EP3598848B2 - Cooking hob - Google Patents

Description

Area of application and state of the art

The invention relates to a hob with several heating devices.

A well-known and very proven technology for heating devices in hobs is radiant heating devices. Such heating devices are, for example, from the DE 3613902 A1 in detail. There, a hob is provided with several identical heating devices, each with a rectangular support on which heating elements are arranged, preferably two heating elements, each with a heating conductor. The heating conductors here run in an interlocking, angular spiral shape within a jointly formed heating surface, which is delimited by a circumferential, upward-standing outer edge of the support. Several of these heating devices, for example four heating devices, can be arranged relatively close to one another in the hob in order to achieve heating that is as seamless as possible or to use the hob surface as well as possible.

From the DE 34 07 965 A1 A grill plate is known that is divided into a number of individual fields of equal size. Each individual field has a spiral-shaped tubular heating element attached to the underside.

From the EN 40 07 680 A1 is a hob with a hob plate that is divided into several rectangular areas. Each of these areas has its own heating element.

From the US 2005/0051533 A1 is a stove with a hob on the top, which has a number of heating devices under a hob plate. The heating elements are each rectangular and flat. They are electrically connected to a power supply from below.

Task and solution

From the US 4,073,970 A A flat heating unit is known which has two heating elements running in a meandering pattern. The heating elements are designed as strip-shaped heating resistors and can be made of a metal alloy with a high platinum content, for example. EP 2 133 012 B1 is a cooking device with a flat support and several regularly arranged heating elements under a cooking surface that can be used as a grill. The rectangular heating elements are thick-film heating elements and are all the same size. From the WO 2015 / 062 859 A1 Another cooking device is known with a large continuous heating plate under which several heating elements are arranged. The heating elements have different shapes and can be tubular heating elements, for example.

The invention is based on the object of creating a cooking surface provided with heating devices with which problems of the prior art can be solved and, in particular, it is possible to realize advantageous heating types with cooking vessels of different sizes on the cooking surface.

This object is achieved by a hob with the features of claim 1. Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the further claims and are explained in more detail below. The wording of the claims is made part of the content of the description by express reference.

It is intended that the heating device has a flat support with an outer edge. This flat support can advantageously be flat, but does not have to be. The outer edge can also be raised, but this is not mandatory either. In any case, the outer edge limits the support on the outside. The support has an essentially rectangular shape, in particular with slightly rounded or bevelled corners. Opposite sides are advantageously parallel to one another. The heating device also has at least two heating elements, advantageously arranged or attached to the support. The heating elements each have at least one heating conductor and together form a heating surface that advantageously corresponds approximately to the surface of the support. A heating element could also have two heating conductors. Heating elements or heating conductors generate radiant heat upwards during operation.

A heating conductor is advantageously defined by the fact that it has two ends and can be electrically connected or contacted to each of these for its operation. Furthermore, it is intended that the heating elements and/or the partial heating surfaces can be operated independently of one another. For this purpose, they can each have their own electrical connections or can be electrically contacted separately from one another. Some connections of several heating elements or partial heating surfaces can also be provided together, as is known per se for such heating devices as radiant heating devices.

The heating conductors are attached to the carrier, possibly partially embedded in an upper side of the carrier. Each heating element defines a partial heating surface, advantageously exactly one single partial heating surface. In this case, the heating device has at least two partial heating surfaces, advantageously exactly two partial heating surfaces. These partial heating surfaces lie within the rectangular shape of the carrier, specifically within the outer edge.

According to the invention, it is provided that the partial heating surfaces of a heating device do not overlap, i.e. they run separately from one another. It can be provided that a partial surface is everywhere where a heating conductor of the associated heating element runs, i.e. it is defined by it in terms of area. It is therefore also advantageously provided that no heating conductors overlap or cross each other. Furthermore, a first partial heating surface is rectangular. It extends with at least one of its outer sides to the outer edge of the carrier. or to an inner side of this outer edge if it is pulled upwards, as previously described. This at least one outer side of the partial heating surface also runs parallel to this outer edge, to which it extends directly or close to it.

Furthermore, according to the invention, the heating device has a second partial heating surface corresponding to a second heating element. This second partial heating surface covers the rest of the carrier that is left free by the first partial heating surface. It can be provided that the second partial heating surface is formed by more than one heating element or by more than one heating conductor, so that it can also be viewed as the sum of several further partial heating surfaces or is formed by several further partial heating surfaces. In any case, it is important within the scope of the invention that the first partial heating surface is rectangular. The area of the carrier that is still left free by the first partial heating surface is also covered by at least one heating element or at least one heating conductor and therefore also heats.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to create a heating device with a carrier that has at least one separately operable rectangular partial heating surface that is located on the edge of the carrier. Thus, it can be operated very well together with further partial heating surfaces of another heating device that is arranged close to it, as a so-called bridge or bridged heating device for heating suitable cooking vessels, for example elongated oval roasting pans.

