EP4698825A1

EP4698825A1 - Connection apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4698825A1
Application number: EP24823825.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ergin Kaplan; Ayberk Salim MAYIL
Original assignee: Renta Elektrikli Ev Aletleri Sanayi Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd Sirketi; Renta Elektrikli Ev Aletleri Sanayi Ve Dis Ticaret LS
Current assignee: Renta Elektrikli Ev Aletleri Sanayi Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd Sirketi; Renta Elektrikli Ev Aletleri Sanayi Ve Dis Ticaret LS
Priority date: 2023-06-12
Filing date: 2024-05-28
Publication date: 2026-02-25
Also published as: TR2023006843A1; WO2024258381A1

Abstract

Our invention relates to a connection apparatus (1), which allows the mounting of a cooking hob in a mounting zone, is able to be easily attached to and detached from said cooking hob any time desired, is able to be used without having to perform any dismantling operation in said cooking hob, and comprises a first portion (2) and a second portion (3) to fix said cooking hob into said mounting zone.

Description

DESCRIPTION

CONNECTION APPARATUS

Technical Field

The invention relates to a connection apparatus usable in the cooking hobs.

More specifically, the invention relates to a connection apparatus, which enables a cooking hob to be mounted in a mounting zone with the help of a first portion and a second portion.

State of the Art

A built-in component is defined as an installation, article, etc. placed into a cavity or housing, and such components are mainly used today for positioning the white goods in certain zones of a kitchen. Positioning (embedding) a dishwasher under the kitchen worktop and positioning (embedding) a cooking hob on the kitchen worktop are examples of the built-in practices.

Various materials and methods are employed for positioning (embedding) a cooking hob on a kitchen worktop available in a kitchen. The document no. EP2110607A1 discloses the fastening elements arranged at the outer portions of a cooking hob. Here, the first portion of the fastening element (the portion entering between the hob metal surface and the hob glass surface) is applied by gluing the same.

The document no. US11175049B2 discloses a combination of a fixing member and a support member for a cooking hob to be mounted on a worktop. It is aimed to prevent the cooking hob from moving out of its location, by positioning the fixing member on the support member. According to said document, the serrated end structures are available at the free end of the fixing member in order to reinforce the mounting of the cooking hob. An upward-extending end portion is available between said serrated end structures. A protruding member structure is available in an opening located in the middle parts of the restricted end. Said protruding member penetrates the lower part of a strip in the support member. An elastic portion structure configured with “V” geometry is available, arranged horizontally along the full length in the upper side of the restricted end and in said upper side. Said elastic portion penetrates the upper part of said strip. Then, said end portion is wedged in the worktop with the help of a tool/implement and said serrated ends are enabled to abut the worktop. However, our invention does not include any serrated end structure and any end structure that extends upward from between the serrated ends. Moreover, according to said document, said upward-extending end structure is wedged in the worktop with the help of a tool/implement during the mounting of the cooking hob. This causes an extra cost for the hand tool/implement that is used and an extra workload for the user due to the generation of an additional mounting process. However, our invention does not use any hand tool/implement.

The document no. DE102008017776A1 discloses the spring elements made from resilient sheet metal for positioning a cooking hob in a recess available on a worktop. Said spring elements are configured in a way integral with the metal surface of the cooking hob. That the metal surface and the spring elements are arranged in an integral manner may cause difficulty when forming a mold. On the other hand, that the spring elements and the metal surface are arranged in an integral manner means the inability to detach the spring elements when desired. In such a case, it will not be possible to replace any of the spring elements when it becomes damaged.

Consequently, when the above-mentioned drawbacks are considered, the need for our invention becomes evident.

Object and Brief Description of the Invention

An object of the invention is to enable a cooking hob to be mounted in a mounting zone.

Another object of the invention is to enable a connection apparatus to be mounted to a cooking hob with or without the use of the fixing parts like screws, etc.

