GB2068104A

GB2068104A - Cooking tops

Info

Publication number: GB2068104A
Application number: GB8001956A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: KIRBY JAMES N Pty Ltd
Current assignee: KIRBY JAMES N Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1980-01-21
Filing date: 1980-01-21
Publication date: 1981-08-05

Abstract

A cooking top comprises a sheet of glass 11 having at least one aperture therein, the or each aperture being provided with a spillage tray 15 having a central opening 19 for a gas burner 9,10 and a peripheral flange 16 seated on the upper surface of the sheet 11 around the periphery of the aperture, and a pan support 22,24 seated on the spillage tray 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to cooking tops This invention relates to cooking tops and has been devised particularly, though not solely, as a cooking top for a gas cooker.

It is desirable to provide a cooking top particularly for use with a gas cooker which is simple and cheap to manufacture, has a pleasing aesthetic appearance and is easy to keep clean in use.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking top which will go at least part of the way towards meeting the foregoing desiderata in a simple, yet effective manner, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, the invention consists in a cooking top adapted for use with one or more gas burners, said cooking top comprising a sheet of glass having one or more apertures therein; a spillage tray corresponding to each said aperture, each said spillage tray having a central gas tube opening therein and a peripheral flange arranged to seat on the surface of said glass around the periphery of said apertures, and a pan support corresponding to each said spillage tray, each said pan support being adapted to seat on said spillage tray and to support a pan above said spillage tray in use.

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within its scope, the invention will hereinafter be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a crosssectional elevation of a portion of a cooking top according to the invention, incorporating a gas burner.

In the preferred form of the invention a cooking top for a gas burner is constructed as follows: The cooking top described below is adapted for use in a bench top although it will be appreciated that a similar top could also be used on the top of a stove in the conventional manner. A bench top, for example a wooden bench top 1, has an aperture cut therein slightly smaller in dimension that the dimensions of the cooking top so that the aperture has an inner edge 2. A gas burner support frame 3 is provided which may for example be formed from metal angle section or channel section, or which may take the form of a complete support tray, having a base 4, sides 5 and flange 6 arranged to seat on the surface of the bench top 1 around the periphery of the aperture.One or more gas burners 7 are provided having a base 8 supported on the base of the gas burner support frame and having a gas tube 9 and a burner head 10 arranged to protrude above the surface of the bench top 1.

The cooking top is provided in the form of a sheet of glass 11 which may for example be tempered floated glass having a typical thickness of 8 millimetres. The dimensions of the sheet of glass are greater than the dimensions ofthe aperture in the bench top and of the support flange 6 for the gas burner support frame so that the edge 12 of the glass top overlaps and is supported by the bench top. In order to give even support to the glass top, a resilient gasket such as adhesive backed foam 13 is provided placed between the under surface of the glass top about the periphery thereof and the upper surface of the bench top 1.

One or more apertures are provided in the glass top, there being one aperture corresponding to each gas burner 7. In the preferred form of the invention each aperture is circular in configuration, the centre of the aperture corresponding to the location of each gas burner. A spillage tray 15 is provided for each aperture, preferably formed from sheet metal by pressing or spinning or any other suitable sheet metal forming process. Each spillage tray is formed having a peripheral flange 16 arranged to seat on the surface of the glass top 11 around the periphery of the aperture. The spillage tray is located in the aperture by way of a downwardly extending portion 18 having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the aperture in the glass top. The remainder of the spillage tray is formed to any suitable configuration and is provided with a central gas tube opening 19.It is preferred that the diameter of the central gas tube opening 19 is less than the diameter of the gas burner head 10 so that any spillage from cooking on the cooking top will be caught in the spillage tray.

Pan supports 20 are provided, there being one pan support for each gas burner. Each pan support incorporates a circular ring of metal strip 22 having a diameter adapted to sit inside the downwardly extending portion 18 of the spillage tray. Support fins 24 are provided, fabricated from sheet metal to the shape shown and welded vertically to the ring 22 at equispaced distances around the periphery of the ring. The pan support shown in the drawing has five fins but any number of fins from three upward may be provided. The pan supports are supported by the lower edges of the fins 24 resting on the upper edge of the spillage tray flange 16, and in use the pans rest on the upper edges of the fins.

To assemble the top, the support frame 3 is first placed in the aperture cut in the bench and the gas burners 7 without the heads 10 are mounted in the supportframe. The glass top 11 is then placed over the opening in the bench and supported on the Neoprene ring 13. The spillage trays 15 are placed in the apertures in the glass top and the burner heads 10 placed on the tubes 9. The pan supports are then placed to seat in and be supported by the spillage trays. The gas supply may then be connected through supply tube 23 by way of conventional regulating valves as is well known. Where desired, the regulating valves may be mounted in the glass top by way of vertical spindles passing through suitable apertures in the glass top and having operating knobs connected to the spindles above the surface of the glass.

The glass tops may be decorated on the under surface in any suitable manner, for example by the screening on of colours or patterns and motifs arranged in any desirable configuration, and indicia forming labels for each burner or control may also be applied to the under surface of the glass.

For safety reasons it is also desirable to bond a fibreglass tape around the under surface of the glass top adjacent the edge thereof to prevent total disintegration and shattering of the glass top if it is accidentally broken by the dropping of a very heavy object on the top.

Claims

1. A cooking top adapted for use with one or more gas burners, said cooking top comprising a sheet of glass having one or more apertures therein; a spillage tray corresponding to each said aperture, each said spillage tray having a central gas tube opening therein and a peripheral flange arranged to seat on the surface of said glass around the periphery of said aperture, and a pan support corresponding to each said spillage tray, each said pan support being adapted to seat on said spillage tray and to support a pan above said spillage tray in use.

2. A cooking top as claimed in claim 1 wherein said apertures and said spillage trays are circular.

3. A cooking top as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each said spillage tray incorporates a vertical wall portion extending downwardly from said peripheral flange and a base portion extending inwardly from said vertical wall to said central gas tube opening.

4. A cooking top as claimed in any one the preceding ciaims wherein each said pan support comprises a circular ring adapted to fit inside the peripheral flange of said spillage tray and three or more fins spaced around the periphery of said ring and extending vertically upwardly and outwardly therefrom so that in use the lower vertical edges of the outwardly extending portions of said fins rest upon said peripheral flange of said spillage tray.

5. A cooking top when constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.