Advantageously, the heating elements or the heating conductors are resistance heating elements and are designed to glow or even light up slightly when in use. They therefore heat cooking vessels placed above them using their radiant heat output. This is also evident from the above-mentioned DE 3613902 A1 known.

In an embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the first partial heating surface with two of its outer sides, which advantageously abut one another or form a corner with one another, each reach to the outer edge or to an inner side of the outer edge of the carrier. They also run parallel to it. The first partial heating surface can therefore preferably be located in a corner or in a corner area of the carrier. Then it can not only be operated together with a single further partial heating surface of an adjacent heating device as the aforementioned bridge or bridged heating device, but also or alternatively with yet another partial heating surface of yet another heating device. In particular, it can be provided in a hob according to the invention that not only at least two heating devices according to the invention are arranged next to one another in such a way that they are closely spaced. This can in particular be a distance of less than 2 cm, so that the respective first partial heating surfaces of the two heating devices are adjacent and parallel to one another with their outer sides. Four such heating devices can even be arranged in a square, and in the center, where four corners abut one another, four partial heating surfaces can also abut one another. Their corners are then only a short distance apart from each other, preferably less than 2 cm to 4 cm. These four partial heating surfaces or two adjacent partial heating surfaces can then be operated together, depending on the size of the cooking vessel to be heated.

With such a hob, it is also possible for the adjacent and parallel first partial heating surfaces of the heating devices to be congruent or parallel to one another over the same length. In this way, they create a common heating surface, which is in turn rectangular.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first partial heating surface has a square shape. In general, an outer side of the first partial heating surface can have a length of between 100 mm and 200 mm, preferably between 110 mm and 150 mm. This results in a standard size for standard cooking vessel sizes, especially when two of them are to be used to heat an elongated oval roasting pan as mentioned above. Frequently used cooking vessels with a diameter of 150 mm have an inner square with an edge length of almost 110 mm. The aforementioned roasting pans often have a length of between 250 mm and 400 mm along their greater longitudinal extent. Here, too, the aforementioned square shape in the size mentioned fits well.

According to the invention, the second partial heating surface has an L-shape, so that the first partial heating surface lies in the inner angle formed thereby. Particularly advantageously, the first partial heating surface and the second partial heating surface together form a rectangular or square surface, covering the flat support up to its outer edge or up to its inner side. As explained at the beginning, the second partial heating surface can also be formed by several separately operable heating elements or heating conductors. The second partial heating surface can preferably have legs of approximately the same width, which can, however, be of different lengths. The difference in length can be a factor of 1.2 to 2.5, advantageously 1.5 to 2.

With such a design of a heating device, a small rectangular area corresponding to the first partial heating surface can be heated separately, usually for a relatively small cooking vessel. Operating the second partial heating surface alone will generally not make sense, since cooking vessels of a corresponding shape are not common. A possible next larger area to be heated for a cooking vessel is advantageously the joint operation of the first partial heating surface and the second partial heating surface, and thus of the entire heating device. This can be used for medium-sized cooking vessels. be suitable.

For long roasting pans, two adjacent first partial heating surfaces can be heated as explained above. For very large cooking vessels or very large roasting pans, two adjacent heating devices can be fully operated, i.e. their first and second partial heating surfaces. Thus, a hob according to the invention offers a wide variety of options for assembling heated surfaces, which means that cooking vessels of different sizes or shapes can be heated as well, efficiently and quickly as possible.

It is advantageous for the carrier itself to have a specifically square shape. In this case, the first partial heating surface is also almost square or has a difference in its side lengths of a maximum of 10%. For a hob according to the invention, in a further embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that at least one heating device according to the invention is square and at least one heating device according to the invention is rectangular. They can be arranged close to one another or next to one another in order to enable heating of as many different or variable surfaces as possible in combination.

In an embodiment of the invention, an elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter can be provided on the heating device, which runs above the heating elements or the heating conductors. Such a temperature sensor or temperature limiter runs at least over the first partial heating surface, possibly also over the second partial heating surface. Since with such a heating device, as explained at the beginning, the first partial heating surface is always preferably operated, if the heating device is operated at all, it is protected against a potentially dangerously high temperature. If the temperature sensor or temperature limiter runs in an elongated form over the second partial heating surface, this can also be protected, so to speak. Here, the temperature sensor or temperature limiter can be compensated, as can be seen from the DE 3705260 A1 and above all the DE 102004058473 A1 is known through the use of different materials. Basically, such elongated temperature sensors or temperature limiters are known from the state of the art, they are also referred to as safety temperature limiters or rod regulators. In this regard, reference is also made to the above-mentioned DE 3613902 A1 which also shows it. Such an elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter is advantageously a thermomechanical component and works with thermal expansion, whereby a switch is opened or closed at a certain expansion path corresponding to a certain temperature. Advantageously, a power supply for the heating device or one of the heating elements or the heating conductor is automatically disconnected if the temperature detected is too high.