Another object of the invention is to enable the connection apparatus to be easily detached and reattached whenever desired.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure-1 An angular rear perspective view of the connection apparatus

Figure-2 An angular front perspective view of the connection apparatus

Figure-3 An angular front perspective view of the connection apparatus showing different portions of said connection apparatus

Figure-4 An exploded perspective view of the connection apparatus and the intermediate tray

Figure-5 An angular perspective view of the connection apparatus and the intermediate tray

Figure-6 An angular perspective view of the mounting of the connection apparatus to the intermediate tray and the lower tray Reference Numerals

1 Connection apparatus

2 First portion

2.1 Upper tab

2.2 Lower tab

2.3 Mounting hole

2.4 Bending point

3 Second portion

3.1 Fixing gap

4 Intermediate tray

4.1 First side

4.2 Recess

4.3 Tray mounting hole

4.4 Seat

5 Lower tray

5.1 Second side

5.2 Slit

6 Flexing gap

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a one-piece connection apparatus (1) usable in the cooking hobs. More specifically, the invention relates to a connection apparatus (1), which allows the mounting of a cooking hob in a mounting zone, is able to be easily attached to and detached from said cooking hob any time desired and is able to be used without having to perform any dismantling operation in said cooking hob. The connection apparatus according to the present invention allows easy mounting owing to its one-piece structure.

The cooking hobs are the devices generally used to cook and heat the food and have types such as electric hobs, gas hobs, induction hobs, etc. Said cooking hobs are mainly used in the kitchens of houses. Said cooking hobs may be attached to a mounting zone in a kitchen. Here, the mounting zone may be a kitchen worktop. The worktop refers to a surface inside a kitchen that is mainly used for preparing food. While it is possible to position the cooking hobs at a location on the worktop, it is also possible to mount the same in a recess made in the worktop. The present invention relates to a connection apparatus (1), which enables a cooking hob to be mounted in a mounting zone. Moreover, said connection apparatus (1) may be connected to said cooking hob with or without the use of a fixing part (screw, etc.).

Said connection apparatus (1) basically consists of two main parts, namely at least one first portion (2) and at least one second portion (3). Said first portion (2) has the structures of at least one upper tab (2.1), at least one lower tab (2.2), at least one mounting hole (2.3), and at least one bending point (2.4). The second portion (3) has at least one fixing gap (3.1). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said cooking hob comprises at least one intermediate tray (4), which carries and houses the heater members, and at least one lower tray (5), which is positioned below said intermediate tray (4) and which houses and carries the electronic components. Said intermediate tray (4) has at least one first side (4.1), at least one recess (4.2), at least one tray mounting hole (4.3), and at least one seat (4.4). Another embodiment of the invention involves the case where the surface of the cooking hob is one piece. It is possible to use the connection apparatus (1) in such a scenario as well.

The mounting zone refers to the location where the cooking hob is to be mounted (e.g., the kitchen worktop, furniture, etc.). In order to facilitate the description, the directions will be named as the cooking hob side and the mounting zone side. Here, the cooking hob side refers to the direction where the cooking hob is present, while the mounting zone side refers to the direction where the mounting zone is present.

Said first portion (2) enables said connection apparatus (1) to be fixed/attached to the cooking hob. The first portion (2) serves the function of a body for the connection apparatus (1). Said upper tab (2.1) is preferably configured on the right and left of the upper side of said first portion (2). Said upper tab (2.1) is formed by bending the upper side/end of said first portion (2) in such a way that it faces said lower tab (2.2) at a certain angle, preferably at an acute angle to enable the same to easily remain suspended and fixed, and towards the side of the connection apparatus (1) facing the cooking hob. Preferably, said upper tabs (2.1) are configured in a quantity of two on the upper side of said first portion (2), one being located at one end of the upper side and the other located at the other end of the upper side. While said upper tab (2.1) in the preferred embodiment of the invention fits in the recess (4.2) that is available in the upper part of the side in said intermediate tray (4), it is also possible to position the same only on the first side (4.1). Said lower tab (2.2) is formed by bending a section taken from a region of said first portion (2) or from a region where the first portion (2) and the second portion (3) follow one another, towards the side of the connection apparatus (1) facing the cooking hob. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said lower tab (2.2) is configured to face said upper tab (2.1) and to be perpendicular to said first portion (2). Said lower tab (2.2) is located between said mounting hole (2.3) and said bending point (2.4) and is positioned parallel to said upper tab (2.1). Moreover, in order to balance the center of gravity of said first portion (2), said lower tab (2.2) is configured to be aligned with the middle of said upper tabs (2.1). Said lower tab (2.2) passes through a slit (5.2) located on a second side (5.1) of said lower tray (5) and clings to a seat (4.4) on the bottom of said intermediate tray (4). Said mounting hole (2.3) is configured as a gap at any point on the first portion (2) and is, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, configured in a section between the upper tab (2.1) and the lower tab (2.2). In the case of optionally reinforcing the mounting of said cooking hob in a mounting zone, said mounting hole (2.3) houses a fixing part (screw, etc.). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said mounting hole (2.3) is optional, and there is one mounting hole (2.3) for each connection apparatus (1). Said bending point (2.4) refers to the point where said first portion (2) and said second portion (3) join. In other words, the bending point (2.4) is the part that allows the formation of a first portion (2) and a second portion (3) by way of bending at a point of the connection apparatus (1).

