicted) is a bit smaller than the length L_U of the unit 1. So, when inserted into the reception 4, the unit 1 extends a bit beyond the reception 4 and seats on the surface 12 of the worktop 5.
To form an unit 1 both parts 2 and 3 are connected to two carrier elements 6. One of the carrier elements 6 is shown in figures 2 and 3. In FIG 4 is can be seen that in general two carrier elements 6 are arranged on both sides 10, 11 of the parts 2 and 3 (in FIG 4 only part 3, i. e. the controlling field, is shown).
With reference to figures 2 and 3 it can seen that the carrier element 6 is made of a strip of sheet metal which is machined by edge bending. Thus, the carrier element 6 has a base part 9 from which two support area 7 and 8 extend which are formed by edge bending of upper parts of the sheet metal strip. When in use the base part 9 of the carrier element 6 extends substantial in vertical direction V. The support areas 7 and 8 are bended relatively to the base part 9 perpendicularly so that they form - when in use - horizontal support sections for bearing the grilling plate 2 and the controlling field 3 respectively.
Further, it can be seen that the bended sections 7 and 8 are not identical with respect to the height. The vertical height h₁ of the support area 7 (supporting the grilling plate 2) is higher than the height h₂ of the support area 8 which supports the controlling field 3.
Finally, the support areas 7, 8 are bended in different directions with respect to the middle area which is formed by the base part 9. As can be seen from FIG 3 the support areas 8 for the controlling field 3 is directed to the inner side, while the support areas 7 for the grilling plate 2 are directed to the outer side.
As can be seen in the synopsis of figures 1 and 3 it becomes thus possible to obtain an absolute horizontal arrangement of the grilling plate 2 and the controlling field 3 when positioned as the unit 1 in the reception 4. The heights h₁ and h₂ are selected in such a way - depending on the height of the parts 2, 3 - that the unit comes to a horizontal position when inserted into the reception 4.
The connection between the grilling plate 2 and the controlling field 3 is permanently, wherein welding / soldering and/or gluing can be employed.
Before assembly into the reception 4 of the worktop 5 the grilling plate 2 and the controlling field 3 can be mounted on the carrier elements 6 on a gauge. Afterwards, it becomes very easy to mount the pre-assembled unit 1 into the reception 4 of the worktop 5.
Thus, the mounting process is facilitated significantly and becomes inexpensive.
To make sure that mechanical tensions as well as heat can not be transferred from the grilling plate 2 to the controlling field 3 a sealing element 13 is arranged between both parts as can be seen in FIG 1. So, a decoupling takes place between the parts. The sealing element 13 is preferably silicone.

Reference Numerals

1: Unit
2: Cooking or grilling plate
3: Controlling field
4: Reception
5: Kitchen's worktop
6: Carrier element
7: Support area
8: Support area
9: Base part
10: Side
11: Side
12: Surface
13: Sealing element (Silicone)

V: Vertical direction
h₁: Vertical height
h₂: Vertical height
L_R: Length of the reception
L_U: Length of the unit

Claims

Unit (1) comprising a cooking or grilling plate (2) for a kitchen and a controlling field (3), wherein the cooking or grilling plate (2) and the controlling field (3) are connected and wherein the unit (1) is arranged in a reception (4) of a kitchen's worktop (5),
characterized in that
the cooking or grilling plate (2) and the controlling field (3) are arranged on at least one carrier element (6), which has at least one support area (7) for the cooking or grilling plate (2) and at least one support area (8) for the controlling field (3).
Unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier element (6) consists of a sheet metal part, wherein the support areas (7, 8) are formed by edge bending of parts of the sheet metal part.
Unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier element (6) has a base part (9) which extends substantially in vertical direction (V) when in use, wherein the support areas (7, 8) are arranged substantial perpendicular to the base part (9).
Unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the vertical heights (h₁, h₂) of the at least two support areas (7, 8) are equal.
Unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the vertical heights (h₁, h₂) of the at least two support areas (7, 8) are different.
Unit according to at least one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the support areas (7, 8) extend to different sides of the base part (9).
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the unit (1) has two carrier elements (6), which are arranged at opposing sides (10, 11) of the unit (1).
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate (2) is connected to the carrier element (6) by welding.
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate (2) is connected to the carrier element (6) by soldering.
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate (2) is connected to the carrier element (6) by gluing.
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the controlling field (3) comprises a flat glass plate or ceramic plate.
Unit according to claim 11, characterized in that the controlling field (3) is connected to the carrier element (6) by gluing.
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the cooking or grilling plate (2) is arranged with its side regions on the kitchen's worktop (5).
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the controlling field (3) is arranged with its side regions on the kitchen's worktop (5).
Unit according to at least one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that a sealing element (13) is arranged between the cooking or grilling plate (2) and the controlling field (3), wherein preferably the sealing element (13) consists of silicone.