It can be advantageously provided that the elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter runs from an outer edge of the carrier over at least half the extent of the carrier in the direction of the longitudinal direction of the temperature sensor or temperature limiter itself over at least the first partial heating surface. In other words, the elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter covers at least half the area of the first partial heating surface. It can be particularly advantageous for the elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter to completely cover the first partial heating surface. In yet another further embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the temperature sensor or temperature limiter runs from an outer edge of the carrier to the opposite outer edge of the carrier, i.e. spans the entire carrier or its surface, so to speak. In this case, too, it should definitely run above the first partial heating surface so that it is protected against excessively high temperatures.

As an alternative to the aforementioned elongated temperature sensor or temperature limiter, a small or point-shaped temperature sensor can be provided on the heating device, which is also arranged above or above at least the first partial heating surface. Such a small or point-shaped temperature sensor can be pressed onto the underside of a hob plate of the hob and can measure the temperature directly here, since such rod regulators or safety temperature limiters are usually intended to monitor and limit a maximum temperature of the hob plate. Such a small temperature sensor can be formed by a PTC resistor, an NTC resistor or a thermocouple, thus enabling direct temperature measurement. Such small or point-shaped temperature sensors are evaluated electrically or electronically to determine a temperature signal, which can be used to determine whether a temperature is possibly too high.

In one possible embodiment of the invention, combinations of the aforementioned elongated temperature sensors and small or point-shaped temperature sensors, in particular with PTC resistors, NTC resistors or thermocouples, can also be formed. For this purpose, any desired placement can be provided, or alternatively the small or point-shaped temperature sensors can be arranged on an elongated temperature sensor, for example clipped on.

In an embodiment of the invention, it is possible for another such small or point-shaped temperature sensor to be arranged in the area of the second partial heating surface. It can also be arranged above it or in the same way as the other temperature sensor in the area of the first partial heating surface.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, electrical connections to a heating device are provided only on one side of the carrier, namely for all partial heating surfaces. An aforementioned The temperature sensor or temperature limiter can be electrically contacted on this side. It can advantageously be provided that the electrical connections of the first partial heating surface are spatially somewhat separated or at a distance from the electrical connections of a second partial heating surface. Different so-called connection blocks or connection plug devices can also be provided. This makes the electrical connection easier when assembling the heating device or the hob. Furthermore, the other sides of the heating device can then remain free of electrical connections that inevitably protrude beyond the outside or the outer edge. This creates the possibility that the heating devices can be arranged very close to one another on at least one, advantageously on two or even three sides, and can possibly even touch one another in order to achieve small gaps between them.

Electrical connections can advantageously be designed in a known manner with plug connections, advantageously plug connection lugs that protrude outwards from the heating device. Connection sections of the plug connection lugs can extend inwards so that the ends of the heating conductors can be welded to them.

In a hob, heating devices can sometimes even be arranged so close to one another that their outer edges touch. Especially when partial heating surfaces of two adjacent heating devices are operated together in a bridge operation as mentioned above, it is advantageous if a non-heated area in between is as narrow as possible. In this area, a raised outer edge of the support can even be thinner than in other areas where no other heating device is provided directly next to it or even touches it. In this case, the thicknesses of two such touching thin outer edges add up, which in turn can create an overall sufficiently thick outer edge. Furthermore, the lateral transfer of heat is not so disruptive here, since the neighboring heating device heated in this way is itself very temperature-resistant.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that there are two types of heating devices that are mirror-symmetrical to one another. They can then be arranged next to one another in a hob according to the invention. A center line running centrally between the two heating devices forms a mirror-symmetrical axis for the two heating devices. In this case, the first partial heating surface of each heating device is arranged towards the neighboring heating device or its first partial heating surface, so that these two lie next to one another and can have a bridging function.