Said second portion (3) extends at a certain angle from said bending point (2.4). The second portion (3) has a fixing gap (3.1). Said fixing gap (3.1) is configured on the upper side of said second portion (3) and is preferably configured to extend from the upper side of the second portion

(3) to the middle locations of the second portion (3). In the case of optionally reinforcing the mounting of said cooking hob in a mounting zone, said fixing gap (3.1) allows the user to perform the operations more easily when attaching and detaching a fixing part (screw, etc.) passed through a mounting hole (2.3) present in the first portion (2). Moreover, said fixing gap (3.1) provides greater flexibility to said second portion (3). The ends of said second portion (3) are configured towards the cooking hob side and in a way to face said bending point (2.4) at a certain angle. More specifically, said second portion (3) extends at a certain angle from the bending point (2.4) to the mounting zone side and enables, owing to its structure capable of flexing, said cooking hob to be fixed into said mounting zone by way of being compressed.

The sides of the cooking hob where the connection apparatus (1) is to be fitted comprise an intermediate tray (4) and a lower tray (5) in order to enable said connection apparatus (1) to be attached/fastened. Said intermediate tray (4) is located between the hob glass surface and said lower tray (5) and provides the connection between the glass surface and the lower tray (5). Said first sides (4.1) form said intermediate tray (4) by joining a base with certain geometry. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said intermediate tray (4) comprises at least four first sides (4.1). Said recess (4.2) is present on said first sides (4.1), where the connection apparatus (1) is to be fitted, and is preferably configured in the upper part of said first sides (4.1). Said recess (4.2) houses the upper tabs (2.1) in said first portion (2). While the connection apparatus (1) according to the invention may be attached to said first side (4.1) also in the absence of said recess (4.2), it is preferred to use the recess (4.2) in the preferred embodiment of the invention. Said tray mounting hole (4.3) is preferably configured on the first sides (4.1) of said intermediate tray (4), where the connection apparatus (1) is to be fitted, with a view to enabling better mounting of said connection apparatus (1) to said intermediate tray (4) and thus better mounting of the cooking hob to the mounting zone. In the case of optionally reinforcing the mounting of said connection apparatus (1) to a mounting zone, said tray mounting hole (4.3) houses a fixing part (screw, etc.) passed through a mounting hole (2.3) present in the first portion (2). Said seat (4.4) is configured on the bottom of said intermediate tray (4), preferably near the first sides (4.1). Said seat (4.4) houses said lower tab (2.2) and is preferably configured with a geometry allowing said lower tab (2.2) to cling.

Said lower tray (5) is the lowermost layer of the cooking hob. Said second sides (5.1) join one another to form the lower tray (5). In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are present at least four second sides (5.1). Said slit (5.2) is preferably configured in the upper part of the second sides (5.1) where the connection apparatus (1) is to be fitted. Said slit (5.2) houses the lower tab (2.2) present in said first portion (2) and is configured in a way allowing the engagement of said lower tab (2.2).

Said flexing gap (6) is configured as a gap by taking a section from a region where the first portion (2) and the second portion (3) follow one another and is preferably configured from below said lower tab (2.2) towards said fixing gap (3.1). Said flexing gap (6) provides flexibility to said connection apparatus (1).

The connection of a cooking hob, which comprises said structures of intermediate tray (4) and lower tray (5), with said mounting zone with the help of said connection apparatus (1) is achieved owing to the components of at least one upper tab (2.1), which fits in a recess (4.2) configured in the upper part of said first side (4.1), at least one lower tab (2.2), which passes through a slit (5.2) present on a second side (5.1) of said lower tray (5) and clings to a seat (4.4) on the bottom of said intermediate tray (4), and at least one second portion (3), which is compressed into the mounting zone to thus allow the cooking hob to be securely fixed by means of the connection apparatus (1). In a different embodiment of the invention, said structures of intermediate tray (4) and lower tray (5) are configured in a way to form a single one-piece surface.