In a further embodiment of a hob, the rectangular heating devices according to the invention can also be combined with other heating devices that are round or oval. For example, a left or front area of the hob can be covered with rectangular heating devices on the one hand or round or oval heating devices on the other hand, and the other area with the differently shaped type of heating device.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that in a rear area of the hob, exactly two heating devices of the same size are arranged next to one another. These are both advantageously rectangular, preferably not square. Particularly advantageously, a distance between them can be a maximum of 10 cm, advantageously between 2 cm and 5 cm. In a front area of the hob, exactly two heating devices of the same size are also arranged next to one another, preferably square. On at least the left or right side of the hob, the two heating devices are located with the outer sides of their first partial heating surfaces adjacent and parallel to one another, so that they can be easily bridged. The outer sides of their first partial heating surfaces are congruent or lie parallel to one another over the same length. A bridging function from front to back can then be provided.

In yet another embodiment of the above-mentioned design of a hob, heating devices of the same shape can be provided, in particular exclusively heating devices of a square shape. Two heating devices arranged one behind the other run parallel to each other with their outer edges facing each other, advantageously with a very small distance as previously explained. However, they are not completely congruent, but are slightly offset from each other, for example by 2 cm to 5 cm. In the corner areas of the overlapping section, first partial heating surfaces are provided, advantageously in a square shape, in such a way that they are next to each other and congruent with each other. This means that they can be easily bridged together when used together. Particularly large roasting pans can then be heated by the two fully operating heating devices in bridge operation.

In principle, heating surfaces or partial heating surfaces of different heating devices that have fundamentally different shapes can be bridged in a hob according to the invention. However, it is advantageous if only rectangular partial heating surfaces are operated together as a bridge function, even if round or oval heating devices are also provided in the hob.

Short description of the drawings

Fig. 1

eine Draufsicht auf eine erste Ausgestaltung einer Heizeinrichtung mit zwei Heizelementen, die jeweils eine Teil-Heizfläche definieren, wobei die Heizeinrichtung quadratische Außenform aufweist,

Fig. 2

eine funktional schematisierte Darstellung der Heizeinrichtung aus Fig. 1 mit einer quadratischen ersten Teil-Heizfläche und einer L-förmigen zweiten Teil-Heizfläche,

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf eine weitere Heizeinrichtung aufbauend auf derjenigen entsprechend Fig. 1 mit rechteckiger Außenform,

Fig. 4

eine funktional schematisierte Darstellung der Heizeinrichtung aus Fig. 3 mit einer quadratischen ersten Teil-Heizfläche und einer L-förmigen zweiten Teil-Heizfläche,

Fig. 5

gemäß der Erfindung eine Anordnung von zwei Heizeinrichtungen ähnlich Fig. 1 bzw. 2 direkt nebeneinander, die beispielsweise in einem Kochfeld vorhanden sein könnte, wobei die beiden ersten Teil-Heizflächen mit einer Außenseite deckungsgleich nebeneinander liegen,

Fig. 6

gemäß der Erfindung eine Abwandlung der Anordnung aus Fig. 5 mit Verwendung von Heizeinrichtungen ähnlich Fig. 3 bzw. 4,

Fig. 7

ein erfindungsgemäßes Kochfeld mit vier Heizeinrichtungen und einer Bedieneinrichtung, wobei links und rechts jeweils genau eine Heizeinrichtung ähnlich Fig. 1 und eine Heizeinrichtung gemäß Fig. 3 vorgesehen ist,

Fig. 8

ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes Kochfeld mit vier quadratischen Heizeinrichtungen und einer Bedieneinrichtung, wobei vier Heizeinrichtungen entsprechend Fig. 1 vorgesehen sind und zueinander jeweils versetzt sind,

Fig. 9

ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes Kochfeld mit vier Heizeinrichtungen und einer Bedieneinrichtung, wobei links eine Anordnung von Heizeinrichtungen entsprechend Fig. 4 vorgesehen ist und rechts zwei unterschiedlich große runde Heizeinrichtungen vorgesehen sind und

Fig. 10

ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes Kochfeld mit vier Heizeinrichtungen und einer Bedieneinrichtung, wobei vier Heizeinrichtungen mit gleicher Außenform nahe beieinander oder angrenzend aneinander vorgesehen sind, deren jeweilige erste Teil-Heizflächen eine geschlossene rechteckige Fläche bilden.

Embodiments of the invention and background examples are shown schematically in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. In the drawings:

Fig.1

a plan view of a first embodiment of a heating device with two heating elements, each defining a partial heating surface, the heating device having a square outer shape,

Fig. 2

a functionally schematic representation of the heating device Fig.1 with a square first partial heating surface and an L-shaped second partial heating surface,

Fig.3

a plan view of another heating device based on the one according to Fig.1 with rectangular outer shape,

Fig.4

a functionally schematic representation of the heating device Fig.3 with a square first partial heating surface and an L-shaped second partial heating surface,

Fig.5

according to the invention an arrangement of two heating devices similar Fig.1 or 2 directly next to each other, which could be present in a hob, for example, with the first two partial heating surfaces lying congruently next to each other with an outer side,

Fig.6

according to the invention a modification of the arrangement of Fig.5 using heating devices similar Fig. 3 or 4,

Fig.7

a hob according to the invention with four heating devices and one operating device, with exactly one heating device on the left and right, similar to Fig.1 and a heating device according to Fig. 3 is provided,

Fig.8

another cooking surface according to the invention with four square heating devices and a control device, wherein four heating devices are arranged in accordance with Fig.1 are provided and are offset from each other,

Fig.9

another cooking surface according to the invention with four heating devices and a control device, whereby on the left an arrangement of heating devices according to Fig.4 is provided and on the right two different sized round heating devices are provided and

Fig.10

a further hob according to the invention with four heating devices and an operating device, wherein four heating devices with the same external shape are provided close to one another or adjacent to one another, the respective first partial heating surfaces of which form a closed rectangular surface.

In the Fig.1 a heating device 11a designed as a radiant heating device is shown in plan view. The heating device 11a is, as is usual for radiant heating devices, arranged in a sheet metal shell 12a, which here has a square outer shape. The heating device 11a also has a carrier 13a, which is arranged in the sheet metal shell 12a and which consists of a suitable thermally insulating and electrically insulating material. A wide outer edge runs around the carrier 13a, which protrudes upwards and can be a separate part or integrally formed during production. It consists of a similar material to the carrier 13a. The outer edge 15a has rounded corners for manufacturing reasons. Except for these rounded corners, the outer edge 15a is rectangular just like the carrier 13a, or here even square. The outer edge 15a also has an inner side 16a, which so to speak delimits the top side of the carrier 13a. Likewise, the outer edge 15a has an outer side 17a, with which it largely rests against a raised edge of the sheet metal shell 12a.

Detailed description of the implementation examples

A first heating element 19a is provided on the carrier 13a, which consists of a first heating conductor 20a, namely a single heating conductor 20a. This elongated heating conductor 20a is laid in a meandering manner in two parallel tracks and has two first connections 21a, which protrude outwards through the outer edge 15a for electrical connection. In the Fig.2 it can be seen that the first heating element 19a with the first heating conductor 20a forms a first partial heating surface 1THa, which is not only rectangular, but can be considered to be square. The first heating conductor 20a runs around a raised portion 14a of the carrier 13a, so that no heating conductor and thus no heating is provided in the area of this raised portion 14a. Nevertheless, the first partial heating surface 1THa can be considered to be square according to the outer edges. This also applies to the corners according to Fig.2 , especially the upper right and lower right corners.

The heating device 11a also has a second heating element 22a, which covers the remaining surface of the carrier 13a. For this purpose, a second heating conductor 23a is laid in a meandering shape with different widths on the carrier 13a, it forms the second partial heating surface 2THa. The second heating conductor 23a of the second heating element 22a is led to second connections 24a, which in turn protrude outwards through the outer edge 15a. The second partial heating surface is, like the Fig. 2 shows, L-shaped or angled with the same simplifications as previously carried out for the first partial heating surface 1THa. Since the carrier 13a is square, and the first partial heating surface 1THa is also square and is positioned in the upper right corner of the carrier 13a, the second heating element 22a or the corresponding second partial heating surface 2THa has an L-shape with two legs of equal length and width.

The two partial heating surfaces 1THa and 2THa together form a heating surface Ha of the heating device 11a, so a total of a square area can be heated. From the laying pattern of the Fig.1 For the two heating conductors 20a and 23a it can be seen that they do not cross over, which is relatively obvious. Furthermore, the respective partial heating surfaces formed by each of the heating conductors 20a and 23a do not cross over or overlap.

On the right, a rod regulator 27a is attached to the heating device 11a, which is designed as known in the prior art. The rod regulator 27a has a rod regulator housing 28a, from which an elongated thermomechanical temperature sensor 29a protrudes into the heating device 11a or runs above the heating surface Ha. The temperature sensor 29a reaches up to the elevation 14a of the carrier 13a and is held by it against being pressed downwards. It is thus clear that in the Fig.1 the rod controller 27a only thermally monitors the first partial heating surface 1THa and switches it off if the temperature is too high, as is known from the prior art and does not need to be explained in more detail. For the Fig.2 is shown how the temperature sensor 29a could be extended with a dashed extension 29a', which then also covers part of the second partial heating surface 2THa. Thus, the second heating element 22a can also be thermally monitored, but this does not have to be the case. Here, the rod controller can be compensated as a temperature sensor, as can be seen from the above-mentioned DE 3705260 A1 and DE 102004058473 A1 is known.