The orientation or positional relationship indicated in this description by the terms “upper”, “lower”, “rear”, “left” and “right” is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the figures and is intended only to clarify the technical solution and facilitate the description. The orientation or positional relationship does not imply or indicate that the respective device or element requires a specific orientation or is built and operated in a specific orientation, and thus, said orientation or positional relationship may not be construed as a limitation of the invention.

Claims

1. A one-piece connection apparatus (1), which allows the mounting of a cooking hob in a mounting zone, is able to be easily attached to and detached from said cooking hob any time desired, is able to be used without having to perform any dismantling operation in said cooking hob, and comprises at least one second portion (3) that extends at a certain angle from at least one bending point (2.4) to said mounting zone side and that enables, owing to its structure capable of flexing, the cooking hob to be fixed into the mounting zone by way of being compressed, characterized in that, in order to enable said connection apparatus (1) to be connected with the cooking hob, a first portion (2) serving the function of a body in the connection apparatus (1) comprises the components of

— at least one lower tab (2.2) formed by bending a section taken from a region where said first portion (2) and said second portion (3) follow one another, towards the side of the connection apparatus (1) facing the cooking hob, and

— at least one upper tab (2.1) formed by bending the upper side/end of the first portion (2) in a way that it faces the lower tab (2.2) at a certain angle and towards the side of the connection apparatus (1) facing the cooking hob.

2. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one first portion (2) and at least one second portion (3).

3. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 2 characterized in that said first portion (2) comprises at least one upper tab (2.1) and at least one lower tab (2.2).

4. A connection apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least two upper tabs (2.1) configured in the upper side of said first portion (2), one being located at one end of the upper side and other being located at other end of the upper side.

5. A connection apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that, in order to balance the center of gravity of said first portion (2), said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one lower tab (2.2) positioned to be aligned with the middle of said upper tabs (2.1).

6. A connection apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said first portion (2) comprises at least one mounting hole (2.3) for housing a fixing part.

7. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one bending point (2.4), which allows the formation of said first portion (2) and said second portion (3) by way of bending at a point of said connection apparatus (1) and which is a junction.

8. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that the ends of said second portion (3) are configured towards the cooking hob side and in a way to face said bending point (2.4) at a certain angle.

9. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that said second portion

(3) comprises at least one fixing gap (3.1) for housing a fixing part.

10. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that, in order to provide flexibility, said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one flexing gap (6) formed by taking a section from a region where the first portion (2) and the second portion (3) follow one another.

11. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that said cooking hob comprises at least one intermediate tray (4) and at least one lower tray (5).

12. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 11 characterized in that said intermediate tray (4) comprises at least four first sides (4.1).

13. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 12 characterized in that said intermediate tray (4) comprises at least one seat (4.4) configured on the bottom of said intermediate tray

(4) and configured with a geometry allowing said lower tab (2.2) to cling.

14. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 11 characterized in that said lower tray (5) comprises at least one slit (5.2) configured in the upper part of said second sides (5.1) where the connection apparatus (1) is to be fitted and configured with a geometry allowing the engagement of said lower tab (2.2).

15. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 11 , 12, 13 or 14 characterized in that, in order to enable the connection of a cooking hob, which comprises said structures of intermediate tray (4) and lower tray (5), with said mounting zone with the help of said connection apparatus (1), said connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one upper tab (2.1), which fits in a recess (4.2) configured in the upper part of said first side (4.1), at least one lower tab (2.2), which passes through a slit (5.2) present on a second side (5.1) of said lower tray (5) and clings to a seat (4.4) on the bottom of said intermediate tray (4), and at least one second portion (3), which is compressed into the mounting zone to thus allow the cooking hob to be securely fixed by means of the connection apparatus (1).

16. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 11, 12, 13 or 14 characterized in that said structures of intermediate tray (4) and lower tray (5) are configured in a way to form a single monolithic surface.

17. A connection apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 characterized in that the connection apparatus (1) comprises at least one lower tab (2.2) formed by bending a section taken from a region of the first portion (2) towards the side of the connection apparatus (1) facing the cooking hob.