The first connections of the first heating element 19a or the first heating conductor 20a are led to the rod controller housing 29 or are electrically connected. The second connections 24a of the second heating conductor 23a are held in a so-called connection block, advantageously made of ceramic material. This means that they can easily be electrically contacted from the side using a plug. The first connection of the connection block is connected to the contact of the rod controller 27a via a wire (not shown), so that when the rod controller 27a is switched, both heating elements are switched off, even if only the first heating element is being monitored.

In the Fig.3 As a modification, a further heating device 11b is shown, whereby the heating device 11b has a rectangular outer shape. A correspondingly suitable carrier 13b is inserted into a sheet metal shell 12b with a rectangular outer shape, with a raised outer edge 15b, which has an inner side 16b and an outer side 17b. A raised area 14b is also provided on the carrier 13b. From a comparison of the Fig.1 and 3 It can be seen that the heating device 11b of the Fig.3 so to speak on the heating device 11a of the Fig.1 based, with something added to the left, so to speak.

The heating device 11b has a first heating element 19b, which is formed by a first heating conductor 20b, which has first connections 21b. This first heating element 19b corresponds exactly to the first heating element 19a from the Fig.1 . A first partial heating surface 1THb formed by this is, as the Fig.4 below, is square and sits, so to speak, in the upper right corner of the entire heating surface Hb of the heating device 11 b.

A second heating element 22b fills the remaining heating surface Hb except for the elevation 14b and forms the second partial heating surface 2THb with a second heating conductor 23b, as can also be seen from the Fig.4 Also from the comparison of the Fig.2 and 4 together, it is clearly visible that in the second heating device 11b, in particular in the second partial heating surface 2THb on the left, something is added, namely to the extent that the second heating device 11b is longer in the direction from left to right than the first heating direction 11a. The second heating conductor 23b can be electrically connected to the outside with second electrical connections 24b through the outer edge 15b.

The heating device 11b also has a rod controller 27b which has a rod controller housing 28b with an elongated temperature sensor 29b. Fig.4 It is shown that the elongated temperature sensor 29b, shown dashed to the left, with an extension 29b' could reach over the entire heating surface Hb and thus also fully over this area of the second partial heating surface 2THb, which is somewhat wider here than in the Fig.1 .

From the Fig.2 and 4 it can be seen that the respective first partial heating surface 1TH could also be arranged at any other location on the carrier 13 or within its heating surface H. In this case, however, the electrical supply lines would be more difficult to lay, although this is feasible, as will be explained below.

In the Fig.5 is an arrangement 31a of two heating devices 11a according to or similar to the representation of the Fig.2 However, only the left heating device 11a is visible exactly as in Fig.1 or. Fig.2 designed, the right heating device 11a' is only designed in principle the same, i.e. with equally large partial heating surfaces. Strictly speaking, it is designed mirror-symmetrically to the left heating device 11a with a mirror axis along a center line 32a that runs between the two heating devices 11a and 11a'.

The two first partial heating surfaces 1THa and 1THa' are adjacent to one another with their sides facing each other. In this respect, they are congruent because they are also the same size. It can therefore be seen that with the arrangement 31a, several cooking vessels of different sizes can be heated or heating zones can be formed. The smallest cooking vessel can only be heated by one of the two first partial heating surfaces 1THa or 1THa'. A next larger vessel can be heated by an entire heating device 11a or 11a, for example 1THa and 2THa. A smaller, elongated or oval roaster can be heated by the two first partial heating surfaces 1THa and 1THa' in joint operation. An even larger, elongated roaster or a very large cooking pot could be heated by the two heating devices 11a and 11a' together. From the shape of the second partial heating surfaces 2THa or 2THa', it is clear at first glance that their isolated operation alone makes no sense.

In the Fig.6 A further arrangement 31b is shown, which is basically constructed similarly to that of Fig.5 On the left is a heating device 11b according to Fig. 3 and 4 Directly to the right and separated only by a center line 32b, another heating device 11b' is provided, which has the same size and the same external shape. It is, similar to the one described above, Fig.5 described, is designed mirror-symmetrically to the left heating device 11b, whereby it is possible for the two first partial heating surfaces 1THb and 1THb' to be mirror-symmetrical and to almost abut one another with their mutually facing outer sides.

In the representations of the Fig.5 ff., the thickness of the respective outer edge 15 is not taken into account when showing how partial heating surfaces or entire heating surfaces can lie against one another or can continue. However, the principle underlying the invention is nevertheless easy to understand and comprehend.

In the case of order 31b pursuant to Fig.6 can be heated with the respective first partial heating surfaces 1THb and 1THb' as previously described for Fig.5 described. The now slightly larger second partial heating surfaces 2THb may possibly enable improved adaptation to cooking vessels of different sizes.

In the Fig.7 is a plan view of a hob 35 according to the invention in a first embodiment of the invention. The hob 35 has four heating devices 11, namely two heating devices 11a or 11a' with a square outer shape and two heating devices 11b or 11b' with a rectangular outer shape. However, a hob could also have more correspondingly designed heating devices, for example six or eight heating devices. An operating device 36 is arranged in the front center, advantageously with touch switches.

In the cooking surface 35, a heating device 11a or 11a' with a square outer shape and a heating device 11b or 11b' with a rectangular outer shape are combined on the left and right and installed close to each other. They can even touch each other. It can be seen how the heating device 11a' is arranged in accordance with the Fig.5 the first partial heating surface 1THa' is placed in the upper left corner. To the right and below is the second partial heating surface 2THa'.

For the other upper heating device 11b according to the Fig. 3 and 4 The first partial heating surface 1THb is arranged in the lower left corner, and the L-shaped second partial heating surface 2THb extends to the right and above it. This means that the two first partial heating surfaces 1THa' and 1THb can again be used to form a continuous bridge for heating an elongated cooking vessel.

In the right-hand arrangement of the heating devices 11a' and 11b, the offset is chosen differently than on the left as an example of as many different arrangement possibilities as possible. The two heating devices are still directly adjacent to one another, including the first partial heating surfaces 1THa' and 1THb. However, the adjacent outer sides are no longer congruent, but are slightly offset from one another. They can still be arranged in the corners of the respective heating device, but the same heating devices 11 can be used on the left and right in the hob 35. The offset of the first two partial heating surfaces can be a little surprising in practice, but it only causes a minor thermal disturbance.

Another cooking surface 135 according to the invention according to Fig.8 has two heating devices 11a on the left corresponding Fig. 1 and 2 which are adjacent to one another, but are not congruent but are slightly offset. Their outer shape is square. The first partial heating surfaces 1THa are, however, adjacent to one another.

On the right, two further square heating devices 11a" are arranged next to each other, but offset from each other. There, a respective first partial heating surface 1THa" is formed on an outer side or abutting the outer edge, but only on one outer side. It is not arranged in the corner, so to speak. This makes it possible for the two heating devices 11a" to be arranged offset from each other and the first partial heating surfaces 1THa" not to be in the corner, but they are nevertheless arranged congruently next to each other.

From a comparison of the Figs. 7 and 8 together it can be seen that in the case of the hob 35 the Fig.7 the use of space in the hob behind the front central control unit is somewhat better.

In the Fig.9 another cooking surface 235 according to the invention is shown, in which behind a front central control device 236 on the left an arrangement 31a corresponding Fig.5 a heating device 11a and a heating device 11a is provided. In the right half of the hob 235 there are two round heating devices, namely a small round heating device 35c at the front and a larger round heating device 35d at the back. These are not divided into different partial heating surfaces at all. Due to their respective sizes they are well adapted to the available space, also due to the operating device 236.

In the further inventive hob 335 according to the Fig.10 Finally, in a heating area behind a narrow, long operating device 336, four heating devices 111a and 111a' are arranged very close to each other or abutting each other. In these heating devices 111a and 111a', which each have a square outer shape, a special feature is provided that their first partial heating surfaces 1THa and 1THa' abut each other in the middle or in the common middle area and form an essentially closed or continuous surface. They are all the same size. The diagonally opposite heating devices 111a and 111a' are identical, the others are mirror-symmetrical to them. The very large surface formed by the four partial heating surfaces 1THa and 1THa' can be used to heat very large cooking vessels such as paella pans. It is also conceivable to operate the four entire heating devices 111a and 111a' with all partial heating surfaces 1THa, 1THa', 2THa and 2THa' completely for such paella pans or the like.

The respective associated second partial heating surfaces 2THa and 2THa' are then grouped together as a kind of rectangular ring around the outside. Here too, different bridge functions or bridge arrangements and thus overall interconnections of heating surfaces or partial heating surfaces are possible in order to be able to optimally heat cooking vessels of different sizes. Technically speaking, an internal electrical connection to the first partial heating surfaces 1THa and 1THa' is somewhat more difficult or complex here, since they do not border on an exposed outside of the heating device. This can also be done by laying appropriate heating conductors. It is possible to move the heating devices 111a and 111a' far enough apart from each other to create an electrical connection option in an intermediate space. However, such a large distance poses problems that are not desired for other reasons and will foreseeably impair the bridge function due to the gaps being too large. This leaves the possibility of an electrical supply to a partial heating surface from below, or with non-glowing electrical supplies across the respective second partial heating surface 2THa and 2THa'. These can, for example, be significantly thicker and thus not heated by the same current. Alternatively, the heating conductors can be pulled straight at these points so that they are not corrugated. In this way, they glow almost invisibly. A complex connection from below is therefore not necessary. These no longer glowing heating conductors as connections for a partial heating surface can then generally be led narrowly past the heating conductors of the other partial heating surface and thus have little or no effect on this surface.

Claims (14)

1. Cooking hob (35, 235, 335) having a plurality of heating devices (11, 111), wherein two of these heating devices have:

   - a flat carrier (13) with an outer edge (15), which limits the carrier (13) to the outside,

   - said carrier (13) has a substantially rectangular shape,

   - two heating elements (19, 22) which each have at least one heating conductor (20, 23) and which together form a heating area (Ha, Hb),
   wherein

   - said heating conductors (20, 23) are fastened on said carrier (13),

   - each said heating element (19, 22) defines a partial heating area (1TH, 2TH),

   - said heating elements (19, 22) and/or said partial heating areas (1TH, 2TH) can be operated independently of one another and/or have respectively dedicated electrical connections,

   - the partial heating areas (1TH, 2TH) are situated inside the rectangular shape of the carrier (13), wherein
   wherein

   - said partial heating areas (1TH, 2TH) of said heating elements (19, 22) do not intersect,

   - a first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) is rectangular and extends, by way of at least one of its outer sides, to an outer edge (15) or to an inner side (16) of said outer edge (15) of said carrier (13) and runs parallel in relation to said outer edge (15),
   characterized in that

   - a second partial heating area (2THa, 2THb) covers a rest of said carrier (13), which is left free by said first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb),

   - the heating device (11, 111) is a radiant heating device,

   - the second partial heating area (2THa, 2THb) has an L shape,

   wherein these two heating devices (11, 111) are arranged next to one another in such a way that the respective first partial heating areas (1THa, 1THb) of said two heating devices, by way of their outer sides, are situated adjacent and parallel in relation to one another.
2. Cooking hob according to claim 1, characterized in that said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111) extends, by way of two of its outer sides, in each case to said outer edge (15) or to an inner side (16) of said outer edge (15) of said respective carrier (13) of this heating device and runs parallel in relation thereto, wherein in particular the first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) is situated in a corner of said carrier (13).
3. Cooking hob according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111) has a square shape, wherein in particular an outer side has a length between 110 mm and 150 mm.
4. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said respective second partial heating area (2THa, 2THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111) has the L shape with limbs having approximately equal width, in particular having limbs of different lengths.
5. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said respective carrier (13) of the two heating devices (11, 111) has a square shape.
6. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111) is square.
7. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective elongate temperature sensor (29) or temperature limiter of the two heating devices (11, 111) runs above said heating elements (19, 22) over at least said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111), preferably also partially over said respective second partial heating area (2THa, 2THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111).
8. Cooking hob according to claim 7, characterized in that said respective elongate temperature sensor (29) or temperature limiter of the two heating devices (11, 111) runs from an outer edge (15) of said respective carrier (13) of the two heating devices (11, 111) over at least half an extent of said carrier in the direction of said temperature sensor (29) or said temperature limiter over at least said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb), preferably up to the opposite outer edge (15) of said carrier (13).
9. Cooking hob according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a respective small or point-type temperature sensor of the two heating devices (11, 111) is arranged over at least said respective first partial heating area (1THa, 1THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111), wherein preferably a further point-type temperature sensor is arranged over said respective second partial heating area (2THa, 2THb) of the two heating devices (11, 111).
10. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least two heating devices (11, 111) are arranged next to one another at a short distance, preferably less than 2 cm, wherein in particular respectively the first partial heating areas (1THa, 1THb) of said two heating devices (11, 111), by way of their outer sides, are situated congruently or parallel next to one another over a same length in each case.
11. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said two heating devices (11, 111) which are arranged next to one another are in contact by way of their outer edges (15).
12. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said two heating devices (11, 111) which are arranged next to one another are formed with mirror-image symmetry, wherein a centre line (32) which runs centrally between said two heating devices forms an axis of mirror-image symmetry.
13. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that further heating devices (35c, 35d) are provided which are of round or oval design.
14. Cooking hob according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that precisely two rectangular heating devices (11, 111) of identical size are arranged next to one another in a rear region of said cooking hob (35, 335), preferably at a distance between 2 cm and 10 cm to each other, wherein precisely two rectangular heating devices (11, 111) of identical size are arranged next to one another in a front region of said hob, wherein said two heating devices, by way of in each case said outer sides of their first partial heating areas (1THa, 1THb), are situated adjacent and parallel in relation to one another on at least a left-hand side or a right-hand side of said hob, wherein in particular said outer sides of their first partial areas (1THa, 1THb) are congruent or situated parallel next to one another over a same length in each case.

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